Tourist Criticised for Paying Thai Rider to Pass Phuket

Tourist Criticised for Paying Thai Rider to Pass Phuket Checkpoint

A foreign tourist in Phuket has drawn online criticism after allegedly paying a Thai food delivery rider to take his rental motorcycle through a police checkpoint. The incident reportedly happened near a convenience store on Siriraj Road in Patong and was captured in a video shared on social media. The tourist used a translation app to ask the rider for help, and the rider then drove the rental motorcycle through the checkpoint with the tourist’s wife as a passenger. Online commenters questioned whether the tourist was avoiding police because of a licence issue, alcohol, illegal items, or another concern. Police had not issued a statement at the time of reporting, while the incident prompted warnings that helping tourists should not cross legal boundaries.