johnnycthedog

Someone should tell the government. This is what is really bad for Thailand's image. This kind of thing is what foreigners care more about. A lack of safety.

All true.

But the unsaid truth is that they are safer here in Thailand than where they come from in many cases. Here it is front page news where they come from it is relegated to the back pages it is so common.

I supose we should be glad it is so uncommon here it gives a chance to take cheap swings at Thailand.

I cannot dazzle you with statistics but having been a regular reader of events reported in TV and some other Thai papers over the last few years I'd say there has been hundreds of rapes of foreign women throughout Thailand. Furthermore many of the raped girls have been murdered afterwards.

To Kaleho

Stop all money. Stop all contact. Change your phone number if necessary. This relationship is already toxic just by her actions. The hurt will mend itself in time.

If you choose to continue this relationship it will be an emotional and financial death by a thousand cuts. Alternatively just gas yourself now to save time.

Every poster has advised you to move on, man up, and get away from this trollop - this is all good advice from experienced ex pats /falang who are married to Thais, were married to Thais or have sufficient exposure to the thai GF scenario to know whats what.

SO TAKE THEIR ADVICE. NOW. IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT FURTHER ANGST OR DELAY.

Men who commit suicide because of girlfriend problems should remember there are plenty more fish in the sea. Do not kill yourself. Quickly, get yourself a new girlfriend.

On several occasions in my younger days (before age 60), when I had a failed relationship, my recovery strategy was to promptly find a younger, nicer, cuter lady in order to "get even" and to salve my temporary sense of loss. This is not difficult to do most anywhere in Asia.

I must say it worked well for me.

Yes it would work for most of us. And it works wonderfully well when you are calm and sensible. But this guy let his immediate emotions get the better of him.

Had he thought about it for 24 hours he would not have jumped to his death. Had he rung a mate to spill his guts with he would not have jumped to his death.

I bet there's a lot of impulse bashings, knifings and murders that would not occur if the people had 24 hours to calm down and think about things. But they happen because many people are unable to control their immediate emotions.

We don't know what was in his head. We don't know how much money he lost to her. We don't know what his Thai GF was doing. What he did was stupid to only himself and his loved ones. The Thai GF probably couldn't give a flying f88k about what happened.

This story will be repeated again and again in Thailand - only the names of the players change.

The way the Thai government in Bangkok along with most of its citizens around the country and the super powers worldwide are ignoring this prolonged and continuing conflict is amazing to me. What will it take for the world police (USA, UK and France) to get involved help protect the people of the Deep South here in Thailand? Maybe after another insurgence strike with a higher profile target like some tourist places in Phuket or Pattaya will make the outside world help and take notice of this terrible conflict and loss of lives here in Thailand?

I hope not.

I've posted a few times on this subject that it's only a matter of time before they target Phuket. Cut the tourist trade like they did in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Thailand would stand to lose a lot of money. Big money.

That's more effective than the "tit for tat" killings down south.

Again I hope I'm wrong - but if they can reach Bangkok then Phuket would be a breeze.

Can't even begin to imagine the pain of his family, and so many other families that are faced with similar tragedy. So many of these deaths are unnecessary.

Yes death is bad but it's final and the family grieves at the unnecessary loss of a loved one.

But I feel really sorry for the British guy that lost a leg in the accident or any other person that is maimed in this way whether it be an arm lost, a leg lost, paralysed, brain injury etc.

I agree with Johnny above that this case has all the markings of a setup...

But I disagree with his comments about Thai IDs... As I and others posted on above, the recent version of Thai government issued national IDs -- a version that anyone range 13 to 19 years would have -- has both the Thai year and Western calendar year of birth clearly listed. And the Western calendar year is done in the normal format, as in, 2000 if the girl is 13, or 1994 if she were 19. So it wouldn't be difficult for anyone actually looking at the ID to know where they stood, assuming she wasn't using a fake ID.

Yes I edited my post after reading about the new ID's issued from 2007. Sometimes 15 pages of posts are a lot to read.

The funny thing is I've never looked closely at my Thai stepson's ID issued in 2010 when he was 20. And yes there was the western style date of birth on it. Good that we learn something new everyday.

BTW, thoughout this thread, I haven't seen any explanation or justification for the following part of the OP, which kind of puts the police's role in this matter in question.

Officers from the Police Region 2 Child and Women Protection Unit were monitoring the 13 year old girl around 4am on Tuesday Morning...

If they thought they had an underage girl streetwalking at 4 am in the morning, what exactly would there be to monitor? She was in violation of curfew, assuming she was a juvenile. And if the police weren't sure, all they had to do was approach her and check her ID...

Unless, of course, the police in this case were doing a different kind of monitoring...not aimed at protecting the girl, but rather, aimed at entrapping an unsuspecting farang who thought he was engaging a 19-year-old. So they could make a big publicity case out of a small thing (in the context of Pattaya), all the while ignoring and condoning the vastly larger array of truly illegal and harmful things afoot there.

A book called "Thai Private Detective" (or something like that) was written by a NZ guy fluent in Thai who worked as a PD in Thailand for many years. One of the chapters concerns an underage Thai girl selling sex to foreigners in Bangkok. She was supplied with a mobile phone by the Thai police and would contact them when she snared a foreigner and was about to engage in sex. The police would bust the foreigner who upon the payment of a huge fine would be released after being held in jail. The girl, of course, would earn a commission on the scam.

Not saying this is the situation here but it looks as though the police were waiting for the crime to be committed before acting to "protect the young girl".

Now, I am not condoning what he has done, if he knew that she was actually under age. But, the article actually states, "He revealed that he had paid the girl 700 Baht for her to company him to the room but he was told by her that she was 19 years old and Mr. Rosenthal was allegedly unaware of her real age."

So, admitting that he paid the girl to accompany him to the room, puts him trouble anyway. Is he a pedophile? Not sure, as he did ask her her age, problem is he did not ask for proof as in her I.D.

Nice thought. But how many tourists know how to interpret the Thai year of birth on the ID card. It's not the same as western ID. I'd guess it would be less than 1%. So asking to see the ID would not enlighten them at all.

As with some other posters I smell a set up.

--- Ah just read jbrain's post re new ID card. So I stand corrected. I guess it means that the ID cards I've seen have all been held by adult females because I didn't know about the new ID cards.----

Some men will never learn....The definition of bigamy is having one too many wives. A wise man knows that monogamy is exactly the same.

Not always. A lot of the women in Islam are like trained pets. Islam is a religion of male superiority and many of the women thrive on it.

It bothers me here in Chiang Mai to see a Muslim women dressed head to toes in black while the temperature is in the high thirties around 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the man is dressed in shorts and a white shirt walking down the street with the wife following him.

Agree. I'd like to express my opinion on this matter but that would only show my prejudices which for political correctness reasons we are not meant to have.

Thailand has a tendency to repeat mistakes. If they are not careful, a George Soros or someone similar will rape Thailand again leaving it in shambles.

I don't know that one. What is the George Soros story?

I have to wonder how they found out. It's such a closely guarded secret what goes on there. Wow, Pattaya police are good!

...and no mention of the fourth floor where pirated music, games and software are sold.

Please don't close trading on the the fourth floor. I buy things from there.

A 2000 baht sin sod is more like it, she didnt even have any kids or had been married before.

What a genius you are.

I think someone is stirring the pot with his comment. As in a joke.

Does anyone have actual statistics of balcony 'mishaps' in Thailand. That would be hugely interesting. Or is this just another 'hub'. Way too many to be a co-incidence. Remind me never to live above the ground floor if with a Thai girlfriend.

We might be OK on the second or third floor which covers a lot of medium to cheap prices hotels. I never go near the window nor open the sliding door if staying in anything above 3 stories. Too scared of heights. Those high rise condos in Jontiem just scare the bejesus out of me - and that's only from the outside.

But the posters are right. Large numbers coming to grief for a variety of reasons from high rise condos.

Why do you live in Thailand if things that have been done for centuries, so revolt/concern/challenge you and your sensibilities?

Considered opinion quote-

I think it quite important that if I use words you find hard to get your mind around, you ask what I meant rather than put your own spin on what I said. I neither said that, nor did I intend what I did say, to be taken to mean that. The fact is, that my partially argued point was discovered to be moot, because I had forgotten where I was in terms of the debate.

When I come here I expect a lower order of response and am rarely if ever disappointed.

At no stage did I question Thaibreakers right to an opinion, I merely questioned the opinion. Often, we call this thing "debating". It is a new and fun thing. You should try it some time.

My point, for the challenged, was about trying to change a system that has been there for donkey's, based on your/his/western judgement of it's overall level of "goodness" in terms of the impact it has on the life of the Thai people.

End quote.

There are a number of insulting sentences here that would insult most TV posters if aimed at them. I'd guess in Thailand you'd call it the hi-so approach to the masses. In the Western society I'd call it an air of disdain in your comments.

How come he wasn't charged with the rape of a minor?

JemJem - if you like reading as you say I reckon the answer is to join other forums apart from TV such as Pattaya Addicts & similar. Lots of fact & fiction to read. Read all the articles, make some comments, and you'll be too busy to go out drinking. Some danger though of the articles driving you back to drink. 555

Seriously though I believe one of the hardest things to do in Thailand is NOT drink. I'd guess many a social drinker (back home) has turned into a serious drinker in tropical Thailand.

Thanks for the info/suggestion.

Well, yeah, there is actually always a lot to read; both books and also lots of stuff online.

I feel very confident now about quitting drinking because the main factor for me is 'health' and, recently, every time I drink a lot, I can feel my body suffering more and more. I just hope my quitting has't come too late. Oh, well, there is nothing I can do now about the possible bad effects of my past drinking.

Quit drinking & you'll probably lose weight as well - as long as you're not a soft drink fan. So it could be a win-win situation. It's probably like smoking - give up and the body slowly repairs itself. Unless of course you're in the final stages of something and then it too late for anything.

I could never give up social drinking so I wish you luck in your quest. [my doctors already had a go at me to slow down]

JemJem - if you like reading as you say I reckon the answer is to join other forums apart from TV such as Pattaya Addicts & similar. Lots of fact & fiction to read. Read all the articles, make some comments, and you'll be too busy to go out drinking. Some danger though of the articles driving you back to drink. 555

Seriously though I believe one of the hardest things to do in Thailand is NOT drink. I'd guess many a social drinker (back home) has turned into a serious drinker in tropical Thailand.

Has anyone ever seen a bus in Thailand going less than 110-120 km/h? Or a bus driving in the left (inner) lane for that matter?

Amen! I was driving back from Ko Lanta to Phuket one time, travelling at about 110kph. A bus passed us heading for Phuket. Although I knew the way I said to my wife we'll just follow the bus. Wrong. Within one kilometre the bus had shot off down the highway out of sight. The road was straight and I guess it must have been doing at least 130 - 140 kph. maybe more.

There are two solutions to this. Neither will be done. Perhaps they are "pie in the sky" ideas.

1. Adopt a complete footing of war against these terrorists. Shoot on sight policy along with complete border protection and massive intelligence/inflitration/education program. And be prepared to stay like that for as many years as it takes.

2. Sell the restive southern provinces back to Malaya. They belonged to them over 100 years ago anyway. Use the money to relocate all Buddists Thais who wish to move away and adopt point 1 if the Muslim terrorists want to take it any further beyond the new border.

As I have posted before don't be surprised if there's a terrorist attack in Phuket or similiar tourist area in the next 5 years. Scaring away tourist money is one of the best forms of terrorism leverage.

Easy. If he wants to play up he goes to a cheap short time room has his ST fun and goes home. No assets or possessions in the room. No come back from the reception staff. No cups for coffee etc etc. At 69 you'd think he would know how to cover his tracks. As I see it his only (and Major) problem was to try and save on the cost of a cheap hotel by going back to his own digs. Something he has paid big time for his mistake and when his wife returns it's another round of bruising encounters for him.

This topic has been a fascinating read with lots of positive comments and suggestions. There's been minimal agro' and no religious claptrap. And it's been educational too. I'm sure someone will benefit from these discussions when their own marriage situation to a Thai girl arises.

Just so lucky that no one was hurt in this accident. Very rare occurance indeed. Normally some poor innocent person is hurt or killed through no fault of their own.

There was a naked Thai woman in the elevator in my building one evening a few months ago. She didn't seem to be crazy though and she said "Good night" in English when she got out at her floor. Very odd.

So have you been riding up & down your lift at night since hoping for a repeat?

Thai Courts like to use the term "justifiable homicide". Apart from the shock and agony of having one's penis cut off, I think choking the wife to death would be viewed within those terms.