Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat was forced to conduct his morning work outside his office on January 17, 2024, following a break-in where the front door window was smashed. The intruder was later identified as a Russian tourist.
The Phuket City Police Station received a report of the incident at 7:27 a.m. on January 17. The break-in occurred at the Phuket Governor’s office on the fourth floor of the new provincial hall in Talad Nuea sub-district, Muang district, Phuket.
Upon arriving at the scene, police and investigators discovered that the right glass door to the governor’s office had been shattered, with broken glass strewn across the floor. A trail of blood leading away from the door was also observed. Under the secretary’s desk, a fire axe with traces of blood was found.
According to the investigation, around 2:45 a.m., a member of the Volunteer Defense Corps on duty at Provincial Hall heard a phone ringing outside the elevator on the second floor. Upon investigation, he found a shirtless foreign man, dressed only in black shorts, hiding near the elevator on the second floor. Upon attempting to apprehend him, the man shook free and fled to the upper part of the provincial hall.
