Taxi driver in Thailand knocks phone from woman’s hand after she refuses to cancel ride

Taxi driver in Thailand allegedly attempts to assault woman after dispute over ride cancellation

A dispute between a taxi driver and a female passenger in Thailand escalated into a physical confrontation after the woman refused to be the one to cancel a ride that had not yet begun.

The incident drew widespread attention after a popular Facebook page shared multiple video clips on 26 Dec, offering different angles of the altercation.

Dispute escalates into confrontation

One clip, recorded on the woman’s mobile phone, shows a middle-aged taxi driver stepping close to her in an apparent attempt to intimidate her.

Moments later, the phone is knocked to the ground. The woman then retrieves her device and continues filming as the driver walks back to his taxi, which had its hazard lights switched on, before driving away.

Another video, filmed from a vehicle parked behind the taxi, captures what happened just before the confrontation.

The footage begins with the woman and a companion stepping out of a pink taxi, each carrying bags.

Shortly afterwards, the driver exits his vehicle and approaches them while pointing aggressively.

The three appear to argue briefly before the woman steps away. As she raises her phone to start recording, the driver suddenly lunges forward and strikes the phone out of her hand.

Argument reportedly stemmed from waiting & cancellation dispute

According to Thai news outlet Khaosod, the woman had booked a ride through a ride-hailing application and waited at a bus stop in front of a shopping mall.

She was later instructed by the driver, via the app, to cross to the opposite side of the road for pick-up.

After crossing over, she saw two vehicles parked nearby and was unsure which one was the ride she had booked.

She then entered one of the cars, which turned out to be a taxi, something she said she did not know beforehand.

Inside the vehicle, the driver became upset, saying he had already turned on his hazard lights to indicate that he was waiting, and complained that the passenger had boarded the wrong car.

He demanded compensation for what he described as wasted time, despite the journey not having started.

In response, the woman asked whether he still intended to proceed with the trip, adding that if he did not, she would like the ride to be cancelled.

The driver instead insisted that she cancel the booking herself. She refused, saying it was unfair to pay when no travel had taken place, and asked him to cancel the ride instead.

The disagreement later escalated into the confrontation seen in the videos.

Also read: Cabby says 2 passengers vomited in taxi & offered him S$10, allegedly called him a beggar

Cabby says 2 passengers vomited in taxi & offered him S$10, allegedly called him a beggar

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at [email protected].

Featured image adapted from เจ๊ม้อย v+ on Facebook and Facebook.