The incident happened in front of the now-closed Red Infinity Go Go bar, beside the Illuzion nightclub, at 2am Thursday.
A video of the arrest taken by relatives of the woman was posted online, drawing harsh criticism by viewers.
Wanchat Paetmod, 39, husband of the woman arrested, told reporters yesterday (Feb 25) that his wife, Chanpen Lueadsurin, who is seen in the video challenging the officer, had been charged for selling products in a public area without permission.
She was also charged with defamation of officials while performing their duties.
Ms Chanpen was fined B5,000 by the Phuket Kwaeng Court, Mr Wanchat said.
Mr Wanchat explained that three men, not wearing police uniforms, approached his wife and his two daughters.
The lead man, wearing a Honda Repsol motorbike racing shirt and red baseball cap, and asked to see their government ID cards.
“The man asked my wife, ‘Who is allowed to sell here? Do you know who I am?’” Mr Wanchat said.
His wife complied and presented her ID card.
“Then he asked my girlfriend, ‘Do you know who I am? Do you know how big I am? How do you sell here? You don’t know me,” Mr Wanchat continued.
“My wife replied, ‘I don’t know, and what are you?’
“He told her. ‘Don’t raise your voice at me, or I’ll take all of you to court’,” Mr Wanchat said.
“Her family [his wife’s family] are just ordinary people trying to make a living. I didn’t know what to do with the officer. I just saw the clip and was shocked why he did that.
“It felt too intense, because it is the act of government officials. And when the incident happened, my two daughters stood and cried because they couldn’t help their mother,” he said.
His daughters urged him not to go to Patong Police Station unless he was accompanied by a uniformed officer.
“Because anyone can impersonate an officer out of uniform,” Mr Wanchat said.
Mr Wanchat did go to Patong Police Station, and only then was it confirmed that the officer who made the arrest was an officer with the Patong Police.
Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabadee later confirmed he was aware of the incident, and the complaints.
“Police had received complaints that there were a group of vendors selling flowers who were annoying tourists. The plainclothes police officers went to the area to perform their duties and found a group of such people and therefore detained to prosecute the aforementioned,” he said.
Col Sujin made no mention, and gave no defence of his officers failing to properly identify themselves as police officers before placing a citizen under arrest.
He also gave no explanation for the Patong Police now enforcing a zero tolerance policy on street peddlers, a decades-long fact of life in Patong, or at least only on selected people.
Col Sujin also failed to name the officer who made the arrests.
Kurt | 28 February 2022 - 09:49:36