British man killed by karaoke bar bouncers in Thailand

Telegraph

25-03-2025

A British man has died in Bangkok following an altercation with two bouncers from a karaoke bar.
Nick Weir, 28, was turned away from 91karaoke in the early hours of Sunday morning after allegedly acting erratically.
After a brief scuffle at the door, Mr Weir, from Wiltshire, sprinted away.
But CCTV footage shows two bouncers from the bar following the Leeds University graduate on a motorcycle down a quiet side street in the Thai capital.
The situation soon descends into a fist fight and Mr Weir, wearing a yellow polo shirt and shorts, is thrown to the ground in what may have been the fatal blow.
Lieutenant Colonel Apichai Hwanjit, deputy superintendent of the Bang Pho police station in eastern Bangkok, said authorities were still investigating the Briton's final moments.
He said: '[Mr Weir] ran away and the two employees from the bar followed him on a motorcycle to a nearby quiet side street.
According to the CCTV footage, the two of them together restrained the foreigner and they had a physical confrontation.
'During the scuffle, they pushed and wrestled, causing the foreigner to fall. We are unsure if there was any pressure applied during the fall that caused the death, so we are waiting for the forensic results.
Lt Col Apichai added: 'After he fell, the security guard nearby called the police. At the scene, the two individuals who fought with the foreigner remained there and did not flee.'
'Crucial to ensure clarity'
According to local media, the bar workers say they had attempted to help Mr Weir, asking him to use a translation app on their mobile phone in an effort to communicate. Instead, they claim Mr Weir grabbed the phone and ran away, triggering the motorbike chase and the altercation.
Lt Col Apichai said police were waiting on forensic reports to determine whether the victim was intoxicated or high, or whether the final fall alone caused his tragic death.
'It is crucial for the case to ensure clarity. We are waiting for the blood test results to check for drugs or alcohol,' he said.
'From the CCTV footage, he did not appear to be in a typical state of drunkenness. [Mr Weir] was running, shouting and causing a commotion, but he wasn't completely out of control. He ran in a straight line, not stumbling like someone who is drunk.
'He ran a long distance, nearly a kilometre, starting from the area near the Makro shop, crossing the Phibunsongkhram overpass, and reaching the karaoke bar.'
Although Thailand is largely a safe place to travel, it has a dark underbelly – as alluded to in the hit television series White Lotus as well as Hollywood blockbusters like The Beach – and sex work is common.
But the murder rate has fallen since the millennium. According to the World Health Organization, homicides dropped from 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2000, to eight in 2010 and just 4.3 in 2019.
According to the Thai government, most tourists deaths in the country are related to traffic injuries – often backpackers hiring motorbikes or mopeds. In 2022 alone, the government reported that 536 foreigners died on the nation's roads.
Data from 2023 shows that the UK government assisted in 430 cases of British nationals dying in Thailand between January and October that year – with fewer than five listed as murder or manslaughter.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told the Telegraph: 'We are providing support to the family of a British man who died in Bangkok and are in contact with the local authorities.'