Rider criticised after bullying overweight passenger in Udon Thani

2026-03-16 - 04:53

UDON THANI — A motorcycle ride-hailing driver in Udon Thani has drawn widespread criticism after a video showed him berating an overweight passenger during a trip, sparking a heated argument captured on camera. The clip was posted on Facebook by a user who wrote, “There are still people like this,” and quickly spread across social media. In the video, the rider is heard scolding the passenger about their weight, saying people who are overweight should not use the service. The passenger responds that the driver should put up a sign clearly stating that overweight customers are not accepted. The rider replies that drivers nowadays “do not take overweight passengers” and claims the practice has existed for a long time, adding that cancelling rides is not a serious issue. “You can ask any driver,” he says in the clip. The passenger then fires back, saying the driver should have said so earlier and should not judge others. “Don’t judge others for being fat. You’re not thin either. You’re overweight too,” the passenger says. The passenger later explained that they had booked the ride through an app and got on the motorcycle normally when the driver arrived. However, the driver rode slowly at about 20–30 km/h. When the passenger asked if he could go faster because they were worried about missing a connecting bus, the driver reportedly replied, “Stop talking. You’re heavy, it’s hard to balance.” The driver also allegedly said he initially did not want to accept the ride because of the passenger’s weight, prompting the passenger to take out a mobile phone and start recording the incident. The incident has since sparked widespread debate online. Many social media users criticised the driver for lacking basic service etiquette and said he should not have mocked the passenger’s weight. Others said the situation could have been handled in a more respectful and professional way.