Thai taxi rider seeks justice after being banned for rejecting passenger’s sexual advances
Victim claims company ignores rider's dignity and sides with abusive passenger
A Thai motorcycle taxi rider is seeking justice after his ride-hailing app account was suspended for cancelling a service mid-journey, following sexual harassment by a male passenger during the ride.
According to the rules of most ride-hailing platforms, each driver or rider must take passengers safely to their destinations. If a service is cancelled without reasonable cause or receives a negative complaint from a user, the account may be suspended or revoked.
The 33 year old rider, Nitiaut, contacted the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive yesterday, saying his account was removed from the system even though he had done nothing wrong. He claimed the passenger was the one at fault.
Nitiaut explained that the incident occurred around 7.20pm on October 28. A male passenger booked his service via the app, requesting a ride from the bus stop in front of Thammasat University to the Charansanitwong area.
While driving, the passenger allegedly wrapped both arms around him and touched him near his crotch. The rider said he pushed the passenger’s hands away, but the man repeated the act a few minutes later.
Nitiaut said he told the passenger to hold on to the rear handle of the motorcycle instead. At first, the passenger complied, but soon after, he allegedly began hugging and touching him again.
Nitiaut then stopped the motorcycle and asked the passenger to get off. He cancelled the service and later filed a police report, submitting a video showing a heated argument with the passenger as evidence.
However, the passenger reportedly filed a complaint through the application, claiming that Nitiaut failed to take him to his destination. The company then suspended Nitiaut’s account, leaving him unable to work.
The rider said the company’s decision was unfair. He argued that riders deserve dignity and protection, and should have the right to cancel rides in order to protect themselves from sexual harassment.
“We are human beings, not objects that passengers can touch just because they pay for a ride. The company should stand by its riders, not punish them,” said Nitiaut.
The founder of Saimai Survive, Ekkaphop Luangprasert, promised to help Nitiaut seek justice and warned passengers that harassing riders could result in up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both.
This was not the first case of a perverted passenger targeting a motorcycle taxi rider. Last week, a female rider shared her story after narrowly escaping an attempted rape by a male passenger in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang area. She said she was lucky that motorists nearby saw the suspicious behaviour and came to her aid.
In another case in August, a male taxi rider was sexually harassed by a male passenger. He later shared a video on TikTok showing the passenger touching his private parts, aiming to expose the suspect and warn other riders.
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