A tuk-tuk driver in Patong has been charged after a 29-year-old British boxer fell from his vehicle and later died, with police citing negligence and failure to report the incident.
PHUKET, Thailand – A tuk-tuk driver in Patong has been charged after a 29-year-old British professional boxer died following a fall from his moving vehicle on a busy road in Phuket earlier this month. The victim, identified as Mr. Colin Cairney, 29, fell from a tuk-tuk on Phra Baramee Road in Patong, Kathu District, in the early hours of June 14. He sustained critical injuries and later died in hospital. Police from Patong Police Station confirmed that the driver, Kittiphong (surname withheld), 34, from Phatthalung province, was taken in for questioning on June 15 after investigators gathered evidence linking him to the incident.
During questioning, the driver reportedly admitted to picking up two foreign tourists—a man and a woman—from the Bangla Road entertainment area and transporting them to a hotel near Kalim Beach. Upon arrival, the passengers allegedly said they had no cash and requested to be taken to ATM machines to withdraw money. The driver stated he then drove the intoxicated male passenger to three different ATM locations, but the withdrawals were unsuccessful. He later decided to return the passengers to the original pickup point in Bangla Road. While driving back along Phra Baramee Road past the hotel where the passengers had originally been dropped off, the driver said he was traveling at a normal speed but later felt something was wrong with the vehicle. However, he did not stop to check.
He continued driving for approximately two kilometers before realizing that one passenger was no longer in the vehicle. The driver did not report the incident to authorities at the time.
The tuk-tuk involved reportedly belonged to the driver’s brother and was being rented out for passenger services. Police have charged him with negligence causing death and failure to stop and assist or report an accident to authorities. He has reportedly confessed to all charges during questioning. Authorities also said the driver is currently in discussions regarding compensation with the victim’s uncle, who resides in Phuket. The investigation remains ongoing.
