The dispute was first brought the Phuket Tourist Police’s attention on Nov 18, when Thalang Police reported to them that a Russian man wanted to file charges against a motorbike rental shop employee for confiscating the key to his motorbike, a grey-black Honda CBR 250R.
Tourist Police at Phuket international Airport together with officers from the Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) joined police investigating the report to act as interpreters for the Russian man, who police described as a tourist, explained the Phuket Tourist Police in a post online last week.
In interviewing witnesses, police learned that the Russian man’s friend had borrowed his Honda CBR to go to a motorbike shop at 5pm on Nov 18.
The friend took one of the rental shop’s motorbikes for a test drive, but had a small accident, which he blamed on the shop motorbike having faulty brakes.
The shop staff demanded that the Russian man’s friend pay B5,000 for damages to the motorbike, while the friend demanded B1,500 in compensation as he had suffered minor injuries in the accident and needed to receive, and pay for, treatment at Thalang Hospital.
Unable to come to an agreement, the shop staff seized the key to the Honda CBR, leading to the Russian man filing his complaint with Thalang Police.
Officers from Thalang Police investigating the dispute discovered that the Russian man did not have the green registration book to confirm he was registered as the owner of the Honda CBR, saying that it had been lost.
Police also discovered that the Russian man had no receipt of sale confirming that he had bought the motorbike, and that road tax on the Honda CBR had not been paid since 2018.
Officers advised the Russian man to first have his name registered as the owner of the motorbike, recorded in a green registration book, with the Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office (PLTO).
He was also advised that once he had the proper documents to come back to confirm with police his ownership of the bike. Only then could they assist with negotiating a settlement with the motorbike rental shop.
Of note, the two motorbikes ‒ the Honda CBR and the rental shop motorbike involved in the small accident ‒ were both taken to Thalang Police Station, where they will remain until the dispute, and ownership issues, have been settled.