British Tourist Arrested for Assaulting Phuket Tuk-Tuk Driver
A 33-year-old British tourist has been arrested in Phuket for assaulting a tuk-tuk driver in Patong after the incident circulated on social media, with Thai authorities revoking his visa and detaining him for legal proceedings.
PHUKET — Police have tracked down and arrested a British tourist accused of assaulting a tuk-tuk driver in Patong after the incident went viral on social media, with immigration authorities revoking his permission to stay in Thailand.
Patong police identified the suspect as 33-year-old British national Shane Daniel Correia. Officers brought him in for questioning on Friday before proceeding with legal action on assault-related charges. Immigration police in Phuket were later notified to take action under the Immigration Act.
The case stems from an incident at around 05:00 on 2 July, when a 48-year-old tuk-tuk driver from Trang province was allegedly assaulted outside a hotel on Na Nai Road in Patong, Kathu district. The victim filed a police complaint at 06:13, saying the suspect fled the scene in a car after the attack.
Police said Correia had been granted permission to remain in Thailand for business purposes. However, authorities determined that his alleged conduct posed a threat to public safety and social order, making him a prohibited person under Section 12(7) of Thailand's Immigration Act.
On 3 July, the commander of Immigration Division 6 issued an order revoking Correia's permission to stay in the kingdom under Sections 12(7) and 36 of the Immigration Act. He was informed of his right to appeal before being handed back to Patong police and later transferred to the Phuket Immigration Detention Centre for further legal proceedings.
