Tuk tuk driver killed in Patong knife fight over passengers
Police reviewing CCTV footage as suspect taken into custody
A late-night fight between two tuk tuk drivers outside a busy Patong shopping mall ended with one man dead and another injured, police have confirmed.
The violent altercation unfolded in front of the Jungceylon shopping mall on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road at around 11.10pm on Sunday, November 2, where witnesses say a long-standing rivalry between two drivers spiralled out of control.
Police were alerted after one of the men, 30 year old Sahachai Junmar from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, was rushed to Patong Hospital with stab wounds to his chest and rib cage. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The second driver, 43 year old Chirawat Pratumchat from Roi Et, sustained a stab wound to the cheekbone during the fight. He received treatment at the hospital before being taken into custody by Patong Police.
Eyewitnesses told officers that both men were stationed at the tuk tuk queue in front of the popular shopping mall, waiting for passengers, when an argument suddenly erupted. The confrontation quickly escalated as both men pulled knives and began attacking each other in full view of shocked onlookers.
“It all happened so fast. One moment they were shouting, the next they were slashing at each other,” one witness told police.
Bystanders intervened to stop the fight, but not before fatal injuries were inflicted. Police arrived at the scene shortly after and began collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses.
Officers are now reviewing CCTV footage from the area to piece together the exact sequence of events, reported The Phuket News.
“We are examining all evidence and interviewing multiple witnesses. The suspect is in custody and will face legal proceedings.”
The motive behind the dispute remains under investigation, though tensions among tuk tuk drivers competing for fares in busy tourist zones are not uncommon in Thailand’s high-traffic resort towns.
The incident has cast a dark shadow over the usually lively nightlife district of Patong, particularly as tourism ramps up during the High Season. Police vowed to tighten security and step up patrols around key tourist hubs to prevent further violence.
Chirawat remains in police custody as investigators prepare to file formal charges. An autopsy has been ordered for Sahachai as part of the ongoing investigation.
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