Bangkok taxi driver slashes passenger on face in fare dispute (video)
A Thai taxi driver claimed self-defence after slashing a male passenger’s face on the roadside in the Silom neighbourhood of Bangkok on Friday, January 10.
A witness shared a video of the incident near Silom Soi 6 in Bangkok at about 1am on Friday on his Up Dol Facebook account. The video showed the witness intervening in the argument between the taxi driver and a group of passengers and onlookers.
The victim, 32 year old Yotsaphon, was seen standing next to the yellow taxi with a bloody wound on his face. Witnesses and the victim’s friends pulled the driver out of the vehicle. The friends, enraged, attempted to attack the driver, while he tried to flee the scene.
The woman recording the video was heard urging nearby witnesses to call the police. However, most of the bystanders appeared shocked by the incident and reluctant to get involved.
The Up Dol Facebook account later provided an update stating that Yotsaphon required 32 stitches for a long cut on his face.
Yotsaphon subsequently gave an interview to Channel 3, explaining that he and three friends had been dining and exchanging gifts at a restaurant in the Silom area. They later hailed a taxi to travel to his friend’s home in the Ekkamai neighbourhood.
Greedy taxi problem
The taxi driver in the video agreed to take them but demanded 200 baht for the trip instead of using the meter. Yotsaphon admitted he became angry at the driver’s attempt to overcharge them, prompting him to slam the car door shut.
The driver reportedly became furious, exited the vehicle with a kitchen knife, and began wielding it. During the commotion, the knife cut Yotsaphon’s face. Yotsaphon admitted he lost his composure and retaliated, attacking the driver, before food delivery riders and other witnesses intervened.
Yotsaphon stated he spent 20,000 baht on treatment and had to pay 1,000 baht daily for wound cleaning. He urged the relevant government departments to address the issue of overcharging by taxi drivers.
Yotsaphon pointed out that they chose public transport after drinking alcohol to avoid drunk driving and accidents and should not have been subjected to such violence.
Officers from Tung Mahamek Police Station told Channel 3 that both parties filed complaints against each other. The driver alleged that Yotsaphon and his friends assaulted him first, forcing him to use the knife in self-defence.
The police have yet to press charges against either party and are awaiting medical certificates from both sides before making a decision.
Latest Thailand News
