BANGKOK — The dispute between an expat and his Thai wife and two Chinese mother and daughter in a luxury department store in Phuket has not concluded. One party traveled to Bangkok on Friday to file a complaint, expressing doubts about the police’s handling of the case. This prompted the Region 8 Police Commander to provide clarification.
On August 30, Commander of Region 8 Police Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit stated that the investigating officers have gathered evidence in these cases where both parties are victims and accused. The facts from each side will be examined and heard by the public prosecutor and in the court trial.
“Therefore, no party should present only their advantages and criticize the other side, nor should they excessively criticize the police officers’ actions beyond reality,” he said.
His remark followed the press conference of Miss Pookie, 25, and John, her 51-year-old British husband, who have come to Bangkok to seek help from Mr. Ekapop Luangprasert, advisor to the Minister of Interior and founder of the “Sai Mai Tong Rod” (Sai Mai Must Survive) page, a social complaint media channel.
They claimed to fear unfair treatment from the Phuket police after becoming suspects in the altercation with the Chinese mother and daughter in front of the Hermès store in the department store.
They alleged that the police told them, “Just give in to them, the Chinese have connections! If you don’t, life will be difficult.” This stressed them greatly, as they felt they hadn’t done anything wrong but were still suspects. They didn’t expect Thailand to be like this.
Miss Pookie recounted that while she and John were walking in the mall, they collided with the Chinese mother and daughter. They tried to avoid them, but the Chinese were on their phones and couldn’t dodge. John then said, “Be careful when walking.” The Chinese daughter shouted that Pookie had bumped into her mother and used vulgar language, saying “f–k you” and giving the middle finger repeatedly, while attempting to physically attack them.
She continued that John told the opposing party not to touch them, but the Chinese didn’t stop. He then put his hand up to protect himself and pushed back gently, causing the Chinese to fall. The Chinese continued to follow them, so she took out her phone to record the incident, showing the Chinese trying to attack her and knocking her phone down twice.
As they exited the mall, the Chinese woman punched John, with mall staff intervening. The Chinese mother and daughter jumped on John’s back and tore his shirt, but they didn’t retaliate and quickly left the scene. They later filed a complaint at Wichit Police Station in Phuket, but the police officers tried to convince them to settle, claiming the Chinese knew influential people.
They alleged that the police offered them three options:
- The Chinese mother and daughter would sincerely apologize to them in the media. They proposed that if both parties apologized, they would agree.
- Plead guilty and pay a fine, which they felt was unjust.
- If they refused both options, they could pursue legal action against the other party, but during the process, the British boyfriend would have issues entering and exiting the country.
Pookie said that despite being the victims, the police didn’t provide justice, making John lose confidence in the Thai justice system. Additionally, after the incident, a Thai person who knew the Chinese woman posted her picture on Facebook with the message “Looking for you, prepare yourself, you’ll be famous soon,” making her worry about her safety due to the opposing party’s influence and connections.
John stated that some police officers suggested they settle, causing him to lose faith in the legal system and justice in Thailand. He wasn’t stressed about paying a fine but was concerned about what was right. Filing this complaint through the media made him feel better.
The altercation between the two parties occurred on August 19 at 2:10 PM. Ms. Yoyo and Ms. W (mother) filed a complaint that day and provided additional evidence to the police on August 21. Ms. Yoyo stated that the incident occurred in front of the Hermès store. Her mother accidentally bumped into the male expat, whereupon she immediately offered a wai (a traditional Thai gesture of apology).
Ms. Yoyo also stated that she and her mother followed the foreigner and his Thai wife, asking them to stay in the mall until the police arrived, but they refused to stop. She then grabbed hold of the foreign man, leading to a struggle that left her injured.
Many Thai netizens commented on this case, after watching the video clips of the incident, saying that Thailand has become a battleground for foreigners and that neither party in the dispute is willing to back down.
Wichit Police Station received complaints from both parties. In the case filed by the Chinese mother and daughter, John was charged with assault on August 25, which he denied. For the case John filed against the Chinese mother and daughter, the police scheduled them to acknowledge the charges on August 31.
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