PHUKET: Police will pursue a gang of tuk-tuk drivers who allegedly beat a German expat senseless in a fare dispute, Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong said today.

He said police were looking at security camera footage and seeking witnesses to Thursday night's angry confrontation outside Patong's Taipan nightclub in Rat-U-Tit 200 Pi Road that ended when the gang ran away.

Major General Pekad was speaking for the first time today about the incident that left the German man in a coma in an intensive care unit at a Phuket hospital.

The major general urged the media on Phuket to report the incident fully and fairly.

''There were really two incidents,'' he said. ''The first came when the German man, who was drunk, disputed the 200 baht tuk-tuk fare and assaulted the tuk-tuk driver. He was clearly at fault.

''The second incident came when the tuk-tuk drivers allegedly responded by attacking the German man. The gang was clearly at fault.''

The case involving 53-year-old Kurt Trotnow is certain to be raised when Phuket's honorary consuls meet with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and the island's administrative leaders - including Major General Pekad - on Wednesday.

As a group, Phuket's honorary consuls have been pressing Governor Tri to end the scams perpetrated on tourists by jet-ski rogues on Patong beach, and to bring to heel some tuk-tuk drivers who allegedly resort to thuggish behavior - and sometimes violence - in disputes.

Major General Pekad said today that Mr Trotnow appeared to have been drunk and was in the wrong when he disputed the agreed 200 baht fare and instead of remonstrating peacefully with the driver, assaulted him.

''This is a clear cut case and Mr Trotnow faces action because he did the wrong thing,'' the major general said.

''The second incident involved the attack on the German man by the gang. Instead of attacking the man, taking the law into their own hands, they should have called the police.

''This could be a case of attempted murder. ''

Honorary consuls on Wednesday are likely to point out that violent incidents over high tuk-tuk fares continue to cause harm to Phuket's tourist industry, and that tuk-tuk drivers repeatedly take the law into their own hands.

It is believed Mr Trotnow remains in a serious condition in the intensive care unit at the Phuket International Hospital in Phuket City.

A statement in the Thai language to Patong police, which alerted them to Thursday night's incident, was made at 1.30am on Friday by Lern Tongrod, 48. He said he witnessed what happened:

''Mr Kurt and Jiraporn (Thai lady) were on a red tuk-tuk and dropped off in front of Tai Pan. They had a problem with the driver about the fare.

''Mr Kurt was drunk and attacked the tuk-tuk driver and was running from him to me, as a relative of Khun Jiraporn. The driver followed and punched Mr Kurt once.

''I tried to split them but Mr Kurt was not discouraged and did not want to negotiate.

''He ran away from the driver so the group of drivers near the area attacked him until he became unconscious."

Police Lieutenant Teerasak Boonsangdrunk, who took the statement, noted that police would look for the attackers.