Russian woman accuses Phuket taxi driver’s wife of assault
The wife of a taxi driver in Phuket denied assaulting a Russian passenger during a ride. Instead, she turned the tables on the Eastern European and accused the woman of insulting her.
The Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต (Phuket is so brutal) shared a video recorded by a 31 year old Russian woman, whose name has not been disclosed, with a caption stating…
“A foreign tourist is seeking justice after the wife of an airport taxi driver (a taxi with a green registration plate) physically assaulted her. She reported the incident to Chalong Police Station, but the case went nowhere.”
In the video, the taxi driver’s wife, who was sitting in the front passenger seat next to the driver, can be heard shouting, “This is my country, you know?”
Moments later, she appeared to strike the Russian passenger, causing the foreigner to cry and scream. The Thai woman then demanded the fare from the Russian woman.
Many Thai netizens called for more details about the incident, stating that it was impossible to determine who was right or wrong based on such a short clip.
Another side of story
Others questioned why the taxi driver brought his wife along on the job, arguing that public transport drivers should not take family members with them while working, as it is deemed unprofessional.
ThaiRath reported further details, revealing that the incident occurred on January 28 earlier this year, and the Russian woman reported it to the police the following day, January 29.
The Russian national reportedly booked the taxi service via a ride-hailing application, travelling from her friend’s home in the Karon area to her own home in the Choeng Talay area. She claimed to be unaware of the reason for the assault, stating that the driver’s wife simply turned around to record a video of her and then attacked her.
The taxi driver’s 40 year old wife came forward yesterday, March 11, to share her side of the story on the Facebook page. She explained that she was accompanying her husband on the day of the incident to familiarise herself with Phuket’s routes, as she intended to offer a taxi service herself in the future.
She stated that the Russian passenger entered the car carrying a cardboard box. The wife greeted the passenger as usual and remained quiet until she noticed an unpleasant smell of dog waste emanating from the box. She then asked the passenger whether she brought a pet along.
According to the taxi driver’s wife, the Russian passenger responded rudely by saying, “Why? It’s not your business!” The wife claimed that she then asked the passenger to pay the fare and leave immediately.
Smell worse than dog
The Russian woman allegedly refused, leading to a heated argument. During the altercation, the Russian passenger reportedly insulted the wife by saying, “You are stupid! You smell even worse than my dog!”
The wife said that in her frustration, she attempted to take photos of the alleged dog waste but the Russian woman blocked her from doing so and swiped her phone away. In response, the wife also swiped at the Russian woman’s phone when she began recording a video.
The driver’s wife insisted that she did not physically harm the Russian passenger, claiming that she only swiped at the phone.
The wife added that the Russian woman also threatened her by claiming that her husband was an influential business operator in the Bang Tao area of Phuket, prompting her to respond, “This is my country, you know?” as heard in the video.
The wife admitted that it was inappropriate for her to accompany her husband during his shift but maintained that she did not initiate the conflict.
Some netizens pointed out that many Russian nationals in Phuket are not proficient in English, suggesting that the Thai woman’s version of events might have inconsistencies. Meanwhile, others supported the Thai woman, arguing that no one would willingly provoke a problem with a passenger, but some foreign passengers exhibit poor manners.
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