Man accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver

A man accused a Ukrainian national in Phuket of working illegally as a taxi driver. The accuser recorded a video of a Ukrainian man, 35 year old Andril Mindalin, parking a passenger van on a side street in Patong. Four people were in the back of the van, The Phuket News reported.

The man who recorded the video accused Mindalin of working illegally as a taxi driver. However, Mindalin denied the accusation, saying the people in the back of the van were friends on holiday. Still, the accuser said he would show the video to police.

The head of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), Kornpitak Assuwan, confirmed yesterday that he had been informed of the incident, and had already investigated it.

Kornpitak said the van belonged to 39 year old Aleksei Kikhaev, one of the people filmed in the van in the video. Kornpitak said the group had driven to Phuket from Pattaya with Kikhaev behind the wheel. After reaching the island, Mindalin drove, since he had lived in Phuket before and was more familiar with the roads, Kornpitak said.

Kornpitak stated that the van is legally registered in Chon Buri as a ‘private van with more than seven seats,’ complete with blue and white license plates.

However, Mindalin was fined 1,000 baht for driving without a license, Korntipak confirmed. He noted that Mindalin was warned that if he was caught driving without a license again, he would face more serious legal consequences.

This news comes amidst tensions over accusations that foreigners are working illegally in Phuket.

Earlier this month, the Phuket Information Centre (ศูนย์ข้อมูลภูเก็ต) Facebook page accused foreigners of operating illegal businesses and working illegally in Phuket.

Phuket Information Centre Facebook page shared with its followers on Sunday, February 5, that…

“A lot of foreigners stay and work in Phuket, both legally and illegally. Recently, a group of foreigners started a car rental business. They offered both cars and minibuses and also served tourists as chauffeurs. They steal jobs from Thai people!”

In a comment, the page urged people with information on the issue to send it to the page’s admin. It said, “We together with Phuket Tourist Police will get rid of this issue.”

The Facebook post gained widespread attention on Thai social media, particularly among Phuket residents. Many shared their personal experiences of encountering illegal foreign-run businesses and claimed that these foreigners took their job opportunities.