PHUKET, THAILAND – A Russian man allegedly began stalking a Thai café employee in Patong after she rebuffed his romantic advances, escalating to violent threats and an online smear campaign, according to the woman and local reports.
From beach acquaintance to harassment
The woman met the man on Patong Beach and exchanged contact details. While she said their relationship remained platonic, the man reportedly grew increasingly persistent. She told the Facebook page “Phuket Times” that she “never encouraged his interest.” When she cut off contact, his behaviour turned hostile.
Threats of violence and pressure tactics
The harassment escalated quickly. The man allegedly sent the woman a photograph of a stone with a direct threat: if she did not meet him within 20 minutes, “I will throw it through the glass window of your café.” He also claimed to have influential connections on the island and threatened to use them to force the business to close.
At the same time, he reportedly began a campaign on Google Maps, leaving a one-star review and urging friends to post negative ratings in an apparent attempt to damage the café’s reputation.
Public plea and safety fears
Fearing for her safety, the café employee went public with her story. “I do not feel safe anymore,” she said in her post to the Phuket Times page. It was not clear whether she had filed a formal police report at the time of the account.
Many victims of stalking in Thailand are reluctant to go to authorities out of fear of reprisals, experts and advocates say. Stalking is recognised as a criminal offence in Thai law, and the police in Phuket would normally be expected to respond swiftly when there are explicit threats of violence.
Parallels with other incidents
Local media pointed to a similar pattern in a separate case earlier this year: in July a woman in Chiang Mai was assaulted after rejecting advances, a case that began with stalking and also showed the common progression from unwanted contact to physical violence.
Questions for authorities and the public
The Patong incident raises wider questions about protection for women working in tourist areas, the responsibility of online platforms to prevent coordinated review attacks, and how local authorities can better support victims of stalking. The woman has made her case public in the hope the attention will deter further harassment.
Source: The Thaiger