PHUKET – A Thai female doctor in Phuket has filed a complaint against a Swiss man for allegedly kicking her in the back as she and her friend were sitting on a stairway near the beach in Thalang District, Phuket Province. She stated that no Thai person deserved to be treated with such disrespect.
Ms. Tharndao Jandam, or “Dr.Pai,” 26, a resident doctor at the Dibuk Hospital, claims that she was sitting on the stair to watch the full moon on Makha Bucha Day, February 24, when the Swiss man, Mr. Fehr, 45, allegedly kicked her in the back before scolding her to leave.
Mr. Fehr’s Thai wife reportedly arrived at the scene and threatened to have Dr. Pai arrested for trespassing. She announced that “Thais can apologise to Farang (foreigner), but no Farang needs to say sorry to Thai people.”
On February 29, 2024, the Thalang District Chief traveled to inspect a villa at Yamu Beach, Pa Klok Subdistrict, where a dispute between the Thai and the foreigner had occurred. It was found that the construction of the villa’s beach staircase violated the law, with steps 2 to 4 encroaching on public land. Therefore, the owner was ordered to take corrective action within three days.
Pol. Col. Nikorn Chuthong, superintendent of Thalang police station, explained that the police were notified on Feb. 24 by the wife of a Swiss man. They tried to negotiate and propose solutions to settle the dispute, but both parties were unable to reach an agreement. Therefore, the investigating officer recommended that a Thai doctor, Ms. Tharndao, conduct a medical examination and submit a report on Feb. 25.
Pol. Col. Nikorn confirmed that the police did not favour either side, as claimed. On the morning of February 29, investigators interviewed the doctor to obtain witness statements and gather medical examination records and other evidence for a trial, while the Swiss man was scheduled to meet the investigating officer on March 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Mr. Fehr initially sent a lawyer to provide information that he had not kicked the Thai doctor. Instead, he had slipped when he filmed people entering his villa. He claimed that his property had already been invaded before.
Doctor Pai stated in a media interview that she would pursue the case to the fullest extent. She believed that no Thai should encounter such incidents. She was stressed and worried because the Swiss man’s wife claimed that her son was a police officer and knew senior officers. Additionally, they were wealthy. Therefore, she sought legal and fair assistance as a Thai citizen.
“He is a foreigner who lives in Thailand, earns his living with Thais, and works in Thailand. Even if he helps elephants, does that mean he can harm a woman? We should not discriminate against anyone as ‘just a local’, no matter how rich he is. We should respect each other more. We should live together with respect instead of discriminating against each other,” she said.
Doctor Pai added that she still suffers from back pain after being beaten by the defendant who weighed over 100 kilograms. She had to receive injections at the hospital. She thanked everyone who encouraged her and helped her get justice. She hoped that real justice would prevail. As for the defendant, she would gladly accept his apology if he sincerely wanted to apologize and not out of fear of legal action.
Meanwhile, the governor of Phuket province has formed a committee to investigate the behavior of foreigners entering Phuket. This was done because some foreigners had behaved inappropriately in the past. If they were found to be behaving so illegally that their passports were revoked, strict measures would be taken.
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