A foreign man, believed to be a British national, suffered a sword attack and returned to his home country after a road altercation with a Phuket boxing trainer.
The viral footage showed a shirtless foreign man holding an iron bar, while a Thai man is seen carrying a sword. The video captured a confrontation between the pair before a physical clash occurs. The foreign man sustained an injury to his arm and was later seen walking away.
The Thai man was later identified as 50 year old Waikoon, a boxing coach and instructor of the traditional martial art krabi-krabong, who is known to students as Teacher Oh.
Speaking to Channel 8, Waikoon said the incident began while he was riding his motorcycle along Soi Ta Iad in Chalong subdistrict, Phuket. He claimed he encountered two foreign motorcyclists travelling slowly while riding side by side and talking to each other.
According to Waikoon, the foreign riders were blocking traffic lanes, prompting him to warn them about road safety. He said an argument followed before he left the scene and returned home.
Waikoon told the media he believed the dispute had ended. However, he alleged that one of the foreigners later arrived at his residence carrying an iron bar.
The trainer said he was concerned for the safety of his family and attempted to move the confrontation away from his home. The subsequent events were captured in the viral video.
Waikoon said he later reported the incident to police and was prepared to face legal proceedings relating to the injury sustained by the foreign man. He added that no complaint had been filed against him at the time of the interview.
The trainer told the media that he regretted the incident resulting in injury, but maintained that he had acted in response to the situation he was facing. He emphasised that his actions reflected the words of the Thai national anthem, which state that “Thais love peace, but are never cowards in war”.
Channel 8 later reported that a friend of the injured foreigner said the man had returned to his home country for medical treatment. According to the friend, treatment costs in Thailand were high and included more than 13,000 baht for wound care.
The friend also told the media that legal action would be taken against the Thai trainer, stating that the trainer’s actions went beyond self-defence. He said the case would be reported to the British Embassy and that further updates would be provided as the matter progresses.
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