A CCTV camera caught a foreign man stealing a Thai flag from outside an office in Phuket. Thai netizens urged the police to take the case seriously as the Thai flag is highly respected by locals.

 

The Jootee Tin Dredging Company shared CCTV footage of the theft to the Facebook page, Phuket Hotnews, today, March 5. The video shows a foreign man pulling the Thai flag from its pole outside the Jutee Tin Dredging office and walking away with it in the Phang Nga Road in the Mueang district of Phuket.

 

Three other foreign men were seen walking on the road in the video but it’s not clear whether they were friends with the foreign thief.

 

The company told Phuket News that the foreign man’s act was unacceptable because Thai people consider the Thai flag to be very valuable and highly respected. The company wants the police to prosecute the man, regardless of whether the foreigner committed the crime out of drunkenness or impetuosity.

 

Thai netizens expressed their anger in the comment section.

 

“Too many cheap foreigners in Thailand.”

 

“Thieving behaviour. You can actually buy it yourself at any souvenir shop!”

 

“It’s time to get rid of these kinds of foreigners!”

 

“Deport him!”

 

“Gather more evidence from CCTV cameras and file a complaint with the police. Let’s make this another example case for foreigners in Thailand!”

 

The company did not reveal whether the theft was reported to the police or not while the media have not yet provided an update on the case.

 

A similar Thai flag theft was reported in 2017 in the southern province of Krabi. In this case, two Italian men, aged 18 and 20, pulled down four Thai flags from the poles for fun and left them on the ground.

 

The two foreigners were later arrested and charged under Section 118 of the Criminal Law: committing disrespectful acts against the Thai flag or other national symbols. The charge carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Facebook/ Phuket Hotnews

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-05

 

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The anti Farang campaign is gathering pace. Visa exemption for the well behaved Indians and Chinese.

2 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

The anti Farang campaign is gathering pace. Visa exemption for the well behaved Indians and Chinese.

What a ridiculous post, so you think assault and now theft by farangs is a campaign by Thai authorities  against us....Sounds like you maybe of the same ilk..😏

 

Plus you seem to have a problem with people who do not look like you, it would see you have a problem.........🤔

29 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Three other foreign men were seen walking on the road in the video but it’s not clear whether they were friends with the foreign thief.

 

If in doubt, label all foreigners criminals... "Land of Smiles"; yeah right!

Hosting the national flag of any nation comes with responsibilities.  It's not a decoration on or for a building, it is the proud symbol of a nation. The flag should be taken down at sunset and raised to top mast at sunrise. It can be at half or lower mast for extraordinary national events like mourning the death of a Minister, etc..

 

Watch a Police station, military base, or military ship and see the flag timing. It's disrespectful to leave the flag up overnight!

 

It seems like The Jootee Tin Dredging Company needs to show more respect for Thailand's flag by taking care of it seriously, properly and with honour and respect.

 

Maybe the foreigner was showing more respect than the company?

 

Must be 100 foreign idiots daily in Phuket doing stupid stuff.

10 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

problems with Indians nor Chinese, I was just underling the clear preference for Asians tourists.

Don't Indians have to pay for a visa?

2 minutes ago, Dolf said:

Don't Indians have to pay for a visa?

No more

10 hours ago, Banana7 said:

Hosting the national flag of any nation comes with responsibilities.  It's not a decoration on or for a building, it is the proud symbol of a nation. The flag should be taken down at sunset and raised to top mast at sunrise. It can be at half or lower mast for extraordinary national events like mourning the death of a Minister, etc..

 

Watch a Police station, military base, or military ship and see the flag timing. It's disrespectful to leave the flag up overnight!

 

It seems like The Jootee Tin Dredging Company needs to show more respect for Thailand's flag by taking care of it seriously, properly and with honour and respect.

 

Maybe the foreigner was showing more respect than the company?

 

"the [US] flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness"

https://www.legion.org/flag/faq#:~:text=The Flag Code states it,during the hours of darkness.

 

I was an enlisted sailor on the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). Before pulling in to any foreign port, we were gathered and the fear of gawd was impressed upon us. We were reminded we were ambassadors of the US and any aberrant behavior would result in double jeopardy. The host country would enforce their punishment then the Navy would enforce THEIR punishment on top.

 

How would YOU feel if folks came to your home country and behaved like this?

7 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

"the [US] flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness"

https://www.legion.org/flag/faq#:~:text=The Flag Code states it,during the hours of darkness.

 

Thats hilarious, who invents this stupidity, what happens if the lights go out one  night wonder if theres an emergency number to call?

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I was an enlisted sailor on the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). Before pulling in to any foreign port, we were gathered and the fear of gawd was impressed upon us. We were reminded we were ambassadors of the US and any aberrant behavior would result in double jeopardy. The host country would enforce their punishment then the Navy would enforce THEIR punishment on top.

 

How would YOU feel if folks came to your home country and behaved like this?

I would  call them stupid.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A CCTV camera caught a foreign man stealing a Thai flag from outside an office in Phuket. Thai netizens urged the police to take the case seriously as the Thai flag is highly respected by locals.

Souvenir hunter strikes again.

36 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I was an enlisted sailor on the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). Before pulling in to any foreign port, we were gathered and the fear of gawd was impressed upon us. We were reminded we were ambassadors of the US and any aberrant behavior would result in double jeopardy. The host country would enforce their punishment then the Navy would enforce THEIR punishment on top.

 

How would YOU feel if folks came to your home country and behaved like this?

First thanks for your service,I installed many cofferdams on her back in the day heck she was berthed at nas alimeda there was a shark swimming around her we thought the annodes on the electrolliss system were giving it a tickle when it swam by the officers quarter deck I jumped on its back and absolutely freaked the ood out lol we got steaks and Ice-cream for that stunt lol good times!!anyway the flag thief is bucking for the Darwin Award and or just another quality tourist idiot 

A Farang might of kicked a women, no real evidence, and I do not condone this behaviour, drunken Russian women kills two kids,, two year suspended sentence nothing, Chinese  drive a jeep on the beach and sink it, nothing no charges, another Russian kills Thai girl near Saturdays in Rawai, so far nothing happening,, ladyboys going crazy in Bangkok,, nothing,,Indians causing trouble in Pattaya,, nothing happening and now us good expats are possibly going to have to jump through hoops to keep our visa with background checks?? I've lived here for 20 years and never had trouble, nothing so here's the simple answer,, stop giving out free visas to the trouble makers like the Russians that are here working and driving drunk,, wake up people were not all bad

51 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

It's happening in the Canary Islands also

Also in Catalonia, And Basque Country..Spain is broken.

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I was an enlisted sailor on the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). Before pulling in to any foreign port, we were gathered and the fear of gawd was impressed upon us. We were reminded we were ambassadors of the US and any aberrant behavior would result in double jeopardy. The host country would enforce their punishment then the Navy would enforce THEIR punishment on top.

 

How would YOU feel if folks came to your home country and behaved like this?

They do and they show utmost disrespect for the country in more ways than one, with protests every few days and appearances in the media decrying our country and it's history. I think there should be severe penalties for disrespecting someone's flag, it's an insult to the people of that nation and the penalty should be deportation at least.

12 hours ago, transam said:

What a ridiculous post, so you think assault and now theft by farangs is a campaign by Thai authorities  against us....Sounds like you maybe of the same ilk..😏

 

Plus you seem to have a problem with people who do not look like you, it would see you have a problem.........🤔

get a life...

I have a bit a problem with generalisation, there arrive maybe every day 5000 tourists in Phuket, 1  or a a few misbehave something, meaning 4995 are good for the country, and isn't that  on any place, school, factory, concert ... that 1 or 2 do something wrong ?

11 hours ago, Banana7 said:

 It's disrespectful to leave the flag up overnight!

 

 

Actually it is NOT disrespectful at all... there are protocols for leaving a flag up overnight and they vary from country to country... ie in the USA the protocol for flying the flag overnight is that it be lighted... in Thailand there is no restriction or protocol if one so chooses to fly the flag 24 hours... so go peddle your xenophobic rubbish somewhere else.

11 hours ago, Banana7 said:

Maybe the foreigner was showing more respect than the company?

You're joking right?

12 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

The anti Farang campaign is gathering pace. Visa exemption for the well behaved Indians and Chinese.

Nope, foreigners are rightly in the news because some are committing crimes, some are misbehaving and some are disrespecting Thailand and the Thais.

8 minutes ago, Incobart said:

I have a bit a problem with generalisation, there arrive maybe every day 5000 tourists in Phuket, 1  or a a few misbehave something, meaning 4995 are good for the country, and isn't that  on any place, school, factory, concert ... that 1 or 2 do something wrong ?

you have statistics proving that?

15 minutes ago, Incobart said:

I have a bit a problem with generalisation, there arrive maybe every day 5000 tourists in Phuket, 1  or a a few misbehave something, meaning 4995 are good for the country, and isn't that  on any place, school, factory, concert ... that 1 or 2 do something wrong ?

 

Exactly.

Just one more storm in a tea cup.

TIT. 

 

 

I am a  farang and have lived here for well over 10 years. Every time I see news about some stupid farang 

acting like and idiot I feel ashamed and disgusted. I literally pray that it isn't an American. Being non-American obviously doesn't make insulting behavior less eggerious but when I see my countrymen acting up I am even more ashamed. 

I am old school and from a far different time but my immediate knee jerk reaction to some of these stupid insulting acts is to "whip the <deleted> out of them, throw them out of the country and ban them for life".....no matter where they come from...Russia, China, the UK, Switzerland or the USA.....where ever. 

Surely he only needed a reason to go back home,

to get away from his Thai girlfriend....

Thailands precious, over-exalted national pride injured again and the invisible hordes of outraged netizens.

If only they upheld the same pride when it was their own foot wearing the shoe.

If I saw a Thai guy stealing a flag in my home country and walking around town with it I would probably think he is being patriotic.

1 hour ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Thats hilarious, who invents this stupidity, what happens if the lights go out one  night wonder if theres an emergency number to call?

Every house, boat, car and jacket seems to have one, they get nervous if they can't see the star spangled banner.

3 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

Every time I see news about some stupid farang 

acting like and idiot I feel ashamed and disgusted. I literally pray that it isn't an American.

Looking at the photo & video in the link; I'd guess he's British.

12 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

The anti Farang campaign is gathering pace. Visa exemption for the well behaved Indians and Chinese.

Don't think it's anti Farang. The Thais just want foreigners to respect their flag and culture. Nothing ANTI about that. Behave and you will be Okay. PS why steal a Flag when you can by one for a B100. That is what is meant by "Cheap Foreigners".