Move Forward MP for Bangkok Chorayuth Chaturapornprasit has offered a public apology over an incident at an eatery in Bangkok’s Ekkamai area early yesterday (Friday) morning, in which he is accused of attacking an unidentified man.

A video clip of the brawl was uploaded to social media yesterday and went viral.

In his Facebook post today, Chorayuth defended himself against an allegation made online by saying that he neither started the brawl nor attacked the man, but was, instead, the victim of an unprovoked assault.

Recalling the incident, the MP said that he went with his friends to his regular eatery, located on Ekkamai, for a late-night dinner.

A man approached their table for a brief chat, kicked a chair and returned to his own table. Shortly afterward, the same man came back and appeared to harass a woman in their group, according to Chorayuth.

He claims that he asked the man to stop harassing the woman, but was slapped and punched in his face, adding that he struck back at his assailant instinctively, as any man would in such a situation.

He admitted, however, that his reaction was not appropriate and he apologised, adding that he had learned a lesson.

Meanwhile, Supawadee Tungprom, the woman who was involved in the incident, said on Facebook that she did not know the man, whom she accused of putting his hands on her neck.

Police arrived at the scene and the incident was eventually settled peacefully, with the alleged assailant offering an apology to her and agreeing not to press charges against Chorayuth.