Phuket –
General Surachet Hakparn, the Thai Deputy National Police Chief has ordered to revoke the visas of two New Zealander men involved in a viral alleged assault on a Thai police officer and blacklist them from Thailand. The two men were also allegedly trying to bribe police when they were arrested.
Now for the update:
General Surachet has informed the press that he has instructed Major General Songprod Sirisukkha, the Immigration Region 6 Commander, to cancel the visas of the two New Zealand men in question and prohibit their entry into Thailand in the future. The Chalong Police Chief, Colonel Eakkarat Plaiduang, revealed that these two individuals are currently being taken to the Phuket Provincial Court today (March 18th).
The two suspects are facing charges related to robbery, assaulting or resisting an officer on duty, and driving without a valid license. Despite allegedly attempting to bribe the police to avoid further charges, their efforts were unsuccessful.
Additionally, the New Zealand embassy has been notified of the situation.
TPN media notes that even if the two suspect’s visas are cancelled and they are blacklisted, they would still face the court process and their legal charges under a so-called suspect visa, which only allows them to conduct court hearings and legal matters. Thai police are reportedly recommending to the court that the suspects are not granted bail, as based on their high-profile incident they would be a potential flight risk.
We described some of the significant legal penalties the suspects are facing here.
Meanwhile, the millionaire parents of the two suspects, who are brothers, have spoken to the New Zealand press about the situation, which you can read here. In brief, they stated they were shocked by the situation, had obtained the services of a lawyer, and described the suspects as “Just two kids on vacation”, stressing that both men had families and children of their own who were deeply concerned about them.
