Snorting in full sight: Phuket cops nab Swiss man for public drug use
Police detained a Swiss man on Kamala-Patong Road in Phuket’s Kathu district on Monday after a video clip of him apparently snorting cocaine from the seat of a motorcycle went viral on social media.
The clip, posted last Thursday and captioned “What are you doing bro?”, shows two foreign nationals casually snorting a substance through a straw on the roadside, in full view of passersby.
The video sparked several comments accusing police of double standards, with critics saying the cops arrest Thai drug users while ignoring narcotic use by foreigners. Others pointed to an influx of poor-quality tourists, blaming Thailand’s free-visa scheme.
Sascha (surname was withheld) was arrested by officers from Kamala Police Station. He confessed to being one of the men captured in the video but said he did not know the name of the other man, who remains at large.
Police said the Swiss man tested positive for drugs and will be prosecuted. Investigators are also hunting for the other individual in the clip and the person who sold the drugs.
