Thai gran faces the courts for collecting just a handful of galangal for her curry

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: For just a handful of galangal

 

A 70 year old grandmother in Sakon Nakhon, NE Thailand, is appealing for justice after she found herself facing a charge of theft.

 

From Chaweewan's perspective she was just collecting a handful of galangal from an area of wasteground the locals all use and forage in.

 

From the perspective of the owner they regard it as theft, reported Daily News. 

 

Chaweewan said the case relates back to June 11th when she popped into the area, essentially a wasteground, and picked a few sprigs of the plant for her curry.

 

The owner of the land was called and caught her in the act and a charge of theft while using a conveyance was made with the Phang Khone police.

 

The owner of the land is insisting that Chaweewan comes up with 5,000 baht as a restitution payment or they will see the matter goes through the courts. 

 

Chaweewan claims she is innocent and is feeling terrible about her plight. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-07-22

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[d4dang]

WT? Pathetic.

[JonnyF]

We used to get a few village Grannies trespassing on our farm, stealing Aloe Vera, Papaya, Guava, Bananas etc.

 

When we caught them red handed and asked them what they were doing they did the confused old lady act and pretended they thought it was public property when everyone in the local area knows it's ours and the plants have clearly been planted deliberately, watered and generally taken care of. Luckily one of our seven dogs didn't bite her as she was stealing it or she'd have no doubt been demanding we paid her for her hospital treatment.

 

While these individuals are clearly stealing and then lying about their lack of knowledge, we took the diplomatic route and told them not to come on the property because we are concerned for their safety re. the dogs (which is true as they are territorial), but if they need some fruit come and ask and we will give them some (which we would have done). They never returned to request it.

 

This guy should just warn them not to trespass and let that be the end of it. No need to demand money they haven't got. Unless of course there is more to the story and this is payback for some long standing issue.

[ezzra]

She should have used some of the marijuana everyone have and are using in their food, no one will have an issue with that...

[Tropicalevo]

Foraging is a way of life here.

I have bananas, limes, pomegranates, papaya and pineapples growing in my garden - apparently.

Mind you, if I want any of those, I have to go out and buy them.

They mysteriously disappear from my bushes and trees.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Tropicalevo

[473geo]

8 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Foraging is a way of life here.

I have bananas, limes, pomegranates, papaya and pineapples growing in my garden - apparently.

Mind you, if I want any of those, I have to go out and buy them.

They mysteriously disappear from my bushes and trees.

Have to agree with this, eat what you fancy today as there maybe a family visit and you will have to wait until the stocks are self replenished 

Foraging, yes amazing how few plants are not useful to eat or as flavouring

The other day as we returned from the farm my wife stopped and stripped some young shoots from a tree, was the greens for our evening meal ???? I doubt we will be reported or asked to pay

 

[BoonMeePakNam]

In my Issan village, people rarely ask. That's because the answer would never be anything but yes. Someone digs up a bit of galangal and and the next day someone has dropped off a bag of corn.

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

a charge of theft while using a conveyance was made with the Phang Khone police.

I expect that was a push bike ....the landowner ....what to say , a dick head.

regards Worgeordie

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

When we caught them red handed and asked them what they were doing they did the confused old lady act and pretended they thought it was public property when everyone in the local area knows it's ours and the plants have clearly been planted deliberately, watered and generally taken care of. Luckily one of our seven dogs didn't bite her as she was stealing it or she'd have no doubt been demanding we paid her for her hospital treatment.

Your story is in no way the same.

Taking cultivated crops is theft.

Gathering plants randomly growing on private land is totally legal in Thailand.

Edited July 22, 2022 by BritManToo

[Rampant Rabbit]

its  pretty  simple here, if its  not  fenced off its a free  for  all

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Your story is in no way the same.

Taking cultivated crops is theft.

Gathering plants randomly growing on private land is totally legal in Thailand.

I'm not sure that's correct.

 

So if a papaya tree just randomnly pops up somewhere on my land (as they sometimes do when birds drop seeds etc.), it's perfectly legal for someone to walk onto my land and pick the fruit off it without asking? If that were the case I'm not sure this guy would be taking her to court since he'd know he would lose.

[Photoguy21]

Ridiculous, surely there are actual crimes that need attention not some poor woman getting a few ingredients for a meal.

Should charge the land owner with stupidity.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Photoguy21

[KhunLA]

5000 baht or risk judgement in court ...

... surely court will be much less than 5000 baht.

 

Thinking 500 baht fine for petty theft, if that.  Certainly no judge would impose jail time.

 

And I would appeal it, just to F with the landowner, and make him come back to court.

And appeal it again.  Right up to the Thai's version of supreme court.

 

Right to life vs landowner ... ????

[ChaiyaTH]

I'm not buying into the poor woman story here.

 

I have seen countless of thief Thais, even where I am living right now they sometimes sneak onto private properties with bungalows to steal durian, fruit and more. They do not even bother to ask, this could be a long ongoing thing in the news case.

 

If we would be doing that we would be jailed for sure. Or can I just grab a free banana next time at the market too?

Edited July 22, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[grain]

A house I lived in once had a bush, with leaves Thais use in cooking, at the front. One day I was running late for work, I reversed my car out into the soi, then opened the car door and jumped out, and ran over to close the driveway gate. Then I saw a little old lady picking some leaves from the bush, but she was shaking in fear and held her hands out in front. When she saw me jump out the car and rush over in her direction she must have thought I was going to clobber her for picking my leaves. Anyway, I just laughed and told her she's welcome to pick a few leaves. 

[ChaiyaTH]

6 minutes ago, grain said:

A house I lived in once had a bush, with leaves Thais use in cooking, at the front. One day I was running late for work, I reversed my car out into the soi, then opened the car door and jumped out, and ran over to close the driveway gate. Then I saw a little old lady picking some leaves from the bush, but she was shaking in fear and held her hands out in front. When she saw me jump out the car and rush over in her direction she must have thought I was going to clobber her for picking my leaves. Anyway, I just laughed and told her she's welcome to pick a few leaves. 

That's the thing right, if she only asked, it been fine. Otherwise you have 10 people doing it in no-time and soon the village headman claims it is not even your land lol.

Edited July 22, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[TigerandDog]

46 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I'm not sure that's correct.

 

So if a papaya tree just randomnly pops up somewhere on my land (as they sometimes do when birds drop seeds etc.), it's perfectly legal for someone to walk onto my land and pick the fruit off it without asking? If that were the case I'm not sure this guy would be taking her to court since he'd know he would lose.

they do that all the time here. Walk in our front gate and help themselves to mangos when they are in season or walk down to the back yard, all of which are fenced off and help themselves to whatever might be growing at the time, e,g, lettuce, chilli, pumpkins, sweet potato, bananas. Took me a while to get used to it, but that's what they do.

Edited July 22, 2022 by TigerandDog

[KhunLA]

The land behind us, they plowed over the jackfruit, said it wasn't worth growing any more.  Was hoping they'd go with pineapples, and save me few steps.  No ... more freakin' coconuts.

 

If only they'd asked first ...  ????

 

Did give the wife a few plants though ???? 

Edited July 22, 2022 by KhunLA

[BKKBike09]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

This guy should just warn them not to trespass and let that be the end of it. No need to demand money they haven't got. Unless of course there is more to the story and this is payback for some long standing issue.

According to the Thai language story, it seems like the piece of land in question lies between a public road and the boundary of a titled land plot, so the villagers use it for foraging etc. However the galangal plants in question were purchased and planted by the guy who's now claiming damages. I imagine that's why he's not claiming trespass as well. Also it says the two of them have a long history of not getting on. Welcome to life in a small village.

 

Oh, the cops also seized gran's motorcycle because its papers weren't in order.

[BKKBike09]

As an aside to this engrossing tale of rustic rivalries, I have coconut trees on a plot of land I rarely visit. It's near a mosque so have a deal with the imam that he can take as many coconuts as he likes to sell if he wants to help pay for the mosque power and water. Means we don't get random villagers doing what they want on 'the Bangkok people's' land.  

[zzaa09]

Not the Thailand I once knew.

The strong familial, social and community extensions are dwindling into the landscape. 

 

Beginning to resemble Farang ways and practice. 

Whatta shame.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, TigerandDog said:

they do that all the time here. Walk in our front gate and help themselves to mangos when they are in season or walk down to the back yard, all of which are fenced off and help themselves to whatever might be growing at the time, e,g, lettuce, chilli, pumpkins, sweet potato, bananas. Took me a while to get used to it, but that's what they do.

Yeah, I know that's what they do, I was just questioning the legality of it. I can't imagine it is legal to do that. I'm not sure that whether the plant/tree is cultivated or not is the key factor in the legality, and if it is, how do they know if a Papaya tree was planted or just sprung up.

 

I'd also imagine their laid back attitude would change if it was you walking onto their property to take their fruit/vegetables.

 

Probably a case of "what's yours in mine, what's mine is my own".

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, BKKBike09 said:

According to the Thai language story, it seems like the piece of land in question lies between a public road and the boundary of a titled land plot, so the villagers use it for foraging etc. However the galangal plants in question were purchased and planted by the guy who's now claiming damages. I imagine that's why he's not claiming trespass as well. Also it says the two of them have a long history of not getting on. Welcome to life in a small village.

 

Oh, the cops also seized gran's motorcycle because its papers weren't in order.

Yeah I suspected a back story of a long running feud. Often unavoidable in these villages. We have a local woman who hates us because we bought the farm that she was lowballing the seller on before we paid close to the asking amount. Of course, we were totally unaware of this when we bought it but that doesn't occur to her.

 

Anyway, let's hope this sweet old Grannie gets her motorcycle papers in order before she runs over some kids playing in the village on her way home from pilfering the Galangal ????.

[Bangkok Barry]

She got off lightly. A young lad in our village was taking fruit from a tree and the land owner shot him dead. He then came to a financial arrangement with the boy's family and the police didn't even get involved. (Actually, they may have done to collect an 'agents' fee, I don't know). The murderer left the area for a while but is back living in the village now.

 

As for just taking other's property, I have a variation on that. My father-in-law came home one day to find a total stranger in the garden using a hose to clean his car. Thailand is .... different.

And we have an enterprising group in the village who come to collect leaves from our garden, with permission, for a business they have started printing material for clothes and other things. There are many steps involved, but they have received a grant and are building the business. My wife has become a member of the group and attended classes with them on how to sell on-line. Here are a couple of shirts they made, but they can 'print' onto silk too which is impressive.

[GreasyFingers]

We have lemon grass planted all along our front boundary. Everyone is free to cut for their use but we have had some plants completely dug out.dug out. It does not matter to us and an elderly neighbour tends to help herself to some of our fruit trees but who cares. The owner in this case is a right twit, to put it mildly.

[IAMHERE]

Who in  the village dislike grandma so much they'd bother to call the land owner ?

[473geo]

We have rice land not fenced, our cattle are tethered, can have as many as 10 - 15 roaming over it any day 

Of course we have a choice, fence it in as others have done or be generous to the neighbours ????

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

.......and picked a few sprigs of the plant for her curry

Galangal or Lesser Ginger has a tuber root which is sliced or grated to flavour food dishes so it's more likely 'Gran' dug up a plant to get the root not just 'a few sprigs'...

[whaleboneman]

5 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

they do that all the time here. Walk in our front gate and help themselves to mangos when they are in season or walk down to the back yard, all of which are fenced off and help themselves to whatever might be growing at the time, e,g, lettuce, chilli, pumpkins, sweet potato, bananas. Took me a while to get used to it, but that's what they do.

One quality I love about Thais is their ability to share food with anyone and everyone with no expectations. Meanwhile westerners tend to keep a mental tally of everything that is owed to them.

[MrJ2U]

Wait until the neighbors have pot farms.