Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: British Man Stabbed, Crypto Clash, and More

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, May 13th to Sunday May 19th, 2024

  1. A confrontation involving six individuals resulted in each being levied a fine of 1,000 baht following an altercation with a transgender Thai tourist from Pattaya on Bangla Road, Patong.

The tourist from Pattaya, who was the subject of the attack, has yet to lodge a formal complaint with the authorities and is reported to have departed from Phuket.

2. In a significant crackdown on illegal narcotics in Phuket, authorities have apprehended a Russian national and three Nigerians in possession of drugs valued at over four million baht.

Confiscated from the suspects were a total of 855 Ecstasy pills, 470 grams of cocaine, and 127.8 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

3. Crypto Clash: Swedish/Russian Man Arrested in Phuket for Alleged Assault and Extortion

Phuket Immigration officials reported to the Phuket Express the arrest of a suspect identified only as Mr. Oleksandr, a 25-year-old man with Swedish/Russian nationality.

4. In a heartbreaking incident in Patong, a five-year-old girl from Israel lost her life following a fall from a Tuk Tuk taxi, which was subsequently followed by her being struck by another vehicle.

The driver of the Tuk Tuk, identified only as Mr. Boonyang, reported to the authorities that he was compelled to execute an abrupt stop due to a pedestrian crossing the road.

5. A British national was the victim of a stabbing incident on Bangla Road, sustaining injuries that required immediate medical attention.

Eyewitness accounts suggest that a confrontation erupted involving approximately five Thai men and a group of foreigners. During the altercation, it was reported that one individual brandished a knife. 

That’s it for this week. Be safe!

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Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for many years and has worked with The Pattaya News for five years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.