The brawl erupted on Wichit Songkram Rd near the Darasamut Intersection.
A 26-second video clip of the incident was widely shared on social media, accompanied by the caption: “It’s famous again #Phuket is very hot, taxis vs tourists in front of a famous shopping mall!”
The video captured a brawl involving several foreign tourists and taxi drivers. According to a netizen’s account, the incident began when three Iranian women stood in front of a taxi. The car’s owner, a local taxi driver, approached them and asked them to move.
The women reportedly became irritated and informed their husbands, who, along with their friends, were allegedly intoxicated.
The situation escalated into a physical confrontation, with punches and bottles being thrown. After the fight, the intoxicated individuals fled the scene, leaving behind a family group of three or four, who later reported the incident to the police. The video also showed a woman whose necklace was snatched during the altercation.
The incident sparked heated discussions online, with comments reflecting a mix of frustration and criticism. Some users blamed the behaviour on unruly tourists, while others called for stricter enforcement of the law to prevent such incidents.
Comments ranged from, “Don’t blame only Thais. There are a lot of bad tourists in Patong,” to, “Good people have a hard time, there are only scumbags and thugs. Officers shouldn’t make the law weak.”
In response to the incident, Wichit Police Chief Pol Col Chatree Chueakaew ordered patrol officers to intervene and brought five foreign tourists and three taxi drivers involved in the fight to Wichit Police Station for questioning.
According to the police investigation, the altercation began when the tourists leaned against a parked taxi while waiting for a ride back to their hotel in Patong. The taxi driver asked them to move, which led to an argument that quickly escalated into violence.
After reviewing CCTV footage, investigators determined that both parties were mutually involved in the fight.
Consequently, they were charged with “colluding in a loud fight in a public place or public area, or engaging in behaviour that disturbs public peace and order.”
Despite the charges, both parties agreed to move on without holding any grudges and were allowed to go their separate ways, police said.