Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi gang violence continues in Pattaya
Violence between rivalling motorbike taxi operators continues in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, where three ‘Win‘ drivers were injured after being beaten with a baseball bat and an iron bar, allegedly by Bolt drivers.
Yesterday evening, a brawl broke out between three Bolt drivers and three Win drivers at Thappraya Soi 7, South Pattaya, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, near Jomtien beach.
Three win drivers were injured after being beaten with weapons: 37 year old Anan sustained a swollen head and left leg, 37 year old Noppadon was hit in the back of the neck and sustained a swollen head, and 37 year old Monthon’s left leg was beaten until it was swollen and bruised.
Win driver Anan said he was sitting on his motorbike waiting for customers in front of a convenience store about 50 metres away from the Win driver’s station.
Suddenly, three Bolt drivers parked up claiming to wait for customers. But the Bolt drivers entered the Win driver’s specified area, said Anan, which is not allowed.
Anan said he asked the three Bolt drivers if they could play by the rules and only pick up customers outside of Win’s area to avoid a dispute.
The Bolt drivers wouldn’t budge and asked the Win drivers to stop picking up customers in that area, said Anan.
Then, one of the Bolt drivers pulled out an iron bar from beneath his shirt and held it up to Anan, he said.
Anan said that as soon as he noticed the change in attitude among the Bolt drivers he signalled to his two friends to come over to help settle the problem because he was alone at that point and scared he would be attacked and outnumbered.
That’s when things turned violent and the Bolt drivers beat the three Win men with a baseball bat and an iron bar.
The assailants left their weapons at the scene, which the Win drivers took to the police station as evidence along with CCTV footage from the convenience store.
Last week, an armed ‘taxi mafia‘ allegedly assaulted two Bolt drivers in Pattaya.
