Phuket van driver confesses to raping Ukrainian woman

A Thai van driver has confessed to raping a 20-year-old Ukrainian woman in Phuket, police said on April 6. The woman reported to Patong Police Station around 5:30am, alleging that the man forced her into a van and assaulted her in Phuket town. Officers later arrested the suspect, identified only as 43-year-old Sukan.

Victim’s Account and Police Response

According to her statement, the Ukrainian woman had booked an app-based motorcycle taxi from a hotel on Si Sunthon Road in Thalang district to Phuket town to meet a friend. After arriving, she was unable to contact her friend due to a lack of internet access and was searching for a wifi connection when she encountered Sukan.

She told police she asked Sukan to share a mobile hotspot, which he agreed to do. While she was using her phone, the man pulled her into his van and raped her, police said. He later dropped her at a rented house in Kathu district, believed to be her intended destination.

Suspect’s Arrest and Related Incidents

Police tracked Sukan to a snooker club in Ratsada subdistrict, where he was arrested. Officers reported that he confessed to the crime and tested positive for drugs. They noted that Sukan had recently moved from Phang Nga to work in Phuket.

This case follows several recent sexual assault cases involving public transport drivers in Thailand. Last month, two motorcycle taxi riders were accused of abducting and raping a teenage girl with learning disabilities, and in February, a taxi driver was implicated in the rape of an intoxicated passenger in Bangkok.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/phuket-van-driver-rapes-ukrainian-victim