Picture: Daily News

 

Daily News reported that there was trouble in the north east of Thailand in Surin which they called "Elephant City" (in non-pandemic years there's a famous pachyderm round-up there notes ASEAN NOW).

 

Someone has been stealing drain covers and the locals are understandable furious saying that road users could end up down the hole if they're not careful.

 

Such lack of care even in the best of circumstances has in the past been the cause of injury on Thai roads.

 

The locals have appealed to the police to turn off Facebook, put the left leg in front of the right in the normal perambulatory manner and actually arrest the miscreants before the black holes gobble someone up. 

 

Reporters hot-footed it to Muang district where they were told that the thieves were removing iron grates.

 

The local authority were forced to put up protection -  plastic barriers and cones that looked the part even if there were no lights.

 

Other high tech protection devices installed were twigs and leaves and a bucket on a piece of bamboo, notes ASEAN NOW with a small part of tongue inserted in journalistic cheek. 

 

Sawaeng Bunkertram, one of the locals affected, said he'd noticed that until Friday all the grills were in-situ.

 

He deduced, therefore, that the thefts had occurred in the intervening three days or so.

 

Thanks Khun Sherlock!

 

He added with an analysis that even the Baker Street sleuth would be proud of, that the price of iron had just gone up. 

 

He was probably going to flog it to someone else to make a few bob, he added in London style parlance.

 

"It could have happened in the hours of darkness," he further observed with that familiar eye for detail favored by observant Thais.

 

Many places in the area have been hit leading to the possibility of danger. 

 

Consequently the locals and the authority had been out in force with varying degrees of "hole falling into preventative measures" both hi and lower tech.

 

The local authority told the press that this had happened a lot (the thefts not people disappearing down sewers) and they had told the police who are investigating.

 

The Thai police - as noted professionals in delving into and solving the intracies of the Thai criminal mind - have determined there are three possible clues.

 

They think it's a local person or someone out of a job or even someone on drugs. 

 

One picture posted by Daily News showed the local resident doing a spot of handy pointing at the lidless sewers.

 

Elementary My Dear Sawaeng!

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-09-01

 

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Desperate people in desperate times,  

regards worgeordie

Same thing happened near my house recently, right after those covers been installed. 

Check to see who suddenly starts BBQing.

I confess, I confess. There's just, ... well ... something about all those parallel slots that I simply can't resist.