Three motorbike taxi drivers shot as two ranks in the same street clash.

A violent territorial dispute now from Soi 10 off of the Pattaya Second Road involving two groups of motorbike taxi drivers which led to three taxi drivers being shot and badly injured.

The incident occurred due to an ongoing dispute between a long established taxi rank inside the Soi and a newly formed group located just 50 meters from the established rank. It was inevitable that problems would occur and on Tuesday Night the problems came to a head when a group of the long established taxi drivers approached the new rank and told the drivers they must stop working at this location because there is not enough customers to go around.

The new group objected to their approach and a fight broke out. During the fight someone produced a gun and shot at the new drivers, injuring three of them. Two of the injured are now in a serious condition. Police are on the case but the identity of the shooter remains a mystery as the taxi drivers are refusing to reveal his identity at this time.

-Pattaya City News

Wednesday 29th November 2006

YIKES !!!!

I have often used these Soi 10 riders for a lift to Jomptien Beach.

Little did I know that they carry firearms.

YIKES !!!!

I have often used these Soi 10 riders for a lift to Jomptien Beach.

Little did I know that they carry firearms.

Back to the good old days.

Yet another reason why we use our car when visitting sin city. That is really frightening, I am not naive enough to think that people don't carry guns, however short of cash the people were it doesn't justify shooting someone.

Will the shooter's name ever be revealled?

YIKES !!!!

I have often used these Soi 10 riders for a lift to Jomptien Beach.

Little did I know that they carry firearms.

Just because one of them had it for this occasion doesn't mean they carry it all the time.

These guys don't make much. Their fares are dinner on their plates.

In their view, these other guys were taking away their three squares a day.

A man's gotta eat.

I'm not condoning gun violence and there's no excuse for it.

Just saying that even otherwise normal people might do crazy things under extraordinary circumstances.

(i.e., I won't stop using motorbike taxi drivers because of this incident.)

Another thing for City Hall to sort out. I would have thought that ranks can only be set up with permission from City Hall and police agreement.

Why didn't the police lock up the whole 'rank' for aiding and abetting? And is it not possible to examine hands to find out who fired? But, I guess, the shooter was long gone before police arrived.

What a mess! Back to City Hall.

Just another thing to scare the tourists away from Pattaya and my friend, a hairdresser, not getting clients - husband long gone and 2 kids at home with Granny.

just waiting for the inevitable revenge attack that will surely happen.