A Chinese tourist who accused a Phuket motorbike taxi driver of robbing him of 20,000 baht has admitted he lied.
The Phuket News reports that Chinese national Xing Jingwei was dropped off at his Patong hotel by motorbike taxi at around 1am today. He got into an argument with the driver over the fare and the taxi sped away.
Witnesses report seeing Xing chasing after the motorbike and managing to grab hold of the back of it before falling to the ground, injuring his arm.
It’s understood that Xing then told staff at his hotel that the driver had robbed him of 20,000 baht. Hotel workers notified the police, who arrived to speak with the Chinese man.
The driver was subsequently identified as 22 year old Mr Pan, with police managing to track him down and speak to him. Pan told officers that when he dropped Xing off at the hotel, the tourist began arguing over the fare, claiming he’d been overcharged.
Pan says there were language difficulties that hindered communication, causing him to drive away in frustration. Police say the driver strongly denied taking 20,000 baht from his passenger.
Officers once again questioned Xing at Patong Police Station at around 7am this morning. At that point, the tourist admitted he’d fabricated the robbery, although he didn’t explain why he’d done so.
Police have not stated if he will face any charges related to his false claim.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
