Pol Lt Col Chanan Mekchai, the investigating officer in charge at Patong Police Station, identified the suspect as Pektas Tuguy Tayyar, who holds both Swedish and Turkish passports.
“He entered Thailand using his Swedish passport, though he was born in Turkey,” Pol Lt Col Chanan said.
The suspect has since been formally charged and is being brought before the Phuket Provincial Court for pre-trial detention as legal proceedings continue.
Pol Lt Col Chanan noted that the entire incident was recorded on CCTV.
The incident occurred at about 5pm on Wednesday (Feb 25) in front of Soi Siriland off Prachanukhro Rd in Patong.
“The altercation began when Mr Tayyar was riding a black Honda X-ADV 750 motorbike along Soi Siriland and allegedly honked and shouted at an Australian man to move aside. The Australian reportedly shouted back, prompting Mr Tayyar to stop his motorbike,” Pol Lt Col Chanan said.
“Both of them argued before Mr Tayyar slapped the Australian man once in the face. The victim fell to the ground and sustained a serious head injury,” he added.
The Australian was identified as Alan Roger Jolliffe, 57. He was initially taken to Patong Hospital before being transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital due to the severity of his condition. He was later pronounced dead at 10:23pm.
“Hospital officials did not report any underlying medical conditions. They stated only that he had sustained a head injury from a slap, which caused him to fall backwards and hit his head on the street,” Pol Lt Col Chanan confirmed.
The arrest followed an investigation launched after officers at Patong Police Station were notified at about 11pm on Wednesday that a foreign tourist had died at Patong Hospital.
Pol Lt Col Chanan reported the case to his superiors before proceeding to the hospital with an investigation team. Investigators later examined the scene at the entrance to Soi Siriland, in front of Building 21 on Prachanukhro Rd, and reviewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area.
Police reported that a foreign man matching the description seen on CCTV was riding a black Honda X-ADV 750 motorcycle bearing a Phuket licence plate near the scene around the time of the incident.
Officers subsequently located and questioned Mr Tayyar, who was staying at a condominium in Kathu. According to police, he admitted to striking the victim once in the face during the altercation.
The investigating officer has compiled the case file and submitted it for further legal action as the case proceeds through the court.