8-3-2024 (BANGKOK) Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has firmly dismissed any possibility of considering an appeal from a Swiss man whose visa was revoked on the grounds of posing a threat to society following an alleged assault on a Thai woman in Phuket.
During his visit to Si Sa Ket on Friday, Mr. Anutin expressed his unwavering stance against reversing the decision made by the Immigration Bureau to revoke the visa of Urs Fehr, also known as David.
“I will not allow his visa to be revoked under my watch as the Interior Minister,” declared Mr. Anutin.
The Swiss national has 48 hours to appeal the decision, which was signed on Wednesday by Pol Maj Gen Songprote Sirisukha, commander of the Immigration Division 6. While the Immigration Bureau falls under the jurisdiction of the police force, the Interior Minister is directly involved in visa matters concerning foreigners residing in Thailand.
Mr. Fehr, a 45-year-old managing director of Elephant Sanctuary Park Co, is facing charges of physical and mental assault for allegedly kicking the back of Dr. Thandao Chandam, a doctor at Dibuk Hospital, near his villa in Thalang district on February 24.
Pol Maj Gen Songprote has stated that the Swiss man will still be allowed to remain in Thailand on bail as he contests the allegations in court.
However, Mr. Anutin emphasized that the ongoing court case will have no bearing on the decision to revoke the visa. “The court case can proceed independently. It has no connection to the visa issue,” he stated.
The incident has sparked protests and has expanded into a broader issue concerning the ownership of public beaches across the popular resort island, including Yamu beach where the attack on the doctor occurred. In the latest development, about 300 residents in tambon Ratsada in Muang district staged a rally outside Cape Nga Development Co on Thursday, accusing the construction company of obstructing a public road to Nga beach. These events have taken place while Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat is away, leaving the Interior Minister evidently irritated by his absence.
Mr. Anutin disclosed that the governor is attending a tourism exhibition in Germany but hinted that his overseas trip may soon be cut short. “I really want to order the Phuket governor back from Germany now. He is at a tourism fair,” expressed the minister. “I will urgently instruct him to return due to the multitude of problems there,” he added, referring to the situation in Phuket.
The minister did not provide further details about the tourism fair in Germany. It remains unclear whether he was referring to the ongoing ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism exhibition, where Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is also in attendance.
