The British tourist who was killed with a single karate chop to the neck in a moped road rage row in Thailand was 57-year-old Alan Roger Jolliffe.
The Liverpool football fan had been riding the rented scooter along Prachanukhro Road in Phuket on Wednesday evening when he clashed with a Swedish tourist.
Allegedly, one of the men abruptly cut in front of the other, leading to the fatal confrontation in an alleyway.
Shocking CCTV footage shows Jolliffe backing away as a man strikes him to the ground at around 5pm, delivering a deadly martial arts style chop.
The assailant was identified as 29-year-old Pektas Tuguy Tayyar, who was arrested and charged by police on Thursday.
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 Jolliffe’s head.
The holidaymaker, who also had Australian citizenship, 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 seemed to have fled before an ambulance arrived at the scene and medics administered first aid to the Jolliffe, who later died due to his injures.
The British tourist who was killed with a single karate chop to the neck in a moped road rage row in Thailand was 57-year-old Alan Roger Jolliffe
The spot in fornt of the white and green apartment block where Alan Roger Jolliffe was killed in a violent attack
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 Jolliffe 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 on Wednesday.
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 on Thursday.
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.’
The attacker was pictured in front of six cops after he allegedly confessed to the crime and was charged with ‘assault resulting in death’
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 Thursday 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.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ‘is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Thailand,’ a spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
‘We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. They have requested privacy at this time.
‘Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.’
