Phuket –
Authorities have arrested a 40-year-old Thai man following a harrowing case involving the sexual assault of a young Myanmar woman and the illegal recording of the act.
The Wichit Police told the Phuket Express that on the evening of August 4th, police from the Wichit Station in Phuket apprehended Mr. Yotpan Wisetwarinwetch near the old bus terminal on Phang Nga Road. Acting on intelligence, the Wichit investigation team tracked the suspect after receiving a tip that he had returned to Phuket and was seeking employment in the city.
According to the warrant issued by Phuket Provincial Court dated July 29, Mr. Wisetwarinwetch faces serious charges: the rape of a person in an unconscious or incapacitated state, filming or recording the act for personal or third-party gain, and distribution of that footage.
- In early May, Mr. Wisetwarinwetch and his girlfriend (a Myanmar national) invited the victim—also from Myanmar and close friends with the girlfriend—to a birthday celebration in Phuket.
- After consuming two drinks, the victim lost consciousness. She later awoke in Mr. Wisetwarinwetch’s room with his girlfriend nearby and presumed no wrongdoing.
- Weeks later, a friend of the victim sent her a video clip showing Mr. Wisetwarinwetch allegedly engaging in sexual activity with her while she was unconscious.
- The victim filed a report with the Wichit Police, sparking an investigation and leading to Mr. Wisetwarinwetch’s flight to northern Thailand before returning to Phuket.
He was finally arrested while applying for a job at a local restaurant. Though he currently denies all allegations, investigators are pursuing the case with the intent to hold him accountable under Thai law.
