Video: Land of Smiles! Grinning American in custody after theft from Chiang Mai store

[CMNightRider]

18 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

People don't think there's any link between the prominence given on a daily basis in the Thai press to stories linking foreigners to criminal or unwelcome behavior, and the government's daily publicizing of arrests, roundups and deportations of foreigners and tightening of visa requirements? I do.

 

As far as I can tell, these police activities are being grossly over-emphasized in the press in coordination with and support of the government's anti-immigrant policy, which is part of a broader paternalistic and misguided effort to 'restore happiness to the Thai people' by encouraging a return to traditional ways and values free from what are seen as corrupting foreign influences.

You are 100% correct.  Most of the expats on this site act like they are in la la land, and fail to see the anti-immigrant policy growing daily.  Jerks like this thief just adds fuel to the fire.  I hope the Thai police slapped his smile off his face after the newspaper reporter left the room.  

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, ThaidDown said:

At least he appears to have an appropriate surname.

 

 

 

 

Burke and no hare??

[Nyezhov]

What a tool (albiet apparently with mental illness)

[Gecko123]

56 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So they're gonna roll back all the changes Phibun made in the 1940s, return topless traditional costumes and ban pad Thai.

Let's face it Thai tradition/hospitality/friendliness is as fake as their smiles.

Real Thailand is corruption, yaba, gang attacks and road rage.

 

While I don't believe it is fair to say Thai culture is fake, I do think it has been in some ways presented in a romanticized and gilded light that attempts to cast it as enjoying more lofty and refined roots than it really has. Many core Thai values may have simply arisen in a crucible of tribalism where there was no strong central government control.

 

When there are limited legal and police resources to resolve conflict, smiling to signal you are not a threat, and being non-confrontational (mai pen rai) are not so much 'values' as survival tactics. Not complaining about your neighbor's loud bass music even though you hate it, isn't so much a greeng jai/live-and-let-live philopsophy as a way not to get yourself stabbed. A gang defense in a fight isn't a 'cowardly and lopsided' response, but actually a survival tool to discourage attacks on an individual because the attacker knows the whole group will respond. The 'foreigner is forever an outsider' mindset, and 'the-family-or tribe-sticks-together-no-matter-what' against an external threat may be vestiges of tribalism. Even something like having a higher ethical and moral standard for the group you belong than for an outsider might be traceable back to tribal culture. Anyway, the more I look at Thai behavior which perplexes me, the more I think its tribal past may be able to offer insights.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Gecko123

[ratcatcher]

37 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Let's face it Thai tradition/hospitality/friendliness is as fake as their smiles.

Real Thailand is corruption, yaba, gang attacks and road rage.

I am relieved that the Thailand I live in is a lot different from that which you inhabit.

[DepDavid]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

You're right. The more pressing matters are here:

 

Fantastic gesture, hope you found one. If so I’m sure she never forgot your kindness!

[BritManToo]

57 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

I am relieved that the Thailand I live in is a lot different from that which you inhabit.

Surprised ColinNeil 'liked' this post as he was crippled in a typical & traditional Thai hit and run, and his neighbour was murdered in a typical & traditional Thai insane rage attack over a bag of MaMa noodles.

Edited March 9, 2019 by BritManToo

[mickymouse1]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Disagree with you, he is a thief and it should be brought out in the open on here.

R u serious with your description of TV?

 

[ratcatcher]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Surprised ColinNeil 'liked' this post as he was crippled by them in a typical & traditional Thai hit and run.

"by them", you mean by one dangerous Thai driver among many thousands on the roads.

I was commenting on your generalization "Real Thailand is corruption, yaba, gang attacks and road rage."  I understand your frustration but it doesn't apply to all and everywhere i'm afraid.

I think colinneil sees Thailand in a similar light as me.

[Tradewind777]

Well when he sees the inside of his cell, the shine might go off his mug!

[dotpoom]

3 hours ago, ThaidDown said:

At least he appears to have an appropriate surname.

 

 

 

 

Am I missing something.........Burke ....Irish ansestory obviously...in what way does that make it appropiate...sorry, am not getting it?

[smedly]

That distant gaze - looks to me like this guy isn't playing with a full deck

[kwak250]

He seems to have found the yabba dabba doo's

[Pravda]

54....obviously spent his last baht on extension to stay.

 

Setting up a gofundme page for this bloke right now

[colinneil]

20 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Surprised ColinNeil 'liked' this post as he was crippled in a typical & traditional Thai hit and run, and his neighbour was murdered in a typical & traditional Thai insane rage attack over a bag of MaMa noodles.

Yes i was crippled by a crazy driver, but he did not run away, he stayed and lied to the police.

The murder was committed by a drug -fueled local thug.

I am crippled for life, but i do not bear a grudge against the driver, if i let hate of him rule my life, i would ruin what is left of my life.

[ThaidDown]

11 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Am I missing something.........Burke ....Irish ansestory obviously...in what way does that make it appropiate...sorry, am not getting it?

'Burke' sounds like 'berk' which was derived from Berkeley Hunt.

 

[Proboscis]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

So he was given the chance to get away with it,and refused to pay when caught,

what a wally.

regards worgeordie

What a person with mental health issues. This guy seems to have a very loose hold on reality, to say the least.

[ThaiHenning]

Jack?

[chokrai]

2 hours ago, Lucius verus said:

The yank isn't playing with a full deck. He looks like one of those types who comes from the flyover states. 

Probably thought life is better here than back there.

He'll be back home in time to catch the tornado season.

Looks more like one of those idiots you see rollerblading along the beach road in California.

[wgdanson]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

So he was given the chance to get away with it,and refused to pay when caught,

what a wally.

regards worgeordie

Certainly not a full shilling.

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

His look and behavior suggest some kind of mental illness. Forgot to take his daily doses when traveling? Or did he find some new and better medication in Chiang mai?

Like weed, which would account for the stupid grin on his face.

[wgdanson]

19 minutes ago, ThaidDown said:

'Burke' sounds like 'berk' which was derived from Berkeley Hunt.

 

Wouldn't BERKELEY be pronounced as in the well known bank in Queen's English. But, you are correct in your rhyming slang history, from the 1930s. Must ask Susie Dent! 

[atyclb]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

tribe-sticks-together-no-matter-what' against an external threat may be vestiges of tribalism

 

 

more like colonialism as in colony as in bee or ant colony

[davidst01]

another high class american in the LOS

[atyclb]

2 minutes ago, davidst01 said:

another high class american in the LOS

 

in your opinion precisely what makes thailand a magnet for high class people?

[BritManToo]

57 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

I think colinneil sees Thailand in a similar light as me.

Fantasy la la land as opposed to cold hard reality.

C'mon, two year old beaten for throwing up, guy burns wife for having free t-shirt, yaba actress living by the side of the road.

This is the reality of Thailand, insanity, drugs and violence .... and it's getting worse every month.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

You are 100% correct.  Most of the expats on this site act like they are in la la land, and fail to see the anti-immigrant policy growing daily.  Jerks like this thief just adds fuel to the fire.  I hope the Thai police slapped his smile off his face after the newspaper reporter left the room.  

My la la land was entirely separate to your la la land.

Great minds think alike!

[GreenerGrass]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Disagree with you, he is a thief and it should be brought out in the open on here.

Sorry but come on Colin, Shaming him on here is one thing, but Channel 7 news, for a petty theft from a convivence store! I am starting to think there is a media campaign to make all foreigner's as (x-ray) outlaw foreigner's! in this case and many others minus the x-ray, quite a few are falling in their laps.  If this kind of media attention continues the normal Thai on the street will hate the site of us! There was a gold shop robbery and a 200k meth pill bust that was mentioned as an encore! 

[Elreeco]

Another yank not 'wired up' right.....

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Damn Farangs, they should just kill all of us!