Russian Tourist Subdued by Phuket Police After Knife Incident

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Russian woman holds kitchen knife, threatening both officers and bystanders near Saku Police Station on Jan. 21, 2025.

PHUKET — Police officers successfully detained a Russian tourist who was wielding a knife at a local restaurant near Saku Police Station on Tuesday afternoon, marking a tense situation that ended without casualties.

The incident began around 4 p.m. when Saku Police received reports of a Russian woman, allegedly under the influence of alcohol or drugs, attempting to enter a private residence in Soi Nai Yang 16/1. When officers arrived and attempted to escort her to the police station to calm down, she diverted to a nearby restaurant called Luktan, where she grabbed a kitchen knife and began threatening both officers and bystanders.

Police attempted to defuse the situation by bringing in a Thai-speaking Russian tourist to help with negotiations. However, the situation escalated when the tourist, identified as 56-year-old Mrs. Marina, turned the knife on herself, attempting self-harm. Officers were forced to employ tactical measures, using rubber bullets to disarm her by targeting her hand, successfully preventing any injury.

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Police officers question a Russian woman who caused alarm by grabbing a knife from a restaurant and threatening locals and police near Saku Police Station on January 21, 2025.

Police Colonel Salan Santisasakul, Superintendent of Saku Police Station, reported that Mrs. Marina was in Thailand to attend the EDC Thailand 2025 music festival. She had been staying at a hotel near the airport and was scheduled to return home on January 27.

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Following the incident, local emergency services provided first aid before transferring her to Thalang Hospital for further treatment. The incident, which was recorded and shared on the “Hod Jung Phuket” Facebook page, drew widespread praise from netizens for the officers’ professional handling of the situation.

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