Pattaya– The Daily Mail website recently reported that a British tourist complained of being allegedly assaulted by Thai police, being detained for 36 hours, and then being forced to pay 15,000 baht for his release after according to him accidentally walking into a traffic barrier. Pattaya police, however, insist they followed legal procedures and did nothing incorrectly.
Mr. Andrew Hopkins, a British tourist, told foreign media such as The Daily Mail that he accidentally walked into a traffic barrier while leaving his apartment. A security guard then shouted at him in Thai, which he did not understand, and he tried to apologize. Shortly after, police arrived and arrested him, according to his statement.
Andrew claimed that after being detained for more than 36 hours, an unidentified Italian man allegedly informed him that he needed to pay 15,000 baht in cash for his release. He stated that the police took him to withdraw money from an ATM, and two high-ranking officers took the money before releasing him.
A video released online showed the alleged deplorable conditions of the cell at Pattaya Police Station, with ants and cockroaches present, which Pattaya Police deny. Andrew claimed more than 130 prisoners were reportedly locked together in small rooms, and a pregnant woman was handcuffed to the bars and forced to sleep in a dirty area, which Pattaya Police also say was incorrect and that the pictures and footage shown by the claimant were not the Pattaya Police station.
Pol. Col. Nawin Thirawit, Chief of Pattaya City Police Station, revealed that the original incident occurred on November 22, 2024, at 8:30 PM. Andrew allegedly destroyed a car barrier, not a sign as originally reported, at his lodging, and after being called by security police took him in to calm down, fining him only 100 baht before releasing him. Police say they believed he was heavily intoxicated and disorderly leading to them being called.
Later, Andrew returned to his original accommodation, but his room was canceled by his landlord due to an alleged history of making loud noises and problems while drunk, causing another commotion and altercation between Andrew and the owners of his lodging, according to Pattaya police.
The owner of the lodging called police again when Andrew allegedly refused to leave and caused a major scene while being heavily intoxicated, according to police and the owners of the lodging, whose name has been withheld pending further investigation.
This led to his re-arrest and further legal proceedings and charges. The police confirmed that all property was returned to Andrew, with photographs taken as evidence. They strongly denied stealing anything from Andrew and his claims of extortion.
The Chief stated that the cell was cleaned daily and that CCTV cameras recorded images 24 hours a day and that CCTV also captured the entire incident. The Chief said he is confident after reviewing the footage that the police will be found to have properly done their job.
A further investigation involving multiple police agencies is underway to ensure transparency in the justice process, say Pattaya Police, who standby the fact they followed procedures and did nothing unusual.