British man punches tuk tuk taxi driver after crash in Patong

There’s been another late-night conflict in Patong.

A British man punched a tuk tuk taxi driver in Patong following a crash late on Tuesday night. The incident occurred after a group of foreign motorbike riders, including the suspect, crashed into a parked tuk tuk taxi.

The tuk tuk taxi driver, Armin Longklang, demanded compensation for the damage caused to his vehicle. A verbal altercation ensued. The two parties debated the incident and the cost of the damage. Suddenly, the suspect got off his motorbike and punched the taxi driver in the head several times. He and his friends then dashed off on their motorbikes. Armin filed a report to Patong Police after the incident.

A video of the incident on social media shows a crowd of people gathering when a motorbike rider in a black shirt gets off his motorbike to punch the victim before fleeing the scene. Witnesses can be seen trying to stop the attacker from getting away.

Patong Police identified the suspect as Hoban Jack Mark Paul, a British national from Manchester, The Phuket Express reported. Paul was on vacation in the island province.

Officers found Paul in front of his hotel in Kata. He initially tried to make a run for it, however, but was eventually caught and taken into custody. The taxi driver, Armin, confirmed that Paul was the one who punched him.

As of press time, Paul remained in custody with multiple charges, including assault and resisting arrest.

This news comes after another altercation between a foreign man and a Phuket cab driver was reported on the very same night.

The taxi driver had parked his car and was waiting for customers. A foreign motorbike rider stopped his bike in front of the taxi, prompting the driver to honk his horn and ask the rider to move out of the way. The rider became angry and allegedly gave him the middle finger before hitting the taxi’s window with his hand. The rider’s motorbike also reportedly collided with the right door of the taxi, causing damage.