Tourist claims rape by taxi driver

PATONG: The Governor of Phuket, Chadej Insawang, has ordered police to track down a motorcycle taxi driver accused of the rape of an American tourist last week. Police said the 28-year-old woman went out to look for a medicine. She stopped a motorcycle taxi in Soi Bangla and asked to be taken to a pharmacy. The driver went around in circles, finally stopping in a dark area in Tambon Kathu. With his hand in his shirt, he told her that he had a weapon and ordered her to strip, forced her to perform oral sex on him, and raped her. He then fled the scene. Local residents later helped the victim to get back to the hotel in Patong where she was staying with four friends. She filed a report and a complaint the following afternoon with Tungtong Police Station in Kathu District and was then taken to Patong Hospital for a physical examination to see whether the rape had resulted in her being infected with a disease. Police said the victim declined to file official charges against the driver. But the Governor, saying that incidents such as the woman described should not be allowed to happen in a major tourist destination such as Phuket, has ordered both the local police and the tourist police to find the driver and to bring him in for questioning. The alleged offender is described as a Thai male, around 25-30 years old, 170-180 centimeters tall, with dark skin. At the time of the alleged offense, he was said to be driving a black Honda Dream with a license plate number ending with “69”.