Foreign motorcyclist slammed for revving engine, causing smoke in Phuket

Thai netizens condemned a foreign motorcyclist after a video showed him repeatedly revving his motorcycle engine on a road in Phuket on Saturday night, January 3.

The incident came to light after a Thai witness filmed the foreigner’s actions and shared the footage online. The video was later reposted by several local news outlets. The exact time and location of the incident were not disclosed.

In the video, the foreign man, seen wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, was riding a red motorcycle. He stopped the bike on the side of the road before repeatedly revving the engine, producing thick white smoke that disturbed other motorists and pedestrians nearby. He then sped away from the scene.

The footage quickly triggered backlash on social media. Many Thai netizens criticised the foreigner for ignoring Thai traffic laws and behaving irresponsibly on a public road.

Others questioned whether Thai law enforcement measures were strong enough to control the behaviour of some foreign tourists.

Some commenters also raised concerns about screening measures for foreigners entering Thailand and urged the government to introduce stricter systems to attract what they described as “quality tourists.”

A similar incident was reported around the same time, when another foreign motorcyclist was caught on video fleeing a police checkpoint on Patong–Kathu Road in Phuket.

In that case, the footage showed a police officer signalling the rider to stop for inspection. However, the foreign motorcyclist ignored the order, zigzagged through traffic, and overtook a car in front of him in an apparent attempt to escape the checkpoint.

In both cases, local residents called on police and relevant authorities to take action against the foreign riders to prevent similar behaviour from being repeated by others.

As of the latest reports, local police had not yet detained the riders or announced any legal action against those involved.

In a related incident reported previously, three foreign motorcyclists were fined after a viral video showed them running a red light on a Phuket road. The Thai owner of the rental motorcycles involved was also fined for the traffic violations.