Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul rejects any plan of considering an appeal from a Swiss man whose visa was revoked on grounds of posing a threat to society after an alleged assault on a Thai woman in Phuket.
During a visit to Si Sa Ket on Friday, Mr Anutin expressed his stance against reversing the Immigration Bureau's decision to revoke the visa of Urs Fehr, also known as David.
"Anyone who wishes to see his visa revoked? Not under this interior minister's watch," Mr Anutin said.
The Swiss has 48 hours to appeal the decision signed on Wednesday by Pol Maj Gen Songprote Sirisukha, commander of the Immigration Division 6. Although the bureau is under the police force, the Interior Minister is directly involved in visa issues for all foreigners living in Thailand.
Mr Fehr, a 45-year-old managing director of Elephant Sanctuary Park Co, faces charges of physical and mental assault for allegedly kicking the back of Dr Thandao Chandam, a doctor at Dibuk Hospital on Feb 24, near his villa in Thalang district.
Pol Maj Gen Songprote has said the Swiss will still be allowed to stay in Thailand on bail to contest the accusations in court.
However, Mr Anutin said the court case will not influence the visa revocation decision. "The court case can continue. It has nothing to do with the visa issue," he said.
The incident has sparked protests and expanded into a broader issue involving the questionable ownership of public beaches across the popular resort island, including Yamu beach where the doctor was attacked. The latest development happened on Thursday when about 300 residents in tambon Ratsada in Muang district rallied outside Cape Nga Development Co accusing the construction company of obstructing a public road to Nga beach.
- Opinion: Keep beaches public
All took place as Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat is away, and the interior minister was apparently annoyed at his absence.
Mr Auntin said the governor was attending a tourism exhibition in Germany but hinted that his overseas trip will very soon to be cut short.
"I really want to order the Phuket governor back from Germany now. He is in a tourism fair," the minister said. "I will urgently order him to come back because of a bunch of problems there," he added, referring to Phuket.
Mr Anutin did not elaborate on the tourism fair in Germany. It is not clear whether he was talking about the ongoing ITB Berlin, the world's largest tourism exhibition, where Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is also attending the event.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, left, and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul greet each other during press interview at Government House on March 3, 2024. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
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