Police have called on two Australian tourists who suffered a severe beating by security staff on Patong’s Bangla road to step forward and file a complaint so that charges can be pressed.
The guards claim the fight started after the two Australian tourists sexually harassed female customers and refused to pay for their drinks.
The attack, which occurred around midnight on Wednesday, was captured on video by a bystander who later posted the disturbing footage on Facebook. The video went viral yesterday.
The footage showed five Thai men dressed in black security uniforms repeatedly beating the two men, kicking the men in the head even while they were on the ground.
Police have identified and questioned the five security staff captured on video, but so far have declined to name the attackers.
“All five security guards said that two drunk foreign men came into the pub and after they ordered more drinks, they refused to pay,” said Kathu Police Deputy Superintendent Lt. Col. Akanit Danpitaksarn.
“The guards said the two foreign men started the fight when the guards attempted to stop them from sexually harassing female customers in the pub,” he said.
“All guards admitted that they got very impatient with the two and escorted them out of the pub and said that the fight started after the two men tried to re-enter the pub,” he added.
The officer urged the two tourists to come forward and file a complaint.
“Otherwise, there is nothing more we can do,” he said. “I have warned the guards and told them to help preserve our ‘tourism image’, but no charges can be pressed against them until the victims file a complaint.
“Right now we are looking to find out who the two victims are and why they did not come forward to police after being attacked. So far we have no record of anyone filing a police report for assault over the incident.”
Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong, who is investigating the incident, said that police have called on the Australian embassy to try to contact the two men and convince them to file a police complaint.
“I have also recommended to Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada that he order the White Room, the venue where the attack took place, to close for at least one week, while this incident is being sorted out,” he said.
“Right now all the police have is the security guards’ version of what happened. We really need the two tourists to come in and give us their version of events.”
Street violence in Phuket’s famed party town of Patong made international headlines in March, when 59-year-old expat Mark Pendlebury from Western Australia was charged for fatally stabbing a nightclub staffer.
Pendlebury was charged with murder, despite his claims that he was acting in self-defence. He was later cleared by CCTV footage that convinced the Patong police to drop the charge against him.
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