Slow police response to Phuket drive-by robbery draws ire

PHUKET: Relatives of a man who was robbed while lying injured on the road have lodged a complaint with the Phuket Provincial Police Commander after the Thalang Police failed to respond to the case.

Akkarapol Chumnummanee, 27, was robbed on Sunday at about 3.30am after he fell off his motorbike near the entrance to Bang Kanoon Forest, on the northbound side of Thepkrasattri Road.

“Two men who pretended to be good citizens came over to ‘help’ Akkarapol while he was lying there injured,” said Pianchai Theppabutr, 53, a friend of the victim, who was present at Thalang Hospital where Mr Akkarapol was eventually taken.

“They then proceeded to rob him – taking 10,000 baht in cash, an ATM card, two mobile phones and also his motorbike.”

Mr Akkarapol was forced to walk nearly half a kilometer to get home, despite head trauma, a broken arm and three broken fingers.

After taking Mr Akkarapol to Thalang Hospital, relatives contacted Thalang Police Station and spoke with the policeman on duty, who agreed to send an officer to the hospital.

“We wanted an officer to come to the hospital so that we could report the crime before Akkarapol was taken to Mission Hospital for further treatment, but no police came,” said Mr Pianchai.

“We tried calling back, but no one picked up the phone.”

At 11am, Mr Pianchai decided to call Phuket Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit to lodge a complaint.

“Gen Patchara promised to send officers immediately, and only minutes after the call an officer arrived to make the report,” said Mr Pianchai.

Lt Kraisorn Boonprasob of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette that he didn’t learn of the case until late Sunday morning.

“I was notified of the case at 11am, but unfortunately I had been busy with another case involving a car accident,” he told the Gazette.

“The problem was that there was only one officer on duty at Thalang Police Station when we were contacted [by Mr Pianchai], so there was no one there to immediately deal with it,” he explained.

Mr Akkarapol has since been transferred to Mission Hospital, where he is recovering.

Police have begun their hunt for the two suspects that robbed him.

— Thawit Bilabdullar