A migrant beach worker on Koh Larn will be deported after a video went viral showing a year-old incident of him abusing a tourist.
Police on Saturday arrested the Cambodian beach worker, identified as Ping, 28, who they say admitted to being the man seen in a video kicking sand and pushing a Russian tourist who sat on her towel on Nang Nual beach, instead of renting a beach chair.
Ping said he was ordered to make her move by the owner of the chair service, who police said they are also investigating.
The video, which has been viewed almost 200,000 times as of this morning, shows Ping approaching the female tourist and kicking sand onto her beach towel after she refuses to rent his chair.
Ping said the incident actually happened in October last year, but the video was uploaded to the internet last week. Police found it difficult to prosecute him because the victim is no longer in the country.
Instead, Ping is being held for working illegally in Thailand and will be deported.
Following the controversy, a tourist shared a photo of a warning sign at Koh Larn, presumed to be installed by the beach chair mafia who claim ownership of the public sand.
“Please read. Do not lay towel or sit on the sand. Rented chairs are available,” it reads in Thai, French and Russian.
The photo was reposted to the “We love police checkpoint” group on Facebook last night.
YouTube has become a regular source of delayed reckonings.
Last month a man turned himself into police after a video was uploaded showing him hotdogging through a 7-Eleven on his motorbike in 2013.
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