PHUKET – A Thai man was stunned to witness an American man abruptly smash his car with a brick in front of Phuket’s hotel.
Police officers from Wichit Police Station, Phuket Province, received a complaint from Mr. Tharatit na Pattalung, 33, stating that on April 11, 2024, at around 5:30 a.m., while he was parking his car in front of the Seabed Hotel in Wichit Subdistrict, Phuket Province, a foreigner, later identified as Mr. Denny, a 46-year-old American citizen, took a brick and smashed his car, causing damage to the driver’s door and the front passenger door glass.
He therefore filed a complaint with the investigating officer to prosecute Mr. Denny Ian Martini for destruction of property.
The police arrested the suspect. The victim said he did not know the foreigner and had never seen him before. He usually parks in the same place. The foreigner himself continues to make contradictory statements and says he saw his wife in the car or his phone in the car and smashed the car window to get the phone.
The insurance company initially estimates the damage at around 20,000 baht for the door and the glass. There may also be other damage. The injured party must take the car to the garage for repairs and rent a car in the meantime. He may have to claim additional costs from the foreigner, but he does not know when the two will be able to communicate effectively.
According to Thai law, Section 358 of the Criminal Code states that whoever is damaging, destroying, causing the depreciation of value, or rendering useless the property belonging to the other person, of which the other person is the co-owner, shall be said to commit mischief and shall be imprisoned for not more than three years, fined for not more than 60,000 Baht, or both.
