A Russian woman has been charged with assault following an incident in which she is accused of kicking a pregnant Thai shopkeeper in Surat Thani province’s Koh Phangan.
The authorities intend to request the cancellation of her visa through the immigration bureau.
The woman, a 40-year-old Russian named Ms. Alena, was arraigned at the Koh Samui Provincial Court.
Before appearing in court, Ms. Alena was brought in for interrogation at the Koh Phangan police station regarding the assault claim.
The victim, 34-year-old Ms. Satika, who runs a shop selling souvenirs and natural products in Koh Phangan and is in her eighth month of pregnancy, filed a complaint against the Russian woman for kicking her in the leg.
The charge against Ms. Alena includes assault resulting in physical and emotional distress, as stipulated under Section 295 of the Criminal Code, with potential penalties including up to two years in prison and/or a fine.
Ms. Alena, escorted by a fellow Russian man to the court, declined to engage with journalists and showed signs of distress when they photographed her.
The incident reportedly occurred when Ms. Alena entered Ms. Satika’s store with her shoes on and carrying a coffee, despite a sign at the entrance prohibiting entry with shoes.
Ms. Satika claims she asked Mas. Alena in English to remove her shoes, which Ms. Alena initially ignored. After the request was repeated, Ms. Alena allegedly kicked her and left the store.
Immediately after the incident, Ms. Santika promptly contacted the police, who located the woman and brought her to the Koh Phangan police station to face the charges.
During the interrogation, Ms. Alena reportedly confessed to kicking Ms. Santika and offered an apology. She explained that she was menstruating at the time, which affected her mood.
The Surat Thani police chief has ordered that the case proceed and that the victim receive legal support.
The immigration office in Surat Thani will be asked to revoke Ms. Alena’s visa.
Ms. Satika recounted that two other foreign customers were in the store when Ms. Alena entered without removing her shoes, despite the store’s policy aimed at maintaining cleanliness due to the sale of organic products.
After becoming verbally aggressive, Ms. Alena kicked Ms. Satika, who instinctively covered her stomach, fearing for her unborn child. Ms. Satika’s mother then asked the aggressor to leave.
Despite accepting Ms. Alena’s apology, Ms. Satika insisted on legal action to prevent similar incidents in the future.
