A former Thai Muay Thai athlete has come under intense public scrutiny after a video surfaced of him slapping a Cambodian worker in Thailand. The incident occurred shortly after deadly border clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces, which left at least several Thai nationals dead and heightened tensions along the shared frontier.
Video: Former Muay Thai Fighter Condemned for Assaulting Cambodian Man During Rising Tensions
On July 24, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed that 12 citizens, including a 15-year-old boy and a Thai soldier, were killed during a series of attacks believed to be deliberately aimed at civilian and medical locations in Surin and Sisaket provinces. The strikes, allegedly carried out by the Cambodian military, targeted a hospital and nearby residential areas, resulting in widespread condemnation from the Thai public and government authorities.
Army officials accused the Cambodian forces of intentionally harming civilians rather than engaging with military personnel. The events quickly triggered a wave of anger, with many Thai citizens questioning the humanity of those responsible and expressing sorrow for the victims.
Against this backdrop of grief and anger, some voices on social media began calling for retaliation against Cambodian nationals living in Thailand. Calls ranged from appeals for police action against undocumented workers to more extreme suggestions targeting innocent Cambodians.
Amid this heated climate, attention turned to a Thai ex-fighter whose identity has not yet been publicly disclosed. The former athlete posted a video on social media showing his confrontation with three Cambodian workers at a local fresh market. The footage depicts the ex-boxer urging one worker to speak out against the violence perpetrated by Cambodian troops; the man agreed without hesitation.
However, when another worker failed to deliver a verbal condemnation, instead merely smiling at the camera, the former Muay Thai fighter slapped him across the face. The athlete warned on camera, “To those Cambodian soldiers who attack innocent Thai people, you might not get in trouble, but your fellow countrymen will.”
The video quickly gained traction online, fueling a strong backlash from Thai people who criticized the former athlete’s actions. Many argued that such behavior only served to fan the flames of xenophobia and undermine community safety. Commentators stressed that individual acts of violence and intimidation should not replace legal or diplomatic resolution, warning that retaliatory attacks within Thailand could endanger Thai nationals living and working in Cambodia.
While some Thai people sympathized with the anger felt by victims’ families, the prevailing sentiment was one of condemnation toward vigilantism. Observers expressed concern that further such incidents could prompt a dangerous cycle of reprisal, both within Thailand and across the border.
