Pattaya —
A brawl broke out on Pattaya Beach on Saturday night, August 26th, leaving two teenagers seriously injured, one with gunshot wounds to the leg. The incident occurred just 100 meters from the Pattaya Police Station, raising concerns about safety in the world-famous resort city.
The violence, which was reported to police at 10:30 PM on Saturday night, involved two groups of rival Thai teenagers in the Pattaya area. Police and rescue workers rushed to Pattaya Beach where they found two young boys, aged 15 and 17, with serious injuries.
The 15-year-old boy appeared to have been slashed by a blade on both shoulders, his right arm, and his right hand, causing significant bleeding. He was found lying on a road near the beach, along with a small pen gun, a long knife, and a steel knuckle clutched in his hand.
Another victim, aged 17, was also found lying on the road with two serious gunshot wounds to his left leg. Paramedic teams provided preliminary medical assistance before urgently sending both boys to a local hospital. The Pattaya News has withheld the names of them due to their age and an ongoing investigation.
During an interview with eyewitnesses, who requested not to be named, they said that a large number of tourists were relaxing on Pattaya Beach when a group of teenagers wearing motorcycle helmets and armed with various weapons marched onto the beach and began attacking another group.
The attack was shortly followed by a gunshot, which startled the tourists sitting nearby and caused them to flee in all directions. Shortly after, the eyewitnesses witnessed the teenagers running away from the scene, two of whom collapsed by the roadside due to their injuries.
Pol. Col. Thanapong Phothi, chief of the Pattaya Police, revealed that he had obtained a clear video clip that could capture the gunman who shot one of the boys in the leg. He, however, refrained from releasing it to the media to prevent the suspect from becoming aware and absconding the province.
Currently, the identity of the perpetrator has also already been identified, and law enforcement is in the process of tracking him down, Pol. Col. Thanapong said.
The police chief suspected that the altercation stemmed from previous issues between the two groups, who may have come across each other and exchanged “wrong looks.”
This latest chaos involving Pattaya teenagers has caused critics on social media to call for risky spots such as beaches, public parks, skate parks, or internet cafes, to be shut at night to prevent violent incidents.
Pattaya police tried to step up patrol on beaches before, but the measure seemed to be ineffective so far given this latest happening.
