Man denies rape of Phuket Russian tourist

PHUKET: A man* has confessed to tying up a Russian tourist before having sex with her, but has denied charges of rape and assault.

Police arrested Somdet Srisai, 33, at his apartment on Patak Road on Saturday, hours after the 29-year-old woman lodged a complaint with the Karon Police.

“The man was arrested and charged with sexual assault and rape. He confessed to having sex with the woman at his apartment after we found CCTV footage of him taking her back to her hotel,” Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Sophon Borrirak told the Phuket Gazette.

“However, he claimed the sex was consensual.”

The Russian woman told police she had been out drinking on Friday night with friends at a resort in Karon, but left early in the morning to return to her hotel in Patong.

“At about 4am on Saturday, she left the resort and was looking for a taxi to take her back to Patong when Mr Somdet drove by on his motorbike and offered her a lift,” said Lt Col Sophon.

“Instead of taking her back to her hotel, he took her to his apartment. At first the woman tried to resist, but she was afraid of being assaulted so she remained quiet.”

Mr Somdet denied the charges.

“I saw her walking drunkenly along the side of the road and offered her a lift, but I decided to take her to my place so that she could recover. She was very beautiful – I couldn’t control myself,” Mr Somdet told the police.

“I tore up my bed sheet and tied her hands behind her head, so that she couldn’t escape.”

Mr Somdet claimed to have had consensual sex with the woman.

“I didn’t think that she would lodge rape charges against me,” he said.

On receiving the complaint, police were quick to act.

“After Mr Somdet was identified by neighbors in CCTV footage, we staked out his apartment and arrested him when he returned later that evening,” Col Sophon confirmed.

Mr Somdet is being held in police custody at Karon Police Station, pending a court hearing.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong