Aussies arrested over Thai shooting

Two Australian men have been arrested in Phuket over the accidental shooting of two German tourists.

TWO Australian men arrested on the Thai resort island of Phuket in a shooting incident are due to face court in a bid to secure bail, legal sources say.

John Edward Cohen, 33, believed to be from Sydney, and Adam Lewis Shea, 26, from Launceston were arrested after a shooting incident on Tuesday evening that left two German tourists injured, one seriously.

Thai police investigations are examining possible links between the men and the Australian motorcycle gang, the Bandidos.

But local sources say the Australians were members of a rival group, the Rebel Motorcycle Club.

The acting NSW police commissioner today said he had concerns about the "spreading" influence of bikie gangs overseas.

Lawyers for the men are expected to apply for bail when they appear before a local judge late on Thursday.

The Australian men were allegedly involved in an altercation with a Danish man over a motorbike at Patong Beach on Tuesday.

Two Australian men have been arrested after allegedly shooting two German tourists in Bali. Picture: Sky News

According to Thai news service Phuketwan, police allege that Cohen aimed a pistol at the Danish man but instead hit Johann Baschenegger, 41, and Joseph Woerner, 71, inside or near the Baan Pirin Hotel.

Police are reportedly reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, which happened in an area packed with tourists.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Acting NSW Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas said there hadn't yet been any contact with Thai police.

"But we're obviously happy to help in any way that we can," he said.

"We don't have any jurisdiction over there but I would say that any spreading influence of bikie groups, whether it's interstate or overseas, it's something we're concerned about, we're not happy about it."

Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kleawwatee said police will allege that Cohen and Shea had an ongoing dispute with the Danish man over a motorcycle worth about 300,000 baht (A$9,500).

The two injured men seen on CCTV near the hotel.

He told the Phuket News "the suspects, afraid that they would be attacked by a party that they were in conflict with, decided to strike first".

The injured tourists were taken to Patong Hospital with gunshot wounds to their arms.

The Bangkok Post reported Mr Woerner was in a critical condition while Mr Baschenegger was shot in the right arm.

The CCTV vision shows the men holding wounded arms.

It is understood Mr Baschenegger arrived in Phuket around midnight on January 21, while Mr Woerner had been in Thailand for about a month.

"My friend, Joseph, arrived before me. We were hanging out in front of the hotel when we both were shot in the arm," Mr Baschenegger told Phuket News.

Police allegedly arrested Cohen and Shea within an hour of the shooting and were questioning the pair over the incident. They were reportedly charged them with attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

Cohen was arrested at The Aussie Bar in Soi Bangla.

Shea was arrested in the OTOP bar sector off Rat-U-Tit 200 Pi Rd. He is reportedly a long-term expat who owns a hotel in Patong

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said Australian consular officials in Thailand were assisting Cohen and Shea.

"We can confirm the arrest in Phuket of two Australian citizens, a 33-year-old man from New South Wales and a 26-year-old man from Tasmania in connection with a shooting," she said.

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