Kuwaiti tourists hinder medics following motorbike accident

In the early hours today, a frustrating incident unfolded in South Pattaya where a group of over 100 Kuwaiti tourists became an obstacle for rescue services attending to their injured companion. The group insisted on personally escorting their friend onto the ambulance, thereby hindering the work of the paramedics.

Sawang Boriboon, a local rescue team, received a report of a motorbike accident involving a Kuwaiti tourist along Soi Yen Sabai, in South Pattaya. The information came in at 4.30am, mentioning one injury, a 22 year old man named Ahmad Jraoaalazmi.

Promptly responding to the call, the crew rushed towards the location to aid the man. According to the rescue workers, upon reaching the site, a mob of at least 100 fellow Kuwaiti men surrounded the injured tourist. These men, reportedly friends of the victim, had congested the narrow alleyway where the accident transpired.

The paramedics managed to provide preliminary treatment to Jraoaalazmi, who suffered minor injuries across his body. However, as they tried to move him onto the ambulance for further treatment, the Kuwaiti tourists obstructed their path. They insisted they be the ones to transport their friend, creating an awkward confrontation.

After negotiating with the group, the rescue team agreed to let the men carry Jraoaalazmi into the ambulance, subsequently transferring him to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, reported The Pattaya News.

Recalling the incident, Wai, a Burmese eyewitness, shared that he attempted to help the fallen Kuwaiti tourist as he witnessed him losing control of his motorbike and crashing. He was then asked by the group of men to leave the scene without any given explanation.

Furthermore, he stated that the group had been making a nuisance of themselves, breaking traffic laws, hindering traffic, and creating a disturbance in the area with their loud motorbikes ridden without helmets. He urged the Pattaya police to consider tougher regulations to control such behaviour.

Only two days back, on August 7, local police convened to discuss ways to curb such disruptive conduct by tourists, particularly highlighted by their use of motorbikes. It was decided that rental operators should more tightly regulate identification checks of their Kuwaiti tourist customers. This comes as a countermeasure to cases where these vehicles were used for street racing and other public disturbances.