Phuket sushi vendor charged with raping British woman at his home

>> PHUKET: A sushi vendor has been charged with rape after a British woman said he attacked her at his house near Nai Harn beach.

Amnart Atthachak, 40, was arrested at his house in tambon Rawai of Muang district on Friday, Pol Col Withoon Kongsudjai, deputy chief of Phuket police said yesterday.

The 24-year-old tourist filed a complaint with Chalong police at 9am on Friday. She said a Thai man had raped her in his room near Nai Harn beach.

The woman, who was travelling alone, told police she had visited some beer bars in the Kata-Karon area on Thursday night.

She met a man known only as “Mai” and drank some beer with him. She later asked him to take her back to her hotel on his motorcycle because she was drunk. However, she said he took her to his house instead.

Once there, she said, she quickly fell asleep. When she awoke, she found the man was sexually assaulting her. She fought back before running away to seek help from local residents.

Police sent the woman to a hospital for a checkup, while investigators began gathering evidence and tracking down the suspect, who was subsequently caught.

Police said Mr Amnart told them he had met the British woman at the Kata Green Beach bar and they drank together before he took her to his rented house.

He admitted to taking advantage of the unconscious woman but denied rape.

Mr Amnart remains in custody on charges of rape by forcibly abusing a victim in a defenceless situation.