Taxi driver probed for sexual advances
APhuket taxi driver is facing suspension of 180 days, or worse, after he accosted a 20-year-old female student, inviting her back to his room and offering to be her ‘sponsor’ with monthly payments, and refusing to stop the taxi when the frightened student asked to get out.
Pol Lt Chittiwa Thanawitwilas of Phuket City Police Station was informed of the incident when the student filed a formal complaint at 7:25pm on Jan 18.
The student had ordered a taxi through the Bolt app at 11:56am that day to pick her up from a location in Pa Khlok and take her to a student dormitory in Ratsada.
A white MG ZS EV with green licence plates arrived. The name of the driver given by the app was Chuen Ochaphon.
While en route, Chuen used inappropriate language and asked inappropriate questions, the student said.
He told her he was about 45 years old. He asked whether she had a boyfriend and said that he “wanted to take care of her”. He continued talking in a flirtatious manner, making the student very uncomfortable.
Starting to fear for her safety, the student asked to get out of the taxi. Chuen refused to stop the car. At that time the taxi was travelling along Thepkrasattri Rd southbound in Koh Kaew.
The student confirmed that Chuen did not deviate from the route to the student dormitory in Ratsada, but continued his flirtatious and uncomfortable suggestions.
The student’s father later explained to reporters that the incident left his daughter frightened and in tears.
Chuen had repeatedly offered to offer his daughter B5,000 a month to “take care of her”, he said. Apparently Chuen started his advances as soon as his daughter got in the taxi.
A complaint had also been submitted through the Bolt app, he added.
On arriving at the dormitory, Chuen tried to apologise and followed her to her room. Outside her room Chuen got on his knees and continued to apologise, but in the end left B300 outside the door and left, the father said.
“I’m afraid of my daughter being unsafe on her next trip. I don’t want this kind of thing to happen. Right now, my mental health is very bad. Every time I talk about this, I’m shocked… This kind of event should not happen again. I want the perpetrator to think about his own family, whether doing this is appropriate or not,” he said.
PLTO ACTION
Kornpitak Atassuwan of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) told reporters that the driver, Chuen, was under investigation for three offences.
The use of inappropriate language towards a passenger is punishable by a fine of up to B5,000, he said.
Whether the car was being used as a taxi through the proper registration was under investigation. The car is registered as a taxi and had been issued green licence plates, but was being used as a taxi through an online app, Mr Kornpitak noted.
Using the wrong type of vehicle as a taxi was punishable with a fine of up to B2,000, he said.
The third issue was whether Chuen’s behaviour “discredited the reputation of the country or the province”. If found guilty, Chuen faced having his licence suspended for 180 days, Mr Kornpitak said.
The PLTO was to continue its investigation into the incident this week. “If found guilty of any of the offences, the PLTO will take measures in accordance with the law,” Mr Kornpitak said.
“I would like to remind drivers providing taxi services that there are quite a lot of tourists during this period. Please take good care of the tourists, as the owner of the house would, in welcoming tourists to Phuket,” Mr Kornpitak concluded.