Chaos erupts on Phuket road after foreign man allegedly slaps Thai woman
A foreign man allegedly slapped a Thai woman in the face, prompting her to fight back and triggering chaos on a street in the Patong area of Phuket yesterday morning, December 23.
The incident was first brought to public attention by a Thai witness, Jeerawut Wangnurak, who shared video footage of the altercation on his Facebook account at around 6.30am. In his post, Jeerawut wrote…
“The street is always filled with chaos in the morning. I have heard that one of the foreign men started the altercation by slapping a Thai woman hard in the face.”
The video showed a Thai woman wearing polka-dot clothing carrying a black aluminium chair and attempting to throw it at a group of three foreign men. Another Thai man was also seen holding a chair and chasing after the foreigners.
Several people, believed to be the woman’s friends and bystanders, gathered on the street to watch the situation. The three foreign men were seen running away from the Thai group. One of the foreigners also picked up a chair and appeared to threaten to throw it back at the Thai group before retreating.
Jeerawut’s video was later reposted by several Thai media outlets, including Channel 7. Subsequent reports confirmed that the incident took place on Rat Uthit 200 Pi Road in the Patong sub-district of Kathu district, an area known for its nightlife and heavy tourist activity.
The Thai woman involved later spoke to reporters, claiming that the confrontation began after one of the foreign men, who was allegedly drunk and believed to be Arab, used racist language and spat at her. According to her account, the situation escalated rapidly when the foreign man slapped her hard across the face.
The woman said the physical assault triggered an immediate reaction from her friends and people nearby, leading to the chaotic scene captured in the video.
She added that alcohol-fuelled disputes involving foreign tourists occur almost daily in the Patong area, particularly during late-night and early-morning hours. The woman called on relevant government agencies to take stronger action to manage nightlife-related disorder and improve safety.
She warned that repeated incidents like this not only affect residents and workers in entertainment venues but also damage Phuket’s image as a safe tourist destination.
The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with many social media users echoing calls for stricter enforcement of public order laws, improved crowd control, and tighter management of nightlife zones in Patong.
As of now, police have not released details on whether any arrests were made or if legal action will be taken against those involved.
