UPDATE: Patong Police later reported that the ’green-plate’ taxi driver ’Mr Udom’ and the driver of the app taxi (not named in police reports) had both come to Patong Police Station and resolved ’the situation’.
"They discussed the cause of the issue and the posts on social media that created a bad image for the tourist city. The parties involved were able to talk and understand each other and apologized for what happened. Agree to delete the post," Patong Police reported.
The investigation followed a video posted on social media showing the green-plate taxi, an Isuzu Mu-7, follow the Grab taxi driver while honking his horn and flashing his lights, as if signalling the Grab taxi driver to stop.
Fearful for his safety, the Grab taxi driver did not stop. The post with the video accused the driver of the Isuzu car of being “taxi mafia”.
The video posted quickly gained traction online, and was shared across many local social media channels, prompting comments calling for police to take action against the taxi mafia in Patong.
Patong Traffic Police Chief Pol Lt Col Chamnan Sapsin at 9am today (Aug 6) questioned the driver of the Isuzu Mu-7 car, Patong Police noted in their own post online. The post named the driver only as ‘Mr Udom’.
Mr Udom told police that he had picked up five passengers from near Soi Paradise and was en route to Sugar Marina Heart Hotel in Karon.
He said that he only honked and signalled his lights to request overtaking the taxi. He said there was no chase involved, as he did not know the taxi driver, had never seen him before, and had no prior interaction with him.
He also said he was unaware of the Grab taxi driver’s intentions regarding picking up customers.
Police said they were continuing their investigation and were looking to question the driver of the Grab taxi.
The post by Patong Police made no mention of confirming whether or not Mr Udom had any passengers in his taxi at the time of the harassment.
By denying he was following the Grab taxi, Mr Udom avoided any explanation of why he was doing so, as plainly shown in the video.
According to Mr Udom’s testimony to police, the entire incident was just a coincidence.