PATTAYA, THAILAND – A rented taxi was badly damaged during a fight between foreign men on Pattaya’s Walking Street, leaving the driver without compensation and appealing to the public.
Taxi caught in middle of street fight
The incident occurred in front of an entertainment venue on the busy Walking Street, one of the country’s best-known nightlife areas that attracted thousands of visitors each day. A video posted on Facebook on 22 January by taxi driver Adisorn Wongprakob showed four foreign men engaged in a physical altercation close to his parked cab. Several Thai women, believed to be bar staff and security personnel, tried to separate the men and calm the situation, but property damage still occurred.
Rear door left with deep dent
Adisorn’s yellow-and-blue rented taxi had been properly parked at the roadside while he waited for customers. In the video, a foreign man in a white-and-blue striped shirt pushed his opponent against the rear of the vehicle, followed by a loud impact that was clearly audible in the recording. Later photos published by Adisorn showed a deep dent in the rear door, with the damage described as significant and requiring professional repair.
Driver’s bid for compensation rejected
In an interview with local outlet ThaiRath, Adisorn said he did not know what had triggered the dispute and that he tried to step in.
“I tried to intervene but could not stop the fight,”
said Adisorn Wongprakob, taxi driver.
He stated that he managed to hold some of the foreigners and pointed out the damage, demanding compensation for repairs. According to his account, the men refused to pay and argued that Adisorn should also approach the other group, with each side shifting responsibility to the other.
Second group fled on motorbikes
The driver further reported that he then attempted to hold members of the other group to account. However, they quickly mounted motorbikes and fled before he could speak to them, leaving the scene within seconds. As a result, the taxi driver was left without clearly identifiable parties responsible for the damage, and the identities of those who fled remained unknown at the time.
Rented vehicle increases financial pressure
Adisorn emphasised to ThaiRath that the car was not his own but a rented taxi for which he paid a daily fee, a common business model in Thailand that carried financial risks for drivers. He explained that he would have to advance the repair costs himself before returning the vehicle to its owner. Without these repairs he could not continue to use the taxi, effectively losing his source of income.
The driver therefore appealed publicly to local police, calling for help in tracing all foreign individuals involved. It remained unclear whether he had already filed a formal criminal complaint over the damage to his vehicle.
Unanswered questions for investigators
Investigators faced several open questions, including who exactly caused the damage to the rear door. They also needed to determine which of the individuals involved could be held legally liable and how far video and photo material might be used to identify the foreigners. There was no information yet on whether any suspects had been identified or questioned, and the fact that some participants fled the scene was expected to complicate the investigation.
Legal framework for property damage
Under Thai law, people who intentionally or negligently damage the property of others can be required to pay compensation. The burden of proof generally lay with the injured party, who must show who was responsible for the damage. In this case, the video recording could serve as evidence to identify those responsible, but the involvement of multiple people and their mutual blame made legal resolution more difficult.
Risks for taxi drivers in tourist hotspots
The case highlighted the challenges faced by taxi drivers in crowded tourist areas such as Walking Street, where vehicles often waited close to bars and clubs and were exposed to occasional conflicts between patrons. Many drivers operated rented cars and carried the full financial risk for any damage. Insurance typically covered only road traffic accidents, not deliberate damage by third parties, leaving drivers particularly vulnerable to incidents like this.
Next steps and possible consequences
If those responsible were identified, they could face civil claims for damages and potential criminal charges for property damage, with the final repair bill to be determined by a workshop. For Adisorn, the outcome depended on whether the police could extract enough clues from the video material to track down the individuals involved. The publication of the video on social media might help to find witnesses or identify those shown, while the case also raised questions about preventive measures such as increased security presence on Walking Street to better protect uninvolved third parties like taxi drivers.