A fight between a taxi driver and volunteer rescuers at Fai Chai MRT Station in Bangkok has gone viral on Thai social media, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of what led to the physical altercation.
The Facebook page Jung Jing shared footage of the confrontation on August 21. The incident itself reportedly took place at around 8pm on July 20 at Fai Chai MRT Station in Bangkok.
The footage showed two rescuers involved in a physical confrontation with the taxi driver, who defended himself and punched two rescuers, knocking them down.
MRT employees and security guards intervened to control the situation at the station. No other members of the public or MRT passengers were reportedly injured.
The video attracted attention online, with some users criticising the rescuers and arguing that people volunteering to serve the public should not become involved in criminal conduct.
Others called for more information about what happened before the confrontation before deciding who was responsible.
The taxi driver, identified as Prachak, told Channel 7 that a rescuer who did not appear in the video had followed him closely on a motorcycle.
Prachak said the man stopped him and accused him of cutting him off. During their argument, he alleged that the rescuer produced a knife and threatened him.
Prachak said he drove away because he needed to collect a passenger. However, he alleged that the rescuer followed him to the pickup location and used a knife to break all the windows of his taxi.
The driver said he contacted police and informed the taxi garage about the damage to the rented vehicle. He said he remained inside the taxi because he feared getting out would expose him to a knife attack.
According to Prachak, the rescuers then called additional friends to the location. He said he eventually left the vehicle and went to the MRT station to seek assistance, but the other rescuers followed him there and became involved in the confrontation shown in the video.
Supoj, one of the rescuers, gave a different version of events to the media. He claimed Prachak had cut him off several times and braked suddenly in an attempt to cause him to crash into the taxi. The two men subsequently stopped and argued.
Supoj admitted damaging one of the taxi’s windows but said he did so in anger and with his bare hands. He denied carrying a knife on the day of the incident.
Supoj also confirmed that he called other rescuers to the scene. However, he said he contacted them to provide first aid for his injuries rather than to confront the taxi driver.
He said he did not realise that his friends had followed Prachak to the MRT station and become involved in the subsequent altercation while he was receiving first aid.
Bang Khon Non Police Station officers told Channel 7 that both parties had filed complaints against each other. Police said the two sides had not reached an agreement and that officers were continuing to investigate the incident. Officers said they would determine the facts and provide justice to both parties.
The story Bangkok taxi driver and rescuers fight on MRT station after road dispute as seen on Thaiger News.
