Hong Kong man restrained by taxi drivers after rampage near Phuket airport
A group of Thai taxi drivers restrained a foreign man from Hong Kong after he went on a rampage outside Phuket International Airport yesterday, December 23.
The Facebook news page Phuket Times shared pictures of the man with a caption that read, “What’s happening near Phuket Airport this afternoon? It appears to be an altercation!”
The photos showed the man sitting on the grass with his arms and legs tied up. Two other images showed four Thai men restraining him and forcibly pinning the man to the ground. Other witnesses could be seen gathering nearby.
The page later provided further details in the comments section, identifying the man as 35 year old Hong Kong national, Poon Keith Ka Chun. The Thai men in the images were taxi drivers waiting for passengers outside the airport.
According to reports, the Hong Kong man arrived in Phuket on December 17 on a tourist visa. He subsequently sought assistance from officers at Sakhu Police Station, reporting that his passport was missing and disclosing that he was suffering from a mental illness.
Police contacted the Hong Kong consulate to resolve his passport issue and arranged free accommodation for him at Louis’ Runway View Hotel, located near the airport.
Unfortunately, while awaiting a temporary passport, the man’s mental health deteriorated. He left the hotel, went on a rampage, and attempted to attack taxi drivers.
The man was taken to the police station before being transferred to a hospital for further treatment as his violent behaviour persisted. No legal punishment was issued against the Hong Kong man.
In a related incident on December 11, two police officers were called to a road near Karon Beach to deal with a Belarusian man, dressed only in underwear, who was acting violently. The man was reportedly shouting and attempting to attack passers-by despite efforts by his wife to calm him down.
Police, assisted by hotel security guards and Good Samaritans, eventually subdued the man and detained him. Reports indicated that his violent behaviour was caused by intoxication.
