What sparked the battle is unclear, as both sides told radically different stories to Chalong Police.
However, according to some of the combatants, the ultimate cause may be corruption on the part of police officers in Patong.
A member of the Cambodian group, Wan Thairat, 32, said that he and six others had moved from Patong to sell sunglasses in the Karon area three days before the battle occurred.
Wan claimed that his group was attacked by more than 10 Thai vendors for daring to set up business on their territory.
“Patong police guaranteed our safety, even if we were to do business in Karon,” said Wan. “They said they would contact police in the Karon area to take care of us.”
In return for this “guarantee” each of the illegal Cambodians paid protection money of B1,000 a month to officers in Patong, Wan said. He added that they were told that if they wanted “complete security” from problems, the rate would be B5,000 a month each.
On the opposing side, Thai vendor Arnon Yodjan, 27, claimed that it was the Cambodians who started the fight, which ended with him receiving nine stitches to a wound in his back.
He said he believes that the reason was his position as a witness to a stabbing in Patong, which involved a Cambodian gangster named Kabin.
Kabin reportedly was involved in the fight with the Thai vendors. He was taken to the hospital with another Cambodian after they were beaten by Thai people who waded into the fight to try to help Arnon.
A source who asked not to be named said that more than 100 Cambodians live in the Patong area. Most of them had crossed into Thailand illegally and had neither visas nor work permits.
One of the Cambodians admitted to The Phuket News that five of the seven Cambodians involved in the brawl did not have work permits.