Setthawut Tangjit a first-year engineering student at Southeast Asia University in Bangkok, was arrested by Crime Suppression Division officers on Tuesday.
He was brought to Phuket to have the charges read to him at Thalang Police Station, where the riot took place on Oct 11, 2015.
“He arrived at 5:30pm yesterday (May 16),” confirmed Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop of Thalang Police.
“He acknowledged the charges named in the arrest warrant, and he posted bail by submitting a Chanote land title deed as surety,” he added.
Under arrest warrant No. 844/2558 issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on Nov 18, 2015, Mr Setthawut stands accused of:
- Uniting with 10 or more people to engage in violence and threatening to use
- Taking action that causes chaos in the country
- Burning of public property and chattels
- Uniting with others to cause property damage
- Uniting with others to assault officials who are acting in accordance with their duties
- Uniting with others to invade government buildings
- Uniting with others to obstruct traffic on a public road
“Next, Mr Setthawut will be questioned by investigators,” Capt Kraisorn said.
Thalang Police Chief Col Teerawat Liamsuwan confirmed to The Phuket News yesterday that he was aware that Mr Setthawut had denied the charges and told police in Bangkok that he was not even in Phuket at the time of the riot.
Instead, Mr Setthawut said he was on holiday in Nakhon Sri Thammarat at the time. (See story here.)
During the riot, which lasted through the night of Oct 11, 2015, hundreds of protesters torched cars and hurled bricks at Thalang Police Station in retaliation for two local teenagers dying in a motorbike chase by police allegedly pursuing the teens to arrest them for drugs.
Several police officers were injured in the melee. (See story here.)
The four police officers involved in the botched drugs arrest that resulted in the deaths of Pathomwat Panarak, 22, and Thanaporn Kantakien, 17 – and consequently sparked the riot – remained on active duty.
The four officers – Lt Suchart Luecha, Snr Sgt Maj Prasai Phuengphol, L/Cpl Kanthaphol Khongnukate and L/Cpl Phanuwit Kaewsang – were quickly transferred from Thalang Police Station and the deaths of Mr Pathomwat and Mr Thanaporn were promptly ruled as an accident. (See story here.)