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Foreign tourists fight on Phuket's Bangla Road

A group of foreign tourists were filmed fighting in Phuket's Bangla Road area at around 2am on 22 July, following a drinking session in Patong.

The footage, posted by the Phuket Times page on 22 July, shows the tourists exchanging punches in Soi Bangla, Patong subdistrict, Kathu district. The clip quickly attracted widespread attention and was heavily shared online.

Phuket Times captioned the video: "Exciting sports footage, Bangla Stadium. After 2am last night, fighting among themselves," using hashtags for tourists, foreigners, Patong and Phuket.

Fight breaks out after drinking

According to the report, the confrontation began after the foreign tourists had been drinking together and were intoxicated. They then became involved in an argument and fight in the middle of Soi Bangla.

Bangla Road is one of Phuket's best-known nightlife areas, particularly busy in the early hours with tourists, bar staff, residents and transport drivers moving through the pedestrian zone.

IMG_8039.webp

Picture courtesy of Komchadluek

For foreigners living in Phuket or visiting Patong, the footage is a reminder that late-night drinking disputes can escalate quickly in crowded entertainment areas. Visitors are generally best advised to avoid becoming involved in confrontations, move away from disturbances and seek help from venue security or police if necessary.

Online comments call it "Bangla Stadium"

Thai social-media users responded with a mixture of jokes and criticism about the image of the resort area.

Several referred to the street as "Bangla Stadium", with one commenter describing it as a meeting place for a fierce test of strength. Others joked that organisers should put up a ring and add music for the show.

Another comment compared the fight to temple fair boxing in the middle of a walking street, asking why those involved had not gone to one of Bangla's existing boxing venues. Other users called the area "Arena Street".

While much of the online reaction was light-hearted, some comments reflected concern about the reputation of Patong, one of Thailand's most internationally recognised tourism destinations.

Video courtesy of Phuketinsta

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23 July 2026

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Recommended Comments

Enoon Platinum Member

Enoon

Advanced Member
(edited)
5 hours ago, novacova said:

They’re not American, they’re European or another. Easy to spot as they all have man purses.

A rufftuff American, then and now:

images.jpg

Edited by Enoon

Shocked farang Silver Member

Shocked farang

Advanced Member
11 hours ago, Showtime said:

It's my whore. No, it's my whore. Let's fight over the whore

11 hours ago, Showtime said:

It's my whore. No, it's my whore. Let's fight over the whore

11 hours ago, Showtime said:

It's my whore. No, it's my whore. Let's fight over the whore

They are not whores! They are innocent, hardworking girls from Isaan.

Priorexpat Silver Member

Priorexpat

Advanced Member

" (Phuket) It was absolutely infested with low end Malaysians, Arabs, Indians and especially the spectacularly unpleasant Russians, no thanks I never need to go back."

So many other places to go in Thailand other than Phuket and Patters, I'm with ya. Do need to go back to see good friends, but then, outta there.

"Sometimes I find myself telling people I'm from Canada"

was drinking at one of those VW bus bars on the street in BKK one time when a guy said he was from Canada (no aye, no oooot when saying out). "Ya, which part of Canada"? Guy leans back, looks at me, "Buffalo" 🤣

jacko45k Star Member

jacko45k

Advanced Member
(edited)
20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I was in Phuket last year and the island is now one big garbage heap, people seem to keep on traveling to Phuket but it was such a pale shadow of what it was when I was last there 10 years ago. It was absolutely infested with low end Malaysians, Arabs, Indians and especially the spectacularly unpleasant Russians, no thanks I never need to go back.

The traffic was an abomination, everything was overpriced, Bangla Road was utterly horrific with barely an attractive woman in sight, and the entire place just reeked.

You make Pattaya sound like a much better alternative!

Obviously Phuket changed since I first went down there, (1982 or so...it was great). It deteriorated each subsequent visit.

Edited by jacko45k

spidermike007 Star Member

spidermike007

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

You make Pattaya sound like a much better alternative!

Obviously Phuket changed since I first went down there, (1982 or so...it was great). It deteriorated each subsequent visit.

I was first in Phuket in 1976. Few resorts. A few bungalows on the beaches. Beachfront land was 2,000 baht a rai. They could not give it away.

Went back in 1986. Had developed alot. Still very nice. Same applied to Samui. Again in 1993. Far more development. Still amazing. Azure seas. Spectacular women everywhere. Great food.

Did not return until around 2008. It was degraded, for the most part. But, still decent. Good nightlife.

Again around 2014. Nowhere near the place it used to be, with a diminished nightlife, but not awful.

Back again in 2023 and there was absolutely no charm left, very few attractive gals and Bangla Road was absolutely horrific, with barely a good looking girl to be found with the exception of just a couple of Go-Go's charging truly stupid money.

The primary population of tourists were Arabs, Malaysians, Indians and Russians and most of them felt like low end tourists and expats. The proliferation of Russians was too much to bear. They are SO obnoxious. No need to ever return. The charm is lost. The over development is stunning. The prices were crazy. Yikes.

There were countless issues, long before Covid, and NONE of them were being addressed. One administration after another here are regressive, and reactionary, and not the visionary and progressive leadership Thailand desperately needs now.

spidermike007 Star Member

spidermike007

Advanced Member
15 hours ago, Mr Awesome said:

Good, I don't want to be associated with you.

I am feeling so wounded. That which total strangers think of me in a negative fashion hurts me so much. I must have a good cry now.

ArchieBunker Advanced Member

ArchieBunker

Member

Foreign expatriates fighting on ASEAN Now!

Jim Blue Platinum Member

Jim Blue

Advanced Member

So ever?y Thai tourist spot changed.

How about the Europe and US/Canada?

Everything stayed the same since the 80's ??

Mr Awesome Silver Member

Mr Awesome

Advanced Member
18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I am feeling so wounded. That which total strangers think of me in a negative fashion hurts me so much. I must have a good cry now.

I’m happy for you.

impulse Star Member

impulse

Advanced Member
On 7/24/2026 at 12:09 PM, spidermike007 said:

I was first in Phuket in 1976. Few resorts. A few bungalows on the beaches.

There's still places like that in Thailand. But, just like Phuket in the '70s, they're off the beaten path, and too hard for the masses to get to and to find accommodation.

Success and greed kill all the good spots eventually. Except the spots that deliberately priced themselves out of the mass, cheap market from the get-go.

xenophon Advanced Member

xenophon

Member
On 7/23/2026 at 12:41 PM, Legal Lifeline said:

Possibly- but not too many tattoos on show?

Can you see their teeth?

Old Croc Star Member

Old Croc

Advanced Member
On 7/24/2026 at 11:09 AM, spidermike007 said:

I was first in Phuket in 1976. Few resorts. A few bungalows on the beaches. Beachfront land was 2,000 baht a rai. They could not give it away.

It was considered rubbish land by the locals as rice wouldn't grow because of the salt in the air.

I knew an expat who bought land, with his spouse, in Kata for almost nothing and sold it 30ish years later for a profit of around 1 mill GBP.

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