Police in southern province of Trang have detained a 60-year-old Swiss national, a retiree, Mr. Straumann Dietermatthias, who is alleged to have assaulted a Thai woman.
Natchanan Kikkham, 58, filed a complaint with police on Tuesday March 5, claiming that the man had bumped into her and walked away while in a BigC department store in Muang District. The woman then asked the Swiss man to be respectful, only for him to walk back to her and allegedly assaulted by punching on her face multiple times.
Witnesses said that the injured person went shopping in the mall. At the scene, there was an altercation with the foreigner that escalated to the point after the shopping carts collided. The injured person warned him to be careful and spoke politely, but the foreigner ignored the warning, punched the injured person four times, and then fled.
The injured person then picked up a bottle of carbonated water in the shopping cart and threw it at the foreigner, but it did not hit. This time, the foreigner walked back, pushed the injured person down, used hands to push the head, pressed the knee on the neck, and then punched her about 20 times before walking away. The mall security had to chase and notify the police to apprehend the foreigner.
According to the son, Krittapong, his mother suffered a broken nose, had serious wounds to her face, eyes and back. She was admitted to a hospital emergency room for treatment.
The Swiss national, police said, refused to give statements. He is residing in Thailand, with a Thai wife, on a retirement visa which is due to expire this November, according to police.
On March 6, at the Trang City Police Station, officers detained Mr. Straumann, who had been sitting in the reception room of the station since the previous night. He refused to speak to anyone other than an interpreter and declined to provide fingerprints or sign acknowledgment of any charges. The charges include causing harm to others resulting in danger to life and resisting the duties of an officer. The Trang City Police officers took Mr. Straumann to the Trang Provincial Court to request permission for his initial detention.
However, there has been no contact from relatives, friends, or Mr. Straumann’s wife, particularly the latest wife who is known to have fled to Krabi province about a month ago following a domestic dispute. Since the incident, there has been no communication from either party. (TNA)
