Russian woman arrested for smoking in Phuket shopping mall
Phuket police officers arrested a Russian woman who fled without paying for a haircut and smoked a cigarette inside a shopping mall despite a warning from security guards.
The news Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (which translates to Phuket is so brutal) shared the video of the foreign woman yesterday, February 10, with a caption that read…
“What drugs are you high on? #NaughtyTourist Smoking cigarettes at a renowned shopping mall. Doesn’t care about anyone.”
The video showed the foreign woman wearing a green T-shirt, shorts, and trainers, holding a lit cigarette in her left hand while recording a video of security guards standing nearby.
She was seen laughing at the footage and appeared to either be sharing it on social media or sending it to someone online.
The video drew criticism from Thai netizens over the perceived inefficiency of laws against foreigners in Thailand.
Some blamed Thai officials for treating locals and foreigners differently, arguing that this leniency towards foreign tourists was leading to numerous issues.
One Thai man accused the shopping mall’s management of being too afraid of losing foreign customers, allowing them to do as they pleased.
Another netizen shared that he had once witnessed a foreigner smoking in the mall’s bathroom and had reported it to a security guard, who failed to take any action.
Officers from Wichit Police Station later announced that they had arrested the foreign woman, identified as a 26 year old Russian national.
Police revealed to ThaiRath that they received a complaint from a worker at a salon in the mall, stating that the Russian woman left without paying after receiving a haircut. She then sat outside the salon, smoked cigarettes, and randomly complained about passers-by.
The woman was charged with two offences:
- Section 397 of the Criminal Law: Bullying, oppressing, threatening, causing embarrassment, and causing annoyance to another person. The penalty is a fine of up to 5,000 baht.
- Section 68 of the Tobacco Product Control Act: Smoking a cigarette in a public place. The penalty is a fine of up to 5,000 baht.
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