Police Arrest Russian Woman for Assaulting Pregnant Store Owner

A Russian woman has been charged with assault for reportedly kicking a pregnant business owner in the leg on Koh Phangan, in Surat Thani province in Thailand. Police said they will also petition the immigration agency to withdraw her visa.

On Wednesday, police detained the 40-year-old Russian woman, known only as Alena, in Koh Samui Provincial Court. She had been transported to the Koh Phangan police station on Tuesday for interrogation regarding the alleged attack.

The 34-year-old complainant, known only as Ms Satika, has a boutique on Koh Phangan that sells souvenirs and natural items. She is eight months pregnant. She filed a police report on Tuesday afternoon, stating that the Russian woman kicked her in the right leg.

Section 295 of the Criminal Code charged Ms Alena with assault causing physical and mental injury. The offense attracts a maximum two-year prison sentence and/or a fine of 40,000 baht.

Ms. Alena was accompanied to Koh Samui Provincial Court by a male compatriot. She refused to answer reporters’ queries and appeared irritated when they photographed her before getting into a police vehicle.

The woman allegedly entered Ms Satika’s store on Koh Phangan at 1pm on March 18, wearing shoes and holding a plastic coffee container. A notice on the door stated that visitors entering the store must remove their shoes.

Ms Satika claims she told Ms Alena in English to remove her shoes, but she rejected her request. When she repeated the request, the woman allegedly became agitated and kicked her twice in the right leg before walking away. Ms Santika quickly called police, who located the woman and transported her to the Koh Phangan police station to face charges.

During questioning, Alena allegedly confessed to kicking Ms Satika and apologized to her. She mentioned she had her period that day, which made her angry.

Surat Thani police chief Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikhong directed detectives to move forward with the case and seek charges. The victim would receive support in accordance with the law. He added that police would approach the Surat Thani immigration office to consider revoking Ms Alena’s visa.

Ms Satika stated on Wednesday that there were two foreign clients inside her business when Ms Alena entered, still wearing her shoes. She had urged her to remove her shoes because she offered organic herbal remedies and wanted to keep the premises clean.

According to Ms Satika, the woman became furious and violent before kicking her twice in the right leg. She was horrified and covered her tummy with her hands, as she was eight months pregnant. Her mother had instructed her to leave the store.

She accepted the Russian’s apologies but stated that she would let police handle the case to avoid this from happening again.

Russians Arrested for Illegal Gambling

On Wednesday, March 20, a group of detectives from the Phuket City Police Station conducted a raid on a residence located on Thepkrasattri Road in the Ratchada sub-district of Phuket Town. Word on the street was that some unsavory foreigners were using the house as a gambling den.

After keeping an eye on the residence for a while, the cops finally noticed the door open. After that, they went inside and saw a group of Russians, including a woman and a man from Ukraine, playing poker at what looked like a casino table. In addition to the players, the police took the poker table, three decks of cards, 318 chips (equivalent to approximately 79,600 baht), a dealer button, and an hourglass as evidence.

The individuals involved in the transaction were Ukrainian dealer Mr. Oleksandr Shpetny, Russian Ms. Ekaterina Morozova, Russian Mr. Ruslan Kolontyrski, Russian Mr. Rodion Elonov, and Mr. Evgeni Vlegzhanin. Transferred to the Phuket Provincial Police Investigation Division, the five individuals would presumably face more interrogation.

This gang of players had previously been the target of a police raid, which had met with heavy resistance from the house’s defenders. Additionally, in an effort to evade capture by the authorities, the gamers utilized chips rather than cash or cryptocurrency.

“Acting as a bookmaker and accepting bets on poker games for money illegally” was the charge against Mr. Shpetny and Ms. Morozova by the police. Among the charges against Mr. Vlegzhanin, Mr. Elonov, and Mr. Kolondyrski was the act of “participating in a poker game for money illegally.” While Mr. Kolondyrski, Mr. Shpetny, Mr. Vlegzhanin, and Mr. Elonov all admitted guilt, Ms. Morozova maintained her innocence.

Russian Criminal Activities in Thailand

Crimes committed by Russian nationals in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Koh Samui and Phuket, have been in the news a lot recently.

There has been a noticeable uptick in the number of criminal acts involving Russian nationals in Thailand, as highlighted in recent reports and news stories. Over 180 foreign nationals, primarily Russians, have been indicted in Phuket since the start of the year, according to an article in the Bangkok Post.

A article in Khaosod English news detailed the arrest of a Russian man and two South Korean men based on Interpol warrants, indicating that Thai officials have been actively tackling these concerns.

Even in unusual circumstances, like the possible deportation of a Russian rock band that was critical of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, the situation has escalated.