The arrest of the American man was announced at a press conference in Bangkok yesterday (Sept 5) chaired by Immigration Bureau Chief Pol Lt Gen Phakphumphiphat Sujjapan.
The American man, referred to only by the pseudonym ‘John’, was wanted on an arrest warrant issued in Phuket for a “destruction rampage” that resulted in damage to a villa in Karon, the Immigration Bureau reported.
The owner of the home filed a formal complaint with Karon Police, who duly informed Phuket Immigration. As local Immigration officers were unable to locate ‘John’, a warrant for his arrest was issued.
The American man had presented himself at the Immigration Division 1 branch at the IT Square building in Thung Song Hong, Lak Si District, Bangkok, in order to extend his permit to stay in the country.
At the time the American presented himself to Immigration officers, he was staying at a condo in the Soi Sukhumvit 11 area in District, Bangkok.
An officer recognised the American from an arrest warrant shared from Phuket, and after confirming the man’s identity placed him under arrest.
American ‘John’ admitted that he was the same person listed as wanted on the arrest warrant, Immigration Bureau reported yesterday.
The man has since been returned to Phuket to be formally charged at Karon Police Station, the report added.
The Immigration Bureau did not report the monetary value of the damage done to the villa.
However, the person who filed the complaint posted on the Mercedes P. BenzZaa Facebook page on Aug 28, “Today, the tenant has already agreed to pay damages in front of the official.
“From the appraiser’s price of 890,000 baht, it was 340,000 baht in cash and 70,000 baht for the house deposit, and the complaint has been withdrawn.”
UPDATE: Khun Benz of the Mercedes P. BenzZaa Facebook page later confirmed to The Phuket News that her case of a foreigner causing damage to her property was unrelated to the damage done by the American "John". A different foreigner, nationality not disclosed, had gutted her condo, also in Karon, and taken all the furniture.