Two British tourists were brutally beaten by a trio of furious bouncers outside a bar in Thailand last week after a disagreement over the bill saw tensions spill over and lead to a brawl in the street.
The Brits had been drinking alongside several escorts at the notorious Soi 6 road in red-light city Pattaya on Friday evening when they allegedly began arguing over the bill with staff.
They claimed that the bar had tried to scam them by inflating the receipt, and three security guards intervened when the tourists began directing their anger at the barmaid.
After a few minutes of pushing and shoving a savage fistfight broke out when the guards snapped and attacked two of the men – one in a grey shirt and one in a white shirt – dragging them into the street and knocking them both to the ground.
The guards were seen kicking at the legs and chest of the man in white – before another bouncer came running in from the side and blasted him in the head with a full-force kick, immediately knocking him unconscious.
He was seen lying motionless for minutes after the vicious blow, with onlookers unable to revive him.
The tourists claimed that the bar had tried to scam them by inflating the receipt, and three security guards intervened when the man in the white t-shirt began jawing at the barmaid
After a few minutes of pushing and shoving a brutal scrap broke out and spilled into the street
The man in white was shoved to the ground where bouncers began pounding on him
A bouncer aims a roundhouse kick at the tourist sitting on the concrete
The guards ran in to kick at the man in white, booting him in the legs and stomach before one guard delivered the final blow
Moments later the man is seen lying motionless on the ground after being punted in the side of the head
The victim’s condition is not known and police today refused to give any details of the alleged victim as they scrambled to protect the image of the city, which relies on tourism.
Footage from another angle showed how his compatriot in the grey shirt was also briefly knocked unconscious by another bouncer, who kicked him in the jaw as he tried to stand up after being tackled to the ground.
That bouncer can be seen walking away with a bloody nose.
Speaking today, Sergeant Major Arthon from the Pattaya City police station, said that the three security guards have since been warned about their conduct but they have not been arrested or charged.
He said: ‘The tourist in the video who was attacked has not filed a police report, so we cannot assign an investigating officer. There’s no case open until they complain. We’ve had a look around but can’t find them.
‘Yes, we’re still checking CCTV to see what happened to them. There are rumours that he is in intensive care but we haven’t heard anything from hospitals.’
One of the sex workers from the bar where the incident unfolded said that the group of three men disputed their drinks bill, which came to around 2,8000 Baht (£60).
Bar hostess Samorn, 38, said that the three men had paid for two escorts to drink with them.
She said: ‘Two of the tourists had paid their bills, but another had not and changed his seat several times.
‘I asked them to pay the bill, but the tourist in the white shirt argued that he had already paid. I explained that the money I was asking for was the payment of someone who had not paid and not his own bill.
‘They insulted me and said the bar was trying to scam them, so I called the security over and told them the tourist would not pay his bill.’
CCTV shows how the bills were settled but the tourist in a white t-shirt then pushed a security guard and the fight escalated.
Two of the men – one in a grey shirt and one in a white shirt – were knocked to the ground
The other man in the grey shirt was held down and smashed in the head several times
One lady from the bar tries to intervene and calm the security guard intent on attacking the man in grey
Footage from another angle showed how his compatriot in the grey shirt was also briefly knocked unconscious by another bouncer, who kicked him in the jaw as he tried to stand up after being tackled to the ground
The second tourist is seen coming to after being attacked
Police Colonel Nawin Thirawit, superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, said today that the bouncers’ actions had tarnished the image of Pattaya.
They were invited to the police station and apologised for ‘damaging the image of the country’.
The policeman said: ‘The security guards should have prevented the incident and reported it to the police.
‘Anyone who works in this industry must keep their emotions in check and focus on preventing incidents rather than attacking people.
‘Cases like this can damage the reputation of the city and deter tourists from visiting.’
Helicopter Bar, which is understood to have British owners, did not respond to requests for comment. Several other bars on the same street are also owned and managed by the company Nightwish Group.
Pattaya emerged as a nightlife destination in the 1960s when Thailand fought alongside the United States and provided them with land for eight military bases, allowing the massacre of North Vietnam and the deaths of two million civilians in the 1950s and 1960s.
In between killing missions, American GIs would have debauched ‘rest and relaxation’ leave in the coastal enclave, leading to a raucous nightlife industry that has endured to this day.
Thailand received at least $1.7 billion dollars from the US for its support and also profited from the nascent tourism industry serving more than 50,000 ‘yanks’.
