This is the shocking moment a Russian mistress allegedly stabbed her lover's wife in Thailand.

Iuliia Bernikova, 32, was said to have attacked her former friend Natalia Spiridonova, 49, over an alleged love rivalry while she was eating at a market in Pattaya just after midnight on November 6.

CCTV footage shows Iuliia walking up to Natalia and her friends, with the latter standing up to confront her. Natalia appeared to grab Iuliia's hair but was then stabbed in the arm with a knife that the mistress pulled out from her shorts. Onlookers pried the pair apart, allowing the suspect to flee the scene.

Police Captain Sanan Khotanon of the Pattaya City Police Station said the attack was reported at 12:36 am. They arrived and found the floor and stone benches of the outdoor dining area spattered with Natalia's blood. A 12-inch bloody knife was recovered from the scene.

Natalia was rushed to the Jomtien Hospital for deep stab wounds to her left arm and torso.

Authorities went to Iuliia's lodging nearby to arrest her but she did not return to her room. She later turned herself in later that afternoon.

During interrogation, she allegedly claimed that she started an affair with Natalia's husband in February. She claimed to have ended the secret relationship when Natalia found out, adding that it caused an irreparable rift in their friendship.

She said: 'She never forgave me. Every time we meet, she likes to pick a fight and hit me. I have been enduring it for almost a year.

'Most recently, last night, I went to the market and saw her and her husband sitting there. I went to greet them, but she tried to hurt me and grabbed my hair. In anger, I walked away. After 10 minutes, I tried to return to clear up the problem, but she attacked me first. In anger and drunkenness, I used a knife to stab her.'

The suspect did not clarify why she was carrying a knife.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Thananon Athipansee, Deputy Chief of Investigation of the Pattaya City Police Station, said the attack happened because of jealousy.

He said: 'Ms. Iulia Bernikova was sent to the investigation officer to proceed with legal action. Initially, no charges have been filed. We are waiting for the victim's medical report.'

A spokesman for the Pattaya Park Night Market where the attack happened said security measures will be implemented to prevent a repeat of the incident.

Thailand has become a popular destination for Russian tourists escaping military conscription in the war with Ukraine. The Thai government has been spellbound by the wealth of the former Soviet Union powerhouse and used visa-free programmes to encourage the influx of Russian holidaymakers.

Pattaya and Phuket - both notorious enclaves of criminal activity - have become popular destinations for the Russian and Ukrainian war dodgers.