Phuket taxi busted gambling online while driving

In a tough economy, it’s not unusual for people to work two jobs to make ends meet, sometimes even overlapping and working both at the same time. But a van driver in Phuket learned that the two jobs that don’t mix are driving a taxi while gambling online.

The Phuket van driver received a 2,000 baht fine and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days after being caught gambling online while driving. A video was posted online which showed the driver using his mobile phone while driving from Phuket Town to Patong. Passengers in the van at the time the video was shot feared they would be involved in an accident.

The post went viral, saying they almost crashed many times. This caught the eye of local police who took action to suspend the taxi driver. The Head of the Policy Division at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), called the driver to present himself at the PLTO for a hearing.

The driver admitted that he played the game on his phone “for only a moment” and hung up. He was driving from Ratsada Pier to Patong at around 7pm, with seven passengers in the van.

He claimed that he did not know he was being recorded and that it was his first time playing online slots while driving. He cautioned others to not make the same mistake he did.

“I would like to remind people not to play on their phones while driving because it will have a bad effect. I have to look for a new job for a while now.”

At the hearing, the division leader at first seemed to side with the driver, showing that the video did not actually show him gambling online while driving. However, that support was short-lived, as using a mobile phone while driving is an offence in Thailand, and it is punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 baht.

“After today, he cannot drive for 90 days, and after that, he must come back to the PLTO for training to get his driver’s licence points back. The PLTO would like to advise drivers of all types to strictly follow the law. Now tourists are coming in, please help maintain a good image for Phuket and Thailand in terms of service and driving etiquette.

“This is something that I would like to recommend to everyone, whether they drive a private car or a taxi ‒ to strictly follow the law.”