Beach blunder: Swiss man and wife regret assaulting Thai doctor in Phuket (video)

A Swiss man and his Thai wife have issued an apology to a Thai doctor whom they physically assaulted and insulted after she innocently sat on the steps to their beachside villa. The man claims the altercation was a mistake, asserting that he misidentified the victim and her friend as previous trespassers of Chinese descent.

The Thai doctor, 26-year-old Tarndao Chandam, remains determined to pursue charges against the 45-year-old Swiss man, Urs Fehr, for the physical assault that occurred on the beach near Yamu Cape in the Thalang district of Phuket on February 24.

Tarndao has publicly stated that the Swiss man kicked her from behind while his wife verbally abused her, threatening to exploit her connections with high-ranking police officials to have the doctor arrested for trespassing.

Fehr has come forward to clarify that he did not intend to attack or kick the Thai woman. He insists that the kick was accidental, occurring as he stumbled on the steps leading to his rental property. Fehr’s Thai lawyer corroborated this account after viewing the video footage of the incident, confirming that it was clearly an unintended action.

The video of the incident was subsequently shared on Thai social media platforms, quickly gaining viral attention. Many users agreed that the encounter constituted a physical assault rather than an accident, despite Fehr and his lawyer’s assertions.

In the 17-second video clip, Fehr is observed approaching Tarndao and her friend, who were seated on the steps. Fehr can be heard shouting, “Get the f*ck out of here!” followed by a thud sound. However, the video does not provide a clear view of whether the sound resulted from a kick or a stumble.

Swiss apology

Fehr and his Thai wife convened a press conference today, March 1, to present their perspective on the events and extend their apologies to the victim.

During the conference, Fehr’s wife recounted an incident a few days earlier in which she had been startled by a Chinese woman entering their villa premises while she was swimming. This incident prompted her to report the matter to the villa’s management in order to have the individual removed from the area.

Fehr’s wife relayed this incident to him, causing him concern. She explained that, as a result, Fehr approached Tarndao and her companion, assuming they were the Chinese individuals she had mentioned, and proceeded to confront them with vulgar language.

Expressing regret for her actions, Fehr’s wife issued a sincere apology to the doctor and her companion, attributing her behavior at the time to being both sleepy and agitated. She clarified that her intention was not to threaten or insult anyone and expressed remorse for any distress caused.

Regarding her mention of connections with a high-ranking police officer, she clarified that her son holds a position as a police sergeant, but she did not intend to exploit this connection. She further stated that had she known Tarndao and her companion were medical professionals, she would have extended an invitation for them to seek rest inside the villa.

Fehr himself offered his apologies to the doctor, asserting that he had no intention of causing harm but rather was concerned about the previous trespassing incident involving individuals of Chinese descent. He mentioned recording a video of the encounter with the intention of lodging a complaint with the villa management regarding the intrusion.

Additionally, Fehr’s Thai lawyer issued a public apology, acknowledging the disparity between his interpretation of the video footage and the prevailing perception. He reiterated his belief that the incident was accidental and clarified that his defense of Fehr was not driven by financial motives.

As of now, there have been no updates from the police regarding the legal proceedings of the case. However, Tarndao announced on February 29 her intention to seek compensation from Fehr, with the funds intended for beach maintenance and conservation efforts.

A Swiss man has refuted accusations of physically assaulting a female Thai doctor who was seated on the steps of his upscale villa in Phuket, asserting that the incident was an unintended consequence of him stumbling on the stairs, resulting in his foot accidentally making contact with the doctor’s back.

The 26-year-old doctor, Tarndao Chandam, took to social media to recount an alleged attack by a Swiss man, later identified as 45-year-old Urs Fehr, claiming he assaulted her from behind while she and a friend were seated on steps outside his villa on the beach near Yamu Cape in the Thalang district of Phuket.

Tarndao believed the staircase to be public property as it was located on the public beach. She alleged that both Fehr and his Thai wife hurled obscenities at her, threatening legal action for trespassing and boasting connections with high-ranking police officials in the area.

Fehr, in a subsequent interview with a local news outlet, โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, on February 28, maintained that he did not physically assault Tarndao on the day in question. He asserted that it was an accident; he tripped on the steps, inadvertently kicking Tarndao’s back with his foot.

Expressing surprise at the gravity of the situation, Fehr stated his willingness to apologize to Tarndao if she was hurt by the incident. His Thai lawyer informed the media that Fehr had requested the women to leave his property out of concern for the safety of himself and his family, citing a previous burglary by a Thai criminal.

The lawyer expressed confidence that no physical assault occurred that day after reviewing a video recorded by Fehr, claiming the video showed no harm to the Thai woman during the incident. However, he opted not to release the video to the public, intending to present it to the police during questioning.

Bad steps

Regarding the steps, the Thalang Administrative Office (TAO) conducted an investigation at the villa on February 29, concluding that the steps were constructed on the public beach without permission. Consequently, they ordered a real estate developer to remove the steps within three days.

Deputy Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, Passakorn Sontikul, assured that justice would be served to both parties. He disclosed that officers had questioned Tarndao on the same day and would summon Fehr for interrogation on March 1.

Passakorn mentioned that the immigration police would investigate Fehr’s actions, with potential visa revocation if found guilty. He also indicated that the severity of the victim’s injury would determine the penalty for assault.

Tarndao reiterated her determination not to drop the charges, emphasizing her commitment to pursuing justice. She stated her readiness to abide by legal decisions but affirmed her intent to seek compensation if successful, with plans to allocate any received funds to beach preservation and care initiatives at the incident location.

The local news outlet, โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, called for a survey of all public beaches in the province, highlighting illegal occupation by business operators and foreigners. They advocated for the return of these areas to the local community for public benefit.

Fehr is recognized as the founder of the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park near Surin Beach in the Thalang district of Phuket. The sanctuary is committed to improving the lives of abused elephants, pledging humane treatment without chaining or abuse. It offers tour packages allowing visitors to interact with the animals and support animal welfare efforts.

A female doctor in Thailand is seeking justice after allegedly being assaulted by a Swiss man while sitting on the staircase of his beachfront villa in Phuket. The man, reported to be the owner of an elephant sanctuary with purported ties to high-ranking Thai police officials, has not been publicly identified.

The victim’s father, Chaiyachot Uttamang, took to Facebook to recount the incident involving his daughter, who works as a doctor at Bangkok Hospital Phuket. According to Chaiyachot, the assault occurred at around 7:30 PM on February 24, at Yamu Cape beach in the Thalang district of Phuket.

The female doctor and her colleague had dined at a restaurant called Taste Yamu and decided to relax on the beach afterward. They encountered a security guard who allowed them to occupy a spot, leading them to believe it was a public beach.

The doctor sat on the steps connecting luxury villa number 23 to the beach, assuming they were public stairs. Suddenly, she was attacked from behind by a foreign man weighing over 100 kilograms. The man, later identified as a Swiss national, recorded a video of the assault while shouting obscenities at her and her friend.

Saves elephants, hurts women

Upon seeking help from the security guard and returning to the scene with him, they encountered the Swiss man’s Thai wife, hoping for a resolution. However, their hopes were dashed when the Thai woman verbally abused them, threatening to shoot them and citing her connections with the police.

The Swiss man also berated the doctor and her friend, stating that he did not pay a significant amount of rent for them to sit outside his home. Two police officers arrived 15 minutes later, stating that both parties had violated the law: the doctor for trespassing and the foreign man for assaulting her. Despite urging the doctor not to file a complaint, the police suggested resolving the matter then and there.

The doctor was offered three options by the foreigner and his wife: mutual apologies to end the matter, separation without an apology, or legal proceedings. However, the foreigner rejected the agreement and demanded an apology from the doctor, threatening to file a complaint against her if she did not comply.

In response, the doctor decided to file a complaint against the Swiss man at Thalang Police Station. Upon discovering that he owned an elephant sanctuary in Phuket, she questioned his behavior, stating, “This man promises to protect elephants but hurts a woman?”

Concerned about potential neglect of their complaint due to the Swiss man’s influence, the doctor and her father shared their story publicly in hopes of garnering support for justice.