See video here (graphic, viewer discretion advised)
Four Thai men have been arrested and charged with the brutal assault of an elderly British couple and their middle-aged son who were punched and kicked unconscious
The footage, which makes for disturbing viewing, shows that the altercation began when the younger Briton apparently brushed shoulders with a Thai carrying a bottle.
There was a melee in the street and protracted pushing and shoving, with hands raised, before the Britons were knocked to the ground by a series of punches, including one straight to the face of the elderly woman.
They were then kicked as they lie motionless on the busy street while onlookers stood back and watched the assault.
Three Thai men were arrested two days after the attack and a fourth was detained on Thursday. They are expected to make an initial court appearance in coming days, but their victims will not need to be present as they have already given statements to investigators.
"The accused men say they are sorry and that they wouldn't have done this if they weren't drunk," .
A witness, who gave his account on the Hua Hin Forum internet site and called himself “Usual suspect”, said that he was walking down the same alley with his wife when he witnessed the brutal assault.
“Small groups were scattered at various places, all with the intention of attacking tourists. “The girls in the bar I was in all night waved goodbye to to elderly customers and their son. My wife and I followed only seconds after them.
“Within 20/30 metres of leaving the bar, the Thais were punching the 65-year-old old lady in the face!! The elderly gentleman was down on the floor, & their son was beaten very badly!!!”
“At this point I caught up to the scene and pushed one of the youths away from the woman. I got severely punched and kicked for my troubles, but felt the need to protect this frail lady.”
Writing in the aftermath of the attack, he continued: “Not one person (other than myself) came to aid these old folk, & they ended up laid in the road bleeding.
Hua Hin has a reputation as a family resort town, popular with middle-class Thais and tourists, and far removed from the “party town” excesses of holiday destinations such as Pattaya.
But there have been an increasing number of unprovoked street attacks on foreign tourists by locals in bar areas in resorts across the country.
There have also been a series of high profile murders and mystery deaths of Britons and other Western tourists in the country in recent years, raising concerns about Thailand’s safety as a tourist destination.
After the Hua Hin attack, a spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "Our staff have been in contact with the family to offer assistance and will remain in contact with the local authorities."
The Foreign Office travel advice makes no reference to the Prachuap Khiri Khan province where the incident occurred. “British nationals make nearly one million visits to Thailand every year,” it states.
“Most visits are trouble-free, but there have been attacks (sometimes violent), particularly on the islands of Samui archipelago. Two British nationals were killed on 15 September 2014 on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.”
Culled from Telegraph UK
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