PATTAYA — A 25-year-old Japanese tourist was seriously injured after being chased and assaulted by a group of motorcyclists believed to be app-based riders in the early hours of Saturday, March 21, in an attack that has raised concerns about tourist safety in the popular resort city.

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Patrol officers from Pattaya City Police Station were alerted to the assault at approximately 4:39am, receiving reports that a foreign tourist had been injured inside a hotel on Pattaya Sai 2 Road. Police rushed to the scene and coordinated with the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Centre in Pattaya City.

Upon arrival, officers found the injured man, identified as Kanasashi, a 25-year-old Japanese national. He had sustained a head wound, facial swelling and bruising across his body. Rescue workers provided first aid before urgently transferring him to Pattaya City Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition.

Witness Accounts

A hotel security guard told investigators that while patrolling the area, he saw the injured man run into the hotel seeking help. As the man was not a hotel guest, the guard quickly alerted police and allowed him to wait safely inside the hotel for patrol officers to arrive.

A Thai woman who witnessed the incident provided a more detailed account of the attack. She said she saw a group of approximately five to six motorcycles, believed to be app-based riders, chasing the victim from the area in front of Siam Bayshore Hotel. The victim then fell to the ground and was set upon by the group, who allegedly taunted him, saying: “Do you think you are tough?”

A security guard at Siam Bayshore Hotel gave a matching account, stating that the attackers had rammed the victim with their motorcycles before gang-assaulting him outside the hotel. The victim then managed to get up and run for help to another hotel approximately 500 metres away.

🥊 パタヤで日本人観光客が集団暴行で重傷も被害日本人は病院から姿を消す。

🎦動画あり
📌 2026年3月21日未明、パタヤ南部のホテル付近で25歳の日本人男性のKosei Kanazashiさん(25)がバイクでの体当たり後に集団暴行を受ける事件が発生しました。… pic.twitter.com/HOzUY0tJoo

— タイムラインバンコク (@thaimlinebkk2) March 22, 2026

Investigation Underway

CCTV footage from the area has confirmed that several motorcycles did indeed chase the victim prior to the assault. Investigators are waiting to question the injured man further once his condition stabilises, while police are urgently reviewing additional surveillance footage in the area to track down the suspects.

Authorities have not yet determined what prompted the attack or whether there was any prior altercation between the victim and the alleged assailants. Police are working to identify the motorcycles involved and the riders responsible for the assault, with legal action to follow once suspects are identified.

Tourism Safety Concerns

The incident has raised renewed concerns about tourist safety in Pattaya, where the large number of app-based motorcycle riders has become a ubiquitous presence on the city’s streets. While the vast majority of riders operate lawfully, isolated incidents involving aggressive behaviour have occasionally led to confrontations with tourists.

Local officials have urged visitors to exercise caution during late-night hours and to seek assistance from police or hotel security if they feel threatened. Police have indicated they will increase patrols in areas where such incidents have occurred as part of broader efforts to maintain public safety.

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For the Japanese tourist, now recovering in hospital, what began as a night out in Pattaya turned into a violent encounter that has left him with serious injuries and authorities searching for answers. The investigation remains ongoing.

-Thailand News (TN)