Masseuse Set On Fire On Patong Beach

[John K]

"Sombun is apparently well-known in the Loma Park area of Patong Beach, where he has been seen spending much of his time huffing paint thinner, bothering beach vendors and harassing foreign tourists."

If he was so well known, why was he allowed to continue?

Harassing people on the main beach in Thailands famous international resort. Somthings wrong.

Skipper, that’s the whole point of what I was saying. The Thais that care to look and observe can see that there was something wrong, but because they did not want him to lose face they just let him continue. Bothering vendors harassing tourists is not really a crime, we all are exposed to some degree of it and we just deal with it. So now it seems his mental health having been neglected for so long he has become a danger to the public and perhaps himself. I can’t say for sure if this could have been avoided if it was not ignored, but to ignore the obvious is a big concern.

Now this poor woman must endure one of the most painful procedures to get back on her feet.

there is even an unfolding saga in Bangkok about a doctor and if they had the right to hold him for psychiatric observations. That part of the story is all about saving face and has little to do about helping him recover.

Last year a doctor did a rather public psychological profile of Thaksin for students at a university. I don’t know how much was politics, and how much was about face, but the doctor was punished. That is at least how I recall it without looking up the exact facts.

[ColPyat]

Skipper, that’s the whole point of what I was saying. The Thais that care to look and observe can see that there was something wrong, but because they did not want him to lose face they just let him continue. Bothering vendors harassing tourists is not really a crime, we all are exposed to some degree of it and we just deal with it. So now it seems his mental health having been neglected for so long he has become a danger to the public and perhaps himself. I can’t say for sure if this could have been avoided if it was not ignored, but to ignore the obvious is a big concern.

As this would be unique to Thailand...

Most developed countries even have mentally disturbed and ill people who live as bums, after having fallen through the gaps. Most never get violent, but some do, and only then are caught by the system.

What would you propose then - a big brother system, where everybody is constantly under surveillance for possible mental illness, and at the slightest sign locked away?

This was a sad incident with horrible results, but that has happened, and will continue to happen anywhere in the world. Blaming "the Thais" for this is stretching this issue a bit, and in a direction that is getting increasingly uncomfortable, at least for me. Face is important here, but has very little to do with this particular event.

The US for example has no "face culture", but has shocking events such as the regular amok shooters, more regular than in any other western country, and definitely far more regular than in Thailand. And that happens even though the US is far richer, and far more developed than Thailand.

It has nothing to do with Thailand, or "the Thais", other than this case happened in Thailand, but has with with humanity, and human nature.

Edited March 11, 2007 by ColPyat

[John K]

At the moment Thailand does not have a legal mechanism that allows the government to hold people who have mental health problem for observation. I do recall reading about putting one in place, perhaps that was even about this case. However I don’t know if that was just someone running their mouth or not.

So as it stands right now a disturbed adult could just get up and walk away and the doctors could not stop them. People who have severe mental health problems may not even be aware they have a problem, that is why the mechanism should be in place.

[ColPyat]

At the moment Thailand does not have a legal mechanism

There are many things that Thailand doesn't have. It is not a developed country and has a multitude of problems to solve.

As i recall, the developed US has under Reagan deemed care for mentally ill patients too expensive for the government, has released many who were not able to take care of themselves to the streets. Ever seen a documentary on the squalor many of those people have to live on the streets because the government of the most powerful country on earth does not see it important to care for them?

Basically, don't throw stones when sitting in a glasshouse.

[altman]

i keep thinking of the little 2 year old girl whose crying set the whole thing off. she will carry scars with her for the rest of her life. even now she is 'afraid' to look at her mother's face.

[John K]

Here is an excerpt from the story about the law.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/04...al_30028448.php

Somchai said the problem was that there was no law authorising guardians to commit someone for mental treatment. He said it was time there was a mental health act that specified who had legal authority to seek treatment for the mentally ill.

As it stands now, someone with a psychiatric problem can be consigned to a hospital only after committing a crime.

Somchai said he would very soon propose a draft mental-health bill for Cabinet consideration.

[Scott]

This is sad, but this guy sounds like a drug addict and his behavior may be induced by inhalants rather than him being "insane" in the common sense of the word.

It's always a tough call with people like this guy. Near where I live there are several people of questionable sanity. One walks around telling everyone that the world is going to end--he even uses a loud hailer to do it.

Another may be insane or he might be seriously mentally retarded, but on more than one occasion he has been walking around naked. He often sleeps on the road during the day. There is another who appears like a "wild" man. He wears a t-shirt and underwear only and has long mangled hair.

These people have been around for the past 6-10 years and have really caused nobody any real problems. They are sad, for sure, but not dangerous. That said, I don't know if it would take a lot to set one of them off. I am sorry to say, but I treat them like I do the dogs on the soi--with a healthy amount of respect and I make sure I don't get them angry.

[Nam Plah]

I agree with Scott about the diagnoses of this character.

Huffing paint thinner (benzene and other petroleum distillates) and glue (butylene, acetone, MEK) sounds like a physiological disorder due to volatile organic compounds exposure leading to hypertoxicity and a "meltdown" of the CNS (central nervous system).

Raw, open nerves stimulated to the point of incandesence will surely result in a violent reaction to loud noises and other sensory irritations.

While he may be legitimately mentally ill and should get professional attention the admix of toxic substances in his body and brain are the most likely culprits in his senseless and brutal actions.

I pray for the recovery of his victim and her family.

[dingue2rep]

i have seen quite a few homeless people who do not look mentally fit in bangkok, hopefully government does something about this issue.

Which? Homeless or mentally UNfit? Only in Bangkok? Which government and what could they or should they do? By the way, I too am homeless and mentally unfit! I fly all over the world and see millions of people just like me, except they are stuck in one place!

[John K]

Mentally-ill patients viewed negatively by public: survey

A large number of people have perceived mentally-ill patients in a rather negative light, yet most feel they should receive good care - not repulsion - from the society, according to a survey by the Abac Poll Assumption University.

Conducted between March 11 and March 13, the survey covered 1,467 respondents in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces.

The respondents are over 18 years old of age.

"When compared with a similar survey conducted in December, the number of people with negative perception of mentally ill patients has increased," Noppadon Kannika, who heads the poll centre, said Thursday.

According to the latest survey, 36.5 per cent admitted that they had perceived the mentally-ill patients in a rather negative light and only 10.3 per cent said they had good perception of the mentally ill.

The rest said they saw the mentally ill in both negative and positive light.

When asked about what they heard from media and acquaintances about the mentally-ill patients, 43.9 per cent said they usually heard about bad things.

When asked about the cause of mental illnesses, the respondents' answers were stress, brain abnormalities, drug abuses, traumas, losses of loved ones, bad environment, lack of understanding from the society and genetic problems.

The Nation

[ThaiFelix]

Absolutely right, I agree with both of you. If we find out he is mentally sick we should lobby to have him killed, perhaps injection, perhaps iron bars. Pity we can't get them at birth.........

Wow, exact same philosophy of the 1930's Nazi doctors in Germany!

Cold.

I doubt the poster has had a any contact with a mentally ill relative or friend.

I took it that bkkmadness was just being sarcastic towards some previous posts........or maybe he likes a drop of thinners as well??