Taiwanese Man Allegedly Loses Belongings To Thai Taxi Driver While Heading To Bangkok Airport
A Taiwanese man’s trip in Thailand reportedly turned into a nightmare after he was allegedly cheated by scammers and later lost his belongings to a taxi driver while travelling to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
According to Thai media, the incident happened on 7 June, when the man was on his way to the airport after deciding to return to Taiwan. He had reportedly suffered financial losses after falling victim to a Chinese call centre scam.
The case came to public attention after a Thai woman named Suparat posted in the Facebook group Pattaya Talk, asking online users to help locate the Taiwanese man, who was a friend of her husband.
Taiwanese Tourist Was Reportedly Under Heavy Stress
Suparat said the man had transferred money from his bank account in Taiwan after being deceived by scammers. After realising what had happened, he planned to return home to take legal action.
However, while taking a taxi to Don Mueang International Airport, he allegedly did not have enough cash to pay the fare. The taxi driver reportedly told him to get out of the vehicle before driving away with his belongings and personal documents.
The missing items were said to include important travel documents, leaving the man in a difficult situation as he was already dealing with the earlier scam.
Language Barrier Made Situation Harder
The Taiwanese man later lodged a police complaint, but reportedly faced difficulties due to the language barrier. He then contacted Suparat’s husband, who lives in Pattaya, for help.
He travelled to Pattaya to meet the couple and waited at their accommodation. However, he later went missing, causing concern that he may have been overwhelmed by the series of incidents.
Suparat then turned to the online community for assistance, asking people to help find him and ensure his safety.
Man Found Safe And Returned To Taiwan
With help from members of the online group, the couple eventually managed to locate the Taiwanese man. They later accompanied him to a police station and his embassy to arrange replacement documents.
Suparat later updated that the man had safely returned to Taiwan. She added that they are still following up with police over the alleged actions of the taxi driver.
The amount of cash and the full list of missing belongings have not been disclosed.
The case has also served as a reminder for tourists travelling in Thailand, including Singaporeans visiting Bangkok, to keep important documents, emergency cash and digital copies of passports stored separately. Travellers are also advised to use official taxi queues, ride-hailing apps or airport transport services where possible, especially when heading to major transport hubs such as Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport.