Phudit Sa-atphan, a legally registered metered taxi driver, has since posted online calls for police to step up their efforts after he filed a complaint with Cherng Talay Police on Feb 8.
The incident happened at Boat Avenue at about 10:30pm, Mr Phudit said in his original complaint.
He was driving by when two foreigners inside the Boat Avenue area waved him to come and pick them up. He did so, and they asked him to drop them off in the Laguna area.
However, as he tried to exit the Boat Avenue area, two men from a nearby taxi queue approached him on motorbikes and questioned why ‒ and what right he had ‒ to pick up passengers at Boat Avenue.
The threats ensued, and were recorded on video, which were later posted online.
Fearing for his safety, immediately after the incident, Mr Phudit drove to Cherng Talay Police Station and reported the incident. The complaint is marked as received by Pol Lt Khajornkiat Khamwichairat.
In his post calling for justice, Mr Phudit said, “If I’m wrong, I apologise. But you shouldn’t have threatened to shoot me. I’m old, almost 60 years old. If you push me, I’ll fall.”
Mr Phudit said he had not been informed of any progress in the case.
Responding to a slew of questions posted online asking why Cherng Talay Police had failed to take any action against the taxi drivers in front of Boat Avenue, Cherng Talay Police Chief Pol Col Wiraphong Rakkhito yesterday (Feb 23) said that his officers had identified the two suspects as Preecha ‘Kim’ Leo-in and Somsak ‘Games’ Taveesin.
Officers are now working to locate the pair and bring them in for questioning as part of the ongoing legal proceedings, Pol Col Wiraphong said.
Pol Col Wiraphong gave no explanation in Cherng Talay Police’s failure to be able to track the men down.
Of note, he also did not refer to the two suspects as Phuket taxi drivers.