A burly Caucasian man who bullied a Chinese woman and her 70-year-old mother at a shopping mall in Thailand did not know what he was letting himself in for.
After acting rudely to the women, the large white man was beaten up by the younger woman who turned out to be the owner of a Thai kick-boxing studio.
Videos of the conflict were posted by the Chinese woman, Zhang Yise, on her Douyin account @Sese on August 20, and have attracted 1.4 million views.
The 39-year-old woman from Beijing said she was shopping with her 70-year-old mother and her two children at a mall in Phuket when the hostile white man suddenly bumped into her mother.
Zhang said he did not apologise, instead he walked away, turned around and swore at them.
A video taken by Zhang shows the man raising his middle finger and shouting foul language insulting China. His female Thai companion filmed the incident and swore at them in Thai, according to Zhang.
Zhang said she was immediately irritated and tried to reason with him. He pushed her to the ground.
Zhang said she and her mother went to fight back the man, who tried to escape.
The mother and daughter grabbed him each by one arm as security guards arrived to mediate, and the man’s T-shirt was ripped apart as he struggled to break free.
Zhang said she was not scared of the tall man.
“I know I’m no match for him, but I’m fearless,” she said on Douyin.
“I don’t want my family bullied, especially when we are not in China,” she said.
She told mainland media outlet Southern Metropolis Daily that she has owned a Muay Thai boxing studio in Phuket for nearly a decade. Her husband is a local.
She also practised a lot at her own studio, and watched combative contests as a hobby.
A video filmed and uploaded by a passerby showed Zhang’s mother even more fearless than her daughter while fighting against the bully to protect Zhang.
Mainland social media has been in awe of the pair.
“The man picked the wrong target. Such a badass woman,” one person said on Douyin.
“Did he thank her for designing such a hot cardigan for him?” another joked.
The man insisted on leaving after the security guard arrived. Zhang noted down his taxi number and reported him to the police.
Zhang said the man caused bruising on her arm and leg.
She demanded an apology, but said the man refused to apologise unless Zhang and her mother also apologise to him.
Zhang rejected his request. Police said the man, whose identity was not reported, would go to the court to defend himself.
Zhang said a small conflict like this usually ends up with a court fine of 500 baht (US$15), but she was not going to let it drop.
She said she had asked her lawyer to get more surveillance footage from the mall, and intended to get the man deported from Thailand.
His nationality was not reported, but Zhang said on Douyin that he is an American.
