RAYONG, Thailand – Tourism leaders and police in Rayong are moving quickly to reassure visitors and strengthen security measures on Koh Samet following the arrest of a man accused of attempting to sexually assault a tourist inside a luxury resort room. The case gained widespread attention after a tourist shared a social media post describing a “nightmare trip” to Koh Samet, alleging that an intruder entered a room at a high-end resort and attempted to sexually assault a guest. The victim’s partner reportedly intervened, preventing the attack and helping the victim escape harm.
The post also criticized what was described as inadequate security measures at the resort and sparked extensive discussion online. The resort later issued a statement confirming that police arrested the suspect within 30 minutes of the incident. Management said the suspect was an outsider and not connected to the resort. The resort also apologized for earlier communications that may have caused confusion regarding the incident.
Police identified the suspect as a 31-year-old construction worker from Buriram province. According to investigators, he allegedly told police he had seen the tourist staying in a room near the construction site where he worked and later entered the room during the night intending to sexually assault her. The alleged victim awoke and shouted for help, causing the suspect to flee. Police later tracked him down and arrested him at a nearby construction area after reviewing CCTV footage.
In response to concerns over visitor safety, Rayong Provincial Police Commander Pramot Ngampradit is scheduled to visit Koh Samet on June 4 to brief officers and reinforce crime-prevention measures aimed at protecting the island’s tourism image. Meanwhile, tourism sector leaders, Sarinthip Thapmongkolsap and Phitsanu Khemmaphan publicly expressed their sympathy to the affected tourists and pledged swift action to prevent similar incidents.
Officials said a meeting involving tourism operators, police, local authorities, community leaders, park officials, and rescue services will be held on June 4 to coordinate enhanced security measures ahead of the Samet in Love concert scheduled for June 6. Planned measures include increased security personnel at public areas, ferry piers, and roads around the island, 24-hour patrols, expanded CCTV coverage in high-risk locations, improved emergency reporting channels for tourists, and stricter enforcement of safety standards among tourism businesses. Tourism leaders said the objective is to ensure visitor safety while maintaining confidence in Koh Samet as one of Thailand’s leading island destinations ahead of one of the island’s biggest annual events.
