Arrest warrant issued against Swiss man who kicked Thai doctor
Phuket Kwaeng Court issued an arrest warrant for a Swiss man who allegedly kicked a female Thai doctor in the back outside his luxury villa in Phuket after he failed to appear in court as scheduled.
The 27 year old Thai doctor, Tarndao Chandam, filed a lawsuit against 46 year old Swiss national Urs Fehr in February last year. She accused him of kicking her in the back and verbally abusing her for sitting on the staircase outside his villa on Yamu Beach with a friend.
Fehr denied the allegation, claiming that he stumbled on the stairs, which caused him to accidentally kick the doctor. He and his Thai wife also stated that they mistook the doctor and her friend for intruders, as their villa had previously been broken into.
It was later revealed that the staircase was illegally constructed, and the area in question was part of a public beach, the property over which Fehr and his wife had no ownership rights.
Fehr and his wife subsequently held a press conference to apologise to the doctor and participated in legal proceedings. In September last year, the court of first instance acquitted him of all charges.
However, the victim, her family, and many members of the public viewed the court’s ruling as unjust. Tarndao continued to pursue the matter, filing an appeal for the case to be reconsidered. Following this, Phuket Kwaeng Court scheduled a hearing for both parties today, April 21.
Tarndao’s lawyer, Nipit Intarasombat, reported that Fehr failed to appear in court as expected. Consequently, the court issued an arrest warrant for him and postponed the hearing to May 23 at 9am.
Beyond the physical assault allegations, public attention has also focused on Fehr’s wealth and his business, the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park, raising questions about its legality. Police pledged to investigate but no progress has been reported.
It was also noted that Fehr was previously caught obstructing an emergency medical vehicle in Phuket before the alleged assault.
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