A 58-year-old Australian tourist died after an altercation on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in Phuket , in the Patong area.
Police have arrested a 29-year-old suspect, described by several media outlets as Swedish — some sources initially describing him as Turkish.
The suspect was arrested the following morning and then taken into custody.
An altercation in Patong turns tragic
The death of the Australian, identified as Alan Roger Joliffe, was reported to police at 11 p.m. after he was admitted to Patong Hospital, said Lieutenant Chanan Mekchai, head of investigations at Patong Police Station.
The medical examination revealed serious head injuries, consistent with a violent impact.
Initial investigations place the incident on Prachanukhro Street, near the entrance to Soi Siri Land, in the sub-district of Patong (Kathu district), around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Passersby transported the victim to Patong Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 10:23 p.m.
The medical staff then alerted the police and the body was transferred to the forensic department of Vachira Phuket Hospital for an autopsy.
A honk of the horn, an argument… then a fatal fall
According to police, the suspect was riding a motorcycle when he honked his horn as he passed near the victim, who was walking with his Thai partner.
CCTV footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows an argument between the two men, before the suspect struck the Australian once in the face (described as a slap).
The victim then reportedly collapsed to the ground.
Authorities suspect the fatal trauma was caused at the moment of the fall, when his head violently struck the ground.
Arrest of the suspect and charging for assault resulting in death
The suspect fled after the incident, but police located him in a hotel in the area and brought him back to the Patong police station for questioning.
He reportedly admitted to hitting the victim only once, before seeing her collapse.
He was charged with assault resulting in death (a sentence that carries a potential sentence of 3 to 15 years in prison under Thai law) and was brought before the Phuket Provincial Court.
The police s’opposed to his release on bail.
According to authorities, such a tragedy is likely to affect the tourist image of Phuket, a leading destination in the country.
See also
Thailand: Arrest of 4 Transgender Individuals Following Assault on a German National in Pattaya
Thailand: a shocking assault deals another blow to tourism
Thailand: 2 arrests after a Russian tourist was assaulted in Pattaya
Sources: The Thaiger ; Bangkok Post
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