Australian man allegedly flees Phuket scene after assaulting foreign motorcyclist

An Australian man allegedly assaulted another foreign motorcyclist after a collision and compensation dispute in Rawai, Phuket, on July 14, according to a report by the Phuket Times Facebook page. The exact time of the incident was not disclosed.

The two riders reportedly collided before stopping to discuss responsibility for the crash. When they could not resolve the dispute at the roadside, they travelled to a motorcycle rental shop, where one of them rented a vehicle in an attempt to settle the matter.

According to Phuket Times, negotiations broke down after the Australian allegedly refused to compensate the other rider. The dispute escalated when he allegedly punched the man several times after the man had turned away.

The suspect reportedly fled the shop on his motorcycle. Employees attempted to chase him but were unable to catch him. Photographs published by the Facebook page showed the injured foreign man with bloodied facial injuries.

It was not immediately clear whether the injured man had filed a complaint with police, and authorities had not released an official statement. In separate Phuket cases, a Swedish man was reported to have assaulted an Australian man after a road dispute in February, while a Thai motorcyclist alleged in December last year that he was repeatedly punched by a foreign rider after a collision. No further updates on the latter investigation had been announced.