Four men sought for vicious Phuket attack on Chinese tourist

PHUKET: Police are searching for four men caught on camera assaulting a Chinese tourist last night (September 25) at Baan Baipor Apartment in Talad Neua.



By Darawan Naknakhon

Friday 26 September 2014, 11:20AM

Guo Xing after the attack, in a photo taken by one of the witnesses.

Police were called to the OrBorJor Hospital where the victim was being treated at the ER. Guo Xing, 26, was brought into the hospital by witnesses to the attack. He was covered in blood and the witnesses said he had been attacked by four men using iron bars.

A doctor told police that Mr Guo had swelling of the brain, and X-rays were to be taken to assess the damage to his head.

The witnesses also told police that Mr Guo had just arrived from China to visit his brother, who lives in Phuket.

“Four men arrived on three motorcycles and ganged up on Mr Guo while he was sitting in the front yard.

“Many people who were exercising in the yard saw the attack and yelled at them to stop but they continued to hit Mr Guo until he was covered in blood.

“Then they left and we rush to help him and called police” one witness told police.

The whole incident was caught on camera by a witness and police have been able to identify them as a group of Phuket tour guides who have previously attacked Chinese nationals; they are apparently well known in Chinese tourism industry circles.

Police believe the four mistook their victim for an illegal tour guide and attacked him because of frustration at the illegal competition for work.

Police said that after watching security camera footage and examining two photos taken by one of the witnesses they will track down and arrest the four “in the hope of restoring the [island’s] tourism image. They declined to release the images or footage at this point.

Legal Chinese-speaking tour guides have protested angrily on a number of occasions about mainland Chinese working illegally as tour guides – only Thai nationals may be tour guides.

However, the quality of Phuket’s Chinese-speaking guides was called into question in May last year by the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, Guan Mu, their Chinese language skills are not good enough to explain culture and history in depth and in a respectful way, so that tourists can appreciate Thai culture and will want to return.