Police have arrested an ex-inmate for allegedly raping a Norwegian woman on Koh Pha-ngan in Surat Thani early on Sunday.
Rewat Harnsuwan, 33, a resident of Nakhon Si Thammarat was arrested at a motorcycle repair shop in Tambon Koh Pha-ngan of Koh Pha-ngan district at 8pm on Monday.
He was charged with assaulting and raping the tourist at 2am on Sunday. The victim filed a complaint with the Koh Pha-ngan police station on Sunday, prompting the national police chief to order that the rapist be quickly located and arrested.
The Norwegian woman said she lost her wallet on the beach at the Half Moon Party and so began walking back to search for it.
A motorcyclist offered her a ride to look for the wallet but instead drove her around and raped her, she said.
Police checked security-camera footage from the area and saw Rewat talking with the victim before picking her up. Police conducted an investigation and learned Rewat’s identity before arresting him at the shop where he works and lives.
During interrogation, Rewat told police that he was riding his motorcycle home from drinking at a karaoke bar at 2am and spotted the Norwegian woman walking on the roadside.
Rewat said the tourist told him she lost the wallet so he offered to give her a ride to search for it.
He said the woman was drunk, hugged his waist and leaned on his bag and so he drove her to the repair shop hoping to have consensual sex. When the tourist cried foul he drove her back towards her hotel. After she jumped off the bike about 100 meters before the hotel, he grabbed her, punched her in the stomach and raped her before leaving her there, he said.
He said he went back to sleep at his living quarters at the repair shop.
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