Israeli Holds Elephant Hostage

[sbk]

From the Israeliinsider:

Israeli holds elephant hostage in Thailand

By: israelinsider staff

Published: May 1, 2007

A hostage negotiation team was called in after an Israeli tourist kidnapped a baby elephant while being pursued by Thai police, Ynetnews reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Yoram Ben-Hamo, an Israeli tourist, was suspected of driving drunk when he crashed into three vehicles on his way to Bangkok, injuring one.

After fleeing the scene, Ben-Hamo reportedly acquired a knife and stole a baby elephant from a nearby neighborhood yard and held it hostage, threatening to hurt the elephant should police not leave him alone.

Hostage negotiators were called in, and Ben-Hamo was captured while lighting a cigarette given to him but the police.

Ben-Hamo claimed he fled the car accident for fear of being arrested, and captured the elephant to avoid being so.

Ben-Hamo was convicted of capturing, holding hostage and endangering an elephant, and received a fine of 500 baht ($15).

The Thai media criticized the lenient punishment, the elephant being the national symbol of Thailand.

[Lorin]

Seems to me that guy was taken something stronger than alcohol to begave the way he did...:-)

From the Israeliinsider:

Israeli holds elephant hostage in Thailand

By: israelinsider staff

Published: May 1, 2007

A hostage negotiation team was called in after an Israeli tourist kidnapped a baby elephant while being pursued by Thai police, Ynetnews reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Yoram Ben-Hamo, an Israeli tourist, was suspected of driving drunk when he crashed into three vehicles on his way to Bangkok, injuring one.

After fleeing the scene, Ben-Hamo reportedly acquired a knife and stole a baby elephant from a nearby neighborhood yard and held it hostage, threatening to hurt the elephant should police not leave him alone.

Hostage negotiators were called in, and Ben-Hamo was captured while lighting a cigarette given to him but the police.

Ben-Hamo claimed he fled the car accident for fear of being arrested, and captured the elephant to avoid being so.

Ben-Hamo was convicted of capturing, holding hostage and endangering an elephant, and received a fine of 500 baht ($15).

The Thai media criticized the lenient punishment, the elephant being the national symbol of Thailand.

[blacklabel]

500baht..........fine or tea$$

[Totster]

500baht..........fine or tea$$

Well.... seeing as the report said he was convicted and it said he was fined, it seems quite clear !

totster

[blacklabel]

500baht..........fine or tea$

Well.... seeing as the report said he was convicted and it said he was fined, it seems quite clear !

totster

Convicted and fined for only 500baht after wat he did? Well wat can i say...TIT

[farangsay]

I'm not surprised the Thai media are upset at this.

It would seem more appropriate to have offered him several months

vacation in Thailand's very best no-star choky followed by a trip to

the airport in leg irons and a "Don't come back OK?" stamp in his

passport. Maybe he got off light because he had "quality tourist" status?

PS How do you crash into 3 cars and only "injure" one?

Edited May 1, 2007 by farangsay

[Tarragona]

I saw it on the TV news. He didn't look like he was really intending to hurt the elephant and on the TV they didn't seem particularly upset about it.

It also said he agreed to pay for the damage he'd caused so maybe the police couldn't put anything heavier on him?

[0Mix1up]

the fine might have only been 500 b

but the tea money would have been a lot more me thinks

plus the damage money

[sriracha john]

Seems to me that guy was taken something stronger than alcohol to begave the way he did...:-)

You may be right. It was a big meat cleaver (not the reported "knife") he held and threatened to slice the elephant's throat if the mob came closer.

It was exactly like the scenario of the crazed yaba user holding a meat cleaver to the throat of a baby.

The reason he did this, according to Thai news, was that he drunkenly ran into at least a half dozen cars on his way from Pattaya to Bangkok and the angry owners were chasing him after he attempted to flee the scene of these multiple collisions. He ran into a area where he found the meat cleaver and an elephant nearby. He grabbed it and threatened the elephant in an effort to keep the mob at bay.... same as crazed yaba users did.

The elephant, btw, was not so small... and seemed to act like he was thinking,

"Hey moron, <deleted>? Keep threatening me with that big meat cleaver and I'm going to stomp your stupid A$$ into the ground. It's a good thing for you that I'm generally docile, but keep it up and I'll pulverize you."

[mmushr00m]

Saw this on tv, it was actually quite amusing. Him walking around withe the elephant having a smoke and the meat cleaver in one hand.

question. ..How can you hold an elephant thats 5x your size hostage with a meat cleaver? Cops were probably more worried that the elephant would stomp him.

[sinom]

Should this be in the Jokes section ?

- how many nearby neighbourhood yards have elephants in them?

- How do you kidnap an elephant ? wave some bananas ?

why didn't they just call the elephants mahoot to "summon" the wee beastie back. Or maybe the elephant was just too scared, suffered from "Stockholm" syndrome (right one ??) an had an affinity/love for it's kidnapper?

Ahhhh, the rich tapestry of life in Thailand

[WaiWai]

withe the elephant having a smoke and the meat cleaver in one hand.

[PeaceBlondie]

This news article is about an Israeli citizen in Thailand, not an opportunity to make remarks that some would consider offensive, anti-Semitic, etc. Several posts have been deleted, and the thread will be closed if further off-topic or offensive remarks are made.

[rainman]

From the Israeliinsider:

There are 2 sides to every story. I'd like to hear the other side, from the Elephantinsider

[Mai Krap]

It does not make any difference as to what nationality or passport this guy is holding. He is a total scumbag that could have just as easily grabbed a kid and held them hostage, same, same, mentality. To bad they "The Victims" didn't smack his asss up but good, If only it would have happened in Cambodia, instant justice would have been served. They know to deal out the punishment before the cops can show up with their hands out for a pay off.

[Rykbanlor]

From the Israeliinsider:

There are 2 sides to every story. I'd like to hear the other side, from the Elephantinsider

She's got an elephantinsider? ............just joshing

[Scott]

No wonder foreigners get a bad name!

[kurgen]

The elephant, btw, was not so small... and seemed to act like he was thinking,

"Hey moron, <deleted>? Keep threatening me with that big meat cleaver and I'm going to stomp your stupid A$$ into the ground. It's a good thing for you that I'm generally docile, but keep it up and I'll pulverize you."

SJ's finally lost the plot, he reads elephants minds

[mickyboy104]

Did he have his accident on a Trunk road

[plachon]

Sounds like a plot for a Tony Ja film to me...........

Only bit lacking is Israeli <deleted> gets Thai boxed by Tony and Mokejoke into a pile of over-ripe durians, and then elephant turns round lifts its tail and lets loose.

Got to make the punishment fit the crime........

[sriracha john]

with the elephant having a smoke

The elephant, btw, was not so small... and seemed to act like he was thinking,

"Hey moron, <deleted>? Keep threatening me with that big meat cleaver and I'm going to stomp your stupid A$$ into the ground. It's a good thing for you that I'm generally docile, but keep it up and I'll pulverize you."

SJ's finally lost the plot, he reads elephants minds

:D

when you smoke and party with elephants... they tell you what's on their mind.

[Aujuba]

I don't see how this is funny. The guy was driving drunk, fled the scene of a crime, damaged property, fled the police, had a weapon. He also wasted government resources in calling out a special unit to deal with the situation. This guy should be put in jail for a couple years. They certainly wouldn't let a Thai get off so easy. But 13,000 plus Thai work in Israel. Thailand is more about money than morality.

[sonnyJ]

No he didn't have a weapon, he picked up one in haste, in panic.

Sertainly he was on some substance.

People crash here everyday, normal.

[somchai69]

My friend, Sgt Nop, tells me that the elephant is in fact an agent of Hezbollah,

and the Israeli believed he could help his beleagured president by capturing the beast.

[cm-happy]

This has to be one of the strangest threads I've seen on TV. But then I've only been a member since NOV. 2006.

[Steely Dan]

I don't see how this is funny. The guy was driving drunk, fled the scene of a crime, damaged property, fled the police, had a weapon. He also wasted government resources in calling out a special unit to deal with the situation. This guy should be put in jail for a couple years. They certainly wouldn't let a Thai get off so easy. But 13,000 plus Thai work in Israel. Thailand is more about money than morality.

Having just (erroneously) been charged 700 Baht tea money for bringing a duty paid camera into the Country I am gobsmacked at a 500 baht fine for colliding with 3 cars and taking an Elephant hostage. Looking at the realpolitik yes many Thais work in Israel, but furthermore an Israeli tourist was allegedly stabbed to death by the son of the mayor of Ko Pangan and the inevitable cover up will no doubt anger Israel as it is, hence two wrongs are used to make a 'right'.

[mogoso]

I don't see how this is funny. The guy was driving drunk, fled the scene of a crime, damaged property, fled the police, had a weapon. He also wasted government resources in calling out a special unit to deal with the situation. This guy should be put in jail for a couple years. They certainly wouldn't let a Thai get off so easy. But 13,000 plus Thai work in Israel. Thailand is more about money than morality.

Too bad it didn't occur in the US. You get more time in jail for animal abuse than child abuse.

[skippybangkok]

Apparently the baby elephant made a Trunk Call to his mum after the incident

[Graphics]

I thought this was an act of total disrespect.

When will Thailand wake up and give decent, serious punishments to these low-lifes ?

[Tony Clifton]

I thought this was an act of total disrespect.

When will Thailand wake up and give decent, serious punishments to these low-lifes ?

You mean the boys in brown?