3 foreign men attack Phuket tuk tuk driver over parking dispute

[webfact]

Photo via Facebook/ Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์ and ThaiRath

 

by Petch Petpailin 

Three foreign men attacked a Thai tuk tuk driver in a gang assault on Sunday, February 2, following a parking dispute on a road in Phuket, leaving the victim with serious injuries.

 

The injured tuk tuk driver, Narin, filed a complaint against the three foreign attackers at Patong Police Station and shared details of the incident with the Facebook news page Newshawk Phuket yesterday, February 3. The attack occurred at around 3am outside Jungceylon Mall in the Patong area of Phuket.

Narin told the media that he noticed a foreign motorcyclist parked his vehicle behind his tuk tuk. As he needed to reverse, he approached the foreign man and asked him to move his motorcycle.

 

However, the foreign man refused and became enraged, revving his engine and provoking Narin to fight him. Narin stated that he ignored the foreigner’s actions and remained parked, waiting for him to leave.

The situation escalated when the foreigner called two friends to the scene, and together they attacked Narin. They strangled him and struck his head and face with a glass bottle. Narin’s colleague intervened, engaging in a brief altercation before the three foreigners fled the scene.

Photo via Facebook/ Phuket Times ภูเก็ตไทม์

Narin suffered a serious head wound, requiring six stitches. His nasal bone was reportedly broken after being hit with the glass bottle. He remains in hospital, while the three attackers remain at large.

 

Dashcam footage and pictures of the suspects were shared on Thai social media. Narin urged anyone who encountered the three foreigners to report their whereabouts to the police or contact him at 098-213-1332 with any useful information.

Many Thai netizens expressed concern over Narin’s condition and called for Thai police to closely monitor the behaviour of foreign tourists and enforce strict laws against them.

 

Photo by Cecil Lee via Flickr

However, some netizens pointed out that tuk tuk and taxi drivers frequently contribute to traffic congestion by parking outside the mall while waiting for passengers, often blocking other vehicles. They were therefore unsurprised that a physical altercation had occurred.

 

Others claimed that tuk tuk drivers had previously ganged up on foreign tourists in similar incidents, arguing that a sustainable solution to the ongoing parking issues outside the mall was necessary.

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2025-02-04

 

 

[NickyLouie]

Yeah no pity for the Phuket taxi scum , seems they don't like when the tables get turned 

[anterian]

That looks more like a Baht bus than a tuk tuk

[dpeti73]

4 minutes ago, anterian said:

That looks more like a Baht bus than a tuk tuk

Thats how tuk tuk looks like in Phuket

[OneMoreFarang]

If that happened as described, then those foreigners are just plain stupid.

Did they really think they will get away with that? Or did they not think at all?

[Smokey and the Bandit]

Phuket seems to has some serious problems with taxis and their drivers?

[hunkidori]

Just need some tourists to beat up a few jet ski operators 

[ChaiyaTH]

Seems like another bunch of freshly minted EU/UK passport holders now arrived here. I guess it the problems existing there are now going to be a standard percentage of people who are 'tourists' as well. Of course mostly paid for with tax money.

[NorthernRyland]

They look like such nice guys I wonder what got in to them....

[Kwausie]

Everybody in Patong should be there for a good time, leave all that aggression where you came from, hope it costs them a lot of money!

[NoDisplayName]

26 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If that happened as described,

 

....then the taxi mafia gangster would have released the dashcam footage, not just carefully edited......

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Dashcam footage and pictures of the suspects were shared on Thai social media.

 

[frankie machine]

well, this is a switch

[CCesar]

1 hour ago, NickyLouie said:

Yeah no pity for the Phuket taxi scum , seems they don't like when the tables get turned 

Totally agree, they got their own medicine and don't seem to like it, but its ok for them to gang up on foreigners/pensioners and beat the crap out of people being twice or three time their age.

[zepplin]

33 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If that happened as described, then those foreigners are just plain stupid.

Did they really think they will get away with that? Or did they not think at all?

Most tourists leave their brains in a swampy airport locker upon arriving, it’s a fact! 
you should see them here in samui, most trying to kilo themselves on scooters , it’s unbelievable, 2-3 a day die here, but NEVER reported, as it might scare more idiots away!

[TTSIssues]

I have no evidence of this particular incident, but having experienced Patong TukTuk drivers i would say that story is highly unlikely. A driver asking the guy to politely move his bike and then returning to the drivers seat to wait seems highly unusual. 
 

Every similar exchange I have had with them involves being berated and surrounded by a large number of drivers within seconds.

 

i remember a couple of years ago, stopping on the beach road for two minutes to drop off my elderly, disabled mother, and a group of them surrounded the car shouting at both of us to move the car.

 

A group ot aggressive men shouting at an elderly lady in a wheelchair sums up their behaviour beautifully. 
 

This has been going on for years, and is a reason that our family will never visit Patong again. Ever.

 

Covid was the perfect time to introduce a proper public transport system, removing the current fiefdoms and “taxi clubs”, but it will never happen. Too much money flowing to powerful people under the current arrangement.

 

B0ll0cks to tourists and their safety, let’s fleece them at every opportunity. 

[CCesar]

38 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If that happened as described, then those foreigners are just plain stupid.

Did they really think they will get away with that? Or did they not think at all?

Or maybe they just had enough of all the B.S. going on.

[RT555]

Should happen more... Just saying. 

[wensiensheng]

One good aspect of all the Russian mafia “tourists” is that the Thai taxi mafia now have some competition in the gang beat down stakes.

 

Pass the popcorn and let the show roll on

[wensiensheng]

39 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Phuket seems to has some serious problems with taxis and their drivers?

Ya think? 

[hotchilli]

Phuket and Pattaya two places to stay away from...

[gravity101]

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Others claimed that tuk tuk drivers had previously ganged up on foreign tourists in similar incidents, arguing that a sustainable solution to the ongoing parking issues outside the mall was necessary.

 

There is already a sustainable solution. Tuk Tuks park on red and whites, parking spots, taxi ranks and pavements. Anyone else gets a police chain around their wheels.

[CCesar]

7 minutes ago, TTSIssues said:

I have no evidence of this particular incident, but having experienced Patong TukTuk drivers i would say that story is highly unlikely. A driver asking the guy to politely move his bike and then returning to the drivers seat to wait seems highly unusual. 
 

Every similar exchange I have had with them involves being berated and surrounded by a large number of drivers within seconds.

 

i remember a couple of years ago, stopping on the beach road for two minutes to drop off my elderly, disabled mother, and a group of them surrounded the car shouting at both of us to move the car.

 

A group ot aggressive men shouting at an elderly lady in a wheelchair sums up their behaviour beautifully. 
 

This has been going on for years, and is a reason that our family will never visit Patong again. Ever.

 

Covid was the perfect time to introduce a proper public transport system, removing the current fiefdoms and “taxi clubs”, but it will never happen. Too much money flowing to powerful people under the current arrangement.

 

B0ll0cks to tourists and their safety, let’s fleece them at every opportunity. 

They don't seem to care much about our safety, it is only the money they care about. It is usually the locals parking bumper to bumper, like the driving  behaving selfish, irresponsible and  totally rude and uncivilized. 

[CCesar]

20 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

....then the taxi mafia gangster would have released the dashcam footage, not just carefully edited......

 

 

 being professional liars, you will hardly ever hear the trues, especially foreigners involved..

[ignore it]

22 minutes ago, frankie machine said:

well, this is a switch

Yep,

 

Foreigners doing a flash mob beat-down Thai teen style. 

[Frankie baby]

My guess is that they were arrogant North Africans (French Type). That being the case it would have been just the match for these Tuk Tuk drivers who thing they own the road. Ignorance V Ignorance.  

[NemoH]

Am I the only one feeling that Phuket is getting really wild.. hearing of fights, robbery, death every day for the past few months .. it’s getting lawless.. sad 

[smew]

Tuktuk driver(Narin) is responsible for starting this fight : farang was revving his engine and provoking Narin to fight him

[Zack61]

Phuket seems to be a breeding ground for this type of behavior. Who needs it?

[shackleton]

Phuket is getting a bad reputation for problems concerning tourists and local Thais 

I thought it was bad in Pattaya  where it seems to be the norm 

The police need to step up and sort things out  as Thailand getting a bad name for Tourists to come we cant have that  💰 🤑 

[roo860]

1 hour ago, zepplin said:

Most tourists leave their brains in a swampy airport locker upon arriving, it’s a fact! 
you should see them here in samui, most trying to kilo themselves on scooters , it’s unbelievable, 2-3 a day die here, but NEVER reported, as it might scare more idiots away!

If its not reported how do you know about it?