Thai man arrested for raping Ukrainian woman in Koh Samui

A Thai man denied raping a Ukrainian woman at Thongson Beach on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, claiming that the victim consented.

The 32 year old Ukrainian victim filed a rape complaint at Bor Phud Police Station on July 13 after the incident took place on Thongson Beach in the Bor Phud sub-district at about 9am on July 8. Officers then brought the complaint to the Koh Samui Tourist Police and launched a search for the suspect.

After reviewing security cameras in the area, officers spotted the suspect, later identified as a 27 year old Thai man named Nattaphong. Officers showed Nattaphong’s picture to the victim, and she confirmed his identity as the rapist.

Officers searched for Nattaphong until they managed to arrest him outside a convenience store in the area. The motorcycle he used on the day of the arrest was the same one he used on the day of the alleged sexual assault. Nattaphong was reported to be a resident of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, not Surat Thani.

Nattaphong admitted to engaging in the sexual activity but denied raping the victim. He claimed that the victim had consented to the sex.

However, officers were not convinced by his claim. He was charged under Section 276 of the Criminal Law: sexually assaulting another person by threatening or using a violent act. The penalty is imprisonment from four to 20 years and a fine from 80,000 to 400,000 baht.

A similar case was reported in February when a Thai man attempted to rape a Chinese woman in Pattaya. The suspect posed as a motorcycle taxi rider and took the woman to a roadside forest for sexual assault but the victim managed to survive.

Another related story was reported in December of last year when a British woman was allegedly drugged and raped on Koh Tao, an island in Surat Thani. The rapist was reported to be a Dutchman whom the victim met during a pub crawl after her scuba diving trip.