Police looking for Thai man who raped Norwegian tourist after Full Moon Party

PHOTO: M-THAI

Police on Koh Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand off Koh Samui are launching a manhunt for a Thai man who has allegedly raped a Norwegian tourist. The incident is said to have happened during the monthly Half Moon party late Saturday night.

The national police chief had instructed the Surat Thani police head office to speed up efforts to arrest the rapist at the popular tourist destination, known the world over for its Full Moon and Half Moon parties. Police say the tourist filed a complaint with the Phangan police station on Sunday morning, telling the officers that she had been raped by a motorcyclist.

She says she attended the Half Moon party on the beach in Moo 3 village in Tambon Ban Tai at 11pm. When she returned to her hotel, she found that her wallet had disappeared so she walked back to the beach to look for it.

On her way back to the beach, a motorcyclist stopped and offered her a ride to help her look for her wallet. After a short ride, she noticed that the motorcyclist was not heading in the right direction and told him to stop.

She told police that she jumped off when he refused to stop but he parked and returned to rape her before riding off.

Police say they have taken photos of the scene of the alleged crime and are interviewing locals. Footage from CCTVs in the area is also being examined to try to identify the motorcyclist.

SOURCE: The Nation