2 foreign tourists play football inside Phuket shopping mall, ignore shoppers’ warnings

Two tourists play football inside shopping mall in Phuket

Two tourists were filmed kicking a football back and forth inside a shopping mall in Phuket, Thailand, sparking concerns over the safety of other shoppers.

The footage was posted by Phuket Times on Facebook on Monday (11 May). In its caption, the page claimed the two foreigners were believed to be Russian.

In the video, one of the men, who had taken off his shoes, is seen kicking a football back and forth with a companion in the middle of the mall’s walkway.

Source: Phuket Times on Facebook

Despite the presence of other shoppers and tourists, the duo continued kicking the ball around.

Ignored other shoppers’ warnings

According to Khaosod, someone appeared to have tried warning the pair, but they continued playing as if nothing was wrong.

Shoppers expressed concern that the ball could hit bystanders, including children and elderly people, or damage mall property and storefronts.

It remains unclear when the incident happened.

Netizens slam their behaviour

The clip drew a wave of negative comments from netizens, with many criticising the tourists’ behaviour and calling for stricter action against inappropriate conduct in public spaces.

One user questioned the point of having security guards in the mall.

Translation: What are mall security guards for?
Source: Facebook

Another person suggested seeking compensation totalling 10 times the value of any damage caused by the tourists.

Translation: If any items are damaged, charge them 10 times the cost.
Source: Facebook

Another netizen commented that incidents in Phuket have become a daily occurrence.

Translation: A typical day in Phuket.
Source: Facebook

Daily News also reported that local residents said they had noticed several instances of inappropriate behaviour by foreign tourists in popular tourist areas of Phuket recently.

There are growing calls for relevant authorities and mall security staff to be stricter with tourists who behave inappropriately, so such incidents do not affect Phuket’s tourism image.

Also read: Tourist couple in Thailand allegedly used fake payment slip to dine & dash