Riots in Phuket Following Accidental Deaths in Police Chase

Riots broke out on the tourist island of Phuket last week over the deaths of two young men who were killed in a motorbike crash during a police chase, reports the Guardian.

Rioters were throwing homemade firebombs. Image Credit: Andrew Magill (Flickr)

Angry citizens threw homemade firebombs and torched vehicles at Thalang police station, outside the islands main tourist areas.

A crowd of over 300 people blocked the road between 8pm Saturday and 4am Sunday.

No tourists were injured in the violence; however there have been reports that many missed their flights as the road to the airport was blocked for several hours.

Police are investigating the deaths of the two Thai men, aged 17 and 22, who are suspected of having possessed drugs. The police chase was prompted after they sped past a police checkpoint.

As Phuketwan says, riots of this kind have not been seen since the military coup of 2014.

Read the full story here.