This is the shocking moment an American tourist was attacked by a bar owner allegedly for recording a video on the premises in Thailand.

Raf, 38, was taking selfie videos as a memento of his tropical vacation when the furious owner confronted him in notorious resort town Pattaya in the early hours of Friday.

Though Raf insisted he was filming with no ill intent, the businessman reportedly erupted in a violent rage.

Footage in the dimly lit bar shows Raf speaking calmly to the businessman, saying: 'I like this bar, I f***with it. But if you wanna get p***y with me, I'll f*** you up.'

The bar owner then called him a 'f****** idiot' before landing a brutal blow that knocked the American clean off his seat. He bellowed he was 'not in the mood', calling Raf a 'dumb c***' as the wounded customer fled from the bar.

The alleged attack left Raf with a split eyebrow, a swollen eye socket, and bruises on his face after hitting his head on the floor. He sought treatment at a local hospital before lodging a formal complaint with the police at 2:49 am local time.

A police spokesman said: 'The Pattaya City Police are reviewing the video footage and gathering evidence to summon the shop owner. We urge those who witnessed the incident to come forward so we can ensure fairness to all parties.'

Speaking after the incident, a battered Raf wearing bandages on his face claimed he had done nothing to provoke the brutal attack.

He said: 'I just recorded. I record my vacation. I didn't record nobody's face. I only recorded me. I never recorded no ladies, nothing. Just me.'

Former fishing village Pattaya became popular with American troops on 'rest and relaxation' breaks in the 1950s and 1960s when the U.S. military had bases in Thailand while fighting Communism in Vietnam. Rural families are said to have even dressed their sons as women to cash in on the gold rush.

The handful of bars in the coastal town quickly grew and it is now the world's biggest sex holiday destination, with round-the-clock prostitution and drugs - a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah rife with crime and debauchery.

Government chiefs have attempted to clean up the city but regular violence, depravity and claims of corruption continue to blight its reputation.