DFAT assisting man after Thailand killing

Consular officials are assisting an Australian man reportedly freed on bail after being charged with murdering a security guard on Thailand's holiday island of Phuket.

The man, who is said to run a successful sailboat company on the island, was charged with murder after a nightclub security guard was stabbed on Wednesday night.

The 59-year-old allegedly stabbed the guard after being set upon while filming a fight outside a nightclub. The Australian claims he used the knife to defend himself.

The nightclub employee was taken to Patong hospital where he later died, local media reports.

The ABC reports the accused man was granted bail, but must regularly appear before a Phuket court.

Officials from the Australian Embassy in Bangkok are understood to be providing assistance to the man.