Foreign teacher files rape complaint against Phuket app-based taxi driver

Suspect steals victim's mobile phone and abandons her at scene

Petch Petpailin9 minutes agoLast Updated: Monday, August 25, 2025

57 1 minute read

Foreign teacher files rape complaint against Phuket app-based taxi driver | Thaiger — Photo by Yura Forrat via Canva

Police are searching for an app-based taxi driver after a foreign teacher filed a rape complaint at Thalang Police Station in Phuket on Saturday, August 23.

The 28 year old foreign victim lodged the complaint after being rescued by residents in the area. The Phuket Info Centre Facebook page reported that the victim is an African teacher, although officials have not yet confirmed this to the public.

According to the victim, she and a friend had visited an entertainment venue before booking a journey home via a ride-hailing application on Saturday night. The driver reportedly dropped her friend off first and then continued towards her home along Soi Somboon Sub in the Si Sunthon district of Phuket.

Midway through the journey, the driver allegedly stopped on a dark and isolated road, dragged her into the roadside forest and sexually assaulted her. He then stole her mobile phone and abandoned her at the scene until locals came to her aid.

Residents took her to the hospital for a medical examination before she attended Thalang Police Station to file a complaint. The specific application used and the driver’s details shown on the platform have not yet been disclosed.

Thai taxi driver escapes after allegedly raping foreign teacher in Phuket — Photo by supercake via Flickr

In a similar case reported in Bangkok in January, a Thai taxi driver was arrested for raping a drunk passenger at his home in the Taling Chan area. The victim fled from the suspect’s house wearing only underwear, seeking help from locals nearby.

The driver initially escaped but was later arrested. He denied the rape charge, claiming he had merely taken her to his home without intending harm.

Police hunts for taxi driver raping foreign teacher — Photo via KomChadLuek

Another case in Bangkok occurred in March, when a teenage woman narrowly escaped an attempted rape by a Bolt motorcycle taxi rider. The rider reportedly drove her to an isolated road, touched her inappropriately, and demanded sex. The victim refused and fled on foot before seeking help from her regular taxi driver.

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.