A Frenchman had his bag snatched before being attacked by thugs in Phuket, Thailand.

Khalaoul Akram, 41, was recording himself while walking along Bangla Road, famous for its naughty nightlife, when two men appeared to follow him in the early hours of February 12.

Footage shows the start of commotion when Khalaoul was surrounded by the men around 1:30 am. More thugs joined and blocked his way as he screamed for passersby to call the police.

Khalaoul pleaded to onlookers: 'Police, police. Call police.'

He dropped his phone, and only the shouting was heard in the video.

When he picked it up again, the French man was already boarding the back of a motorcycle taxi to flee from the scene.

Witnesses recorded the incident when Khalaoul screamed for help.

Video shows the Khalaoul being surrounded by at least five men who were arguing with him.

Shockingly, they snatched his bag in front of locals, who shouted for the police to come.

The French man said the attack left him with a fractured nose, a bruised eye, and injuries to his right leg.

Local police said they had received Khalaoul's report.

Police Lieutenant Wichyut Dampuek, Deputy Chief of Investigation at the Patong Police Station, said: 'We have sent the alleged victim to the Patong Hospital for a physical examination to obtain a medical certificate. After that, we will conduct further investigation.'

A furious Khalaoul said: 'I filed a complaint with the police. They recorded my statement, but I am unsure how seriously they are treating the case.

'I identified five individuals in my live stream. Based on their accents and language, they appeared to be French tourists. They followed me from Bangla Road, initiated a verbal altercation, attempted to steal my phone and selfie stick, and then forcibly took my bag.

'They stole my bag, which contained 3,500 THB (around 80 GBP) in cash, my house keys, my scooter keys, and my bank card.'

Khalaoul said he has been living legally in Thailand for more than a year, working with a valid permit since July 2024.

He said: 'I am not a tourist but a resident of Patong, where I run a well-established TikTok channel, @akram_phuket, with over 23,000 followers. I stream daily, with an audience of around 1,000 viewers per day, providing insights for French travelers about Phuket.

'Unfortunately, February brings a minority of problematic tourists, and this incident reflects the worst of that behaviour. I moved to Thailand believing it was a safe country, and I am determined to stand up for my rights.'

Phuket has become one of Asia's most popular tourist destinations, but it has also attracted criminals and rowdy holidaymakers. Many come from Russia - dodging the draft for a life in the sun.

Furious locals have been blaming the Thai government's free visa policy for the influx of 'low-quality tourists' in the country. The scheme was implemented to boost income from Thailand's tourism industry.

(1 GBP = 42.52 THB)