Illegal German couple arrested again for stealing car in Phuket

A German couple previously charged for overstaying their visa in Pattaya has been arrested again, this time in Phuket for allegedly stealing a car from a car rental shop.

The German couple, 34 year old Julia Poppelbaum and 47 year old Thomas Veit, were arrested for the theft on Monday, November 16, in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket.

On November 7, the pair were charged with several offences in Pattaya. Veit lost control when officers tried to arrest him for being a nuisance neighbour. He screamed abuse at the police, set fire to a cooking gas canister, yanked aggressively at high-voltage overhead cables, held a knife to his throat and even set his dogs, two Rottweilers and an English Mastiff, on the arresting officers in a bizarre one-hour standoff.

The angry German also destroyed his furniture and hurled bottles at officers outside his house before he was finally arrested.

Police have had the couple under surveillance since, as they prepare to deport them from Pattaya.

According to MGR Online, the owner of a car rental shop, 22 year old Phetcharat Mankong, filed a complaint against the couple in February.

Phetcharat revealed that Poppelbaum rented a white Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV from her on February 5, for one month for 32,000 baht. The German woman paid 9,000 baht and promised to pay 18,000 baht later.

Phetcharat handed over the car keys and did not feel anything untoward until she received a phone call from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) officer on February 12. The ONCB informed her that the car was likely to be involved with a drug trafficking gang as it had been recorded passing a Malaysia border checkpoint.

Phetcharat said she tried to contact Poppelbaum to get the car back but the woman would not answer her phone. Phetcharat filed a complaint to the police and the arrest warrants against the two were issued several months later on November 14.

Police reported that the couple stayed in Malaysia for a while, and travelled back to Thailand, before returning to Pattaya.

It was then that it came to the Phucket Police’s attention that the couple have previous form for illegal activities.

ORIGINAL STORY: German man in Pattaya freaks out as officers move in to arrest him for overstaying

A German couple in Pattaya was arrested yesterday for overstaying their visa. Arresting officers at the scene discovered that the man wasn’t going to go without a fight.

Officers from Bang Lamung Police Station were answering a routine nuisance neighbour call at Soi Panya Nimit in Nongprue, but when they arrived on the scene they discovered the couple had overstayed their welcome so tried to arrest them.

Officers moved in but the occupier, 47 year old German man Tomas Veit, resisted arrest and went berserk.

He screamed abuse at the police, set fire to a cooking gas canister, yanked aggressively at high-voltage overhead cables causing one to fall, held a knife to his throat and even set his dogs, two Rottweilers and an English Mastiff, on the arresting officers in a bizarre one-hour standoff.

Veit was out of control during the standoff. He also destroyed his furniture, climbed onto the roof, and sulked for a few moments before hurling bottles at officers outside his house.

Officers had to spray water onto the house to control the raging fire.

Veit continued to behave erratically while his dogs ran amok. In the end, officers had to use a dart gun to tranquillise the dogs to get inside the house. It was at this stage Veit held a knife to his throat.

Officers managed to call Veit’s 35 year old wife, who was not at home, and asked if she could calm her husband. She was successful and officers managed to force their way into the couple’s home and arrest the angry man who continued to be aggressive. He also refused to answer questions regarding his unruly behaviour.

Neighbours revealed the angry German often set his dogs on residents, adding they would puncture the wheels of vehicles in the area as well as scare passing children.

The German couple was initially charged with overstaying, which is a fine of 500-baht per day but not exceeding 20,000 baht.

Anyone who is arrested for overstaying could be banned from entering Thailand for five to 10 years depending on the overstaying period of each person. The couple’s overstaying period has not been reported.

Veit remains in custody and is facing multiple charges on top of his overstay. He will face those charges in a Thai court, and then he will be deported and blacklisted according to Bang Lamung Police Chief Colonel Nawin Sinturat.