British tourist detained in Phuket for assaulting tuk tuk driver

Police in Phuket have detained a British national following an altercation involving a tuk tuk driver, where the foreigner was accused of physically assaulting the driver over a fare dispute. The incident, which was captured on CCTV footage, garnered significant attention on social media, leading to a swift police response.

The confrontation took place on the evening of April 26, when a tuk-tuk driver was allegedly attacked by a British tourist after a disagreement over the fare. The driver claimed the fare was 400 baht (US$10) but the tourist insisted he had paid with a 1,000 baht (US$27) note and demanded change. When the driver suggested resolving the matter at the local police station, the tourist responded aggressively.

The video, just over a minute long, shows the tourist squeezing the driver’s neck and slapping his face, actions which left the driver visibly shaken and seeking justice. The footage prompted an outcry from netizens, leading to an investigation by the Karon Police Station.

Last night, April 30, the police, led by senior officers from the Karon Police Station, executed an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court. The suspect, identified as 31 yeas old Luke Alexander Graham, had fled Patong for a hotel on Koh Phi Phi in the neighbouring province of Krabi.

Graham was apprehended at the hotel on Koh Phi Phi, where he was staying after the incident. The arrest took place shortly after he finished his dinner and was returning to his accommodations. The police presented the warrant, explained the charges to Graham, and took him into custody, reported KhaoSod.

He was subsequently brought to the Koh Phi Phi Police Station for processing and then transferred to the Karon Police Station to face charges of causing bodily harm and endangering the mental and physical well-being of another person.