3 December 2012 Last updated at 17:09 ET

Patrick Molloy drowns in sea after Pattaya club brawl

Patrick Molloy drowned before a rescue boat could reach him

A 28-year-old man from Suffolk has drowned in the Thai resort of Pattaya after a fight with local men.

Patrick Molloy, from Newmarket, was on holiday following his release from a UK prison after serving a sentence for assault.

He and two other men from Cambridge jumped into the sea to escape the group. The two others survived but Mr Molloy drowned.

Thai police said the three British men were involved in a nightclub brawl.

After violence flared in the club, they are said to have been chased by a group of Thai men armed with sticks and knives.

One man who jumped into the sea was able to climb aboard a yacht and another swam back to the shore.

By the time a rescue boat reached Mr Molloy he had drowned.

He had travelled to Pattaya after serving an 18-week sentence for assault.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British National in Pattaya, Thailand. We are providing consular assistance to the family."