A Near Death Experience in a Bangkok Taxi

Before I get to my next story one thing I’ve asked myself is why do I keep returning to Asia after so many tours in 35 years of doing so? Well I’m not a drinker nor do I do drugs which I mentioned in my first submission so hanging around a bar getting plastered is not my thing (but no judgment there as long as there is respect for the culture and the people). One thing is simply the need to escape from my usual commitments and daily work routine a few times a year where I have no real responsibilities to perform or expectations to maintain.

I was married to a Japanese woman for seven years whom I met while living in Japan. Divorced with no kids marriage is simply not my thing. I have come to realize that I am not capable of a sustained relationship as I grew up in the ashes and fallout of my parents’ bad marriage which ended in divorce and I think this set a negative template to long term relationships somewhere deep in my psychic storage unit. My mother was a saint in my eyes and my father a violent alcoholic. Of course this impacts me both consciously and subconsciously for the rest of my life. It only dawned on me as I got older that I lack the confidence to maintain a long term relationship and combined with the fact I am very independent it is probably not a great combination.

Ironically when I am in a relationship I am always responsible and considerate but I soon yearn for complete freedom. I now know this and accept who I am.

Anyway on to my next adventure. As I mentioned in my first submission Tick and I had finished up after two years and I was a free agent. My first trips to Thailand were to see her primarily but my subsequent trips were motivated by simply enjoying the culture and training in Muay Thai which was part of my life’s martial arts journey and I still travel on today. My trips were a combination of training and relaxing.

Anyone who travels to Asia frequently often gets asked is it dangerous? Well of course in most cases not at all but I do want to address a few instances where things did get tense. Take into consideration that in over 60 trips I can only think of a handful of instances where things did stray to the dark side. I am quietly confident in my ability to look after myself. In my early twenties I worked as both a bouncer and a bodyguard for a few years before moving from New Zealand to Japan and never stopped training in the martial arts since the age of 11. I’m not very imposing average height but I was very fit back in the day. Please don’t take this as bragging; I’m just trying to give you some background of who I am.

The Taxi Incident 1989

The year was 1989 and two weeks before leaving for Thailand I happened to be reading the Japan Times newspaper which was a daily routine on the train. I read an article warning travelers to be aware of going to Thailand as some people had simply disappeared between arriving at the airport and going to their accommodation. Bodies were found and other times no one ever turned up. Police suspected a taxi gang were operating this sinister operation. I didn’t think much about it at the time and continued reading the paper.

Two weeks later my plane touched down in Bangkok and it was the last to arrive that evening. Everything went smooth through customs and immigration. I was pumped to be back. I might mention that sometimes I travel with friends and other times alone this was a solo trip. I was to stay in Bangkok for two nights before flying to Koh Samui. As soon as the doors opened to let me out of the airport the senses were instantly engulfed in the Bangkok groove a combination of smells heat and emissions that smack you right in the face. I loved it.

I got in the taxi told him to go to the Malaysian Hotel my then place of choice bartered a price and off we go into the night. I knew the route pretty well by then but around 10 minutes in the driver took off the ramp and I asked him what he was doing. He replied ‘Shortcut.’ I gave him the benefit of the doubt for a few minutes until I just knew we were heading away from the general direction of where I should be going. The streets were getting narrower and the lights dimmer. I said in a strong voice to turn around and get back on the freeway. He stopped communicating altogether and in an instant I knew something bad was about to go down very soon if I didn’t do something as the article I had read a few weeks earlier flashed through my mind.

I shook his shoulders firmly and asked him to stop. He didn’t answer and tried to pull my hands away. I then grabbed him in a rear naked choke and slowly squeezed as I didn’t want him to just pass out while driving. He slammed the brakes on and then came to a stop and we struggled. I now put the pressure on until he went unconscious. I kept it on for a good 10 seconds which I knew would allow me 20 seconds for the blood and oxygen to fill his brain back to a conscious state. Adrenaline pumping I quickly grabbed my suitcase carried it on and ran like a man possessed.

I had no idea where I was. I ran down a small street in the dark about 150 meters away and hid behind some kind of bush in front of a house. Dogs were barking and I was very very scared they would give me away. After a few minutes the dogs stopped barking and after a further 10 minutes or so I could hear some more cars pulling up and some voices. I knew they were looking for me. It was a long wait until they disappeared into the night. I stayed there about 20 minutes or so until with great hesitation I ventured out. I could see some street lights in the distance and I followed them until I hit a main connecting road the whole time hoping my old ‘mate’ wouldn’t make an appearance.

Not long after I flagged a tuk tuk down and I made it to the hotel totally exhausted and absolutely relieved. I checked in and slept long into the next morning.

Aftermath of the Bangkok Taxi Escape

When I woke up and showered I felt good and decided there was no point in contacting the police as I didn’t know the number plate of the taxi or even what the guy looked like. The cops back then just didn’t have the resources to do anything with the little info I could provide. Of course these days the security at the airport has really stepped up and every person getting into a taxi is subjected to details being recorded.

Just a little travel security hack I might suggest if you are traveling alone place your luggage in the back seat next to you as it is easy to exit the taxi in the case of a dispute. Also there have been cases where an accomplice has been traveling behind the taxi with a duplicate key opens the boot when stopped at the lights and relieves you of your luggage the taxi driver claims you must have left it on the airport sidewalk. Ironically the trip ended up being fantastic but I’ll get into that on my next submission.

The Davao Bombing

Another dangerous experience was not in Thailand but the Philippines. I will quickly tell you what happened if you kindly indulge me as it haunts me to this day. A few years earlier I was contracted to teach the special branch of the police anti terrorist group and went over once or twice a year for a few years which were conducted in Manila. The captain of the team was a nice guy and told me some horrid encounters he had dealing with terrorists that stick with me to this day. Little did I know I would have my own horrible event.

A few years later on late August 2016 I was in Davao City visiting my girlfriend. We had been seeing each other for two years by this time and it turned out to be my last visit to see her as things just didn’t work out in the end. We had a nice dinner with her friend and her friend’s Australian boyfriend and it was decided that we should visit the Saturday night market. We walked around ate some food and enjoyed a lovely massage under the stars by a group that permanently leased the spot. The Australian man was big and insisted on using a big strong male masseur that he had used before on a previous visit and I distinctly remember him as he had a really good sense of humor and we joked around quite a bit.

The next day I flew back to Australia where I was now living. One week to the day on September the 3rd a bomb wrapped in a package went off at the night market which was placed in the massage station right where we had been a week earlier and killed 14 people including the girl who had done my massage and the big masseur who had worked on my friend. It shook me to the core and I shed a tear for those poor people whom I had a minor interaction with only days before.

I want to conclude that despite the above bad experiences I hope the readers do not get turned off travel. Remember most of my trips were awesome and I had some fantastic times and for the most part feel completely safe as long as you are mindful respectful and use common sense. If you do like a drink and have had too much please organize a safe passage home because walking in the back streets drunk is a very dangerous move. It’s a numbers game and once in a while something just happens and a twist of fate intervenes. I can’t wait to see what my next adventure in December has planned for me and who knows there might be a story or two to be had. Stay safe and happy and I dedicate this to the memory of the poor people who lost their lives in Davao that fateful night.