Smokin’ scuffle: Foreigner’s taxi tantrum goes viral in Phuket

[snoop1130]

 

A video of a foreign man attacking a Thai taxi driver on a road in the Thalang district of Phuket this morning went viral on Thai social media. The physical assault was reportedly sparked after the driver asked the foreigner to stop smoking in the cab.

 

The Facebook page, Newshawk Phuket, shared a video of the incident at about 9.40am today, April 3. The video showed a foreign man grabbing the taxi driver’s collar from behind, while the driver attempted to escape from the car.

 

Several Thai media outlets reported that the man was a German national but some stated he was from Austria.

 

The taxi driver pleaded with nearby locals and motorists to intervene and separate him from the foreign man. One individual came forward to aid the driver, prompting the foreign man to cease his aggressive behaviour. He then exited the vehicle through the driver’s side door.

 

The taxi driver revealed in an interview with ThaiRath that he picked up the foreign man from Phuket International Airport, and the destination was a hotel in the Chalong sub-district.

 

The situation escalated when the foreign man began smoking inside the cab. The taxi driver warned him that smoking was not allowed, making the foreign man angry.

 

Foreign attack

 

According to the driver’s account, the foreign man launched a surprise attack from behind, strangling him as he slowed down on Thep Krasattri Road for a red light, causing his car to collide with an SUV in front.

 

Despite the collision, the foreign man persisted in assaulting the driver, leading him to open the car door in a bid for assistance. Remarkably, the individual who came to his aid turned out to be the owner of the SUV involved in the incident.

 

The owner of the SUV, Thanongsak, disclosed to the media that he separated the two and accompanied them to the Thalang Police Station. He also mentioned requesting compensation from the taxi driver’s insurance company but did not know about the altercation between the driver and his passenger.

 

The superintendent of the Thalang Police Station, Nikorn Choothong, informed ThaiRath that no charges had been filed against the German tourist yet. Police were awaiting an interpreter to assist with questioning both parties to gain a clear understanding of the situation.

 

A similar incident related to smoking occurred in Chon Buri province on April 1, where two Thai men severed the arm of a victim who them to avoid smoking near his liquor store.

 

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Facebook/ MRT Online ภาคใต้ and Newshawk Phuket

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-03

 

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[herfiehandbag]

For crying out loud, what gets into these people!

 

Apart from walking around with ridiculous facial hair that makes him look like an extra from an Asterix the Gaul movie, he arrives in Thailand, gets off the airplane and promptly picks a fight!

[SingAPorn]

Most of the official thai taxi drivers or tuk tuk drivers are just a bunch of cheats and we all know how they refuse to turn the meter ON and other of their tricks.

 

But that is no reason for farangs to misbehave and be abusive. Many westerners in Thailand have an attitude and think themselves to be in conquered colonised territory. Such people should be plainly deported on the spot and banned from the kingdom on periods of time that depend on the level of their offense.

[Wobblybob]

What do they put in the drinking water in Phuket, is the public water system connected to the glue factory or something.

[stoner]

i know what i'm going to do today. act like a 5 year old child in a cab and then climb over the driver doggystyle. 

 

winning. 

[bob smith]

that's the funniest thing i've seen all day!!

 

I thought it was the 'greenhouse scene' from the film Scum for a brief second...

 

bob.

[Korat Kiwi]

My buddah... what's Hulk Hogan doin over here? 

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

My buddah... what's Hulk Hogan doin over here? 

Fornicating with a taxi driver it would seem!

 

bob.

[Korat Kiwi]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Fornicating with a taxi driver it would seem!

 

bob.

You recon he was just tidying up loose ends? 

[Korat Kiwi]

Hulkamania style ooooh yeaaah! 

[0ffshore360]

Is that a  "Could have been worse......in another report a man had an arm  hacked  off  for objecting to smoking ! " detraction from the ridiculous behavior or a very sad attempt to attract further attention to another news item?

And  people still refer to trash editions of printed  wastepaper .

 

[ChaiyaTH]

For the prices they charge down there you would expect to be allowed and do anything

[Dolf]

34 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

My buddah... what's Hulk Hogan doin over here? 

Mr T was driving

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Might be the same dirtbag that was smoking in one of the toilets at Swampy the other day.

[ningnong]

According to the ThaiRath video the driver had locked all the doors and the Farang claims he was just trying to exit the taxi through the driver's door. I think that looks very plausible looking at the video. It looks like the driver may be actually trying to block his exit.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOab5OKG-Ks

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

Gottfried

 

 

 

[bbi1]

Deport the old man back to his country, cancel his retirement visa & ban him for life from entering the country. Seems like all the attacks on the Thais over the past month or so have been by old grey dudes. Time for a crackdown I think. Before it was a number of Swiss, now it's a German or Austrian grey nomad.

[Ohyesuare]

21 minutes ago, ningnong said:

According to the ThaiRath video the driver had locked all the doors and the Farang claims he was just trying to exit the taxi through the driver's door. I think that looks very plausible looking at the video. It looks like the driver may be actually trying to block his exit.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOab5OKG-Ks

 

Even if true, got to be a better way to resolve it than causing the driver to have an accident and climbing over him. Not sure why he is all smiles with the guy in the police station at the end.

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Several Thai media outlets reported that the man was a German national but some stated he was from Austria.

The Germans from Austria are the worst.

[eisfeld]

One sided reporting with no-one bothering to present the point of view of the tourist. The video doesn't look like he was going on a rampage. In the current anti-foreigner media campaign climate I'd be very hesitant to believe what is presented in the local media. Doubly so if it's from "The Thaiger" which doesn't seem to have high journalistic standards.

[Wobblybob]

1 hour ago, 0ffshore360 said:

Is that a  "Could have been worse......in another report a man had an arm  hacked  off  for objecting to smoking ! " detraction from the ridiculous behavior or a very sad attempt to attract further attention to another news item?

And  people still refer to trash editions of printed  wastepaper .

 

Well they did say that smoking damages your health but for one man it seems pretty armless. 

[sungod]

who'd want to be a farang in Phuket at the moment...

[OneMoreFarang]

Somehow I like to hear the other side of that story. 

[still kicking]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

The Germans from Austria are the worst.

There is no such thing 

[chickenslegs]

18 minutes ago, still kicking said:

There is no such thing 

Just jesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler

[still kicking]

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

Just jesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler

He was born in Austria but was German citizen. 

[chickenslegs]

17 minutes ago, still kicking said:

He was born in Austria but was German citizen. 

So he was a German, born in Austria, had a funny moustache, and was quite a naughty chap. Isn't that what I said?

[HauptmannUK]

The wife and I were planning a trip to Phuket later this year but seeing all the violence and crime kicking off down there I think we'd better stay in the relative peace and tranquility of Pattaya.

[Nordic summer]

Why do they always look like that and why do they have to go to Thailand?

[pomchop]

Another day.  Another idiot farang who thinks he is special and can do anything he damn

well pleases.  

 

Two sides to the story?  Seems to me the entire problem could and should have ended when taxi driver said no smoking in cab.  What part of that did idiot farang not understand?  Either put the damn cig out or get out of the cab.

 

Its not like smoking has not been banned all over the world so it was some big surprise that smoking is not allowed in a taxi?  Did idiot also try to smoke on the airplane?  Try that and see how it works out being arrested when plane lands.

 

Zero sympathy for the farang.  Maybe a few months in jail or deportation will give him ample time to think about how very stupid his actions were.