Police arrest Khao Sarn restaurant manager who punched a British tourist

Image: Thairath

Police arrested a Khao Sarn restaurant manager for assault Friday after a British tourist was punched in the face.

The tourist had been refused by staff to use the toilets because he was not a customer. He had then ordered cocktails and so was allowed to use the rest room. On emerging he tried to leave the restaurant without paying and threw a twenty baht note in the face of the manager. Then the assault happened.

Tourist police moved swiftly "to protect Thailand's tourist image" after a clip appeared on Facebook of a man in a light blue shirt shouting angrily at the Chana Songkram police station at the end of Khao Sarn road.

Weerawut Saengthong, 34, a resident of Bang Khae, Bangkok, who is the manager of the restaurant in question was soon arrested after officers saw the clip. Police soon discovered more details.

The British tourist was a man called Will. Shortly after one am on Thursday morning he had asked restaurant staff if he could use the toilets but he was turned down because he was not a customer. Will then ordered cocktails to the value of 700 baht and went to use the facilities in the restaurant. He emerged soon after and tried to leave the restaurant without paying his bill. Weerawut got angry. The Brit then threw a twenty baht note in his face making him furious and resulting in the assault in which the tourist was hit in the face.

Police spokesman Surachet Hakpan said that this was a worrying incident. Apart from being against the law this kind of behavior was damaging the tourist image of the country, he noted.

Weerawut has been charged with assault.

Source: Thairath

-- 2016-05-27

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

The manager of the restaurant is wearing the blue polo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMFxJaQXLrg

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by Wilsonandson

The pom was a smart arse and deserved what he got. The patron should be the one prosecuted.

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

Throwing the bill is rude. Not paying bill is low. Being punched in face is jai ron. Kaosan. Walked through it literally once. What a shithole that is...

Sometimes it's the shop owners that need protected. They really have a hard time with this protecting the image thing. Kind of odd when 'saving face' is such a big issue here. The brit should have been arrested for skipping out on a tab,at least maybe more.

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by Rob13

The pom was a smart arse and deserved what he got. The patron should be the one prosecuted.

The Brit would not expect not to pay for his drinks in the uk, so why here, and throwing 20baht in the managers face is insulting.

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by rockingrobin

700 baht of cocktails? We're only hearing one side of the story here.

had he pulled this crap back home he woulda got a broken beer bottle in the throat, what on earth makes these dumb <deleted> think they can pull that crap here ?

And if they would only of let him use the head there would not of been a problem !! I own a bar restaurant and I allow everybody and anybody to use the head !! I know it's hard for some to understand this but it's called being nice & polite NOT BEING A DOUCHEBAG !!

Watching that video of the guy in the blue shirt shows that he is not a very friendly guy and is looking for a fight. What ever happened to the rule of law. If the guy walks out without paying call the police. It's violence that is a major problem here and is out of control. And for Gods sake the guy had to take a leak, what ever happened to being nice or is it only take take take in this world. All this could have been avoided if the guy had just left the young man take a leak. He may have then sat in the bar all night drinking with his mates.

So police arrested the manager after seeing a video of him shouting at a police station. I must be missing something.

I think we will be seeing more of this young tourist in the news soon

Rule number one in Thailand

If you behave like an <deleted> you are treated like <deleted>.

I smell a strategy: arrest a local against whom there is not a strong case and show up what a nasty bunch tourists can be. There will no sympathy for the Brit and some for the Thai. The cases to worry about are the innocent tourists being ripped off, bashed, murdered. Arrest a few more of those perpetrators and it would be more impressive. This case is small beer and with a motive.

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

Throwing the bill is rude. Not paying bill is low. Being punched in face is jai ron. Kaosan. Walked through it literally once. What a shithole that is...

Trying to leave without paying your bill is theft and illegal and is an arrest-able offence

Bangkok is one big sewer....

Just piss in the street like the locals do....

I think we will be seeing more of this young tourist in the news soon

why's that?....you know something we don't!

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

Throwing the bill is rude. Not paying bill is low. Being punched in face is jai ron. Kaosan. Walked through it literally once. What a shithole that is...

Trying to leave without paying your bill is theft and illegal and is an arrest-able offence

So is punching someone in the face instead of calling police ............aren't .police supposed to side with thais

Pity he didn't take this kind of recourse

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by Nasrullah

And for Gods sake the guy had to take a leak, what ever happened to being nice or is it only take take take in this world. All this could have been avoided if the guy had just left the young man take a leak. He may have then sat in the bar all night drinking with his mates.

You you get a constant stream of people just going to use the toilets, which isnt very nice for customers

I'm with the manager on this, disgusting behavior by the Brit lout

Throwing the bill is rude. Not paying bill is low. Being punched in face is jai ron. Kaosan. Walked through it literally once. What a shithole that is...

Trying to leave without paying your bill is theft and illegal and is an arrest-able offence

So is punching someone in the face instead of calling police ............aren't .police supposed to side with thais

Pity he didn't take this kind of recourse

Going for the defence of "I was trying to stop him leaving my establishment without paying the bill . I was trying to stop him commiting an offence" May work

I am with the manager and very strange that he handled it... Normally he leaves that task to the pleasure of his staff!

had he pulled this crap back home he woulda got a broken beer bottle in the throat, what on earth makes these dumb <deleted> think they can pull that crap here ?

possibly the same type of crap that allows thin skinned/hair pin tempered thais to lash out on foreigners

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by Nasrullah

This does seem an odd story. Not because of the Brit's behaviour. Lots of tourist &lt;deleted&gt; on Khoa San. Also, not because of the Thai managers behaviour. That seems about par for the course on Khoa San Road. It really does seem like a publicity stunt. bad behaviour from tourists and locals happens a lot of Khoa San.

There's that speedboat incident that happened the other day where a tourist died. I read about it in the UK press a daybefore the Thai press.

If you want good publicity, just be honest about things. Shit happens. Crack down on criminals and take care of your tourists. No matter who is in the wrong people will generally see it as an individual case and indiviadual circumstances.

I am with the manager and very strange that he handled it... Normally he leaves that task to the pleasure of his staff!

Personal experience here?.......or just another foreigner who thinks he knows the ins and outs of thailand!

too many of these sort of low life brits in Thailand now

had he pulled this crap back home he woulda got a broken beer bottle in the throat, what on earth makes these dumb <deleted> think they can pull that crap here ?

possibly the same type of crap that allows thin skinned/hair pin tempered thais to lash out on foreigners

They only lash out at at the types like one described in the post.

Going for the defence of "I was trying to stop him leaving my establishment without paying the bill . I was trying to stop him commiting an offence" May work

Foreigner never consumed anything.......ie he did not take ownership.......

had he pulled this crap back home he woulda got a broken beer bottle in the throat, what on earth makes these dumb <deleted> think they can pull that crap here ?

possibly the same type of crap that allows thin skinned/hair pin tempered thais to lash out on foreigners

They only lash out at at the types like one described in the post.

Now c'mon.........We've all read enough stories on thaivisa and elsewhere to know this is not true!

I could mention.........neck chain snatchings and all the rest.......

Those three Brit Hooray Henrys look just like the type who would treat Thais so arrogantly.

I'm pleased to see the cuts and bruises on the little sh!t's face. Should have been hit harder.

Mind you, the manager seemed a belligerent type anyway, but those little Hoorays would try anyone's patience.