A Thai man suffered a head injury after being assaulted by a group of 10 men outside a Bangkok bar while defending a Chinese tourist. The victim, 50-year-old Rongrit Choomee, called on Thai news outlets for help, claiming the attackers boasted of strong connections with local authorities, specifically officers at Bangna Police Station in the Bangna district where the attack took place.
Rongrit provided CCTV footage of the incident, although it has not been made public. Screenshots from the video shared by DailyNews depict Rongrit surrounded by the group in a parking lot, with women, believed to be his friends, trying to intervene.
In an interview with Channel 3, Rongrit recounted that the confrontation happened in the early hours of September 22 at a bar on Soi Udomsuk 56, where he was drinking with two female friends. A Chinese tourist had politely asked one of the women to dance with him, a request that Rongrit agreed to, as the tourist appeared respectful and non-threatening. However, a group of 10 men, aged between 30 and 40, who were also at the bar, urged Rongrit to attack the tourist, reportedly saying, “Beat up the Chinese man!”
When Rongrit refused to comply, the group became hostile, hurling insults at him. To avoid escalating the situation, Rongrit decided to leave the bar and walk to a nearby hotel. The men followed him, eventually attacking him from behind with a blow near his ear. This aggravated a previous injury Rongrit sustained in a car accident, which had resulted in the removal of part of his skull due to a fracture. The attack left him seriously injured.
Although Rongrit collapsed, he managed to escape and hide inside the hotel. The group tried to pursue him but was stopped by witnesses. The gang reportedly waited outside the hotel for more than two hours before leaving the scene.
Rongrit later learned from locals that this same group had a history of assaulting other bar patrons on multiple occasions. He expressed concern that these repeated acts of violence pose a danger to both local residents and foreign tourists, warning that such incidents could damage Thailand’s image and its tourism industry.
In a health update during the interview, Rongrit revealed that he had recently undergone a brain scan due to persistent dizziness following the attack. He continues to seek justice for the assault, urging authorities to take action against the perpetrators.