Five Chinese men and two Thai restroom attendants were detained after a dispute over a 150-baht (around S$6) cleaning fee escalated into a fight at a street food market in Pattaya.
Two of the Chinese men suffered head injuries after one of the Thai attendants allegedly struck them with the handle of a modified BB gun.
The incident happened at around 11.15pm on Friday (30 Oct) at a market along Pattaya Second Road in Na Kluea.
Nattakan Boonprasom (name transliterated from Thai), 30, said he and fellow attendant Kritsadawut Saisaeng (name transliterated from Thai), also 30, were working when a group of around five Chinese men came to use the toilets.
Source: Siamrath
Nattakan described the men as heavily intoxicated.
After they left, he said he found urine on the floor, toilets that had not been flushed, and footprints on toilet seats.
The facility imposes a 150-baht (around S$6) cleaning fee on customers who leave the toilets dirty.
Nattakan said he called the group back to show them the state of the toilets and explained the cleaning fee.
However, he alleged that one of the men became angry and shoved him in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards into a wall.
Source: Pattaya News
A fight subsequently broke out and spilt into the area outside the toilets.
Nattakan claimed the Chinese group eventually grew to around seven or eight people who attacked him and Kritsadawut.
During the confrontation, Kritsadawut allegedly retrieved an unloaded BB gun and used its handle to strike members of the other group on the head.
Two Chinese men reportedly sustained head wounds as a result.
Source: Siamrath
Security guards and members of the public eventually intervened before Pattaya City Police arrived and brought the situation under control.
Police took five Chinese men and both Thai attendants back to the station for questioning.
Police have charged all seven people in connection with the fight.
The five Chinese men were charged with jointly participating in a brawl, and were fined during the police investigation.
Kritsadawut also faced an additional firearms offence.
Source: Siamrath
Reports indicated that the BB gun had allegedly been modified to fire live ammunition, leading authorities to classify it as a homemade firearm under Thai firearms law.
He was later released on bail and was reportedly recovering at home from injuries sustained during the fight.
Police also seized the weapon, which contained no ammunition at the time of the incident.
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Featured image adapted from Siamrath and Pattaya News.