Hero Worship: Thailand Lionizes Humble Defender Of The Wild

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

 

Wichien Chinnawong on the phone Thursday in Kanchanaburi.

 

KANCHANABURI — The forest ranger who hunted down and arrested a construction tycoon suspected of poaching a black panther in a wildlife sanctuary is all over the Thai internet today, where he’s being hailed as a sorely needed national hero.

 

Wichien Chinnawong is the skinny, leathery-tanned ranger who tracked Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development, to a campsite in a national park where he was found with guns, the big cat’s skin – and part of its tail in a cookpot.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/02/08/hero-worship-thailand-lionizes-humble-defender-wild/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-2-8

Brave guy having his picture posted ... hope all goes well for him and not so well for the I-T D guy .....

This really is a great story. Only problem I have is I feel there is more to it than meets the eye. 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

the big cat’s skin – and part of its tail in a cookpot.

Nothing like having a piece of feline tail for dinner, eh big guy? 

All over the Thai internet but not a word of praise by the junta PM; a corruption buster in his own rights. 

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

All over the Thai internet but not a word of praise by the junta PM; a corruption buster in his own rights. 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30338313

Chubby boy in the forest gets tracked by some 'crockers' and  bu** <deleted>  . That damn movie scene springs to mind. How did this rich lard-arse with his fat little legs, even walk so far into the jungle anyway?

This shows how fed up Thais are with the double standards and impunity for the rich.  Sadly, I don't think he'll get his comeuppance.  In that sense, Thailand is far more corrupt than even China.  In China, the well-connected can land in jail if they go too far and become a liability.  In Thailand, there's no such thing as going too far for people like that.  It's still like medieval Europe here.

4 hours ago, ChidlomDweller said:

This shows how fed up Thais are with the double standards and impunity for the rich.  Sadly, I don't think he'll get his comeuppance.  In that sense, Thailand is far more corrupt than even China.  In China, the well-connected can land in jail if they go too far and become a liability.  In Thailand, there's no such thing as going too far for people like that.  It's still like medieval Europe here.

I know where you're coming from but right now this guy is a liability. Maybe he will get away with it but people are watching and it will be another nail in the coffin if he does.

11 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

All over the Thai internet but not a word of praise by the junta PM; a corruption buster in his own rights. 

He does not want him taking too much limelight.  It is now the junta's chance to take center stage. 

7 hours ago, roamer said:

I know where you're coming from but right now this guy is a liability. Maybe he will get away with it but people are watching and it will be another nail in the coffin if he does.

I know, and I hope to be wrong, but look at the Red Bull case or the Koh Tao murders.  What better way to signal in 2014 that this government is serious this time?  It would have made Prayuth the most popular man in Thailand, and still he didn't do it.  At least it's nice to see, once in a while, countries like South Korea and China demonstrating they're outgrowing this servile stage.

 

As an aside, something that made me want to vomit is when Lee Kuan Yew died, Prayuth was trying to bask in his halo, like LKY's life was vindication for this government.  I was no fan of LKY (having lived in Singapore for a decade), but other than being authoritarian they have nothing in common and that Prayuth was trying this on was a very bad joke.  LKY even jailed a close friend and fellow minister when he was involved with corruption.  Another case I remember was a scion of one of the richest families in Singapore and philanthropist (Shaw Foundation) got a jail sentence for having sex with a 17-year old prostitute who had lied about her age (IIRC, 30-40 men went to jail in the same case and she was passing herself off as 21).  Imagine this in Thailand!  Prayuth has done absolutely nothing.  All this power, and he's done nothing, other than pursuing cases where it's politically expedient.

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by ChidlomDweller