Thai rider physically assaulted female client over confusing address

A Thai app-based delivery rider paid 20,000 baht in compensation to a female client after physically assaulting her over a confusing address.

The 35 year old victim, Natchacha, filed a complaint against the delivery rider, 41 year old Apidate Boonsong, at Khukot Police Station on Friday, November 15, following the incident, which occurred at 6.30pm that day.

Natchacha explained that she booked the delivery rider to pick up a document and deliver it to her home in Soi Prayun Thammaram Temple, also known as Soi Phahonyothin 83, in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok.

The rider later called her, expressing anger as he was unable to locate her home. Natchacha provided further directions until he arrived. However, he remained angry and complained about the confusing location.

During the heated argument, Natchacha accidentally dropped the document on the ground and bent down to pick it up. While she was doing so, the rider, Apidate, kicked her in the right leg. As a result, she suffered a bruise.

The rider then boasted that he dared to assault her and was unafraid of legal consequences, claiming his younger brother was a police officer. He then sped away from the scene but Natchacha managed to photograph his motorcycle’s registration plate.

Natchacha presented the photograph as evidence when filing her complaint against Apidate, leading to his summons to the police station yesterday, November 20.

The rider’s claim about his brother being a police officer appeared to be a lie, as Apidate was fined 1,000 baht and ordered to pay 20,000 baht in compensation to Natchacha.

In an interview with ThaiRath, Apidate apologised to both the victim and the public. He claimed he lost control of himself due to anger and exhaustion from trying to locate the client’s home. He added that he did not expect his kick to cause an injury.

Apidate appealed to the public for forgiveness and requested to be allowed to continue working as a delivery rider to support himself. There was no report on whether the delivery platform would revoke his account following this incident.

A similar case was reported in June when an app-based motorcycle taxi rider physically assaulted a female passenger after she refused to pay an additional fare. The attacker also apologised publicly and sought the opportunity to continue working, citing reckless anger as the cause of the incident.