Phuket driver forces wife into boot to make room for tourists
Online users outraged by unlicensed transport and unprofessional service
Netizens and taxi drivers in Phuket criticised a hatchback driver for illegally offering transport services to foreign tourists and for carrying his wife while on duty, resulting in the vehicle being overloaded.
The Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (meaning Phuket is so brutal) shared a video of the overloaded grey hatchback on May 15, with a caption reading “I appreciated the tolerance of the foreign passengers. We are willing to serve you if you dare to travel with us!”
In the video, a woman in a white shirt, believed to be the driver’s wife, is seen vacating the front passenger seat and moving to sit in the rear storage compartment. She gave up her seat to make room for three foreign passengers who booked the service with her husband.
The foreign tourists appeared confused by the woman’s actions but eventually entered the vehicle.
Netizens, particularly local taxi drivers, expressed their frustration online. Some pointed out that the hatchback was being used illegally, as it lacked the proper registration required for public transport vehicles.
Others speculated that the driver might have accepted the booking through a ride-hailing application, but insisted he should still adhere to professional standards, like other drivers in the province. Many argued that his wife should not be present in the vehicle while on duty.
Several commenters referenced previous incidents involving overloaded vehicles, criticising drivers who transported more passengers than the vehicle’s legal capacity. Professional drivers also commented that small hatchbacks were unsuitable for airport transfers due to the lack of luggage space.
Netizens called on the Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office to take disciplinary action against the driver for providing illegal services. Some also urged officials to consider further penalties, given the potential safety hazards posed by allowing a passenger to sit in the car boot.
Another taxi driver’s wife made headlines in March after a Russian passenger accused her of physical assault. The foreign woman shared a video of herself crying in the taxi and claimed that the driver’s wife had attacked her, but she alleged that the police ignored her complaint.
The driver’s wife denied physically assaulting the Russian woman but admitted that they had argued because the passenger had brought her pet into the vehicle without informing them in advance.
While netizens left the investigation into the alleged assault to the police, they questioned why the driver’s wife had accompanied her husband during the service. The woman claimed she simply wanted to familiarise herself with the routes to provide transport services in the future.
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