Gunman opens fire in central Bangkok

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Western influenced? Let's cut to the chase, you mean influenced by the Yanks. You always here in the news of the American mass shooting nearly every month. 

100% this. It certainly doesn't help the tourist situation. I can't speak for anyone else but 2020 does not seem like a good year to visit Thailand. There are plenty of other safer destinations with better value for money. I have been largely very loyal to Thailand even in recent years but the reasons not to visit are now stacking up even higher than before. 

[tifino]

3 minutes ago, H1w4yR1da said:

2 hours ago, mrwinner said:

Are you serious? How am I bashing Thailand? Now two gunmen shooting indiscriminately at locals in the past week. This country has never had to deal with this sort of Western influenced behaviour before now. 

Western influenced behaviour?
Really?

The guy has a family problem and decides to start shooting because he knows that's what westerners would do? LOL!

must be getting confused with crazy russians?

[tifino]

3 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Expect more..............copycats.

 

"Copy that!"

[Mavideol]

TAT must start to worry, all these news stunts of virus spread and shooting rampage will not bring ANY type of tourists back...light at the end of the tunnel getting further and further

[Nyezhov]

16 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Western influenced? Let's cut to the chase, you mean influenced by the Yanks. You always here in the news of the American mass shooting nearly every month. 

While its convenient to blame us Yanks for everything, Im not wasting my time even speculating on any cause, motive or whatever.

 

What I am going to raise is the woeful unpreparedness of the Thai police, and the public to deal with these situations as they arise. When the lines light up in the West that there is an active shooter, the area becomes a war zone and is flooded with mobile heavily armed, heavily trained essentially paramilitary cops. And, at least until those specialist crimefighters arrive, the regular patrol officers in their cars can be on the scene in a heartbeat. 

 

Thailand has virtually no mobile patrols except on highways. They sit in checkpoints, police boxes or in stations. They dont set up perimeters on crime and accident scenes. They have no capability to carry rifles or subguns, they dont wear body armour, they arent trained very well and their is a lack of respect for them on the whole.

 

So to me, my safety is more dependent on the question of the efficacy of the response, rather than screeching about why it is happening, since the question of why is as unsolveable as it is unimportant. Someone said it earlier. Folks snap. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Nyezhov

[White Christmas13]

58 minutes ago, billd766 said:

quote "Posted 1 hour ago

What is happening to this country!??"

 

What Thai bashing would that be?

 

He was simply asking a question.

 

 

I don't take any notice of boot lickers ( not aiming at you but you know who I mean )

[pixelaoffy]

2 hours ago, mrwinner said:

What is happening to this country!??

Going down the crapper ! Those who left a western country to escape the stress and violence.   Think again 

[JRG23]

Thai males. Nuff said

Edited February 14, 2020 by JRG23

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, mrwinner said:

What is happening to this country!??

What? No disturbed people going off their rocker at 4 am where you come from?

 

Helsinki is it?

[trainman34014]

No worries; Prayut will be 'Returning Happiness to the People'.....soon !

[Fairynuff]

3 hours ago, mrwinner said:

this sort of Western influenced behaviour before now

American, not western

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They found a man aged around 40 who admitted that he had fired a gun at around 4am

At 8.30am on Friday (February 14), police from Pathumwan Police Station deployed blockades around a commercial building in Soi Chula 10

 

A man shoots a gun 20 times and the police blocks the area 4.5 hours later

[cardinalblue]

4am probably the best time to open fire w/o hurting numbers...

[sahibji]

3 hours ago, mrwinner said:

What is happening to this country!??

mrwinner tend to agree with you. getting one too many. 

[NanLaew]

18 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

What I am going to raise is the woeful unpreparedness of the Thai police, and the public to deal with these situations as they arise. When the lines light up in the West that there is an active shooter, the area becomes a war zone and is flooded with mobile heavily armed, heavily trained essentially paramilitary cops. And, at least until those specialist crimefighters arrive, the regular patrol officers in their cars can be on the scene in a heartbeat. 

 

Thailand has virtually no mobile patrols except on highways. They sit in checkpoints, police boxes or in stations. They dont set up perimeters on crime and accident scenes. They have no capability to carry rifles or subguns, they dont wear body armour, they arent trained very well and their is a lack of respect for them on the whole.

Well, despite the sloth of the RTP and not having an over-armed 'militia' here to take down the perp, they managed to calm this disturbed person down after a few hours and the best part is nobody got hurt. Typically when the American cops send in the SWAT teams, the inevitable collateral damage is casually brushed off as... collateral damage. I guess everything can become acceptable if there's enough of it.

 

So we had a total nutjob in Korat and a semi nutjob in Bangkok within a few days of each other. This doesn't suggest the end of the overwhelmingly peaceful existence in Thailand but maybe you miss the reassuring sounds of police sirens every couple of minutes? And the distant pop-pop of a 9 mm?

[justin case]

check your expensive health insurance, being shot by crazy person, might be an exclusion not to pay ... act of god / terrorism ...

 

 

[sahibji]

this is getting "one too many". the other hot question is the easy access to arms and with disturbed frame of mind, a disaster is in the making. fortunately no one is injured and that is either a miracle or the offender did not intend to hurt other but was just blatantly attracting attention. either case is bad for the welfare of the society and warrants serious attention NOW.

[TechnikaIII]

To Hell with his "family problems". Take him out. 

 

[Docno]

Two incidents does not a trend make... 

[sahibji]

1 minute ago, justin case said:

check your expensive health insurance, being shot by crazy person, might be an exclusion not to pay ... act of god / terrorism ...

justin case this would not be an act of God.

 

 

[sahibji]

Just now, Docno said:

Two incidents does not a trend make... 

agreed but they are too close to one another for comfort. would be best to monitor but there is no harm at looking at possible causes and remedies early.

[sahibji]

2 minutes ago, TechnikaIII said:

To Hell with his "family problems". Take him out. 

 

Techikalll penal code will dictate equitable punishment for the offence. 

[alfalfa19]

on my trips to thailand, i noticed that some thais like to emulate american culture. 

 

[sahibji]

57 minutes ago, brucegoniners said:

I expected copycats after the mall shooting. So now is everyone who’s upset with something going to go postal like they do in the states?

whatever the causative factors for the behaviour of these elements it is not good for the welfare of the community and visitors to the country.

[atyclb]

3 hours ago, cmsally said:

Been saying it for a long time, but with the state of the economy and the breakdown of many elements of society, this is going to be happening more often. More people are just going to snap.

 

 

sadly agree.

 

the other day the motorbike taxi driver started conversation and beef was government. ragging government and said "thailand is now a stupic country"

[Kaopad999]

3 hours ago, mrwinner said:

What is happening to this country!??

suppression from a military government comes to mind, and to add to that a complete lack and understanding of mental  health support

Edited February 14, 2020 by Kaopad999

[orang37]

3 hours ago, mrwinner said:

What is happening to this country!??

 

American television !

 

~o:37;

[phetpeter]

Brain washed from 9am every morning until late at night by Thai soaps, guns, knives, woman bashing, rape kidnaps. you name it! its on. They soon begin to believe its the norm!  nothing to help them learn about help, knowledge of the real world, how to deal with problems. it would be better to have helpful programs to deal with money, health, driving skills etc.

[FinChin67]

Did he wear a mask and will this affect tourism (arrivals from China)?

I guess they could hand out now masks and bullet proof vests at the immigration... for Chinese and Indians. Damn farangs would not wear them anyways if for some reason these are let in for a few days.

[smew]

everyone has problems and family related issues, but that is not the reason to start shooting at people... Thai get angry very fast and have no ideas how to steam off their anger... they bleed off anger with more anger but directed and focussed at  other people...