Road rage: Motorcyclist swipes fist at minibus driver in Pattaya

In a shocking incident of road rage, a Thai motorcyclist assaulted a minibus driver in Pattaya following a minor collision on Thepprasit Road on Thursday, May 23.

The altercation occurred at the entrance to the Colosseum Theatre on Thapprasit Road, in the Nongprue subdistrict of Banglamung district, Chon Buri province.

Rescue workers and Pattaya police arrived at the scene to find the minibus with visible damage to its front end, caused by the impact from a motorcycle driven by 28 year old Kritsana Thomkham. The driver of the minibus was identified as 61 year old Thananan Sophanudompat.

Both Kritsana and Thananan emerged unscathed from the collision. However, as the two discussed the accident, tensions flared. According to Pattaya police, Kritsana suddenly punched Thananan, resulting in a laceration to his upper lip. Police officers swiftly intervened to separate the agitated men.

Thananan explained that he was driving his minibus to drop off passengers at the theatre. As he slowed down to make a U-turn and signalled to enter the theatre, Kritsana allegedly failed to stop his motorcycle, leading to the collision.

Both parties were escorted to the Dongtan Police Box to provide their statements, reported Pattaya News.

The police are currently reviewing CCTV footage to ascertain who was at fault and to determine the next steps for legal action.

In related news, an outbreak of road rage in Phuket last month saw a van driver brandishing a knife and menacing a taxi driver in the heart of one of the city’s busiest roads.

The episode, which happened near the Central Phuket intersection of Chaloem Phrakiat Rama 9 Road, was promptly shared on social media by onlookers who captured footage of the irate driver confronting the taxi driver.

In other news, a road rage incident involving armed military personnel has prompted an investigation by the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The episode, captured on video, featured a uniformed military man, armed with a pistol, confronting a pickup truck driver at a toll plaza over his driving behaviour.