Fusion Of Violence And Lies

[mark lamai]

about 5 days ago now,

been reluctant to relay this story,

coz i know i will get the "bottom feeders get what they deserve" etc...

but i have been here for about 12 of the last 24 months and not had many problems except stupidness (yes, mine and theirs).

I mostly want to post the words FUSION CLUB, LAMAI BEACH , KOH SAMUI, over the net with associated words like violence and nasty.

so i was in the popular (read "only") after 2am bar here, the Fusion Club.

at the back end of the bar near the toilets i walked past a ladyboy who grabbed me and went straight for my wallet in my back pocket.

i pushed her away and move my wallet to my front left pocket.

then i chatted to a girl ( she was a lady boy it turns out, i was a bit drunk and she was small and not like the usual obvious bodybuilders in there),

ok go with you, walk around the corner to a dark spot,

she says cannot boom boom, have period, while pulling me close to her.

so i say no thanks and walk away.

i check my pockets and find wallet is missing.

i see her/him come back from the ladies toilet,

i go to her and her friend , check their bags, look around the floor,

thinking hard, my only solution is she pinched it.

go to "security" 3 times, finally a guy follows me to the lady boys.

tell my story and we all end up in the back room.

thats 2 ladyboys, me, and 4-5 thaai men.

loud aggressive interrogation of ladyboys takes place, one guy has to be restained because he wants to attack them hard,

they do not confess,

i tell my story again, explaining she/he goes to ladies toilet etc..

then, i dont know why, maybe something ladyboy said, one guy fronts me and asks how can she do it, putting his hand in pocket and replicating the crime.

its very confusing and loud, i am not following anything thats going on (being a bit drunk and no speak thai),

i move to the side and back behind all the people, and stand there quiet,

then i am falling down, legs in the air, onto my back into a bunch of boxes.

i was stunned and did not know what happened, i thought i had fainted,

actually one of the thai men had king hit me on the side of the face.

i get up and make my way out and lie down on the ground behind a couch near the bar.

not feeling well at all,( my later self-diagnosis was that i had concussion),

i was almost passing out ,

after a while one of the thai men comes to me with my wallet they found in the ladies toilet,

(all cards intact but 10,000 baht missing),

he helps me up to walk to the front,

i collapse onto the middle of the dance floor, get up,make it to the front,

sit on a stool and hold onto a post,

police have arrived, "you go with police", "i cannot", i am barely conscious, with waves of fainting coming over me.

i have to lie down, i walk out and lie down in a closed restaurant nearby,

after a while i feel better, i go outside, motorbike taxi man tells me they have money for me,

the boss tells me thay have the ladyboys motorbike and her ATM card and they go to get money, i come tomorrow and get my money, ok.

so i take a motorbike taxi home.

go to see boss next day appointed time, wait one hour,

talking,

when i say "you hit me" (meaning the the guys in general),

he goes into a full 1 minute loud aggressive verbal tirade, i sit mute.

he says come back tonight after midnight.

i go back 12:30am, boss not here, maybe 1-2am.

i go to police station,

they know the story, ask if have money from ladyboy,

one policeman holds up five fingers to another, they act dumb and say i go see Fusion Club boss.

around 2:30am i see him outside,

he says they take ladyboy ATM and get 5000 baht from her account,

do you want it (and then forget everything),

so i take it and say goodbye.

well, what can you say,

1. it was a good outcome, i got half of my money back.

2. A harmless innocent farang is a perfect rip-off target.

3. assaulting a person by mistake is perfectly acceptable.

in the end its very clear what the modus operandi of these people is,

we have the guns and the money and we will do whatever we like.

so does anyone know the power links here in Lamai

i have been told the Fusion boss is ex-police,

is he controlling the police or vice-versa, perhaps symbiotic?

why is SOHO club now closed, it had a farang owner i believe.

its pretty sick, i was in a bar nearby me the other night, a thai guy known to the bar comes in and flashes hiis gun twice to the girls.

so if you go to Fusion Club do not go into the back room alone with the staff.

if you go to the Fusion Club think about the the nasty people running it.

i know there is a lot of censorship about what really happens in thailand,

and i know vested interests do not want bad press,

but what these idiots don't relaise is that a truthful expose of what is happening here would destroy the tourist/expat/investment farang thing for years,

then they would be crying in their empty properties/businesses wondering what happened.

[RAZZELL]

Mark

I think the lessons here are:

1) Don't get so drunk you don't know what you are doing.

2) Same as any holiday resort...don't mess with the local's

RAZZ

[Robski]

Spot on Razzell

Could have been so much worse Mark, the way you were carrying on you could have woken up with a sore arse.

[suegha]

Spot on Razzell

Could have been so much worse Mark, the way you were carrying on you could have woken up with a sore arse.

Seriously folks, does this even sound true? Not to me it doesn't!

[LaoPo]

You were lucky....

After midnight....1AM...2AM...the rats come out of their holes, looking for drunk farangs....this time they found you and you 'escaped alive'...next time you won't be so lucky.

Watch yourself.

LaoPo

[Dingojoe]

Spot on Razzell

Could have been so much worse Mark, the way you were carrying on you could have woken up with a sore arse.

Seriously folks, does this even sound true? Not to me it doesn't!

Are you serious of course its true, WOW some of you people have been here for years living under rocks, the MAFIA is here in many ways big and small and they all got frigin guns.

This guy Mark did nothing wrong except have a few drinks too many, its a holiday island thats what people do here have a few drinks too many, and ladyboys are always trying to steel your wallet i know some personaly and thats what they do, not all but most, and as for the thugs in Fusion yes they are there and at lots of late night places, the cops are in on it and so is the boss, i believe every single thing that Mark Said and more. Best you people that dont understand the place you live in dont go out after dark, and actualy it seems you dont go out at all, because this is how it is in Samui late night get used to it.

[Mark Wolfe]

Who in their right mind goes into a club anywhere after 2 in the morning with 10,000 baht in their wallet?

Let me ask you a serious question, Mark. Why were you in Fusion? If it's for sex, you can get that anywhere earlier with better choice and results. If it's for dancing then why go so late? If it's for getting drunk, there are many safer places (you must know the reputations of Fusion and Lek Bar).

I have been in Fusion about two times over the past two years, sober and for a look-see. I have friends who go there on a semi-regular basis and they tell me, along with others, that things often/sometimes get out of control.

Here is the skinny: All the bars close at 2am, at which point patrons are almost always very inebriated. THEN they go over to Fusion, not because they need more firewater, but because of it.

Fusion is the place where your first drink is already one too many.

As you expected, the crocodile tears are flowing....

[goldfish]

The only mistake here was getting so drunk and then going to the fusion bar, everything else follows from there. If you feel the desire for company after 2am then just stand on a street corner or find a quiet bar still open. If you must go fusion then find a quiet corner to people watch. Taking a 'lady' from there was asking for trouble. You could just have easily woken to find everything gone.

Carrying 10000 baht in a pocket? I do it all the time, but it's not kept in a wallet, I'm not broadcasting it. You're very slim, Mark, would be easy to take from any pocket. Pull you roughly on the arm and you're not gonna feel it slide from your pocket.

If I had lost this money in these circumstances I would have let it go. I would not be happy but there is no way I would go into a back room. You got 5000 baht back, the police got their 50% cut as is usual, what did the security get? Oh dear, if my maths is correct someone lost out quite badly here. I seriously suggest you keep a low profile for a while and keep well clear of the fusion and ladyboy hang-outs.

One more thing, Mark, learn some thai. If a barely literate bargirl who cannot read her own language without moving her lips can learn a foreign language in 18 months then so can you

[loiner100]

Mark,

Can you really be so naive, it’s not as though you have only just arrived in Samui?

You were trying to sell a clothing shop in Lamai in July 2006

You were here in December 2006 trying to sell the Apocalypse bar.

In August last year were looking to sell quickly the Apocalypse bar because you were in a hurry to get back to Australia. Why quickly? Had you got in to trouble then as well?

Then in October 2007 you are talking about coming back to Thailand on a one way ticket in December. I presume from that you are wanting to stay long time/permanently.

You must have been aware of the pitfalls of the types of bar/clubs being mentioned.

I just recommend anyone reading this to check out the OP’s previous postings (There are 414 of them). Here is just one example:

“Well ain't this fun.

had lots of time to read nearly everything,

since I have no customers in my bar.

Oops!

but I'm not working!

renting a bar is legal.

employing a thai cashier seems legal, well at least no one seems to care.

giving a beer to a customer can get me deported of course.

but I haven't done that - since yesterday.

i have no work permit.

I have only a 30 day stamp - on my 4th this time in thailand.

have spent money for company.

why don't you get a work permit you lazy bum?

slowly, slowly.

it don't cost that much, but its a hassle.

AND

i might not want to stay here!

especially now.

so far i have spent a fair amount of money here,

haven't raped, killed or been into land scams.

but it seems I am one of the targeted undesirables,

'illegally working and taking jobs from thai people"

You have got to be kidding.

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a thai willing to work here in samui.

for pretty good money and benefits.

all thought of buying property in thailand has been trashed.

cambodia is looking seriously attractive.

stupid is as stupid does.

kinda amusing really, they shall reap what they sow.”

'nuff said I think.

[RAZZELL]

'nuff said I think.

Too true

RAZZ

[Mark Wolfe]

Hoist by your own petard

Meaning

Injured by the device that you intended to use to injure others.

[game4shame]

I've lost count of the rumbles I've witnessed in fusion - it's far too crowded around 2-3am and with the mainly pished young sex-tourist crowd in force there's always a high chance of a dust-up.

so does anyone know the power links here in Lamai

i have been told the Fusion boss is ex-police,

is he controlling the police or vice-versa, perhaps symbiotic?

why is SOHO club now closed, it had a farang owner i believe.

fusion is mafioso central in lamai. the guys working there are actually decent enough if you keep on the right side of them.

why has soho closed? it was owned (or leased if that fit's better) by a northern irish guy. I heard the tea-money had been raised as the place got more popular and resulted in the guy going out of business. I could be wrong but that's what the rumours were.

[mark lamai]

well some interesting and some expected responses.

what i find perverse is that many farangs accept, like thai people it seems, that violence is a legitimate way of doing business/resolving disputes in thailand.

as long as we, like thais, just go along with it and say "well bad luck, forget it",

"put it down to experience" etc.

then the the rule of money and the gun will prevail in thailand forever.

from the highest government to the lowest dirty bar,

is this good? no, of course not.

and everyone just does nothing.

it's not up to farangs to do anything, we can't,

so why don't the thai people do something?

is it lack of education in the sense that a carbon copy proxy taksin government has been elected and will obviuosly continue with corruption and exploitation.

thus continuing to set the standards of what is allowd and how to do it.

why not elect a good government? Set an example from the top.

my real point is simply that this violent and corrupt behaviour is not civilized,

and i am saying so.

thailand, in my opinion, is well past being a developing country but a long way from being a civilized country.

the development of social, moral and political structures have not kept up with the material development.

=======================

as for the personal slights above,

seem to suggest i am not a nice person and i got what i deserve,

but no expression of disapproval of the thai behaviour, interesting as above.

i have never been in trouble in samui, never.

[RAZZELL]

well some interesting and some expected responses.

what i find perverse is that many farangs accept, like thai people it seems, that violence is a legitimate way of doing business/resolving disputes in thailand.

as long as we, like thais, just go along with it and say "well bad luck, forget it",

"put it down to experience" etc.

then the the rule of money and the gun will prevail in thailand forever.

from the highest government to the lowest dirty bar,

is this good? no, of course not.

and everyone just does nothing.

it's not up to farangs to do anything, we can't,

so why don't the thai people do something?

is it lack of education in the sense that a carbon copy proxy taksin government has been elected and will obviuosly continue with corruption and exploitation.

thus continuing to set the standards of what is allowd and how to do it.

why not elect a good government? Set an example from the top.

my real point is simply that this violent and corrupt behaviour is not civilized,

and i am saying so.

thailand, in my opinion, is well past being a developing country but a long way from being a civilized country.

the development of social, moral and political structures have not kept up with the material development.

=======================

as for the personal slights above,

seem to suggest i am not a nice person and i got what i deserve,

but no expression of disapproval of the thai behaviour, interesting as above.

i have never been in trouble in samui, never.

A much more interesting and lucid post.

Thailand is a "developing" nation.

It has a long way to go before it's as corrupt as the rest of the world

RAZZ

Edited February 14, 2008 by RAZZELL

[game4shame]

well some interesting and some expected responses.

what i find perverse is that many farangs accept, like thai people it seems, that violence is a legitimate way of doing business/resolving disputes in thailand.

as long as we, like thais, just go along with it and say "well bad luck, forget it",

"put it down to experience" etc.

then the the rule of money and the gun will prevail in thailand forever.

from the highest government to the lowest dirty bar,

is this good? no, of course not.

and everyone just does nothing.

it's not up to farangs to do anything, we can't,

so why don't the thai people do something?

is it lack of education in the sense that a carbon copy proxy taksin government has been elected and will obviuosly continue with corruption and exploitation.

thus continuing to set the standards of what is allowd and how to do it.

why not elect a good government? Set an example from the top.

my real point is simply that this violent and corrupt behaviour is not civilized,

and i am saying so.

thailand, in my opinion, is well past being a developing country but a long way from being a civilized country.

the development of social, moral and political structures have not kept up with the material development.

=======================

as for the personal slights above,

seem to suggest i am not a nice person and i got what i deserve,

but no expression of disapproval of the thai behaviour, interesting as above.

i have never been in trouble in samui, never.

the country oozes corruption - there's a hel_l of a way to go before anything will change.

you can buy your way in or out of almost anything.

[Robski]

At 2am in a pissed up bar scene, Thailand does not hold a monopoly on violence as the currency of choice.

[malcolmswaine]

Thanks for the heads up Mark, some of those lady boys are such thieving gypsies it’s unreal

[MSingh]

What happened to the " Stringfellow's Club " that used to be there in that area ?

Is it now Super Sub ?

[ashacat]

Seriously folks, does this even sound true? Not to me it doesn't!

Errr, yes. I've heard and witnessed (not personally) this sort of thing on more than one occasion. Maybe you need to get out more, or not as the case may be....

Edited February 15, 2008 by ashacat

[calibanjr.]

Is it that I'm so frugal or a "better bargainer" or just have limited life experience, or what is it? I was a pretty frequent bar patron in Pattaya/Phuket/BKK wherever for quite a while, sampled the local cultural "after hours" experiences both after hours and round the clock when on a bender with a "companion" (or 3). I've probably never had more than 3k in my pocket (except for biz, exporting). If I go out in the States drinking with friends, it probably does me about 1-2 hundred $ on a real drinking night. Here, 3k, on a serious night, at the OUTSIDE. Maybe I need to get out and spend more, missing something.

Sort of a corollary to the usual: "don't invest money in Thailand that you can't afford to lose completely"

would be:

"don't go out drinking with more CASH on you than you could walk away from with a shrug" I think that one holds true universally.

Edited February 15, 2008 by calibanjr.

[simey]

You are not the first or last, but any major city in the world has the same problems. I lived in Amsterdam for a while, and watched guys with their hands in tourists pockets on the tram knowing that very little would happen to them even if they got caught.

Something I did there and do here when I'm out, mentioned before, is to restrict the amount of money on you, leave your wallet behind, and spread the cash over a couple pockets. It's easier to walk out of the bar having lost the 1000 baht in your front pocket than be carried out 10k down and bruised. You think the principle is important, your safety should be number one priority, everything else is lower.

[MSingh]

You are not the first or last, but any major city in the world has the same problems. I lived in Amsterdam for a while, and watched guys with their hands in tourists pockets on the tram knowing that very little would happen to them even if they got caught.

Something I did there and do here when I'm out, mentioned before, is to restrict the amount of money on you, leave your wallet behind, and spread the cash over a couple pockets. It's easier to walk out of the bar having lost the 1000 baht in your front pocket than be carried out 10k down and bruised. You think the principle is important, your safety should be number one priority, everything else is lower.

This is all true but i don't think it would have stopped the original Poster from being assaulted both physically & verbally etc unless he didn't choose to report the Crime to the Club itself & the Police, as it wasn't for as much money..

[game4shame]

What happened to the " Stringfellow's Club " that used to be there in that area ?

Is it now Super Sub ?

'seed' club is now in place of stringfellows. supersub is next door and AFAIK closed.

[anthos]

how come ladyboys have periods?

[simey]

They have bad periods, where there are no takers and they go home empty handed. And good periods, where they meet drunk farangs with loaded wallets who show them the wallet before placing it within easy reach.

[MSingh]

well some interesting and some expected responses.

what i find perverse is that many farangs accept, like thai people it seems, that violence is a legitimate way of doing business/resolving disputes in thailand.

as long as we, like thais, just go along with it and say "well bad luck, forget it",

"put it down to experience" etc.

then the the rule of money and the gun will prevail in thailand forever.

from the highest government to the lowest dirty bar,

is this good? no, of course not.

and everyone just does nothing.

it's not up to farangs to do anything, we can't,

so why don't the thai people do something?

is it lack of education in the sense that a carbon copy proxy taksin government has been elected and will obviuosly continue with corruption and exploitation.

thus continuing to set the standards of what is allowd and how to do it.

why not elect a good government? Set an example from the top.

my real point is simply that this violent and corrupt behaviour is not civilized,

and i am saying so.

thailand, in my opinion, is well past being a developing country but a long way from being a civilized country.

the development of social, moral and political structures have not kept up with the material development.

=======================

as for the personal slights above,

seem to suggest i am not a nice person and i got what i deserve,

but no expression of disapproval of the thai behaviour, interesting as above.

i have never been in trouble in samui, never.

You have answered all of your own questions there with the red part..

[Samuian]

living here nearly for 20 years.... had my fair share on "after hours" activities... never had a problem... but choose the places with care - if trouble surfaces, the first little line of it... I pay and go!

Never got so drunk I couldn't handle the scene anymore.

Never engage in ANY way with lady boy hookers!

Stay away from places where they are allowed in.

Chaweng RP, SS and GM are off limits for them and they stay away!

Not ALL of them are bad to the bone, but it's the scene, the places they are around, some of them I would not even go near, and Fusion is certainly one of them!

Take good care of yourself!

is the best insurance anyway...