Patong police have arrested a group of foreign tourists after video footage showed them directing high-pressure water guns at officers on duty during the Songkran festival in Patong, Phuket, on April 13.
The incident occurred at a police command tent set up in Patong Municipality for the Patong Songkran Beach Festival 2026.
Footage of the incident, which circulated on social media platforms, including a local news page, Newshawk Phuket (video), showed dozens of foreign tourists firing high-pressure water guns directly at officers stationed at the tent, forcing the officers to move away from the area to avoid potential injury.
In total, three separate video clips were shared across social media platforms. The first showed the group targeting the command tent with high-pressure streams; the second, filmed from inside a vehicle, captured the incident from another angle; the third showed Patong police officers pursuing and detaining members of the group.
Police from Patong Police Station apprehended the tourists involved, and the suspects were taken to Patong Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Police noted the actions went beyond the accepted spirit of Songkran water play and constituted a deliberate act that risked causing injury to officers in the course of their duties.
The Patong incident was not the only law enforcement concern during this year’s festival period. Thailand’s Department of Probation recorded 3,726 drunk driving cases between April 10 and April 15, out of 3,961 total Songkran-related court-ordered probation cases nationwide.
Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of drunk driving cases at 651, followed by Samut Prakan with 317 and Nonthaburi with 266.
Thai PBS reported 951 road accidents during the same period, resulting in 191 deaths and 911 injuries, with speeding and drunk driving identified as the primary causes.
The story Phuket tourists arrested after soaking police at Songkran command post as seen on Thaiger News.
