BANGKOK: Thai police say they are looking for two Australian men and that they plan to summon five nightclub security guards for questioning over a video posted on Facebook that shows nightclub security guards viciously kicking and punching two tourists in the latest attack on foreigners on the Thai resort island of Phuket.
The 48 seconds of footage has attracted more than 75,000 views and it shows black-clothed guards repeatedly kicking the defenceless men.
Bystanders appear to ask the guards to stop the attack as one of the men was lying on concrete outside a club in Phuket's Patong tourist area, trying to protect his head from kicks.
One guard is seen elbowing one of the men in the head.
Attacks on foreigners in island resort areas like Phuket and Samui reveal the dark belly of Thailand's tourism that accounts for 10 percent of the country's economy.
Security guards in Patong are notoriously prone to violence, particularly toward foreign troublemakers in clubs, expatriate residents say.
Up to 25,000 Australian tourists a month visit Phuket, most of them arriving on cheap direct flights from Australia's capital cities.
Australian consular officials estimate that about 80 percent of the cases in which Australians find themselves in trouble are settled before they hear about them, often through extorted payments.
The nationalities of the attacked men shown in the video were not immediately known but Phuket police said later the men were Australians.
The video was posted online by an employee of the Aussie Bar in Patong.
Earlier this year a well-known Australian expatriate living on Phuket was charged with murder after a security guard was knifed outside a Patong nightclub.
Security camera footage subsequently emerged showing the man was subjected to a "pack attack" and only pulled the knife as a last resort to save his own life.
The charges have since been dropped.
Melbourne youth Jack Hansen-Bartel's life has turned into a nightmare after he was bashed in a club on Samui.
The injuries were so serious he has required multiple operations, including plastic surgery, after his teeth were knocked out and his jaw bone shattered.
Two American students have been charged over the alleged assault but counter-charges have been laid against Mr Hansen-Bartel, raising questions about Thailand's justice system. Mr Hansen-Bartel will face court later this year.
Phuketwan, an on-line news service on Phuket, reports that police are likely to investigate the latest Phuket attack.
It says security guards on Phuket are not required to undergo training as are those in Western countries like Australia.
WARNING: This video contains brutal violence
The original Facebook posting has been removed but a version can be found here:
http://goo.gl/lXjb8u
The 48 seconds of footage has attracted more than 75,000 views and it shows black-clothed guards repeatedly kicking the defenceless men.
Bystanders appear to ask the guards to stop the attack as one of the men was lying on concrete outside a club in Phuket's Patong tourist area, trying to protect his head from kicks.
One guard is seen elbowing one of the men in the head.
Attacks on foreigners in island resort areas like Phuket and Samui reveal the dark belly of Thailand's tourism that accounts for 10 percent of the country's economy.
Security guards in Patong are notoriously prone to violence, particularly toward foreign troublemakers in clubs, expatriate residents say.
Up to 25,000 Australian tourists a month visit Phuket, most of them arriving on cheap direct flights from Australia's capital cities.
Australian consular officials estimate that about 80 percent of the cases in which Australians find themselves in trouble are settled before they hear about them, often through extorted payments.
The nationalities of the attacked men shown in the video were not immediately known but Phuket police said later the men were Australians.
The video was posted online by an employee of the Aussie Bar in Patong.
Earlier this year a well-known Australian expatriate living on Phuket was charged with murder after a security guard was knifed outside a Patong nightclub.
Security camera footage subsequently emerged showing the man was subjected to a "pack attack" and only pulled the knife as a last resort to save his own life.
The charges have since been dropped.
Melbourne youth Jack Hansen-Bartel's life has turned into a nightmare after he was bashed in a club on Samui.
The injuries were so serious he has required multiple operations, including plastic surgery, after his teeth were knocked out and his jaw bone shattered.
Two American students have been charged over the alleged assault but counter-charges have been laid against Mr Hansen-Bartel, raising questions about Thailand's justice system. Mr Hansen-Bartel will face court later this year.
Phuketwan, an on-line news service on Phuket, reports that police are likely to investigate the latest Phuket attack.
It says security guards on Phuket are not required to undergo training as are those in Western countries like Australia.
VIDEO Guards Evict Aussie Tourists
WARNING: This video contains brutal violence
The original Facebook posting has been removed but a version can be found here:
http://goo.gl/lXjb8u
White room, spiked drinks and violent security guards. European touts working without REAL work permits on Bangla Rd, need I go on.
Posted by john on October 8, 2015 19:22