PHUKET — 15 June 2026, A 29-year-old British professional boxer is in a coma after falling from a tuk-tuk outside his hotel in Phuket’s Patong district in the early hours of Saturday, as police seek the driver who fled the scene.
Colin Cairney was found unconscious on the road outside The Nature Hotel on Khalaim Beach, Phra Baramee Road, at around 04:10, when rescue workers from the Phuket Kusoltham Foundation were alerted to an injured man lying near a pedestrian crossing with severe head wounds. He was taken first to Patong Hospital and is now in intensive care at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
CCTV footage and hotel security records showed Cairney had boarded a red tuk-tuk from an entertainment venue and returned to his hotel, where a fare dispute arose because he had no cash. The driver agreed to wait while Cairney went to withdraw money from an ATM.
The tuk-tuk was then seen on camera passing the hotel at around 04:02 heading back toward Patong without stopping to drop off its passenger. Cairney fell from the rear of the vehicle, his head striking the road with force. The driver did not stop to help.
CCTV footage ruled out an assault, police said, confirming Cairney fell from the vehicle on his own. Investigators have since collected blood samples to test for alcohol and drugs, with results pending. The investigating officer noted that friends who came to the hospital appeared to also be intoxicated.
Pol. Lt. Col. Surachat Thongya, deputy superintendent (investigation) at Patong Police Station, said police have identified the tuk-tuk’s owner, who confirmed the vehicle is his but said he had rented it out to another person to use as a taxi. Investigators are working to contact the renter and bring the driver in for questioning.
Should Cairney’s condition deteriorate fatally, the driver could face charges of negligent driving causing death, as well as failure to stop and render assistance and failure to notify authorities.
