Police said the group of revellers blocked traffic, sprayed water at the driver and ignored orders to disperse
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenSCMP’s Asia deskPublished: 3:20pm, 16 Apr 2026Thai police arrested seven French tourists after a viral Songkran confrontation in Phuket in which revellers surrounded a van, sprayed its driver with water and later ignored police orders to disperse.
Video shared on social media showed a crowd in Patong, a beach town on the resort island of Phuket, swarming a silver van, opening its doors and spraying water inside before turning their water guns on the driver when he got out.
Police in Phuket told The Nation they received complaints about tourists causing a nuisance and obstructing traffic while playing with water on Prachanukhro Road near Malin Market in Patong.
Officers said they ordered the group to leave the area, but the French tourists refused to comply and were arrested, taken to a police station, fined and warned.
