Nadech Clears Air Over Rider's Home Video Footage
Actor Nadech Kugimiya said he won't press charges against a ride-hailing driver who filmed and posted footage revealing the route to his home, calling it a mutual learning mistake and urging ride-hailing companies to improve privacy guideli
Actor Nadech Kugimiya has spoken publicly for the first time about the controversy involving a ride-hailing driver who filmed video footage that revealed the route to his home. Nadech expressed understanding toward the affected rider and confirmed he has no intention of filing charges, viewing the incident as a mutual learning mistake stemming from both parties' lack of awareness. He hopes the situation serves as a lesson about privacy and safety for all service users, particularly women, and calls on ride-hailing companies to establish clearer guidelines and training for employees in the future.
Regarding the rider's situation, Nadech said: "I actually sympathize with him too, because public opinion has affected him quite a bit. I also need to protect my own private space. Really, I believe all riders would be happy to meet me, but there's no law or boundary that even I or the rider himself understands clearly about what the limits are. Nobody's wrong, nobody's right. We just didn't protect each other. So what we chose to do was have my manager communicate this, because we wanted it to be a lesson for ourselves, the rider, and many others. Nowadays riders can still film when I travel anywhere, but it was a real mistake for him to post such a long video from pickup to arriving at my home, which posed a safety risk to me and my household. It feels quite sensitive, but honestly having dashcam footage is normal. I believe notifying customers beforehand would be the best solution, or he could have asked me first whether he could post it. I think having a chance to clarify things here is the best outcome for everyone right now."
When asked if he knew about the filming at the time, Nadech explained: "I could see he had a camera, but I didn't know what exactly. Most of the time people just take still photos. In my experience it's usually still images, but really riders do need videos for their own protection, right? Accidents, aggressive customers—this incident has no right or wrong party. It's a lesson for both of us, and society has learned from it together."
Responding to concerns about the safety implications of filming the route to his home, Nadech said: "I appreciate the concern, but it was a lack of awareness from both of us. If I had noticed the camera, I could have asked, 'Brother, are you filming a video? If you are, please don't show my house.' I should have been more alert too. But I think we've become too accustomed to this. We're not protecting ourselves either."
When asked if he was upset about being secretly filmed, Nadech replied: "Not at all. I actually have a feeling that people will be scared of me now and won't dare take photos or meet me."
On his frequent use of ride-hailing services, Nadech noted: "Yes, I can't stand Bangkok traffic. I live around Sukhumvit where traffic is terrible, so walking or taking a motorcycle taxi feels like the best solution for us. That's why we meet riders regularly. Sometimes we even stop to take photos."
Many observers view this incident as a case highlighting privacy and safety concerns in the ride-hailing industry.