Swiss Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse of 14-Year-Old Boy at Patong Beach
Swiss national arrested in Phuket on July 20 after sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy at Patong Beach on July 10; he faces charges including child sexual abuse and abduction.
At 1 p.m. on July 21, 2025, Paveena Hongsakul, director of the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women, traveled to Phuket to accompany the victim's mother to meet and coordinate with Pol. Col. Sinlert Sukum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, and Pol. Major Korkrit Kandkruea, superintendent of Patong Police Station, to follow up on the case of a Swiss foreign national who lured and sexually abused a 14-year-old boy at Patong Beach. Police had obtained an arrest warrant and successfully apprehended the suspect.
The incident originated when on July 18, the boy's mother, referred to as B, reached out to the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation's Facebook page requesting help after her 14-year-old son was sexually abused. The abuse occurred on July 10. According to the boy's account, at approximately 2 p.m. while he had asked his mother for permission to walk on the beach, he encountered the foreign national, identified as C, who befriended him, asked to take a selfie together, requested his address and LINE contact. The man then convinced him to go swimming at Patong Beach, falsely claiming he would teach him to swim, before sexually abusing him in the water.
After returning home and telling his mother, she immediately took him for a medical examination at the hospital and filed a report at Patong Police Station. Subsequently, the suspect sent messages to the boy asking to meet again and sent photos they had taken together. When the mother saw these messages, she responded asking why he had digitally penetrated her son and touched his genitals. The suspect replied asking if the boy had enjoyed it and continued trying to coerce the boy to meet. The mother provided all evidence to police.
After the mother reported the case, she immediately contacted the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation. When Paveena received the report, she called the mother to clarify details and coordinated with Pol. Col. Sinlert Sukum and Pol. Major Korkrit Kandkruea to have the mother give a formal statement. After questioning, officers gathered evidence and applied for an arrest warrant.
On July 20, police arrested the suspect, seizing his mobile phone and laptop, which contained photos of the boy. The suspect was charged with three serious offenses: abduction of a child under 15 years old from a guardian for indecent purposes, committing an indecent act with a child under 15 years old, and sexually abusing a child under 15 years old. He was remanded in custody and the case was transferred to Phuket Provincial Court for prosecution.
Meanwhile, Paveena coordinated with Ms. Jilapon Chamachuk, director of the Financial Assistance Office for Crime Victims and Defendants; Wichian Chaisuwan, director of Justice at Phuket; Ms. Sukanyadha Potkaew, deputy director of Phuket Provincial Justice; and Namtap Rotsutthi, head of the Children and Family Shelter in Phuket to discuss protective and support measures for the victim should the suspect post bail, given concerns that the suspect is a reputable professional who might interfere with the case.
Paveena thanked Pol. Col. Sinlert Sukum and Pol. Major Korkrit Kandkruea for their swift action in apprehending the suspect. She urged any other child victims of this or any other offender to report to police, the Justice Office, or the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation at telephone numbers 063-2377327, 098-4788991, 081-8901355, 081-8140244, or the hotline 1134 to prosecute offenders who sexually abuse children.
