If you go to Phuket Island this summer, you should not miss taking photos with the stairway where a Swiss man allegedly kicked a Thai female doctor. People were seen queuing up at the spot, which is in front of a luxurious villa rented by the Swiss man.
A Facebook page, Phuket Info Centre, which has 143K followers, has gathered images of the location, which have gone viral.
Last week, the incident became the talk of the town when the Swiss national, identified only as David, was accused of assaulting the Thai doctor following an alleged trespass. The doctor claimed that she and a friend took a rest on the staircase of the villa, believing that it is on a public beach.
Without warning, she was allegedly kicked in the back by David. She was also harshly reprimanded by the Swiss man’s Thai wife.
The doctor subsequently filed a complaint with Chalong district police, accusing the man of assaulting her.
The accused claimed, however, that he did not kick her, but he had slipped as he walked down the staircase and one of his legs struck the doctor. David also claimed that he thought the doctor and friend were Chinese tourists, who had previously trespassed on his property.
The couple later apologised to the doctor during a press conference, organised by the police, and withdrew the trespass complaint. The incident did, however, go viral on social media and has snowballed into a campaign calling for authorities to look into David’s business on the island.
Many Thai netizens, including those in Phuket, claim to have been offended by David’s choice of words, such as describing the doctor and her friend as “local people” and the by way he referred to the Chinese.
The incident also led to an investigation into the stairway, which has been found to encroach onto the beach, which is public property. The authorities have ordered the removal of some of the steps.
The campaign is also calling for provincial authorities to examine all the beaches on Phuket, to establish whether they are being illegally occupied by real estate developers, depriving the public of access.
by Marisa Chimprabha
