PATTAYA: Street hawkers selling fake brand-name watches who were involved in a fracas with US soldiers have been rounded up by police and charged with peddling pirated goods.
Pol Lt Col Piyapong Ensan, of Pattaya tourist police, said the six men arrested were in possession of 40 counterfeit watches on Wednesday night. They were charged with selling pirated products and face jail terms of up to one year and/or fines of up to 2,000 baht each.
The arrests followed reports that a group of US soldiers taking part in the Cobra Gold military exercise last month were attacked by a band of watch sellers in Pattaya last weekend.
Police said Uthit Suthok, 45, admitted to being involved in the brief brawl.
He claimed that when he tried to sell a watch to one of the Americans, the soldier threw it on the ground and stepped on it.
When he tried to take their picture, a soldier slapped his head, prompting him to fight back in self-defence. His younger brother rushed in to help and the brawl expanded, Mr Uthit said.
Police fined him and his brother 5,000 baht each for brawling, and six US soldiers were fined 1,000 baht each, Pol Lt Col Piyapong said.
A video of the incident posted on social media showed one Thai man retreating from the scene with a bleeding nose.
Pol Lt Col Theerasak Saengsri, a detective with Pattaya police in Chon Buri, claimed police are trying to rid the streets of annoying hawkers.
