Phuket turf war: Diary of slain tuk-tuk boss lifts veil on Patong’s transport mafia 

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

 

PHUKET: Police have presented the personal diary of Sakol Sompotch, the 58-year-old President of the Patong Tuk-Tuk Club who was murdered last week, as a vital piece of evidence in their bringing his alleged killers to justice.

 

The diary details the ongoing conflict Mr Sakol had with Wattana “Dam” Nawakeaw, 38, who heads the “KT Tuk Tuk – Taxi Service” group. Wattana now faces charges of conspiracy to murder Mr Sakol.

 

The KT group is legally allocated by the government to operate in Kata and Karon. They may take passengers elsewhere on the island, but may not pick up passengers outside of their legal “patch”.

 

However, Mr Wattana and his cadre of tuk-tuk drivers had carved out territory of their own in the heart of Patong. They had done so illegally, and for more than two years after the military led a police crackdown on Phuket’s powerful transport mafia.

 

Mr Sakol was slain in the early hours of Tuesday last week (Oct 25), when he was shot four times as his attackers opened fire at the cab of his tuk-tuk at close range. The assassination took place in front of the Phuket Villa housing complex on Phra Phuket Kaew Rd in Kathu just before 3am. (See story here.)

 

Police moved quickly in making two arrests. Wattana “Dam” Nawakeaw, 38, and a 17-year-old male who police named only as “Thong” were taken into custody last Friday (Oct 28) after warrants for their arrest were issued earlier that day. (See story here.)

 

Both have been charged with conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to illegally obtain a firearm, and conspiracy to bring a firearm into a public area without permission.

 

Wattana denied the charges, but Thong confessed to his role in the slaying, Kathu Police Deputy Chief Investigator Lt Col Amponwat Seangreung told The Phuket News.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-turf-war-diary-of-slain-tuk-tuk-boss-lifts-veil-on-patong-transport-mafia-59751.php#ulOm0eI4vLd2LfEf.97

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-11-06

Pretty much all of the tuk tuk drivers, to the man, are an utter disgrace.

They display unbelievable arrogance not only when driving somewhere, but also at the point of sale (fare negotiation - or lack thereof), and also when going about their daily bidding.

A plastic mafia for sure (seen in the latest altercation where 4 of them attack a solitary russian with sticks) But the authorities' approach to their standover type tactics just continues to embolden them.

 

They're one of the reasons i avoid spending time or money in phuket

These KT tuk tuk guys from Kata Karon are really not nice people.  Seems they want to bring their surliness to Patong, must be a shed ton of money to be had in Patong for them to carry out this hit.

Conspiracy to murder ,what about the actual murder

Probably couldn't have happened to a "nicer" guy...maybe some karma for all the beatings meted out by his "club members" to tourists and others over the years.

Edited November 6, 20169 yr by OMGImInPattaya

There's a lot of arrogant Tuk Tuk drivers  in Bangkok between Central World and Sukhumvit soi 20. I prefer to use a taxi at half the price. But they are all not bad. I left my phone in a tuk tuk last year near Din Daeng. On realising I'd left it I phoned my number on my friend's phone. He came back with the phone. I gave him 1000 baht. Win win situation

1 minute ago, Ratcher said:

There's a lot of arrogant Tuk Tuk drivers  in Bangkok between Central World and Sukhumvit soi 20. I prefer to use a taxi at half the price. But they are all not bad. I left my phone in a tuk tuk last year near Din Daeng. On realising I'd left it I phoned my number on my friend's phone. He came back with the phone. I gave him 1000 baht. Win win situation

Probably knew you could brick it, so better to wait for the call than have a useless paperweight . 

I was in Phuket last year and I will never return there as they think they own all the parking on the roads around Kata and Patong they are all thugs and think they are above the Law, they need to kill more of the pricks.

1 hour ago, whatproblem said:

Conspiracy to murder ,what about the actual murder

Lets see ...... maybe that will be for the person who did the killing, when/if they have evidence to charge some one ???? 

57 minutes ago, bokningar said:

Lets see ...... maybe that will be for the person who did the killing, when/if they have evidence to charge some one ???? 

But one of them admitted to taking part in the murder therefore he should be charged with murder 

43 minutes ago, whatproblem said:

But one of them admitted to taking part in the murder therefore he should be charged with murder 

Yes he confess to his part in it all, but article is not saying what his part was. If he confessed to murder I would guess that that should have been charged with. So for now we don't know a whole lot.

In many countries you don't get charged with murder unless you actually did the killing.

Driving or bringing the gun is not the same as pulling the trigger. Not sure how this works in Thailand. So I leave that to some one who know more about it 

10 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Probably couldn't have happened to a "nicer" guy...maybe some karma for all the beatings meted out by his "club members" to tourists and others over the years.

 

 

Not to mention all those who have died on the roads on Phuket, due to their monopoly pricing.

11 hours ago, steelepulse said:

These KT tuk tuk guys from Kata Karon are really not nice people.  Seems they want to bring their surliness to Patong, must be a shed ton of money to be had in Patong for them to carry out this hit.

 

"must be a shed ton of money to be had in Patong for them to carry out this hit." - or, times are getting tough here.

 

They could have made their move in more lucrative times, but this conflict happens now..

 

I'm thinking there is competition for every fare, anywhere now, and many can't financially afford to play by the old rules, when the times were good here.

 

Edited November 6, 20169 yr by NamKangMan

not many places in Patong that are not a short walk,.    anything more,   get a taxi ( private)

43 minutes ago, surangw said:

not many places in Patong that are not a short walk,.    anything more,   get a taxi ( private)

 

 

"get a taxi ( private)" - why should the taxis here be "private?" 

 

Phuket is advertised to the world as "A World Class Tourist Destination."  If so, where are the metered taxis????

 

They exist in Thailand, just not on Phuket.

 

Here's some photos of them.

 

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=bangkok+taxi+images&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju2_ChwpTQAhVHvRQKHev2BLwQsAQIGg

Ok, so who ordered the hit?

47 minutes ago, Katipo said:

Ok, so who ordered the hit?

 

Doubt we will ever know as he will have the money to stay off the radar.

tsk tsk.

6 hours ago, Katipo said:

Ok, so who ordered the hit?

 

5 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Doubt we will ever know as he will have the money to stay off the radar.

 

I think the likely sicario "Thong" will take the fall while the kingpin is still at large. 

22 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Doubt we will ever know as he will have the money to stay off the radar.

 

You are almost certainly correct. It is however, the only real question that matters. So once again the little fish goes down and the big fish swims free to do as he pleases again and again.

On 06/11/2016 at 5:19 PM, Stewy58 said:

I was in Phuket last year and I will never return there as they think they own all the parking on the roads around Kata and Patong they are all thugs and think they are above the Law, they need to kill more of the pricks.

 

The answer is to apply the law - so these people find out they're not above it.

 

However, to think that applying the law is gonna happen is like thinking pigs can fly . . .

I don't think anyone will shed a tear over one less of these scamming lowlives in Phuket!

On 09/11/2016 at 0:42 PM, bheard said:

 

The answer is to apply the law - so these people find out they're not above it.

 

However, to think that applying the law is gonna happen is like thinking pigs can fly . . .

 

 

"The answer is to "apply the law" - these people ARE the law. 

 

Whenever "the law" is applied to them, they blockade etc, hence, no enforcement of the law against them.  

Edited November 10, 20169 yr by NamKangMan