A Thai tourist’s terrifying taxi ride in South Korea has gone viral, drawing widespread condemnation online after the cab driver used a translation app to suggest she could “pay with her body” if she had no money for the fare.
The incident, which occurred during her trip to Seoul, was captured in a now-viral video posted on June 19 by the tourist, who chose to remain anonymous. She had booked the ride via a taxi app and was headed to Seoul Station to catch a train to Busan.
In the video, the South Korean taxi driver is seen communicating through a translation app, asking personal and intrusive questions — such as whether she had a boyfriend and why she was still unmarried. He then offered to find her a job, saying, “It’s not hard. You just need to clean rooms.”
However, things took a disturbing turn when the driver learned that she was traveling to Busan. He offered to drive her there personally and told her, “If you don’t have money for the fare, you can pay with your body.”
The woman recounted how the driver even stopped the car mid-ride to continue the conversation, which left her frightened. Though he ultimately dropped her at Seoul Station, he gave her his number and asked when she would return.
After the ordeal, she posted the video to social media to warn other travelers. “I had a bad experience taking a taxi in South Korea. Please be careful,” she wrote. She also reported the driver through the taxi app.
Her post has since gained over 660,000 likes and more than 400 comments, with many from South Korea and Thailand expressing their support and outrage.
The reaction online was swift and emotional. Some South Korean users apologized on behalf of their countrymen. “I am sorry that such a horrible thing happened to you,” one commenter wrote. Others encouraged the tourist to file a police report, calling the incident sexual harassment.
One user said, “This type of person must be punished. If left unchecked, they will do it again.” Another added, “At the very least, his information should be made public.”
However, there’s a legal gap that’s worrying many. Under current South Korean law, verbal sexual harassment is not considered a crime unless it includes public molestation or physical contact. Critics have called for stricter laws and license revocation for drivers involved in such behavior.
As of now, there has been no public update from authorities about whether legal action has been taken against the driver.
