The Ministry of Affairs today confirmed that an Icelandic man is awaiting sentencing in Thailand. Morgunblaðið reports that he stands accused of pepper-spraying supermarket staff after being refused alcohol.
It is only possible to buy booze in specified windows in the South East Asian country; a fact that was lost on the Icelander, who has been held in prison since the end of September. Since alcohol is far from readily available in his native country, his behaviour seems all the more bizarre and questions remain over why on earth he was in possession of pepper spray in the first place.
The arrest marks one of the more minor offenses that Icelanders have been arrested for in Thailand.
One two separate occasions, once in 2011 and again in 2014, young Icelanders have been arrested for possession of large quantities of narcotics with intent to distribute. In both cases, the suspects faced lengthy prison sentences of anywhere up to 30 years in prison. It is unlikely that the pepper spray assailant will face a similar fate.
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