Violence erupts in Patong: Tourists injured in separate altercations
Violence erupted once again in Patong yesterday as two separate incidents involving tourists left one man unconscious and another with a severe head injury.
On Bangla Road at around 7.10am, yesterday, September 14, a fight broke out between three Middle Eastern tourists. Witnesses reported that the men had been drinking heavily before an argument escalated into physical violence.
Two of the men began fighting while the third attempted to intervene. The altercation reached a climax when one man landed a heavy punch, knocking the other unconscious and sending him collapsing onto the road.
A local, Phisit, captured the scene on video, showing the chaotic efforts of the tourists’ friends to break up the fight. Bystanders eventually stepped in to help and transported the injured man to Patong Hospital for treatment. The exact cause of the argument remains unclear, and police have yet to issue a comment on the situation.
In another incident, a 27 year old Indian national sustained an open wound after being struck on the forehead by a transgender woman wielding a mobile phone. This altercation occurred near Patong Police Station at about 6.30am.
The Indian man informed police that he had met the woman, Athit Saengsuk, near Soi Bangla, and they had walked together to the Ko Daeng Seafood restaurant on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road. An argument ensued, during which Athit struck him on the forehead with a mobile phone.
Police Lieutenant Wisanu Chumee of the Patong Police confirmed that witnesses saw the pair arguing in front of the restaurant before the assault occurred. The Indian man has filed an official complaint, and the investigation is ongoing, reported The Phuket News.
Police are continuing to question witnesses and review evidence to determine the cause of both incidents.
In related news, two drunken foreign men have become famous in Phuket after videos went viral of the pair fighting over a Thai woman outside an entertainment venue in the Rawai neighbourhood.
