KOH TAO — Thai authorities have arrested a 19-year-old Thai-Myanmar man following an attempted sexual assault on a 22-year-old Canadian tourist on Koh Tao, Surat Thani province early Thursday morning.
Police said the victim, identified as Julia, was returning to her accommodation around 1 a.m. after visiting XCo Bar when she was approached by a man on a motorcycle who offered her a ride, posing as a free motorcycle taxi driver.
According to her report, the suspect diverted into a dark alley, attempted to grope her, and tried to remove his pants. Julia said she jumped off the moving motorcycle, fell to the ground, and struggled as the man straddled her. She managed to use her phone to call for help, though the suspect briefly seized it, before she escaped to a main road and took a taxi back to the bar.
Julia was treated at Koh Tao Hospital for multiple abrasions and filed a formal complaint. Police reviewed CCTV along the route, distributed the suspect’s photo for identification, and reconstructed the crime scene. Officers monitored ferry terminals and other exit points on the island.
Authorities located the suspect at a hiding spot near a warehouse parking area in Koh Tao at 9 a.m. Thursday. A urine test reportedly came back positive for methamphetamine. During questioning, the suspect, from Ranong province, admitted to the assault and said he borrowed someone else’s motorcycle to commit the crime.
Police took the suspect into custody along with the victim’s phone and the clothing worn during the attack. He has been handed over to investigators for prosecution.
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