Beach steps ‘on public land’
PHUKET: Police have determined that the steps to a luxurious seaside villa in Phuket’s Thalang district were actually built on public land after the property’s owners were reported for assaulting a woman who they claimed was “trespassing” on their property.
Authorities inspected the villa in Cape Yamu — which is owned by a Swiss citizen and his Thai wife — and determined that they have the full title deed to the property, which details the exact boundaries of the plot.
However, they found the last few steps of the concrete stairs the couple built by the beach were actually built on public land. As such, they determined the victim, a 26-year-old doctor Thandao Chandam, was not trespassing on their property as they alleged.
Officials are taking legal action against the couple and ordered them to demolish the stairs within three days.
Dr Thandao told police that at 7.30pm on Feb 24, she and her friend took a break from walking along the beach after dinner on the steps, which they assumed was public property.
“Suddenly, I felt my whole body was shaken by force. After regaining consciousness, I found out that I was kicked in the back by a big foreign guy weighing about 100 kilogrammes. His face was red. He was sweating, filming a video with a mobile phone and saying multiple swear words,” she said.
Dr Thandao said the man’s wife then appeared and told her that she could shoot them to death without ever being found guilty because her son is a powerful police officer. Dr Thandao filed a complaint with the police against the Swiss man, Urs Beat, 45, for assault.
The Swiss yesterday denied he intentionally kicked the doctor, saying it was an accident. He will be interrogated today at 10am. The Swiss man and his wife are known to run an elephant camp in Phuket.