A village celebration in Chiang Mai, Thailand, took a shocking turn after a local subdistrict headman allegedly staged a fight for two drunk men to settle their conflict.
Meanwhile, other local officials stood by and watched.
The incident happened on Sunday (19 Oct) at Phra Chao Leum Temple in Nong Tong subdistrict, during a Kathin festival — a Buddhist merit-making event.
According to Thai news outlet Thairath, the men started arguing during a concert before storming the stage and disrupting a traditional dance.
Instead of breaking up the fight, the village headman reportedly instructed his officers to bring the pair down from the stage and to let them fight one-on-one.
Source: MGR Online
He was even heard announcing the start of the brawl through a microphone.
Meanwhile, officials formed a circle to “ensure fair play” and prevent the use of weapons.
Source: MGR Online
As the men fought, the headman allegedly told the sound crew to play upbeat music to “boost the mood”.
In the viral clip, the man in a green shirt — who has been identified as an individual in his 30s named Bank — can be seen overpowering his 48-year-old opponent in a black vest.
Source: MGR Online
The fight only ended when the older man collapsed, and the officials stopped the younger man from striking him.
“Did you both have enough? If you want to continue the fight, I’ll play another song,” the headman said through the microphone.
Spectators expressed disbelief that government officials allowed the scene to unfold instead of stopping it.
Relatives of the 48-year-old man condemned the authorities for encouraging the violence instead of enforcing the law.
Many netizens criticised the headman’s actions as “barbaric” and “unbecoming of an official”.
Source: MGR Online
Residents have reportedly filed a formal complaint urging district authorities to investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against those involved.
According to Chiang Mai News, the headman explained that officials overseeing the event had tried to stop the two men when they first started fighting.
After they refused to listen, he assessed the situation and realised that the matter might spiral out of control.
According to the headman, he allowed the men to fight under supervision to reduce the likelihood of paying any fines and damages to the event organisers.
Hence, he staged the fight to end the conflict right there.
Later, both men also came forward to admit fault, apologise to the headman, the organisers, and the public for causing disgrace.
They added that they had resolved their differences and admitted to being drunk.
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Featured image adapted from MGR Online.