Foreign Tourist Allegedly Assaults Phuket Tuk Tuk Driver After Refusing to Pay Fare

A tuk tuk driver in Phuket was injured after an alleged assault by a foreign passenger who refused to pay a 300-baht fare. The attack left the driver with a mouth injury that required ten stitches.

The incident occurred at around 5 a.m. on July 2 and was recorded by a witness. The video was later shared on Facebook, quickly attracting attention online.

Footage shows the driver, dressed in a black T-shirt, confronting a foreign man wearing a white shirt while filming the encounter on his mobile phone. During the argument, the man allegedly knocked the phone from the driver's hand before punching him in the face, causing the driver to fall backwards onto the road.

According to reports, the driver had picked up the man and two foreign women on Bangla Road. The group requested a ride to Soi Na Nai, agreeing to pay 300 baht for the journey.

After arriving at the destination, the passengers allegedly failed to pay the fare. Reports indicate that the foreign man left the area to retrieve a pickup truck before returning to collect the two women. When the driver approached the group again to request payment, the disagreement escalated into a physical confrontation.

The driver, whose identity has not been released, said he suffered a serious mouth injury and required ten stitches. He also stated that he managed to capture the suspect's face on video before the attack.

It has not yet been confirmed whether a formal police report has been filed. Speaking after the incident, the driver said he was deeply disappointed, explaining that he was simply trying to earn an honest living.

Violence involving tuk tuk drivers has surfaced in Phuket on several occasions in recent years. Earlier this year, another foreign tourist allegedly attacked a driver who attempted to intervene during an argument with his girlfriend inside a tuk tuk. In a separate incident last year, three foreign nationals were accused of assaulting a tuk tuk driver following a dispute over parking.