A Russian woman was attacked by a Bolt motorcycle taxi driver after she requested he slow down due to safety concerns.
Identified only as Anna, the 41-year-old real estate agent lodged a complaint at the Muang Pattaya police station around 1:45 am on Sunday.
She accused the Bolt motorcycle driver of assaulting her during the ride from Soi Kasetsin to her home in the Khao Phra Tamnak area, resulting in facial bruises and a split lip.
In her statement, Ms. Anna reported that the driver was speeding, and her plea for him to decelerate, as she was not wearing a helmet and feared an accident, angered him, leading to a heated exchange.
The altercation escalated when the driver stopped near a traffic kiosk in the Khao Phra Tamnak area and assaulted her, striking her face and causing her to bleed from the mouth. She called out for help, and the Bolt driver fled the scene when a bystander intervened.
Ms. Anna received assistance from Surasak Burapan, a 45-year-old technician from the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel Pattaya, who witnessed the dispute as he was driving home. He intervened to defuse the situation and accompanied her to the police station.
Without initially understanding the context, Mr. Surasak intervened after seeing Ms. Anna bleeding. He accompanied her to provide a witness statement and assist in filing her police report.
An examination of a video recorded by Ms. Anna revealed the assailant as a slender, dark-skinned man, approximately 20 years old, who appeared very agitated while arguing with her.
The footage also captured him taking out his phone to record Ms. Anna, claiming she had not paid the fare, before driving off.
