French suspect walks free on ฿105,600 bail after an Israeli mother and daughter needed two operations following a Koh Phangan attack. Hours later, another Israeli family faces violence on Koh Samui as the ambassador presses officials on safety again.
French national Paul William Bercu Gaubert has been released on ฿105,600 bail after a brutal attack on an Israeli mother and daughter on Koh Phangan left both needing two operations. The 62-year-old mother remains hospitalised with serious head and ear injuries, while her daughter is now recovering outside the hospital. The release came a day after Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm urged Surat Thani officials to protect Israeli visitors. On Friday, another Israeli family was refused entry to a Koh Samui attraction because of their nationality, before the husband was assaulted.
An Israeli mother recovering from a brutal Koh Phangan attack learned on Friday that her suspected attacker had been released on bail. The news reached the 62-year-old while she remained hospitalised after two operations. Her 23-year-old daughter also underwent two operations following the assault.
French national Paul William Bercu Gaubert is accused of attacking both women during a trip to a waterfall. The mother suffered serious head injuries and extensive damage to her ear. Meanwhile, her daughter suffered injuries to her nose before eventually leaving hospital.
Notably, Gaubert secured his release after bail of ฿105,600 was paid. The women first learned about the development through the daughter’s hotel on Koh Phangan. They then contacted police and sought confirmation.
The development came one day after Israel’s ambassador travelled to Surat Thani. Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm specifically urged provincial officials to help ensure the safety of Israeli nationals. Koh Phangan and neighbouring Koh Samui are both within Surat Thani province.
Koh Samui family refused entry as Koh Phangan attack suspect is confirmed free after securing bail
Separately, another Israeli family faced trouble on Koh Samui on Friday. The family was refused entry to a visitor attraction because of their nationality. Subsequently, the husband was assaulted by the gatekeeper following the refusal.
For the injured Koh Phangan woman, however, Friday brought confirmation that Gaubert was no longer in custody. The mother, identified only as M., spoke to Israeli news outlet ynet from hospital.
“I’m feeling better, but I’m still hospitalised,” she said. “My daughter received a message from the hotel in Koh Phangan saying they had learned that the attacker had been released.”
In response, the women contacted police to determine whether the information was correct. The mother said they eventually received unequivocal confirmation.
“Today we learned unequivocally that he paid 12,000 shekels in bail and was released from custody,” she said. She added that he was “roaming free on Koh Phangan or Ko Samui.”
The supplied information does not establish Gaubert’s precise whereabouts following his release. However, the mother believed he remained on one of the two neighbouring islands.
The news immediately affected her daughter’s plans. After leaving hospital, the 23-year-old had wanted to return to Koh Phangan. Instead, she became afraid to make the journey after learning about the bail decision.
Israeli mother warns of danger after daughter abandons Koh Phangan return following suspect’s release
“From the moment we learned about it, we started having anxiety attacks,” the mother said. “My daughter, who was released from the hospital, wanted to travel to Koh Phangan but was afraid.”
At the same time, the women sought information about who had provided Gaubert’s bail money. According to the mother, a policewoman could not tell her.
“We don’t know who paid his bail. I asked the policewoman and she said she didn’t know,” she said.
The mother then called for other Israelis and Jewish visitors to be warned about the Frenchman. She described him as dangerous following the violence against herself and her daughter.
“We decided that if he is going to be released, it’s important to warn people,” she said. She added that “he is a danger to the public — especially Israelis and Jews.”
Furthermore, the mother criticised the decision to allow Gaubert out of custody. “I would have expected other authorities to intervene because it’s frightening and dangerous to let him roam free,” she said.
“It’s important to publish the identity of this scumbag and monster,” she added.
Mother details severe ear and head injuries as daughter recovers after two operations on her nose
Her comments followed extensive medical treatment after the attack. In particular, she suffered severe damage when Gaubert allegedly bit her ear.
“My daughter underwent two nose surgeries and has now been released from the hospital,” the mother said. “I underwent two ear surgeries because he bit me and caused extensive damage there.”
As a result, surgeons performed reconstructive surgery on her damaged ear. “I had reconstructive ear surgery under general anaesthesia, and I’m still hospitalised,” she said.
Her injuries extended beyond the damage to her ear. The woman also suffered bleeding inside her head during the attack.
“I had bleeding in my head, and according to what they told me, the blood was absorbed,” she said.
However, further complications developed during her recovery. “But fluid accumulated in my head and I had to undergo a procedure to drain it through my spine.”
Despite those complications, her condition later improved. “Right now we’re doing better,” she said. “It took me several days to open my eyes, and I started eating and drinking.”
The violence had begun during a routine sightseeing trip on Koh Phangan. The mother had flown to Thailand for two weeks to visit her daughter. Her daughter was already making a longer journey around the country.
Waterfall trip turns violent after French suspect asks Israeli mother and daughter where they are from
On Tuesday, the pair decided to visit a waterfall. They travelled there by motorcycle before parking beside the road.
“We went to the waterfall on a motorcycle, parked on the road,” the mother recalled. She said there was “about 100 meters that you have to walk.”
As they prepared for the short walk, the women stopped to buy coconuts. At that point, another motorcycle arrived behind them.
“Suddenly, a man who was also on a motorcycle stopped behind us and started asking how we were,” she said. “We were busy buying coconuts.”
Initially, Gaubert simply spoke to the pair. However, he then asked the daughter where they came from.
“He asked my daughter where we were from and she said Israel,” the mother recalled.
The conversation then shifted immediately towards the conflict in Gaza. According to the mother, Gaubert voiced his opposition to Israel’s actions there.
“He said, ‘I don’t like what Israel is doing there [in Gaza],’” she said.
Israeli mother says Gaza exchange ended before Frenchman returned and launched a brutal attack
The mother rejected the attempt to discuss the conflict. Instead, she told him that the women were in Thailand on holiday.
“I told him we were on vacation and didn’t want to talk about that issue,” she said. She added that they also did not want to discuss “what they had done to us.”
Gaubert then told the women: “I’m against violence.”
At first, the exchange appeared to be over. Yet the encounter suddenly resumed after the women moved away.
“Suddenly, he called us from above, came down toward us and then started beating me brutally,” the mother said.
Her daughter immediately tried to intervene. Consequently, the younger woman also became a target of the attack.
“My daughter tried to protect me and was beaten as well. We both fought him,” the mother said.
During the struggle, the older woman suffered repeated blows to her head. Eventually, she apparently lost consciousness.
“I was hit in the head and at some point I apparently lost consciousness,” she said.
Her daughter then managed to move towards the road and seek assistance. However, Gaubert followed her as she attempted to escape.
“He chased after her, and she managed to call out to two French women who were there,” the mother recalled.
Frenchman flees as witnesses appear before injured Israeli mother and daughter are taken to hospital
Crucially, other people were now visible on the road. Gaubert then abandoned the confrontation, according to the mother.
“When he saw that there were other people on the road, he took his motorcycle and fled,” she said.
Meanwhile, the mother remained injured on the ground. People at the scene began helping her while emergency assistance was summoned.
“I remember lying on the road and people telling me that the police and an ambulance would arrive soon,” she said.
“They bandaged my head and took me and my daughter to a hospital on Koh Phangan.”
Later, the full extent of the women’s injuries became clear. The daughter required two operations on her nose. Her mother required two operations on her damaged ear.
In addition, the mother needed treatment for her head injuries and subsequent fluid accumulation. Several days passed before she could properly open her eyes.
The mother said she had never expected such an attack during her visit to Thailand. Previously, she had considered the country friendly towards Israeli visitors.
“I never thought that something like this would happen to me here in Thailand,” she said. She added that “people are so friendly toward Israelis.”
Israeli mother says she thought Thailand was safe before unexpected waterfall attack left both injured
Nevertheless, she said she normally exercised caution about disclosing her nationality. “I’m always careful and don’t say that I’m from Israel,” she said.
“But here in Thailand, I thought it was safe.”
She also recalled her initial impressions of Gaubert. “He had a French accent, but he didn’t look French,” she said.
“We could never have imagined he would do something like this.”
The mother described the attack as completely unexpected. “It’s truly horrifying, and we never thought our trip would end this way,” she said.
“All we wanted was to see a waterfall,” she added.
She then described the violence again. “Then a man comes and attacks two women in the most brutal way possible,” she said.
“We tried to fight back, but he was extremely violent.”
On another front, the supplied account said Gaubert also became violent towards police officers during his arrest. Police used force against him during the confrontation. Afterwards, the French national was taken to hospital.
French suspect accused of attacking police after Israeli mother and daughter suffer serious injuries
He was subsequently held in custody over the attack. By Friday, however, the payment of ฿105,600 bail had secured his release.
Against that backdrop, Ambassador Fisher-Kamm had travelled to Surat Thani on Thursday, August 13. The visit was her fourth to the southern province.
She met Surat Thani Governor Jumphot Wannachatsiri and provincial officials at the provincial hall. Significantly, the safety of Israeli visitors was a central issue during the meeting.
Fisher-Kamm asked provincial officials to help ensure the safety and well-being of Israeli nationals. Her request covered tourists, long-term residents and Israeli business operators.
The ambassador said most Israeli visitors were law-abiding and well-behaved. At the same time, she acknowledged that some Israelis could commit offences.
Israel, like other countries, had both good and bad individuals, she said. She also raised the role of social media in creating misunderstandings.
Israeli ambassador raises visitor safety with Surat Thani governor before suspect is freed on bail
According to Fisher-Kamm, online material could sometimes leave people feeling unsafe. Accordingly, she called for direct communication between provincial officials and the Israeli Embassy.
Officials should contact the embassy when problems involving Israeli nationals arose, she said. Both sides could then coordinate efforts to resolve individual cases. In parallel, Israeli authorities had already provided visitors with basic guidance about Thailand. The advice covered Thai customs, local culture and Thai laws.
As part of this, Israelis were also given information about prohibited activities. The ambassador outlined those measures during her meeting with the governor. Governor Jumphot said Surat Thani treated tourists from all countries equally. Anyone violating Thai law faced legal action regardless of nationality, he said.
Moreover, the governor said provincial officials were committed to transparent and equal treatment. He said visitors should feel safe and have a positive experience. The meeting also covered wider cooperation between Israel and Surat Thani. Fisher-Kamm said Israel currently had five cooperation projects in Thailand.
Israeli ambassador seeks direct coordination as Surat Thani governor pledges equal treatment for visitors
Among those projects was a high-value agricultural development programme on Koh Samui. The ambassador also planned to invite Governor Jumphot to Israel in November. For his part, Jumphot welcomed potential cooperation on high-value agriculture. He said Israeli projects could provide useful examples for Surat Thani officials.
Provincial agencies were also ready to coordinate with Israeli businesses and visitors. Specifically, different provincial offices would handle commercial, tourism and security issues.
Business matters could be referred to the provincial commerce office. Tourism issues could go to the provincial tourism and sports office.
Security matters, by comparison, could be directed to provincial police and immigration officials. The ambassador and governor exchanged souvenirs before concluding their meeting.
During the same trip, Fisher-Kamm was scheduled to open Khuan La School in Tha Chang district. Later, she was due to meet the Surat Thani provincial police chief.
Within a day, however, two separate incidents again involved Israeli visitors across the province. On Koh Samui, an Israeli family arrived at a visitor attraction with their two young daughters. According to the supplied information, the family was refused admission because they were Israeli.
The confrontation subsequently became physical. The husband was assaulted by the attraction’s gatekeeper following the refusal.
Israel and Surat Thani discuss agriculture and visitor support before fresh incidents involving Israelis
Across the water, the injured Koh Phangan mother received confirmation of Gaubert’s release. She remained hospitalised after reconstructive surgery and further treatment for her head injuries.
Her daughter, meanwhile, was recovering outside hospital following two operations on her nose. She had wanted to return to Koh Phangan but became afraid after the bail release.
The attack itself had started with a sightseeing trip to a waterfall. It began with a conversation while the women bought coconuts beside the road.
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Minutes later, both women were fighting off a man they had never met before. The daughter eventually reached other people and sought help.
The mother was subsequently taken from the roadside to hospital with serious injuries. Her damaged ear required reconstruction, while complications from her head injuries required another medical procedure.
Her daughter also required two operations before leaving hospital. Meanwhile, Gaubert was arrested following the attack and later accused of violence towards police. By Friday, however, French national Paul William Bercu Gaubert had secured bail of ฿105,600.
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Further reading:
Community tensions rise between locals and Israelis in southern Thailand particularly on Koh Phangan
Anutin visits Koh Phangan as nominee crackdown shows 68% of firms with foreign ownership links
Blitzkrieg on foreign firms and enterprises on Koh Phangan continues with French owned resort busted
Russian-Chinese Koh Phangan alliance to sell drugs to foreigners. Accused entered Thailand illegally
Crackdown aimed at upending foreign business trade moves from Koh Phangan to Phuket. Four arrested
Crackdown to wipe out foreign business abuses and ownership on Koh Phangan & Koh Samui intensifies
