Polish man assaulted by Pattaya Go-Go Bar Security Guards

[MrWorldwide]

I went to Pattaya once. Stayed 6 hours, left and never returned. Not my cup of Thai tea.

Great - and I respect that - but do you trawl the local forums on TV looking for threads to make the same observation ? Hua Hin isnt my cup of tea, but I've never once posted in their forums - what's the deal with people feeling the need to bash Pattaya simply because its an easy target ?

I dont defend the bouncers or the punter in this case - that's for the courts - but if Pattaya has any hope of changing the way these clubs handle drunks they have to start taking responsibility for the actions of their security staff, even if all that means is extra tea money. Hit the owners where it hurts - in the pocket - and they might start pushing for courses for their staff. Or not. Either way, nothing will be solved by people who dont even visit the town pitching in their two satangs worth every time someone appears on P-one in a bloodstained shirt, esp when we know that happens in every nightlife precinct in the world.

[jamesjohnsonthird]

Professional security Thai style are kept on hand to beat the crap out of people....

Just another excuse for a mob of bitter Thai guys to attack a 'farang'.

[KissMyAxe]

GREAT advert for tourism ,,, his I love Phuket T shirt covered in blood

[monkeycountry]

So, after they announced he was 86'd (that's an American restaurant industry term for banned, or taken off the menu) he refused to leave. So, instead of calling the police and having him trespassed, their security beats him up. The club owners should be permanently banned from operating nightclubs. Self-help evictions are not acceptable in the hospitality industry.

Especially not with steel hooks.

Maybe the police should make some routine checks for bouncers weapons. I think they would find alot of interesting things.

[falangjim]

He certainly looks stunned. Now along with his "I love Phuket" shirt, he will have another souvenir, albeit a painful one, to take back to his homeland.

Edited April 7, 2015 by falangjim

[bapoboy]

GREAT advert for tourism ,,, his I love Phuket T shirt covered in blood

some run into problems quickly, in my five years in pattaya, have not had any problem here.

I'm just lucky or what?

[emilymat]

He thought he was James Bond.

[minikev]

As Pattaya is serious about trying to portray a better image it would help immensely to reduce the ugly pictures of foreigners covered in blood daily from gang beatings.

Pattaya has a need for good organised doormen and yet the clubs still employ anyone that will wear the shirt and stay up till 4.00 am. Why doesn't someone invest in a real training school for doormen that could simply walk the drunk foreigner to the door restraining him but not physically harming him. This club in particular would already be in pocket as now they face a closure or probably a large portion of tea money to pay. I think these schools are run privately in other countries the trained get a licence and then work in teams throughout a particular town. They are in radio contact with other doormen who will warn them of daft drunks that seem to want trouble and so they simply refuse entry and the idiots have to go home to cool off.

Considering the amount of clubs in Pattaya,Phuket etc it could be a real business. It could also be done cleanly and without corruption.

[mancub]

The report states that the violence happened outside the club, ie; after he, possibly with the intervention of his friend ,had already been escorted out ( no doubt for being an <deleted>.) Seems that the doormen had already accomplished their aim of evicting him but couldn't resist some extra gratuitous violence...which would have made a great impression on anyone out strolling past along Walking St.

[MrWorldwide]

GREAT advert for tourism ,,, his I love Phuket T shirt covered in blood

some run into problems quickly, in my five years in pattaya, have not had any problem here.

I'm just lucky or what?

18 years as a frequent tourist and almost 12 months as a retiree and I've been punched in the mouth once - given that I'm out till 3am on a regular basis and have been hammered in several venues (never in WS - common sense prevails down there), I consider that a pretty good record. That sole yaba-crazed skank and the odd crotch-grabbing katoey aside, the vast majority of Thais here are happy to ignore me and I'm equally happy to do the same. I guess we're both just 'lucky'.

[Kees5555]

All I ask is to show a little respect...

He is in a foreign country, and yes Thailand does have laws.

My guess is he got his ass kicked for being a total a**hole....

Seen this many times before, and from what I ever witnessed, most of them deserved it.!

Maybe their embassies could give them a little,

Training on how to act in Thailand.....

Just a thought.....

How about some training of security staff/bouncers how to deal with drunken people?

Drunken people can't control themselves. (Ok, they started drinking, maybe even they started the fight.. but once intoxicated they are as wise as a brainless person.)

It is in the interest of the club owner, in the interest of Thailand to deal with drunken tourists in an civilized manner: just muscle power.

[AlQaholic]

Is he a Pole dancer??

[Kerryd]

I have seen, and I'm sure many of you have read, about the various louts/yobs/hooligans and whatever that fly halfway around the world to get here, and then act like total a-holes when they arrive. A lot of them somehow develop the impression that because they are tourists they should be able to get away with doing whatever they feel like. If they pulled the same <deleted> back in their home countries they'd probably have their @sses handed to them by a) their fellow patrons then, the establishment's bouncers/security then, c) the local cops.

It wouldn't be the first time that a tourist started the trouble. In fact, I can't recall (personally) any time when some bouncers just decided to start waling on a customer/tourist for no reason what-so-ever. I often see stories of them ganging up on someone once a fracas has started but face it, if all the bouncers at all the clubs were just running around attacking random tourists for no reason at all, those clubs wouldn't be in business, at all.

And come to think of it, back in North America if someone started a commotion in a bar it is highly unlikely that only one bouncer would take action while his fellow bouncers sat back and watched. They would all join in to subdue the trouble-maker (and get a few licks in) in the shortest time possible. The only differences would be that in N.A. the bouncers are usually frikken huge, and (possibly) less likely to use an illegal weapon. (Too many people think Roadhouse is how things really work it seems.)

What the bars need to do is as soon as there looks to be a problem, send one of their staff to grab the cops. I see a lot more police on Walking Street than I used to (back when they would maybe have a couple at the top end to enforce the "no vehicles" rule in the evenings). Now I see they have a couple tables set up at various points along WS and foot patrols going back and forth. Unless there is a safety issue (like a customer starting an altercation in the bar) the staff should be mainly concerned with preventing it from escalating any further. (Of course, that would take training and discipline so probably never going to happen.) If someone needs to be thumped, let the cops do it.

[paddyjoe41]

In case some of you did not know,the t shirt logo is what is being sold to be worn to show respect for the king,so I doubt the pole was to blame,theres more here that meets the eye.

[thaiguzzi]

Bet he gave as good as he got. Up until the "hook" thingey came out...

[kennyro]

Well at least he wouldn't start annoying the patrons and staff at other night clubs that night.

[Guest]

In case some of you did not know,the t shirt logo is what is being sold to be worn to show respect for the king,so I doubt the pole was to blame,theres more here that meets the eye.

You are correct, I did not know, nor would I guess anyone who can convert oxygen into carbon dioxide and solve the riddle 2+2 = ? knows ... that a "I Love Puhket" tee shirt is "sold to be worn to show respect for the king"

OK, nap time for you now ...

[MrWorldwide]

As Pattaya is serious about trying to portray a better image it would help immensely to reduce the ugly pictures of foreigners covered in blood daily from gang beatings.

Pattaya has a need for good organised doormen and yet the clubs still employ anyone that will wear the shirt and stay up till 4.00 am. Why doesn't someone invest in a real training school for doormen that could simply walk the drunk foreigner to the door restraining him but not physically harming him. This club in particular would already be in pocket as now they face a closure or probably a large portion of tea money to pay. I think these schools are run privately in other countries the trained get a licence and then work in teams throughout a particular town. They are in radio contact with other doormen who will warn them of daft drunks that seem to want trouble and so they simply refuse entry and the idiots have to go home to cool off.

Considering the amount of clubs in Pattaya,Phuket etc it could be a real business. It could also be done cleanly and without corruption.

All good in theory, but its a lot cheaper for the clubs to just hire another set of thugs, er, doormen whenever there is a probem. I doubt that they really care enough about their customers or their image to invest in anything longterm. Most of our home countries have had problems with bouncers getting overly enthusiastic and seriously injuring or killing people - in some cases, they're the ones on the receiving end - but the difference here is that there is absolutely no attention given to the responsible service of alcohol. Letting someone who is clearly pie-eyed and bellicose into your venue is asking for trouble, but how many of the bars can afford to turn people away ?

[blitzfix]

I was there. I saw the confrontation outside the bar. It was Sunday night sometime around 9:30 or so.

There were 3 Thai bouncers blocking a large foreigner from entering. His small canvas backpack was on the ground just behind him. He was yelling at the Thai guys. A crowd was forming to watch. Apparently they has just "escorted" him out of the bar. There were no marks on him.

The Thais were not aggressive at all. They stood in front of the door with their arms at their sides or folded. He tried to push his way past to go back in. They pushed him back. He tried to punch the Thai guys. They pushed him back. He swung at them again, hitting at least one of them, He threw several more punches. The Thais put their hands up to block his punches and push him back, and hit back to defend themselves but did not act aggressively toward him.

A female staff member ran to get the police. When the foreigner continued hitting the Thais they punched back, never leaving their place in front of the door. As the foreigner persisted, one of the Thai guys (smallest one) ran to a small "closet" outside the bar and grabbed a long thin metal rod that appeared to have a flexible end. I did not see a hook.

As the foreigner continued swinging at the two Thais at the door, the third struck him on the back of the head with the metal rod. It seemed to stun him for a moment (maybe 1 second), then he started punching the two Thais in front of the door again. He was struck on the back of the head again, seemingly stunned, his forehead showing some blood. He touched his forehead, saw the blood, pulled up his shorts and continued punching the two at the door. He never turned around to confront the guy hitting the back of his head. He was struck a third time on the back of the head stunning him again. This time a large gash opened up on his forehead. I did not see a hook but it looked like the flexible end of the metal rod whipped around and hit his forehead as the stiff shaft hit the back of his head.

At this point the foreigner turned around and tried to flick blood from his hands onto 3 female staff who were standing nearby. He aggressively approached the door guards again but did not throw any more punches. A Thai police woman arrived (about 5 ft. tall). He ignored her. He continued to act aggressively but did not touch anyone else. More police arrived and I left.

The Thai bouncers were much more tolerant than I would have been. I wish I had a video.

Edited April 7, 2015 by blitzfix

[nahkit]

When security guards escort someone to the front door and evict them due to the state of their intoxication, they do not beat them to a pulp. When a patron becomes violent, or threatens violence, well who knows what may come their way. This could have been an each way bet. It may have been that either the security guards or the drunken patron were going to be injured in a physical confrontation. In this case it was the drunken tourist (Guest in Thailand) who came off second best. If you are at the point of intoxication where it is likely that you will become aggressive and or threaten harm to the hosts of your holiday destination, save it till you get home, or go home. No one wins by coming to Thailand and disrespecting the culture, brooding for a fight, or showing off your drinking skills. If asked to leave a premises, smile, walk on, walk out, and go back to your condo or hotel. Live to drink another day.

I would think that if you have reached the point of intoxication "where it is likely you will become aggressive" then you're hardly likely to be thinking rationally.

As for "disrespecting the culture", seriously? In a go-go bar?

[slipperylobster]

What I am learning here is that security guards have access to metal hooks...

and here I am, thinking I was the Pirate.

[Equalizer]

Seriously think it is time for Pattaya City hall to create a door license like in the UK and set up a self funding training course that needs completing before the license is offered to the individual. These people are starting out in this job and on the job training is giving them the wrong attitude and the wrong tactics in dealing with undesirables. The situation is not the same in a densely populated tourist spot where the clientele changes constantly. You will not get any success with the ''give him a slap'' and he wont do it again, simply because the chances are he wont be there again anyway. The fact is another clown will be there the next day to take his place. All you are doing is damaging the city in general. They need to be taught subduing tactics, eliminate the immediate risk of self harm and harm to others even if it means plastic Zip locks on the perpetrators until the police arrive to take control. A license will regulate the industry and the thought of them losing their license and becoming unemployable will have the desired effect.

[Mot Dang]

Thai thugs, Polish thugs. Same same but different.

[petercool]

Post removed for Pattaya bashing and in large type face ....

[minikev]

I was there. I saw the confrontation outside the bar. It was Sunday night sometime around 9:30 or so.

There were 3 Thai bouncers blocking a large foreigner from entering. His small canvas backpack was on the ground just behind him. He was yelling at the Thai guys. A crowd was forming to watch. Apparently they has just "escorted" him out of the bar. There were no marks on him.

The Thais were not aggressive at all. They stood in front of the door with their arms at their sides or folded. He tried to push his way past to go back in. They pushed him back. He tried to punch the Thai guys. They pushed him back. He swung at them again, hitting at least one of them, He threw several more punches. The Thais put their hands up to block his punches and push him back, and hit back to defend themselves but did not act aggressively toward him.

A female staff member ran to get the police. When the foreigner continued hitting the Thais they punched back, never leaving their place in front of the door. As the foreigner persisted, one of the Thai guys (smallest one) ran to a small "closet" outside the bar and grabbed a long thin metal rod that appeared to have a flexible end. I did not see a hook.

As the foreigner continued swinging at the two Thais at the door, the third struck him on the back of the head with the metal rod. It seemed to stun him for a moment (maybe 1 second), then he started punching the two Thais in front of the door again. He was struck on the back of the head again, seemingly stunned, his forehead showing some blood. He touched his forehead, saw the blood, pulled up his shorts and continued punching the two at the door. He never turned around to confront the guy hitting the back of his head. He was struck a third time on the back of the head stunning him again. This time a large gash opened up on his forehead. I did not see a hook but it looked like the flexible end of the metal rod whipped around and hit his forehead as the stiff shaft hit the back of his head.

At this point the foreigner turned around and tried to flick blood from his hands onto 3 female staff who were standing nearby. He aggressively approached the door guards again but did not throw any more punches. A Thai police woman arrived (about 5 ft. tall). He ignored her. He continued to act aggressively but did not touch anyone else. More police arrived and I left.

The Thai bouncers were much more tolerant than I would have been. I wish I had a video.

A very precise report of what happened. If you truly witnessed it this way well done to the Thai doormen. I'm not so impressed with the small guy using a weapon on the back of the Poles head but if he behaved in this way a small gash to the forehead was more than deserved.

Hopefully this area will be covered by cctv and the police now know what really happened.

How does one man get so drunk that he thinks he can take on all those staff. Does he have any connection with this bar?

[MrWorldwide]

@blitzfix - thanks for the firsthand report - I doubt that it will sway the haters but their minds were made up long before they logged in today. When 3 Thais cant deal with a single Westerner - assuming he isnt Dolph Lundgren - without resorting to weapons perhaps they need to ask themselves if this is really the industry for them, but from your report it would appear that the Polish man was the instigator. Not really sure who in their right mind would fight to get back into a club where they could potentially corner him and really do some damage - one can only assume that he had another target in mind and these guys got in the way.

I dont have a lot of experience in go-gos, but I've seen some complete idiots who seem to be under the illusion that anything goes. I keep my hands to myself and my eyes on my bill wherever I go in Pattaya but I cant say the same for everyone else here.

[blitzfix]

@blitzfix - thanks for the firsthand report - I doubt that it will sway the haters but their minds were made up long before they logged in today. When 3 Thais cant deal with a single Westerner - assuming he isnt Dolph Lundgren - without resorting to weapons perhaps they need to ask themselves if this is really the industry for them, but from your report it would appear that the Polish man was the instigator. Not really sure who in their right mind would fight to get back into a club where they could potentially corner him and really do some damage - one can only assume that he had another target in mind and these guys got in the way.

I dont have a lot of experience in go-gos, but I've seen some complete idiots who seem to be under the illusion that anything goes. I keep my hands to myself and my eyes on my bill wherever I go in Pattaya but I cant say the same for everyone else here.

I was impressed (and a bit surprised) at how tolerant the bouncers were. The guy just wouldn't quit. What could the bouncers have done? Pepper spray? Tasers?

The way it turned out makes me feel like the guy got what he deserved. Now, had he lost an eye in the conflict, I might feel a bit different. The big gash was a couple of inches above his right eye. It could have been a lot worse for him.

[Thai Travel Bug]

I was there. I saw the confrontation outside the bar. It was Sunday night sometime around 9:30 or so.

There were 3 Thai bouncers blocking a large foreigner from entering. His small canvas backpack was on the ground just behind him. He was yelling at the Thai guys. A crowd was forming to watch. Apparently they has just "escorted" him out of the bar. There were no marks on him.

The Thais were not aggressive at all. They stood in front of the door with their arms at their sides or folded. He tried to push his way past to go back in. They pushed him back. He tried to punch the Thai guys. They pushed him back. He swung at them again, hitting at least one of them, He threw several more punches. The Thais put their hands up to block his punches and push him back, and hit back to defend themselves but did not act aggressively toward him.

A female staff member ran to get the police. When the foreigner continued hitting the Thais they punched back, never leaving their place in front of the door. As the foreigner persisted, one of the Thai guys (smallest one) ran to a small "closet" outside the bar and grabbed a long thin metal rod that appeared to have a flexible end. I did not see a hook.

As the foreigner continued swinging at the two Thais at the door, the third struck him on the back of the head with the metal rod. It seemed to stun him for a moment (maybe 1 second), then he started punching the two Thais in front of the door again. He was struck on the back of the head again, seemingly stunned, his forehead showing some blood. He touched his forehead, saw the blood, pulled up his shorts and continued punching the two at the door. He never turned around to confront the guy hitting the back of his head. He was struck a third time on the back of the head stunning him again. This time a large gash opened up on his forehead. I did not see a hook but it looked like the flexible end of the metal rod whipped around and hit his forehead as the stiff shaft hit the back of his head.

At this point the foreigner turned around and tried to flick blood from his hands onto 3 female staff who were standing nearby. He aggressively approached the door guards again but did not throw any more punches. A Thai police woman arrived (about 5 ft. tall). He ignored her. He continued to act aggressively but did not touch anyone else. More police arrived and I left.

The Thai bouncers were much more tolerant than I would have been. I wish I had a video.

Well done with the explanation, and the fact is, this is the sort of scenario that happens more often than we would like to admit. I have seen Thai doorman insulted, abused, slapped, treated like a dogs dinner, all the while trying to keep composed. If this is a correct explanation of the event, I I have no reason to disbelieve it, then what has happened has happened and should be left at that. Foreigner should be arrested and charged, deported, and maybe blacklisted for a period of time. This is how we treat our Thai hosts??? What a bloody shame.

[MiKT]

Its really starting to look like one huge cage fight down in Pattaya - Im taking the family to northern Pattaya over Songkran - starting to wonder if it isnt a mistake!

Small piece of friendly advice from one who has been in Pattaya for 20 years....................Don't let your kids get drunk and fight with the bouncers in Go-go bars. try to control yourself and keep the the wife short on Mai Tai's.

Otherwise a happy holiday could be had by all, but of course it is a bunfight with all the water next week, so be prepared for contiuous traffic jams.

[TSF]

All I ask is to show a little respect...

He is in a foreign country, and yes Thailand does have laws.

My guess is he got his ass kicked for being a total a**hole....

Seen this many times before, and from what I ever witnessed, most of them deserved it.!

Maybe their embassies could give them a little,

Training on how to act in Thailand.....

Just a thought.....

I made a post before I read blitzfix's firsthand account on what happened. So I have withdrawn my first, too hasty post.

Seems this time the security guards did act appropriately.

Edited April 7, 2015 by TSF