British tourist, 45, slashed with knife while fighting back against muggers

A British tourist was slashed with a knife as he fought off two muggers in Thai 'Sin City' Pattaya. Anand Kumar, 45, was holding his iPhone as he walked alone through the infamous resort town, in the early hours of Tuesday, September 15. He had passed a 7-Eleven store in the Soi Jomtien 15 area when two men on a motorcycle suddenly pulled up alongside him and threatened him with a knife. A scuffle broke out as the helmet-wearing suspects allegedly tried to snatch the expensive mobile phone from Anand's hand. But the pair failed to take the device when he fought back. They slashed at his face, cutting his left temple before fleeing the scene at around 1:36 am local time. The injured tourist then sought help at the nearby convenience store, where shocked staff called the police. Paramedics found Anand with bruises and a bleeding wound across his left temple. His black-and-white striped jersey was stained with blood. He was given first aid while recounting the attempted mugging to police. The Brit said: 'I was walking when two young boys came on a bike and tried to snatch my phone. 'I ran. I started running and they had a knife. Then they attacked me and went back.' Police Colonel Anek Srathongyu, superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, said investigators have been dispatched to the area to track down the suspects. He said: ‘We told the victim to file a formal complaint. ‘The investigative team was sent to find leads and reviewed CCTV footage at the scene and surrounding routes to trace the suspects for prosecution.' Tourists are regularly attacked or caught up in crime, leading Pattaya to be dubbed 'Sin City'. Embarrassed officials in the central government have launched tourism initiatives to attract families and rebrand Pattaya as a safe destination. Authorities have also introduced safety measures, such as improved lighting and CCTV. Despite some success in cleaning up the town's image, alcohol and sex remain its biggest draws, often leading to a high rate of crime and accidents.