Khaosan pub security guard fired for allegedly assaulting foreign tourist

[LittleBear57]

Surprised by some of the posts. I think it's possible that a first time visitor to Thailand having had a few drinks might think water could be free. The security guard was way over the top and I hope he gets what he deserves.

 Also I am not a big city lover, especially Bangkok , but having visited Khao San Road several times in the 20 years of visiting Thailand. I always liked the unique experience there, people from all over the world. Had a great feel and buzz about the place.

[Seeall]

4 hours ago, rwill said:

Lots of restaurants have free water.  But not the bottled water.

tap

[LALes]

You mean they couldn't just transfer him to an inactive post?

[aussienam]

Some of these security guards behave like 'wannabe cops'.  Desperate for the power and for incidents where they can have any excuse to assault and manhandle people.

 

I see guys with shirts emblazoned with 'Security' across them in Pattaya and even on the roads, some seem to think they are cops, or at least think they have more authority over others, racing their motorbikes, yelling at others to move over as if they are on urgent duty (probably on their way back to their bar with a bag of noodle soup or som tam from local vendor).  

 

There are good security as well, I am calling out the bad eggs only.  

 

[PremiumLane]

A man was assaulted in a tourist area in Bangkok

Asean Now Forum Boomers: I DOn'T kNoW WhERe KHAo sAN RoAD Is. iN mY DAy wE dIDn't KnOW whERe iT wAS eITHeR... Kids TODaY!!!!

[Lee4Life]

2 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

The fallang spoke Thai - so from accumulated experience in Thailand he should know that bottled water is not free. The guards should have dealt with this better. No-one is in the right on this one.

I speak Thai, and have been in Thailand for fifteen years, I don't go to pubs, never been to one in fact, I have no idea whether or not bottled water is free or not in pubs. What's the whole story, how was the water presented to the guy? Did he ask for it? or did someone bring it to him without him asking for it? To say the guy knew better without knowing the whole story isn't any more fair than him getting slapped and handcuffed.

[Mavideol]

some people,  wearing uniforms,  think they have any and all rights to do as they please

[IAMHERE]

27 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

some people,  wearing uniforms,  think they have any and all rights to do as they please

The water stealing tourist was wearing a uniform?  I doubt any person enters a drink selling establishment and expects any drink to be free. I wonder what the full story is.

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, rwill said:

Lots of restaurants have free water.  But not the bottled water.

he was in a bar\club not a restaurant, free water in bars?

[richard_smith237]

Its quite amusing to read of so many comments from posts ‘wearing their absence of knowledge of Khao Sarn road’ as a ‘badge of pride’..... 

... So what you don’t know where somewhere is, don’t know how to get there, don’t want to go there etc etc.... Its hardly of any relevance to the thread at all.... 

 

I really wonder why some of you posters feel the need to write anything at all in these threads which seemingly have no relevance or interest to you... its just weird !!!... 

 

 

[sambum]

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Dodgy farang, free water yeah right

Lots of places give free water, and if it was just sitting on a table, rather than behind the bar, one can understand how the  "dodgy farang" misunderstood. But it looks like his attempt to explain his mistake fell on deaf ears, and it seems that the "legalised thugs" that are a blight on the bar scene once again show how macho they are - slapped face, handcuffs - for a bottle of water? Too many of these hoodlums making trouble when there is no need.

P.S. Kudos to the management of the club for not only apologising, and trying to locate the tourist to compensate him, but also for sacking the individual concerned, and  reporting the matter to the police.  

[drgoon]

9 hours ago, jaywalker said:

I lived in BKK 3 years before I moved to Pattaya.

 

I worked (as a defense contractor). Lived off Lat Phrao as well.

 

Been from Hua Hin to Chiang Rai over to Laos, down to Koh Chang and most places in between.

 

If my life depended on it, I could NOT tell a soul where exactly Khao San Road is.

 

Somewhere in a city of 8 million people???

I never even asked a taxi driver about it. I was a booked into the Dynasty hotel my first visit.

 

I was happy.

 

PS....If you need directions to Cupidy, I can help.

Yeah, that's really interesting...  NOT

[drgoon]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its quite amusing to read of so many comments from posts ‘wearing their absence of knowledge of Khao Sarn road’ as a ‘badge of pride’..... 

... So what you don’t know where somewhere is, don’t know how to get there, don’t want to go there etc etc.... Its hardly of any relevance to the thread at all.... 

 

I really wonder why some of you posters feel the need to write anything at all in these threads which seemingly have no relevance or interest to you... its just weird !!!... 

 

 

Plenty of blow asses here mate.

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

Lots of places give free water, and if it was just sitting on a table, rather than behind the bar, one can understand how the  "dodgy farang" misunderstood. But it looks like his attempt to explain his mistake fell on deaf ears, and it seems that the "legalised thugs" that are a blight on the bar scene once again show how macho they are - slapped face, handcuffs - for a bottle of water? Too many of these hoodlums making trouble when there is no need.

P.S. Kudos to the management of the club for not only apologising, and trying to locate the tourist to compensate him, but also for sacking the individual concerned, and  reporting the matter to the police.  

which bars give free water?

[richard_smith237]

The ‘free water thing’....

 

In many countries, water is free..  I’ve just send two weeks in a country which proves driving water as as a right, anywhere anyplace, its free... bar or restaurant, hotel, or subway. 

 

In Thailand - the water gets Placed in a room in a fridge, there are usually two type.

1 (the glass bottles) is free, the other (some branded water in a plastic bottle) is usually charged for. 

 

In restaurants and bars there is often already a coupe of bottles on the table - it would be a fair assumption for anyone to assume it is free along with the salt, pepper, sugar sachets, sauce etc alongside which the water is placed - of course, the water is most often not free, but its cheap. 

 

It's easy enough for a tourist to make a mistake an assume this water is free.

 

The issue here is absence of clarity and the fact that the tourist is already on high alert as Thailand is somewhat well known as being the ‘land of scams’ and when someone faces an attempted scam at every second step they become suspicious and question things....  

 

Another possibility because the article is somewhat ambiguously... they had their drinks etc and additional water was added to the bill...  This is extremely common...   Have a bottle of something (whisky etc) and the soft drinks, water, soda, ice etc just keep coming and coming...  towards the end of an evening we’d have 10 or 20 bottle of unfinished water, sodas etc...  its a form of ‘bill padding’ but its also extremely convenient to have this level of ’table service’ so cheaply so it was something I always put down to it being ‘just the way it is’... I’d initially the receipts as the drinks came, but still... 

 

So.. argument over a bottle of water... Theres definitely more to do it than that - but when communication is difficult and in an area where many tourists may have behaved in ‘high spirits’ in the past its the bouncers who are sometimes unhinged and behave with overzealous, unreasonable and excessive response. 

 

I’m glad the bouncer was fired - he is there to protect customers and staff, maintain the peace, not deflate any violence rather than escalate - Despairingly, he’ll be back in the same position within the week either at the same place or a nearby bar / club. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, sambum said:

Lots of places give free water, and if it was just sitting on a table, rather than behind the bar, one can understand how the  "dodgy farang" misunderstood. But it looks like his attempt to explain his mistake fell on deaf ears, and it seems that the "legalised thugs" that are a blight on the bar scene once again show how macho they are - slapped face, handcuffs - for a bottle of water? Too many of these hoodlums making trouble when there is no need.

P.S. Kudos to the management of the club for not only apologising, and trying to locate the tourist to compensate him, but also for sacking the individual concerned, and  reporting the matter to the police.  

Agreed.... <deleted> is a bouncer doing with handcuffs anyway ?????

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

The water stealing tourist was wearing a uniform?  I doubt any person enters a drink selling establishment and expects any drink to be free. I wonder what the full story is.

Why ??....    You can enter a drink selling establishment and ask for water in many countries around the world, in many countries it's illegal not to give free water to customers (examples - UK and Japan - both provide tap water for free). 

 

The issue in Thailand of course is that Tap water is not considered safe for combustion, thus any tap water is ‘produced’ and brought in - this costs are obviously passed on to the consumer, usually at a very reasonable charge (10 or 20 baht etc), unless the establishment is profiteering from a basic right. 

 

 

But.... the underlying and real issue here.....  Bouncers looking to ‘act’....  its happens too often in and industry which is very poorly regulated with untrained staff....    these thugs just wanted an excuse to display their power... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[digger70]

12 hours ago, jaywalker said:

I lived in BKK 3 years before I moved to Pattaya.

 

I worked (as a defense contractor). Lived off Lat Phrao as well.

 

Been from Hua Hin to Chiang Rai over to Laos, down to Koh Chang and most places in between.

 

If my life depended on it, I could NOT tell a soul where exactly Khao San Road is.

 

Somewhere in a city of 8 million people???

I never even asked a taxi driver about it. I was a booked into the Dynasty hotel my first visit.

 

I was happy.

 

PS....If you need directions to Cupidy, I can help.

Who wants to know .

[proton]

10 hours ago, fdimike said:

I'm with you Barry.  I have no idea where Khao San Rd is and really don't give a sh*t.  I've lived in Thailand continuously since 2005 and try to avoid Bkk as much as possible as it's nothing but a crowded polluted filthy city.

Went once in 2012 after visiting the Krathai record place up the road, could not see what the attraction was, and the prices were inflated for the clueless western kiddies. They all need a slap ! ???? 

[proton]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

which bars give free water?

Amazon coffe shop!

[scubascuba3]

12 minutes ago, proton said:

Amazon coffe shop!

and massage shops, but no bars\clubs

[Bundooman]

locate the victim to compensate him for the incident, adding that it has filed a complaint with Chana Songkhram police against its former guard.

 

So, This guard had handcuffs and the copied line suggests that he is/was actually a police officer. 

He has been fired as a bouncer.

What about the possibility that he is a serving BIB? Is he?

Why hasn't he been sacked from there as well?

 

[MJCM]

10 hours ago, Tarteso said:

You are stealing the air. At the end you have to pay even to breathe in Thailand ????

And because it's heavily polluted (the air) they will even charge extra for it

[worgeordie]

Pub bouncer ......slaps tourist , bet he's a big tough bouncer.

regards Worgeordie

[Muzzique]

Imagine what happens if you steal a bottle of real Hooch. 

 

6 guy beating with baseball bats followed by anal penetration and ritualise castration probably

 

Sends a message.. Sticky finger need to be kept in pockets. If you want free water. open your mouth while its raining.

[Mickeymaus]

At least they did not kill him:

 

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8HooYqF/

[finnomick1]

.....and we are led to believe from the other featured article that Bangkok is rated as the 30th best city in the world and the 2nd best in ASEAN. Hmmm.

[jaywalker]

18 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thank you for informing us of your ignorance about one of SE Asia's most popular tourist spots, And what you used you work at, where you lived, what hotel you once stayed in and where you have visited in Thailand. But what is your point of telling us all that, please, in relation to this thread?

You sound like a Leonardo DIcaprio fan.

[spermwhale]

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Give someone a bit of power, and there is a chance they might abuse it. Having said that, most in a position of power, tend to behave themselves. Except some American cops, some Thai cops, and some bouncers. He is the one who needs to be slapped around. 

it applies to people in every country in all types of jobs. Not just American cops, Thai cops and some bouncers. I've been thrown out of club in Sweden by over aggressive bounces after a waiter insisted I ordered a drink (whiskey which I never drink) when I didn't and when I refused to pay for it. I've seen power hungry office workers in the US and Thailand walk over their subordinates after they were given a tiny bit of authority. It's not unique. 

[ukrules]

On 2/27/2023 at 4:27 AM, jaywalker said:

I could NOT tell a soul where exactly Khao San Road is.

Neither could I and I've been there a couple of times.

 

You get in a taxi then get out when it arrives - who cares about the rest.