sfbandung

He looks young. Where are his parents? Been in Thailand for 15 years, he must have grown up here then. Something is missing here.

While the questions appear valid, what seems missing is compassion for the victim.

My questions stem from compassion. Being curious and compassionate are not mutually exclusive.

He looks young. Where are his parents? Been in Thailand for 15 years, he must have grown up here then. Something is missing here.

That is what I immediately thought. Growing up in Thailand then going to a Bangkok University and graduating (remember lectures are in Thai at Uni, and technical Thai is a whole different ball game to talat Thai). I'm not saying its not true, but that is not the norm. Usually falang kids who grow up in Thailand go home to continue with tertiary studies, because they just don't have the level of Thai needed. And yes where are the parents ? Additionally, if he is an Australian national, after such a long term in hospital why hasn't he again gone home. Something is not quite right with this reporting, or his story.

From the Go Fund Me page -

He is the child of a single mother. I would guess she works in Thailand.

Kid was on scholarship at the private, English language, NIST International School in Bangkok and planning to leave Thailand to attend Uni in Australia. (Also, it's not correct that lectures are always in Thai at Uni. Thammasat and CU (among others) have undergrad and graduate programs taught entirely in English.)

Why stay here then and struggle when she can get social security in Australia and Medicare and he would be a public patient?

Sister in law next door to the right, was married to UK guy but he has bailed. Teenage daughter. Great people, like a real sister to me.

Parents in law next door behind us. Great people, like real parents to me and most importantly real grandparents to my daughter from a previous relationship. Cannot speak highly enough of them. Hard working decent people who have been excellent parents to 7 children.

Sister in law next door to parents. Interesting lady, first born and has spent time in prison (ex husband a drug dealer, still inside), makes her quiet and keeps to herself.

Brother in law who stays with various of the above. Nice bloke. Part electrician, part plumber, part carpenter and builder. Keeps all of our places working and we feed him. Drinks too much and keeps hurting himself in motorbike crashes. But is only trouble to himself.

Various aunties and uncles close by. Some good some bad but they don't really affect us.

I love it.

Do decent families have jailbirds and drug dealers in them these days?

One black sheep doesn't make the whole family bad

Thanks Sydman, correct. I replied to BMT above ...

Sister in law next door to the right, was married to UK guy but he has bailed. Teenage daughter. Great people, like a real sister to me.

Parents in law next door behind us. Great people, like real parents to me and most importantly real grandparents to my daughter from a previous relationship. Cannot speak highly enough of them. Hard working decent people who have been excellent parents to 7 children.

Sister in law next door to parents. Interesting lady, first born and has spent time in prison (ex husband a drug dealer, still inside), makes her quiet and keeps to herself.

Brother in law who stays with various of the above. Nice bloke. Part electrician, part plumber, part carpenter and builder. Keeps all of our places working and we feed him. Drinks too much and keeps hurting himself in motorbike crashes. But is only trouble to himself.

Various aunties and uncles close by. Some good some bad but they don't really affect us.

I love it.

Do decent families have jailbirds and drug dealers in them these days?

They do actually, as this experience proves. However in her defence it was her (now ex) husband that was doing it without her knowledge. She was in the house when the bust went down and got a custodial sentence much shorter than his. She has nothing to do with drugs and will choose future partners more carefully. It is a sad thing really because when it happened she was too ashamed to contact anyone in the family and effectively disappeared for two years. We only found out she has been inside when she re appeared.

Sister in law next door to the right, was married to UK guy but he has bailed. Teenage daughter. Great people, like a real sister to me.

Parents in law next door behind us. Great people, like real parents to me and most importantly real grandparents to my daughter from a previous relationship. Cannot speak highly enough of them. Hard working decent people who have been excellent parents to 7 children.

Sister in law next door to parents. Interesting lady, first born and has spent time in prison (ex husband a drug dealer, still inside), makes her quiet and keeps to herself.

Brother in law who stays with various of the above. Nice bloke. Part electrician, part plumber, part carpenter and builder. Keeps all of our places working and we feed him. Drinks too much and keeps hurting himself in motorbike crashes. But is only trouble to himself.

Various aunties and uncles close by. Some good some bad but they don't really affect us.

I love it.

I have to admit my experience was very similar. All the used cars we looked at, it the 1M range, were so close to the brand new price that in the end we bought brand new. Had cash but the finance offer was so good why use your own money. A Mu 7 for the record, had it two years, one of the best cars I've owned. Discussions I've had seem to support the view that used cars in Thailand just seem to hold their value.

So your experience was also that second hand cars here are quire expensive or that second hand cars at the tents are cheaper than the online offers?

Used cars in general. This was only in Udon Thani though, not sure if there is a regional difference, and we only went to dealers. The couple of people selling used cars around Ban Dung also wanted too much IMO.

I have to admit my experience was very similar. All the used cars we looked at, it the 1M range, were so close to the brand new price that in the end we bought brand new. Had cash but the finance offer was so good why use your own money. A Mu 7 for the record, had it two years, one of the best cars I've owned. Discussions I've had seem to support the view that used cars in Thailand just seem to hold their value.

Just stop going. I go to things/meetings when they are enjoyable or are achieving their original purpose, be that philanthropic or just entertainment. If it isn't happening any more then I'd just bail. Others will follow suit and eventually you'll gel into another group ...

It is interesting. I had only ever thought of it as a hetero thing and almost always man on woman with the woman being the victim. Same sex relationships have the same potential for possessiveness and jealousy I suppose, perhaps more so.

He is a high profile guy working in the grey areas of "business". This is what happens.

Why is he surprised? I'm not. And does he think this battle with the police can be won long term? Silly.

Does Thailand allow dual nationality? If I were to apply for Citizenship can I keep my Australian Passport? And is there a residency requirement similar to Australia?

Sham marriages everywhere are used for immigration purposes and typically the target is the local person involved. not the foreigner. I hear that some of these women have had their identity stolen but at the Amphur there had to be a local involved. They should be the main target of the investigation ...

as much as i so love thailand just the word thailand now makes my ass pucker up tight and puts me on alert if they not steal all of my money rob me of my health then theres a damm hired hit man waiting to kill me so they can get large insurance payments get me out the way fast so they work on the next dumb ass that comes along and all this is true very very true

"as much as i so love thailand ..." and then proceed to slag it in an unpunctuated piece of hate.

Troll.

Only 9,000 a month average? There are some tight @rses out there. I must be pushing that average way up.

And for the record I'm not complaining one little bit. My Isaan lady and her family (all of them) are the best people I have known. Hard working and honest. Perhaps I just got lucky but these are the best days of my life.

"Instead of just paying the THB900 fee to have the bag checked, the mans temper tantrum caused the cabin crew to invite him off the plane.

900 baht to check in your luggage? Rip off merchants.

It may not have been $30 had he checked it in like he was supposed to. We all know the carry on rules. I personally hate selfish turds who, to save a few bucks, take on stupid amounts of carry on. Then us people who are behaving according to the rules have nowhere to put our stuff because the overhead lockers are full.

His fault he knew the rules. Cop it sweet. It should be enforced all the time.

Over less than $1.50 ... just silly not to pay up.

So do you just 'pay up' to every random Thai who demands money from you?

If so I'll be sending all the kids off the estate round your house (on a 50% commission).

To those cretins bleating on about this fella being out at 2.30am, last time I looked the curfew was over and he has every right to be out at what ever time he so chooses.

I didn't say it was right. Just silly. He is a 70 year old man who parked somewhere that enabled this young (thug? who knows) to have an excuse to demand what is in fact a very small sum of money. It is 230am. I say pay it and don't park there again. And when he went for the car the old guy gets out and takes on a youth with a lump of wood.

Don't get me wrong, the young bloke is an <deleted>. But the old guy got his ambitions mixed up with his abilities and was clearly angry and his self preservation instincts failed him. What if it had been a blow to the head? $1.50? We have to live in the world the way it is, not the way we would like it to be.

Over less than $1.50 ... just silly not to pay up.

With the greatest respect you are living in a foreign country with less than 6,000 quid to your name?

You need to head home where you have a public health system you are entitled to use.

You don't watch The Dog Whisperer? Cesar Millan would say, "You need to be the pack leader". Take control and be calm assertive. I assume we are talking village or soi dogs. Not a pack of trained rotties.

Any one of the humane deterrents above will work, I think I like the vinegar the best, it will irritate but not hurt the dogs. Being a cruel bastard is loathsome and not necessary. The main thing is stand up to them and be the boss. I would ride in really slowly and let them approach and then spray away but still stay there until they have buggered off, then ride confidently away.

Edit to use Cesar's correct term, "calm assertive"

It's a nothing story. He got ripped of by a hooker. Big deal.

The real issue is, did he dress like that in the UK? Aussies (I am one) are the worst though. Get to Pattaya (or Phuket, or Bali) and wander around with either no shirt on or a bloody singlet the whole time. Jesus lads you're in a smutty town but keep some semblance of class about you. I bet he's wearing thongs (flip flops) too, and not Haviannas.

OP - your main mistakes, in no particular order were:

1. Letting your GF do the typical cruise mode thinking (which means NOT thinking). She should have been your saviour - take that as a hint. If she cares that less, or thinks that little.....I'd be worried. Hopefully she's not taking commission on your condo/hotel/market purchases.

2. You used public transport in Thailand. Public transport consists of Suicide Motorbike Taxis, Suicide Car Taxis, Kamikaze Vans, Kamikaze Busses, and Death Trains. You should have hired a car and driven yourself - your safety is then in your hands, and not the hands of a cretin that's high and drunk, can't drive to save himself, and actually DOES aspire to be an F1 driver.

3. If approached by anybody who offers to help you, pretend not to speak English and walk away. That way, you avoid getting scammed and have a chance to figure things out yourself. Also, you won't wake up in the morning with a headache and a phrophylactic hanging out of your rectum.

4. Do your research. This applies to everything in Thailand. Even something simple like going to the toilet has specific differences to western countries. That can apply to knowing how to use a bum gun without spraying your shirt, or how to politely get the plonker in the gogo bars from giving you a massage while standing at the urinal - which tends to affect your aim, thus you end up pissing on your shoes. Before doing anything official, research, research, research!!

We look forward to your future exploits of getting a drivers licence, buying 100 rai up north and building a lean-to that costs three million baht.

(p.s. all tongue in cheek, but take the core messages as gospel - Cheers )

Seriously... It must be knucklehead posting week....

Point number 2 is just ludicrous... Show some respect... granted there are a few dingleberries driving, but you make it sound suicidal!

Ha ha. Every week is knucklehead posting week on TV. Always amazed that the forum rules disallow anti Thai stuff. The mods would be spending all their time deleting 90% of the posts.