Three fights involving foreign tourists have broken out in Pattaya in just a few days, causing concern among locals.
Robberies, assaults and fights involving tourists are constantly increasing in the seaside city of Pattaya , also nicknamed the world capital of sex tourism.
See: Thailand: Crime wave in Pattaya worries tourists and expatriates
Foreigner beaten after groping woman in Pattaya
A screenshot of a video posted on Facebook shows a foreign man being beaten on Walking Street in Pattaya after allegedly groping a woman. Video: Achirawit Phonthayan
A video showing a foreign man being beaten after groping a woman in Pattaya has gone viral on social media.
The 15-second clip was originally posted to Facebook on September 3 by user Achirawit Phonthayan, and has garnered over 150,000 views and drawn widespread criticism.
It shows a foreign man being attacked by several people on this busy street.
Journalists who went to the scene questioned a witness.
She said she was sitting with friends outside an air gun shop when three strangers, two men and a woman, walked past them.
One of the men allegedly attempted to sexually assault a woman who was talking to her boyfriend.
The boyfriend tried to push the man away, but he persisted and then grabbed the woman's buttocks.
This sparked a violent confrontation that quickly escalated into a fight, as seen in the video.
The witness said she was shocked by the incident and feared it would harm Pattaya's tourist image.
“As Thais, we are discouraged.
Tourists should respect local culture and behave appropriately, without thinking they can do whatever they want during their vacation,” she said.
She urged visitors to control their behavior to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The incident has sparked concern among residents and business owners along Walking Street, who fear that viral images of street violence could deter visitors and tarnish the city's image.
A few days earlier, another similar incident had broken out, also on Pattaya's Walking Street.
Italian man attacked after confronting Uzbek who groped his Thai girlfriend in Pattaya
An Uzbek tourist groped the Thai girlfriend of an Italian tourist, sparking a fight on August 28, 2025, on Pattaya's Walking Street.
An Italian man confronted an Uzbek national who sexually assaulted his Thai girlfriend on Pattaya's Walking Street on August 28, before being attacked by the suspect's friend.
According to witnesses, the Uzbek, later identified as Mukhtae Lbahan, beat the Italian, Francesco Lenza, 46, until he collapsed to the ground.
Officers from the Pattaya Police Station were then called to the scene and escorted both parties for questioning.
Police told local news agency Athip Burapa News that tensions persisted at the station, with both sides shouting at each other.
The officers had to separate them to avoid further altercations.
Mr. Lenza's Thai girlfriend, Teerada, 26, told police that she and her boyfriend were returning to their hotel after most of the entertainment venues in the area had closed.
They stopped to buy food from street vendors when the Uzbek, identified as Yerkin Abdesshov, suddenly touched his buttocks.
Her Italian boyfriend became angry and confronted her, at which point Abdesshov's friend, Lbahan, punched Lenza hard in the face.
Teerada said she initially wanted to drop the charges when they arrived at the police station.
However, she changed her mind after the suspect showed no remorse and even insulted her by calling her a prostitute.
She told officers she would pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law.
Police said Lenza was later taken to hospital for treatment of his facial injuries.
They are currently collecting witness statements and reviewing CCTV footage to finalise charges against the two Uzbek nationals.
Charges have not yet been filed.
However, police said Abdesshov could be prosecuted under Article 278 of the Penal Code for sexual assault, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both.
Lbahan could be prosecuted under Section 295 of the Penal Code for assault causing bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of 40,000 baht, or both.
Finally, on September 5, a third incident rocked Pattaya Beach.
Indian tourist injured by transgender person's high heel
The Indian tourist injured by a transgender woman files a complaint at the Pattaya police station on September 5, 2025. Photo: Channel 7 News
A late-night altercation on Pattaya Beach escalated when an Indian tourist was injured and left bleeding after being hit in the head with a high heel during an argument with a transgender sex worker.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on September 5 at the busy beach in Chon Buri province.
The victim, Suresh, a 25-year-old Indian national, then filed a complaint at the Pattaya Police Station.
According to police, the altercation began when Suresh approached a 29-year-old transgender woman, who remains anonymous, and asked her how much she would pay for her services.
The transgender woman reportedly asked for 1,000 baht (27 euros) for a short service and 4,000 baht (106 euros) for an overnight stay.
The tourist accepted the higher price, but reportedly demanded to "verify" his gender before proceeding.
Investigators said the situation escalated when the tourist touched the sex worker's private parts.
Feeling humiliated, the sex worker admitted to hitting the tourist with a high-heeled shoe "two to three times," causing a bloody head injury.
Both were taken to Pattaya Police Station for questioning.
However, the transgender woman asked to use the restroom before slipping out of the building and fleeing through a rear exit.
Lt. Col. Wuttinan Kongdee, the investigating officer, confirmed that officers had spoken with the victim and were preparing to take legal action.
"A summons will be issued to the suspect to answer to the charges related to the assault."
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with late-night revelers watching as police arrived.
A passerby told local reporters that disputes between tourists and sex workers were "not unusual" in the area, but that they rarely ended in such violence.
Police said they are continuing the investigation and urged the suspect to surrender voluntarily before further legal action is taken, Channel 7 News reported.
See also: Thailand: Fight in a hotel in Phuket, the prostitute was a man
Should you visit Pattaya?
Pattaya beach resort.
Despite these high-profile incidents, Pattaya remains one of Thailand's most popular destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year.
However, the increase in fights and attacks is tarnishing its image and fueling concerns about the safety and behavior of some tourists.
For those wishing to explore the city, it is recommended to remain vigilant, respect local customs and avoid risky situations, especially at night in the most festive areas.
It is also recommended to keep your belongings safe and to be particularly wary of ladyboy pickpockets, who try to hug you and take advantage of the situation to steal your belongings.
See: Transgender pickpockets continue to rob tourists in Thailand
There have also been several cases of tourists being robbed after bringing prostitutes back to their hotel rooms.
See: Thailand: Wheelchair-bound tourist robbed by 3 prostitutes in Pattaya
See also:
Thailand: Tourists seriously injured in motorbike race in Pattaya
Thailand: Foreign motorcyclist beaten by crowd after Pattaya accident
Thailand: Pattaya shooting rekindles tourist concerns
Domestic violence in Thailand: Frenchman and Korean injured in Pattaya
Thailand: Pattaya residents are breaking down in the face of tourist nuisances
Source: Bangkok Post , The Thaiger , Pattaya Mail
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6 comments
Walking Street: When disrespect fuels violence.
A new altercation on Walking Street in Pattaya has brought to mind an all-too-common reality: tourists, often drunk, allow themselves to be disrespectful to women, automatically equating them with prostitutes.
This attitude regularly leads to attacks, sometimes serious, which tarnish the image of the city and the country.
The problem is not the nationality of the visitors, but their human quality: lack of education, lack of respect, "low-end tourism" behavior.
Pattaya attracts a diverse crowd, but it's always the same types of tourists who turn the place into a battlefield.
Thailand deserves better.
The locals too.
Visitors should remember that behind the glitter of Walking Street there is a society, families, women who are not commodities.
To travel is not to import one's contempt, but to learn respect.
It's been a long time!!!
3 or 4 days without a violent incident being reported in the articles of "ToutelaThailande.fr" concerning the actors, entertainers and tourists participating in Pattaya's nightlife.
But as the article points out, this does not discourage international tourists from spending their holidays there, except perhaps for couples with children whom I remember seeing regularly 10 to 15 years ago while strolling along the beach promenade or along Soi Buakhao, which is probably no longer the case today.
But for many heterosexual men or LGBT+ people, who have difficulty coping with their sexual status in their country of origin where they sometimes suffer discrimination and physical violence, Pattaya remains one of the most welcoming destinations in the world (you can count them on the fingers of one hand) to easily meet people of a sexual nature and have the possibility of satisfying their sexual preferences or fantasies with one or more partners, regardless of their gender...
Where, for any potential client, supply exceeds demand, where the nightlife fauna reaches such diversity, such availability and, for Pattaya in particular, at a very affordable cost, the problem of security takes second place to the call of sex and a repressed libido which cannot be exercised freely enough in the daily life, private or professional, of some...
In 2024, of the 39 million international tourists who came to spend their holidays in Thailand, 12 million stayed in Pattaya, or 31% of all foreign tourists (we must add to this Thai tourists), the majority of whom were single men or traveling alone, in a "group of friends" or even in a libertine couple!
In this area, all attempts, notably those of General Prayut Chan-O-Cha when he led the military government that followed the 2014 coup, extended by his military-civilian government until 2018, and which had promised to eliminate all prostitution in Pattaya, have failed miserably...
Among other cities known for their legal or illegal prostitution, Pattaya firmly places itself on the world podium, alongside Manila, Rio de Janeiro, Tijuana (Mexico), Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Macao... and many more!!!
Pattaya will not become a virtuous city where religious and moralistic buildings outnumber bars and other places dedicated to paid sexual practices.
It remains for the authorities to do their job to ensure that everyone, residents, foreign residents and passing tourists, enjoys safety and a comfortable life free from unwanted human vermin... and there is work to be done, resources and skills, in terms of men and equipment, to be implemented as quickly as possible, before being overtaken by the "Force of the dark side"!!!
The third case with the Lady Boy is a classic... the Indian was educated... he learned respect... Lol.
A normal day in short, nothing new in Pattaya.
Thailand has become more and more dangerous, especially since I am often alone.
Some nationalities should not even be allowed to leave their country... let alone come to Thailand.
They are so ill-mannered, rude and disrespectful.
Thailand should not cry over its fate... it allowed these troublemakers into its territory...
Knowing that certain nationalities have this bad reputation worldwide...
It is time to act with extremely dissuasive sanctions that will resonate in the ears of these different ethnic groups...
He risks up to 10 years… and 200,000.
So make an example of him and give him what he deserves... 10 years and 200,000.
Long live Thailand ????????