Guards at the XS A-Go-Go bar on Pattaya Walking Street denied that they had hit a South African tourist in the head during an argument relating to unpaid bar bills.
On the night of May 11 at 1.30 a.m. an argument broke out between John Paul Viljoen, 42, a South African tourist and security guards at the XS Go-Go bar on the strip. The guards claimed that Viljoen refused to pay his 9,740 bar bill and was acting in an aggressive manner. They said he not only threw insults, but also his bar bills at them. When the guards tried to restrain the burly-bearded South African, he charged at them as if in a rugby game. The guards tried to hold him back, but as the large built man was drunk and in a rage, they could not hold him.
Viljoen fell to the ground hitting his head on the edge of the concrete stairs cutting his forehead causing him to bleed profusely. Paramedics arrived at the scene and patched up Viljoen’s forehead and bandaged it.
Police took Viljoen to the police station to try to calm the situation and work things out, but the South African resisted and tried to rip the bandages off his head. Finally after realising the consequence of not paying his bar bill, he relented, accepted that he did owe the bar for all the drinks and paid up.
Police were still skeptical about the events leading up to the melee saying they will look at the CCTV footage carefully to determine what or who caused the fracas.
