Video: Cabby "sets fire to himself" in parking lot of store

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Video: Cabby "sets fire to himself" in parking lot of store

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Thai media has reported that a taxi driver set fire to himself in his cab in the parking lot of a well-known store in Mahachai, Samut Sakhon. 

 

Members of the public were on hand to pull the driver from his yellow cab as flames took hold. The fire department took 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control, said Sanook. 

 

The man, aged about 60, was rushed to Samut Sahkon hospital. 

 

Police said that he had been with his wife who had ordered him to go home.

 

He then circled the parking lot and there appeared to have been a collision with another cab. It all happened yesterday afternoon.

 

A bottle of gasoline, a lighter and some toweling was found at the scene. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-15

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WARNING: The following video may be disturbing for some viewers. Discretion is advised
 

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Taxi driver sets himself on fire

By The Nation

 

The driver of an unlicensed taxi was severely burned after he apparently set himself on fire while driving near his taxi stand in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district Wednesday, police said.

 

Pol Lt Rosarin Patpong, deputy inspector of the Muang Samut Sakhon police station, was alerted of the incident at noon.

 

Somchai Banludee, 60, opened his taxi’s door and dropped onto the ground after fire broke out inside the vehicle, engulfing the vehicle’s interior. He was rushed to the emergency unit of the Samut Sakhon Hospital where doctors found 80 per cent of his body covered by burns,

 

His taxi caught fire about 100 metres before reaching the taxi stand of the Big C shopping mall on Setthakij 1 road in Tambon Tha Sai. Somchai’s taxi then hit a taxi at the stand, pushing it into another taxi and motorcycle parked ahead. 

 

Taxi drivers at the stand said Somchai used a decommissioned taxi to pick up passengers at the stand regularly. He recently complained of poor health, saying he wanted to die.

 

Police found a strong smell of petrol inside the taxi and believe the man set fire to himself. 

 

His wife, Supasorn Singheng, 60, said Somchai told her that he was going to settle differences with some taxi drivers at the stand.

 

But taxi drivers at the stand said they had no conflicts with Somchai. They said they saw Supasorn come to the stand to ask Somchai to go home but Somchai locked the door and threw his wallet to his wife and told her to take a taxi home.

 

“Do you want to die with me?” Somchai was heard shouting to his wife, they told police.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374788

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-15

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[mok199]

Children should not play with fire

[spidermike007]

He sounds like he was terribly depressed. There are not alot of treatment options available here for this state of mind. Mental health is not taken seriously here. 

 

Well, he certainly proved he was suffering. Looks like he is going to have a real excuse now to end it all. 

 

What a way to go. Or not. 

[Moonlover]

Kudos to the amateur fire fighters who did a great job getting that fire under control. One guy even went in with a bottle of water!

 

Very sad for Somchai and his family though, especially for the wife had to stand and watch it all happen.

 

I would like to wish Somchai well for the future, but with 80% burns, his chances are slim I fear. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Moonlover

[hotchilli]

Sad state of affairs.

 

[JMSIII]

Great job by the guys who jumped in a saved him!

[Matzzon]

One would assume he was scared somebody would find his "Turbo Switch"

[RotBenz8888]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

A bottle of gasoline, a lighter

There are 2 kinds of turbo switches in this world...

[mok199]

What if fire man met turbo man ..

[DaRoadrunner]

What does it take to set fire to yourself?

 

I once saw a Thai guy filling his motorcycle with gasoline. He spilled some on his trousers, which were touching the hot exhaust pipe... you guessed what happened next. It's the only time I have ever seen a Thai really MOVE!

[ratcatcher]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Taxi drivers at the stand said Somchai used a decommissioned taxi to pick up passengers at the stand regularly.

Decommisioned taxi?Illegal? No insurance? Sad about his troubles though.

[Paul Henry]

Very luck this mentally deranged "Taxi driver" did not have innocent passengers in the cab. Again highlights the lack of policing and management of public for hire vehicles.The lack of Government control and responsibility highlights the risk everyone in Thailand has to live with. Can see why Thai immigration is insisting all foreigners have insurance, If you are Thai and get killed by someone who should not be driving or has no licences its ok one dead Thai compensation 10,000 baht. Back on the road next week driving again.

[Matzzon]

9 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

What does it take to set fire to yourself?

A Thai taxidriver