What Planet Am I On?

[LivinginKata]

My Thai wife of 10 years tells me the same thing, never provoke any Tuk Tuk drivers, or any Thai male. In the past I have had driving incidents with Tuk Tuks forcing me off the road and I foolishly got into a road rage mood and refused to be intimidated. Off course they came after me and tried their best to run me off the road, so I had to outrun them to prevent being beaten up, or worse.

I've even experienced the 'or worse' just a few months ago. I was calmly driving along Nanai Road on my motorbike and a big SUV in front of me stopped just before the corner of our road up the hillside. I though he was just waiting for a guy to exit the side road and I waited, no problem. Then it became obvious that he was talking to someone at the side of the road. No problem, I swung out to pass him and come round his front up our road. Just as I drew level with his door he started to move off leaving me nowhere to go, so I politedly made a toot toot with no eye contact. I swung road him and thought no more about it. Next minute he came flying up behind me and twice tried to run me off the road. I made it to our car park, and parked the bike. He stopped, opened his side window, gave me a load of verbal abuse and pointed a gun at me, actually pulled the clip out to show me the bullets. Boy he was in some rage, I really thought he would shoot me. I calmly stood my ground (but thinking if I could dodge the bullet and my legs were like jelly) and tried to calm him down. In the end he drove away.

I knew this guy as he is a foreman for the Tesiban (municipality) and I thought about reporting the matter to the police. But this would only have caused him to come after me at some quiet spot and shoot me dead. Just not worth causing a problem. Now I understand the Thai way of my pen rai. It's a unforunate reality that Phuket is becoming less safe espeically for business people (which I am). Just look at the recent business related murders and attempted murders over that last couple of months.

These days I keep my head down, my nose clean, and try not to upset anyone. That's the Thai way. I love Thailand and the Thai people, and I intend to stay here for the rest of my life. I'm not complaining or critising Thailand or Phuket. This is just a cautionary tale....

[Ping]

My Thai wife of 10 years tells me the same thing, never provoke any Tuk Tuk drivers, or any Thai male. In the past I have had driving incidents with Tuk Tuks forcing me off the road and I foolishly got into a road rage mood and refused to be intimidated. Off course they came after me and tried their best to run me off the road, so I had to outrun them to prevent being beaten up, or worse.

I've even experienced the 'or worse' just a few months ago. I was calmly driving along Nanai Road on my motorbike and a big SUV in front of me stopped just before the corner of our road up the hillside. I though he was just waiting for a guy to exit the side road and I waited, no problem. Then it became obvious that he was talking to someone at the side of the road. No problem, I swung out to pass him and come round his front up our road. Just as I drew level with his door he started to move off leaving me nowhere to go, so I politedly made a toot toot with no eye contact. I swung road him and thought no more about it. Next minute he came flying up behind me and twice tried to run me off the road. I made it to our car park, and parked the bike. He stopped, opened his side window, gave me a load of verbal abuse and pointed a gun at me, actually pulled the clip out to show me the bullets. Boy he was in some rage, I really thought he would shoot me. I calmly stood my ground (but thinking if I could dodge the bullet and my legs were like jelly) and tried to calm him down. In the end he drove away.

I knew this guy as he is a foreman for the Tesiban (municipality) and I thought about reporting the matter to the police. But this would only have caused him to come after me at some quiet spot and shoot me dead. Just not worth causing a problem. Now I understand the Thai way of my pen rai. It's a unforunate reality that Phuket is becoming less safe espeically for business people (which I am). Just look at the recent business related murders and attempted murders over that last couple of months.

These days I keep my head down, my nose clean, and try not to upset anyone. That's the Thai way. I love Thailand and the Thai people, and I intend to stay here for the rest of my life. I'm not complaining or critising Thailand or Phuket. This is just a cautionary tale....

Well a few months ago there was a rotten-drunk farang waving a pistol around in a bar in Patong (though I reckon it was an imitation) - the group of bars off Thaweewong - so it's not just the locals you need to watch. I wouldn't want to be a farang caught by the police in possession of a pistol though - I reckon it would be a VERY expensive cup of coffee.

[Mid]

ease up guys ............

we'll get the tuk-tuk's sorted right after we ban the jet ski's and build the convention centre on the new man made island ( idea stolen from another Tv member )

[LivinLOS]

Well a few months ago there was a rotten-drunk farang waving a pistol around in a bar in Patong (though I reckon it was an imitation) - the group of bars off Thaweewong - so it's not just the locals you need to watch. I wouldn't want to be a farang caught by the police in possession of a pistol though - I reckon it would be a VERY expensive cup of coffee.

Depends, if you go to the gun club and shoot a little (and meet the cops there) seems fairly easy to get the ok..

Its also trivial to have it in your wifes or missus name if it stays in the house..

[tarzan1]

Phuket is increasingly getting a reputation as a cesspool of hate, crime, corruption, greed and violence which continues to escalate

[dogblower]

Principally stirred up by people such as yourself.

[LivinginKata]

Although I'm a Newbie on this forum, I have been a regular reader for many years, and it amazes me that the Thai Visa Moderators permit these blatant trouble makers so much latitude on the main boards. I've no idea what kick these people get out of knocking Patong.... ???

[IgnacioE]

Phuket is increasingly getting a reputation as a cesspool of hate, crime, corruption, greed and violence which continues to escalate

What, no "cesspool of vice and hedonism"? As a Phuket resident, I am deeply offended :-)

Also, it's okay to say that tuk-tuk drivers in Patong are the scum of the earth AND that Phuket is a wonderful fantastic place to be.

[Ping]

Yes there are few who know the place who have any time for the TTM, and of course there are other issues, but most agree that it is a great place nonetheless. These immature trolls who come onto the board with sweeping negative rants about the place - rather than trying to be constructive and discuss genuine issues/problems - do themselves no service because their credibility is on about the same level as their maturity. We are all annoyed about the tuk tuks, the suit and massage parlour touts, etc - it is even my poor attempt at humour on my signature -but it is still one of the greatest places IMHO. Notwithstanding, I believe that constructive discussion of the issues can ultimately either make a difference or at least educate others who may gain an interest in the place.

[taxin]

So I am trying to park my motorbike across from jungceylon today near the corner of Bangla when I hear "<deleted>%k You!, <deleted>&k You!". Naturally I start looking around to who is yelling this abuse at who. I was surprised to see 4 tuktuk drivers glaring at me and shouting obscenities at me.

I was parked in an empty motorbike slot right next to 3 three other bikes in three other slots. Apparently I was enroaching on tuktuk territory without realizing it, seeing as there were none of the usual "taxi service" signs or anything, I think its an honest mistake. These guys were looking for a fight and ready to pounce on me if I hadn't backed my bike out and drove off(I've seen them bait tourists into fights in this area so I knew to just leave instead of get stabbed or something).

Jeez...what the h^ll is going on around here? The police were right there within 30 ft. Believe me I don't need anyone to be extra polite with me, but to jump right into "fightin words" without a warning or anthing is a going a little overboard. Keep in mind I didnt say one word to anybody around there, muchless the drivers who were yelling at me. I can see were this incident could have instantly escalated into violence had I behaved like I would have been inclined to back home. Why is it that these scumbags are allowed to sit there hurl abuse at people and instigate fights all day and night directly in full view of the police? These guys are obviously not afraid of the cops in the least. So that also brings up, what is with the cops around here? Why are the police submissive to these lowlifes? Are the cops really that powerless? If so what good are they?

Seems like every time I go down there to get a burger from BK I have some kind of incident with all the local scumbags who hang around there and stake out public property as their own. Just yesterday it was a motorbike driver swooping in and stealing a spot that I had been patiently waiting for with my blinker on as another falang was getting his helmet on, backing out(at home I could have stood my ground and taken the spot, but here I'm risking a knife in the back). I don't want a fight with anybody, I just want a burger goddammit! I better not even start on the little old ladies who cut me off regularly in carrefour at the vegetable weigh station...lol.

Its simple, the Police dont do anything because they dont know ! 30 feet may have been a little too far for them to hear exactly what the tuk tuk guy was saying, particularly in a noisy area. Ranting on a web forum will not help, the Chief of Patong Police doesnt come on here that often ! Next time go to the Police station and tell them, its a 2 minute drive from Jungcylon (if you go round the back way).

I know of one instance where a mate of mine got so fed up of abuse from a group of tuk tuk drivers outside his girl friends shop he finally decided to go to the police to make a complaint. He was amazed at how serious they took the complaint, within moments there were half a dozen cops there who rounded up the tuk tuk guys and gave them a real roasting and made them apologies.

The cops where NOT scared of these guys in the slightest, in fact the tuk tuk guys were crying like babies ! Since the complaint they never had a problem. Yes he did fear for his life and wondered what the implications would be however, it was more the opposite with the tuk tuk guys being very polite every time he walks past.

So, if you want to make a difference to the tuk tuk problems then make a complaint. They DO take this sort of thing serious.

Its not the cops that are allowing them to carry on like this, its the lack of people reporting them that is to blame !

[billythehat]

So I am trying to park my motorbike across from jungceylon today near the corner of Bangla when I hear "<deleted>%k You!, <deleted>&k You!". Naturally I start looking around to who is yelling this abuse at who. I was surprised to see 4 tuktuk drivers glaring at me and shouting obscenities at me.

I was parked in an empty motorbike slot right next to 3 three other bikes in three other slots. Apparently I was enroaching on tuktuk territory without realizing it, seeing as there were none of the usual "taxi service" signs or anything, I think its an honest mistake. These guys were looking for a fight and ready to pounce on me if I hadn't backed my bike out and drove off(I've seen them bait tourists into fights in this area so I knew to just leave instead of get stabbed or something).

Jeez...what the h^ll is going on around here? The police were right there within 30 ft. Believe me I don't need anyone to be extra polite with me, but to jump right into "fightin words" without a warning or anthing is a going a little overboard. Keep in mind I didnt say one word to anybody around there, muchless the drivers who were yelling at me. I can see were this incident could have instantly escalated into violence had I behaved like I would have been inclined to back home. Why is it that these scumbags are allowed to sit there hurl abuse at people and instigate fights all day and night directly in full view of the police? These guys are obviously not afraid of the cops in the least. So that also brings up, what is with the cops around here? Why are the police submissive to these lowlifes? Are the cops really that powerless? If so what good are they?

Seems like every time I go down there to get a burger from BK I have some kind of incident with all the local scumbags who hang around there and stake out public property as their own. Just yesterday it was a motorbike driver swooping in and stealing a spot that I had been patiently waiting for with my blinker on as another falang was getting his helmet on, backing out(at home I could have stood my ground and taken the spot, but here I'm risking a knife in the back). I don't want a fight with anybody, I just want a burger goddammit! I better not even start on the little old ladies who cut me off regularly in carrefour at the vegetable weigh station...lol.

Its simple, the Police dont do anything because they dont know ! 30 feet may have been a little too far for them to hear exactly what the tuk tuk guy was saying, particularly in a noisy area. Ranting on a web forum will not help, the Chief of Patong Police doesnt come on here that often ! Next time go to the Police station and tell them, its a 2 minute drive from Jungcylon (if you go round the back way).

I know of one instance where a mate of mine got so fed up of abuse from a group of tuk tuk drivers outside his girl friends shop he finally decided to go to the police to make a complaint. He was amazed at how serious they took the complaint, within moments there were half a dozen cops there who rounded up the tuk tuk guys and gave them a real roasting and made them apologies.

The cops where NOT scared of these guys in the slightest, in fact the tuk tuk guys were crying like babies ! Since the complaint they never had a problem. Yes he did fear for his life and wondered what the implications would be however, it was more the opposite with the tuk tuk guys being very polite every time he walks past.

So, if you want to make a difference to the tuk tuk problems then make a complaint. They DO take this sort of thing serious.

Its not the cops that are allowing them to carry on like this, its the lack of people reporting them that is to blame !

If indeed this took place, this is a good post with some excellent advice from Taxin.

Reassuring that decent folk don't have to put up with threats and racist abuse, if it is within their power to do something about it

[Ping]

Like everywhere else, I suppose it depends upon luck of the draw with the policeman to whom you happen to make the complaint. I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by this incident - I would have expected Taxin's friend to have been fobbed off. Great result.