Dead Falang Floating

[lioness]

This is an unconfirmed story, however the whole village is talking, perhaps someone can shed some light on it.

The story has it that a dead falang was floating down the river kwai today in Kanchanaburi. Apparently the body got snagged twice in front of 2 different resorts but was pushed out again ( unlucky to have a dead man float into your property ) I am then told the body made it's way under the " famous bridge " and then came to rest at a monastry.

[neverdie]

Sounds like he was lucky not to get run down by one of those V8 boats that speeds up and down the river there.

that is if a dead man can get lucky

[bruceboy]

Any updates?

[jdinasia]

Other than the river in Kanchanaburi is the Khwae and that farang is spelled with an r? ....

I had a look through the Thai papers and the news and there's nothing on this rumor

[Moonrakers]

Maybe he was just floating down to the next bar.

[lioness]

Apparently lit was late this afternoon, the village chief reckons it will be in the news tomorrow.

Incidentally jdinasia, I have seen 4 different spellings of the name Khwae/Kwai, all on signposts within a 5 km radius.

[jdinasia]

Only one spelling in Thai ...

[mahtin]

Only one spelling in Thai ...

Buffalo River

[Owain]

Only one spelling in Thai;

but we are all using English here not Thai Edited February 7, 2009 by Owain

[jdinasia]

Only one spelling in Thai;

but we are all using English here not Thai

Right ... and the name in Thai transliterated into English is Khwae (not Khwai .. different vowel sound and doesn't mean waterbuffalo in Thai ... blame the Limeys I guess

quick edit --- still nothing in the Thai press about this rumor (which sounded a bit bogus in the initial telling)

Edited February 7, 2009 by jdinasia

[Owain]

Only one spelling in Thai;

but we are all using English here not Thai

Right ... and the name in Thai transliterated into English is Khwae (not Khwai .. different vowel sound and doesn't mean waterbuffalo in Thai ... blame the Limeys I guess

Yes I remember that famous film Bridge on the river Khwae.

Edited February 7, 2009 by Owain

[jdinasia]

Only one spelling in Thai;

but we are all using English here not Thai

Right ... and the name in Thai transliterated into English is Khwae (not Khwai .. different vowel sound and doesn't mean waterbuffalo in Thai ... blame the Limeys I guess

Yes I remember that famous film Bridge on the river Khwae.

LOL ...

Now... quick ... learn some Thai and then google a bit (maybe you'll find the Thai-blogs site that will give you part of the story.

[h90]

Sounds like he was lucky not to get run down by one of those V8 boats that speeds up and down the river there.

that is if a dead man can get lucky

:D

[jdinasia]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

[Owain]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

and I have been responding to a guy who thinks that the river Kwai in English is the river Khwae, ain't that a laugh.

[jdinasia]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

and I have been responding to a guy who thinks that the river Kwai in English is the river Khwae, ain't that a laugh.

again .. let me help you out a bit ... the river's name is Khwae (in any language) ((actually 2 rivers .. the Khwae Yai and the Khwae Noi)) the "bridge" from the book wasn't on said river .... and the bad spelling pronunciation most likely came from poor translation of French to English (and certainly from Thai to English).

But that's enough time wasted on someone not in Thailand and that doesn't know Thailand Have fun in Wales

[Owain]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

and I have been responding to a guy who thinks that the river Kwai in English is the river Khwae, ain't that a laugh.

again .. let me help you out a bit ... the river's name is Khwae (in any language) ((actually 2 rivers .. the Khwae Yai and the Khwae Noi)) the "bridge" from the book wasn't on said river .... and the bad spelling pronunciation most likely came from poor translation of French to English (and certainly from Thai to English).

But that's enough time wasted on someone not in Thailand and that doesn't know Thailand Have fun in Wales

Oh and it took you all that time to come up with the actual name of the river Khwae Yai. So you were wrong on the name of the river in English and in Thai as well. Well done. Guess I know more about Thailand than you. Having lived there for 11 years myself and visiting so many times as well.

and also the bridge in the book was also on the Kwai, so you are wrong about that as well.

"The story is based on the building in 1943 of one of the railway bridges over the Khwae Yai at a place called Tamarkan five kilometres from the Thai town of Kanchanaburi."

Edited February 7, 2009 by Owain

[dantilley]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

A n00b on this site may not be a n00b to Thailand. And how do you know he's not a 20 years+ resident of Thailand enjoying a short holiday in The Valleys?

[jdinasia]

Because I can read

[jdinasia]

Just realized I was responding to an expert n00b that is in Wales and not Thailand .... oh well .. aint the internet a grand thing?

and I have been responding to a guy who thinks that the river Kwai in English is the river Khwae, ain't that a laugh.

again .. let me help you out a bit ... the river's name is Khwae (in any language) ((actually 2 rivers .. the Khwae Yai and the Khwae Noi)) the "bridge" from the book wasn't on said river .... and the bad spelling pronunciation most likely came from poor translation of French to English (and certainly from Thai to English).

But that's enough time wasted on someone not in Thailand and that doesn't know Thailand Have fun in Wales

Oh and it took you all that time to come up with the actual name of the river Khwae Yai. So you were wrong on the name of the river in English and in Thai as well. Well done. Guess I know more about Thailand than you. Having lived there for 11 years myself and visiting so many times as well.

and also the bridge in the book was also on the Kwai, so you are wrong about that as well.

"The story is based on the building in 1943 of one of the railway bridges over the Khwae Yai at a place called Tamarkan five kilometres from the Thai town of Kanchanaburi."

LOL ... keep working .. as Kan (and the bridge discussed above) is on the Khwae Noi ...

In reference to the real bridge -----

Up until the 1960s, the River was considered part of the Mae Klong itself.

but thanks for playing .. enjoy Wales

[geriatrickid]

Someone makes a simple inquiry as to the veracity of a story about a corpse and the response is scorn because of the english spelling of the river. The pedantic finger waver cannot get it right either since แม่น้ำแควใหญ่ is Khwae Yai. Thing is, everyone knew the river that the OP was citing. but hey. that's not important, let's rip into the OP for writing Kwai. Next there is the horrible use of the term falang instead of farang. Shame, shame on the person using that word. So what if it is a term used by many Thais. Most of my friends from Isaan say falang and not farang. Everyone knows it's interchangeable. Everyone knows the intent, but still, let's take a chunk out of someone for that.

Chances are it's not a body. Most likely a dead animal. You know how people like to exagerate. However, if a corpse, it wont be that easy a recovery if the body has been in the water for awhile. A corpse will usually sink and then float up to the surface after a few days or a week once the internal organs and body cavity bloats with gas as the body putrifies. Although human bodies decay at a slower rate when immersed, it makes it very difficult to recover because the whole body must be lifted. You can't just grab for a limb and reel it in. If you do that, the flesh comes off in your hand. So, even if the hotels wanted to recover the body, they probably would have botched the procedure. You need to contain and then scoop. So, maybe it was a good thing none of the hotels tried to get the corpse.

[Tywais]

Since at the moment it is just a rumor and this has turned into a spelling bee, will close it until real news is reported at which point use the report button to let a mod know.

//Closed//