Knife-wielding Portuguese lady refuses to pay taxi in Phuket (video)
A Portuguese woman refused to pay a taxi fare and threatened the female driver with a knife at a hotel in the Rawai neighbourhood of Phuket on April 1.
The female taxi driver, 35 year old Ladda Saengthong, shared a video of the incident on several social media platforms to warn other taxi drivers in the area. In the video, the foreign woman grabbed a knife from a hotel pantry and approached the driver.
A Thai man, believed to be a hotel employee, was heard trying to stop the foreigner by calling her name, Nadiya. The woman was later identified as 31 year old Portuguese national, Nadiya Serivna Varshawa.
The conversation between Varshawa and Ladda was not clear in the video. Ladda, a woman in a red shirt, was seen stepping away from Varshawa and apologising to the foreign woman to protect herself from a knife attack.
Ladda reported to Khao Phuket that she picked up Varshawa at Phuket International Airport. Varshawa asked the driver to drop her at an accommodation in the Paklok district but she did not get out of the car when they arrived at their destination and asked the driver to take her to the Rawai area instead.
Ladda insisted that she told Varshawa that she would have to pay an extra 1,500 baht to go to Rawai, and Varshawa agreed. The foreign woman even promised to pay Ladda extra for smoking cannabis in her car.
During the journey, Varshawa asked Ladda to stop in the Patong area. Ladda again told the foreign woman that she would have to pay more for the stop and Varshawa agreed.
Mental illness blamed
In Patong, Varshawa got out of the car but asked the taxi driver to wait for her to return so he could continue the journey to a hotel in the Rawai area.
On arrival at the hotel, Ladda demanded payment for several stops but Varshawa refused to pay. After arguing for a while, Varshawa became angry and ran to the pantry to get the knife, as seen in the video.
Ladda said she reported the matter to officers at Chalong Police Station, and police later arrived at the hotel to take Varshawa to the police station. However, Varshawa managed to escape from the police station in another taxi.
Ladda pleaded with the police to swiftly administer justice and apprehend Varshawa, expressing concern that she may continue her actions with other taxi drivers in the province.
The taxi driver asserted that this was not the initial instance of Varshawa evading payment for a taxi ride. He recounted how Varshawa frequently feigned anger or mental instability to avoid settling the fare.
Police authorities confirmed Varshawa’s history of similar transgressions due to her mental illness. They are presently searching to locate her and have pledged to ensure she faces the consequences of her actions. However, uncertainty looms over Varshawa’s whereabouts, leaving investigators unsure if she remains in Thailand or has departed.
