Andrew Hopkins vs. Pattaya Police: Unveiling the November 2024 Tourist Incident Saga

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The allure of Pattaya’s sun-drenched beaches and electric nightlife often paints the city as a playground for tourists seeking both adventure and relaxation. But beneath the veneer of sun-laden paradises lies a bustling metropolis where not everything is as it seems. Such is the backdrop for the unfolding drama involving British tourist Andrew Hopkins and the local law enforcement.

Much to the chagrin of the Pattaya police, British media, specifically the notorious Daily Mail, recently alleged that Hopkins, a spry 55-year-old, was unceremoniously arrested, subjected to rough treatment, and relieved of 15,000 baht by the Pattaya police after a mere, innocent parsing with a direction sign. The immediate retort from Chon Buri Provincial Police came like a monsoon shower on a clear day – swift and adamant.

According to Pol Maj Gen Thawatkiat Jindakuansanong, the esteemed commander of Chon Buri Provincial Police, the narrative spun by the British tabloid was more fiction than fact. In a stern communiqué to both the British Embassy and the media outlet, he demanded a course correction, asserting that the report had cast an unfair shadow over the otherwise shining image of Pattaya and its justice system.

Enter the eloquent Pol Col Chatree Suksiri, deputy commander and chief spokesperson for the Chon Buri Provincial Police. With the precision of a seasoned orator, he unraveled the incident, standing his ground that Mr. Hopkins’ run-in with the law was no inconsequential mishap. On the contrary, it was the culmination of booze-fueled ruckus and vandalism—certainly not the romanticized folly of a wayward tourist as portrayed.

The fateful evening unfolded on November 22, 2024. According to local witnesses, Hopkins, in a state of impropriety courtesy of a few too many libations, was painting the town red. His vocal belligerence culminated in the assault of an innocuous automatic entrance gate at the Hi-Park Residence. The beleaguered property owner, upon no longer finding Mr. Hopkins’ antics endearing, alerted the local constabulary. Attempts to mollify Hopkins at the site proved as futile as teaching a cat to fetch. Ergo, off he went to ‘chill out’ in custody, with charges to complete the experience.

However, Mr. Hopkins was not one to let bygones be bygones. Following his subsequent release, the now notorious Hopkins returned, possibly seeking to reiterate his earlier performance. His improvisation, once again, did not receive accolades from the residents, inviting another curtain call from the police.

Hopkins, taking a typical stoic tourist approach, recounted his tale of woe to the Daily Mail: a narrative of being unceremoniously hurled onto the back of a pickup, marooned in a cell for 36 hours, and coached by fellow inmates on the nuances of local customs ‘pay and release.’ An Italian figure reportedly appeared on the scene like a deus ex machina offering a way out—15,000 baht in hand.

Col Chatree vehemently denies such tomfoolery, insisting no shadow of extortion darkened the process. In contrast, Hopkins’ valuables were handled and returned with bureaucratic precision. Yet, in an interesting turn of events, upon his release, Hopkins was ‘mysteriously’ handed £120 in cash. No doubt perplexed, he is now in negotiations with Airbnb insurers and his own travel policy, while the British Home Office raises formal eyebrows with the Thai authorities.

“Order and justice,” says Col Chatree, “are engraved as principles within Pattaya City Police. We abide by procedures to keep the peace and protect law-abiding citizens.” Their hotline flag is raised for any wandering soul who believes the system has treated them unfavorably—support is just a dial away at 191.

As the saga persists, the story of drunken antics versus dutiful justice remains as lively and colorful as the streets of Pattaya itself. And in this city, still, the night is young, and the stories—ever engaging.