Community American Tourist Assaulted by Bar Owner for Filming Venue

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of TMN

 

An American tourist was left bloodied and bruised after allegedly being punched by a foreign bar owner in Pattaya’s Soi Buakhao area, reportedly for filming the venue.

 

The victim, identified only as Mr. Raf, 38, presented himself at Pattaya City Police Station in the early hours of morning of 11 July, with a bloodied face, a gash over his left eyebrow and severe swelling around his eye. He also submitted a video clip as evidence of the incident.

 

According to his statement to police, Mr. Raf, who is a frequent visitor to Pattaya, had been enjoying drinks at a unnamed beer bar on Soi Buakhao. After spending more than 700 baht, he began filming the venue’s surroundings as a memento before returning to the United States.

 

However, this seemingly harmless act sparked a violent confrontation. Mr. Raf said the foreign bar owner approached him aggressively, demanding he stop recording. Despite explaining that he had not captured anyone’s face and had no ill intent, a heated argument ensued. 

 

The confrontation escalated when the bar owner allegedly punched him in the eye with full force, knocking him to the ground. His head reportedly struck the floor, causing further bleeding.

 

Mr. Raf sought medical treatment at a local hospital before heading to the police station to file a formal complaint. He insisted on pursuing legal action against his attacker.

 

Police are currently reviewing the video footage, gathering witness testimony and working to locate the bar owner for questioning. An investigation is ongoing.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from TMN 2025-07-11

 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

Shady farangs?

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 Mr. Raf

There's a Ralf on AN. Same guy? 

 

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Shady farangs?

 

Loads of people film in front of bars. Not sure about inside bars, though. 

Just ended up with the wrong bar owner or maybe it was not discrete at all since he was in the bar. 

 

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
This is video of part of the incident which is posted on Thai social media.

 

(Contains bad language) 

Edit:

 

The above video is no longer available has it has been removed from the social media source.

[dinsdale]

Raf's gotta mouth and copped a slap for it. 

[DrJack54]

Another idiot. 

[Will B Good]

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

UPDATE
This is video of part of the incident which is posted on Thai social media.

 

(Contains bad language) 

 

 

 

How odd.....I was just about to stick my neck and say no way he got punched just for taking a quick video around the bar.

 

 

 

 

[roo860]

Well done to the owner!

[Conno]

Despite explaining that he had not captured anyone’s face and had no ill intent, a heated argument ensued. 

 

'If you want to get testy with me I'll F U up'. That's not the definition of 'no ill intent' when I went to school.

 

Bar owner sounds like a Brit? Sure this didn't happen on the 4th of July 55555. 

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

This is video of part of the incident which is posted on Thai social media.

 

Yeah well, he wasn't just filming.

He was being a total and absolute arrogant ahole AND he threatened the bar owner.

You couldn't pay me enough money to run a bar with all these drunk aholes in there.

 

We normally only see the beatings that take place. This is a good video that shows how people can act like total aholes and absolutely deserve the beatings they get.

 

 

[Freddy42OZ]

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

UPDATE
This is video of part of the incident which is posted on Thai social media.

 

(Contains bad language) 

 

 

I just don't understand why so many blokes think violence of any kind is acceptable. 

It looks and sounds like the bar owner didn't like being told he might get f'd up by the guy 'if you want to get pissy with me'  

But why would someone saying something like that cause anyone to start a fight?  

What kind of upbringing do these people have?    Fighting should be the very last resort, only used when every other option has been tried.

[Evil Penevil]

The video puts "Mr. Raf" in an entirely different light than the text account in the OP.  He threatened to "<deleted> up" the bar owner, but got clocked himself.  It's really a case of FAFO.

[Conno]

5 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

 

I just don't understand why so many blokes think violence of any kind is acceptable. 

It looks and sounds like the bar owner didn't like being told he might get f'd up by the guy 'if you want to get pissy with me'  

But why would someone saying something like that cause anyone to start a fight?  

What kind of upbringing do these people have?    Fighting should be the very last resort, only used when every other option has been tried.

You have heard of Alpha males before right?. Not condoning violence, but not every male is a Beta. 

[Ohyesuare]

Seems like he was looking for trouble and got what he was looking for. Uttering threats to f someone up on their own property, this could be considered self defense but we'll see.

[roo860]

2 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

Seems like he was looking for trouble and got what he was looking for. Uttering threats to f someone up on their own property, this could be considered self defense but we'll see.

Yep, absolutely, self defence 

[bkk6060]

Good for the bar owner the AH threatened him.  Loser boy.

[thesetat]

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Police are currently reviewing the video footage, gathering witness testimony and working to locate the bar owner in questioning. An investigation is ongoing

More like the police are waiting for the foreigner to leave so they do not have to deal with it.. The man showed them evidence. The police should have gone directly to make an arrest warrant and to arest the bar owner. What is there to investigate if the man has a vdo recording and ready to press charges?

[fredwiggy]

49 minutes ago, Conno said:

You have heard of Alpha males before right?. Not condoning violence, but not every male is a Beta. 

And not every beta is a wimp. According to Corey Wayne, 97% of males are weak betas. Being a narcissist himself, raised by same (his words), his book shows how men can get most any woman they want by acting alpha. He's not married and has no children, which means he doesn't know how to go about things the right way. Betas are the responsible ones, raising families and providing for them, and many women go for the bad boys, which always end up as a disaster. Many leaders are beta, and having both qualities, alpha and beta are best. Being assertive but using teamwork, collaboration instead of controlling, Some think beta doesn't mean masculinity, and alpha does but that isn't valid. As far as the OP topic, this man brought that on himself. Talking <deleted> you better be able to back it.And what he said was wrong.

[JonnyF]

Got what he deserved.

 

Firstly filming in a bar, then saying he wasn't going to leave and then threatening to F up the owner. What did he expect?

[pub2022]

55 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

 

I just don't understand why so many blokes think violence of any kind is acceptable. 

It looks and sounds like the bar owner didn't like being told he might get f'd up by the guy 'if you want to get pissy with me'  

But why would someone saying something like that cause anyone to start a fight?  

What kind of upbringing do these people have?    Fighting should be the very last resort, only used when every other option has been tried.

 

Welcome to Pattaya, a dumping ground for the worst dregs from the West.

[Ralf001]

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

Picture courtesy of พัทยา จุดเกิดเหตุ 

 

An American tourist was left bloodied and bruised after allegedly being punched by a foreign bar owner in Pattaya’s Soi Buakhao area, reportedly for filming the venue.

 

The victim, identified only as Mr. Raf, 38, presented himself at Pattaya City Police Station in the early hours of morning of 11 July, with a bloodied face, a gash over his left eyebrow and severe swelling around his eye. He also submitted a video clip as evidence of the incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex at the rock house strikes again ?

[Conno]

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

And not every beta is a wimp. According to Corey Wayne, 97% of males are weak betas. Being a narcissist himself, raised by same (his words), his book shows how men can get most any woman they want by acting alpha. He's not married and has no children, which means he doesn't know how to go about things the right way. Betas are the responsible ones, raising families and providing for them, and many women go for the bad boys, which always end up as a disaster. Many leaders are beta, and having both qualities, alpha and beta are best. Being assertive but using teamwork, collaboration instead of controlling, Some think beta doesn't mean masculinity, and alpha does but that isn't valid. As far as the OP topic, this man brought that on himself. Talking <deleted> you better be able to back it.And what he said was wrong.

OK I concede not all betas are wimps, but I doubt many true alphas are, if any. Red rag to a bull for a true alpha when another male threatens to F them up, especially if in front of his female [just speculation in this case] We ain't called hairless apes for no reason, Pattaya being a very popular habitat for this species.    

[grain]

"I'll fook you up"....well he'll think twice before ever making that statement again. 😆

[Hummin]

2 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

Loads of people film in front of bars. Not sure about inside bars, though. 

Just ended up with the wrong bar owner or maybe it was not discrete at all since he was in the bar. 

 

For some reasons my feed is full of these idiots filming in bar districts and if he is one of these guys, well deserved. 

 

Expose the girls for the whole world to see, is cheap and abuse without consent. Public or not, low life without spine

[dinsdale]

33 minutes ago, thesetat said:

More like the police are waiting for the foreigner to leave so they do not have to deal with it.. The man showed them evidence. The police should have gone directly to make an arrest warrant and to arest the bar owner. What is there to investigate if the man has a vdo recording and ready to press charges?

Incredible. A vid has been linked. It would seem you didn't bother to look at it before posting. Nothing will come of this as the mouthy Yank clearly instigated this and came worse off for wear. 

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Freddy42OZ said:

 

I just don't understand why so many blokes think violence of any kind is acceptable. 

It looks and sounds like the bar owner didn't like being told he might get f'd up by the guy 'if you want to get pissy with me'  

But why would someone saying something like that cause anyone to start a fight?  

What kind of upbringing do these people have?    Fighting should be the very last resort, only used when every other option has been tried.

If you like your teeth, don't threaten people.

[save the frogs]

12 hours ago, roo860 said:

Yep, absolutely, self defence 

 

I'm not sure it would be that black and white if it went to court.

Although he uttered a threat, he did not attack or make any body movement that indicated he was going to attack.

The bar owner should have gone in the back room and called the police.

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Got what he deserved.

 

Firstly filming in a bar, then saying he wasn't going to leave and then threatening to F up the owner. What did he expect?

 

I indeed...   Seems like he escalated the sitation, deliberately so...  quite the tool.

 

Many men who frequent these bars prefer to keep a low profile; they certainly don’t want their faces plastered all over social media. Unfortunately, many of the foolish TikTokers and others fail to grasp this, wrongly believing that anything happening in public is fair game to film.

 

There’s a complete lack of respect for others’ privacy, even if they are out in a public venue or area.

 

Just a few weeks ago, I was in a bar showing a friend something on my phone when a couple of the women and the owner, or perhaps the Mamasan, came over initially in a rush somewhat agitated and told me not to film...  I smiled, and showed them that I'd deliberately held the phone to cover the camera lens...  clearly signalling my understanding.... a simple act of de-escalation....   after that they weren't bothered at all.

 

But, if a tool is going to kick off about such things, then they kind of deserve a response.

 

 

 

[Peter Crow]

There should be a mandatory one month closure of every venue where a fight occurs.

 

Of course this wouldn't stop Justice to follow its course..