BANGKOK — An Iranian man suspected of sexually harassing a female motorcycle taxi driver was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport early Tuesday morning as he attempted to flee the country. The incident occurred while the victim was transporting him in the Khlong Toei district of Bangkok.
Ms. Namphung (pseudonym), a 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, reported to police that her foreign customer, who appeared to be Middle Eastern, inappropriately touched her chest and body while riding as a passenger on her motorcycle. The incident happened around 8 PM on February 23 near the Tobacco Monopoly area in Khlong Toei.
According to the victim, when the harassment began, she drove toward the main road intending to report the incident to police. The man pleaded with her to turn back, and believing he would stop, she complied. However, he continued the inappropriate behavior despite her attempts to push his hands away, even trying to touch her genitals.
Namphung used a translation application to communicate in English, asking him to stop and respect women, but he ignored her requests. She eventually jumped off her motorcycle at a police booth near Wireless Road intersection and screamed for help. Finding no officers present, she called out to nearby pedestrians for assistance, causing the man to flee without paying his fare.
She filed a report at Lumphini Police Station and messaged the customer to meet her there, but he didn’t appear. Instead, he allegedly offered money to settle the matter and denied the harassment claims. Namphung refused and insisted on pursuing legal action.
After taking the victim’s statement and gathering evidence including video clips and CCTV footage that clearly showed the suspect’s behavior, police identified the suspect as Mr. Mohsen, a 31-year-old Iranian national. The court approved an arrest warrant on February 24 on charges of committing indecent acts with use of force against a person unable to resist.
Later that evening around 9:30 PM, Lumphini Police Station investigators were notified by Suvarnabhumi Airport police that they had detained the suspect as he was attempting to leave the country.
Immigration officers held him until morning before transferring him to Lumphini Police Station for questioning and legal proceedings, as they were aware the investigating officer was female and preferred to avoid nighttime interrogation of the suspect.
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