Swiss man convicted in assault case against Phuket doctor
A Swiss man has been convicted by Thailand’s Appeals Court for assaulting a Phuket doctor in 2024. He was sentenced to one month in prison without suspension.
The Region 8 Appeals Court has overturned a lower court ruling and found David, a Swiss national and owner of a Phuket elephant camp, guilty of physically assaulting Dr Thandao Chandam—also known as Dr Pai—a physician at a hospital in Phuket.
The initial incident took place on February 24, 2024, at a beachfront villa in Yamu, Thalang District. Dr Thandao was sitting on the stairs when David allegedly approached her, kicked her in the back, and verbally abused her with profanities. The altercation, captured on video, went viral and drew significant public attention.
On September 3, 2025, the Phuket Provincial Court acquitted David, citing inconsistencies between video evidence and witness testimonies. The court also accepted expert testimony presented by the defence, which argued that Dr Thandao’s diagnosis of PTSD was unsubstantiated, as it requires exposure to life-threatening events.
Following the acquittal, former Democrat MP Nipit Intarasombat volunteered to represent Thandao and filed an appeal. The Appeals Court convened to deliver its verdict on April 20, 2025, but David failed to appear. The court deemed his absence an attempt to evade justice and issued a warrant for his arrest, rescheduling the verdict announcement for May 23, 2025.
Today, the Appeals Court delivered its ruling, finding David guilty under Section 391 of the Thai Criminal Code for committing a serious act of physical assault. He was sentenced to one month in prison without suspension.
Speaking after the ruling, Nipit thanked all parties involved—investigators, prosecutors, the judiciary, the original defence counsel, and the current defence team—for carrying out their duties professionally. “We are not enemies, just people with different interpretations of the facts and the law,” he said. “I congratulate Dr Thandao for her patience and courage in seeking justice.”
Nipit added that he took on the case pro bono, covering his own travel, airfare, documentation, and legal fees, out of empathy for Thandao, the people of Phuket, and all Thai citizens affected by the case.
David is currently believed to have fled Thailand and is evading the court-issued arrest warrant. Nipit urged the public to refrain from commenting on the court’s decision.
