A British man was killed with a single karate chop to the neck after a moped road rage row with a Swedish tourist in Thailand.
The 57-year-old had been riding the rented scooter along Prachanukhro Road in Phuket, when he clashed with the Swede on Wednesday evening.
Allegedly, one of the men abruptly cut in front of the other, leading to the fatal confrontation in an alleyway.
Shocking CCTV footage shows the victim backing away as a man strikes him to the ground at around 5pm, delivering a deadly martial arts style chop.
The assailant has been identified as 29-year-old Pektas Tuguy Tayyar, who was arrested and charged by police.
The video shows a woman – apparently the attacker’s girlfriend – attempt to intervene to stop the fight, but the man seemed to ignore her protests as he delivered a powerful blow using the underside of his hand to the British man’s head.
The holidaymaker, who also had Australian nationality, was instantly knocked out by the brutal strike, his head whipping to the side and his sunglasses flying as he collapsed unconscious on the street.
The attacker and his girlfriend seem to have fled before an ambulance arrived at the scene and medics administered first aid to the victim.
Shocking CCTV footage shows the victim backing away as a man strikes him to the ground at around 5pm, delivering a deadly martial arts style chop
The 57-year-old, from Liverpool, had been riding the rented scooter along Prachanukhro Road in Phuket, when he clashed with the Swede on Wednesday evening
The attacker was pictured in front of six cops after he allegedly confessed to the crime and was charged with ‘assault resulting in death’
The incident took place around five minutes from Bangla Road, the main party strip on the island, popular with Brits and Aussies.
The assault left the football fan with severe head injuries, and he was rushed to Patong Hospital in critical condition, with pictures showing he had purple bruises on his chest, shoulders and face.
He was due to be transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment, but died later the same evening.
Police were notified of his death at around 11pm.
He had a distinctive LFC badge tattoo with the phrase ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on his right shoulder.
Authorities at the Patong district police station launched a manhunt and reviewed CCTV footage, before arresting Pektas at the Utopia hotel in the Kathu District today.
He was pictured in front of six cops after he allegedly confessed to the attack and was charged with ‘assault resulting in death’.
Police Colonel Korakrit Khankruea, superintendent of Patong district station, said: ‘At around 5pm, a witness reported that a foreign man had been assaulted at Malin Plaza market.
‘He was struck once, causing his head to hit the ground, before an ambulance took him to the hospital.
‘At around 11pm, Patong Hospital informed police that the man had died. Injuries were found on his head, likely caused by the heavy impact as he hit the ground.
‘Investigators examined the scene, reviewed security camera footage and questioned witnesses. They identified the suspect as a foreign man riding a black Honda X-ADV 750 motorcycle.
‘The incident occurred when both men were riding motorcycles and honked their horns at each other.
‘The suspect became angry, dismounted and argued before hitting the victim once in the face with the bottom of his hand.’
He said officers had inspected the scene and coordinated with the Australian embassy to inform the victim’s family.
Police arrested Pektas at the hotel at around 4am today and charged him with assault causing death.
‘The suspect admitted to hitting the victim. He was taken to court for detention in the morning and bail was denied,’ Khankruea said.
‘The case file has been compiled and forwarded to the inquiry officer for further legal proceedings.’
Phuket has become one of Asia’s most popular destinations, with an estimated 14 million visitors in 2025 – almost half of the total number visiting the country.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said the top five markets were Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom and Australia.
However, locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of ‘low-quality’ visitors.
There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.
Phuket officials said they are implementing tighter immigration controls and screening processes amid a wave of drug-related crimes and illegal activities on the island.
The Australian Embassy in Thailand and the UK Foreign Office were contacted for comment.
