PATTAYA, THAILAND – A British national went on a late-night rampage on Pattaya Beach Road, snatched a woman’s phone and then ran straight into a police patrol.
British man confronts patrol on open street
Units from the tourist police, Pattaya City Police and the Bang Lamung district administration responded together after reports of an out-of-control foreigner. At the scene, officers found an approximately 36-year-old Briton, shirtless and wearing black shorts, shouting loudly and waving his arms in a confused manner, frightening passersby.
The man appeared heavily intoxicated or not in full possession of his senses. Officers detained him as he was already attempting to flee.
Victim knew suspect from a failed relationship
Wanida Chaiwan, 27, who worked as a cannabis vendor, told officers she had briefly dated the man not long before. About two months earlier, he had appeared at her accommodation, forced open the door and smashed a window before disappearing again.
On this night he showed up at her stall, grabbed her phone and whispered that she should stay quiet.
“If you scream, I will run away.”
said Wanida Chaiwan, victim. She screamed, and officers on patrol nearby intervened immediately.
Initial charge filed as investigation continues
Police first opened proceedings for public disturbance and handed the detainee over to investigators. At the same time, Wanida Chaiwan filed a complaint for theft.
Whether she would also pursue charges over the earlier property damage was to be decided later, along with the question of whether this case would remain an isolated incident or point to a broader pattern.
Pattaya and drugs: coincidence or system?
Incidents like this had been occurring in Pattaya with worrying regularity. Behind the rampages, loss of control and confused aggression, there was rarely pure malice, but often addiction, psychological instability or a mix of both, reinforced by an environment that encouraged these problems.
The question was not only what would happen to the perpetrator, but why Pattaya kept attracting people who were already operating at the edge of their limits.
Source: TMN.TV