But the investigation has so far met with a wall of silence from witnesses.
Kurt Trotnow, 53, had an argument with a tuk-tuk driver over B100 fare when he and his wife got out of the tuk-tuk in front of Taipan nightclub on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd in Patong.
Mr Trotnow’s wife’s cousin, who was at the scene, told police he saw the German throw the first punch. In the ensuing fight, Mr Trotnow ended up unconscious on the ground.
He was in a coma in the Phuket International Hospital for about a month and although he is now conscious and out of the ICU, he is still not well enough the leave the hospital.
Following the incident, Kathu police visited Mr Trotnow in the ICU twice.
They showed him seven mugshots of drivers they suspected may have been involved in the fight, but he failed to identify any of them as being his attackers.
The Deputy Superintendent of Kathu Police station, Pol Lt Col Kittipong Klaikaew, told The Phuket News the investigation has had difficulties due to noncooperation from witnesses.
Most of the vendors or witnesses who were near the site of the beating claimed that they saw nothing, or had no idea about what had happened.
Some were invited to give evidence at Kathu police station, but didn’t show up.
“The main problem is that no one can tell police for sure who the drivers involved were,” Col Kittipong said. “We’re continuing the investigation, keeping our ears open for any stories we hear from the tuk-tuk community.”
Mr Trotnow’s wife’s cousin said he would recognise some of the drivers, but was not sure when looking at mugshots which of the people pictured had been involved.