Personally vultureintree, I don't find your story so trollish at all. What happened to you it's not the norm, but I don't really understand the suspicious nature of some posts in this thread, maybe I'm missing something.

You didn't generalize about Thais or Chiang Mai people and that's a rare virtue around here.

For me this is just a confirmation that you have always to watch your back, no matter where you are or how safe you feel.

Chok dee

I don't see a troll either.. Good to know these things so we can be "aware" of them, nothing wrong with that.

Thanks Vulture for adding information. So it seems that they were after your new truck--that makes sense. What did the police have to say about it?

I am not sure what bubble some people live in here. It's as violent as many other countries. Just many farang are ensconced in their moo barns away from it all. Get your girlfriends to translate the local rags to you.

Can you give us some examples of what's being said about foreigners or at least let us know which particular 'rags' are talking bad about us... please? I think that this would be very useful.

Have the alledged child kidnappers in white vans from Khon Kaen moved over and downsized their vehicle?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp;hl=white+van

Try to think of the realation between these post, have you made a fair comment? If the guy who wrote this is not liying your comment is very unfair! Do you have children? FULL OF CR..

I'm not familiar with forum terminology. What is a 'troll'?

I've had a few late night encounters with young Thais, usually very late when people are flooding out of clubs. A friend of mine was followed on his bike, karate kicked in the head and shot at with a pelet gun. He managed to get away.

In any city or country there are some people who will behave this way either because of being drunk, bravado in front of their friends, think a farung is an easy mark with a potentially good return ie have enough money in their wallet to make it worth while, or have some personal dislike of farung for whatever reason. I know it happens but I still feel much safer walking around Chiang Mai than in Sydney, London, or North Florida.

I am not sure what bubble some people live in here. It's as violent as many other countries. Just many farang are ensconced in their moo barns away from it all. Get your girlfriends to translate the local rags to you.

I can read the local rag for myself thanks and to be blunt between the sensationalism of Headless Motorcycle rider killed - can show the blood and severed body parts but pixel out the fact that she is wearing a spaghetti strap top to the rubbish about whether the girl on the TV soap is really having a baby with the guy who everyone thought was gay on another soap show. My use of it is limited to understanding the special words used in Newspapers not to actually believe anything they write. The standard of journalism is somewhere between the "News of the World" and "The Sun" but without the editorial control .

People need to learn that an enquiring mind couple with healthy scepticism is an advantage in this world.

I have no reason to think that Vulture is making anything up - I think that it is most likely that he had a bad experience and is fortunate that it didn't develop into anything worse. There are idiots out there who will beat up people for 50 Baht, that is a sad indictment of the world in which we live.

CB