Hellfire

Well, how exactly do you define "a place to sleep"? Is a stone floor such a place? I don’t think it is for at least 95% of the people in the civilized world. For me personally, it was almost like being in torturous conditions. In fact, I was deprived of the ability to sleep. Did I do something to deserve being subjected to such conditions?

I am more focused on the part where the officer sent me to a cell and then interrogated my wife. This behavior mirrors the tactics used by secret police forces around the world, including the NKVD and the KGB. Many of you Westerners don’t seem to see the fine line between enforcing the law and violating basic human rights. It's easy to overlook this because you’re used to living in a free society. However, this is a dangerous trend, one that I’ve personally witnessed more and more lately.

I don’t claim to be innocent. Still, I believe I was treated unfairly. Which, in turn, is something anyone who violates the law should expect, especially in a country like Thailand. And with this post, I want to warn other foreigners in Thailand. Personally, you have no sympathy from me since you don’t seem to have any empathy for others yourself.

Yes, of course. Maybe they should subject all the arrested individuals and their companions to interrogation with electric shock. Your views are on the level of a guard at a Stalin's gulag camp. I wonder how people like you slipped into the 21st century—it's a mystery!

Yes, that is my point - if the fine was less than 10000, how could anybody expect me to leave the country? A classic example of abuse of power. (No, I did not pay 20k).

They have beds and water in US and Europe prisons. Believe me - that is a huge difference. Another thing - did the police officer had a right to interrogate my wife about me, to shout at her and threaten her? After all - I did not sell drugs or killed anybody! And, by the way, I was told just yesterday by some Thai driving instructor that the allowed limit for driving drunk is 50 milligram percent. Probably - this limit is for the Thais only.

We've all read and seen films about Thai prisons. We all know it's not the most pleasant place to spend your time. And yet, nothing compares to personal experience—what you go through yourself... From the very start, I'll admit that I fully recognize my guilt for the violations I committed. First, I drank about 70-80 grams of Thai 35% whiskey and got behind the wheel. Second, I drove without having either Thai or international driver's licenses. Did I deserve the punishment I received? According to many grumpy, old men from this forum—yes, I deserved to be quartered. From my point of view, however, I was treated unfairly and even in a dirty way. That day, my Thai wife was with me. We went for a short drive around the city, and during it, I had a little whiskey. A police patrol stopped us when we were about 200 meters from our condo. It was around 11 PM. I should mention that I felt 100% sober at that moment, and I'm sure I looked that way too. I didn't refuse to blow into the breathalyzer. The result was 27 "milligrams percent"… As the young officer explained, it was a full 7 points above the legal limit. About 15 minutes later, a young Thai man breathed into the same device, and his result was 120 "milligrams percent". He looked, by the way, quite respectable. They kept us there for about an hour and a half, right where we were stopped. All this time, through my wife, the police explained that they would process us at the station, we'd pay a 20,000 baht bail, and most likely, we'd be in court the next day. At the station, they kept us for at least another hour (together with the 120%-Thai). There's no need to explain the discomfort of being in a police station: various rude, ignorant men of different ages take pleasure in making you feel small, desperately exaggerating their importance. If there's anywhere that the meaninglessness of human nature fully reveals itself—it's during close interaction with police officers (or "dogs," as they're commonly called in Russia). Just when it seemed that the cheap spectacle was about to end, a higher-ranking officer (which means the most immoral of them all) declared that I could escape the country, and the 20,000 baht bail wasn’t a guarantee for such a horrible criminal as me. The conclusion—I'd spend the night in jail. I didn't argue, handed my personal belongings to my wife, and, together with the 120%-Thai, walked into the police cell. There were about 15 other Thai prisoners already in the cell (although among them were also Burmese and some other Asians). The surprising thing was that they were all fast asleep. Another surprising part was that they were sleeping on the completely bare stone floor. It finally hit me where I was. The room smelled strongly from the toilet located within the cell. The floor, on which the prisoners were sleeping, was not just stone, but also quite dirty. I sat in a corner and immediately realized I wouldn’t be able to sleep here. My Thai companion also sat in a corner, and initially, it seemed like he, too, wouldn't sleep (by the way, he was sent to jail only because he didn’t have the money for bail). However, I was wrong. Half an hour later, he dozed off while sitting, and an hour later, he comfortably stretched out on the dirty floor and began snoring. And here I was, alone in this terrifying room, surrounded by 15 sleeping Asians. Just a few hours ago, I had been expecting a very different end to my evening. I noticed a small window near the ceiling of the cell. Now, it became my main point of reference for the coming hours. I had to wait for dawn. I won’t go into the details of my thought process. Naturally, it was a tough night for me—both physically and mentally. What I didn’t know was that at the same time the officer who sent me behind bars was interrogating my wife. He asked her about me, how I earned a living, whether I had broken the law before... When he saw my wife’s reluctance to turn me in, he started yelling at her, reminding her that I was a foreigner and that by defending me, she was betraying her country and her people. In the end, he promised her that I’d be deported. Such a nice guy, a true son of a land of smile. Meanwhile, I kept changing positions: I sat when my back hurt, then stood, then walked. I did this all night. The thing that bothered me the most was the fear that they wouldn’t let me go in the morning and would keep me for another day or two. The fifteen Asians peacefully and soundly slept on the floor the whole time. Finally, it started to get light. The birds began singing. My cellmates started to wake up. They treated me quite amicably, but without any excess. I should mention that aside from the stone floor, another problem was drinking water. They gave me a small bottle when I entered, but only after my wife insisted. I stretched it out throughout the night. Surprisingly, my Thai neighbors didn’t seem too bothered by the lack of water—they drank very little. However, when they brought some kind of food (rice and something wrapped in paper), everyone sat down happily and ate with gusto. From this, I concluded that, after a night on the stone floor, everyone’s mood was surprisingly good. Around noon, they loaded us into a van and took us to court. Dirty and unwashed. I was fined 10,000 baht. Did my attitude towards Thailand change after all this? Definitely. Be careful—you really don't want to end up in jail here, even for just one day. And don't forget, we're all guests here (in the worst sense of the word).

This is a deeply feudal society. Either accept it, or find your way out.

I wish I could shake your hand in person—it would truly be an honor.

This is exactly what happened in Pattaya recently. Only there were other Thai men witnessing the altercation who involved and beat the <deleted> out of foreigner aggressor.

Come on! 3% currency move means absolutely nothing !!! Enough with these stupid articles!

Quite a positive couple. She is, most probably, intoxicated. They could be hypocritically “wai”-ing instead. But i prefer them dancing.

A slightly stronger earthquake would completely destroy this city.

When I read your post, I imagine a big mouse—maybe even a rat—checking the latest air quality on its mobile phone.

Time for a big audit

Me neither. But as one of my favorite sayings goes: everything is known through comparison. In my opinion, Thailand is a unique country when it comes to human interactions—though it's far from being a paradise. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, but one that many others share.

How have you managed to survive here for 30 years? According to your own posts, you should have been murdered by now—or at the very least, severely assaulted. What level of hypocrisy does it take to hate a place while choosing to live in it for three decades?

The video does not show how it all started. My personal experience with Thailand - the safest country on Earth. But if you really think that young Thais hate and attack us “for no reason whatsoever” - I advise you not to live and not to visit here.

Have you ever been to Bangkok Hilton prison?

Do you think that attacking a smaller and older guy is brave? One on one is not always fair. Far from it.

My version: the big German dude (most probably drunk) had some dispute with much smaller and older Thai motorbike taxi driver. At some point he pushed or punched the Thai guy. This was a signal for all other Thai bystanders to attack the foreigner. Would never believe he was attacked for no reason.

The annexation of Crimea preceded any Minsk agreements.

Ouh, I see now. And how do you know exactly what Putin wants and what will fully satisfy him?

From your post above: “The goal was to severely weaken or destroy Russia's economy and military”. Why in 2022? Why not much earlier?