Canadian oil exec, 65, knocked out by Thai 'Sin City' security guard fighting for his life in intensive care

A Canadian oil executive is fighting for his life in intensive care after he was knocked out by a security guard in Thailand's notorious 'Sin City' Pattaya.

Mark Robert Westendorf, 65, was out drinking with his friends when he was confronted by the burly security guard, Patiphan Sorheng, 28, in front of a bar on the Soi 6 red-light strip on July 31.

CCTV footage shows the pair shoving each other in a heated row, before the Thai native appeared to deliver a knockout right hook to Mark's face. The Canadian fell backwards and landed unconscious on the pavement, sparking panic among bar-goers along the nightlife strip.

Mark, who worked in oil exploration in the Far East, was rushed to a private hospital in the Bang Lamung district, and is staying in the ICU in critical condition.

A police report stated that the near-fatal blow happened in front of Kawaii Bar, which is owned by the Nightwish Group. The firm - run by British ex-pat Bryan Flowers, from Coventry, operates a string of nightlife venues on the seedy street.

Investigating officers said the guard was a 'freelance worker', similar to the bouncer that kicked a British tourist in the head in May, instantly knocking him out.

Police Colonel Navin Thirawit, superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, said Patiphan turned himself in to the Pattaya City Police on August 4 after seeing the incident reported on the news.

Patiphan claimed that he had confronted the Canadian, who was accused of trying to break into another person's car.

He said: 'The car owner tried asking him to leave, but he insulted him. I approached to talk to him, but instead of listening to me, he kept shoving me away.

'I shoved him back, and he hit his head on the ground. I tried to explain the situation to the bystanders watching, but they ran away from me.'

Meanwhile, Mark's Thai wife, Nongyao Panraksa, 56, is appealing for help to seek justice for her husband.

She said he was the former manager of a multinational oil company, and had gone to drink with friends at a bar in Pattaya on the night of the incident.

She said: 'I was worried because he still hadn't returned home. I later received a call informing me that he had been assaulted and was in the ICU of a private hospital.

'Witnesses told me that my husband was leaning against the car before a man dressed like a security guard came out to scold him. They argued and the man punched my husband until he fell and hit his head on the ground.

'I want the police to help track down the perpetrator and prosecute him according to the legal process. They should also organise the security guard group, whose duty is to look after the safety of tourists, to stop these behaviours.'

A foreign tourist at the scene, speaking to local media, claimed to have captured footage of the incident and slammed the poor security in the city.

He said: 'What happened was very disturbing, and shows the lack of tourist safety in Pattaya.'

Police Colonel Navin said: 'The security camera footage has been provided to the inquiry officer as evidence for legal proceedings to ensure fairness to all parties.'

The alleged attack is the latest in a string of violence against foreigners and tourists in Thailand.

On July 29, two Arabian tourists, Mohamed Abdalla Hassan Mirak Alblooshi, 33, and Abdullah Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, 25, were reportedly assaulted by a hot-headed taxi driver speeding past them in Phuket.

Two weeks earlier, on July 15, a Kuwaiti tourist, Turky Alazemi, 30, in Phuket was reportedly beaten up by three motorcycle taxi drivers until he fell unconscious.

While a British tourist, Bryce Mahoney, 42, was brutally kicked in the head by a bar bouncer over a drinks bill dispute at a bar in Pattaya on May 24.

Pattaya, one of the world's most depraved sex tourism destinations, has become a controversial area for locals in recent years, with ministers vowing the transform the town in a family friendly holiday spot.

However, the lucrative nightlife industry has proved difficult to control, with impoverished locals flocking to the area to seek a better life with money earned from tourists.

Earlier this week, The Association of Chonburi Tourism Federation (ACTF) met with Tourism Minister Sermsak Pongpanit to discuss how Pattaya can distance itself from its seedy image, which began in the 1960s when American GIs stationed in Thailand for anti-communist offensives would revel in debauched rest and relaxation breaks by the sea.