PATTAYA, Thailand – Tourists were left startled late Sunday night after more than 20 foreign workers reportedly gathered with weapons and prepared to fight along the busy nightlife strip of Walking Street Pattaya.
At around 11:46 PM on March 15, officers from Pattaya City Police Station, together with tourist police and municipal enforcement officers, rushed to the scene following reports that a group of migrant workers had assembled for a confrontation near a hotel along the famous entertainment street in South Pattaya.
Police, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaowalit Suwanmanee, quickly moved in to contain the situation after spotting a large group preparing for a clash with a rival group.
Authorities managed to detain nine suspects at the scene, including two Myanmar nationals and three individuals identifying as Karen ethnic workers, while the nationality of several others remains under verification.
Officers also seized two knives, including a pointed blade and a short folding knife believed to have been carried as weapons.
During the chaos, several other participants reportedly fled the area, taking advantage of the large crowds of tourists in the district. Witnesses said some suspects escaped by jumping onto waiting motorcycles and speeding away.
Preliminary questioning of one detained Myanmar national revealed that more than 20 workers had arranged to meet to resolve an ongoing dispute with a rival group. The meeting was reportedly scheduled to take place at Blue Square near Bali Hai Pier before tensions escalated.
However, when city officials arrived to investigate the gathering, the groups reportedly panicked, believing they were about to be arrested. Both sides then scattered, fleeing the scene in different directions.
Police have transferred the detained suspects to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station for legal proceedings and are continuing efforts to track down those who managed to escape.
Authorities say further charges may follow as the investigation continues into the attempted violent confrontation in one of Pattaya’s busiest tourist areas.
