The incident occurred at the football field intersection on Thawiwong Road in Patong just after 5:30pm when the two tourists had got into an EV taxi they had ordered via a legal app to take them to Phuket International Airport.
Shortly after they got into the cab, a motorcycle taxi pulled along side the car and the driver prevented the tourists from closing the door. The motorcycle driver then demanded the touists exit the vehicle, before the taxi driver explained they were tourists who had ordered the ride via the correct legal app and had done nothing wrong.
Unappeased, the motorcycle driver then reached into the car to grab one of the tourists phones to determine whether they had infact ordered the taxi via the correct app.
Despite several harsh words shared between the motorcycle driver and the female taxi driver, the taxi ultimately left the scene, presumably to head to the original destination of the airport. They nationality of the two tourists was not specified in police reports.
However, the dye had been cast as the incident was caught on CCTV camera inside the taxi and then shared on social media, prompting a sharp response from numerous netizens.
Many comments lambasted the ongoing aggressive and rude behaviour from taxi personnel in Patong that continued to damage the area’s image and that could deter tourists from visiting the popular nightlife destination. Several posters used the term "taxi mafia."
Others stated that in this digital era, calling a taxi with an app is more convenient than queueing and that the local authorities should consider banning traditional taxi queues in favour of the app booking process.
Patong police were prompted to act once details of the incident appeared online, with Superintendent Pol. Col. Chalermchai Hirasawat, and Deputy Superintendent Pol. Lt. Col. Wichet Suwanno managing to track down the motorcycle taxi driver, named in police reports as a Mr Jampen.
Mr Jampen was brought in for questioning yesterday morning (Nov 2), during which he admitted that he had confronted the tourists in the taxi as accused. He was also found to have been intoxicated with alcohol at the time of questioning and admitted to being so at the time of the incident.
He was then charged as follows:
1. Driving a vehicle while drunk or under the influence of other intoxicants
2. Using a vehicle that did not match the type of registration (personal motorcycle)
3. Not wearing a helmet
4. Not having a public driving license
5. Not carrying a copy of the vehicle registration manual
6. Not paying the annual tax within the specified time
Police also confirmed that they are attempting to track down the driver of the taxi involved in the incident to determine whether she wishes to file a complaint and proceed with further legal action against Mr Jampen.