‘Furious masturbators’ flash Phuket expat motorist in midday moment of madness

PHUKET: An American expat has told of her shock at witnessing two men furiously masturbating by the side of the road in the Patong-Karon hills.

Long-term expat Amy Bensema, 36, was driving her motorbike home on August 19 when she spotted two naked “Asian-looking men” masturbating and shouting obscenities at passing cars and motorbikes.

The incident happened just after 4pm, a few meters before the corner where the Secret Cliff Resort is located. Ms Bensema had just finished work in Bang Tao and was en route home to Nai Harn.

She said there were lots of cars and motorbikes passing the men at the time and that at least 10 people must have witnessed the “shocking scene”.

“It was crazy. The men walked out of the jungle on the right-hand side of the road. They were naked and both were masturbating. As I got closer, I saw they were going at it furiously [sic] and one used his free hand to throw cans at cars,” she said.

As Ms Bensema got closer the men both shouted for her to “Come here”.

“They were wagging their tongues and making horrible faces at me,” she said.

“At that point I turned away, accelerated and didn’t look back.”

Ms Bensema stopped at a construction site on the other side of the hill and told a security guard what had happened.

“He laughed, but then quickly apologized when he saw how upset I was. He told me to go to the police station to report the incident,” she said.

Ms Bensema stopped at a police box in Karon and then at Chalong Police Station to report the incident.

Chalong Police Sub-Inspector Sutham Sriprasom confirmed the incident was recorded and that a verbal complaint had been made. He urged members of the public to call the police if anyone witnesses a similar act.

“We are not looking for these people since it is not a big crime, but if we do catch these men then they will be charged with public obscenity and fined between 500 and 1,000 baht,” he said.

Ms Bensema, who has lived and worked on the island for more than five years, said she hoped the police could catch the men.

“It’s not safe to have people like that running around. I really hope that no one was walking up there, who knows what would have happened,” she said.

This is not the first time Ms Bensema has been the victim of “flashing” on Phuket.

“A similar incident happened to me in Nai Harn a few years ago. It’s crazy that people would do that in public. I think people should know that these things happen so they can stay safe and be careful when driving alone.”

If you witnessed the incident on August 19, or witness a similar crime, officers at Chalong Police Station can be contacted directly at 076-381247 or 191 for emergencies.

— Fraser Morton