A Thai tuk tuk driver in Chiang Mai denied physically assaulting a Chinese tourist after a video of the pair’s confrontation went viral on TikTok.
The Chinese tourist, who posted the clip to his account, @ailong165, on August 29, claimed the incident occurred at about 8.45pm on August 28 in Chiang Mai Old Town.
According to the tourist, the driver shouted at him while trying to offer his service. When he declined, the driver allegedly parked his vehicle and attacked him. The Chinese national said he had reported the incident to the police and was awaiting legal proceedings.
In his TikTok post, the man also warned others to avoid visiting Chiang Mai or Thailand, claiming there were many bad people in the country.
The video quickly drew attention from both Chinese and Thai TikTok users. Many Thais condemned the driver’s behaviour and criticised him for damaging the reputation of Thai tourism.
Chiang Mai News reported yesterday, September 2, that the driver, identified only as 27 year old A, reported to police at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Monday, September 1. He admitted using vulgar language but denied assaulting the tourist, claiming instead that the foreigner had provoked the altercation.
A said he had been driving along Rachamanka Road when he offered the tourist a ride. Unexpectedly, the tourist shouted back in Chinese, allegedly insulting his mother.
Believing the man assumed he would not understand, A admitted he became angry and stopped his vehicle, leading to the heated exchange seen in the video. He insisted, however, that he did not touch or harm the tourist.
The driver acknowledged that his behaviour harmed Chiang Mai’s tourism image and issued an apology. He also shared on social media that he had previously dealt with difficult passengers but usually managed to remain calm. In this case, he claimed the personal insult was too much to ignore.
Police Superintendent Pratchaya Thitsala of Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station said officers had urged the Chinese tourist to return for further questioning, but he had not yet made himself available.
Pratchaya added that officers had warned the tuk tuk driver not to repeat such behaviour and to exercise greater patience when dealing with customers. He did not comment on whether the driver would face any legal punishment.
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