Pattaya hotel worker confronts a foreign couple having candlelit sex beside a shrine and is assaulted. Eartlier, two French tourists were deported in Phuket while a Russian was arrested in September 2025 over open-air pickup truck sex antics with a Thai woman.
An older Cambodian groundsman at a Pattaya hotel was attacked on Monday night after confronting two randy foreign tourists having sex by candlelight beneath the hotel’s spirit house. The brazen incident drew Thai television crews and other media to the scene on Thursday. The hotel has since installed new lighting to prevent a repeat. However, the case, alongside recent incidents in Phuket, brings home a growing pattern of unruly behaviour by European and Eastern European tourists, with explicit public displays now surfacing in both Pattaya and Phuket.
A Cambodian hotel employee in Pattaya says he has repeatedly confronted young foreign visitors engaging in public sex beside a shrine on hotel grounds.
The employee, 41-year-old Mr Phiatra, works at a hotel on Pattaya Second Road in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. According to him, the incidents have occurred in a darkened area near a spirit shrine and an ancestral shrine at the front of the property. Previously, the space lacked sufficient lighting. As a result, it became a repeated problem spot.
Most recently, the confrontation occurred on the night of February 9. At the time, Mr Phiatra was watering plants near the hotel entrance. However, as he approached the shrine area, he saw a foreign man and woman behind a bush.
Hotel worker confronts foreign couple after candlelit sex beside shrine on Pattaya hotel grounds
They were openly engaging in sexual intercourse. Moreover, he said they appeared unconcerned about passersby. The couple had prepared the area in advance. Specifically, they spread a mat on the ground and lit candles. In doing so, they created what he described as a romantic setting in the dark.
At that point, he intervened directly. He used a garden hose to spray water at the pair. He then ordered them to stop and leave the premises immediately. Furthermore, he confirmed they were not registered guests at the hotel.
However, the man reacted angrily. He quickly dressed and rushed toward Mr Phiatra. According to the employee, the man physically assaulted him before fleeing. Shortly afterwards, the couple left the scene.
Subsequently, Mr Phiatra sought help from other hotel staff. He asked colleagues to contact the police. He then returned to the shrine area and recorded video footage. According to him, the recording documented the conduct and the location.
He stated it was not intended to shame those involved. Instead, he said it highlighted the inappropriate use of the shrine grounds. He added that online dissemination of such footage could damage the country’s image.
Shrine area previously unlit, as condoms and misconduct were reported near hotel entrance site
Reporters visited the shrine on February 12, 2026. The shrine stands near the hotel entrance and close to Pattaya Second Road. Previously, the area was poorly lit at night. In addition, Mr Phiatra said condoms had been found discarded near the shrine days earlier.
He also reported frequent urination and other misconduct in the same area. Therefore, he described the February 9 incident as part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated act.
Following the confrontation, the hotel installed additional lighting around both the spirit shrine and ancestral shrine. As a result, the previously dark corners are now illuminated. The measure was introduced to deter further incidents. Meanwhile, staff continue to monitor the grounds routinely during evening hours.
Mr Phiatra stated that those involved in such cases are often young foreign adults. In particular, he cited visitors from Europe, including Eastern Europe and Russia. However, he did not provide statistical data. Nevertheless, he linked the Pattaya incident to similar enforcement actions elsewhere in Thailand.
Phuket raid and airport arrest highlight similar cases involving foreign tourists
On February 2, Immigration Bureau officers conducted a raid in Phuket. There, two French tourists were arrested for a second time. They were subsequently ordered deported from Thailand. The action followed the circulation of an online video.
The clip showed the pair inside a red tuk-tuk on January 30. Authorities confirmed the repeat arrest before issuing deportation orders.
In another case, a 23-year-old Russian man identified as Mr Georgei was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport at the end of September.
He was attempting to leave Thailand at the time. Authorities alleged that on September 24, he engaged in open-air sex on the back of a black pickup truck with a Thai woman. Consequently, both individuals were charged in connection with the incident. Details of the charges were not disclosed in the supplied material.
As of February 12, no arrests were reported in connection with the February 9 Pattaya confrontation. It was not stated whether police had identified the couple involved.
Pattaya and Phuket nightlife face scrutiny amid a rise in public sexual misconduct cases
Nevertheless, the shrine area remains brightly lit each night. Hotel staff continue patrols of the premises. According to Mr Phiatra, he will intervene again if similar incidents occur.
Both Pattaya and Phuket have long been known as sex tourism destinations. A vibrant and impressive nightlife scene has been built around it.
Sting in tail for randy French duo arrested on Monday by Immigration Bureau officers. Ordered deported
Russian arrested at airport for late night sex antics on a black pickup driving at speed through Phuket
At the same time, it has for decades attracted regular visitors who not only enjoy the nightlife but also the daytime charms of the kingdom and resort. However, the market is changing with younger visitors.
The trend being seen in both Phuket and Pattaya shows that younger foreign tourists, particularly from Europe, are engaging in high jinks and outrageous behaviour. Of course, many fail to understand that Thailand, despite its sex industry, is in essence a very conservative society with distinctly conservative mores.
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Further reading:
Tributes pour in for British expat who died in a horrific bike accident on Thursday in Chiang Mai
Thai speaking foreigner attacks PTT service station attendants in Udon Thani in the early hours
Phuket police promise to charge a foreign man for cutting a chain put on his illegally parked bike
