British tourist beaten to death by bar workers in Bangkok identified
The British tourist who died in Bangkok following a violent altercation with two karaoke bar workers last Sunday, March 23, has been identified.
The British man, 28 year old Nick Weir from Salisbury, Wiltshire, South West England, was found lying on a footpath near Soi Pracharat Sai 1, in the Bang Sue district of Bangkok.
His body, wearing black shorts and a yellow polo shirt, was discovered with blood flowing from his nose. Police were called to the scene shortly after the altercation, but the man, who had no personal documents on him, was already unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead.
According to reports, Weir had been acting erratically before the incident. He was seen running from Kiak Kai Intersection towards the 91karaoke bar, where he attempted to force his way inside, demanding beers.
The bar workers, two Thai men aged 32 and 29, initially prevented him from entering due to his erratic behaviour.
As the British man continued running, the bouncers followed him on a motorcycle, apparently intending to help.
They parked at the scene of the incident and tried to communicate with him, even offering him a mobile phone with a translation application. However, things quickly escalated when Weir allegedly grabbed the phone and tried to flee.
The workers retrieved the phone but Weir allegedly jumped onto the motorcycle in an attempt to escape, despite the keys remaining with the workers.
The altercation that followed saw the workers pulling the Brit off the bike, leading to a violent scuffle.
Police have said that the two men insist the confrontation was not violent enough to have caused Weir’s death. However, a witness and another bar worker suspected that the British tourist may have been under the influence of drugs, and they suggested that exhaustion from running could have contributed to the cause of death.
CCTV footage later surfaced, showing the shocking moment the bouncers chased Weir on their motorcycle before confronting him and pinning him down.
The footage, which has since been shared widely, shows the tourist screaming for help as the workers held him down for over 10 minutes. They eventually called for an ambulance when he became unconscious, but it was too late.
“During the scuffle, they pushed and wrestled, causing the foreigner to fall,” said Lieutenant Colonel Apichai Hwanjit of Bang Pho Police Station.
“We are unsure if there was any pressure applied during the fall that caused the death, so we are waiting for the forensic results.”
Police have transferred Weir’s body to the hospital for an autopsy, which will determine the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, the two karaoke bar workers remain in police custody for questioning, though no charges have been filed as of yet.
The British Embassy has been notified of the death, and a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed they are providing support to Weir’s family, reported The Sun.
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