A 20-year-old van driver was arrested on Koh Samui island for trying to rape two Dutch tourists while returning from a Full Moon party on Koh Pangan. The driver denied the rape charges, but admitted being high on drugs and fighting with the women for overreacting when he drove to a secluded area.
SURAT THANI – October 31, 2012 [PDN]: the arrest of a van driver for the attempted rape of tourists was announced by Pol. Maj. Capt. Jaturong Namkam; Pol. Maj. Capt. Sompong Sosud, vice tourism detective officer; with Pol. Sen. Serg. Maj. Somjai Raksamer, leader of squad 5, and the tourism police officer.
The suspect was identified as Mr. Theerapong Seewawat, age 20, living at 165 moo7, Lankhoi, Papayom, Pattalung. He is a driver of a tourist van from a tour agency company in Koh Samui island, Surat Thani.
At 4:50 a.m., the police received the report of the assault from “Ms. Anna” (alias), age 28, and “Ms. Karren,” age 27, both from the Netherlands. The two tourists had been staying at the Nova Samui Hotel on Koh Samui island.
The two Dutch ladies said on the evening of October 30, they had bought ferry boat tickets from a tourist company to travel to the Full Moon party on Koh Pangan island. The company sent a white van to transport them, registration number Nor Khor 4029, Suratthanee. The driver of the van was Mr. Theerapong.
The tourists testified that about 4 a.m., the van came to pick them up for the return trip. In van there were 5 to 6 other foreigners, whom the driver dropped off first at their hotels.
So only the two Dutch ladies were left alone in the van with the driver. But he did not drive straight to their hotel. Instead, he drove around for a while, then turned into soi Panyadee kindergarten school at Chawengnoi Bay, moo 3, Bopud.
It was a quite deserted soi, and very dark there. The suspect stopped the van, and then he began molesting the ladies, and tried to rape them. But they fought and escaped from the van, crying for help. The suspect then fled in the van.
After they got away, the pair notified the police. The police began investigating and tracked down the identity of the driver Mr. Theerapong. They arrested him while he was resting in his house, and seized his van as evidence.
The police then brought the suspect to the victims to identify. But when the ladies saw him, they got frightened and cried out in shock and asked the police to stay close with them. They insisted that Mr. Theerapong was the man who tried to rape them.
Mr. Theerapong denied trying to rape the two tourists. But he admitted taking them to the deserted place. When the victims got frightened and cried out, he said he fought with them, because he had taken some drugs so he could not control his temper.
The police took Mr. Theerapong to have urine test, and the results showed a purple color, indicating the presence of drugs. So the police sent him to the detective officers in Bopud police station to prosecute.
Pattaya Daily News
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