Patong motorbike taxi dispute goes viral, ends in peaceful resolution (video)
An altercation between a local motorbike taxi rider and an unidentified foreign tourist unfolded in Patong, Thailand. The disagreement, which stemmed from a fare dispute, gained social media attention yesterday after a video of the heated encounter started to circulate widely.
Patong Police yesterday revealed details of the incident which had been shared on a Facebook page at 4.44pm. A video of the confrontation was uploaded on the ‘Hot Jung’ Facebook page and quickly gained traction among users.
The scenario unfolded when motorbike taxi rider Chamnong Salee arrived at the tourist’s accommodation for a ride that had been arranged through the popular ride-hailing app, Grab. The initial fare displayed on the app was 56 baht (US$1.6). However, on arrival, Salee refused to accept anything less than 100 baht (US$3) for the journey.
The video, which rapidly went viral, demonstrated the escalating disagreement with Salee expressing his displeasure through harsh words directed towards the tourist, who remained inside a wooden gate of his lodgings. The verbal exchange culminated with Salee kicking the gate, making rude gestures, and abruptly leaving the scene on his motorbike, reported The Phuket News.
Following the viral incident, both parties presented themselves at Patong Police Station. By 6.24pm, a post on the station’s Facebook page confirmed the successful resolution of the dispute. Salee and the unnamed foreign tourist were photographed shaking hands, effectively planting the unfortunate event firmly in the past.
Addressing damages to the gate, Salee paid the owner of the property 1,000 baht (US$29). This was despite the absence of any visible damage to the gate evident in the video clip that had circulated online.
Five days ago, what seemed like an ordinary day at Naithon Beach in Phuket turned into a spectacle as a local was accused of threatening a Grab taxi driver with a machete over a disputed parking spot. The location, allegedly reserved for taxis operated by locals, saw a heated exchange that escalated rapidly. To read more click HERE.
