Phuket Tuk-Tuk Drivers Accused of Bashing Aussie Tourist
By Sert Tongdee and Rattanawan Vatcharasorat Friday, August 3, 2012
PHUKET: The Commander of Phuket's police is investigating claims that a gang of tuk-tuk drivers in Patong beat up an Australian tourist.
The violence came on August 1 - at 2am on the first day of the new ''Patong Safety Zone'' project.
Although the tuk-tuk drivers say that Peter Hulands, 45, started the fight, it is Mr Hulands who will probably require plastic surgery on a depressed fracture of the cheek.
Tuk-tuk drivers in Patong have a reputation for ignoring requests that they call police officers to settle disputes and usually resort to gang attacks.
Police at Kathu station in Patong have yet to find the driver who allegedly punched Mr Hulands in a dispute over derogatory remarks allegedly made by the driver to Mr Hulands' girlfriend as the pair sought a ride back to their resort early on Wednesday morning.
Phuket Police Commander Major General Chonsit Wadhnawarangkun has been told about the controversial beating and is aware of the sensitive state of the tourism industry and ongoing violence.
''We have to determine the rights and wrongs of each case on the evidence available,'' he told Phuketwan. ''At this stage the investigation is still underway.''
He said one group of police were looking for possible security camera footage. A second group was asking people at all hospitals to see where Mr Hulands was treated. A third team is seeking the tuk-tuk drivers.
It is believed the tuk-tuk driver was waiting at the top of Soi Bangla, outside Rock City, when Mr Hulands and his girlfriend sought a ride back to their resort.
After the driver made a remark, it's alleged that Mr Hulands grabbed the driver around the throat and swore at him, and was punched in response. Mr Hulands left the scene but later returned and tried to retaliate, police have been told.
At that point he was set upon by several tuk-tuk drivers.
Security camera footage may be problematic because only 14 cameras of the 31 in the central Patong entertainment area are operating.
Meetings have been taking place talking of ways of making Patong safer with a network of cameras and a heightened police presence, but in practical terms the upgrade has yet to be implemented.
Police say they believe Mr Hulands has been involved in an altercation on Phuket on a previous visit.
Mr Hulands alerted a Phuket newspaper to his latest predicament and provided a photograph of his damaged face.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Just curious, do the tuk tuk drivers object to tourism and wish to drive tourists away from Phuket? Beccause that's what they are going to do in the end.
Whats that old saying, killing the goose which laid the golden egg.
Posted by
Arthur
on
August 3, 2012 18:05
Just when I was on the verge of thinking that the Safety Zone concept might improve things......!
Posted by
george A.
on
August 3, 2012 18:39
Shocked and stunned! Well no, not really.
@Arthur - sure looks that way.
Posted by
Graham
on
August 3, 2012 19:19
If you think anyone can control these thugs you are wrong, Only last week out side the seven eleven in Rawai one of the taxi thugs from opposite Rimlay restaurant tried to drag a young farang lady out of her car just because she had a small accident , it was shocking for all to see how this man was so aggressive .
Thugs are thugs all over the world , sadly the Phuket taxi and tuk tuk drivers seem to have more than there fair share .
Who knows how this can be ever changed .
Posted by
Neil Bryan
on
August 3, 2012 19:39
Tuk-tuk drivers waiting to pick up rides on top of Soi Bangla all have to mark down their license plates to a "pecking order" list.
Just check the list and you'll see who was there.
Interesting to see if the security cameras that failed to capture anything useful about the Mr. Trotnow incident at the very same location produce some pictures this time.
That corner is littered with private and official cameras.
What Mr Hulands has or has not done on previous visits is utterly irrelevant to this case but nice to see the attitude of the police from the get-go.
Posted by
Andrew
on
August 3, 2012 19:41
"...only 14 cameras of the 31 in the central Patong entertainment area are operating", and this is a Safety Zone? Oh dear...
Posted by
Duncan
on
August 3, 2012 20:12
When will the successfull Pataya concept of baht buses be adopted in Patong. The interaction between passenger and driver is minimal, the fare is automatic if on the route with no need for negotiation, surely the time is ripe!!!
Posted by
coxo
on
August 3, 2012 20:20
I can just here it now. "He started it." I've been in the very same situation and if you understand Thai you would not believe the filth these thugs say to tourists as they walk by. Just another nail in the coffin driven home by these 'tough guys'.
Posted by
Jon
on
August 3, 2012 20:57
day 1 of the awesome safety zone and "Security camera footage may be problematic because only 14 cameras of the 31 in the central Patong entertainment area are operating." the whole saftey zone concept was conceived a couple of weeks ago now. fixing those 17 cameras might have taken a few days, tops. that to me is proof that this is no safety zone and perhaps indicates that there might not be one as well. in a practical sense at least.
Posted by
snag dog
on
August 3, 2012 21:14
Why are tourists going to be driven away over a little scuffle with a tuk tuk driver, violence is all around the world, i'm from south london and we have just had the worst riots the UK has ever seen but tourists still come,i have been coming to patong for years and seen a few scuffles, you go out on a weekend in every city throughout england and you will see what violence is with binge drinking, glassings, stabbings, shootings, so stop knocking phuket and thailand in general which is still a very safe place to visit.
Posted by
Darren walker
on
August 3, 2012 21:39
The tuks tuks are not your run of the mill thai people, its a shame because most of them are nice people. but when there's a bunch of them together theyre very different.
Posted by
poppops
on
August 3, 2012 22:32
"Security camera footage may be problematic because only 14 cameras of the 31 in the central Patong entertainment area are operating."
What a coincidence. No footage from the top end of Bangla road? No footage from the Tuk Tuk snakes, both sides of the road, in Front of Junceylon and Thai Pan?
Amazing!
Posted by
???
on
August 3, 2012 23:10
Mr Hulands left the scene but later returned and tried to retaliate, police have been told.
CASE CLOSED Mr Somchai tuk tuk driver not guilty self defense from enraged Aussie tourist...
Posted by
Jimmy Rawai
on
August 4, 2012 00:31
One would think that these guys would have the common sense to lay low for a while, considering all the heat they are getting right now.
Posted by
fw
on
August 4, 2012 04:52
When I first came to Phuket on holiday it was a novelty to jump on a Tuk Tuk part of the Holiday experience. Now I have been living here for 6+ years that was the last time. The old saying Vote with your feet do not use them and if you are on holiday time is not or should not be a problem look for other means of transport after all there are 10,000 Black Cabs.The best way to stop this is do not use them the Mafia would then have to have a rethink.
Posted by
Wiser
on
August 4, 2012 08:26
Is it just me or do most of these incidents occur at the top end of Bangla road in the early hours of the morning. Alcohol, tourists and short tempered aggressive tuk tuk drivers = bad news for tourists and bad publicity for Patong.
Posted by
Pete
on
August 4, 2012 08:33
Most of tuk tuk drivers are non-educated and control few meters of pavements by bribing the local civil servants and police to make a livelihood. As they are family members and/or longtime friends and/or neighbors they work like a local tribe where everything on their territories is their own properties; so in the case of foreigners or Thais they do not know and do not care excepted to get their money, they may get aggressive very fast and respond in group rather than to try to fix the problem through legal procedure by calling the police.
Posted by
Whistle-Blower
on
August 4, 2012 09:13
tuk tuk drivers have a right to defend themselves againt drunk abusive tourist who think they are better because they earn more money. this drunk asaulted a tuk tuk driver first and came back for more its his own fault i would of hit him too
Posted by
cha
on
August 4, 2012 09:14
@ cha
I speak fluent Thai and the abuse tuk-tuk drivers spew out at foreigners thinking they don't understand Thai is beyond imagination.
They also have an incredibly short temper and zero tolerance for anything not to their liking.
Attacking one person in a vicious pack is not self defence. Remember Mr Trotnow ? 15 tuk-tuk drivers beat up 1 guy into coma.
You are saying with a straight face tuk-tuk drivers have the right to do that ?
Posted by
Andrew
on
August 4, 2012 09:52
know that tuk-tuk and taxi drivers can be very annoying but... It is time for these drunken tourists to take responsibility for their actions. If they answer back rudely and if they are full of intoxicating substances, they might well overreact to a normal request of a service, in this case , transportation.
These 'poor tourists', for sure don't behave like super gentlemen in their own country too.
Posted by
OIly
on
August 4, 2012 10:56
And concerning the cat lady, she is very cute indeed, but this is the world; she has to be ready to get comments...going around like that.
If my man wears a lion head...I must expect some comments. It is 1+1... Isn't it?
Posted by
Olly
on
August 4, 2012 10:56
I think Darren's comments may be correct, but the one thing which ties all these things together, is that in London and elsewhere there is an effective police follow up in most cases. The riots you mention-the police are still chasing and prosecuting people over that. I am not confident that the same things happen here. Seems like in this case the Aussie was stupid, and may have been lucky not to be severely injured as has happened in the past by these thugs. Make no mistake they are dangerous people and may get more dangerous if the clampdown ever begins. Stay clear!
Posted by
Ga
on
August 4, 2012 11:29
@Jimmy Rawai It's been reported elsewhere that he came back drunk, seeking revenge. Without CCTV footage, I guess we'll never know the truth.
Posted by
agogohome
on
August 4, 2012 13:43
Posted by Pete: "Is it just me or do most of these incidents occur at the top end of Bangla road in the early hours of the morning."
Ah, you found out, why this is a 'remarkable coincidence', that the CCTV's at that place aren't working.
Posted by
???
on
August 4, 2012 13:51
He got what he deserved. Some Aussies. are rude and show no respect at all towards the locals. Low life farang met low life Taxi drivers.
Posted by
PhuketGuy
on
August 4, 2012 15:30
Editor Comment:
''He got what he deserved.'' Most thinking people don't condone violence, PhuketGuy. Your world must be a frightening place.
Just for the record, we were not looking to get a ride home by a tuk tuk, we were walking home and passed the tuk tuk drivers when the sexually offensive remarks were made, and secondly, in regard to the altercation earlier in March between Peter and another tourist .... did the police also tell you that no statement was taken by either Peter or myself, that because the other tourist came off worse from the altercation, Peter was locked up without the opportunity to give his side of the story and that we were extorted by the police to the tune of 50,000 bath so we could get him out and travel home the same day? I bet not!!
Posted by
Kitty
on
August 5, 2012 19:55
Actually Phuketguy, we are not rude people, only yesterday at Starbucks we intervened between a woman looking for a toilet being rude to the shop assistant by giving directions and after she left, apologizing for her rudeness, profusely. I am not a rude person, nor is Peter. I did not deserve the comments made to me, as Peter did not deserve the bashing he received. We were not looking for a tuk tuk drive home. We were walking by! Thuggery, for any reason, in any country, should never, ever be tolerated! I hate that we are being judged simply because we are Australians!
Posted by
Kitty
on
August 5, 2012 20:51
Hey Kitty and Peter, just a wild assumption.
You seem to be regularly "intervening" and involved in "altercations".
Just wondering if you come here for Muai-Thai training, or is that being unfair?
Posted by
Hugh Jarse
on
August 6, 2012 14:16
Pretty easy solution to the tuk tuk problem. STOP USING THEM.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
August 10, 2012 16:16
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Just curious, do the tuk tuk drivers object to tourism and wish to drive tourists away from Phuket? Beccause that's what they are going to do in the end.
Whats that old saying, killing the goose which laid the golden egg.
Posted by Arthur on August 3, 2012 18:05