The assault, captured clearly on video by a concerned bystander, took place along Pattaya Beach Road not far from the police station. The footage shows a mob of approximately ten Thai men punching, kicking, and one man striking the tourist with a motorcycle helmet. Even as the victim collapsed to the ground, the assailants continued their relentless attack, stomping and kicking his face without mercy. Following the incident, Pattaya police swiftly arrested three suspects, which we covered here.
In our latest update, at 2:06 a.m. on March 26, 2025, Mr. Somchai, a 55-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, turned himself in at the Pattaya City Police Station. He confessed to being one of the men in the video and admitted his involvement in the assault. However, he claimed he was not the person who started the fight.
According to Mr. Somchai, the incident began when the German tourist, riding a motorcycle, approached in an agitated and seemingly erratic state, shouting loudly as if intent on provoking the motorcycle taxi drivers. The drivers did not know what the problem was about. “It looked like he was unhinged and wanted trouble with us,” Mr. Somchai said.
He explained that a group of younger men initially tried to restrain the tourist, but they were overpowered. “I saw Thai people being attacked, and I couldn’t stand it. So, I stepped in to help. But I’m older, so I used whatever I had—my helmet—as a tool.”
Mr. Somchai acknowledged that his actions went too far. “I admit it was excessive. I couldn’t gauge the foreigner’s strength properly,” he said. He added that he did not know the other assailants personally—they were simply bystanders who stopped to intervene after witnessing the scene. “I feel guilty about it now. At the time, I just felt I had to protect our people first. I’m old, and I couldn’t bear seeing Thais being hurt like that.”
Expressing remorse, Mr. Somchai apologized for his actions. “I’m truly sorry for what happened. Moving forward, if something like this happens again, I’ll stick to trying to stop it rather than getting involved.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what the taxi driver would be charged with, as Pattaya police were still investigating and searching for other suspects.
The German tourist’s current condition remains unclear, and it is unknown whether he plans to press further charges, although some Thai media has reported that he planned on also filing formal reports to German police and the German embassy and media over the assault.
