Swiss Nationals Arrested in Pattaya for Alleged Child Sexual Abuse, Faces Deportation

Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 23:00

Chonburi, Thailand – In a swift operation at 7:00 PM on February 18th, 2025, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaiyarit Anurit, the Commander of Immigration Bureau 3, alongside Pol. Col. Kathathon Khamthiang, Deputy Commander of the Chonburi Immigration Bureau, led a team to apprehend Mr. Rudolph Tommy, a 67-year-old Swiss national. The arrest was made pursuant to an arrest warrant from the Pattaya Provincial Court, dated April 29th, 2024, accusing Tommy of “committing indecent acts with a child under thirteen years old.”

The operation follows the stringent policies set forth by the National Police Chief and the Immigration Bureau Commissioner aimed at monitoring the status of foreigners in Thailand, reviewing permissions granted to aliens, and taking legal actions where necessary. This includes revoking stay permissions for individuals whose behaviors threaten societal peace, national security, or international relations.

Mr. Tommy was accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in 2022, leading to his arrest warrant. Investigations confirmed that he was still residing in Pattaya City, leading to his capture near Thappraya Road in Village 12. 

Following his arrest, Mr. Tommy’s visa was immediately revoked. He was detained and is set to be deported back to Switzerland after facing his legal charges. Additionally, he has been placed on a blacklist, barring him from re-entering Thailand for life.

The Immigration Bureau emphasized that such actions are part of their ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and security of the Thai public and to maintain the integrity of international relations by addressing criminal behaviors among foreign nationals residing in Thailand.Full details of Mr. Tommy’s case were not provided by police due to the ongoing investigation and age of the alleged victim. Mr. Tommy also did not immediately release a plea or statement.

A second similar case involving a foreign national occurred the same day, although the circumstances were different according to Thai police. In the second case, a 41 year-old Swiss national, Mr. Oliver, aged 41, entered Thailand as a tourist on April 4th, 2023. He allegedly used a mobile dating application to solicit sexual services from a minor under 15 years old but fled before being prosecuted.
On February 18th, 2025, when he re-entered Thailand, he was later arrested in Banglamung. It is unclear how he re-entered Thailand with an arrest warrant out for him but was quickly corrected by law enforcement when they caught him. Mr. Oliver claimed the victim was on a site with her age described as legal, pretending to be older, and that he didn’t know she was underage, but police moved forward with prosecution.
TPN Media notes there was some debate on the nationalities of the two men, with some sources stating they were British and German, but Thai authorities stating they were both Swiss. This could have been due to dual passports.