A British tourist has been arrested over an alleged fight with tuk tuk drivers in Thailand, with footage showing him punching a man during an argument.
A man from Manchester was riding his rented scooter with friends when one of them allegedly crashed into a tuk tuk on the island of Phuket on Tuesday evening.
The tuk tuk taxi driver, Armin Longklang, demanded compensation for the damage caused to his vehicle, prompting the foreigners to debate the incident and the cost of the damage.
Suddenly, the Brit allegedly lept off his motorbike and punched the taxi driver in the head several times. He and his friends then reportedly fled the scene.
An investigating officer said: "We tracked down the tourist and identified him. We went to his hotel address and took him into custody.
Tuk tuk driver Armin complained to the police about the alleged attack and was joined by another local taxi driver Khun Adisak, who also filed a complaint and said that the British rider harassed them during a road rage incident on the same night.
Speaking with police, he said: "I was waiting for a passenger outside a nightclub. He parked his motorcycle right in front of my taxi so I honked in response.
"But he was enraged and gestured with the middle finger on me."
The taxi driver allegedly answered the British man with the middle finger before the furious foreigner banged on his door and fled.
After reviewing footage and CCTV around the area, the Briton was later identified and caught by police in front of a hotel on Wednesday, where he allegedly attempted to escape but to no avail.
Officers asked to check his passport but he tried to walk away. The police followed and arrested him.
The British tourist was taken to Patong Police Station where the drivers positively identified him and held him in custody while investigations on the incident are ongoing.
