Video of foreign tourists held up by Phuket ‘taxi mafia’ sparks probe
Phuket authorities have launched a probe after foreign tourists were seen being forced out of a van they had ordered via a ride-hailing app. Video of the incident went viral on Friday.
Taken by the van driver, the clip shows a man in a black shirt blocking the van and forcing four female tourists to get off the vehicle near Rassada Pier in Phuket’s Muang district.
The driver tries to negotiate with the man, who insists that the tourists use the taxi service at the pier. The stand-off ends with the driver asking the tourists to exit the van and apologising for not being able to provide them with transport.
On Saturday, Phuket transport office chief Atcha Buachan said the incident stemmed from a quarrel between the van driver and a taxi driver at the pier.
Atcha said the van driver had told the tourists via loudspeaker that he could not pick them up at the pier as there was a “taxi mafia” operating there. He asked the tourists to come to the van, which was parked outside the pier area. This angered the taxi driver, who approached the van, blocked its path and forced the tourists to get off.
Atcha said the taxi driver had been summoned to give a statement at the transport office on Monday. Muang Phuket police station has been notified and is helping to investigate the incident.
