A 28-year-old British tourist has drowned after jumping into the sea in the Thai beach town of Pattaya whilst fleeing a gang that was chasing him and two friends, local media reported on Monday. The body of Patrick Molloy, from Cambridge, was recovered by a fisherman who said the man had been clutching the rope of an inflatable raft several metres from shore but had seemingly lost his grip and drowned.

Molloy and Britons James Wilks, 29, and Jerry Robson, 30, had rushed into the water on Sunday morning after being chased out of a nightclub and through a beachside restaurant by five to six Thai men, some of whom had sticks and knives, witnesses told police.

Wilks and Robson had swum in different directions from Molloy and were rescued separately in Pattaya Bay. Wills managed to swim to a yacht 500m from shore, while Robson was found by a search and rescue team in the water some 300m from shore, according to the Bangkok Post. According to comments on the local English-language website PattayaOne, seemingly made by friends of the deceased, Molloy was unable to swim.

It is believed Molloy was on holiday in Thailand after having been released from an 18-week prison sentence for assault. Neither local police nor the British embassy were able to comment on the particulars of his case.

A spokesman for the British embassy in Bangkok said: "We are aware of the death of a British national on the second of December in Pattaya, Thailand. We are providing consular assistance to the family."

Police were collecting statements from Wills and Robson and are still looking for the Thai gang.

Pattaya, located just 100 miles (160km) south-east of Bangkok, is famous for its beaches and nightlife but has earned itself a reputation as a sleazy destination rife with bars, tourist scams, brothels and drugs. Police have long promised to clean up the city and close in on criminals on the run – many of whom are said to hide out with ease in and around Pattaya.