BANGKOK – It’s more than simply kicking or driving rudely; the Swiss man and his Thai wife in Phuket have been investigated for their elephant business and for their villa, which has sparked protests from locals, and the man’s visa may be revoked.
Now the Phuket police officers who used to be close with them have also been investigated.
The Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the National Police Chief Pol. Gen Torsak Sukwimol said they had instructed the Phuket provincial police commander to set up a committee to investigate the veracity of allegations circulating on social media against police officers in Phuket province that they may have received money from foreigners or foreign gangs.
“If a police officer has committed misconduct and accepted money, or if a foreign gang has paid him, he must bear the consequences. Police officers are not in conflict with foreigners; if foreigners commit misconduct, they must take responsibility. Police officers enforce the law, but if a police officer benefits personally, it will be handled fairly,” said the police chief stated on Monday, March 3.
In at least two occasions, the wife of the Swiss man, Mr. Fehr or David, was cited as threatening their opponents, claiming she knew senior police in Phuket.
In the case of kicking, “Dr.Pai,” a 26-year-old resident doctor, has filed a complaint against a Swiss man for allegedly kicking her in the back as she and a friend sat on a stairway near the beach in Thalang District on February 24, 2024.
Dr.Pai expressed tension and concern because the Swiss man’s wife claimed her son was a police officer and knew top officials.
In the second case involving the road dispute an ambulance driver, Lt. Wiboon, shared a video of David raising his middle finger as a pistol gesture and pointing at his head. Following that, the Swiss man sued him in Choeng Thale Police Station, and the Thai wife claimed to know many top police officers in Phuket.
These two cases left people in Phuket unsatisfied. Protesters gathered at Phuket’s Yamu Beach on Sunday morning to demand the deportation of a Swiss man who attacked a Thai woman because she was sitting at the step of his beachfront villa.
The participants held placards with messages in English addressed to the Swiss man at the area where the incident occurred. Police were present to ensure safety.
One local resident, Prasit Wongkajorn, said in an interview that he came to demonstrate against inappropriate behavior to ensure that society can live together peacefully. He stressed that regardless of who the incident happened to, human dignity should be respected equally, and personal rights violations should not occur, especially towards women, which are unforgivable.
Furthermore, he observed that the privatization of beaches in Phuket is a problem. He said that when he was a child, he could walk around Phuket’s beaches freely, but now there are investor groups buying land and turning it into business projects, often claiming ownership rights to the beach, treating it as private property.
“When incidents like this occur, I want the authorities involved to take appropriate action to make it a public space where everyone can benefit together. As the owner of the area, they should provide convenience to tourists to truly enjoy nature,” he said.
Another issue regarding the Swiss national is the operation of elephant tourism in Phuket. Even though an inspection of the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park found that all 14 elephants in the park had proper microchips and the park had the correct business license, the Swiss national is suspected of using elephants for more income rather than conservation or assistance.
This suspicion arises because the elephants in the park were purchased with only one of the ropes owned by the Swiss national, while the rest were rented out for tourism purposes.
Commander of Region 8 Police Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit also said Monday afternoon that Phuket police have requested Immigration Police to revoke of the visa of David the Swissman who attacked a woman at the beachfront step of his villa.
Surapong said the real name of David is Mr Urh Beat Fehr, 45. He is deemed to be a threat to the safety and order of the people under Article 12 of the Immigration Act.
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