Phuket Police Arrest Suspect in Late-Night Motorcycle Robbery Attack

Police in Phuket have arrested a man suspected of attacking a 23-year-old woman who was riding home from work late at night. The assailant allegedly struck her on the head with a wooden stick in an attempt to rob her. Despite being injured, the woman managed to escape and seek help.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:50am on November 1 on Mueang Chao Fa Road in Vichit, near the Phuket campus of Prince of Songkla University.

The woman was struck once on the head with a wooden stick but managed to get away from the attacker on her motorcycle. She reached a 7-Eleven store near the university, where she asked for assistance. She was subsequently taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where doctors treated her head wound with two stitches.

After receiving the victim's report, Vichit Police began reviewing CCTV footage from along the road and surrounding areas to identify the suspect.

By approximately 7:30pm on the same day, officers had arrested a suspect at his residence in Kathu. He was identified as 31-year-old Chawalit Singlo, originally from Surin province.

During a search of the property, police found a Honda Zoomer-X motorcycle believed to have been used in the attack. Officers also seized clothing allegedly worn by the suspect at the time of the incident.

According to police information, the man admitted to the attack during initial questioning. Investigators also found that he had previously served a prison sentence in connection with a drug-related offence.

Details of the attacker's movements differ between the available accounts. One version states that he was waiting in roadside vegetation before running onto the road and blocking the woman's path. However, the Vichit Police report describes him approaching her on his Honda Zoomer-X before striking her with the stick in an attempt to steal her belongings. Photographs from the police reconstruction also show two motorcycles positioned next to each other, with one person holding a stick.

The investigation is continuing. Police are examining whether the suspect may be connected to similar offences in Phuket or neighbouring provinces. Officers are also searching for the wooden stick believed to have been used in the attack.

The motorcycle and clothing have already been seized as evidence.