Osvaldo Neto, a famous Brazilian footballer, ordered beer and treated women to drinks worth 5,000 baht, then refused to pay, assaulted a former New York police officer, and fled in a car. The bar owner insists on pursuing the matter to the fullest.
At 10:40 a.m. on 15 December 2025 GMT+7, Lieutenant Pol. Pongpol Piwphong, deputy patrol supervisor at Udon Thani City Police Station, was on patrol when the Rompho Radio Center reported a foreign man drinking at a bar who tried to skip paying his bill, causing an argument with the bar owner and staff. The incident occurred near Soi Sampanthamit in Udon Thani Municipality. Police dispatched the 191 patrol unit to investigate.
Upon arrival, reporters found a tall, muscular dark-skinned foreign man of unknown nationality wearing only green shorts and sneakers standing on the road in front of a bar and restaurant complex. He was arguing loudly with 29-year-old Ms. Kalyani Kaewnok, a bar owner, with both shouting at each other. Male and female staff surrounded the foreign man, claiming he refused to pay for services and beer.
After lengthy negotiations, the bar group grew angry as the foreign man showed no sign of calming down and attempted to flee. At that moment, 74-year-old Douglas Robin Barker, an American and former New York police officer visiting with his wife, witnessed the event and tried to intervene, recording video. Barker approached the man but was struck loudly on his left ear, causing him to stagger and fall. Bar staff rushed to help, and the assailant stepped back.
Ms. Kalyani then stepped in to block the assailant from reaching a black Honda Civic with Prachuap Khiri Khan license plates parked nearby, fearing escape. The man struck her face, knocking her to the ground, then ran to open the car door. Staff intervened, opened the door, and punched and kicked the man, pulling him out to beat him beside the car. Ms. Kalyani took the assailant's wallet. Seeing the situation worsening, the man quickly got into the car and fled.
Investigation identified the man as Osvaldo Dos Santos Neto, 42, Brazilian. Police found two male staff injured with scrapes and wounds on their faces, hands, and arms. Officers advised all injured and the owner to seek medical treatment and to return to the station to file further reports.
Ms. Kalyani, the bar owner, said the man was a first-time customer who came alone around 3 a.m. He ordered many beers and drinks for female staff and herself. They did not pressure him; he voluntarily ordered. He stayed until nearly morning. When asked for the bill of about 5,100 baht, he agreed to pay and appeared to try using his banking app but said he couldn’t access it due to a locked account requiring facial verification or bank contact.
"He sat there a long time without paying. By nearly 9 a.m., I wanted to close and go home, so I suggested he withdraw money from the nearby ATM. He went out, but we followed, suspecting his intentions since he took his car keys and tried several times to escape to his car. We surrounded him and tried negotiating, but it failed, leading to the commotion you saw. After taking staff to the hospital, we will file charges against this foreign man to the fullest extent," she said.
Reporters added that Osvaldo Dos Santos Neto is a well-known professional footballer who plays forward. He has played for several Thai League clubs and recently signed with Udon United to strengthen their squad for the second leg of Thai League 3, aiming for promotion to Thai League 2. Fans hope his Thai league experience will boost the team. His debut with the club was just three days ago, making this news quite sensational.