This is the shocking moment that a furious British tourist allegedly punched a taxi driver in a road rage attack in Phuket, Thailand.
Dashcam footage shows a man named by police as Joseph Millward arguing with taxi driver Saroj Jakthong before sending him sprawling with a powerful sucker punch.
The well-built tourist follows up the shocking attack by targeting his companion, who appears to dodge the blow.
Jakthong, 39, immediately gets up and follows Millward to his black Ford pickup, but the British tourist drives away before he is able to confront him again.
It is believed that the Thai man honked his horn at Millward after the latter reportedly cut in front of his van on a busy road on April 6.
The two vehicles then slow down before the Brit parks up and storms out of his truck to square up to Jakthong.
‘I stepped out to talk politely, telling the foreigner that his driving was dangerous and asking him to be more careful,’ he said after the incident.
It is believed that the Thai man honked his horn at Millward after the latter reportedly cut in front of his van on a busy road
The two vehicles then slow down before the Brit parks up and storms out of his truck to square up to Saroj
Millward then allegedly floors the taxi driver with a powerful punch
The well-built tourist follows up the shocking attack by targeting Saroj’s companion, who appears to dodge the blow
The British tourist drives away before Saroj could confront him again
‘But he immediately punched me, knocking me down.
‘Fortunately, no other vehicles were passing by at that moment.’
The taxi driver underwent a medical examination to document his injuries and returned to the police station where he found the apologetic Brit waiting for him.
Despite begging for forgiveness, Jakthong insisted he will not rest until he feels justice has been done.
He added: ‘I won’t compromise. I will pursue legal action until the end.
‘I didn’t think something like this would happen to me.
‘This should not happen to any Thai person at all.’
Police have now launched an investigation into the alleged assault after Saroj filed a report at the Phuket City Police Station.
Lieutenant Colonel Khunthong Chaowalit, Deputy Inspector for Investigation, said: ‘Preliminary information I can say is that the perpetrator is a British national named Joseph Millward.’
This is not the first time that Brits have been caught up in legal trouble in the popular South-East Asian nation.
Phuket was named the world’s most overcrowded holiday destination last year
It is home to several of the world’s best coastal spots and is known for its lively nightlife
Earlier this week George Paterson, 40, from Glasgow, was arrested for attacking a shopkeeper and a teenage boy on Phuket.
One victim said he must have been ‘intoxicated’ as he ‘wouldn’t listen’ to pleas to stop his rampage.
And last month four British tourists were paraded by Thai police after being arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle £1.7million of cannabis out of an airport on the island of Koh Samui.
Marc Patrick Wharton, meanwhile, was charged in February with importing illegal drugs after a packet of cocaine fell out of his pocket at the airport.
Phuket was named the world’s most overcrowded holiday destination last year, with locals on the island outnumbered by 118 to one.
It is home to several of the world’s best coastal spots and is known for its lively nightlife.
The province welcomed 4.3million tourists in the first half of 2024, including 2.6million foreign nationals – up 42 per cent on the same period in 2023.
But the influx of tourism has led to complaints from locals around crimes and misdemeanours committed by those from outside the island.
Last year, 194 foreigners had their visas rescinded, and 998 faced deportation for criminal activities, according to Kriangkrai Ariyaying, chief of Phuket’s immigration police.
He told the Bangkok Post: ‘Tourists must abide by the law, or they may be arrested and banned from re-entering Thailand for good.
‘If caught breaking the law, they will be arrested and deported.’
The Thai government has also laid out plans to impose a tourism tax to reduce visitor numbers and fund infrastructure related to tourists.
The British Embassy in Thailand were contacted for comment.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .