Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee told The Phuket News today (April 2), “Five suspects are being held at Phuket Provincial prison right now. The other one suspect is not over 20 years old. He will be handed over to the Phuket Juvenile and Family Court today.
“They all have already been charged with affray causing bodily harm by attacking two tourists,” Col Anotai confirmed.
However, police have yet to conclude their investigation, Col Anotai added.
“We have yet to complete our questioning of six other witnesses, so we requested that the suspects be held at Phuket Provincial Prison for 12 days, from March 30 to April 10.
“They have been refused bail while the investigation is in process. If police granted them bail, then the suspects might flee the charges,” he said.
Phuket Immigration have already taken statements from the tourists involved, Col Anotai explained.
“And Phuket Immigration led the tourists in identifying the suspects,” he added.
The tourists departed Phuket last Friday (Mar 29), the day after the attack.
“They returned home on a flight back to Dubai on Emirates Airline Flight EK 2593 on March 29. They thanked everyone involved in arresting all the suspects,” Col Anotai said.
Meanwhile, Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatan was briefed on police progress in the case at a meeting held yesterday to raise the issue of tourists’ safety.
Present for the meeting were Phuket Vice Governor Thanyawat Chanpinit, and other members of the Phuket Provincial Transport Management Committee, including military officials, Patong Police, Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Banyat Kantha, and Wanchat Choonhathanorm, a senior prosecutor at the Phuket’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, which operates under the Office of the Attorney General.
“Next the Phuket Provincial Prosecutor must discuss this case with investigators to expedite proceedings and to make sure the case is handled quickly and effectively.
“We must be fair to both sides, the tourists and the suspects,” Governor Phakaphong said.
At the meeting, Governor Phakaphong and other officials also discussed a range of other public transport issues, including public transport licenses, service standards, public transport parking and prices, noted a report from the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department.
However, no further details on those issues were forthcoming.
The fight that saw the two UAE tourists attacked on Pracha Nukroh Rd in front of the Malin Plaza broke out at about 11pm last Thursday.
Parts of the vicious beating were recorded by a bystander. The footage recorded showed the tuk-tuk drivers and at least one motorbike taxi driver beating two men in the middle of the road.
The tourists were beaten to the ground, with several of their attackers kicking both men repeatedly while they were still down.
In the video recording a woman’s voice can be heard screaming for the attackers to stop. Her pleas were ignored. (See story here.)