PATTAYA, Thailand: A British tourist who had been drinking whisky was detained by Pattaya police early Saturday after allegedly assaulting two fellow British nationals in a beer bar in Jomtien, leaving one with a broken leg and a split head, police and rescue officials said. The suspect claimed the other men mocked him which led him to assault them.
The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya rescue radio center received a report of a fight with injuries at 12:36 a.m. on August 29th at a beer bar in the Rompho Jomtien Market area along Thrappraya Road. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station and volunteer rescuers were dispatched to the scene.
A crowd of tourists had gathered around the bar. Two British men were found injured. The first had a lacerated head, a torn mouth and a broken right leg. The second had a bruised left eye socket. Rescue workers provided first aid before taking both men to hospital.
The alleged attacker, who appeared heavily intoxicated, remained at the scene, walking around, and was taken into custody by police.
Witnesses said the injured men had been drinking in a group of three when the suspect, who was alone, sat down and began talking with the first victim. They appeared to know each other, witnesses said. Shortly afterward, the suspect stood up and punched the first man. The victim’s companions tried to intervene and were also assaulted.
The suspect claimed he had been mocked and insulted, which made him angry and led to the attack, according to accounts given at the scene.
Pattaya City Police assigned rescue teams to transport the injured men for treatment and took the suspect to the station. Officers said they could not comment further while the investigation was underway. They plan to review CCTV footage from the area to establish what sparked the fight. The names and ages of the men were not released.
