Accused Iranian Groper Arrested at Airport While Trying to Leave Thailand
An Iranian man accused of sexually groping a woman taxi-motorcyclist on Sunday was arrested early Tuesday morning at Suvarnabhumi Airport while attempting to leave the country.
The woman, identified as Nampueng, 40, told police that she picked up the man at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Klong Toey, Bangkok, on Sunday evening after he booked a ride through a phone app.
During the trip, Nampueng claimed the passenger began inappropriately touching her body and attempted to put his hand inside her pants. In response, she decided to drive toward a nearby police station. However, the man insisted she return to their original location instead, and she complied, hoping the situation would calm down. Unfortunately, the man’s behavior continued.
She then drove to a police booth at Witthayu intersection, but it was unmanned. Desperate, she called out for help from passersby. The man told her to stop shouting and said he would pay for the ride, but when she persisted in seeking assistance, he fled the scene without paying. Attempts by bystanders to catch him were unsuccessful.
Nampueng later filed a complaint with Lumpini police, providing them with the suspect’s name and phone number from the ride app. Authorities reviewed surveillance footage, which confirmed the man’s identity.
The suspect was arrested around 1:47 AM on Tuesday at the Suvarnabhumi Airport immigration desk as he was about to depart Thailand. He was taken into custody for legal proceedings.
Nampueng, who has been working as an app-based rider for about two years, said this was the first time she had experienced such behavior. She stated that she would take a break from driving for a while after the incident.
