PATTAYA, THAILAND – A confrontation between rival youth groups in Pattaya escalated into severe violence, leaving a teenager critically injured by a gunshot to his arm and lung.
Night-time clash on Nong Mai Kaen Road
The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on 9 December 2025 on Nong Mai Kaen Road near Soi Nong Mai Kaen 17, in the jurisdiction of the Nongprue Police Station. Witnesses reported that around 30 youths from several cliques had gathered on the street before the violence broke out.
Police Lieutenant Sonthaya Khonsap, deputy operations chief of Pattaya City Police, was on routine crime-prevention patrol on Sukhumvit Road when a distressed group of teenagers aged 13 to 18 stopped him in front of a shopping mall. One boy was bleeding heavily from his left arm after a bullet passed through and entered his lung; he was rushed to a local hospital and was in critical condition, according to police.
Planned confrontation spirals out of control
According to witnesses and injured youths, rival youth gangs had arranged to meet on Nong Mai Kaen Road to settle an ongoing dispute. Another group of teenagers, who said they had only been out for fun, became caught up in the situation by chance.
A 16-year-old boy referred to by police under the pseudonym “Bas” said that both sides had already been chasing each other with machetes when homemade “ping-pong” bombs were suddenly thrown.
“Suddenly there were explosions everywhere,”
said Bas, a 16-year-old youth.
“My friend wanted to pull a knife to go after someone who was chasing us, but I stopped him because I was not even sure if it was one of the rivals. Then three guys came on a black Honda PCX, pulled out a gun and fired. The bullet hit my friend right in the middle of our group.”
Shots fired, youths beaten, weapon held to boy’s face
A 13-year-old boy using the pseudonym “Yuu”, who had been with the later shooting victim, confirmed this account.
“We were just riding around and saw a big group that looked like they were waiting for a fight,”
said Yuu to a local outlet.
“We just glanced over as we passed, and suddenly a ping-pong bomb was thrown at us. We wanted to escape, but they chased us, shot my friend, beat up two others and held the gun in my face and asked: ‘Which group do you belong to?’ I was too scared to answer.”
The girlfriend of the injured boy told police that shortly beforehand, as they drove past, someone from the rival group had shouted:
“Are you looking for trouble? Stop or I’ll shoot!”
said the girlfriend of the wounded teenager. Moments later, a shot was fired.
Police probe and potential charges
Pattaya Police were working closely with Nongprue Police to examine the crime scene and identify the youths involved. Because of the number of different groups present, investigators said it remained unclear who had attacked whom and who had been uninvolved bystanders.
Officers were waiting for the condition of the critically injured teenager to stabilize so they could take a detailed statement and prepare formal charges. According to police, possible offences under review included attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and bodily harm.
Warning over rising youth violence
Police stated that armed clashes between youth gangs in the Pattaya area had become increasingly frequent. Parents were strongly urged to more closely monitor the late-night activities of their children to reduce the risk of involvement in such incidents.
Investigators highlighted major risks including severe injuries from firearms, knives and homemade explosive devices; uninvolved teenagers being drawn into conflicts; and serious long-term harm or death among minors. Authorities announced that they would take firm action against those involved, once their identities were clearly established, in an effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.