British Sikh choked to death in Thailand

London : A 34-year-old British Sikh man has been choked to death by a drunk Norwegian man after they got into an argument at a hotel in Thailand, according to a media report.

Amitpal Singh Bajaj, his wife and two-year-old son were in Thailand for a holiday and were staying in the five-star Centara Grand Hotel in Phuket at the time of the fatal confrontation with Roger Bullman, 53, of Norway, the BBC reported.

On Wednesday, Bajaj told Bullman to keep the noise down as his wife and son tried to sleep, his family was quoted as saying by the report. Bullman then forced his way into their room via the balcony and strangled Bajaj, his family claimed. His wife said her husband "sacrificed his life" to save her and their son.

In a statement Bajaj's wife Bandhna Kaur Bajaj said: "My husband sacrificed his life to save my son's life and mine. He will always be our hero." Bandhna, also 34, told how the attacker "barged" into their room naked and "just started charging at my husband".

"My husband tried to block the man and move me and my son away. As the man was kicking, punching and just, beating him up, my husband told me to please leave and save our son," she said.

Bandhna, from Southall, said she grabbed the couple's two-year-old son Veer Singh and fled the hotel room to look for help, the report added. She said: "I asked the reception to please make sure someone attends to my husband - 'please give him some medical help, I'm very scared, I've escaped'. "I could still hear (the attacker) screaming. I didn't want to be attacked."

An ambulance and police then arrived at the hotel, in the Karon part of the city, and took Bajaj to the Patong Hospital where he was confirmed dead. The British consular officials in Thailand were in contact with Bajaj's family and had informed them about his tragic death.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Norwegian citizen has been arrested in Thailand and is being provided consular assistance, the report said.