Spock

Far more likely that the taxi driver was trying to rip the guy off. There is no way he would not have realised that the Norwegian was not in the back.

So often there is simply no choice but to use motorcycle taxis and take a bit of a risk.

A bit of realism please. No one is going to pay $600 or anything like it to be a pillion passenger on a short holiday to Thailand.

Won't be going anywhere for a couple of months.

Why don't you read the article? She had insurance via the cc and a motor bike licence is surely not required if you are a passenger. She also had a helmet. Perhaps the problem was that her boyfriend had no licence.

She had insurance.

To be fair, I frequently use motorbike taxis in Bangkok without a helmet, largely because there is no other choice of transport. I am surprised that travel insurance did not cover someone who is a passenger and wearing a helmet. Can't see how the girl can really be blamed in this instance.

I wasn't answering your question. I care for dogs in semi retirement to augment my income, and was in a dog park today with a couple of small dogs where there was a really sweet natured pit bull/staffy cross whose owners have trained her to do 'party tricks' but also been very concerned to adequately socialise the animal. I am always a little concerned with dogs in my care around pit bulls and staffies, but this dog gave no indication of aggression towards people or animals. When I was teaching some years back in a socio-economically depressed area, many of my students had pit bulls at home which were used in pig hunting. Sometimes when I see a pit bull with a heavily muscled owner I figure the owner wants a dog that mirrors his own personality. In Australia, the majority of pit bull owners are responsible people. To be honest, I am not sure why the breed is so popular. Hopefully it's not because people want a pet want a pet that complements their personality or to be used as a guard dog. I just don't think they are appropriate in country's that allow dangerous animals to live once they have killed or maimed, even if the owner is a nice bloke willing to pay for victims' funerals.

They should not be allowed in countries like Thailand and Cambodia where they are status symbols owned by people without a clue how to train, socialise or house the animals. Countries where there are no consequences in the event the dog maims or kills people, such as in this instance.

Well you tell that to the monks in many of the pagodas who need to be convinced that the dogs in their care need neutering. Takes time to persuade many of them.

Yes I do!!! When I lived in Thailand, I had 4 rabbits given to me by a departing foreigner. The little boy from next door picked one up by its back legs and dislocated them. The vet I took it to refused to euthanise it and figured it could happily slither around like a snail. Buddhism was the excuse for not doing the humane thing. A street dog got into the yard and took care of the problem. I am well aware of the Buddhist attitude to euthanasia but cannot believe it would apply in the circumstances of this incident. Similarly Buddhists are against neutering dogs but are happy to dump unwanted puppies and kittens in pagodas. Buddhism in my experience has severe limitations as a viable way of life.

It's unbelievable that anyone is even contemplating keeping the three of them alive! I am a dog lover but once a dog has killed, it's hard to think of any reason why they should be kept alive. The article says a lot about Thai people - no one helped, 'great neighbour who will pay for funeral expenses, didn't investigate the screams because the victim had pain from health issues etc. Just sit in your cocoon of safety and ignorance and let violence erupt around you. They were good dogs - 'first time they have killed anyone (won't be the last time). Outrageous stuff.

Australians and particularly Victorians value safety over just about anything else. Anyone with children probably saw Andrew's actions as protecting their family despite the wealth of information suggesting that children were barely at risk. On the other hand, a large number of Victorians sold their homes and moved north to warmer pastures, never to return. Many single people living alone had a vastly different experience and perspective of lockdown. Like Trump (though nothing like Trump in ideology) he divides people. Plus the opposition state Liberals are also incompetent.

If you had been stuck in Melbourne Australia as I was in the longest lockdown in history, you wouldn't have been travelling around taking advantage of cheap hotel prices etc. The 5km limit on travel plus the 8pm curfew made life frustrating and lonely. An absurd travel limit can make all the difference to the joy of quiet nights and deserted streets.

Can't see the point of keeping dogs that are kept outside and not inside the home. They are supposed to be pets that interact with people, sit on the couch with you and sleep on your bed. Perhaps you live in a very dangerous area and feel the need to keep guard dogs. But I suppose your dogs have a more comfortable life than those outside the perimeter of your property.

That's probably the only reason why authorities have not stepped in and put the dog down. In most other countries, the dog would be removed from the home and euthanised. I love dogs but a pit bull with a history of aggression against people it should love should not be allowed to live. Don't understand why pit bull and huskies are so favoured in SEA. People are not prepared to do the necessary training to safely raise a dog, and caging them is not going to help the situation at all.

I just hope someone is going to care for his two dogs. I can imagine his wife will do the Thai thing and throw the animals out now that he is gone and the animals loom as a bit of a burden.

If true, it doesn't say much for the morality or humanity of the locals.

The problem with everyone 'getting over it' is that the perpetrators get away with it.

They should also have published his address, mobile number and Facebook page. His superior should also have condemned this guy in public.

I just assumed that the kids had a spare 700 baht and bought a gram from a Pattaya dispensary. But seriously no street kid would be bothered with marijuana if glue, which provides far more comfort as a time killer and anesthetiser, was available. As if the average Thai gives a damn about the plight of homeless children or is interested in seeking a genuine solution to the uncertainty and boredom these kids probably endure every day of their lives.

Back in the 90s when I lived in Thailand, lots of young street kids used heroin, injected and smoked. Two kids are caught smoking cannabis and some react like it's all the rage among Thailand's children. Looking at the photo, my major concern is for the boys' little dog. I hoped it wasn't just left to fend for itself when the cops took the boys to the children's home (from where they are sure to escape once they realise how poorly resourced these places are in Thailand).

You lost me at 'Dont get me wrong I enjoy a beer or two'.

Perhaps you don't care about the innocent policeman dragged hundreds of meters to his death under the car. Having had a Thai mate recently serve 9 years in jail for a far lesser crime than this animal committed, I tend to react somewhat unfavourably to cases such as this in which the criminal escapes punishment due to systemic corruption that goes right to the top in Thai politics and judicial system. 'Judging it by Western standards is a non starter' ignores the fact that this is not about West versus East but rather morality and giving a damn about the plight of the little man versus the rich who never have to face the consequences of their actions. Some foreigners just throw away their moral compass once they have spent a few years living in Thailand.

Why bother disciplining this guy and others when the red bull heir wanders the world untouched. I doubt that too many Thai people are even concerned about this miscarriage of justice. I am sure most people accept his preferential treatment as just par for the course in Thailand. Thailand all too often fails to take a moral position on important issues, including this case and the invasion of the Ukraine.