The arrest of a US rape suspect who fled to Thailand to work as an English instructor raises concerns over students' safety at private language schools.
Thomas Andrew Erickson, wanted in both Thailand and Denton County, Texas, on various charges of rape and assault of women, is escorted by two CIB officers after his arrest last week. Inset is from his wanted poster. (Photo by Kosol Nakachol)
The Crime Suppression Division (CSD), which nabbed the man last Wednesday night at Moo Ban Klang Muang in Samut Prakan's Muang district, wants school administrators and parents to take the incident as a warning when they choose native English speakers as tutors for students.
This case involves American man Thomas Andrew Erickson who allegedly used a fake British passport to apply for English teaching jobs in Bangkok and upcountry while he was on the run from rape charges in his home country.
His background became known to Thai police when the CSD was contacted by the US embassy on Sept 15 which asked the CSD to help search for a "dangerous person" wanted by authorities in Denton County and Harris County in Texas.
The 47-year-old suspect is viewed as dangerous not only because of the alleged crimes, including physical assaults against women in Denton County and Harris County in Texas, but also a "mental illness".
US officers said Mr Erickson suffers from bipolar disorder which allows him to possess two extreme characters swinging between that of a reliable English teacher and a predator who targets women for his sexual pleasure.
CSD's subdivision 6 chief Pol Col Thiradet Thamsuthi looked into Mr Erickson's criminal record and found the suspect has also committed crimes in Bangkok.
Mr Erickson is accused of raping and injuring a Thai woman who worked at a jewellery shop in Bangkok in 2011. The man is wanted by Hua Mak police who were granted a warrant for his arrest by the Criminal Court.
However, a search for his whereabouts progressed slowly in the beginning because police were looking into details of a suspect who was aware of the warrants and tried to cover up his identity.
Pol Col Thiradet assigned key investigators − the CSD's subdivision 6 deputy chief Chiraphong Ruchiradamrongchai and Natthaphon Rattanamongkhonsak − to help track down the suspect. Both have experience in dealing with foreign criminals.
A crucial clue to the hideout of Mr Erickson emerged two months into their investigation. Pol Lt Col Chiraphong and Pol Capt Natthaphon found a woman who was suspected of being a friend of the suspect.
Accounts from the woman helped shed light on his activities in Thailand. The suspect allegedly used his native language skills as a front while continuing to lure in many Thai women including university lecturers and private company staff.
He taught first at a secondary school in Nakhon Si Thammarat before moving to another secondary school in Rangsit area in Pathum Thani province near northern Bangkok. He was eventually admitted as a teacher at a private school in the Prawet area of Bangkok.
Mr Erickson tended to work at schools for a short time before leaving to join another, police said. He was also found working for an online media agency while holding a teaching job.
He founded a private language school named EDD, behind Khon Kaen University in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. The information led officers to locate the whereabouts of Mr Erickson and, after keeping a close watch on his routine, Pol Col Thiradet's team nabbed him on Nov 26.
Over the past few years, Mr Erickson allegedly used forged passports to work as a language teacher at Benjamarachutit and Srithammarat Suksa schools in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Police said if he is convicted of sex crimes in Thailand he will serve time here, but may later be extradited to the US to face charges there.
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crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th