Naked Australian tourist rampage in Phuket draws police response

An Australian man believed to be visiting Thailand was filmed naked and yelling at pedestrians along a busy Patong Street in Phuket on Monday, prompting a rapid police response.

Video shows the man approaching other tourists and motorists while naked, pointing in their faces and swearing at them. Witnesses described him as uncooperative as he moved along the road, and several accounts said he attempted to steal a police officer's motorbike while the officer tried to restrain him.

Four officers were deployed to arrest the man, and at one point the suspect attacked an officer. Bystanders attempted to calm him, but he continued down the street. A Thai motorist told officers that the man had approached him in his car, and another bystander emphasized that the naked man was physically aggressive toward the police.

The man, believed to be Australian, was eventually arrested and taken to hospital for treatment. Local media reported that no fines were issued in connection with the incident. Patong Beach, a popular tourist hub on Phuket, has drawn ongoing attention from both visitors and residents amid debates over crowd sizes and tourism quality.

Some online commenters blamed the visa-free entry policy for attracting a broader mix of visitors, arguing it has lowered overall standards. One post suggested that visitors from various countries arrived with minimal spending, while others warned that Phuket’s appeal could suffer if the trend continued. The Daily Mail noted that it had contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment, and that no official statement had been issued at the time of those reports.