A taxi driver used a TikTok SOS signal to call for police help after noticing his passenger was armed and apparently high.
The media reported that the incident occurred in the Mor Chit area when a 23-year-old man hailed Tanongsak Liangsa, 49. The customer first asked the taxi driver to drop him off in the Phetkasem area but suddenly changed his preferred destination to Suan Phung.
The man then changed his destination again, asking Mr. Tanongsak to drop him off in Pluak district in Rayong.
According to the driver, the customer seemed unable to make up his mind and changed his preferred destination several times. He also told reporters that the passenger introduced himself as a police officer but later claimed he had run away from home.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Tanongsak recalled the events and said he had seen the man handling drugs in the vehicle, specifically crystal ice.
After arriving at Road No 36 near Ban Chang in Rayong, the passenger reportedly pulled out a gun and playfully handcuffed himself, causing the driver to fear for his life.
Mr. Tanongsak explained that he was terrified and decided to continue driving as the man ordered while devising a plan to escape. The driver tricked the customer by saying that he needed to go to the toilet and had to go to a gas station.
At that time, Mr. Tanongsak set his GPS to Ban Bueng police station in Chon Buri and made the SOS signal he had seen in a video from the social media platform TikTok. Police officers understood the hand gesture and rushed to the vehicle to rescue the driver.
Upon arresting the passenger, they discovered that he was carrying a BB gun and a pocket knife. The police officers also seized a set of handcuffs, a wristwatch, a flashlight, four mobile phones and two leather bags.
Mr. Tanongsak told the police that the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs. In response, officers decided to perform a urine test that later revealed traces of narcotics.
The driver thanked the police for their quick response and said officers had given him 300 baht for gas.
