Ukrainian charged for taxi knife threat
AUkrainian woman travelling on a Portuguese passport was charged for threatening a woman taxi driver with a knife amid a dispute over a taxi fare last week.
After videos of the incident circulated widely on popular local social media channels, the taxi driver, Ladda Saengthong, 35, told reporters that she had picked up the woman from Phuket International Airport on the evening of Apr 1, and was asked to take her to a villa in Baan Pakrongcheep, Tambon Thepkrasattri.
However, from there the woman asked to be taken to Rawai. Ms Ladda explained that would cost an extra B1,500, to which the woman agreed.
The woman was later identified by her Portuguese passport as Nadiya Serhiivana Varshava, 30, a Portuguese national born in Ukraine,
Varshava asked to stop by Patong along the way, which was also agreed would cost extra. Along the way the woman asked to smoke marijuana in the taxi, and offered to pay extra. Ms Ladda agreed.
After Varshava exited the taxi and walked around for a while in Patong, she got back into the taxi to continue the journey to Rawai.
However, after arriving at the One World One Home Naiharn Hotel, Varshava got out of the taxi and walked into the hotel without paying. Ms Ladda walked into the reception to demand the woman pay the taxi fare. Varshava refused.
Amid the dispute, and as shown in the videos posted online, Varshava walked over to a small kitchen area in the reception and picked up two knives.
She walked back to Ms Ladda and while holding the knives behind her back said, “A hundred metres from here, what did I say? What did I say?”
Ms Ladda says “Okay, we go.”
Varshava is seen walking away, then the video stops.
However, other videos posted online showed Varshava arriving at the hotel apparently in a good mood. She arrives with her luggage, plays with a small dog in the reception and even changes her clothes while in the reception.
Then she can be seen engaged in what soon became an argument with Ms Ladda while Ms Ladda is making a phone call.
Police were called and Varshava was taken to Chalong Police Station.
A video has later posted online showing Varshava placing joss sticks in the spirit house in front of the hotel, though she seemed to show a lack of understanding of such importance of the practice to Thais.