Kamala Police Chief Pol Col Somsak Thongkliang confirmed the charges against the two men through a statement issued yesterday (Apr 12).
Police will also request that the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) revoke the driver’s licences “so this type of incident will not happen again”, Pol Col Somsak said.
The incident was recorded on CCTV and on video recorded by bystanders and by the app taxi driver himself, Phumsin Thong Nuea-ngam, 34.
The videos are now circulating on local social media channels, with many people expressing concerns for the incident’s impact on Phuket’s tourism image.
The two men ‒ named by police only as ‘Mr Piyatat’, 42, and ‘Mr Kittisak’, 66 ‒ are seen preventing the taxi from leaving the area. The taxi was stopped in the middle of the road, with cars slowing down in order to pass on either side.
One of the men is seen slapping the driver’s window and shouting for Mr Phumsin to get out of the car. Mr Phumsin refuses, saying he has tourists in the car that he just picked up and needed to take them on their journey.
The men continue their shouts at Mr Phumsin. The larger of the two men slaps the windscreen and moves to the front of the taxi to prevent it from leaving.
He then walks around to the side of the car and tries to open the front passenger door. Unable to open the door, the man smask the window. He then walks to the back of the taxi and smashes a hole in the back window.
Mr Phumisin later explained that he did not unlock the doors because he feared for his safety.
In the video recorded by Mr Phumsin, the tourists can be heard shouting at him to go: ‘Just drive!’. When the back window is smashed, the woman tourist in the back of the taxi screams in fear. Thankfully, the tourists suffered no injuries in the incident.
When police arrived at the scene, after Mr Phumsin reported the incident, officers found both Piyatat and Kittapas waiting.
They said they just wanted to talk with the driver, but the driver refused, which made them angry, thus in their minds causing the incident, Pol Col Somsak explained in his statement.
“Talks will be held with transportation officials to determine clear pick-up and drop-off points for passengers, including public hire vehicles and cars for hire through electronic systems,” Pol Col Somsak said.