- Thai immigration authorities have canceled the visas of two New Zealand tourists accused of assaulting police officers on a popular resort island.
- Brothers Hamish Day and Oscar Mattson-Day were charged with crimes including robbery and causing bodily harm to an on-duty police officer.
- The incident was captured on video and widely shared online, with bystanders shouting “stop it!”
Thailand’s immigration department has canceled the visas of two New Zealand tourists accused of assaulting a traffic police officer on the popular resort island in an incident that was widely shared online, police said on Monday. .
Phuket Provincial Police Chief Sinrat Sukum said in a press conference that brothers Hamish Day and Oscar Mattson Day were charged with robbery, causing bodily harm to a police officer on duty, attempted bribery and driving a motorcycle without a license. said. The chief said police will ask the court to deny bail.
Police said on Saturday that Officer Somsak Nooyiat spotted the men speeding on a motorbike and tried to stop them. After trying to flee quickly, they allegedly tried to bribe Somsak, which he refused to accept. The man tried to film the two of them with his cell phone, but the man tackled him and grabbed his gun, causing shots to be fired. No one was injured by the gunshots, police said.
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In the video, bystanders could be heard yelling for them to stop. The video went viral online and was broadcast by Thai news outlets.
Anantara Rasananda Resort in Thailand. In an incident widely shared online, Thailand’s immigration department has canceled the visas of two New Zealand tourists accused of assaulting a traffic police officer on a popular resort island, police said on Monday. did. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
The police chief claimed the man who attacked the officer was a mixed martial arts fighter.
The police chief said the brothers denied all charges and refused to make statements.
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The brothers could not immediately be reached. The video did not show what happened before the scuffle.
Somsak’s boss, Chalong police chief Ekarat Preiduan, said the officer was injured but is recovering well.
Phuket Governor Sophon Suvarnarat said such attacks were unacceptable and that authorities would increase surveillance against tourists who may “behave inappropriately or violate the law.”
