The Thai Ministry of Interior is planning to add even more charges against a Swiss national accused of assaulting a female Thai doctor in Phuket. The new charges involve the possession of two handguns.
The Swiss national, whose B-visa was revoked this week, will now face charges for illegal possession and carrying firearms in public, according to officials.
Authorities claim that since the man is now facing multiple charges, in addition to the assault charge, there’s no basis for him to appeal against the visa revocation.
Meanwhile, Immigration officials granted bail to Mr. Fehr for 30 days, with conditions. He must live in “approved housing”, report his whereabouts every 15 days, must not work or engage in illegal activities, and not travel out of the country. For his part, Mr. Fehr has engaged a lawyer to appeal the revocation of his visa to the immigration authorities.
In response to the issue of private individuals encroaching on public beaches in Phuket, the Minister of Interior, Anutin Charvirakul, announced plans to hold a meeting with the governor to address the problem. Anutin made it clear about the need for all coastal province governors to investigate any illegal occupation of beaches within their jurisdiction.
Residents in Phuket have been demanding the restoration of public ownership of beaches like Yamu, Laem Nga and Laem Sing. There’s also been ongoing arguments about access to beaches like Paradise Beach, and the beach in front of Le Meridien.
Some developers, and hotel operators, have occasionally claimed “ownership” of these beaches, restricting public access.
