Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Doctor Allegedly Kicked by Swiss Expat, and More

Hello, Phuket Express Readers and Supporters!

The following is our weekly feature in which we highlight the top local stories in our area of Phuket from the past week. The number of stories differs from week to week.

These are chosen and curated by our editorial team and are designed for our readers to get a quick “catch-up” of important stories they may have missed. We publish many stories daily and it is easy to lose track of important events or changes in our area. We do national recaps in a separate article, this is only the top local stories in Phuket.

They are in no particular order of importance but roughly in order of publishing. These are from Monday, February 26th to Sunday March 3rd, 2024.

1. A Phuket motorbike taxi rider allegedly sexually assaulted a female German passenger.

An 18-year-old motorbike taxi rider was arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a German tourist in Phuket.

The German woman positively identified the young man involved in the incident.

2. A female Chinese tourist has broken her leg after a parasailing accident at Karon Beach.

This incident went widely viral in China, not for the accident, as accidents happen, but for the alleged time it took to get her to a hospital, diagnose and give medical treatment, and a dispute over compensation for the accident from the parasail operator. A financial agreement was later successfully reached between the parasailing company and the victim with the “insistence” of prominent Thai officials.

3. A doctor was allegedly kicked and verbally assaulted by a foreign man and his Thai wife near a villa at a beach in Pa Klok.

A Swiss expat and his Thai wife have apologized to a Thai doctor and the Thai people for a viral kicking incident but the Swiss man still insists he slipped and the kick wasn’t on purpose.

A Swiss Expat has been charged with bodily and mind harm after he allegedly kicked a female doctor near his rented villa in Thalang.

This issue continues to dominate headlines.

4. The beach stairs of a villa are being ordered to be demolished after officials found they were indeed encroaching a public beach in Paklok. This follows a viral incident involving a foreigner and a Thai doctor on the stairs.

A villa owner at Yamu Beach in Paklok is going to face legal action after part of the villa encroached on the public area.

As above, this issue continues to dominate headlines.

5. People are seen sitting on steps that have become a focal point of controversy. The incident involves a Swiss man named Urs ‘David’ Fehr and his Thai wife.

Yamu Beach has recently been in headlines across Thailand after a debate between a Swiss expat and a Thai doctor over an alleged kicking incident on steps leading to his rented villa from the beach.

6. Over 500 local residents gathered at Ya Mu Beach in Phuket to demonstrate against a Swiss national, Mr. David, who allegedly kicked a female doctor.

Even the Thai Prime Minister’s office and the top cop in Thailand are now involved, with the visa of the expat reportedly under scrutiny. Phuket officials also plan to review all the villas on Yamu Beach for encroachment and have proposed detailed background checks for long-staying foreigners involved in business on Phuket.

That’s it for this week. Be safe!