Phuket tourist ordeal taxi driver pleads guilty
Naraporn Tuarob


The Chinese tourist re-enacts her abduction for police, the day after it happened.

PHUKET: -- The black taxi driver accused of abducting a young Chinese woman and driving her around the island for five hours, trying repeatedly to molest her, appeared in Phuket Provincial Court today (September 2).

Paitoon Kruain was arrested on May 20 after he was identified as the taxi driver who picked up the 19-year-old tourist two days earlier at Phuket International Airport and subjected her to a five-hour ordeal before she was rescued in Phuket Town by two women who noticed her distress.

At his initial court appearance on May 20 he pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held without bail, and the judge recommended him to get a lawyer.

Today, Paitoon initially pleaded not guilty to all four charges: abduction, sexual harassment, driving under the influence of narcotics and driving while drunk.

However, his defence lawyer requested a brief recess so that he could talk with his client. After this, Paitoon changed his plea to guilty to all four charges.

He will appear in court again in one month when he is likely to be sentenced.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tourist-ordeal-taxi-driver-pleads-guilty-41684.php


-- Phuket News 2013-09-02

He will appear in court again in one month when he is likely to be sentenced.

Unlike many others ..... unfortunately.

They will kill the goose,! Only china for T.A.T. for now

Did I just hear sound of weathervane while it moved to a new position? Sounds like the taxi drivers are not above the law anymore. At least not always.

Did I just hear sound of weathervane while it moved to a new position? Sounds like the taxi drivers are not above the law anymore. At least not always.

Token gesture with the DSI around and all........

Wasn't this guy an illegal black taxi plate driver also which bodes well for the " we're cracking down on illegal taxis" government brigade?

Let's wait another month to see what the Thai judge (in his infinite wisdom and being completely impartial) will pass as a sentence

I am curious

They will kill the goose,! Only china for T.A.T. for now

Translation please?

.......'ordeal'.......kidnapping and assault.....

More bad news for the tourist industry

One down, perhaps... Now just a few more thousand to go...

There's a fair chance they might actually hammer this guy. If...he isn't doesn't have someone to protect him. A human sacrifice wouldn't hurt the PR picture and 19 year old taxi drivers are a dime a dozen.

Couple of off topic posts removed.

Walk a mile for that vertical smile, whats stupid is 5 hours to realize you taint getting anything. His action awaits.

"The black taxi driver.......". I don't see what race has to do with this story .

There's a fair chance they might actually hammer this guy. If...he isn't doesn't have someone to protect him. A human sacrifice wouldn't hurt the PR picture and 19 year old taxi drivers are a dime a dozen.

Did you get additional information from another source? I have looked twice to find the information that the taxi driver was 19 years old. The victim was cited as being 19 years old, but not good old "dime a dozen."

More bad news for the tourist industry

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

More bad news for the tourist industry

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

The fact he was arrested, charged and will be sentenced is of little consquence to potential tourists who would rather see the prevention of crime here, than the arrest of the criminals after the crime has been committed.

More bad news for the tourist industry

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

<snip>

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

More bad news for the tourist industry

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

<snip>

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

Ask the victim....

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

<snip>

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

Ask the victim....

The victim will probably be satisfied he has admitted guilt.

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

<snip>

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

Ask the victim....

The victim will probably be satisfied he has admitted guilt.

Her being happy [if she is] has nothing at all to do with as NKM said...Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

So you really think that a guilty plea will undo all the wrongs done to her and she can be ''satisfied'?

You edited ''happy to satisfied'' whilst i was posting...but still the same end result!!

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

Ask the victim....

The victim will probably be satisfied he has admitted guilt.

<snip> So you really think that a guilty plea will undo all the wrongs done to her and she can be ''satisfied'? <snip>

No, and I also never said or implied that.

More bad news for the tourist industry

Huh? A guy commits a crime, gets apprehended, admits guilt so will get convicted. How is it bad news when the admits and gets convicted?

Maybe because it's yet just another serious crime reported against a tourist here that has made the media, thus creating even more negative publicity for Phuket.

<snip>

That was in May. The news is: he pleads guilty, what is bad in that?

In itself, that good news. However, the "transport issue" here continues to be a blight on the tourism industry for Phuket. It needs a major overhaul and clean-up, as we all know.

I think that's what lee b was getting at.

It's just possible that if criminals were not in control of the transport industry here, and working within the transport indusrty here, perhaps this crime may not have occurred in the first place and there would have been a happy tourist, instead of a traumatised tourist.