Incident On Sukhumvit What Should I Do?

[richardt1808]

Cant agree more with all the comments who advise to let it go and walk away.

I've lived here for 10 years and know of numerous cases like this where things got really nasty. Behind the sweet smiling fascia which is the face put on for tourists and those who dont know better, there are really dark elements out there and you never know just when you are going to come face-to-face with one of those characters who will either cut you up or blast you faster than it takes to blink an eye.

The 'mafia' types here thrive and the police here dont have half of the resources available elsewhere. Even high-profile cases go largely unsoved, so dont expect much help there either.

[IanForbes]

The OP was lucky he wasn't in the USA. In many states someone would have just shot you.

[RakJungTorlae]

You need some motivation to snitch like a little B! #%H?

If you blocked me and gave me the dirty looks without apologizing .id chases u and stick that sword where the sun don't shine.

Peace.

LOL, so you would punish him by making him watch you stick a sword up your a55? Would would you do if he kissed your girlfriend? Chop your own ba11s off to punish him? Wait, did someone kiss your girlfriend and now you are overcompensating trying to show that you still have ba11s.

Why in god's name are you freaking out like a little girl for?? Why are you talking about my balls?

Yes I would seriously punish him by sticking a sward up he's ass

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Edited October 28, 2009 by RakJungTorlae

[straightdave]

nice to see a senisible dialog thanks

i carry a blade ( better to say folding knife) simply because i feel like i am making myself and others and when i say others i mean joe public safer

i know i may be called a knight or made fun of insulted , told i am another guy ( check the youtube) even by a guy here i once helped out ( think it was him) - thats cool- but the reality simply is that in all my years of carrying one i can say that the only people who wished i did not were the bad guys

conversely i would say all of those that this self appointed mad knight assisted (i will betcha are )glad i did ( do)

i had better not offer to back this up by offering to show proof of this or i may be further insulted by someone who has 18 months of hard full on combat but does not like to boast about it ( exuse me hav'nt you just...?)

i mean , can you see my point here? i know that there is no hard and fast rule, but its never yet gone against me, it may do, i may have it taken of me and used against me, and/or others

but so far this has not happened

do you see where i am coming from?

Thank you dave for taking the time to give an explanation. I think we could continue to debate this for sometime, but probably easier to agree to disagree on the benefits of carrying a knife.

You have your reasons for carrying, and I have mine for not -it's pretty simple. Anyway, the important thing for people to be is aware of their environment, and if at all possible avoid confrontation at all costs. Just for the record dave, no I haven't had 18 months of hard full on combat.

thanks man and i agree

always best to avoid and be aware

sometimes i think violence is often about mans lack of ability to de escalate a situation without " losing face"

[straightdave]

Cant agree more with all the comments who advise to let it go and walk away.

I've lived here for 10 years and know of numerous cases like this where things got really nasty. Behind the sweet smiling fascia which is the face put on for tourists and those who dont know better, there are really dark elements out there and you never know just when you are going to come face-to-face with one of those characters who will either cut you up or blast you faster than it takes to blink an eye.

The 'mafia' types here thrive and the police here dont have half of the resources available elsewhere. Even high-profile cases go largely unsoved, so dont expect much help there either.

what you said can be in most undeveloped nations

but i will tell you something about these mafia types

they are all cowards,

there main weapon is fear

they join groups because only in a rat pack do they feel safe

and when faced with someone with a little knowhow who just not give a dam_n about this papertiger term

they are nothing ,zero they aint men and to call them women is an insult to the ladys

case in question- the incident when a "mafia" man pulled a piece on soi 13 and my buddy whipped his ass

the security guys would not get involved because of this local mafia nonsense

he even was crying " i thai mafia, i thai mafia" my buddy loved that and whipped his butt regardless, even disiplined the guys lady, it was beautiful

i would like to see see less of this do not upset the locals they may be mafia balony

the best policy is not to upset anyone anywhere anytime

and do not be in awe of these cowardly lowlifes

[chiangdan]

I took a taxi to a 7-11 and asked him to wait for me until I came out. When I came out of the 7-11 a pickup was honking at the taxi. I gave him a look like "relax dude" and got in the taxi. Before the next stop light the truck pulled alongside the car and tapped on my window with a sword that was almost 3 feet long. I made a motion like "im calling the police."

the taxi took me home, wrote down the trucks plate, make and model.

what should i do from here?

im tired of thais thinking their generals in the third reich even when theire half your size but i need some motivation to act on this.

Are you American

[straightdave]

buddy

" i am tired of thais thinking they are generals in the 3rd "

all cowards,lowlifes,scumbags, whatevers from all over this planet

have an over inflated egotistical veiw of themselves

we wanna avoid stooping to their level by making sweeping comments like that

sure you agree

[lioness]

Let it rest. You have much more to lose than he does. As someone else said, in any society there will be those who dislike foreigners. Sometimes anger overrides our judgment.

This comment and a few others seem to think that this incident occured because the OP is a Farang. I would like to point out that this is an assumption.

Similar incidents happen to Thais as well. You should have just got in the Taxi and gone about your business.

[DegenFarang]

The last thing I want to do in this country is piss off a Thai male. Piss off the women all you want, they will never have a man come and defend them. <snip> But Thai men don't f.uck around.

Giving him a 'relax dude' look was not a good idea. It is not what another Thai would have done and is considered very disrespectful. You should have smiled and/or Wai'd him and given him a look like 'sorry dude i'm moving as quickly as possible'.

Its just good manners and on top of it will avoid situations like this. Check your ego at the door. Saving face is huge for Thai's and if you make them lose it in front of other Thai's they will not be happy, as you have seen.

Be very very nice and polite to ALL Thai men. Remember, this is THEIR country, you are just a guest.

Edited October 30, 2009 by Jai Dee
Culturally insensitive comment deleted.

[GarryP]

Why "wai"? You would look a right prat just off the plane. Would a Thai wai in such a case? No way. Just bow a little and raise your palm to show you are sorry. I see so many foreigners waiing in utterly inappropriate situations and it is often embarrassing to the recipient.

While the sword was probably uncalled for, he probably interpretted your gesture or glance as an f'you type thing. In any case, people parked up at the side of the road blocking traffic (to buy noodles, popping in to the mini-mart, etc) piss me off too. Right selfish gits they are. They should pull into the nearest side road where you are not blocking others and walk back to the store.

[DegenFarang]

Why "wai"? You would look a right prat just off the plane. Would a Thai wai in such a case? No way. Just bow a little and raise your palm to show you are sorry. I see so many foreigners waiing in utterly inappropriate situations and it is often embarrassing to the recipient.

While the sword was probably uncalled for, he probably interpretted your gesture or glance as an f'you type thing. In any case, people parked up at the side of the road blocking traffic (to buy noodles, popping in to the mini-mart, etc) piss me off too. Right selfish gits they are. They should pull into the nearest side road where you are not blocking others and walk back to the store.

Wai'ing is certainly better than giving him a pissed off look. My understanding is that to wai somebody is to show respect and that they are of a higher status than you are. A Thai man in a truck (didn't say what kind of truck, old, new, etc) could very well be of higher status than the OP.

If it were a person in a nice truck, dressed nice etc, I would wai them. I always wai my doctor, the parents of my girlfriend etc. I agree people overuse it and wai waitresses and bargirls and such, but I normally always wai Thai people who I perceive to be rich or of high social status.

[toptuan]

Go and report this to the police - have fun dealing with Thai bureaucracy! hhehehehehehehe

Agreed.

Your "relax dude" stare opened a can of worms.

Getting the Thai bureaucracy involved will open Pandora's Box.

Drop it and try to relax yourself.

P.S. By the way, thanks for promoting and apparently endorsing a business for Renting Cars in Toronto by including it directly in your post. It's sooo appropriate for a discussion on Thailand.

[straightdave]

The last thing I want to do in this country is piss off a Thai male. Piss off the women all you want, they will never have a man come and defend them. <snip> But Thai men don't f.uck around.

Giving him a 'relax dude' look was not a good idea. It is not what another Thai would have done and is considered very disrespectful. You should have smiled and/or Wai'd him and given him a look like 'sorry dude i'm moving as quickly as possible'.

Its just good manners and on top of it will avoid situations like this. Check your ego at the door. Saving face is huge for Thai's and if you make them lose it in front of other Thai's they will not be happy, as you have seen.

Be very very nice and polite to ALL Thai men. Remember, this is THEIR country, you are just a guest.

well my buddy shot that theory all to hel_l when he bitch slapped a local mafia fool and his lady on soi 13 a few weeks back

i cannot conceive of someone losing more face

gun taken off him, bitch slapped, held until cops came, laughed at when lame threats of

iam mafia oh really and you know what i dont give a dam

did anyone come back?- naaaa

will anyone come back? -naaaa

they know better than to get another asswhipping

al this " dont piss of a local" bugs the hel_l outta me

tell you what , dont piss nobody off thats the best policy

forget this balony, local makes are no more, or less inclined to behave like punks than anywhere else in the world

and to be honest, if i had to make a call i would much rather cross swords with a local here than say south america for example

smaller size and far more likely to go for it regardless of chance of favorable outcome

asians weigh up the odds, can i win?, if not, i will leave it mentality

[DegenFarang]

The last thing I want to do in this country is piss off a Thai male. Piss off the women all you want, they will never have a man come and defend them. <snip> But Thai men don't f.uck around.

Giving him a 'relax dude' look was not a good idea. It is not what another Thai would have done and is considered very disrespectful. You should have smiled and/or Wai'd him and given him a look like 'sorry dude i'm moving as quickly as possible'.

Its just good manners and on top of it will avoid situations like this. Check your ego at the door. Saving face is huge for Thai's and if you make them lose it in front of other Thai's they will not be happy, as you have seen.

Be very very nice and polite to ALL Thai men. Remember, this is THEIR country, you are just a guest.

well my buddy shot that theory all to hel_l when he bitch slapped a local mafia fool and his lady on soi 13 a few weeks back

i cannot conceive of someone losing more face

gun taken off him, bitch slapped, held until cops came, laughed at when lame threats of

iam mafia oh really and you know what i dont give a dam

did anyone come back?- naaaa

will anyone come back? -naaaa

they know better than to get another asswhipping

al this " dont piss of a local" bugs the hel_l outta me

tell you what , dont piss nobody off thats the best policy

forget this balony, local makes are no more, or less inclined to behave like punks than anywhere else in the world

and to be honest, if i had to make a call i would much rather cross swords with a local here than say south america for example

smaller size and far more likely to go for it regardless of chance of favorable outcome

asians weigh up the odds, can i win?, if not, i will leave it mentality

If that guy ever catches your friend again, there is a very real chance your friend could wind up dead. There was also a > 0% chance the police could have simply shot your friend on the spot, depending who it was he slapped. Behaving that way in Thailand is extremely dangerous. Life is not valued here the way it is in the west.

I agree with your 'piss off nobody' sentiment, and so do most Thai's. I can't recall the last time a random Thai person pissed me off, other than persistant touts on the street. Thai's are exceedingly polite, constantly smiling, always in a good mood (on the outside at least). I think the best way to get along with them is to do the same - even if they piss you off, do what they do when somebody pisses them off, smile and keep it on the inside.

Edited October 30, 2009 by DegenFarang

[straightdave]

The last thing I want to do in this country is piss off a Thai male. Piss off the women all you want, they will never have a man come and defend them. <snip> But Thai men don't f.uck around.

Giving him a 'relax dude' look was not a good idea. It is not what another Thai would have done and is considered very disrespectful. You should have smiled and/or Wai'd him and given him a look like 'sorry dude i'm moving as quickly as possible'.

Its just good manners and on top of it will avoid situations like this. Check your ego at the door. Saving face is huge for Thai's and if you make them lose it in front of other Thai's they will not be happy, as you have seen.

Be very very nice and polite to ALL Thai men. Remember, this is THEIR country, you are just a guest.

well my buddy shot that theory all to hel_l when he bitch slapped a local mafia fool and his lady on soi 13 a few weeks back

i cannot conceive of someone losing more face

gun taken off him, bitch slapped, held until cops came, laughed at when lame threats of

iam mafia oh really and you know what i dont give a dam

did anyone come back?- naaaa

will anyone come back? -naaaa

they know better than to get another asswhipping

al this " dont piss of a local" bugs the hel_l outta me

tell you what , dont piss nobody off thats the best policy

forget this balony, local makes are no more, or less inclined to behave like punks than anywhere else in the world

and to be honest, if i had to make a call i would much rather cross swords with a local here than say south america for example

smaller size and far more likely to go for it regardless of chance of favorable outcome

asians weigh up the odds, can i win?, if not, i will leave it mentality

If that guy ever catches your friend again, there is a very real chance your friend could wind up dead. There was also a > 0% chance the police could have simply shot your friend on the spot, depending who it was he slapped. Behaving that way in Thailand is extremely dangerous. Life is not valued here the way it is in the west.

I agree with your 'piss off nobody' sentiment, and so do most Thai's. I can't recall the last time a random Thai person pissed me off, other than persistant touts on the street. Thai's are exceedingly polite, constantly smiling, always in a good mood (on the outside at least). I think the best way to get along with them is to do the same - even if they piss you off, do what they do when somebody pisses them off, smile and keep it on the inside.

catches him ? he is in the gym daily and very easy to find!

there is no finding nor catching here man, he is there he aint running and no thai ,no farnang, no noone is coming because they know what may just well await again

and they kinda had one of those already big time

where are there brave revenge he men you talk of?

the only one likely to end up dead in all honestly is that guy he knows it,

he saw the steel and was told he had better stop acting like a punk

he aint that dumb he did what he was told

the brave face saving hero was defeated

on the security dvd you can clearly see this hero give up when it made quite clear and plain that my buddy dont give dam_n, his ass was goiing to be whipped then go to jail and he could be don corleone for he cared

you may be all right

the cops may of shot my buddy (when they saw who it was they smiled and thanked him)

the hero may grow some balls and try and come back when he has done his time

know what? i doubt that

meantime the score is well against those mothers and there aint zero that can change that

lets stop playing this game of we have to fear these punks

we dont

your givin them all that they need to do what they wanna do

[lioness]

The last thing I want to do in this country is piss off a Thai male. Piss off the women all you want, they will never have a man come and defend them. <snip> But Thai men don't f.uck around.

Can't imagine where you came up with this idea from, totally untrue, I suggest you don't test that theory.

[YoungNRich12]

Why don't you try not closing down a lane on a busy road like its your personal driveway? Pay the taxi and wait for another.

[HappyThaiLife]

Report to the police since you've got the details and hopefully the taxi driver's details too as a witness...the rest is up to them.

Whilst I do not condone anyone waving a sword in a threathening manner for a minor incident, I also think the OP need to remember the taxi was waiting for him and presumably obstructing traffic? Perhaps a "thanks for your patience and sorry for blocking traffic" gesture may have been more appropriate than a "relax dude" look. Sorry that you are "im tired of thais thinking their generals in the third reich even when theire half your size..." but perhaps some locals are tired of farangs thinking it's quite OK to block traffic.

bad advice i reckon...

don't report it...walk away. always smile...it costs nothing. the fella with the sword may actually hurt you...and he is related to some man in brown

[jackr]

Why "wai"? You would look a right prat just off the plane. Would a Thai wai in such a case? No way. Just bow a little and raise your palm to show you are sorry. I see so many foreigners waiing in utterly inappropriate situations and it is often embarrassing to the recipient.

My understanding is that to wai somebody is to show respect and that they are of a higher status than you are. A Thai man in a truck (didn't say what kind of truck, old, new, etc) could very well be of higher status than the OP.

GarryP is right, waiing would have made you look an inexperienced fool in this instance and would probably be akin to waiing a bar girl in front of everyone else or the 7-11 counter boy when receiving change. The slight bow and palm with no hard expression would have been perfect, but the op was bang out of order in the first place.

[keyjor]

As most of the other posts have said, forget it.

Do not try and stare down or become angry. I have seen some bad stuff when farangs have done this.