Patong , Phuket

[doppa]

well i guess most of you have read the disturbing news about the shootings on patong beach, it's becoming phukets own dodge city, and very sad to see, but not completely unexpected, the very unfortunate side of this is the obvious safety of tourists, and the damage this will undoubtably have on the future of patong as a serious travel destination.

the groups involved obviously dont give a toss about tourism, and the welfare of visitors, when it comes to snatching land off each other, but to create havoc on the streets like this episode is plain crazy, hopefully the big wigs in bangkok will now listen to the chief of police that the size and quality of the police force in phuket is woeful, it needs to be doubled , and even then it will be undermanned.

no doubt chiangmai has it's fair share of naughty boys, but has anyone ever seen it spill onto the streets for all to witness.

[IanForbes]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

[haybilly]

well i guess most of you have read the disturbing news about the shootings on patong beach, it's becoming phukets own dodge city, and very sad to see, but not completely unexpected, the very unfortunate side of this is the obvious safety of tourists, and the damage this will undoubtably have on the future of patong as a serious travel destination.

the groups involved obviously dont give a toss about tourism, and the welfare of visitors, when it comes to snatching land off each other, but to create havoc on the streets like this episode is plain crazy, hopefully the big wigs in bangkok will now listen to the chief of police that the size and quality of the police force in phuket is woeful, it needs to be doubled , and even then it will be undermanned.

no doubt chiangmai has it's fair share of naughty boys, but has anyone ever seen it spill onto the streets for all to witness.

I lived in Phuket for about 5 years however, since moving to Chiang Mai I haven't had to shoot anyone up here.

[orang37]

... snip ... the groups involved obviously dont give a toss about tourism, and the welfare of visitors, when it comes to snatching land off each other ... snip ...

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Doppa,

Phuket's problem is an obvious lack of deadly sidewalk crossings, and spring-loaded randomly unstable balconies. In the absence of these remedies who can blame "mother nature" for resorting to other means ?

I'm wondering what the "land snatching" thing you refer to is : do they pull the land out from under each other, not mindful of who is standing on it, giving no warning, leaving the now landless to tumble ... into ... into ... what ?

no doubt chiangmai has it's fair share of naughty boys, but has anyone ever seen it spill onto the streets for all to witness.

Yes. Thapae Gate, 11pm, Loy Krathong, several years ago. Maybe forty or fifty farangs in the area, maybe a few dozen Thais. Suddenly five Thai guys get into it, and suddenly three of whip out pistols (from their pants ?). At first I thought it was three against five, but it turned into four against one : they grabbed the unlucky one was he was trying to trying to flee to Thapae road and had him down on the street where they were all kicking the living crap out of him.

I didn't see the rest because when I saw the guns, I dropped down for cover behind some kind of Loy Krathong decoration thing. But, after I heard no more shouting, since I had never heard a shot, I emerged, and immediatey walked to the tourist police station nearby (at that time, it's since been razed). Closed, no one on duty.

Life at the gate back to normal. I felt ashamed I had not yelled "drop down" : it just didn't occur to me to do that; nor, did it occur to any of the other farangs.

best, ~o:37;

Edited July 22, 2009 by orang37

[gpdjohn]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

You ever been in a gunfight Ian?

[Rasseru]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

You ever been in a gunfight Ian?

Hmmm, I heard he had friends south of the border who got drafted to fight in Vietnam. Does that count?

[IanForbes]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

You ever been in a gunfight Ian?

Yes. It ain't pretty and it happens so fast you only react. There is no time to reason.

[ChiangMai2]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

You ever been in a gunfight Ian?

Yes. It ain't pretty and it happens so fast you only react. There is no time to reason.

Was it with a fish?

[gpdjohn]

They all need lessons in shooting. 8 guys participating and only one dead and 3 wounded. I could do better than that with my eyes closed. Thais need to learn to be more efficient in those things.

You ever been in a gunfight Ian?

Hmmm, I heard he had friends south of the border who got drafted to fight in Vietnam. Does that count?

[Blinky Bill]

I was in a gunfight once, the other guy had a knife. I won.

[Donnyboy]

well i guess most of you have read the disturbing news about the shootings on patong beach, it's becoming phukets own dodge city, and very sad to see, but not completely unexpected, the very unfortunate side of this is the obvious safety of tourists, and the damage this will undoubtably have on the future of patong as a serious travel destination.

the groups involved obviously dont give a toss about tourism, and the welfare of visitors, when it comes to snatching land off each other, but to create havoc on the streets like this episode is plain crazy, hopefully the big wigs in bangkok will now listen to the chief of police that the size and quality of the police force in phuket is woeful, it needs to be doubled , and even then it will be undermanned.

no doubt chiangmai has it's fair share of naughty boys, but has anyone ever seen it spill onto the streets for all to witness.

theres another news story out this week in Phuket about 3 men threatening to kill with a knife, apparently, they were filmed on cctv in an upscale appartment block threatening tourists in a lift before going on and banging on doors of several appartments shouting "Im going to kill you"

They were looking for an expat man they had an arguement with on the street earlier.

this senario could easily play out in CM

[mrsouza]

hopefully the big wigs in bangkok will now listen to the chief of police that the size and quality of the police force in phuket is woeful, it needs to be doubled , and even then it will be undermanned.

It's rather the quality, not the quantity, that afftecs the poor law enforcement in Phuket. Doubling the police force in Phuket would only result in also doubling the helmet check points and increased revenue for the local karaoke bars on the island.

I've learned that the Phuket police give carte blance in the following situations.

1. Crime or disturbance commited by a local Phuket person.

2. Crimes committed by the local "connected" people that operates on the islands tourist venues.

3. A Thai that is overly aggressive and threatening the police with repercussion are usually not even arrested.

I had a few police friends (recently graduated) that were so frustrated about working in Phuket that they considered leaving the police force because they simply can't or are not allowed to do their job.

You might recall the problems in Rawai little over a year ago. People were even killed on the road from Kata to Rawai and the police did nada about the situation, they were too busy collecting contributions at the traffic check point around Chalong circle.

I haven't been long enough in CM to know much about the local BIBs though.

[gpdjohn]

I was in a gunfight once, the other guy had a knife. I won.

I have been in several. No bragging, just the facts. ( and wished it never woulda happened,but that was what I got paid to do..)

One was with a woman with two very large steak knives in a kitchen coming at me in a windmill fashion.

I won that one .

Another, a man with a pistol and a shotgun with a pair of pinking shears stuck in his chest. He raised the shotgun towards me.

I won that one as well.

Last one, surprised me. Shot off the tip of my trigger finger, still managed to get some rounds out, he took some rounds in the leg. He's in prison for life.

I won.

Another, man sitting on a couch. He pulled out a small pistol from under the pillow as I entered the front door.

He no longer has the use of one arm and is paralized from the waist down. I won.

I would never assumed I could have won with my eyes closed. Eyes were wide open and I still missed a couple of times.

It was a grand day when I retired.

[ollylama]

I was in a gunfight once, the other guy had a knife. I won.

I have been in several. No bragging, just the facts. ( and wished it never woulda happened,but that was what I got paid to do..)

One was with a woman with two very large steak knives in a kitchen coming at me in a windmill fashion.

I won that one .

Another, a man with a pistol and a shotgun with a pair of pinking shears stuck in his chest. He raised the shotgun towards me.

I won that one as well.

Last one, surprised me. Shot off the tip of my trigger finger, still managed to get some rounds out, he took some rounds in the leg. He's in prison for life.

I won.

Another, man sitting on a couch. He pulled out a small pistol from under the pillow as I entered the front door.

He no longer has the use of one arm and is paralized from the waist down. I won.

I would never assumed I could have won with my eyes closed. Eyes were wide open and I still missed a couple of times.

It was a grand day when I retired.

presumably you were a policeman?

[gpdjohn]

Yes.