PATTAYA: Two men have been arrested on a charge of assaulting a Kuwaiti tourist on Pattaya beach while drunk, but the victim's friend was found with a small amount of crystal meth in a hotel room, police said.
Tourist police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Chettha Komolwattana said on Wednesday that Pongsak Krasip, 33, and Tom Inplueay, 39, were arrested for the assault.
The commissioner said the suspects said they were drunk and had argued with Fahad Alyaqoub, 33, who was walking on the beach with a Kuwaiti friend near Soi Pattaya 7 about 3am on Tuesday.
Mr Alyaqoub's friend had run away. The two suspects denied robbing the tourist, saying they fled down the beach after punching and kicking Mr Alyaqoub and knocking him down.
The two men were charged with losing control under the influence of alcohol in a public place and seriously injuring another person.
Police visited the victim's room at Bird Inn and met the Kuwaiti friend, Faisal Alghannam, 42, who was in company with a Thai woman named Patanant Noinang, 29. In the room, police found one gramme of crystal methamphetamine, four methamphetamine pills and two ecstasy pills.
The Kuwaiti and the Thai woman were charged with possession of illegal drugs.