A group fight involving rival speedboat operators broke out on Tawaen Beach road on Koh Larn, off Pattaya, at about 5.30pm on 27 August 2026. Video shared online showed men who operate the Pattaya-Koh Larn tourist speedboats arguing before punches were thrown in front of beachgoers.

The footage was posted with the description: "Battle of Pattaya-Koh Larn speedboat operators."

Long-running dispute over passengers

Reports said the dispute stemmed from competition for customers and fare-cutting among operators taking passengers back to Pattaya via Bali Hai Pier.

One side was said to comprise speedboat operators based on Koh Larn who have worked in the trade for more than 30 years. The other group reportedly consisted of Pattaya-based speedboat operators who had crossed to Koh Larn to run the same business.

The two sides had allegedly been in dispute for some time over attracting passengers and undercutting fares before the row escalated into the beachside fight.

A group of Koh Larn speedboat operators later posted online that island residents had previously lived and worked peacefully, accusing newcomers of bringing problems to the island.

"Koh Larn people live peacefully and make a living. We have never fought," the post said. "When you came, you brought problems to Koh Larn and fought like this. It damages Koh Larn's name. If it reaches the media, people will say Koh Larn is lawless again. If it is like this, please do not come and make a living on Koh Larn."

Calls for Pattaya to regulate operators

The local operators called on Pattaya City to take serious action to organise speedboat businesses on Koh Larn, saying this would help prevent further conflicts and protect the island's tourism image.

For foreign residents and visitors, speedboats are a common way to travel between Pattaya and Koh Larn, particularly for day trips to beaches including Tawaen. The reported dispute centres on competing services and fares for the return journey to the mainland, rather than changes to official transport rules.

Travellers choosing private speedboats may wish to agree the return fare, departure point and timing before setting off, particularly during busy periods when several operators are competing for passengers.

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28 August 2026

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Koh Larn: where the beaches are beautiful, the water is crystal clear, and the competition for your 150 baht return fare is absolutely effing brutal. 🚤🥊😂

oH it all seems so savage and primitive

Lady Friend from Bkk came down with her friends , bought 300 baht RT tickets from these ppl and left Bali Hai pier - on the return leg nobody would honor the return ticket and they had to pay again

Never underestimate how badly the Thai ppl scam each other

Nobody is safe for scamming in Thailand. No wonder with low fines and hardly enforcing any law. And with less tourists or customers, there will be fights. Taxis, ferries, touroperatirs and restaurants.. everybody will follow. The best would be that the whole market was open even foreugners. The prices woyld be much fairer

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Nobody is safe for scamming in Thailand. No wonder with low fines and hardly enforcing any law. And with less tourists or customers, there will be fights. Taxis, ferries, touroperatirs and restaurants.. everybody will follow. The best would be that the whole market was open even foreugners. The prices woyld be much fairer

It's only going to get worse with tourism at a 7% decline, yet making up 20% of GDP. That's a lot of Thai's not making the money that they used to.

Money go down, crime go up. You can expect a lot more scamming of the tourist here in the future.

LOS = Land of Scams.

There are many many "cowboy" gangs in Thailand, especially in tourist areas.

One would have hoped that by now the police could have arranged meetings with the various mafia groups running these gangs in different locations to establish various areas of operation. Maybe they have, and some groups are now missing out, thus the increased conflicts.

In any case, more international publicity for Thailand and its tourism industry.

High fuel prices starting to bite ?

It is perhaps time for Bolt to branch out into that business!