An Australian tourist was allegedly beaten to death by his British friend in Thailand, police claim.
The Australian man was drinking beer with the 29-year-old Briton when they got into a drunken argument before dawn on September 27 outside their hotel in Pattaya – often dubbed ‘Sin City’ because of its focus on nightlife.
The pair caused panic when they clashed in the street as terrified locals looked on in horror.
Police have said the Briton threw a knockout punch that caused the Australian to hit his head on the pavement.
Medics were called to the scene around 4:30 a.m. local time, where they found the individual sprawled on the ground with no pulse.
The scene after the incident shows emergency services outside the hotel after medics were called to the scene at around 4:30 am local time
A general street scene shows scenes in Pattaya, which is notorious among tourists for its vibrant nightlife
They performed CPR and rushed him to Pattaya Memorial Hospital, but they said he could not be revived.
Police Major Tanongsak Inphadung of Pattaya City Police Station confirmed the Australian’s death and identified the Briton as a suspect.
He said the cause of death is not yet known.
Mr Inphadung said: “The suspect still denies the allegations but he cannot challenge us because we have full evidence.
“We have security camera footage from the restaurant and four witnesses who were drinking with them. They were all Thai.
“Tomorrow we will request the court to detain him in Pattaya Remand Prison.
“He refused to say anything even though we had an interpreter, and he will hire a lawyer to defend the lawsuit.
‘The suspect was drunk at the time. We have to wait for the autopsy results to see if the deceased was also drunk, but he was seen drinking for hours before the incident. They lived on the same floor.’
Pictured: The hotel’s outdoor area where the altercation between the couple took place before dawn on September 27
The cause of their fight was not clarified by officials.
The former fishing village of Pattaya became popular with American troops in the 1960s during “rest and relaxation breaks,” when the U.S. military had bases in Thailand to stem the flow of communism from the east.
In the following years, the coastal town grew into a semi-barbaric sex tourism destination.
Embarrassed officials have made progress in gentrifying the region with family tourism projects, but a voracious nightlife industry continues to dominate the area.