Pattaya taxi driver accused of sexual harassment and hotel room intrusion

A taxi driver in Pattaya was arrested by police after a passenger accused him of sexual harassment and subsequently entering her hotel room. The incident occurred on May 30 and was posted on Facebook along with a video recording. The victim, a 27-year-old woman named Mae from Phichit province, stated that on the morning of May 30, she ordered a taxi through an app with a friend and her boyfriend. The group first went to a hotel in South Pattaya. After her friends got out, Mae arranged with the driver for an additional 200 baht fee to take her to another nearby hotel. According to Mae, shortly after leaving the first hotel, the driver locked the car doors, began to inappropriately touch her without her consent, and exposed himself. She claims he stated a desire to see her tattoo, continuing to touch her during the ride. When they arrived at her hotel, the driver refused to unlock the door and asked to exchange phone numbers. Mae reported that she gave him her number, wanting to leave the car as quickly as possible. Later, Mae noticed the driver's car parked near the hotel for almost an hour. He called her several times, which prompted her to ask her sister to come and stay with her. The driver called again, claiming Mae had left lipstick in his car, and asked her to come out. Without finishing the conversation, he, according to her, opened the door and entered her room. By this point, Mae's sister had arrived and started filming the incident as Mae confronted him. The driver reportedly looked scared, got back into his car, and drove away. After posting the video, Mae said the driver called and asked her to remove it, but she refused. She also stated that she received a call from the driver's girlfriend, who admitted that he had behaved similarly before, but this was the first time he had been recorded on video. Naewna reported that Mae filed a complaint at the Pattaya City Police Station and demanded that the driver be held accountable to prevent similar incidents with other passengers. She stated that she published the video to warn taxi users, especially women traveling at night. Mae also urged the ride-hailing company to strengthen driver verification, noting that profile pictures in apps do not always match the actual driver, raising concerns about passenger safety.