A taxi driver has been charged with assault after he allegedly punched hotel staff when they called a tuk tuk for hotel guests instead of using his taxi.
A two minute, 40 second video clip of the angry cabbie punching Tawatchai Khawnchu, Holiday Inn Patong’s Human Resource director, went viral this week after it was posted on Facebook by user Petch Dimond.
The clip was posted with the message: “Staff call tuk tuk to take tourists to the shopping mall for THB200, taxi driver upset and hits Holiday Inn staff… this is outrageous.”
The clip shows hotel staff leading a group of foreigners to a tuk tuk in front of the taxi driver. The driver then approaches Tawatchai, 38, and, after a few moments, begins to punch him in the face.
Kathu Police Lt Col Suthichai Tienpo said the incident took place at 12:40 pm on Tuesday in front of the Holiday Inn Hotel on Taweewong Rd in Patong. Tawatchai filed a police complaint after he was injured in the incident.
Lt Col Suthichai said, “After the investigation we were able to identify the suspect as 50-year-old Chamni Khaidam, a taxi driver who is frequently stationed in front of the hotel. Chamni turned himself in to police the next day to face assault charges.
“Tawaichai said that the tourists wanted the tuk tuk so he called it for them which made Chamni angry and he punched him. Chamni said he was upset when he saw hotel staff chose to call a tuk tuk when a taxi was right there.”
Story: Phuket News
