Foreign tourists in Pai vandalise Thai flags, anger locals

[webfact]

Foreign tourists in Pai vandalise Thai flags, anger locals

 

Picture: Siamrath

 

Three foreign tourists in Pai can count themselves very lucky to escape serious punishment after vandalising the Thai national flag and a yellow Royal flag.

 

Locals in the northern town called on the authorities to take action against the group of foreigners after they found that the flags had been left on the floor outside the Praew Dao shop next to a bridge over Pai river early on Monday morning. 

 

Police said the tourists were drunk and the flags had been removed from the bridge.

 

Siamrath reported that the foreigners had been tracked down by police after the incident was captured on CCTV.

 

Picture: Siamrath

 

Pai police chief Saman Jitboon said the foreigners had been marching around the area with the flags on their shoulders. 

 

However, police said that the foreign tourists had no intention to cause any offence and had taken the flags in an act of ‘high jinks’ and certainly hadn’t meant to insult anyone.

 

Picture: Siamrath

 

Locals had earlier called for the foreigners to be deported.

 

Thai people treat the national flag with the utmost respect and the yellow Royal flag contains the emblem of the King. 

 

Damaging the yellow flag could potentially be regarded as an act of lese majeste which can result in a jail term of up to 15 years. 

 

Siamrath’s report indicated no action would be taken against the foreigners, whose names and nationalities were not reported.

 

Source: Siamrath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-07-01

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[ThreeEyedRaven]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

However, police said that the foreign tourists had no intention to cause any offence and had taken the flags in an act of ‘high jinks’ and certainly hadn’t meant to insult anyone.

Very fortunate indeed that they had enough cash on them to be able to achieve such a conclusion.

[sweatalot]

Good luck for them. Doing things like that as a foreigner you can't count on so much lenience from the locals.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

[Myran]

Lucky indeed, and a very understanding and forgiving attitude from the police. Hopefully they'll think twice before acting like morons again.

[Justgrazing]

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

Locals had earlier called for the foreigners to be deported.

after being pelted with over-ripe durian .. That'll teach 'em .. 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

However, police said that the foreign tourists had no intention to cause any offence and had taken the flags in an act of ‘high jinks’ and certainly hadn’t meant to insult anyone.

 

While this is a very stupid thing to do [by the tourists] it good to see commonsense prevail and the police recognising that this isn't targeted vandalism or intention to cause offense - its just kids being d!<kheads and there is no need to play into the hands of the locals and give oxygenate the 'faux-outrage'.....

 

 

.... then I read ThreeEyedRaven's post Number 2 and thought, yep, it probably cost them a bit to make this go away so easily... 

 

 

[charmonman]

I think they should've been deported and barred entry to the country for something like 5 years, the stupid little punks.

[Guderian]

The Bridge Over the River Pai - I can feel a war book coming on...

[Emdog]

Take a chill pill. A flag is just a symbol. Stupid or ignorant? Sure.

[RJRS1301]

Totally moronic behaviour, yes drunk, but still no excuse for disrespectful behaviour

I wonder how they would have felt if some one took one of their national flags as "hi jinx" , luckily the police were lenient to them

A days work with the monks feeding the homeless should have been imposed, teach them some respect

 

[RJRS1301]

9 minutes ago, charmonman said:

I think they should've been deported and barred entry to the country for something like 5 years, the stupid little punks.

Working feeding the homeless better option IMHO

[keith101]

Should be named and shamed .

[charmonman]

In my opinion if you can't go to another country and show a small measure of respect to the locals you shouldn't be there in the first place.

[Myran]

@RobboR what are you "confused" about?

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Siamrath’s report indicated no action would be taken against the foreigners

should have done a mock execution.

[Seth1a2a]

 

 

 

Check their facebook pages you'll probably see a video of the whole story.

Can't count how many times people ask me to "take a picture" or hold their phone to record them doing something dangerously stupid to put on youtube or facebook. Both companies are getting incredibly richer from the things these guys do for free at risk of their own health or in this case their freedom.  

 

 

[cardinalblue]

Stupidity on the tourists; over-reaction by locals.... I find air pollution and road side garbage everywhere much more offensive and having consequences than flag dropping...

 

it isn’t like they burn them or drew/cut them up....that is what I was expecting from the headline...

[attrayant]

56 minutes ago, Myran said:

Hopefully they'll think twice before acting like morons again.

 

Not likely, if the acts were sponsored by alcohol.  So long as you have a society that is permissive enough to allow people to get drunk, you're going to have consequences of said drunkenness.  At least it wasn't something that actually matters, like drunk driving that resulted in dead people.

[Catoni]

25 minutes ago, Emdog said:

Take a chill pill. A flag is just a symbol. Stupid or ignorant? Sure.

“A flag is just a symbol.”  

    Yes indeed, a very, very important symbol. 

[edwardflory]

OK, now the flack is gonna come.

 

I think 100 hours of community service and blacklisted forever is in order as punishment.

 

Being drunk is no excuse for such behaviour. 

 

I can't even count the times I have seen "visitors / tourists" act like complete arises in Thailand. One such incident: a person ( drunk ) took his manhood out in a bar and went around 'shaking' it at almost every person there, then denied he did it...there were over 5 mobile phone videos of his actions.  Would he do this at home?

 

Respect the country you visit!! I live here ( 6 years ) and as long as I am permitted to stay, I will respect The King and Kingdom. The people are damn lucky a group of Thais didn't "send" them to a hospital to sober up!

Edited July 1, 2019 by edwardflory
spelling

[sahibji]

absolutely unacceptable behaviour. flags are sacrosanct and  ought to be accorded greatest respect. amazing that there is no apology or remorse response from the scumbags of the visitors.

[kensisaket]

Not condoning what was done here; but, you (Thais) shouldn't act so indignant when you blatantly walk around wearing articles of clothing (including undergarments and socks) made in the image of flags of other countries. Has it ever dawned on you that people from those countries feel the same way you do about your flag.

[wotsdermatter]

I recall that when foreign dignitaries and their ilk came to this country and their would be a motorcade for their arrival and departure, flags of that country would be placed along the route.  Many of those flags would disappear because Thais removed them and took them as souvenirs.  However, nothing was ever done to prevent such behaviours nor were any, caught if taken into custody for their irreverent actions.  When the same is perpetrated by non-Thais then the shoe is on the other foot ad the locals get up in arms.  Glad the police were able to control the situation from getting out of hand. 

'nuf sed.

[PremiumLane]

45 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Totally moronic behaviour, yes drunk, but still no excuse for disrespectful behaviour

I wonder how they would have felt if some one took one of their national flags as "hi jinx" , luckily the police were lenient to them

A days work with the monks feeding the homeless should have been imposed, teach them some respect

 

wouldn't care, a symbol made by the rich to make poor people fight for them

[champers]

6 minutes ago, sahibji said:

champers whatever their nationality such behaviour is unacceptable.

Agreed, but normally in such cases the miscreants are named and shamed. I am merely speculating why that hasn't occured in this instance.

[thaimelody]

They should have shown more respect.

 

Could it be also suggested that the use of any flag on such items as shoes, doormats and inappropriate clothing be outlawed in the kingdom? It is rather a double standard that this is allowed in Thailand.

 

I am certainly no legal expert but the story talks of certain laws and then reproduces and distributes such images (as does this forum). Does this run counter to the aforementioned law?

Edited July 1, 2019 by thaimelody

[Gillyflower]

56 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Should be named and shamed .

Itwould just wash off their backs.  They would always think of it as 'high jinks'.  They're probably only in the country for a week or so and most likely they would do it in their own countries.  Actually I'm very amused by the 'high jinks'.  It was out of date eighty years ago.

[Rimmer]

A giant copyright troll image has been removed

[malibukid]

young dumb and drunk