Deaf, mute Grab driver tangled in sexual assault claims after ride goes awry

Photo via Hone Krasae

A deaf, mute Thai Grab driver is seeking justice after a passenger accused him of attempted sexual assault due to a misunderstanding during a trip in Bangkok on Tuesday night.

The Grab driver’s 70 year old mother, Thongmuan, visited Huay Kwang Police Station yesterday, October 9, to seek justice for her son. The misunderstanding led to her son being charged with causing another person to feel fear or shock, which could result in imprisonment for up to one month, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.

Advertisements

On the day of the incident, October 8, Thongmuan’s son provided a service to a female passenger at around 4am. He picked her up in the Sukhumvit area, with the destination set for Soi Vibhavadi 60.

The Grab driver reportedly took a wrong turn at the Thailand Cultural Centre-Tiam Ruammit intersection along Rama 9 Road, which forced him to change the route and head towards Huay Kwang Tunnel.

Related news

While travelling through the tunnel, the passenger tapped his shoulder and asked him to stop. He complied and then drove back home.

Unexpectedly, Thongmuan received a call from the police that day, informing her that the female passenger filed a complaint against her son, accusing him of driving off the route displayed in the application. The woman claimed he was trying to take her to another location for a sexual assault and that he did not respond to her questions.

The Grab driver was unable to respond to the woman because he has hearing and speech impairments, a fact that is usually displayed in the booking details on the app.

Advertisements

According to Thongmuan, her son works full-time at a hotel in Soi Sukhumvit 11 and part-time as a Grab driver to support her and 14 other family members. Following the charge, her son was stressed and shocked.

The Grab driver communicated via sign language that he smelled alcohol on the woman but did not know if she was drunk. He was puzzled as to why the passenger stopped mid-journey but could not ask her.

The Superintendent of Huay Kwang Police Station, Prasopchok Iam-pinit, promised to ensure justice for both parties. Officers will review security camera footage along the route to determine the truth in the case.

Bangkok NewsCrime NewsThailand News

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

Related Articles

Check Also
Close