British tourist killed by single karate chop in road rage attack

A British tourist has been killed after being hit with a single karate chop after crashing rented scooters with another tourist in Thailand.

Alan Roger Jolliffe, 57, from Liverpool, was riding his moped along a busy road in Phuket when another moped began to cut him off on Wednesday.

Pektas Tuguy Tayyar, 29, from Sweden, began honking his horn and the pair pulled over and began squaring up to each other.

Footage shows Tayyar smashing Alan across the head using the underside of his hand, instantly knocking him out by the brutal strike.

Alan was left with severe head injuries. He was taken to Patong Hospital but died the same evening.

Tayyar was arrested at the Utopia hotel today. He was pictured in front of six cops after he allegedly confessed to the attack and was charged with ‘assault resulting in death’.

Police Colonel Korakrit Khankruea, superintendent of Patong district station, said: ‘At around 5 pm, a witness reported that a foreign man had been assaulted at Malin Plaza market.

‘He was struck once, causing his head to hit the ground, before an ambulance took him to the hospital.

‘At around 11 pm, Patong Hospital informed police that the man had died. Injuries were found on his head, likely caused by the heavy impact as he hit the ground.

‘Investigators examined the scene, reviewed security camera footage and questioned witnesses. They identified the suspect as a foreign man riding a black Honda X-ADV 750 motorcycle.

‘The incident occurred when both men were riding motorcycles and honked their horns at each other.

‘The suspect became angry, dismounted and argued before hitting the victim once in the face with the bottom of his hand.

‘Officers arrested him at a hotel at around 4 am the following day and charged him with assault causing death.

‘The suspect admitted to hitting the victim. He was taken to court for detention in the morning and bail was denied.

‘The case file has been compiled and forwarded to the inquiry officer for further legal proceedings.’

The incident occurred around five minutes away from the Bangla Road, which is the main party strip on the island, popular with Brits and Aussies.

Phuket has become one of Asia’s most popular destinations, with an estimated 14 million visitors in 2025 – almost half of the total number visiting the country.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said the top five markets were Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

However, locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of ‘low-quality’ visitors.

There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.

Phuket officials said they are implementing tighter immigration controls and screening processes amid a wave of drug-related crimes and illegal activities on the island.

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