Phuket locals demand action after foreigners brawl on Bangla Road
Phuket locals yesterday demanded action from police officers after three foreign men engaged in a physical altercation on Bangla Road.
A Thai man, Somnuck Chanagune, shared a video of the chaos on Bangla Road on his Facebook account, yesterday, April 7, with a caption that read, “Enjoy boxing in the early hours.”
Three foreigners were seen engaging in an altercation, while five to six others attempted to separate them.
Other bystanders could be heard in the video cheering on the fighters. Somnuck was caught in the commotion, as the incident occurred in front of his car and blocked his path.
The foreign companions eventually succeeded in separating the three men, and the video ended at that point.
Channel 7 later interviewed Phuket locals on Bangla Road about the incident. According to the media outlet, local business operators and motorcycle taxi drivers expressed dissatisfaction with the disruptive behaviour of some foreign tourists, saying it damaged the positive image of Thai tourism.
One motorcycle taxi rider told reporters that this was not the first such incident on Bangla Road. He said similar altercations had occurred numerous times before, most often in the early morning hours after the tourists were drunk.
The taxi rider added that many foreign and domestic tourists pass through the area in the mornings to jog or go for breakfast and do not expect to start their day by witnessing such disturbances.
Other residents questioned whether the screening measures for foreign visitors entering Thailand were up to standard, claiming that the majority of foreign tourists in the province nowadays cause more problems than they contribute to the economy.
One recent incident was reported in March when a foreign transwoman was involved in an altercation with a foreign man on the same busy road. She allegedly attempted to sell him roses, but he refused, which led to an argument and physical confrontation.
Another incident occurred a week before when a group of Thai transwomen attacked a foreign man. The foreigner reportedly failed to pay for his meal, which led to the attack.
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