Phuket taxi driver drives away foreign woman over air conditioning dispute

[webfact]

A Thai taxi driver faced criticism for a viral video of him chasing away a foreign passenger by pulling her out of his cab. The driver defended himself saying the foreign woman kicked his car door over an air conditioning dispute.

 

The Facebook page, โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (meaning so brutal, Phuket province), shared a video when a Thai taxi driver pulling a foreign woman out of his cab at a petrol station on December 24 with the caption saying…

“This happened at the Bang Chak Petrol Station on Bypass Road in Phuket. What happened there? A witness shared this video with the page’s administrator.

 

This is destroying the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis. This foreign woman already reported the matter to the police. We are waiting for more details on the story.”

 

The video shows the taxi driver opening the left door of his car and pulling the female passenger out. The passenger could not resist him and got out of the car with her bag. The driver tried to get all of her belongings out of his car before the video was cut.

 

The Facebook page later shared a video of the taxi driver clarifying the incident yesterday, December 25. The driver said he had to drive the foreign woman away because she caused a scene after complaining about the air conditioning.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Facebook/ โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-26

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[JoePai]

And the pump assistant just stood by...

[steven100]

yes Officer  '      I was just helping her out of the cab .... 

[Celsius]

And they say Thai taxi drivers never help with luggage 

[NE1]

I was in Hat Yai once and the driver wanted 10 baht extra to turn the a/c on in the vehicle..

[KhunBENQ]

22 minutes ago, NE1 said:

I was in Hat Yai once and the driver wanted 10 baht extra to turn the a/c on in the vehicle..

But here she might have to pay 10 Baht to turn it off.

My problem too. Cold icy winds fearing for my health. They only stare at you when asking to turn it down. A reason why I am not enthusiastic riding in a coach bus.

[connda]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This is destroying the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis.

I've lived here 16+ years now and I can honestly state that this one instance isn't "destroying the image of Phuket taxis" but on the contrary, it's the reoccurrance of Thais physically attacking tourists, making this an accurate representation of the Phuket Taxi Problem that has existed since I first arrived and probably will be an issue until international tourists wake up to the realities of Thai-on-tourist violence as well as the dangers of Thai roads in general in that area, and begin to avoid Phuket to the point where the economy is impacted.  What expat here doesn't know the Phuket taxi mafi stories?  You'd need to be living under a rock.
Regarding "destroying the image of the country?"  Yeah.  That is true.  Just look at the impact of violence such as this - a Thai man physically assaulting and pulling a foreign women out of his car.  I find it revolting just like other instances of Thai-on-foreigner violence that leads to death and injuries.
These instances are paid lip-service by Thai politicos, but the actual problem is obviously still a problem, and if history is any indicators it will continue to be a problem in the future.

In the meanwhile - blame the tourist.

[ChipButty]

Shame the video cut, I thinking he just launched her luggage on the floor, Keep up the good work, 

[Geoffggi]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This is destroying the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis.

Connda you beat me to it, Absolutely NOTHING could affect the image of Phuket Taxi Drivers they are already at rock bottom ......................LOL

[ChipButty]

10 minutes ago, connda said:

I've lived here 16+ years now and I can honestly state that this one instance isn't "destroying the image of Phuket taxis" but on the contrary, it's the reoccurrance of Thai physically attacking tourists, making this an accurate representation of the Phuket Taxi Problem that has existed since I first arrived and probably will be an issue until international tourists wake up to the realities of Thai-on-tourist violence as well as the dangers of Thai roads in general in that area, and begin to avoid Phuket to the point where the economy is impacted.  What expat here doesn't know the Phuket taxi mafi stories?  You'd need to be living under a rock.
Regarding "destroying the image of the country?"  Yeah.  That is true.  Just look at the impact of violence such as this - a Thai man physically assaulting and pulling a foreign women out of his car.  I find it revolting just like other instances of Thai and foreigner violence that leads to death and injuries.
These instances are paid lip-service by Thai politicos, but the actual problem is obviously still a problem.

In the meanwhile - blame the tourist.

I can go back 24 years, I landed in Phuket one night got a taxi to take me to the Holiday inn Patong I knew where I wanted to go, then he stopped at some travel shop on the by pass road, they were trying to get me to change hotels, I think that scam still goes on, some place got heavily fined, 

[aussienam]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

But here she might have to pay 10 Baht to turn it off.

My problem too. Cold icy winds fearing for my health. They only stare at you when asking to turn it down. A reason why I am not enthusiastic riding in a coach bus.

To be fair, did you get general consensus from the rest of the passengers or did you decide you knew how everyone on the coach felt cold like you?  

I've been in minivans before where I am boiling hot and needing aircon, but some selfish person decides that it's not for them, turns it right down and the rest of us suffered causing a scene eventually.  

[KCPhuket]

What a bunch of b******* ridiculous Behavior

[hellohello123]

Another drunken/bad behaved foreign male...... wait its a woman

[RandolphGB]

Quote

This is destroying the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis

 

You know that the image of Phuket taxis is lower than a snake's belly?

 

Many would say the image of Thailand is little better.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This is destroying confirming the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis.

 

There. Fixed it.

[FarangFB]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

And the pump assistant just stood by...

 

The pump assistant look like a 15 year old kid. Not really his job to confront an enraged adult taxi driver, is it?

[ignore it]

Well the jury is still out, but we'll find out if she's from China in a few days.

 

 

[IamNoone88]

The authorities never seem to wake up to the aggressive and dangerous driving and behavior that you can collectively witness by van drivers, taxi drivers and tuk tuk drivers every hour of the day on Phuket roads. Just look at the accidents caused by these people - including the taxi driver that jumped the red light and took out the Ukrainian motor cyclist nearly killing him. The press is full of incidents. No red light cameras, seemingly no punishment. This is just another example.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Taxi Problem that has existed since I first arrived and probably will be an issue until international tourists wake up to the realities of Thai-on-tourist violence

 

The taxi driving thugs (I refuse to call them mafia as they are small-time crooks) had their chance as the island tried to recover after the tsunami and again after the pandemic. They just don't care as the punishment, if any, is meaningless and foreigners keep rolling up regardless. Let's hope she's Chinese and the word goes around back home.

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This is destroying the image of the country and also the image of Phuket taxis.

The good image of Thailand was destroyed a very long time ago, now there is only a bad image to improve, not happening in my lifetime. 

[brianthainess]

7 minutes ago, ignore it said:

Well the jury is still out, but we'll find out if she's from China in a few days.

 

 

Maybe Japanese looking for her husbands watch.

[Nickcage49]

Gotta love those taxi drivers. I'm so glad I don't live in Bangkok anymore.

[spidermike007]

You cannot destroy the image of something that's already been destroyed. The Phuket taxi group does not have an image, other than that of mobsters, gangsters, hooligans and thugs. 

 

And it seems to me that a taxi driver has to be accommodating to his passengers, if the driver is blasting the AC and the passenger is cold, and asks him to turn it down, isn't it common courtesy to do so? Perhaps she damaged the incredibly delicate ego, of an emotionally undeveloped goon, who looks like a man, and smells like a man, but is actually 13. 

[Thingamabob]

2 hours ago, connda said:

I've lived here 16+ years now and I can honestly state that this one instance isn't "destroying the image of Phuket taxis" but on the contrary, it's the reoccurrance of Thais physically attacking tourists, making this an accurate representation of the Phuket Taxi Problem that has existed since I first arrived and probably will be an issue until international tourists wake up to the realities of Thai-on-tourist violence as well as the dangers of Thai roads in general in that area, and begin to avoid Phuket to the point where the economy is impacted.  What expat here doesn't know the Phuket taxi mafi stories?  You'd need to be living under a rock.
Regarding "destroying the image of the country?"  Yeah.  That is true.  Just look at the impact of violence such as this - a Thai man physically assaulting and pulling a foreign women out of his car.  I find it revolting just like other instances of Thai-on-foreigner violence that leads to death and injuries.
These instances are paid lip-service by Thai politicos, but the actual problem is obviously still a problem, and if history is any indicators it will continue to be a problem in the future.

In the meanwhile - blame the tourist.

To be fair I don't think he was 'assaulting' her.

[keystonecoppers2]

 

 

 

                                    No, there will NOT be any more details on the story. Most of the time

                                    it just die down. Another day in Paradise.

[stoner]

2 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Connda you beat me to it, Absolutely NOTHING could affect the image of Phuket Taxi Drivers they are already at rock bottom ......................LOL

 

there's rock bottom...and then there's phuket taxi driver rock bottom

[stoner]

4 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

To be fair I don't think he was 'assaulting' her.

 

you might want to check what constitutes assault then. 

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

And the pump assistant just stood by...

Not his problem... 

[Chris BKK]

I went to Phuket once over 20 years ago and would never go again. Why - because of the taxi mafia, no doubt controlled by a cabal with taxi owners, local authorities and the infamous what they call police. No one so far has had the balls to get this under control. I know personally of expats and Thais who will never go to Phuket again, because of the taxi mafia which leaves a rotten taste from arrival to departure.

[kingstonkid]

The challenge is that people keep going there, so there is no need to hurry to fix things that are broken or corrupted. 

 

If you are biblical, consider that 19 years ago today, god tried to rid the world of the Sodom and Gomorrah of Phuket only to have the people build it back up bigger and more corrupt.  

 

The people still flock there the beaches are still the same.  If people expect change, they need to do it with their pocketbooks.  They really do not care if you leave unhappy because they know that in an hour, another plane of tourists with more money and a high sex drive is arriving.

 

Hotels are full they can still afford to jack their prices.  

 

Why worry is some woman is upset bout the AC int he cab.