Swiss expat Urs Fehr flees Thailand after kicking a Thai doctor on Phuket beach. Court jails him for 1 month, but he vanishes before the judgement was read out on Friday. Police now seek Interpol help as public fury grows over perceived foreigner impunity and elite protection in paradise.
Swiss national Urs Fehr is now a fugitive from Thai law. Phuket police are actively seeking to have his name placed on an Interpol watchlist. The former elephant sanctuary tycoon was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment by the Court of Appeal on the holiday island, where he lived a luxurious life for nearly a decade. Phuket police sources confirmed on Friday that Mr Fehr left Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport just before the court was set to deliver its verdict on April 21. A senior police officer on the island vowed to track him down and bring him back to Phuket to serve his sentence.
A Swiss man violently kicked a Thai woman on a Phuket beach steps and was finally sentenced to a term of imprisonment on Friday. Urs Fehr, 46, was caught on camera attacking 27-year-old Dr Thandao Chandam without provocation.
The assault happened on 24 February 2024 during Makha Bucha Day — a major Buddhist holiday in Thailand. That night, Dr Thandao and a friend were enjoying the moonlight on Yamu Beach in Phuket’s Thalang district.
Without warning, Fehr stormed down from his rented luxury villa and kicked the doctor hard in the back. The steps connected the beach to a private villa perched on a cliff in the Pa Khlok subdistrict.
Swiss man’s violent attack on Thai doctor happened on public beach steps near his luxury villa in Pa Khlok
Fehr, also known locally as “Mr David,” rented the property for over ฿1 million per month. His attack was caught clearly on video — footage he himself gave to police as evidence.
Despite that, the Phuket Provincial Court dismissed the case in September 2024, citing “lack of clear evidence.” Judges also downplayed the severity of the injury. This came despite public outrage across Thailand sparked by the attack.
Many saw it as yet another example of the rich and foreign being shielded from justice. “I sat on the beach, quietly watching the moon,” Dr Thandao said. “He came out of nowhere.” Fehr screamed at the women during the assault, accusing them of trespassing.
But the steps were built on public coastal land and offered free access to the beach. “This wasn’t his private land,” said local resident Somchai Na-nakhon. “It was a public path, always has been.” Later investigations confirmed the steps were illegal and had to be removed.
Court dismisses assault case initially despite video evidence, triggering public outrage and legal review
Following the verdict, veteran lawyer and former Democrat MP Nipit Intarasombat offered to help Dr Thandao. He took on the appeal pro bono. “I watched the video,” he said. “This was a senseless act of violence. I couldn’t ignore it.”
The Court of Appeal Region 8 reviewed the case and overturned the initial ruling in April 2025. However, the court postponed the final judgement until Friday when Fehr failed to turn up in court. Judges declared that Fehr had clearly violated Section 391 of the Thai Criminal Code relating to intentional bodily harm.
They sentenced him to one month in prison with no suspension. However, Fehr again did not appear in court to hear the verdict. Instead, he vanished from Phuket — reportedly fleeing Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Indeed, an arrest warrant was issued shortly after he failed to attend a scheduled hearing on 21 April 2025. Thai immigration records suggest Fehr boarded a flight back to Switzerland before the ruling was handed down. Police say he is now a fugitive.
Court of Appeal sentences Fehr but he flees Thailand before verdict, now a fugitive wanted by police
“We are coordinating with Interpol,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Jakrapong Damsin. “He must face consequences for his actions.” Authorities have alerted border checkpoints in case he tries to re-enter Thailand.
Meanwhile, Dr Thandao has received widespread support on social media and from women’s rights groups. “I just want justice,” she said. “No one should be afraid to sit on a beach.” Public anger also ignited over how foreigners use and abuse Thai land and legal loopholes. Activist Kanokwan Wichit criticised authorities for their delay.
“If this was a Thai suspect, he’d be in jail by now.” Adding fuel to the controversy, Fehr had previous run-ins with the law. On 25 December 2023, he blocked an ambulance in a viral road rage incident. He was fined but not detained. That case, too, left many wondering why he kept escaping serious penalties.
Fehr had been running the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park in Tambon Choeng Thale — a tourist-focused animal attraction. The sanctuary, charging high entry fees, claimed to support elephant welfare through a Thai foundation.
Fehr’s elephant sanctuary charged high fees and claimed to promote animal welfare through a Thai foundation
However, after the assault video emerged, officials began probing his foundation’s legitimacy. Initially, all seemed to be in order. Several elephants, it was later learned, lacked proper documentation or had been accounted for improperly.
Basically, the animals were found to be hired in many instances. Furthermore, there was some concern about firearms linked to the foundation which appeared to be in Mr Fehr’s hands. Eventually, a related elephant sanctuary charity tied to the same enterprise was forced to close in early 2025.
Indeed, despite the public outrage over impunity for foreigners, the case showed, as do others, that any legal difficulty for foreigners living in Thailand can be ruinous.
Fehr’s Thai wife initially told police that her husband mistook the women for thieves. She claimed the villa had been broken into weeks earlier.
Probes revealed minor elephant sanctuary issues. Foundation ordered closed. Fehr’s wife claimed trespass
Yet Dr Thandao disputed that, saying: “We had done nothing wrong. We were just two women on a beach.” Police confirmed there had been no report of theft matching the date of the attack. Moreover, Fehr’s own video showed no signs of trespassing or threat. Instead, it captured a man shouting obscenities and violently striking a defenceless woman.
After charges were filed, Immigration Police quickly cancelled Fehr’s visa and work permit. Still, he remained in Thailand at large while his legal proceedings progressed.
On Friday, Mr Nipit, Dr Thandao’s legal representative, was magnanimous in victory.
“I would like to thank all parties — from the investigators, prosecutors, the court, the (same) lawyers, and the defendant’s lawyers — who have all done their part to the fullest. We are not enemies. We just differ on facts and law.”
Today, the beach where the assault occurred is quiet again, but the community has not forgotten. Protests broke out after the original acquittal. Placards read “Justice for Thai Women” and “Foreigners Must Obey Thai Law.” Some locals filed formal complaints with the Damrongtham Centre demanding tighter control over foreign business activity.
Thailand’s Ministry of Justice later announced plans to review similar cases involving foreign nationals. Spokesperson Apiradee Srithep said: “Every person must be equal before the law — citizen or not.” So far, Fehr still remains at large.
After protests, authorities review foreigner cases amid demands for justice and equal law enforcement
The Swiss man moved to Thailand in 2015 and stumbled on the elephant sanctuary idea. It turned into a money spinner, featuring a luxurious lifestyle on the paradise island. However, it all turned sour in February 2024 with one ill-tempered outburst.
Authorities presently urge anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to contact Thai police or Interpol. If he returns, officials confirm he will be arrested on arrival. Until then, Dr Thandao waits — not for revenge, but for resolution.
Arrest warrant issued for Swiss man Uli Fehr after his no-show in Phuket for Court of Appeal judgement
Phuket tourism boss concerned that the ‘feelings’ of locals on the island may be provoked by foreigners
Phuket doctor Dr Thandao Chandam to appeal Phuket Court decision to acquit Swiss man Urs Fehr
Urs Fehr, the controversial Swiss expat acquitted by Phuket’s Provincial Court on a common assault charge
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said. “That’s why I fought.” Her quiet act of resistance — sitting on a beach, standing her ground — has now sent a clear warning to foreigners acting out in Thailand. Be cautious and respectful, this is Thailand.
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Further reading:
Phuket doctor Dr Thandao Chandam to appeal Phuket Court decision to acquit Swiss man Urs Fehr
Dr Thandao to appeal Tuesday’s decision by the Criminal Court dismissing charges against Urs Fehr
Urs Fehr or Mr David faces deportation as case judgement is due in Phuket on September 3rd next
Swiss man Uli Fehr’s hellish Thai nightmare as he is detained and branded as a threat to society
Public anger boils over in Sunday protests in Phuket against Swiss man Mr Uli and private beaches
