Phuket taxi driver’s feud leads to fatal stabbing

PHUKET: A Karon taxi driver was stabbed to death early this morning by a neighbor he was feuding with.

Police were called to the Samkong Shrine area at about 3:30am. When they arrived, they found Teeranan Phongkrathin, 29, lying in the road with a knife protruding from his chest.

Friends who witnessed the stabbing told police that Mr Teeranan had previously had problems with one of his neighbors, and that the two men had argued again yesterday.

After the argument, Mr Teeranan went to a 7-Eleven, where he met some friends who invited him to drink within the grounds of the Samkong Shrine, said Lt Col Chaleaw Taihoo of the Phuket City Police.

Mr Teeranan joined them, and a short time later his neighbor appeared with some friends, all on motorbikes.

Police have yet to establish who started the ensuing fight. However, witnesses have told them that Mr Teeranan attempted to escape the gang led by his neighbor.

Mr Teeranan’s friends scattered as the gang chased down the victim on their motorbikes.
“The neighbor stabbed him,” one of the Mr Teeranan’s friends told the police.

“We have the neighbor’s name, but we aren’t releasing it until we have an arrest warrant,” said Lt Col Chaleaw.

“We don’t know what the argument was about,” he added.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong