SINGAPORE: A taxi driver in Thailand turned himself in to the authorities after having assaulted the female friend of a Singaporean tourist in Bangkok last weekend.
The driver, 50-year-old Prapas Boonlang, attacked 43-year-old Wanpen Khamsa-nga with a knife in the wake of an altercation over the tip for the ride taken by the Singaporean, Ms Wanpen, and another friend, Itsaraporn Thonguraisakun.
The three booked a ride from an app after a birthday party on early Saturday morning (Aug 10), reported Thai news site Thaiger earlier this week.
Ms Wanpen sat beside the driver in the front of the cab, and Ms Itsaraporn and her Singaporean friend sat in the back.
The driver, already upset due to having had difficulty in finding the pick-up point for the group, vented at Ms Wanpen, who had consumed alcohol at the party and was feeling unwell.
Twice during the ride, she asked the driver to pull over, as she felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. The second time she did so, Mr Prapas gave her a plastic bag but did not stop the vehicle. She then opened the window and vomited into the bag to prevent the cab from getting soiled.
According to Ms Itsaraporn, the cab stayed clean. However, the driver insisted that the group pay an extra 500 baht (approximately S$19) for the time he lost when he stopped to wait while Ms Wanpen threw up as well as for a cleaning fee.
The two women told him, however, that there was no need to clean the cab as Ms Wanpen did not get any vomit in it. They agreed to a 200 baht tip (S$7.50), and since the fare had already been paid through Ms Itsaraporn’s credit card, they alighted so they could look for a new cab.
However, Mr Prapas followed the two women and the Singaporean tourist and attacked Ms Wanpen, stabbing her in the head, hands, and arms repeatedly with a knife, paying no heed to pleas from the other two to stop.
He only stopped his assault when another cabby came by and honked his horn loudly.
The incident occurred at a footpath near Soi Lat Phrao 42/2 in the Huai Khwang district of Bangkok.
Ms Wanpen sustained a fracture to her skull and needed more than 20 stitches for her wounds. She also required treatment for bleeding in her brain as was still in a hospital’s intensive care unit at the time of the Thaiger report.
Mr Prapas surrendered to the police on Aug 12, claiming that he had gotten angry after Ms Wanpen threw 200 baht at him, and adding that he wanted to apologize to her in person.
He was given a temporary release, with charges to be filed after the report on the victim’s injuries is released. /TISG
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