Drunk Norwegian Tourist Arrested After Naked New Year’s Morning Rampage in Udon Thani
UDON THANI — A 28-year-old Norwegian tourist was arrested for indecency after being found naked and heavily intoxicated in a residential alley in Udon Thani on New Year’s morning, frightening local residents — including a 13-year-old girl — police said.
The incident occurred at about 9:40 a.m. on January 1 in Soi Phothong, off Wattananuwong Road, within the Udon Thani municipality. Police from Udon Thani City Police Station responded to multiple complaints from residents reporting a naked foreign man behaving erratically near an apartment building.
Officers arrived to find the man, later identified as Mr Christian Hansen, standing naked in the street and appearing disoriented. Witnesses said he seemed calm and detached and was seen doing push-ups in the alley, prompting residents to alert police after discovering his clothes were missing.
Police searched the surrounding area and recovered the man’s brown shorts from a nearby canal. Inside were ฿3,500 in cash, which officers documented and later returned to him. His passport was checked and found to be valid. Officers escorted him into the apartment building to dress before taking him into custody.
A 13-year-old girl later gave a statement to police, saying she encountered the man twice earlier that morning while heading out for New Year’s alms-giving and again while returning home. She said she first saw him sitting outside a restaurant near the alley, attempting to force open a toilet door. During the second encounter, he was walking naked through the area, leaving her frightened.
An apartment caretaker, identified as 70-year-old Prasit, confirmed the Norwegian had been staying at the building for about a month. He said the property owner intended to terminate the man’s tenancy following the incident.
During questioning by tourist police, Hansen said he had been celebrating New Year’s Eve at a restaurant near his accommodation in the Samphanthamit area. He admitted drinking heavily and said that by about 2 a.m. he blacked out and could not remember anything that followed, including removing his clothes or walking through the alley naked.
Police later linked him to an earlier disturbance at a nearby shopping centre, though details were not released. Officers described him as confused but cooperative during questioning.
Hansen was charged with committing an indecent act under Thai law and remains in custody at Udon Thani City Police Station as legal proceedings continue. Tourist police are coordinating with immigration authorities, and he may face deportation after the case is concluded.
Police reiterated that public nudity is a criminal offence in Thailand and warned that foreign nationals engaging in such behaviour face prosecution, detention, and possible removal from the country.
