Matt Owens Rees

2 Pattaya Foreigners Fighting



While two farangs were brawling outside a bar in Pattaya, the girlfriend of one of the men tried to intervene and break up the fight.

2 Pattaya Foreigners fighting get distracted

A couple of Thai women saw this, one seemed to be trying to separate the men while the other, dressed in a brown outfit, kicked the girl’s handbag towards an area where several motorbikes and a street food cart were parked.

The male food vendor, picked up the bag, placed it on the basket of a motorbike, and later moved it to his cart.

The girl did not realise her loss at the time, as she remained focused on the altercation. Towards the end of the video, officials in black vests arrived to break up the fight, eventually separating the two foreigners.

Involving the Police?

The boy’s Thai girlfriend, thought to be either a freelancer or a worker in the bar, reported the incident to the police, but realised they were unlikely to catch the thieves. She knew Thai police would want some “tea money” to even start looking for them.

CCTV footage would probably show who they were. The food vendor probably had a regular pitch at that site and would be well known in the area. Would the police do a private “deal” with him, for yet another bribe, to avoid arresting him.

The girlfriend’s instinct was to post details on Facebook, hoping a wider readership would result in identifying the crooks. She could then approach them herself.

Working in the bar herself, she’d likely get her mamasan, the lady who controls all the girls in the bar, to use her influence to “negotiate” with the thieves. Justice, Thai style.

A balanced analysis of the decade’s old links between crime and prostitution in Thailand. There are parallels with this current story.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=310ea07d394297c12240beb210208dd0e90bd4a9a5fde0df50c851f29dd94e83JmltdHM9MTc2MzMzNzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=20296dc5-5f94-6e8b-2760-7b5d5e536fa5&psq=figting+and+Crime+in+THailand&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvQ3JpbWVfaW5fVGhhaWxhbmQ

If control and click fails, paste the https address into your browser. It’s worth a read.

Phuket and Pattaya are both tourist hotspots in Thailand. Both are infamous for the combination of bargirls cheating their customers and criminals taking advantage of tourists.

My story below, from the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series of Thai life and culture, has a different angle.

Phuket crackdown. Foreigners Arrested.

Phuket Immigration officers arrested four foreigners for illegally operating businesses in Patong, including a motorcycle rental shop, a travel agency, a barber shop, and restaurants.

Immigration officials launched raids on five businesses along Phra Baramee Road and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong sub-district, Kathu district, following tip-offs from residents.

There is no suggestion or evidence in this case, but some Thai police, who staff immigration offices, have been successfully taking money from businesses in returning for “protecting” them.

During the Phuket crackdown which saw foreigners arrested, officers found an Israeli man, whose name was withheld, claiming to be the owner and manager of a motorcycle rental shop, a travel agency, and a barber shop.

These are classified as restricted businesses that foreigners are prohibited from operating under the Foreign Business Act.

The Israeli man employed three Thai workers and two Myanmar nationals. The two Myanmar workers were found to be legally employed with valid work permits.

Although the businesses were registered under the name of a Thai citizen, officers found that the Thai national had no authority or involvement in the operations.

The Israeli man appeared to have full control over the businesses, leading authorities to suspect the use of a nominee. Several documents were seized for further investigation into the matter.

Officers later extended their raids to two nearby restaurants. One of them, an Israeli-themed eatery, was reportedly managed by another Israeli man, who admitted that he personally took orders, cooked food, and handled payments.