heiwa

Punishment should fit the crime - when Police won't even investigate it sends the wrong message to the mob.

Bomb alert between May 8th to 11th. You have been warned. Stay away from tourist areas between these dates. Always be aware of special dates. Bombs are often planned around meaningful dates.

Buddhist word for the day:

"You want to have a big face? You never will have it."

--"Why?"

"You want it"

--"But I put all my money, my family, my 'friends' in the business to have a BIG FACE."

"Yes, and this is why you never will have a "face".

Adjahn Akasit, adapted by his student.

So tell us please what kind of Thai has the big face in Thailand? Please enlighten. Most excellent post.

The more you want to have the most face the less it is possible to have it because of the huge desire

So I guess bar girls are not ones with the BIG FACE. Perhaps Mr and Mrs Tua Pai. I must confess this is the Thailand I love - those whose aura you can soon sense that in the process of being a humble ordinary they are inversely everything but. There are still people like this in Thailand but getting rarer. It may be hard to find them in places tourists hang out. Remember stopping outside a restaurant near Suratthani on my bike asking for directions to Koh Samui - they insisted I take a 1.5 litre bottle of water from the shop fridge before I left (wondered how I would find room in my bag but I really didn't want to disappoint those kindly faces) - even though I had not even entered their restaurant - or the man who I never talked to who insisted with the cashier (not even disturbing me) that he pay for my coffee after he saw me reading a book in Thai script or the blue collar factory workers pouring beer in my glass while Caribou is playing raised arms. This is the Thailand I love - not tourist resorts. There is an infinitely beautiful side to Thailand if you take the effort to find it. Unlike politicians ordinary Thais can understand the value in a good deed without any expectation of a "kick back". Sharing one of the best meals I ever had 20km out of Nakhon Panom - the family warning me that often bad people drink heavy spirits but not to worry as they could drink heavy spirits and still be good 555.

And on a serious note - over 700 dead - some-one should be held culpable and be sitting in jail. Does anyone have a face to lose?

No megaflood in Thailand this year: Water committee chair - They must make this an election promise

Buddhist word for the day:

"You want to have a big face? You never will have it."

--"Why?"

"You want it"

--"But I put all my money, my family, my 'friends' in the business to have a BIG FACE."

"Yes, and this is why you never will have a "face".

Adjahn Akasit, adapted by his student.

So tell us please what kind of Thai has the big face in Thailand? Please enlighten. Most excellent post.

With so much action like this in Thailand no need to go to the movies... Disaster after disaster - will it ever end?

so you think that the alternative will be better? Personally I don't think so.

There's got to be something better than idiots? Surely?

Always found it odd how Thais in administrative positions behaving in a very unethical manner in the work-place could show their face in public when I would have been hiding my face in shame. I am came to the conclusion that they did not have a face to lose after all. I really do think the show is over and the curtains should be drawn so we don't have to ever see their faces again.

In response to the post that said I should report being poisoned. A farang reporting a crime in Thailand. Well now that is a rather novel idea 555. Ask any Thai - they will tell you that Police are not interested in farang reporting a crime against their own people. Heard of us and them. Universal justice is farang thing - does not apply to Thailand. You need to stick around for a while longer - just landed I gather. The only time they like to see farang is when they on overstay so they can get 100K baht release fee.

My God! It's really hard to find something that is not a diabolical <SNIP!> UP. I really need some good news. What is PTP doing right? I really would like to be positive.

Police fail to act for the young 16 year old boy who was beaten unconscious in front of 711 cameras and many witnesses - apparently not interested to investigate. The thugs know that the police don't give a shit or the thug culture is bigger than the police. I gave the address of the robber and licence plate of the motorbike that attempted to rob me. The Police said no reason to arrest, not interested, it may be a reason in a foreign country but not Thailand. They said that they must steal something of me before they do something. Farang brothers - make sure you adjust to this very unique environment or leave. It's getting a lot worse - talk to the Thais. Over 20,000 murdered by guns last year - the statistics don't lie. Rest assured in Thailand the Police will do nothing.

not to belittle your incident but what would you have had the police charge him with? tailgating?

i don't think there's a (fair) country in the world where people get charged with robbery without committing the robbery.

Where I was living in Canada you call the police for your stolen car and they just give it a case number don't even bother to come out and look around.

They got better things to do then look for your 20yo car. If you don't got insurance that's your own problem, aye.

Guess I need to explain this better. My fault. Wide open road, no traffic. Riding my bike, up comes a bike sitting right behind my back wheel. I think such a big road why does he have to be there 10cm behind my back wheel so I veer left. Then he veers left. I look to my left and right over my shoulder and I can not see him. Then I turn my head right around and he again is sitting 10cm behind my back wheel. So I veer right, he veers right. I realise this is not a game so I speed up to 140km/hr. He also does the same. This goes on for about 15km at 140km/hr until I make it into town and he gives up the chase. I go left and he goes right but I stop to get a rough idea of his number plate. Then by sheer co-incidence I see him at Big C. Take a photo of his number plate and his apartment identification sticker. To add to this I just could not stop at 140km/hr with his front wheel always behind mine I was too afraid of slowing down as hitting my back wheel I would guess would be instant death. Also Thais tell me if they can get along side you they will kick your bike down. Now I was riding at 140km/hr when traffic ahead meant I should have slowed down to 80km/hr. To me in my book this is attempted murder. They hope you will fall and then pick your bag. And this is a very big problem in Thailand - ask Thai people. I never had heard of it before it happened.

Just tell them not to forget to tie the bufallos up. In a country where is repeated bombings (Lee Gardens) Iranians etc etc I really don't think this idea is too smart. Will be a prime target.

I hope Malaysian Immigration is looking in to these discrepancies in work visas being allocated being far in excess for the number of restaurants.

Just as an after thought..

Last year a Thai friend was chatting to another vendor at the bang kae market in west bangkok when suddenly a body went flying off the large Thai style apartment building over Petkasem road near Wonder dept store. it was a young farang in his 30's apparently....cops came and took the body away in a pick up vehicle ... case closed. no media report next day i rolled up about 3 hours after the incident when he told me this story.

Farangs have disappeared or died mysteriously in Thonburi over the years...no police, no file ,no case,no media ...nothing. Usually isan wives involved. One still walks around with gold jewelry. Before she used to wash dishes in the gutter outside Tops store. ...not any more..

Here's another post that should be pinned for future reference.

Point is that farang find this so incredulous that they only wake up just before they die that the poster was not a crazy ranting farang. This is another trick. They drug you and remove your gold chain and put you in your car. They then say you left the home and someone must have stolen your gold chain while you were sleeping in your car. Happened to a Thai friend of mine who was engaged to an upcountry girl. The crazy thing is that "this friend" in leaving all my things with him in trust on my return to collect goods he told me he had thrown all my stuff out when he moved house. This guy I had known for 3 years, had bought him meals more than 100 times because he was on such a low salary even though his family was not poor. And no I am not gay. It was worth paying for his meals for him to explain through thousands of hours of how things work in this society.

... the cultural values of a society are largely driven and sustained by the spiritual values of the predominant religion(s).

... after 12+ years living and working here, up close and personal, my opinion is the Thai's greed is greater and stronger than the Thai's Buddha.

... Thais are not particularly prepared for self-introspection, especially on an issue as sensitive as the defacto state religion - the unique, Thai-branded Theravada Buddhism ... so, the question of Thais' inferior cultural values might be denied by Thais, and the entire issue uncomfortably avoided in their child-like ways.

... no great moral leader appears on the Thai radar anywhere to inspire and stir in Thais a greater humanity ... no Mahatma Gandhi ... no Aung San Suu Kyi ... no Nelson Mandela ... for that reason, I suspect changes in Thai values will not occur, and Thai cultural values will continue to corrode.

... I have long been preparing my Thai children to leave Thailand, should they decide their quality of life will be better in another nation.

... corruption + incompetence = Thailand ... it is a mathematical certainty.

... so deeply saddening to have to witness this ... I wonder what the Thais' Buddha would say?

"corruption + incompetence = Thailand"

You are saying that Burma. Afghanistan, Sudan and the list goes on are not corrupt +incompetent. You really should read other News Sources besides Thai Visa

.

... uuuh ... no, hellodolly ... that is not what I said ... what I said, is what I said.

... as you just did, I will not misrepresent your post, or put my words into your mouth ... but ... if you are implying that because other societies are cultural wastelands the same as Thailand, and that I should somehow not critisize Thailand, then maybe you could re-consider ... I really do not understand any rationale for which you are reaching.

... I live in Thailand ... not Burma ... or, Afghanistan ... or, Sudan ... I have children in Thailand, about whose futures I am deeply concerned ... the op-ed about which we are commenting is about Thailand.

Look at most of the Thai monks. They don't practice Buddhism, they practice spirit-ism and capitalism. It's all about money that they can spend in computer plaza's and shopping malls for expensive mobile phones and computers. I think the majority of Thai people don't know what Buddhism is. They think that giving money to monks is a guaranty for a better next life.

Its a special form of buddhism worshipping rank/status above all else and to do anything to get a higher rank and for some it means even killing people for money to get a higher rank - a more noble birth. There is something very wrong. The leading head monk of Thailand needs to speak up and put an end to this endemic violence. More than 20,000 gun murders every year is a good reason for the head monk to speak up. Of course there are many with no work now = no money which gives rise to armed robberies naturally.

With over 20,000 gun murders a year this is not lawlessness - this is a war zone.

Yep. I always put on a full set of kevlar and travel in an armoured convoy when I step outside my front door.

I prefer disguise, dress scruffy and if you hang around outside 7-11 long enough, Thai people give me money..................

I knew a farang who got six teeth extracted outside a 711 because he would not give a guy cigarettes. This farang was 6 foot 4, ex-marine. The guy came back with friends and bashed the crap out of him. A smaller guy would have died. The police ascertained it was the farang's fault because he was impolite in rejecting to give these guys cigarettes - I have no doubt the police were correct - this guy had a bit of a mouth - however now a mouth with six less teeth. However he was lucky he was not one of those in the over 20,000 bracket who get a bullet in the head every year. Analysis of the situation would indicate that this farang was extremely lucky. He got the best possible result one would say - and the Police agreed. Now for a few impolite words does that mean Police condone such a savage beating. Well, Yes. At least in Thailand. It's incumbent rule, home ground advantage, untouchables, criminals on the Police payroll. There is nothing you can do if you don't have an armoured convoy. Just get home by 5.30pm and lock the doors is the best solution. And always remember impoliteness gives rise to justifiable murder in the eyes of the Police and society. This is the secondary law in operation - some would say the real law in Thailand - local law. The legal system is something imposed by foreigners and does not apply generally and generally not wanted by Thai people. It of course is mob rule and will be for at least this century.

My breakfast was poisoned on Koh Pan Gan Island the morning the "hosts" knew I was leaving. They were enraged that I had reported that my belongings had been stolen from my bungalow to the police because they said they would have to pay the police a fee. They told me that someone would have to die for my goods being stolen - I thought they were talking about the thief. Poisoning is widely under-reported. Would not be good for tourism. Did they ever find out the cause of the 5 or 6 "mysterious" farang deaths in the same hotel in Chiang Mai? To avoid being poisoned it is always a good idea to not eat specially prepared meals or food. Just pick from the trays of communal food or canned drink. Sadly there is not much respect for human life and poisoning is a lot more common than one would imagine. Why, I don't know?

How do you know it was poisoned.. not questioning if it was or not rather what led you to believe it was.. taste ?

I can not be absolutely sure that I was poisoned - but immediately after eating the meal I felt like I was on deaths door. I thought I was going to die but luckily I managed to recuperate. I guess they did not put enough poison in the meal to kill me if my assumption is correct that they poisoned it. Certainly was enough to nearly kill me. They told me that the owners ex-husband was mafia and could have people killed. They were really pissed off about me reporting the theft to the police. Best not to piss people of here unless you want to end up in a liner.

So why not go to hospital....obtain toxicology reports......report this "crime"

I was taken ill in CM earlier this year, stomach cramps, elevated heart rate, high temperature, shortness of breath....had I been poisoned ? I dont know but I do know I got to hospital where the relevant test were carried out. Turned out I was suffering from the Noro Virus. Probably brought over by me anyway as I had it in England at Christmas.

OMB, I found a staple in my tom yam the other night and complained, I had best lock my doors and employ a security guard because the owner of the restaurant might want to kill me for complaining.....

Witnesses do not last very long in Thailand - just make sure you never report an attempted murder. Leave the country immediately. The staple was put there on purpose. This is a symbol to show that they don't want you to come back. It means you are unwelcome. Everything happens for a reason in Thailand. It's very subtle and farang don't pick up on it. Go back again and their is a good chance you will be poisoned and it would be your fault in a way as they have made it clear that you are unwelcome in the restaurant. BTW some restaurants prefer not to have farang customers and this is the only reason they poison farang - so you won't come back. They don't intend to kill you. They are just trying to say - you are not welcome. Thais will pick up on the hint very quickly. We as farang need to be told things point blank.

With over 20,000 gun murders a year this is not lawlessness - this is a war zone.

Yep. I always put on a full set of kevlar and travel in an armoured convoy when I step outside my front door.

You are a smart fellow. Thailand is the third most likely country in the world where you will be shot in the head. You are lucky. Many farang can not afford an armoured convoy. South Africa is the most likely country to get a bullet in the head followed by Colombia. Not to mention bandits on the roads with guns throughout the country. Any farang who has witnessed armed robberies please post. What they do in Thailand is ram the point of the gun against your neck repeatedly before you give up your bag. Don't bother reporting to the Police as things could get a lot worse for you if you get my drift. Witnesses do not have a long life expectancy. Fail to give up your bag often results in a bullet in the head. You must understand the importance of money and status. Someone with no money is looked down upon so armed robbery is seen as the lesser evil. There are many farang who are putting themselves at risk because of their delusional view about the safety of Thailand. I am most pleased to see that you are not one of these delusional farang and feel that your life is precious enough to hire an armoured convoy.

Heading towards lawlessness? Lets be honest here. With over 20,000 gun murders a year this is not lawlessness - this is a war zone. And most murders are condoned by the law - the untouchables. The layers of corruption are from bottom to top - from the street vendor charging an extra ten to forty baht to politicians changing laws to pay no tax.

How is a street vendor's overcharging corruption?

Valid point - not corruption. It's not a fixed price market so therefore they can charge what they like.

Heading towards lawlessness? Lets be honest here. With over 20,000 gun murders a year this is not lawlessness - this is a war zone. And most murders are condoned by the law - the untouchables. The layers of corruption are from bottom to top - from the street vendor charging an extra ten to forty baht to politicians changing laws to pay no tax.

Police fail to act for the young 16 year old boy who was beaten unconscious in front of 711 cameras and many witnesses - apparently not interested to investigate. The thugs know that the police don't give a shit or the thug culture is bigger than the police. I gave the address of the robber and licence plate of the motorbike that attempted to rob me. The Police said no reason to arrest, not interested, it may be a reason in a foreign country but not Thailand. They said that they must steal something of me before they do something. Farang brothers - make sure you adjust to this very unique environment or leave. It's getting a lot worse - talk to the Thais. Over 20,000 murdered by guns last year - the statistics don't lie. Rest assured in Thailand the Police will do nothing.

not to belittle your incident but what would you have had the police charge him with? tailgating?

i don't think there's a (fair) country in the world where people get charged with robbery without committing the robbery.

I understand what you are saying and I considered it could be road rage - scooter on scooter. I am relying on local Thai knowledge what it meant -after talking to a dozen Thais they said it was definitely robbery. I veered they veered left etc etc, he wore a helmet with a dark visor. Always a tiny bit behind me - for 15km my estimate. Thais have told me this is a common way to rob people - make them panic and take a corner to fast then pick up the bag. Also if they can pull alongside you they will kick your bike. In the USA it would at least be road rage? His front wheel was behind my back wheel for 15km at 140km/hr. I usually like to ride at 120km/hr. I was so afraid his front wheel would hit my back that I would be instantly killed. Talk to Thais - they will tell you this is the common way to get your bag. At least a charge for road rage or at least a warning that could prevent him from killing someone one day - that was all I was hoping for. Of course I was hoping for too much. Just have to wait until someone dies for it to be looked in to.

Are you feeling well? I would sincerely recommend that any farang married to a Thai lady or Thai man should have their blood checked to ascertain whether they are being slowly poisoned to death. It happens in every country of course. Some countries more than others. Prevention is better than the cure.

Show me the money 555. Thai guy once joked with me that the police will arrest the good guy with a gun but not arrest the bad guy because he is paying the monthly fee to plunder.

I am afraid this is throwing gasoline on the fire. I would have assumed that people in government would have been highly intelligent strategists especially after such a long time with this problem - and the legs keep being blown up. Met an Indian Malay tourist who had been blinded by one of the bombs. But its all a case of vote buying giving different values to different lives. Appalled and saddened by this diabolical mentality.