Drunk tourist clashes with Phuket bikers over massage ride
A drunken tourist attacked three Thai app-based motorcycle taxi riders in Phuket, allegedly because he wanted a lift to a massage parlour. However, the riders declined to serve him, citing that they were fully booked.
Several news agencies shared a video of the foreign man attacking three Thai men on a footpath yesterday, 5 January. In the video, the foreigner, wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt, was seen shouting and hitting each Thai man.
The foreign man continued his rampage, ignoring women and children who walked past. The three men attempted to restrain him but they were unable to match his strength.
One of the victims, Arthit, told ThaiRath in an interview that he and his two friends parked their motorcycles at the scene while waiting for their passengers. The foreigner approached from Karon Beach, making loud noises that Arthit could not understand.
The foreign man then approached Arthit to request a ride to a massage parlour. However, Arthit and his friends refused to serve him because they were all fully booked.
The refusal angered the foreign man, who then strangled Arthit’s friend.
Drug use suspected
The friend initially thought the foreigner was playing a prank but he soon realised the attack was serious. The foreigner strangled him tightly, forcing Arthit and another friend to intervene. They attempted to free their friend from the foreign man’s grip but were unsuccessful.
During the altercation, Arthit was struck in the nose by the foreigner’s elbow, while his two friends were punched in the mouth. The foreign man eventually left the scene, leaving the three Thai men injured. They later reported the incident to Karon Police Station after completing their passenger drop-offs.
Arthit stated that the police treated them unfairly. Officers fined the foreign man only 500 baht and released him. The foreigner left 5,000 baht in compensation for Arthit and his friends.
Arthit said that neither he nor his friends had the opportunity to discuss the incident with the foreign attacker and felt that both the fine and the compensation were insufficient.
Many netizens agreed with Arthit’s remarks, pointing out that Thai suspects often face higher fines and compensation demands, and alleging that Thai police appeared biased towards foreigners. Karon Police Station officers have not yet issued any clarification on the matter.
Arthit added that he believed the foreign mam was not drunk from alcohol but from drugs because he could not smell alcohol from him.
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