Two British tourists were brutally beaten by a trio of angry bouncers outside a bar in Thailand last week after a disagreement over the bill sparked tensions that led to a street fight.
The Brits had been drinking alongside several companions on the famous Soi 6 road in the red city of Pattaya on Friday night when they allegedly began arguing over the bill with staff.
They claimed 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 waitress.
After a few minutes of pushing and shoving, a wild fight broke out as the guards broke out and attacked two of the men, one in a gray shirt and one in a white shirt, dragging them to the street and knocking them both to the ground.
The guards were seen kicking the legs and chest of the man in white, before another bouncer came running from the side and hit him on the head with a full force kick, immediately knocking him unconscious.
He was seen lying motionless for minutes after the brutal blow, and onlookers were unable to revive him.
The tourists claimed the bar had tried to scam them by inflating the bill, and three security guards intervened when the man in the white T-shirt began swearing at the waitress.
After a few minutes of pushing and shoving, a brutal fight broke out and spilled into the street.
The man in white was pushed to the ground, where the bouncers began to beat him.
A goalkeeper throws a roundhouse kick at the tourist sitting on the cement.
The guards ran to kick the man in white, kicking him in the legs and stomach before one of the guards dealt him the final blow.
Moments later the man is seen lying motionless on the ground after being hit on the side of the head.
The victim’s condition is unknown and police today refused to give details about the alleged victim as they struggled to protect the image of the city, which depends on tourism.
Footage from another angle showed how his grey-shirted compatriot was also briefly knocked unconscious by another goalkeeper, who kicked him in the jaw as he tried to get up after being knocked to the ground.
That bouncer can be seen walking away with a bloody nose.
Speaking today, Senior Sergeant Arthon of the Pattaya City Police Station said the three security guards have since been warned about their conduct, but have not been arrested or charged.
He said: ‘The tourist attacked in the video has not filed a police report, so we cannot assign an investigating officer. There is no case open until they complain. We’ve looked around but can’t find them.
‘Yes, we are still checking the security cameras to see what happened to them. There are rumors that she is in intensive care, but we haven’t heard anything from the hospitals.’
One of the sex workers at the bar where the incident took place said the group of three men argued over the drinks bill, which amounted to around 2.8000 baht (£60).
The bar hostess, Samorn, 38, said the three men had paid two companions to drink with them.
She said: ‘Two of the tourists had paid their bills, but another had not and changed seats several times.
‘I asked them to pay the bill, but the white-shirted tourist argued that he had already paid. I explained to him that the money he was asking for was payment from someone he had not paid and not his own bill.
“They insulted me and said the bar was trying to scam them, so I called security and told them the tourist wouldn’t pay his bill.”
CCTV shows how the bills were paid, but the tourist in a white T-shirt pushed a security guard and the fight escalated.
Two of the men, one in a gray shirt and the other in a white shirt, fell to the ground.
The other man in the gray shirt was grabbed and hit in the head several times.
A lady from the bar tries to intervene and calm the security guard who is trying to attack the man in gray.
Footage from another angle showed how his grey-shirted compatriot was also briefly knocked unconscious by another goalkeeper, who kicked him in the jaw as he tried to get up after being knocked 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 Pattaya’s image.
They were invited to the police station and apologized for “damaging the image of the country.”
The police officer said: ‘The security guards should have prevented the incident and reported it to the police.
‘Anyone working in this industry needs to control their emotions and focus on preventing incidents rather than attacking people.
“Cases like this can damage the city’s reputation and deter tourists from visiting.”
Helicopter Bar, which is believed 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 Nightwish Group company.
Pattaya emerged as a nightlife destination in the 1960s, when Thailand fought alongside the United States and provided land for eight military bases, enabling the North Vietnamese massacre and the deaths of two million civilians in the decades. from 1950 and 1960.
Between killing missions, American soldiers reportedly took debauched “rest and relaxation” leaves in the coastal enclave, giving rise to a raucous nightlife industry that has endured to this day.
Thailand received at least $1.7 billion from the United States for its support and also benefited from the nascent tourism industry serving more than 50,000 “yanks.”