Jonathan Swift

Greg Field here again. I am the subject of this story. Now that the hecklers in the peanut gallery have had their fun with what they understandably see as a ripely salacious story, and I can't say I blame you folks for milking the drama for what it's worth given that the topic of ladyboys is a limitless subject for sniggering juvenile humor, but this IS a serious matter as MOST of you know. My investigation into 7-11 is ongoing. I have reason to suspect that there is a quid pro quo here, not just mere incompetence. So if you folks are interested in doing something of importance I would like any of you readers who have experienced something like this at the hands of 7-11, or know of someone who has, please contact ThaiVisa. My story is ongoing and there will be followups. You could make a big difference in saving future theft victims from this easily preventable experience. I'm hoping that higher ups in 7-11 management will want to "save face" before said face becomes gangrenous and  falls off and rolls into the gutter. And we all know about the gutters in Thailand. Thanks

Greg

6 hours ago, DJ54 said:

If it was a romanticish encounter I’d say Karma snapping back 

at you....... but you said pickpocketed. Hope you get your things back

So you think someone should be punished for a "romanticish" encounter? Are you catholic? Should all gays be burned at the stake as well? Adulterers should be stoned to death ?

Not only am I an avid reader of this blog, I happen to be the guy this happened to. You may therefore be entertained by some of my responses to ignorant and calloused comments. Suffice it to say, it really happened, not all of the facts have been made public, there have been some unintentional errors in the story, and no body fluids or marriage proposals were exchanged if you must know. The ladyboy has a criminal history BTW according to the police. And rest assured my bank will be clawing back every cent from 7-11 and the others. The economic power of VISA is vast and relentless. The card was used 5 times at various locations before I cancelled it. 

4 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Fully agree from observation at customers in front.

Just yesterday (at TOPS), they put the slip on the clipboard, wait for signature.

Job done, not turning/comparing card.

(I don't do any card payment at shops)

TOPS at Victory monument doesn't even take my signature, just hands me my receipt

4 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I have complained to both Visa and Mastercard regarding the fact that in over ten years using Thai bank issued debit cards, not once ever, ever, ever has any retailer checked my signature on the card against the voucher.

 

I told them that I have signed my name in the past as Enid Blyton and twice also as Rumpelstiltskin, to highlight the fact - because  I can.

 

Neither company will reply to my emails. They obviously think it's more beneficial to themselves to ignore it.

On the positive side, in cases of fraud 99% of the time the cards will give your money back and pursue the thieves themselves. There are ways to contact credit cards re: issues, but you have to find the side and back doors. 

4 hours ago, wgdanson said:

How did Mr F get a copy of the LBs ID card?

 

A YES answer to vaccuum's question probably.

Mr. Field (me) has quite an arsenal of investigative resources at his disposal. For obvious reason I can't tip my hand. 

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Were they former lovers?

No, next question. 

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

As much as i hate painting these lady boys with the same brush but they just cannot be trusted .

Your feelings are valid. Stereotyping is regrettable, but sometimes it has some validity. I would expand on that by saying that caution should not be limited to them, and this is not the only thing to beware of here. 

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

This story has more holes than

OK, I'm listening, wise guy. What holes? I'm the guy it happened to. I'd be happy to ameliorate your ignorance with a few more facts should the truth have a special place in your blessed little heart. That's not all I'd like to do, perhaps have your mom send you to bed without your supper, but my exposure to this Buddhist culture has fostered a more serene and peaceful temperament than I once had. Let me point out that the reporter went ahead with the story without actually interviewing me and going over the details, so if it's a bit inconsistent in detail the basic facts remain. There are in fact a few mistakes, which are inconsequential to the overall story. He did make some corrections by including my written statements. I'm grateful for the spotlight he brings to this incident, and in the end all that matters is catching the thief and holding 7-11 to be an accessory to credit card fraud. For example, what I said about getting the cash back was that it wasn't my biggest concern at the time, but it is enough to not want to lose it in the end. It was a theft, credit card fraud, shady business on the part of 7-11, and seemingly a less than motivated police dept. Nothing we haven't seen here before. All else is irrelevant. Capiche? When something like this happens to you, and it will sooner or later, or perhaps when you acquire some maturity,  you may view such things with a bigger and  more sympathetic perspective. I hope so. (Footnote, I have an extensive education in law in the US which gives me some valuable insights, and in the US the press has been my ally, but TIT and one proceeds cautiously and does not disclose what is not necessary when in unfamiliar territory. The attached news story from 2003 is based on a lawsuit I filed against the Enfield CT USA police dept for violating my 4th amendment rights)

2 hours ago, Ulic said:

Her arrest gives her "some" credibility. If she is found dead, is the western media/governments going to react with the same vigor and manner as they did with Khashoggi? 

Should they? Why? An assassination of a journalist who has risked his life in order to expose a corrupt and murderous government, whose brazen assassination is an assault on all journalism and free press? Compared to a self centered  idiot con artist prostitute who knew what she was doing and brought it all on herself? Really? You can't see the difference? Whose life was of more value and to whom and how many? A journalist whose life championed principles important to millions of oppressed freedom loving people?  Compared to someone whose egocentric life revolved around sleaze and sleazy characters? Yeah, that's a tough one, give it a few months of study, and we'll quiz you come end of March. As far as killing her, she's not important enough to them to bother. She's not a spy or a traitor to Putin.   Her whole spiel about information on Trump was BS, if she had something she would have used it. A dark stinky cell for a while, maybe she'll be a treat for the prison guards,  maybe she'll "work" off her sentence for services rendered. 

7 hours ago, anterian said:

So based on this if an infirm foreigner visits Thailand with his private nurse, on tourist visas, that nurse would be breaking the law. 

My guess is that if anyone is working in Thailand regardless as to where their employer is located or from where the salary comes, all funds earned while working in Thailand would be taxable. Just a guess

On 1/9/2019 at 11:35 AM, jerojero said:

Sorry. but he's an idiot. People out and about with piles of cash and passports 'forgetting' they are carrying such. Dimentia or plain idiots? And if he's got 1,000,000 in the bank, he could easily have parted with more than 1,000 Baht as reward to the old lady who could have just as easily kept the 20,000 and garbaged all his documents! Sheesh.

And you're so intelligent that you know how to spell dementia? 20000 baht is a "pile of cash"? By my experience it's a reasonable amount of money to temporarily carry, though I wouldn't do so regularly. That's how much I withdraw from my bank in the US from here once a month, it goes into my bag along with, DUH! my passbook and passport, until I get back to my apartment. Do you know what this man's reason or business as to what he had or why he was carrying that bag? And how is it your business or why do you care what amount of reward was given? Is there an official table of how much reward one should give according to income and are you the official scorekeeper? I know people like that Thai lady, they are happy to simply live by their values and do the right thing. I've had such people refuse to take my money when I offered it. How much do you tip when you go out? I bet you're a freakin cheapskate. Is that the sum total of your value system when it comes to people treating each other with compassion and respect? How much of a cash reward was given and received? Wait, do you understand those two words, compassion and respect? I think not. Clearly you missed the important point of this story. Must feel good to know that you're such a vastly superior human being who never makes mistakes, has lapses in judgment, ever gets distracted, or forgets important things. Oh, right, that's what it's about - you feeling superior to others when they make mistakes or suffer bad fortune. So yeah, I guess you do feel pretty good taking these potshots at people. I can tell you one thing, what your comment shows us about YOUR character is far worse that anything that can be said about a person who makes an error in judgment or simply got distracted for a moment. And shame on you for disparaging folks who suffer the genuine tragedy of Alzheimers and other neurological deficits. I happen to be among those who have attention deficit and memory problems. It occurs under stress and anxiety. Despite all of the precautions I take, similar things have happened to me, including some very honest Thai people coming to the rescue such as taxi drivers returning file folders of documents to an embassy within 10 minutes of my discovering I'd left them in the car, and the same when I left a phone when distracted by a conversation. The story is a happy one, and despite your best efforts to dump on these people or project your own malice onto them, you've only soiled yourself with your own excrement.  

On 1/8/2019 at 6:31 PM, Lacessit said:

Were those pigs I just saw flying past my window?

Dunno, but it's snowing in Hell - aka Hartford CT from which I escaped to come here.

On 1/8/2019 at 4:28 PM, allanos said:

This is an asinine comment, designed to provoke the (white) Brits, I guess.

 

We don't know the colours of the first humans, just like we don't know the colours of dinosaurs.  When we see them pictured, we see an artist's representation. 

 

If we make the assumption that the earliest humans were black because they were "out of Africa", it is of interest, anyway, that more modern finds of early human remains are indicating that the earliest forms of humankind were in present-day Eastern Europe/ Greece.  Does that mean that the first British were white, anyway?

No, it's not "just like we don't know the colours of dinosaurs". The genes for skin color in humans can be traced and a reasonable scientific supposition can be made because, duh, humans are still alive and kicking. The human genome has been mapped. Mitochondrial DNA can be traced back over very long periods. Human physiological traits follow physical, geographical,  and structural patterns which are well known. There are no DNA profiles or genomes available for dinosaurs, who happen to be A.) a different species and B.) extinct for 65,000,000 years. You might want to bone up on your science. As it stands your comments fail as to logic, and have no factual validity one way or the other. 

On 1/8/2019 at 9:05 AM, samsensam said:

 

why is the man's colour relevant?

 

when caucasians are refereed to in headlines/articles the phrase 'white man' is never used.

Are you black? If not YOU are not relevant to your imaginary issue. So you're out to accuse Thai culture of racism because of a description which is in fact accurate? You mean it's not relevant to describe people and things in detail?  What about referring to someone as farang? Is that OK with you? How about describing other ethnicities, like Chinese tourists, American expats, muslim refugees? Is that OK? I think you have too much time on your hands. If you're looking to  mount a crusade for human rights why not do something useful like join amnesty international. Thai Visa is published by a Brit. Why don't you take it up with him?

On 1/7/2019 at 4:16 PM, MikeOKitches said:

I got my income affidavit notarized by the US Embassy here in Bangkok on November 30, 2018. I was told by the US Embassy at the time that the letter (income affidavit) I executed (and they notarized) would be valid for 6 months from date of issuance. That would mean it's valid until May 31, 2018.  My Retirement Visa renewal is scheduled for March 31, 2019. I'm hearing conflicting reports from people who've been to different Thai Immigration centers. Some say they won't accept the US Embassy notarized Income Affidavit in 2019 at all. Is there any credible source that can definitely tell me if I can use my November 30, 2018 letter (income affidavit) in March 2019 when I renew my Retirement Visa? Or is just a waste of paper now? I was planning on renewing at Thai Immigration at Chaeng Watthana here in Bangkok.  

I have been told by all reliable sources including the US Embassy and officials from Chaeng Watthana that  everyone will get a 6 month window as you were told. I processed my visa at Chaeng Watthana In December, got my affidavit in November. So you should be fine. If in doubt, call them. 

On 1/1/2019 at 1:57 PM, darksidedog said:

And for that killed his own children? And the rest of his wifes family? Ye Gods, that is just awful, and at a New Years celebration too, when good will to everyone is supposed to be the order of the day.. The only good news in the whole tragedy is that he killed himself too. Saves the state paying for this oxygen thiefs upkeep in jail for the next twenty years or so.

RIP the innocent victims here.

The family will carry the pain and trauma of this for generations to come. I cry for the family. I have experienced 2 murders in my lifetime. As to the "reason" for this, there's more to it than what appears. Now the following is my opinion without knowing the backstory, but based on similar patterns of behavior. These things are rarely simply something that was done coldly like a mob hit in retaliation for someone's transgression. Not a cold blooded attack by a psychopath. The man felt so wounded and overwhelmed by his sense of rejection that he was uncontrollably enraged and he attacked violently like a wounded animal. A "crime of passion" as it were. I'm not making excuses for what he did, nor am I sympathizing with a violent murderer. But one wonders, did he exhibit violent tendencies which were not recognized and dealt with prior to this such as physically abusing his wife or kids? These things do not happen in a vacuum without warning signs. Does Thai culture tend to turn a blind eye to issues of spousal abuse, or simply not recognize or understand those clues? Was there drunkenness involved and his reasoning thus impaired? Many such acts are those of an untreated alcoholic.  Was he mentally ill, untreated, with out of control anger issues? That he killed himself afterward suggests that he was overcome with anguish and despair which he could not live with thus ending his own life as well. Ordinary reason is no longer in control. I am relying on patterns of behavior that have been studied for many decades in the US, a leader in cases of mass shootings, and again I am speculating based on general human nature. Though the plague of such violence in the US is  fueled by an insane cultural lust for guns and a reluctance of politicians to risk loss of the rivers of gun lobby cash flowing into their pockets, increased scrutiny of potential attackers has resulted in a significant number of thwarted attacks. 

9 minutes ago, rumak said:

"better places" is a very subjective thing .   i do hope everyone understands that.   Same as what traits one finds "beautiful" in a woman.   So while YOU might choose Marbella (which looks quite nice and I am sure has no ugly soi dogs or horrible this and that......

I think i will stay here .  Not a bad place, really .

There are a LOT of very happy retired folks here, I mean they're literally everywhere. 

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

How many of you have disability pension? Got insurance money, and so on. I guess thats most of the early pensioneres got in Thailand. 

I have US disability social security of $1300 / 43000 baht a month. My disability is Bipolar Disorder II for which I take meds. They're literally paying me for being nuts, haha. 5555. I also got an unexpected windfall from a fire insurance claim, didn't put it into the house and instead put it into a dividend paying mutual fund, paying about $400 a month, about 13,000 baht

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I suspect her 'go fund me' campaign was so successful because people recognized the injustice... She'd taken the right steps to get insurance and was then cheated. 

 

I do wish the unlucky young lady a full recovery. 

As I recall from a previous story they blamed her for negligence, that was how they rationalized denying her

11 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

The first rule of diving is know the depth of the water you're diving into. 

 

If you don't know the depth or what's beneath the surface, you don't dive.  It's as simple as that. 

 

Shallow end of the gene pool. ????

 

Oh, and young people are not supposed to make mistakes, is that it? Plenty of people twice as smart as you think you are make mistakes under various and variable circumstances. Do you suppose maybe she never got any formal teaching as to swimming, maybe was never told that "rule"? Your remark is disgustingly insensitive, and reflects your own shallowness as a person. You're laughing and joking about a tragic and painful thing. How's that for a "shallow" reference? Shame on you. You're a poor excuse for a human being, even if you are a skilled diver and swimmer