Swiss Man Refuses Bail After Brutally Assaulting 58-Year-Old Woman

A Swiss man who assaulted and critically injured a 58-year-old Thai woman in a shopping mall has rejected his former Thai wife’s offer to post bail and has refused to cooperate with police investigating the incident.

The Trang Provincial Court set bail for Mr. Dieter Matthias Straumann at 50,000 baht on Thursday, according to local tourism police. His ex-wife arrived in court with an asset worth 50,000 baht to request his temporary release.

However, the 62-year-old Swiss refused the aid, stating that he did not wish to communicate with the Swiss embassy in the nation or his relatives. He also stated that he preferred to remain in jail.

The authorities in charge of the case have asked immigration police to prevent him from leaving Thailand in the event that he is temporarily released pending prosecution.

According to reports, the suspect refused to speak with police officers or sign any documents admitting to the charges against him. He is facing allegations of physical violence resulting in serious harm and disobedience against officials for refusing to cooperate with police interrogators.

On Wednesday, police obtained a court order for the man’s first 12-day imprisonment.

According to sources, Mr Straumann repeatedly hit Natchanan Khikkham, 58, at a Big C supermarket in Muang district on Tuesday after pushing her when she asked him to be nice. The woman suffered a broken nose, inflamed eyes and back, and difficulty breathing.

Her son Kritpong Khikkham stated that the family intends to pursue all legal options against him.

Mr Kritpong stated that Mr Straumann put his knee against his mother’s neck and hit her around 20 times, implying that an attempted murder charge should also be examined. A doctor told him that his mother will need treatment for four to six weeks.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated on Thursday that rules must be properly followed in this case because a Thai citizen was mistreated by a guest.

“We do not want such a person in Thailand because he poses danger to the society, and he already used violence and injured another,” he stated. “The man stays because he has a visa, and the question of visa revocation must be considered.”

According to reports, his retirement visa will expire on November 14 of this year.

Meanwhile, in Phuket, a Swiss man who recently made news for allegedly kicking a female doctor on a beach was penalized on Thursday for an incident of road rage against an ambulance driver in December 2023.

Urs Fehr, aka David, 45, was fined 1,000 baht for defamation and 4,000 baht for reckless and dangerous driving at the Thalang police station. Simultaneously, ambulance driver Wibul Horbut was fined 1,000 baht for slander.

According to the Bangkok Post Mr Fehr apologized and presented the ambulance driver with a bouquet of flowers.

The road rage occurred on Thepkasattri Road in Thalang district at 8.21pm on December 25, 2023, when Mr Fehr allegedly cut off the ambulance, lowered his window, raised his middle finger, and cursed.

The ambulance driver cursed back and shared a video of the encounter online. On December 29, he learnt that the Swiss man had filed a cyber crime report about the post with the Choeng Thalay police station. A recent withdrawal of the complaint occurred.

After being penalized, Mr Fehr was taken by immigration officers to undergo a process to revoke his business visa, which was slated to expire on March 13th.

Following Mr Fehr’s arrest for physical assault on a female doctor, the Immigration Bureau decided to cancel his visa.

On February 24, he allegedly kicked the woman when she and a friend were admiring a full moon from beach stairs in front of his rented villa – steps he claimed belonged to him but were removed because they were built on public land.