The incident occurred at about 2:40am near the entrance to Soi Bangla on Thaweewong Rd after the two men ‒ reported to be friends travelling together ‒ became involved in a dispute that escalated into violence.
Video footage of the altercation, widely shared on social media, shows the pair exchanging blows before one man collapses and lies motionless on the ground as bystanders attempt to intervene.
According to witnesses, the argument is believed to have stemmed from a disagreement over a woman on Soi Bangla. Despite attempts by members of the public, including tuk-tuk drivers, to break up the fight, the pair continued until one was knocked to the ground.
Patong Police reported that officers on special patrol duty in the Bangla area were alerted to the incident by a concerned citizen. When officers arrived at the scene, near a kebab shop at the entrance to the soi, they found an injured foreign man lying on the ground.
The man, later identified as an Australian tourist, told police he had been involved in a physical altercation with a friend he was travelling with following a dispute over a woman. The other man had fled the scene before officers arrived.
Police coordinated with rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, Patong branch, who provided first aid at the scene before transporting the injured man to Patong Hospital for further treatment.
The extent of his injuries has not been disclosed.
Police have advised the injured tourist to file a formal complaint in order for legal proceedings to move forward. Officers are continuing their investigation to establish the full circumstances of the incident and to identify and locate the second man involved.