American man arrested for smashing Thai man’s car in Phuket

Police arrested an American man, who appeared to be drunk, after he smashed the window of a Thai man’s car in Phuket in the early hours of this morning.

The 33 year old Thai victim, Tharathit Na Pattalung, filed a complaint at Wichit Police Station at around 5.30am today, April 11. He told police that a foreign man damaged his car, a white Mazda 3 sedan, parked outside the Seabed Hotel. Tharathit also gave police CCTV footage of the incident.

The foreigner, later identified as a 46 year old American man named Danny, was seen in the video wearing a black T-shirt, brown shorts and no shoes. He smashed the driver’s seat window and tried to open the car door but it was locked. He was also seen looking through the window as if looking for something.

Danny reportedly suffered injuries to his hand and arm when he smashed the car window with a brick and his bare hands. The car window was damaged and Danny’s blood was found on the window, car and road.

Police rushed to the scene to arrest the American man and found him walking back and forth outside the hotel. Officers found him to be under the influence of alcohol. He was taken to the police station for further questioning.

Danny claimed that he smashed the car window because his friend had left his mobile phone in the car and wanted to retrieve it. The car owner insisted he did not know Danny or his friend.

Danny was charged under Section 358 of the Criminal Law: damaging another person’s belongings or causing the loss of another person’s property. The penalty is imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.

The American man is under detention at the police station and will be brought to court tomorrow, April 12. He is in Thailand on a 30-day tourist visa, which is due to expire soon.