Two Kiwi brothers arrested in Thailand after reportedly attacking a police officer have had their visas revoked.
Immigration authorities have banned Hamish Day, 36, and Oscar Day, 38, from ever returning to Thailand, following the alleged assault of an officer in Phuket on Saturday afternoon.
The pair were ordered to stop in the Phuket town of Chalong by Police Senior Sergeant Maj Somsak Noo-iad after claims they were speeding on motorcycles and failing to stay in the left lane.
Noo-iad was reportedly ignored by the brothers, so he chased after them as they sped away.
The brothers finally stopped after a high-speed chase before shouting at the officer, the Bangkok Post reports.
Noo-iad used his phone to film their reaction, before the siblings allegedly attacked the officer, forced him to the ground and snatched his gun. The report said that during the tussle, the gun went off once but the bullet did not injure anyone.
Video footage capturing the moment shows one of the men holding down the officer, while taking the gun from his hand and passing it to his brother standing next to him.
The officer kicks at the man, using his legs and one of his arms to try and free himself.
Near the end of the video the man can then be seen holding the officer in a head-lock before lifting him up off the ground.
One woman can be heard helling "stop" in the background of the video.
"The police man was trying to attack us," one of the brothers responds.
Nearby officers then rushed to the scene, where they arrested both men.
The pair face multiple charges including bribery, robbery and obstructing police.
Both brothers denied all charges, Associated Press reports, and Phuket provincial police chief Sinlert Sukhum said police will request the court to deny their release on bail.
According toThe Bangkok Post, the brothers entered Thailand on March 11 and were granted permission to stay until April 9. Visitors from New Zealand are allowed in Thailand for 30 days without a visa.
Lawyers who have defended New Zealanders in Thailand say the robbery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 to 20 years and the bribery charge could see a maximum of five years, however, a guilty plea could halve the sentence.
One man, who wishes to stay anonymous, told Newshub he spent three months in a holding cell in Bangkok after being accused of robbery in 2001.
"The memory will absolutely stay with me forever," he admitted. "When I was walking into the cell I thought I was going to die."
"I was very young at the time and it was extremely scary.
He described it as being "rat-infested" and said prisoners were stripped down to their underwear, and "relied on people on the outside for food".
"You don't get your own cell, you don't get your own bed," he said. "The place stinks."
