Report Pattaya Outrage: Taxi Driver Assaults Bolt Passenger

[snoop1130]

Photo courtesy of Inn News

 

A disturbing altercation at a busy Pattaya intersection is sparking public outrage, following the viral spread of a video showing a motorcycle taxi driver assaulting a Bolt passenger.

 

The incident occurred early yesterday morning at the intersection of Pattaya South Road and Thanon Sai Sam, thrusting the location into the spotlight for regrettable reasons.

 

Captured on video, the confrontation features Bolt passenger being attacked by a visibly angry driver in the characteristic orange vest. The driver was later identified as 66-year-old Wiriyaphanit Yusawat.

 

Responding promptly, Police Lieutenant Colonel Phanupong Nimsuwan from Pattaya City Police Station reported that Wiriyaphanit was called in for questioning after the footage gained traction online.

 

During questioning, Wiriyaphanit admitted to his actions, explaining his outrage when the passenger summoned a Bolt ride directly in front of his taxi stand. Overcome with anger, he lashed out when the passenger ignored him.

 

Police have already issued a formal warning and deducted points from Wiriyaphanit’s driving record. However, officials made it clear that further action hinges on the victim's response.

 

"If the victim files an official complaint, we'll pursue criminal charges," stated Pol. Lt. Col. Phanupong. He affirmed ongoing efforts to supervise local taxi operators, aiming to protect Pattaya's reputation as a premier tourist destination.

 

The community eagerly awaits the victim’s next steps, while calling for stricter oversight and improved conduct among transport operators.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-20

 

 

[KhunHeineken]

Yawn. 

 

Thailand has been through all of this, with the beatings, taxi stand turf wars etc, and the conclusion was, you can't stop people using ride apps. 

 

Someone should help this 66 year old Thai guy out and get him onto Bolt. 

 

He needs to move with the times, or find another occupation. 

[baansgr]

9 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Yawn. 

 

Thailand has been through all of this, with the beatings, taxi stand turf wars etc, and the conclusion was, you can't stop people using ride apps. 

 

Someone should help this 66 year old Thai guy out and get him onto Bolt. 

 

He needs to move with the times, or find another occupation. 

If hed bothered paying his SS he would be receiving his pension..no helping stupid 

[GanDoonToonPet]

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Police have already issued a formal warning and deducted points from Wiriyaphanit’s driving record. However, officials made it clear that further action hinges on the victim's response.

 

They do it differently in the UK. They add points until you get to 12 then you lose your license.

 

I didn't know assault and battery was a driving offence in Thailand. 🤔

[mikebell]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Wiriyaphanit was called in for questioning after the footage gained traction online.

The only way to get Pattaya's invisible police to work.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

During questioning, Wiriyaphanit admitted to his actions, explaining his outrage when the passenger summoned a Bolt ride directly in front of his taxi stand. Overcome with anger, he lashed out when the passenger ignored him

Remove his licence... end of problem

[KhunBENQ]

[garygooner]

Territory .....

Motorcycle taxi riders.

Taxi drivers.

Jet ski operators.

Bar girls.

Ladyboys.

Street vendors. 

Stray cats & dogs.

..... and the list goes on. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Overcome with anger, he lashed out when the passenger ignored him.

 

& it was exactly this sort of character the passenger was trying to avoid by using the ride hailing service (BOLT) in the first place...

 

[black tabby12345]

Never a dull moment in Pattaya?

[KhunHeineken]

On 6/20/2025 at 9:05 PM, baansgr said:

If hed bothered paying his SS he would be receiving his pension..no helping stupid 

Living hand to mouth and in the cash economy.  He was never going to pay SS, the same as millions of other Thai's. 

[CanadaSam]

On 6/20/2025 at 6:47 PM, KhunHeineken said:

Someone should help this 66 year old Thai guy out and get him onto Bolt. 

 

I believe these "win" guys who sit at "their" stands all day, and perhaps get a few rides during the entire day, for much higher rates than the ride-hailing apps, are basically lazy and crooked, and know full well they could make a decent income by joining one of the apps, but they would rather cheat a few innocent tourists daily, giving a bad name to all of them.

[SLOWHAND225]

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

 

I believe these "win" guys who sit at "their" stands all day, and perhaps get a few rides during the entire day, for much higher rates than the ride-hailing apps, are basically lazy and crooked, and know full well they could make a decent income by joining one of the apps, but they would rather cheat a few innocent tourists daily, giving a bad name to all of them.

 

Except thats not what would happen. The more drivers available the less rides per day for everyone and the rate they get paid would become flat for year if not drop.

Thats only true 100% of the time

[KhunHeineken]

11 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

 

I believe these "win" guys who sit at "their" stands all day, and perhaps get a few rides during the entire day, for much higher rates than the ride-hailing apps, are basically lazy and crooked, and know full well they could make a decent income by joining one of the apps, but they would rather cheat a few innocent tourists daily, giving a bad name to all of them.

I accept what you say, and that's certainly the case in Phuket, but many tourists use the baht buses in Pattaya.  Also, apps are now widely used, even by the not so young.  

 

'The good ole days" which is what you describe, when all the local riders could collude to set inflated prices are well and truly over, and guys like this are trying to hold onto the past.  

 

Also, these apps give an indication to a possible customer of the market price for their journey.  For a few baht more, they may still go with a rider at a stand because they are there and ready to go, but for a rip off price, they will wait a few minutes for a rider off an app.   I suspect this rider put to the passenger a rip off price. 

[richard_smith237]

This stuff has been going on from the moment the ride hailing Apps have been available.

 

Complete neanderthal thugs...  Both Taxi's and Win riders who resort to this behavior to protect their turf.

 

I recalled getting a Grab-Bike years ago...  The rider didn't want to drop me at my destination as he said it was too close to the Win-Taxi-Bike stand and he'd get attacked, so he dropped me a little further up the road. 

 

There have been numerous stories of such attacks... one of the most disgusting is when taxi drivers attacked a regular person, the Honorary Irish Consul in Phuket drove to a resort in Rawai and tried to pick up her friend and her children, local taxi drivers surrounded her car, shouted, kicked the tyres, and blocked her from leaving unless she left her friend with them as she was 'allegedly taking away their business'... 

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Phuket-Honorary-Consul-reports-violent-abuse-intimidation-taxi-drivers