Russian man remains free after jet ski theft attempt in Phuket
Police are searching for a Russian man who stole a jet ski from a Thai operator on Bang Thao Beach in Phuket on Friday, January 10. Fortunately, the victim managed to retrieve the stolen vehicle.
The Thai jet ski rental operator filed a complaint against the Russian man, identified as Mikhail Kolodnyi, at around 3pm on Friday at Choeng Thale Police Station.
The operator reported that Kolodnyi was swimming near Bang Thao Beach before unexpectedly climbing onto a speedboat belonging to a restaurant in the area.
The boat owner intervened, asking Kolodnyi to leave. He complied but then turned his attention to a nearby rental jet ski. Kolodnyi reportedly jumped onto the jet ski and sped away from the scene.
The operator gave chase and caught up with Kolodnyi at near the Amanpuri Hotel, managing to stop him. The operator then brought both Kolodnyi and the jet ski back to the scene of the incident and accompanied the suspect to the police station.
However, officers at Choeng Thale Police Station declined to press charges, stating that Kolodnyi had not officially stolen the jet ski. Police claimed that his actions were impulsive rather than premeditated and released him.
The jet ski operator was dissatisfied with the police’s conclusion and insisted on pursuing legal action. Police eventually recorded the complaint but could not immediately press charges as the suspect had already been released.
The police are now searching for the Russian man, who is believed to still be in the Choeng Thale sub-district, Thalang district, Phuket.
The police’s handling of the case has drawn criticism from Thai netizens. Many argued that some foreigners in Thailand exploit the perception that local laws are lenient towards them, leading to audacious criminal behaviour. Some commenters even suggested that victims of such crimes should take matters into their own hands before involving the police.
In a related incident, one of two Russian thieves was arrested at a luxury villa in Phuket last week for stealing from a fellow countryman at a hotel in the province. The victim reportedly lost US$5,000 (approximately 200,000 baht) in cash to the thieves, one of whom was allegedly involved in a cryptocurrency business dispute with the victim.
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