Bang Bang

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I would never even entertain the idea of starting a fight with a Thai man whatever the situation.

It's not my country.

When someone has to give then it should always be the farang, and yet I've known farrang who actually think they have rights here!

I shared a flat with a Canadian last year that wanted to make a complaint about a couple down the corridor who's baby was crying too much, and once he even got into an arguement with the pizza delivery guy saying he shouldn't have to pay because he was late.

I'm surprised more of us farrang don't get shot.

If you see farang man from the point of view of a Thai man then it's not difficult to see that they are indeed very tolerant and we're lucky we have it as good as we do.

[Goat Roper]

I would never even entertain the idea of starting a fight with a Thai man whatever the situation.

Point well taken, My actions were from stupidity and too much booze, (is being young at the time any excuse? ) I'm a fast learner.

[Richard Hall]

as far as anybody coming to help a falang on the receiving end from a thai , i would think most thais would just stand and watch or join in.

Yes, most likely. Particularly if the incident happens outside of your living area where no one knows you and you are "just a farang". Realizing this, however, enables you to be prepared. Eventually, when the sh... hits the fan one has to rather expect to be on his own rather than relying on other people. Surely, one basic rule in life is do never rely on others but just on yourself and the odds for getting through life more or less dentless improve dramatically.

Do not expect fairness on the street or even rely on an upper force watching over you. It will be eventually always just YOU that eventually drives your destiny. The more realistic you are about this the better the chances to cope with the situation.

If it comes to self-defence on the street don't give your opponent a gentleman like chance like as you participate in a sports event. Sometimes there cruise these myth around that a trained matial arts fighter must warn an aggressor first and bull like that... When there is the ABSOLUTE UNAVOIDABLE NECESSITY to unfortunately engage into violence as the last resource do it right. Take the opponent out whatever it takes BEFORE he gets you. No rules on the street and in war. There are these stupid people arguing around they would go to the police or consult the lawyer if someone attacks them. Usually a hooligan just shuts them up with a punch in the face or breaks a bottle on their head. If you fight a hooligan fight like a hooligan yourself or you get your a... kicked. Sad but part of real life.

I belief in Buddhism and try to follow the rules as good as I can but there are situations... guess it is still a long way to go before reaching enlightenment. One may wonder why Shaolin monks practised Kung <deleted> in the old days and were as good in fighting as in advocating peace and living a life in harmony.

Never believed in the Christian way teaching to display the other cheek when someone slapped you but rather if someone slapped you once make sure there will not be a 2nd time. Nevertheless, despite this attitude I never needed to engage into a serious fight in the past 43 years. How come?

[Richard Hall]

and end up to be just a bunch of self-centered peasants.

But alive ones, I know, what do you do?

I have seen accidents here RTA's, one morning three girls on a motorbike coming towards us just fell off there were all these young girls in the road not badly hurt, there was no traffic just us, I stopped she said "Where you going?" Me "To help"

No i'm not, then all the horror stories come out about people stopping to help and getting slapped for the accident losing everything mostly because they got a crap lawyer ( is there any other kind?) so what would you do?

A friend of mine in the U.K. years ago managed to park his van in front of a getaway car near a bank, of course he didn't know it was a getaway car until he heard shots.

The police said what did you see? Nothing, he said, as he was reading the paper, same as he said it would look good on the front page of the evening paper, him being the sole witness.

As bad as it sounds here you just don't get involved, well you don't if you want to be around a bit longer.

My attitude and philosophy has always been it is not just important that you live but also how you lead your life.

Is it just trying to become as old as possible? Is this the sense of life? In the affirmative, then life is indeed quite flat and disappointing and worth a darn. Doesn't self-respect count at all?

[Goat Roper]

and end up to be just a bunch of self-centered peasants.

But alive ones, I know, what do you do?

I have seen accidents here RTA's, one morning three girls on a motorbike coming towards us just fell off there were all these young girls in the road not badly hurt, there was no traffic just us, I stopped she said "Where you going?" Me "To help"

No i'm not, then all the horror stories come out about people stopping to help and getting slapped for the accident losing everything mostly because they got a crap lawyer ( is there any other kind?) so what would you do?

A friend of mine in the U.K. years ago managed to park his van in front of a getaway car near a bank, of course he didn't know it was a getaway car until he heard shots.

The police said what did you see? Nothing, he said, as he was reading the paper, same as he said it would look good on the front page of the evening paper, him being the sole witness.

As bad as it sounds here you just don't get involved, well you don't if you want to be around a bit longer.

My attitude and philosophy has always been it is not just important that you live but also how you lead your life.

Is it just trying to become as old as possible? Is this the sense of life? In the affirmative, then life is indeed quite flat and disappointing and worth a darn. Doesn't self-respect count at all?

So what are you saying, get involved? If you ran across a Thai man smacking the crap out of a Thai woman with about a dozen Thais looking on what would you do, step in to the rescue? That would be a mistake I assure you, the guy just might be disciplining his wife(acceptable in Thailand) and you might just find a dozen Thais disciplining you, you won't have to worry anymore about the beating the Thai woman is getting.

[Martin]

Richard Hall says:

"If it comes to self-defence on the street don't give your opponent a gentleman like chance like as you participate in a sports event. Sometimes there cruise these myth around that a trained matial arts fighter must warn an aggressor first and bull like that... When there is the ABSOLUTE UNAVOIDABLE NECESSITY to unfortunately engage into violence as the last resource do it right. Take the opponent out whatever it takes BEFORE he gets you. No rules on the street and in war. There are these stupid people arguing around they would go to the police or consult the lawyer if someone attacks them. Usually a hooligan just shuts them up with a punch in the face or breaks a bottle on their head. If you fight a hooligan fight like a hooligan yourself or you get your a... kicked. Sad but part of real life."

I think Richard is spot on.

"Get your retaliation in first!", as the old joke says

Even in cricket, Freddy Truman (a Yorkshire fast bowler) used to advise his young colleagues, who were training-up and would be playing village cricket, "Put the first one in their balls and they won't see the second one very well, when their eyes are watering". But then Yorkshire village cricket only pretends to be a sport. It is really a more-or-less civilised release for the yearning for tribal warfare. Incomers, even just from England, find Yorkshire culture not quite what they have been used to.

[taxexile]

find Yorkshire culture not quite what they have been used to.

but they soon realise it is the only true way.

[Martin]

find Yorkshire culture not quite what they have been used to.

but they soon realise it is the only true way.

I see it is not Lancashire taxes that he has exiled himself from!!

[tutsiwarrior]

I could never envision a situation where there would be an ABSOLUTE AND UNAVOIDABLE necessity to defend myself from some local punk that would prevent me from running away. What all falangs have to realise is that regardless of some local being armed with WMDs and you are standing there in shorts and flipflops only if you take him out and he is seriously injured the falang will go down regardless of the circumstances and spend the rest of his life locked up with other local punks of a similar persuasion.

There ain't no way to win in those situations other than to run...

[350torana]

I agree with keeping your head down and walking the other way if u see trouble between Thais. But, I am not sure if i could just walk away if i saw a falang having 4 or 5 Thais going to town on him . Sure, he maybe asking for a kicking or he maybe an innocent over his head. Where i come from two or more guys fighing one guy is consdired cowardly and in most cases u will see a passer by even up the numbers. Yes,i know this is Thailand and the pack mentality is strong. But, I would not sleep at night walking away from a falang in an unfair fight . Maybe chivalry is naive in this part of the world, I dunno.

Anyways, I think Thailand is a ###### of alot more safer(crime wise) than most parts of the world. I think Singapore and United Arab Emirates are ahead but Thailand is not far behind.

Oh well, if u ever find yourself in trouble in Thailand ...use those long legs we have and run run run

[tutsiwarrior]

torana...you jokin'? You come across some locals thumpin' a white man and it's just a bunch of drunks misbehavin'...you choose to get involved as another white man it becomes a race war and whoooa Nelly....

forget truth, justice and the American way and hot foot it...the life you save may be your own (especially if you're dealing with off duty cops or a police captain's son and his friends...not unlikely...)

[350torana]

Tutsi point taken But I think when u see a mob of Thais going to town on a falang it is already a race war . Sorry, it sounds bad I know , maybe even ignorant I freely admit..with open arms.

[tutsiwarrior]

torana...'nuff said...

you are a car enthusiast...what we need on the streets of BKK are vintage '62 Chevy Impala low riders complete with the suspension hydraulics...get a bunch of middle aged falangs to dress up like east LA homeboys with bandanas and shades and pack the cars out with squealing local ladies while bouncing the rides up and down Sukhumvit...bad moon rising later on in the evening with the locals...'whatchoo lookin' at???'

subculture revival and martial law in BKK....

[ThaiPauly]

And we'll be moving to Nakorn Ratchasima from Detroit. Which one of those sounds safer? Not Detroit!

I dont know about Detroit and its probably not a safe place to live but Korat isnt that safe either.

I have been there many times and I have seen guys several times fighting when they were drunk and start hacking away at each other with big knives and have heard plenty of stories of shootings as well.

My wife's father (when she was still a baby) got drunk one night with a local cop. They got into a fight and the cop went home, got his gun, and shot my wife's father dead.

Did I not read that our Gracious leader wants Thailand to be the Detroit of the East? That inspires a lot of confidence in these threads.

Someone told me that in Chaing Mai there was an organised crime gang which took the maxim of ensuring that any new memeber had to stalk and kill a farang duing a period of one month.

Scares the shit out of me, but it's probably not true, but like everyone says, keep your head down and your nose clean, and don't look for trouble, avoid arguments and confrontation and never threaten a thai, even if they ripped you off, as i am sure they will always have the last laugh as they cannot possibly loose face, and you could loose yours-completeley

PS. Also having a fancy top of the range car can provoke jealousy here.

[mouse]

I recently went to a wedding with my wife and children. While there many were offended by an older and heavy set drunk Thai woman that was coming on to all the girls and in some cases men. Finally due to being uninvited and unwelcome and after repeatedly refusing to leave, some men started to beat her until she was a bloody unidentifiable mess. Why did I not get invloved? Cause just a few meters away a Police Captain and about 3 Officers were observing the entire fiasco without lifting a finger. That was a clue to me that I should shut up and go home with my family. It still bothers me until this day though.

My new rule is: Go home before anyone starts getting stupid, even if it means being the first to leave.

[Padkapow Guy]

I never had any problems in thailand with the local thugs, probably because I am a little older and smarter and learned to stay away from potential problems. But when I was 18 and in the P.I. one my first trip there I had this half pint philipino guy run into me on the street and started to cuss me out and wanted to fight. I got mad at first thinking I could have a phillipino tossing contest with him, but a wise old sgt told me to walk away. I told him he was crazy that I could kick this guy arse with both hands tied behind my back. The sgt told me to walk away and then look behind the bar we just passed. I did what he said and thats when I saw about 12 phillipino guys with sticks and clubs waiting for the fight to start. I actually learned a lesson without the lumps. (first time for everything)A very hard thing to do at 18.

You are on there home turf so walk quietly and quickly.

It's better to lose face than to lose your face.

On my turf the little bugger would have had to spread his butt checks to wipe his nose.

[Goat Roper]

I never had any problems in thailand with the local thugs, probably because I am a little older and smarter and learned to stay away from potential problems. But when I was 18 and in the P.I. one my first trip there I had this half pint philipino guy run into me on the street and started to cuss me out and wanted to fight. I got mad at first thinking I could have a phillipino tossing contest with him, but a wise old sgt told me to walk away. I told him he was crazy that I could kick this guy arse with both hands tied behind my back. The sgt told me to walk away and then look behind the bar we just passed. I did what he said and thats when I saw about 12 phillipino guys with sticks and clubs waiting for the fight to start. I actually learned a lesson without the lumps. (first time for everything)A very hard thing to do at 18.

You are on there home turf so walk quietly and quickly.

It's better to lose face than to lose your face.

On my turf the little bugger would have had to spread his butt checks to wipe his nose.

PKguy

I witnessed a similar thing in Olongapo(Rio Bar upstairs) in 1958. I was not involved but a couple guys off an Aircraft carrier thought they were going to own the place until about a dozen pint-sized Philppinos taught them differently, it was over in about ten seconds, one of the Airdales guys had to be carried out, a bad scene. Being underground savages we enjoyed the show, didn't like the Airdales anyway, messed up our liberty.

PS: what year were you in the PI?

[ChiangMaiThai]

Guns do not kill people,,people kill people,,and they will do it with what ever is at hand and anyone that gets in a beef with someone and shoots him,,then he was looking to do exactly that or he would not have been packing the gun.

Not this guns don't kill people argument again....

In that case, I want a couple M-16's, a few Apache helicopters and an F-16. Don't worry, highly sophisticated military weapons don't kill people, people kill people! Feel safer now?

Wake up people.

[The Ghost of Phoolan Devi]

Thailand is probebly one of the safest places to live in my opinion. 

Are you mad?

He must be.

If one compares world-wide crime statistics, one realizes that Thailand has one of the highest homicide rates on the planet. But some people just want to keep on dreaming, I guess.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Thailand is probebly one of the safest places to live in my opinion. 

Are you mad?

He must be.

If one compares world-wide crime statistics, one realizes that Thailand has one of the highest homicide rates on the planet. But some people just want to keep on dreaming, I guess.

Can you give us a link to these statistics?

[taxexile]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap

[ambassador]

Most sensible people when in a foreign country keep their noses clean and avoid trouble at any cost.

Danger in Thailand is not something that is likely to come looking for you - one has to flirt with it.

[Martin]

Ambassador is right. Thailand is one of the most enjoyable places in thhe world, in which tourists and foreign residents can be very safe, just by exercising a modicum of common sense.

[stroll]

Some of the western underworld figures are walking around there: Low profile enjoying the revenues of crime. Or washing up their money in some lousy business.

I saw some of them. I don't know those people and maybe prejudice is playing but by some people you just know the moment you look at them that they haven't had a regular job for long time, neither did they pay incometaxes.

Anamore, this sounds like you have been to a Thaivisa meeting in Pattaya recently?

I agrree with most that is being said in this thread, don't mess with the locals and Thailand is a very safe place. Nobody threatened to kick my face in here because of my foreign accent or because I was walking in the same street as them.

[ChiangMaiThai]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap

Number 14. Not bad. Not good...

This is bad:

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph-T/cr..._fir_cap∫=20

[davethailand]

I've lived in Pattaya for almost 3 years now and have never had a problem or a fight, there has been a few close calls, last week a french guy wanted to fight me, the reason was, i'd said excuse me politey to get them to move as they were blocking the entrance and this was the entrance to my own bar. I went inside, used the bathroom and came back out, they were standing there again (siht i thought) i asked again and he started yelling something, i stared at him and luckily his mate led the way for me and said sorry. I don't deny that i would have got my arse kicked as there was a group of them, but i hate being put in that position. I have alot to lose here and don't want to get in a fight which might put me in the nick.

Getting back to the topic, as said i've been lucky so far but i know oneday it might happen, fingers crossed i guessed.

Thailand is probebly one of the safest places to live in my opinion.   

Can you give us a link to these statistics?

yes chiangmai thai

watch the pattaya news channels everyday.

[taxexile]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_ass_cap

this page (assaults) put thailand way down the list and the usa and the uk up near the top. there are some interesting comparisons on that website. its worth a look.

[Nam Kao]

Local businessman and wife attacked in broad daylight

Foreign mafia element suspected

A business dispute and competition was cited by local police as one of the reasons Andrew Dixon and his wife Wanpen were attacked with a steel pipe by two men driving a white BMW. Officers received a report of the attack at 8 a.m. on May 23. Dixon and his wife were taken to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for treatment of numerous cuts and bruises.

Andrew Dixon was beaten with a steel pipe, allegedly over a business dispute.

Police questioned Dixon, the owner of Misty’s Bar in Soi Pattayaland 2. He told them that they were preparing to open the bar at 1.30 p.m. on May 20 when two men pulled up and attacked him with a steel pipe. Dixon’s wife sustained injuries when she went to his aid before the two men sped off in the car shortly thereafter.

According to reports, the attack was believed to be over a recent dispute with a nearby bar over car parking. The other bar owner’s car was said to have been torched and police theorize that this may have been a motive, or that it simply could have been about a high level of competition between bars and the two men were employed to shake-down Dixon.

Pol. Maj. Tawatchai Sudsadorn, duty inspector, revealed that after speaking to the two victims, police had identified one of the attackers as Santi Joycharat, a former crime prevention volunteer with a recent record of illegal gun possession. Apparently Santi is part of a gang that thinks of themselves as people ‘of influence’ and had allegedly formed a protection racket in Sois Pattayaland 1, 2 and 3.

Police strongly suspect that Santi and his accomplice were hired help, and that their employer was a

[KevinN]

CMT QUOTE;Not this guns don't kill people argument again....

In that case, I want a couple M-16's, a few Apache helicopters and an F-16. Don't worry, highly sophisticated military weapons don't kill people, people kill people! Feel safer now?

Wake up people."

Equipped with the intelligence to make a post like that must mean one of 2 things,, You are severely brain damaged or a soap dodger one or the other.

[The Ghost of Phoolan Devi]

Thailand is probebly one of the safest places to live in my opinion. 

Are you mad?

He must be.

If one compares world-wide crime statistics, one realizes that Thailand has one of the highest homicide rates on the planet. But some people just want to keep on dreaming, I guess.

Can you give us a link to these statistics?

The magazine Asiaweek, now defunct, published crime statistics some years ago which support this claim. Thailand and Sri Lanka amonbg the top 5 or so in Asia. By contrast for example, India's murder rate was relatively low, being virtually on the same level as Germany's.

I've seen an official Thai police website (can't remember the URL, you'll find it via Google), which put the number of murders in Thailand at about 6,000 per annum. It is an accepted fact that many murders are not registered as such; wisely, the police statistics that I saw talked of "murders known to the police".

The US's murder rate per year is currently about 16,000, with a pop. of 280 million in the US. Compare that to even "only" 6,000 murders in Thailand with a pop. of 62 million, you know where your statistical chance of being knocked off is higher.