3 Thai transwomen attacked by group of taxi drivers near Soi Cowboy
Three Thai transwomen reported they were attacked by a gang of taxi drivers near the popular nightlife spot, Soi Cowboy, in Bangkok at 4am on Tuesday, February 28. The victims also claimed that Thong Lor Police ignored their pleas for justice because they were transgender.
One of the victims, 24 year old Watchaya, spoke to the media about the incident at Thong Lor Police Station yesterday. Watchaya revealed that the incident occurred after her friends had a dispute with a foreign man in a bar on Monday, February 27. The foreign man accused them of bumping into him while they were dancing, and even after they apologized, he continued to be aggressive toward them.
The next morning at 4am while they were about to travel home, the man waited for Watchaya’s group outside Soi Cowboy where they picked up the row again.
During the confrontation, Watchaya threw her shoes at the foreigner, but they accidentally hit a nearby taxi instead of the intended target. The owner of the taxi became angry and attacked Watchaya and her friends, with about seven of his fellow taxi drivers joining in the assault.
One of Watchaya’s friends lost consciousness during the attack. A witness came to their aid and helped transport the victim to the hospital.
Watchaya said that she and her friends were willing to compensate the taxi driver for any damages caused by her shoes but the driver and his friends continued to attack them. The victims claimed that Thong Lor Police ignored their case because they were part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Thai influencer, Gunnarat “Gun” Pongpaiboonwate, also known as Gun Jompalan, assisted the group in processing and following up on the case with the Thong Lor Police officers. Gun said…
“I would like to leave a message for the perpetrators that the ladyboys might have physical male bodies or used to be men, but their hearts and minds are the same as women. Attacking transwomen is the same as attacking women. The abusive act is not the solution to any issues.”
The violent actions of Thai taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi riders have been reported several times. There was a report of a Bangkok taxi driver who punched a female passenger in the face because she asked him to go faster.
Another male passenger was stabbed by a taxi driver during an argument over a journey’s distance. Furthermore, there have also been frequent reports of thefts involving taxi drivers and app-based ride-hailing drivers.
