Phuket van driver brandishes knife in road rage incident
An outbreak of road rage in Phuket yesterday saw a van driver brandishing a knife and menacing a taxi driver in the heart of one of the city’s busiest roads. The episode, which happened near the Central Phuket intersection of Chaloem Phrakiat Rama 9 Road, was promptly shared on social media by onlookers who captured footage of the irate driver confronting the taxi driver.
The Phuket Transport Office was alerted to the incident, prompting them to liaise with Wichit police to take control of the situation. The superintendent of Wichit Police Station, Chatri Chukaew, commanded a team to delve into the matter. They managed to swiftly identify the white Toyota van’s driver through the vehicle’s licence plates and traced him to a residence in Thalang.
The perpetrator, 57 year old Thanongsak Maenman, from Village No. 1, Thepkrasattri Subdistrict, Thalang, was taken into custody. Police conducted blood and urine tests at Wichit police station to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs in his system. Both tests confirmed negative results.
In his account to the police, Thanongsak alleged that the taxi driver was moving at an exceedingly slow pace in the right-hand lane, which incited his anger. He honked his horn and pulled up alongside the taxi as traffic began to decelerate.
Subsequently, he exited his vehicle, approached the driver’s side of the taxi, and a heated argument broke out. Thanongsak then unveiled a fruit peeler-style knife, threatening the driver, who managed to escape, reported The Phuket News.
The taxi driver filed an official complaint with Wichit Police, leading to charges against Thanongsak. He is facing charges for carrying a weapon (knife) openly or without reasonable cause into a city, village, or public place and causing fear or fright by threatening behaviour. The police have confirmed that legal action and formal charges will be instituted accordingly.
