Australian man arrested on Koh Pha Ngan for 15 sexual assaults

Immigration Bureau officers arrested an Australian man who had evaded justice for 15 sexual assault cases in his home country. He was found hiding on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in Surat Thani Province.

The Commander of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Torsak Sukvimol, instructed officers, particularly those from the Immigration Bureau, to intensify their efforts in investigating illegal foreigners in Thailand. This crackdown aims to prevent the country from being used as a refuge for criminal activities or a hideout for fugitives.

The Surat Thani Provincial Immigration Office responded to the policy, leading to multiple arrests of illegal foreigners in the province and its renowned island, Koh Pha Ngan.

As part of this ongoing operation, a recent arrest was made of 62 year old Australian man Helio Taiyang Richardson on September 12. Immigration police found Richardson on the Interpol blue notice wanted list for a series of sexual assaults in Australia.

Officers discovered that Richardson arrived in Thailand on June 16, this year and visited Koh Pha Ngan. His visa expired on July 15, 2024, but he renewed it for travel purposes, extending its validity until August 14. Officers also found that Richardson planned to apply for a retirement visa to spend the rest of his life in Thailand.

Immigration police arrested Richardson at a resort on the island yesterday. He will be charged with overstaying his visa in Thailand before being transferred to Australia for legal proceedings related to the sexual assault cases.

The Immigration Bureau urged anyone who witnesses illegal activities by foreigners or has useful information about illegal foreign nationals to report it to the bureau for the safety of both locals and tourists.

Other foreigners previously arrested under the operation include:

• A British man who was illegally operating a beauty clinic on the island.
• A Canadian man who was illegally working as a masseur and found in possession of ecstasy for sale.
• A Russian-Canadian man who overstayed his visa and was begging for food and money.
• A French man who overstayed his visa and had set himself up as an Islamic religious leader.
• A British man who was begging for money from locals to buy drugs.
• A British man who was illegally working as a tour guide.
• A Swiss man who was illegally operating a barber shop.