In Pattaya, there was a mass brawl among motorcycle taxi drivers because of customers. According to Thai media, on the evening of January 25, urban motorbike drivers in orange vests attacked their competitors working on orders from the Bolt app.
The skirmish took place near Arcadia Beach Resort at Soi Thappraya, 7 in South Pattaya, where a motorbike taxi from Bolt arrived on call. Many tourists and travelers from other countries stop in this complex.
The local motorcycle taxi drivers who were on duty at the parking lot began to interfere with them, and as a result of a verbal skirmish, both sides called their colleagues for help. A mount, a baseball bat, and other improvised means were used. As a result, three people were injured, and some were injured.
The incident is not the first. A few days earlier, there had been a conflict in the north of the city involving several dozen taxi drivers over overlapping territory, some of whom had firearms.
There are only a few public transport routes in Pattaya, known as “tuk-tuk”. Therefore, motorbike taxis are in great demand not only by residents but also by tourists.
As a rule, urban motorcycle taxi drivers are dressed in orange or yellow vests, they have personal numbers and permits with a photo and full name. They are also required to present their rates. However, tourists claim that the cost is too high for foreigners and that it is often difficult to explain the upcoming route.
Both problems are solved by taxi search aggregators, in particular, Grab, Bolt, and inDriver work in Thailand. According to social media, the last two apps often have the best prices and features. trip costtrip is indicated in advance and the driver already has a point of arrival by geolocation in the smartphone.
Pattaya’s struggle for tourist clients does not always lead to physical violence. Previously, motorbike taxi drivers held a rally outside Pattaya City Hall to protest against the Bolt and Grab apps. The local media said their claims are based on the fact that taxi drivers working with these services do not have proper licenses and their transport is not registered as public.