Bignose

If they skipped bail their photographs should now be shown on Thai media, and hopefully the UK media as well.

For those of you who would like to "minimise" this crime you are not living in the real world, in every country counterfeiting is a very serious crime. It strikes at the heart of the financial system and erodes the public trust in their currency, that is over and above the obvious financial loss incurred by the recipients who do not spot the fakes.

These were not "kids" they were mature adults who set out to defraud other individuals without regard to the cost to the others involved, whatever the penalties are they should have been subject to the full weight of the law as a punishment and deterrent to others, nothing else would have sufficed...

Going by the content in some of these posts, there are a great many out there who really should make an effort and get a life.

The attempts at humor are both unfunny and devoid of any sympathy, when you are sitting in your dingy and lonely room submitting these pathetic attemps for a laugh, do you ever once consider that this poor guy's family might be reading this drivel? Their loved one has passed in a foreign country for no appreciable reason so I think it's fair to assume they shall visit web sites like TV looking for details, didn't that occur to you once?

Commiserations and condolences to his family and friends, hopefully their remaining memories are good ones and that they find peace and some closure from the ensuing investigation.

Leaving out the politics from both contenders, even looking at Trumps basic character flaws show that he is unable to hold the most important position in the free world.

The man is a known liar, bigot, racist and has shown classic symptoms that he has NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder)

He will say what is required no matter whether he belives in it or understands it, he will change his mind on a whim then brazenly defend his position with outright lies and aggresive innuendo.

This man (if elected) would be a disaster for America and the free world, not only that he has already inflicted damage to America's standing in the world, this damage will take years to repair, years which may well extend beyond even the second term of the incoming Clinton administration.

Hopefully the two American parties will discuss what actually happened during this "race to the bottom" Steps must be taken to ensure another buffoon like this never again gets the chance to wreak havoc on the democratic system and the American people.

Once again we see another totally needless tragedy on our roads, the loss of this young life and the injury to another young Thai woman will be devestating for their many family and friends.

Commiserations and condolences to all of them.

To generalize here (as many other posters take pleasure in doing) is both wrong and dangerous. Yes everyday I see irresponsible young farangs driving their rented motorbikes like idiots, they show no consideration for themselves, their pillion riders or other road users, they are totally absorbed in their own testosterone fueled world.

But, and it's a big but, everyday you will see young Thai's driving bikes and mopeds as though they are the only people on the road. They too seem oblivious to the risk inherently involved in their childish and selfish behaviour.

Yes the toll of death on our roads is both excessive and shamefull, but is it due to any one race or nationallity?

I think not with the blunt truth being that stupidity is not unique to any one country.

And tomorrow there will be more victims on our roads, that is guaranteed...

The mainstream media has previously made (and is continuing to do so) the mistake of dismissing this man, behind the plastic and well manicured facade there stands a madman.

He will win the Republican nomination to run as the Presidential Candidate, there is nothing this party can do to stop this.

He does stand a chance of defeating Clinton for the Presidency as his campaign will respect no norms or limits, there will be an endless stream of lies, innuendo, rhetoric and propoganda that the gullible American population will consume and accept as fact.

Hitler and Mussolini rose to power on the back of poverty, perceived social injustice and blind rascism. The "Land of the Free" has all of these conditions in abundance, we should all be afraid right now, very, very afraid...

If this is indeed true then it is ample evidence (if any further evidence is needed) of the barbaric and inhumane thoughts and practices of this terrorist group.

The sooner the civilised world unites to exterminate these animals the better, they have long since given up any right to exist among us.

Yes we must be careful as they have a well thought out agenda, nothing is by chance and their goal is to drive a wedge between the "normal" Muslims and the rest of society. To assume they are simplistic and will be easily dealt with is a mistake already made. The George W Bush administration unleashed these madmen in the pursuit of their Hegemitic spoils, they must never be underestimated again.

The gloves should be removed when dealing with these proven mass murderers, long jail terms should not now be an option when dealing with those caught, they must have only one fate with their desire for martyrdom being swiftly provided...

As usual the Thai bashing Brigade have it all figured out with the absolute minimal of details and zero first hand knowledge...

Yes it was a scandalous waste of a human life and a tragedy for his family and friends, but is Thailand the only place on this earth where this can happen?

Rather than making even more unsubstantiated claims and spouting ridiculous and myopic opinions, I shall simply say commiserations and condolences to his family and friends, and a speedy recovery for the other person injured...

Has anyone written that it only happens in Thailand? People are commenting on Thailand because that is what this news and this forum is about. Or didn't you realise that? If you've lived in the country for more than a week you'll know that many Thais have a very short fuse and cannot be challenged. It's the lose face thing that is so much an integral part of the culture.

I have actually lived in Thailand for a number of years BB and not "a week" as you ask.

I have also lived in several other countries around the world and have seen similar tragic occurrences elsewhere, maybe if you had experienced life in other places and in other cultures you would appreciate the point I have made.

Your comments about Thai's and "short fuse, cannot be challenged, and an integral part of the culture" are exactly what I was talking about. Time after time on this forum whenever there is a similar tragic event (and yes I know there are many) people like you make the same generalizing comments about the Thai mentality (and before you make any comment about me doing the same with you, your comments begged for a reply)

The Thai people are no more confrontational than any other nationality, Asian or Western, they are not unique in over reacting to situations. What is unique on this forum are the racist attitudes that manufacture these unjustified comments, the vast majority of Thai's are gentle and friendly and welcome foreigners gladly, the fact that there are some nut case's makes them no different from any other nationality or race.

If you BB have lived here so long then you should have been able to see that for yourself, maybe you should stay out of the bars and mingle with the locals a bit more, it might be a revelation for you...

As usual the Thai bashing Brigade have it all figured out with the absolute minimal of details and zero first hand knowledge...

Yes it was a scandalous waste of a human life and a tragedy for his family and friends, but is Thailand the only place on this earth where this can happen?

Rather than making even more unsubstantiated claims and spouting ridiculous and myopic opinions, I shall simply say commiserations and condolences to his family and friends, and a speedy recovery for the other person injured...

While tragic accidents can happen anywhere and yes undercurrents and rips can catch you unaware, everyone can see when a swell has picked up and there are heavy waves pounding a shore line.

Why they continue to swim in these conditions is beyond me, being stupid is no reason to lose your life but they did make a choice!!!

It isn't the fact that this moron's thought processes are so scued and warped.

It is the fact that the law enforcement agencies seem to entertain this kind of defence.

He should be automatically charged with (at least) the Thai equivalent of assualt with a deadly weapon. His actions seem to have been life threatening and deserving of the highest sanctions.

That his childish defense is actually given any credence by public officials is in itself perplexing and bemusing...

While I am not commenting on this tragic accident (I have no first hand knowledge of the details or circumstances) I have on several occasions witnessed several Thai youths "career" down this same badly lit street on motorbikes, many of which had no head or rear lights.

They showed absolutely no regard for their own, or any other persons safety. They were driving at speeds that would not allow them to stop safely in the event of a collision, in effect they were not in control of the bikes they were riding.

This was an accident waiting to happen, and no doubt on some other road and at some other time it will be disastrously repeated.

This is a tragic and avoidable loss of a decent and valued human being, a real and lasting tragedy for his family and friends.

Commiserations and condolences to them all...

The politics of this don't interest me, neither does the prevalence of ladyboy attacks on male tourists,

Where I would like to be a "fly on the wall" is when this guy gets home and meets up with his family and mates!

No matter how innocuous, whether he even had as much as a conversation with the ladyboy won't matter, the nods and winks will still be there...

It is a tragic reality that where there is a market for this kind of sick and horrendous perversion, there will be a greedy, unfeeling and just plain evil few who are able to provide the children for exploitation.

The authorities have done well, they have identified those responsible and have moved on the information garnered, now it is up to the courts to process this case very, very quickly and very, very publicly. The courts must now recognize the severity of this crime and hand out appropriate punishment, the kid gloves should be removed permanently with only the most severe of custodial sentences handed down.

Let this case be transparent and high profile as a warning to others, that this evil trade is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,

The most innocent and defenseless among us deserve our protection, no matter what their background or social standing...

Could we please at least try to "not fantasize" about the circumstances surrounding this mans demise, and maybe take it easy on his Thai partner as well?

I will break one of my own rules, I will speculate that not one of you knows this man or his partner, not one of you will know what their relationship was like and whether it was good, bad or indifferent.

Not one of you has enough information or knowledge to allow you to post disparaging or critical remarks about either one of them.

An extremely sad start to the week with another tragic loss of an individual.

Commiserations and condolences to his family and friends...

While this individual is most definitely not isolated in his opinions and his support for the previous administration, I still find it breathtaking that they can still articulate such a one sided and deceitful defense of this massive fraud against the people of Thailand.

Not only was YS responsible for instigating this grotesquely expensive scheme, she was the Chairperson of the entire scheme during it's implementation. She was the person who had her hands on the steering wheel with total and free access to all details and facts. She was in charge when the alarm bells were ringing and when others were warning that there were irregularities and problems, this disaster did not take place overnight it was many, many months in the making and was visible to all.

Make no mistake this scheme did exactly what it was supposed to do, it removed many billions of Baht from the public coffers and deposited them into the bank accounts of the chosen few of the well connected. This was an exercise in the redistribution of a nations wealth, it was a flagrant and cynical theft of a nations assets with no regard for the people of that nation.

How many schools or hospitals could have been built or renovated with that money?

How many lives could have been improved with just a fraction of the lost billions?

The white noise, lies and plain propaganda from this side of the political fence cannot hide forever what happened here, that YS and her corrupt government were responsible for a massive fraud on the people who voted for her and who paid her wages, to believe anything else id delusional...

I've never seen dealers on Soi 3. But anyway the moral panic about meth like all moral panics about drugs inluding past campaigns about crack, pot,cocaine, LSD etc are politically lead media campaigns to maintain profitable prohibition. Episode 1 series 1 of Boardwalk Empire summarises the issue. As long as there is a drug war the police and the power elite make money, get funds and have a handy weapon to intimidate people. The key to stopping drug damage is education, employment and self respect. However, ultimately it is the individual's choice and not the business of the police or state except I'm rare occasions. The intervention of the police and the penal system destroys more people than drugs.

You have some good points there Manic ...but unfortunately the social dilemma concerning the use of highly addictive drugs, such as Crystal Meth is far more complicated and far more convoluted than simply making those recreational purpose drugs legal...which they should..... by way of decriminalizing the use of such recreational purpose drugs.

The laws and the law enforcement aspect adds to the problems...without a doubt......but legalization does not stop the myriad social ramifications caused by the wide spread use of the drug...... legal or illegal...while the highly addictive nature of drugs such as Crystal Meth and Heroin etc. do not go away with legalization.

Yes there would be less legal ramifications and one less aspect to be addressed if the drugs were legalized for consumption...but the social damage incurred from the drug addiction and everything else negative entailed still remains and has to be dealt with by other people and or social entities who are directly or indirectly associated with the drug addicts and reluctantly dragged into the social problems regarding hopeless drug addiction.

Of course the drug users should be regarded in a far more sensible and or benevolent way while certainly not criminalized for their pleasure seeking gratifications and self serving indulgences.

However, no matter how they are regarded by society they are a burden on society that effects other people negatively while there is no denying that a person who becomes a Meth addict turns into a social liability and a difficult personality to tolerate and have to live with...as someone ends up having to take care of a drug addict...sooner or later...while that aspect of the social dilemma is not a legal matter ...rather one concerning the drug addicts reliance and dependence on society in general and or certain individuals having to help the drug addict(s) while catering to the drug addicts self inflicted, drug addicted demise.

On their own ..as drug addicts.....they are not functional enough to carry on normally and or live normally amongst the various people that they will eventually become dependent on for help.

The laws, as they stand, do not address the social problems of drug addiction in a manner that treats the users as "misguided" or having a "troubled life" rather they criminalize the users while society regards the addicts in disdain as losers and stupid for their decisions and their actions...which may be true enough...but does not in any meaningful way address the issue of what needs to be done about that percent of society that does fall by the wayside due to their drug addiction.

I do not have the answers...but the current means of addressing the problems of recreational purpose drug use and drug addiction and the criminalization of the users is human folly and will be proven so by future generations that finally develop more sensible ways to deal with the issue of recreational drug use.....as the drugs are here to stay and they will never go away.

As for the 2 drug traffickers caught for drug trafficking...with out a doubt they should be penalized for being the source of the problem in the first place.

Cheers

"As for the 2 drug traffickers caught for drug trafficking...with out a doubt they should be penalized for being the source of the problem in the first place." Huh?

I doubt a 23yr old Nigerian or a Philippines girl was the boss of this cartel, just another young idiot who was used by someone smarter....

I agree...but the focus should be on the suppliers and the manufactures as their actions are 10 fold the damage ,so to speak, were as the users, misguided as they are, would be considered far less accountable and more accountable to themselves.

The suppliers and that amount of crystal meth ( 15 kilos ) in effect could represent another 100 or more addicts and all the social ramifications that come with it.

Unfortunately Crystal Meth is one of most addicting and commonly more damaging recreational drugs while the manufactures and the suppliers can not feign innocence and argue that people should be able to freely consume that particular drug without any interference or concerns or criticisms as it is a dangerous substance to consume and as for the addicts that do become hopeless hooked on that particular drug....their lives are more or less FXXXED.

Have you ever seen a Crystal Meth drug addict after only 6 months and certainly one year or more???

Not a pretty site, while the Meth Addict is "creepy" and disturbing while you do not want to be associated with a Meth Addict when they can not get there fix of Crystal Meth.

The illegal manufactures and the suppliers KNOW that their product is highly addicting, while truth be told, that is what the underlining agenda is all about ...addicted clients that come back for more and more of their product while eventually becoming hopelessly dependent on the product they supply while the money flows back to them.

An excellent business model but a very damaging one to society in general that has to deal with the social ramifications of the substance they deliberately and callously supply without regard to the damage done, while they argue people should be free to do what they want anyhow.

In this case...... NOT THAT SIMPLE...In this Case, concerning such a highly addictive and life damaging and totally unnecessary substance there has to be accountability and it starts with the manufactures and suppliers and the traffickers of this particular dangerous substance.

Even if the drug was made legal to supply and consume it would still have to be a highly regulated legal substance as commonly only 5 times high on good Crystal Meth leaves the users with the after effects of craving the high once again and then the vicious cycle begins and their self inflicted demise begins as the drug is all consuming and will totally disrupt and alter the users life....and negatively effect many people associated with or known to the users.

It is NOT marijuana and therefore nothing much to be so concerned about while Crystal Meth has a solid track record of being amongst the most damaging recreational street drugs that societies have to deal with.

Those that are involved in manufacturing and supplying that particular product, as if it is just another common consumer product and nothing to be concerned about and argue as such should be wacked and wacked hard if and when they do get apprehended.

They are the source and beginning aspect of the problems further down the road as the consumers can not get the product form any other source...so, in effect, deal with "first things first"..... and focus on the illegal suppliers.

But , I know it is not that simple as it is a convoluted social dilemma of sorts that is not going to go away even if they do crack down on the manufactures and suppliers because another manufacture and the chain of suppliers will step up and continue supplying the substance....simply because there is loads of money to be made.

Anyhow...not lecturing, rather just pointing out some of the social problems associated with the drug and everything entailed.

Cheers

You have far too much spare time on your hands, please find something worthwhile to occupy your time?

This whole charade by YS is cynical, hypocritical and fairly typical of her time in office, to now say that she fulfilled her duties and was operating in good faith beggars belief.

Only the most indoctrinated and naive would believe her well rehearsed protestations, they sound as hollow as the promises her party made before being elected.

They justify their rape of the Thai economy with the firm belief that this is their birth right, their natural superiority within the Thai social structure grants them their high position and privileges, the common man is here to provide them with what they need and require. The common man's position in this country is right where it should be, they had years to enact improvements and to improve the lives of those who voted for them, what did they actually achieve?

Only when the general level of education in this country is improved, only when the general population has a better understanding of how the financial elite hold them in total contempt, only then will clans like the Shins and their cohorts lose their privileged position...

You must be referring to the democrats/Bangkok elite who had years in control but never considered providing free health care, empowering the poor politically or helping them financially until Taksin did so.

No I was not referring to your other quoted elite, I was referring specifically to the Shin clan and their cohorts.

Like everyone else you are entitled to your opinion, but your comment "empowering the poor politically or helping them financially until Taksin did so" is fairly typical of the myopically sighted red shirt supporter.

Were they "empowering the poor politically" when they were buying their votes for a few measly Baht?

Were they "helping them financially" when they were driving the Thai economy to the edge of a fiscal cliff?

TS knows how to play the game, he spread a few billion Baht amongst his poorest supporters as a smoke screen to hide the hundreds of billions siphoned off by himself and his cronies.

Maybe you can remember how many of those poor farmers committed suicide while waiting for their grossly overdue payments from the government agencies, while hundreds of billions were going missing?

If that was "helping them financially" somo then I have a different understanding to you about the duties of a government...

A very lucky man, but I can't help but feel that the pardons may well be running out.

It may only be a matter of time before the first westerner actually has to endure a flogging, even if it's only as an example to the other expats still there.

I personally would rather do without the grog for whatever time I had left there, it's just not worth the risk...

Written like an advertising feature if you ask me...and a poorly written advertising feature at that!

Yep... and they each revived 500 baht to show up cheer and applauds... easy money....

Which doesn't quite cover the 850 baht that every Thai citizen lost as the result of her malfeasance in administering the rice pledge scheme. A scheme which only put 2% of the indebtedness into the pockets of the rice farmers.

Too bad they will never prosecute the rice millers, the rice smugglers and the warehouse operators who stole all the money from the citizens of Thailand. Just more bought votes for the PTP.

"the rice millers, the rice smugglers and the warehouse operators who stole all the money" Exactly right and so it is clear she stole nothing. The businesses you mention tend be owned by chinese families who are certainly nothing to do with the so called Reds!

That's correct, there's no evidence she stole anything. However, her negligence and malfeasance resulted in losses which were not part of the legislation that was enacted by Parliament. There was never a vote to appropriate 600 billion baht for the program. Instead, she had a duty to report on the financials, monitor the losses, and to manage and provide overall supervision for the program so that it ran within the confines of the enabling legislation.

Yingluck's abysmal failure to perform her duties as set forth in the legislation is the basis of the claims against her for the loss of 600 billion baht. This rendered the act unconstitutional, and is the basis for prosecuting, civilly and criminally, Yingluck for malfeasance.

And the persons who profited. You might be correct that some may have some ethnic Chinese blood, but they are Thai. The same Thai-Chinese who populate Chiang Mai and continue to support PTP. To claim they aren't red is naive. They might not be UDD militants, but they are firmly in the camp of the PTP.

This whole charade by YS is cynical, hypocritical and fairly typical of her time in office, to now say that she fulfilled her duties and was operating in good faith beggars belief.

Only the most indoctrinated and naive would believe her well rehearsed protestations, they sound as hollow as the promises her party made before being elected.

They justify their rape of the Thai economy with the firm belief that this is their birth right, their natural superiority within the Thai social structure grants them their high position and privileges, the common man is here to provide them with what they need and require. The common man's position in this country is right where it should be, they had years to enact improvements and to improve the lives of those who voted for them, what did they actually achieve?

Only when the general level of education in this country is improved, only when the general population has a better understanding of how the financial elite hold them in total contempt, only then will clans like the Shins and their cohorts lose their privileged position...

While the sentencing regime here does appear to be (at best) random and (at worst) chaotic, I think it's safe to say that everyone who either uses drugs, or deals in them, know what the consequences are of being caught.

If you know what the potential consequences are and still continue with you're illegal actions then you get exactly what you deserve, this is not a soft western culture that will slap you on the wrist, you are gambling with you're life for a few thousand dollars/euro's/pounds. If you think that level of risk is worth the measly returns then you're intelligence and judgement seems to be seriously impaired, in my humble opinion you're most probably a lost cause.

For those who still think "weed" is harmless and innocuous, who cares what you think? It is still illegal to deal in this in Thailand

Perhaps the stupid opinions and actions expressed and carried out in relation to this, are an indication of the lasting effects of it's use...

Crimes like this leave me speechless and disheartened, the enormity of what has been done to these children can never be underestimated.

I would like to think that they can all deal with this abuse and move on to enjoy a "normal" life with partners and children of their own.

Unfortunately I believe the vast majority of abused children carry scars and "issues" for the rest of their lives.

Something that should be considered by the courts when they are handing out sentences to rightfully convicted criminals, this is not a crime like assault, it is more akin to murder and should be treated as such.

But, and this is indeed a huge but, the previous contribution of "No one should leave young children in the care of just one adult male...this is a recipe for wrong doing...and a potential terrible life changing experience for the children" while understandable is a gross over reaction to this issue. I know there will be countless males who will cherish, protect and nurture youngsters like those involved here.

Let's not paint an entire gender with the tainted brush used on this sick individual, I know there are too many like him but let's not get carried away in our protection of the most vulnerable of society...

And that SUBWAY spokesperson went to Thailand for kids......

There are times when I wish we were back in the Stone Age......or this guy got caught in Mexico by some drug lords, or sent to some secret prison camp for 30-years and then buried....

for all you sickoes......the age is TWENTY-FIVE when a kid's brain is fully mature.....

so next time you are "legal" and talk to an 19-year old as you are 55.......think first.

Methinks you may well get to be 55 before you're mature enough to comment...

All of the previous contributors have made valid points but there is only one thing that is relevant.

This was a clear and tragic accident for the family concerned, there is nothing glaringly obvious that could have been spotted, an absolutely tragic accident.

Commiserations and condolences to the father, family and friends...

An exceptional effort by the Negativity Brigade here on TV, two out of the first three posts questioning an unselfish act of assistance to strangers.

This guy didn't stop to think, he saw someone in trouble and helped right away, he didn't ask for payment, there was no "negotiation" about reward or compensation, he just helped.

He is due all the recognition that comes his way, he is a great example of the human spirit. It is right and correct that his actions be celebrated and promoted, he is indeed a man that Thailand can be proud of.

It has nothing to do with the EU, it was essential that this man's actions and efforts were recorded and shared with the public, if not we would never have known about them.

Question and doubt what you will, I for one am happy to read about this man.

He is a shining example to us all, regardless of nationality...