Crazy Tuk Tuk Tries To Run Me Off The Road.

[ScubaBuddha]

Yesterday as I was driving in from Chalong to Rawaii/Naiharn, I was in a que behind 2 or 3 other cars waiting to turn right from Visit rd. (4024) onto Saiyuan Rd at the 7-11 when a tuk tuk came up the que's right side on the wrong side of the road, attempting to bypass the que to get to Saiyuan.

The oncoming traffic was clearing and the cue proceeded to make the turn. As we all make the turn onto SaiYuan, Mr. tuk tuk is on still on my right side a bit ahead of me, and still on the wrong side of the road. Now there appears a large construction truck coming straight at him in the opposite lane. Neither the car in front of me nor myself allowed the tuk tuk driver to force us on to the shoulder, so he was forced to either stop in the oncoming lane or drive head-on into the big truck.

As soon as the truck passed, the tuk tuk overtook me, then swerved into my right front fender forcing me to either crash into him, or swerve quickly to the left and onto the shoulder. It looked as though he missed me by a few centimeters. I give him a lengthy honk. He then stopped his tuk tuk in the road in front of me, so I try to go around, but he swerves to the right blocking my path and stops again. This goes on for a little while, but he never gets out of the tuk tuk. He clearly has decided to hold me hostage there as punishment for not allowing him to cut me off earlier. I finally get enough room to blast around him on the right as I give him I one fingered wave. (I regret that bit)

Now he is chasing me through Rawaii. It's at this point that I recall the many reports of tuk tuk drivers brandishing guns or other weapons when they have a disagreement with a foreigner so I do my best get a ways ahead of him before turning into my mates gated community and alert the security staff, whom I know, that a crazy tuk tuk driver is chasing me. The agonizingly slow security gate finally opens enough for me to get in as the tuk tuk driver spots me and stops his tuk tuk on the road behind me. I drive though the gate hoping it closes quickly, and that was the last I saw of the tuk tuk. I did take notice of his license plate, but in the heat of the confrontation it didn't stick, otherwise I would try to make a complaint.

[Slaps]

Good idea to take him to your mates house and not yours

[katabeachbum]

unfortunately he took notice of your lisence plate as well. hope your still on redplates Scuba.

My mum and dad are here for a few weeks, so I have been driving car around Kata every day. Frequently park on the public Tessabaan parking where the tuk tuk seems to enjoy beating up farang parking cars. No response so far though

[stevenl]

Tolerance on the road comes from both ways. Sometimes you just have to accept some asocial behaviour.

[chiang mai]

Probably not a great idea to give him the salute, especially given that you live here but you already know that.

On a related point: I posted in a separate thread about tuk tuk's that despite living here for some years I had never been told by the tuk tuk clan that I couldn't park in a particular spot. I spoke too soon because today I was warned off and it was very frustrating. Coming back from the gym today I was driving through Karon and decided to stop at the pharmacy before going home.

As usual all the parking spots were taken by taxi's and tuk tuk' but at the end of the high street there's a space next to some motorbikes. No sooner have I parked when a man starts telling me I can't park there so I ignore him and get out of the car - I explain that I'm going to the pharmacy just a few steps away and that I'll only be two minutes, OK he says.

I had taken only two steps towards the pharmacy when a middle aged female approached and said, "not so fast, you can't park there". I explain once again that I'm going to the nearby pharmacy but she's really not interested and insists that I move and didn't I understand that this was a their place of work - I asked her if she understood that I was going to spend some money in a local business and that it would only take a matter of minutes. Water off a ducks back, logic was clearly not going to prevail as she stood her ground and became quite agitated. I figured I had two choices, call her bluff and likely end up with a scratch down the side of my CRV or leave, I left, feeling kinda sorry for the local businesses who get hurt because of this sort of thing.

[katasyd]

You are pushing your luck giving him the finger.

I just ignore them like they don't exist if they ask me something as i walk down the road, not worth a glance or a second of my time.

They get the message.

[mikebike]

Agree with Stevenl... takes two to tango and escalate a situation...

[ScubaBuddha]

Yeah I admitted flipping him off was a bad idea, but I was so fuc_king pissed at this guy that I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I was kinda wishing I had taken up my friends offer to get me a gun in case this guy really decided some payback was in order.

I do still have the red plates, but the black numbers are mostly scratched off. The main issue is there is I have unique identifiable stickers on the back of the car. I'm not going to worry about it.

Chaingmai, you got a CRV? That new? You think you had a car last time I saw you.

I have been told to move my car 2 or 3 times over the years, and that's not counting the times that there was a sign, but I just didn't see it. A couple times I did the same as you CM and convinced the guy with some Thai words and a smile that I would be just song natee.

Edited January 10, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[KarenBravo]

I was kinda wishing I had taken up my friends offer to get me a gun in case this guy really decided some payback was in order.

Owning a gun is fine, as long as it does not leave your property.

If you even showed your gun off property, the book would be thrown at you. Tell your mate he is giving outrageously bad advice.

I recommend a base-ball bat on the back seat.

[ScubaBuddha]

I was kinda wishing I had taken up my friends offer to get me a gun in case this guy really decided some payback was in order.

Owning a gun is fine, as long as it does not leave your property.

If you even showed your gun off property, the book would be thrown at you. Tell your mate he is giving outrageously bad advice.

I recommend a base-ball bat on the back seat.

They don't have jury's here, but I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

[dmax]

happens here in pattaya almost everyday, wouldnt worry too much

[katabeachbum]

Owning a gun is fine, as long as it does not leave your property.

having a lisenced gun, you are allowed to bring it from registered tabien baan to shooting range and back in a car. This was obviusly on the way to the shooting range

[LivinginKata]

I left, feeling kinda sorry for the local businesses who get hurt because of this sort of thing.

I used to eat out regularily in Karon, but it's so hard to park that I've given up going there. Even the main steet in Kata is almost impossible to find a parking space these day, and not because of Tuk Tuks.

Getting back to the OT, I have long time ago learned not to take on the Tuk Tuks. I just let them get by as quickly as possible. I've had far too many incidents along Nanai Road in my earlier years here. Been chased, had gun pointed at me, just not worth the hassle, and no point in making a police complaint.

[happyinkathu]

I was kinda wishing I had taken up my friends offer to get me a gun in case this guy really decided some payback was in order.

Owning a gun is fine, as long as it does not leave your property.

If you even showed your gun off property, the book would be thrown at you. Tell your mate he is giving outrageously bad advice.

I recommend a base-ball bat on the back seat.

You don't also think that presenting a baseball bat is also not outragiously bad advise?

Come on guys..every country in the world has ,what they call ROAD RAGE...And if you flip someone in AUS you will get the bashing!!

You should consider yourself extremely lucky that you didn't receive the bash this time.

The tuk-tuk was breaking the law..thats his problem, why antagonise things.You are not the police are you?

All you guys wanting guns and carrying baseball bats have really lost the plot.Try it in your own country...doomed to failure ,same as here.FACT; you produce a weapon of any type..you are going to have to use it! Then what ,heroes? IMO you watch too many movies, not the same in reality boys!

What are you going to do? Shoot or bat a crazy man because he upset you in the traffic..hope you enjoy prison food, or more likely providing fertiliser for the Daiseys. Jai yen-yen chaps

[Briggsy]

Another story confirming my decision to no longer visit Phuket.

[katabeachbum]

You don't also think that presenting a baseball bat is also not outragiously bad advise?

Come on guys..every country in the world has ,what they call ROAD RAGE...And if you flip someone in AUS you will get the bashing!!

You should consider yourself extremely lucky that you didn't receive the bash this time.

The tuk-tuk was breaking the law..thats his problem, why antagonise things.You are not the police are you?

All you guys wanting guns and carrying baseball bats have really lost the plot.Try it in your own country...doomed to failure ,same as here.FACT; you produce a weapon of any type..you are going to have to use it! Then what ,heroes? IMO you watch too many movies, not the same in reality boys!

What are you going to do? Shoot or bat a crazy man because he upset you in the traffic..hope you enjoy prison food, or more likely providing fertiliser for the Daiseys. Jai yen-yen chaps

shooting is for self defence or those trespassing only. we cant waist bullets on others, besides it could be illegal

[neverdie]

Agreed that ignoring these @ssholz is normally the best way of dealing with them, although at times that is easier said than done.

[salty]

It is bad and annoying enough observing these morons anywhere but Phuket is appaling by all accounts. These bastards will never get any of my money.

[KarenBravo]

You don't also think that presenting a baseball bat is also not outragiously bad advise?

All you guys wanting guns and carrying baseball bats have really lost the plot.

I bet the French guy who had his arm broken wished he had a base-ball bat to hand.

Maybe if you show that you are able to defend yourself, these cowardly tuk-tuk drivers would think twice about using violence.

[LivinginKata]

Maybe if you show that you are able to defend yourself, these cowardly tuk-tuk drivers would think twice about using violence.

I very much doubt that, would just make them use even more violence. They do have the numbers advantage, not to mention the BIB in their pockets.

I don't have a solution other than hope (dream) that tourist stop using Tuk Tuks. Never happen. I still have my recurring vision of driving a military tank down Patong beach road squashing all the Tuk Tuks. I dream on ...

[geriatrickid]

Next time let him get flattened by an oncoming truck. The tuk tuk is no match for anything and you can't be blamed if he is driving illegally.

[KarenBravo]

If I knew I was going to take a beating, I would want the satisfation that I could cause some damage before I was overwhelmed, but hey.......that's just me.

[tb86]

off topic, we were scraped by a tuk tuk several months ago, the guy tried to run, but the wife lost her temper and gave the tuk tuk a nice gental nudge to the curb, about a hour sitting out front of lumpini police station, tuk tuk driver in tears, no money from us, broken front end for him, bit of a scratch for us, but he had already done damage, so didnt really cost anymore to have our bumper re painted... was a good day for payback, gotta love a angry thai woman, well when its not directed at me that is

[happyinkathu]

You don't also think that presenting a baseball bat is also not outragiously bad advise?

All you guys wanting guns and carrying baseball bats have really lost the plot.

I bet the French guy who had his arm broken wished he had a base-ball bat to hand.

Maybe if you show that you are able to defend yourself, these cowardly tuk-tuk drivers would think twice about using violence.

Please, use some common sense here, i figure youv been here long enough to understand better.

You stand up to one or two,as you say show that you can defend yourself, great and a quick ph.call and you have 5-6, you stand up to them[but very unlikely for Joe Average] another call then you have 7,8, 9 a hundred even! Then what? You are in a no win situation

End of story...better to ignore their presence , and get on with life....unless that is, you do have a death wish. Life is too short for this sort of bull s##%%##

As with the OP ..i bet the driver all ready has OP details from his BOSSES the good ol BIB...Take care my friend.You will forget him long before he forgets you.

[happyinkathu]

If I knew I was going to take a beating, I would want the satisfation that I could cause some damage before I was overwhelmed, but hey.......that's just me.

Yeeehhh right, the guy takes your bat and returns your compliment with 100%.

Have you ever really felt the pain of multiple fractures..i have and if you think that , that sort of pain would be overcome by the fact that you ''caused some damage'' you are in for a HUGE shock.And after the event ie for the comming 3-6 months of ops and physio you soon realise your folly.

Believe me a'' severe beating'' you have watched on cable is far, far removed from actually taking a beating in real life.

Walk away..easy!

[katabeachbum]

Please, use some common sense here, i figure youv been here long enough to understand better.

You stand up to one or two,as you say show that you can defend yourself, great and a quick ph.call and you have 5-6, you stand up to them[but very unlikely for Joe Average] another call then you have 7,8, 9 a hundred even! Then what? You are in a no win situation

End of story...better to ignore their presence , and get on with life....unless that is, you do have a death wish. Life is too short for this sort of bull s##%%##

As with the OP ..i bet the driver all ready has OP details from his BOSSES the good ol BIB...Take care my friend.You will forget him long before he forgets you.

Ops car still has red plates, cant easily be tracked by BIB, so should be safe for now

[happyinkathu]

Ops car still has red plates, cant easily be tracked by BIB, so should be safe for now

Good luck..i would be keeping a low profile for a while all the same...Its a small world..And Thai -eyes are everywhere..

[gvallee2]

Maybe if you show that you are able to defend yourself, these cowardly tuk-tuk drivers would think twice about using violence.

I very much doubt that, would just make them use even more violence. They do have the numbers advantage, not to mention the BIB in their pockets.

I don't have a solution other than hope (dream) that tourist stop using Tuk Tuks. Never happen. I still have my recurring vision of driving a military tank down Patong beach road squashing all the Tuk Tuks. I dream on ...

buy a lawn mower, send it to police station, watch them rally at the nearest green spot amazed by a machine that moves and cuts. They'll let you run over even their own building

[cotambear]

Report it to the Governor in any case. No time like the present.

[ScubaBuddha]

You don't also think that presenting a baseball bat is also not outragiously bad advise?

Come on guys..every country in the world has ,what they call ROAD RAGE...And if you flip someone in AUS you will get the bashing!!

You should consider yourself extremely lucky that you didn't receive the bash this time.

The tuk-tuk was breaking the law..thats his problem, why antagonise things.You are not the police are you?

All you guys wanting guns and carrying baseball bats have really lost the plot.Try it in your own country...doomed to failure ,same as here.FACT; you produce a weapon of any type..you are going to have to use it! Then what ,heroes? IMO you watch too many movies, not the same in reality boys!

What are you going to do? Shoot or bat a crazy man because he upset you in the traffic..hope you enjoy prison food, or more likely providing fertiliser for the Daiseys. Jai yen-yen chaps

Your the one missing the plot. It was clearly intended for self defense only.