Taxi driver slashes passenger's face 'over fare dispute'

A hot-headed taxi driver allegedly slashed his passenger's face over a fare dispute.

Prakart Boonlang, 50, had picked up Wanphen Kamsanga, 43, her sister Supawadee, 29, and their friend Itsaraporn Thonguthaisirisakul, 36, from a party in Bangkok, Thailand, in the early hours of August 10.

However, Wanphen asked the driver to pull over halfway through the trip to vomit.

Upon arriving at the destination, the cabbie reportedly tried to charge the group an extra 500 baht 'inconvenience fee' but blew up at them when they haggled the price down to 200 baht.

He was said to have followed them before slashing Wanphen's face with a knife.

Footage shows Prakart storming out of his car wielding a knife while the women pleaded for him not to hurt them. He allegedly inflicted multiple lacerations on Wanphen but fled the scene after a passing car honked at him.

Wanphen was rushed to the Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital. She received 20 stitches and reportedly had a shattered skull and intracerebral haemorrhage from the alleged attack.

Supawadee and Itsaraporn filed a complaint with Ekapop Luengprasert, an adviser to the interior minister.

She said: 'The driver was already irritated at us from the beginning because he couldn't find our pick up location on the ride-hailing app. He kept scolding us throughout the journey, and he tried to charge us extra while dropping us off.

'We only agreed to give 200 baht because my sister's vomit didn't even touch the car. He lost his tempere when Wanphen slammed the car door on him.'

Ekapop said he called the superintendent of the Chok Chai District Police Station and learned that the incident actually occurred within the jurisdiction of Sutthisan Police Station.

Officers said they were co-ordinating with the women to file an official police complaint.

Ekapop said: 'The taxi driver should have his public driving licence revoked. It is common for taxi drivers to encounter drunk passengers, but it is unacceptable to attack them with a knife.

'If passengers refuse to pay for cleaning or wasting their time, they should report the issue to the police instead.'

Prakart reportedly turned himself in to police on August 12.

He claimed he lost control after one of the passengers threw the wad of cash at him.

He said: 'I am also very stressed. I've been trying to make a living for my pregnant wife and children. I regret what I've done, and I want to apologise to the victim in person.'

Police said Prasart will face charges when Wanphen's medical report is released.

Unscrupulous taxi drivers are among the leading complaints of foreign tourists in Thailand. They have become known for inflating prices, taking them to non-existent attractions or even threatening some holidaymakers

Citing a 2022 quarterly survey, the Tourism Council of Thailand had said that visitors rated taxi services poorly.

The tourists complained of 'unfair treatment' as cabbies reportedly tended to prefer passengers who agreed to pay a fare without using the taxi metre, or those who agree to pay an arbitrarily higher charge.

Officials said that tourists can use ride-hailing apps such as the NASDAQ listed company Grab, which provides taxis across Southeast Asia for the legal market rate.