Thai Man Seen Beating Young Thai Woman,

[MiG16]

How do you really know she didn't deserve it?

Im not going to say what should be done or what can be done, and what the outcome will be

everyone has different idea of how much they are willing to risk

but for anyone to suggest that a woman deserves to be beaten is just wrong.

no one deserves to be treated like that, regardless of what she has done.

if she really did something terrible, and a man takes it upon himself to beat her, then he is worse than her. and for a man who was not involved in the scene (hence she did nothing to him) to suggest it, is the lowest of all morality in my opinion.

its because of attitudes like this that so much violence against women continue on an everyday basis. I never thought Id have to encounter such a man personally.

[carmine]

How do you really know she didn't deserve it?

Im not going to say what should be done or what can be done, and what the outcome will be

everyone has different idea of how much they are willing to risk

but for anyone to suggest that a woman deserves to be beaten is just wrong.

no one deserves to be treated like that, regardless of what she has done.

if she really did something terrible, and a man takes it upon himself to beat her, then he is worse than her. and for a man who was not involved in the scene (hence she did nothing to him) to suggest it, is the lowest of all morality in my opinion.

its because of attitudes like this that so much violence against women continue on an everyday basis. I never thought Id have to encounter such a man personally.

I agree with you.

the situation here with regards domestic violence is not good at all and the general air of apathy and acceptance equally poor. I have also never heard of BIB getting involved, as they are not interested. i can'tsee any of this changing

[dttk0009]

How do you really know she didn't deserve it?

Im not going to say what should be done or what can be done, and what the outcome will be

everyone has different idea of how much they are willing to risk

but for anyone to suggest that a woman deserves to be beaten is just wrong.

no one deserves to be treated like that, regardless of what she has done.

if she really did something terrible, and a man takes it upon himself to beat her, then he is worse than her. and for a man who was not involved in the scene (hence she did nothing to him) to suggest it, is the lowest of all morality in my opinion.

its because of attitudes like this that so much violence against women continue on an everyday basis. I never thought Id have to encounter such a man personally.

I agree with you.

the situation here with regards domestic violence is not good at all and the general air of apathy and acceptance equally poor. I have also never heard of BIB getting involved, as they are not interested. i can'tsee any of this changing

You're both replying to a troll post.

[toptuan]

City government officially smiles on the deeds of Good Samaritans, although many lose their lives in the effort.

HEROES URGE PEOPLE TO FIGHT CRIME

Two stabbed in bid to stop thieves; injuries could have been avoided

Story by KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

Somkid Wanpen and Prasert Sasorn managed to overcome the pain of the wounds they sustained in a heroic act to greet a host of well-wishers yesterday who flocked to thank them for their bravery. The two men sustained stab wounds as they took on two thieves who snatched a gold necklace from a woman selling food in Soi Lat Phrao on Friday night.

The first assailant dropped the necklace and fled, but the other attacker was stopped in his tracks and held by a third man, Somchai Charoensuk, 31, a close friend of the heroic pair.

Mr Somchai was not injured during the attack, but Mr Somkid was stabbed in the waist and wrist, while Mr Prasert received stab wounds to the chest and his arm.

``I wanted to help my friends fight the thief, who had a knife, but I couldn't as I had to grab the other man,'' said Mr Somchai, who works as a key cutter.

``There were a lot of people at the scene. If one or two of them helped us that night, we would have been able to catch both thieves and, more importantly, my friends would not have been hurt,'' he said.

The three friends have known each other for over five years, and they recently opened a fruit stall in crowded Soi Lat Phrao 48, where the attack took place.

It is not the first time the three samaritans have rushed to help members of the public. Each of the men can reel off various experiences of chasing shoplifters or bag-snatchers.

Lat Phrao is considered a crime zone as there are a large number of drug users wandering around, said Mr Prasert, 31, who was the first person to rush to the scene after hearing a woman cry for help.

``I had no fear at that time. I just wanted to help. How can a person sit still when somebody is in trouble? However, next time I will ensure I have a weapon with me for protection,'' he said.

Mr Prasert is the youngest son of Boonmee Yensabai, 64, a rice farmer in Chachoengsao's Ban Pho district. He came to work in Bangkok several years ago and sends home about 1,000 baht a month. "He has always dreamed of becoming a police officer as he likes to help people, and I felt so bad that I didn't have enough money to send him to a police academy,'' Mrs Boonmee said.

Mr Somkid said police should work harder and more quickly in Bangkok's crime-ridden areas, including Lat Phrao. More cooperation from the public was also needed, he said. Mr Somkid said he appreciated the actions of a taxi driver, who took the two men to hospital for free.

``However, I think Bangkok road users should be more understanding. I had to wave my bleeding hand outside the car because nobody gave way for us,'' he said.

A nurse at Paolosiam Hospital said the condition of the men had gradually improved and they would soon be discharged. Suthisan police have said they will shoulder the cost of the treatment.

The Interior Ministry yesterday granted a 10,000-baht reward from the 13-million-baht Fund to Promote and Assist Good Citizens to Mr Somkid and Mr Prasert.

The three samaritans would each receive the ministry's ``Good Citizens Award'' and would be presented with a gold pin and a certificate in April next year. Initiated by the ministry's Dhamrongtham Public Service Centre, the award is granted to people performing selfless and heroic acts.

Last year, 17 samaritans were honoured. Six were killed as a result of their selfless acts. So far, three other samaritans have been nominated for this year's award.

Bangkok Post, October 3, 2005

[cognos]

Exhibit A. 1984..Los Angeles.. I was visiting from Vancouver..with a local fellow from LA and his wife..witnessed a black guy pummelling a white women..I went to step in, yelled at the guy and moved forward to assist the lady..the people I was with SCREAMED at me to stay out of it, said the black guy would probably have a gun and shoot me if I intervened. I reluctantly walked on...it really sucked.

Exhibit B. 2006.. at a restaurant in BKK with a Thai gf..a farang was screamimg at a thai waitress..I asked him what the problem was..the gf "lost face" because I tried to calm the guy down..said if I EVER interfered in someone else's problem again she would never speak to me again..later the waitress thanked me for assisting..it really sucked

I hope you dumped her because by staying silent YOU would lose face, as sitting there in a restaurant being annoyed by some random douche is definably not gaining face.

I did not stay silent..I asked him if he "was okay"? he then focused on me instead of her..and yes, I dumped her

[neverdie]

Wow...you for real? If she did something like that, then he should walk away from her. Or, get the law involved where needs be (i realise thats probably pointless here, but better than deciding its ok to beat on someone). Maybe deserved being beaten? Im thankful i dont know you dkstoney, if that is truly your outlook.

--

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Excellent reply eek,

I cant believe some people actually think like dkstoney, I guess in some peoples world it is still good to govern relationships with a iron fist.

[carmine]

Wow...you for real? If she did something like that, then he should walk away from her. Or, get the law involved where needs be (i realise thats probably pointless here, but better than deciding its ok to beat on someone). Maybe deserved being beaten? Im thankful i dont know you dkstoney, if that is truly your outlook.

--

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Excellent reply eek,

I cant believe some people actually think like dkstoney, I guess in some peoples world it is still good to govern relationships with a iron fist.

I'm not disagreeing with you but i would like to offer you an example of how things can go wrong when making an intervention.

A friend of mine in England sawa girl being attacked by her boyfriend after bar closing time. He stopped the guy but had to use some force, but the guy was'nt hurt badly. The police arrived shortly afterwards. The girl that was being assaulted told the police my friend beat up her boyfriend in an unprovoked attack. He was subsquently charged and received a criminal record. I'm afraid he has a very compelling arguement for minding your own business. And, before someone posts "there must be more to this than meets the eye" there isn't.

[neverdie]

^Whatever.

I am sure that there could be a thousand outcomes for the exact situation, all depending on what courses of action people decided to take.

[toptuan]

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Yes, just this morning, there was an hour-long special on Channel Three, televising a live education-oriented event in BKK, attended by Prime Minister Abhisit, no less. Purpose was to highlight the problem of physical violence against women in Thailand. Quite well done with little drama vignettes, music and words from the city/government fathers.

Thailand is where the west was about 30-40 years ago, when we were just waking up to the problem and beginning to deal with it. At least there's a start.

I submit that the more awareness there is about the unacceptability of physical assault against women, the better chance there will be of otherwise neutral bystanders to intervene.

Edited November 30, 2009 by toptuan

[ScubaBuddha]

Your reaction is an entirely creditable emotional response by a Westerner. However, your final paragraph strongly suggests that you have neither understanding of nor insight into the incident which you witnessed.

Your GF was right. The apparent victim made no appeal to you for help. None of your business; not your country; not your culture. Keep out of it or there is every risk that you might find yourself in really serious difficulty.

Thank you for your comment Kitsch. I appreciate your honesty, however your position makes me sick. I may be in Thailand, but I am still a human being. There are a lot of different cultures with different values, and some of those values and traditions I may disagree with. In the end this is very connected to human rights, something this part of the world does not have a very good track record on, and I believe this indecent is symptomatic of that. (And yes I realize western countries have been guilty of violations as well.) I realize I am looking at it from the perspective of a westerner, however, I would contend there are some things that transcend culture, or at least should. Quite honestly I don't really give a shit about finding myself in "serious difficulty" as you define it. Besides that, I am not sure how making an anonymous phone call can land anyone in "serious difficulty". A "serious difficulty" for me is knowing I did nothing to help a probably innocent person be seriously hurt or worse. It is the same reason I took EMT training. Sadly I have had to amend my own rules when I see a person in need since I know of two farang EMT's in Thailand that were arrested by the police for stopping to help motorbike accident victims. Even the I will now only stop if it is a farang or a child of any nationality, since I don't really care what the police do to me if I am able to possibly save the life of a child.

It is a part of me so ingrained I cannot, nor do I wish to change it, no matter what backward view the culture I live in has on the subject.

Here is a good article detailing the sad state of affairs concerning farang's that have first aid training in Phuket.

Phuket News Good Samaritans told to walk on by

http://phuket-post.com/article/phuket-loca...-to-walk-on-by/

[carmine]

^Whatever.

I am sure that there could be a thousand outcomes for the exact situation, all depending on what courses of action people decided to take.

"Whatever" A well thought out response.

[neverdie]

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Yes, just this morning, there was an hour-long special on Channel Three, televising a live education-oriented event in BKK, attended by Prime Minister Abhisit, no less. Purpose was to highlight the problem of physical violence against women in Thailand. Quite well done with little drama vignettes, music and words from the city/government fathers.

Thailand is where the west was about 30-40 years ago, when we were just waking up to the problem and beginning to deal with it. At least there's a start.

I submit that the more awareness there is about the unacceptability of physical assault against women, the better chance there will be of otherwise neutral bystanders to intervene.

I have been misquoted. That is not what I posted . I am sure this was an honest mistake.

[neverdie]

^Whatever.

I am sure that there could be a thousand outcomes for the exact situation, all depending on what courses of action people decided to take.

"Whatever" A well thought out response.

What do you want me to say Carmine, as I said in the second part of my post, the part you ignored, I am sure their could be a thousand outcomes to the exact situation.

Perhaps your friend went a little too far & did assualt this grub, maybe he didnt, maybe he was just unlucky or perhaps the cops wernt that flash. What do you want me to say, "Wouldnt of happened on my shift?"

[carmine]

^Whatever.

I am sure that there could be a thousand outcomes for the exact situation, all depending on what courses of action people decided to take.

"Whatever" A well thought out response.

What do you want me to say Carmine, as I said in the second part of my post, the part you ignored, I am sure their could be a thousand outcomes to the exact situation.

Perhaps your friend went a little too far & did assualt this grub, maybe he didnt, maybe he was just unlucky or perhaps the cops wernt that flash. What do you want me to say, "Wouldnt of happened on my shift?"

What was the outcome the last time you intervened in such a situation?

[ScubaBuddha]

How do you really know she didn't deserve it?

Im not going to say what should be done or what can be done, and what the outcome will be

everyone has different idea of how much they are willing to risk

but for anyone to suggest that a woman deserves to be beaten is just wrong.

no one deserves to be treated like that, regardless of what she has done.

if she really did something terrible, and a man takes it upon himself to beat her, then he is worse than her. and for a man who was not involved in the scene (hence she did nothing to him) to suggest it, is the lowest of all morality in my opinion.

its because of attitudes like this that so much violence against women continue on an everyday basis. I never thought Id have to encounter such a man personally.

I agree with you.

the situation here with regards domestic violence is not good at all and the general air of apathy and acceptance equally poor. I have also never heard of BIB getting involved, as they are not interested. i can'tsee any of this changing

Wow everyone, I'm also really surprised and disappointed by the apathy shown by many people in this thread. Lot's of rationalizations for the behavior I witnessed. To say "Maybe she desrved it" or "Maybe the police won't intervene" or "maybe she will go back to him" are rationalizations, reasons you conjure up in your head to make yourself feel better about an action or, in this case, an inaction you took. Everyone can rationalize bad behavior regardless of culture or the issue at hand. To all of you making such comments, all that needs to be said is "Maybe she didn't deserve it." or "Maybe the police will do something." or "Maybe she doesn't want to stay with her" etc. etc. We don't know, so therefore we can't assume one way or the other, so why not do something? Even if it's not the "culturally acceptable" thing to do doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do. It's also possible that it could be something much much more serious going on. I don't understand, what's the risk in making an anonymous phone call? None.

And the "something" I would expect the police to do would be simply stop the beating happening then and there, what happens after is out of my control. As low as you people describe women being in this country, and as bad as the policing is, I can't imagine any police officer would ignore a man beating a woman on the street.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Scubabuddha

[ScubaBuddha]

If you are prepared to deal with the potential consequences of involving yourself with those kind of people, then by all means, get involved. I would strongly recommend against it.

Again, my "getting involved" was to make an anonymous phone call. What "potential consequences" are there in that?

[neverdie]

^Whatever.

I am sure that there could be a thousand outcomes for the exact situation, all depending on what courses of action people decided to take.

"Whatever" A well thought out response.

What do you want me to say Carmine, as I said in the second part of my post, the part you ignored, I am sure their could be a thousand outcomes to the exact situation.

Perhaps your friend went a little too far & did assualt this grub, maybe he didnt, maybe he was just unlucky or perhaps the cops wernt that flash. What do you want me to say, "Wouldnt of happened on my shift?"

What was the outcome the last time you intervened in such a situation?

Carmine, I spent my entire adult working life intervening in such crap as part of my profession, what do you want me to do, quote a thousand different cases?

[neverdie]

If you are prepared to deal with the potential consequences of involving yourself with those kind of people, then by all means, get involved. I would strongly recommend against it.

Again, my "getting involved" was to make an anonymous phone call. What "potential consequences" are there in that?

None, you did nothing wrong. You are a great human being, pity others around don't recognise that.

[ScubaBuddha]

that the police can accuse us of making a fake police report if they can't find them, that the people involved can cause trouble for us, that the girl may want to stay with the man anyway etc. etc. All non-sense of course.

Unfortunately, it isn't nonsense at all.

I should have been clearer, I meant nonsense in terms of it's validity as a reason to not make an anonymous phone call. I have dealt with enough domestic cases to know that she often takes him back. The other issues just aren't a concern for me, how can they be if it is an anonymous phone call?

I think the only thing you can do in these situations is loudly ask the woman if she needs help.

Now that is something I definatly wouldn't do unless it got more serious. I would risk harm to myself and make contact, verbally and physically, if I thought he was trying to kill her, but it didn't go that far.

[toptuan]

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Yes, just this morning, there was an hour-long special on Channel Three, televising a live education-oriented event in BKK, attended by Prime Minister Abhisit, no less. Purpose was to highlight the problem of physical violence against women in Thailand. Quite well done with little drama vignettes, music and words from the city/government fathers.

Thailand is where the west was about 30-40 years ago, when we were just waking up to the problem and beginning to deal with it. At least there's a start.

I submit that the more awareness there is about the unacceptability of physical assault against women, the better chance there will be of otherwise neutral bystanders to intervene.

I have been misquoted. That is not what I posted . I am sure this was an honest mistake.

Yup. Sorry. Should've been one of a couple other posters, but too hard to sort out!

[ScubaBuddha]

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Yes, just this morning, there was an hour-long special on Channel Three, televising a live education-oriented event in BKK, attended by Prime Minister Abhisit, no less. Purpose was to highlight the problem of physical violence against women in Thailand. Quite well done with little drama vignettes, music and words from the city/government fathers.

Thailand is where the west was about 30-40 years ago, when we were just waking up to the problem and beginning to deal with it. At least there's a start.

I submit that the more awareness there is about the unacceptability of physical assault against women, the better chance there will be of otherwise neutral bystanders to intervene.

I'de like to know when that program is on again and sit the ex-gf down to watch it.

[neverdie]

As for Thais not wanting to get involved, well, ive seen quite a lot of public awareness adverts showing scenarios showing both sides of a coin. One side where people ignore what is going on, and another, where they get involved. It appeals to people to get involved and take moral responsibility for helping others they see in distress. So, thankfully at least some effort is being made to change the "none of my business" frame of mind.

Yes, just this morning, there was an hour-long special on Channel Three, televising a live education-oriented event in BKK, attended by Prime Minister Abhisit, no less. Purpose was to highlight the problem of physical violence against women in Thailand. Quite well done with little drama vignettes, music and words from the city/government fathers.

Thailand is where the west was about 30-40 years ago, when we were just waking up to the problem and beginning to deal with it. At least there's a start.

I submit that the more awareness there is about the unacceptability of physical assault against women, the better chance there will be of otherwise neutral bystanders to intervene.

I have been misquoted. That is not what I posted . I am sure this was an honest mistake.

Yup. Sorry. Should've been one of a couple other posters, but too hard to sort out!

Can you chisel that out in blood for me .....now its gonna keep popping up as a quote of mine and Im gonna get the blame for being rational

[dttk0009]

If you are prepared to deal with the potential consequences of involving yourself with those kind of people, then by all means, get involved. I would strongly recommend against it.

Again, my "getting involved" was to make an anonymous phone call. What "potential consequences" are there in that?

What if the guy you're seeing happened to be a cop? Someone in connection to the cops? Has friends who know the cops? A local mafia guy? Everyone knows someone in this country who's connected to the top somehow. Thai people bottle up a lot of rage and start living out deranged revenge fantasies involving stalking, harming loved ones, hit and runs etc, and it happens all the time in this country. What you did was brave. I would personally have moved on for the sake of security for my friends and family.

[Kitsch22]

Your reaction is an entirely creditable emotional response by a Westerner. However, your final paragraph strongly suggests that you have neither understanding of nor insight into the incident which you witnessed.

Your GF was right. The apparent victim made no appeal to you for help. None of your business; not your country; not your culture. Keep out of it or there is every risk that you might find yourself in really serious difficulty.

Thank you for your comment Kitsch. I appreciate your honesty, however your position makes me sick. I may be in Thailand, but I am still a human being. There are a lot of different cultures with different values, and some of those values and traditions I may disagree with. In the end this is very connected to human rights, something this part of the world does not have a very good track record on, and I believe this indecent is symptomatic of that. (And yes I realize western countries have been guilty of violations as well.) I realize I am looking at it from the perspective of a westerner, however, I would contend there are some things that transcend culture, or at least should. Quite honestly I don't really give a shit about finding myself in "serious difficulty" as you define it. Besides that, I am not sure how making an anonymous phone call can land anyone in "serious difficulty". A "serious difficulty" for me is knowing I did nothing to help a probably innocent person be seriously hurt or worse. It is the same reason I took EMT training. Sadly I have had to amend my own rules when I see a person in need since I know of two farang EMT's in Thailand that were arrested by the police for stopping to help motorbike accident victims. Even the I will now only stop if it is a farang or a child of any nationality, since I don't really care what the police do to me if I am able to possibly save the life of a child.

It is a part of me so ingrained I cannot, nor do I wish to change it, no matter what backward view the culture I live in has on the subject.

Here is a good article detailing the sad state of affairs concerning farang's that have first aid training in Phuket.

Phuket News Good Samaritans told to walk on by

http://phuket-post.com/article/phuket-loca...-to-walk-on-by/

I very much appreciate the fact that you (unlike some others) understand that my comments represent no more than simple factual observations. I hope he will not mind if I analyse some of what you have just said.

Saying that "I am a human being" frankly does not amount to very much. The person whom you thought to be guilty of a criminal assault on a weaker person was also a human being. I am a human being and I happen not to agree with you. You cannot separate a human being from his culture. But (I am afraid) what you are trying to do is (with the very best of intentions) impose your culture in a land that is not your own and that does not share your culture. You cannot separate your idea of a "good track record" from your culture. My wife heartily approves of extrajudicial executions of known drug dealers and suspected drug traffickers caught in flight and also the fact that (up here in Chiang Rai at least) new admissions to the local jail following sentencing get a heavy beating from the prison guards. Some years ago when one of our neighbours habitually beat his wife quite badly (only when drunk) I was told very firmly that I must not intervene in any way and that "She will run away if it gets too bad." And indeed she did run away eventually. My wife and I have agreed to differ at the personal opinion level on these things and we have reached a working arrangement whereby she tells me how I should behave while I am in Thailand and I tell her how she should behave while she is in UK. While I do not follow her instructions blindly, it is a long time now since I have overridden any firmly expressed instruction received from her in this area. If you think about it in a detached fashion, do you really believe that you have the right to exercise cultural colonialism so as to override the life's experience of your girlfriend?

There are no absolutes in human rights; it is all relative. The perspective changes according to where you find yourself standing: in geography, in culture and in time.

[MiG16]

How do you really know she didn't deserve it?

[snip]

its because of attitudes like this that so much violence against women continue on an everyday basis. I never thought Id have to encounter such a man personally.

I agree with you.

[snip]

You're both replying to a troll post.

troll or no troll, I cannot tolerate hearing/seeing words or actions condoning violence against women

and in real life I will do whatever I can to intervene (of course with some thoughts for my own safety)

[camerata]

The other issues just aren't a concern for me, how can they be if it is an anonymous phone call?

From experiences I've heard of first hand and read about in newspapers, there is zero - absolutely zero - chance of the cops responding to an anonymous call about domestic violence. If they were even remotely interested in a reported crime they would insist on your name and address and would probably turn up hours later. Also, the tradition here is they get a little something for their trouble, so they would need to feel confident that that would be forthcoming.

The art of living in Thailand is to accept that some bad things are just the way it is here while not condoning the bad stuff as "acceptable." In other words, you sometimes have to accept (on one level) the unacceptable. Otherwise you'll go crazy.

[neverdie]

If you are prepared to deal with the potential consequences of involving yourself with those kind of people, then by all means, get involved. I would strongly recommend against it.

Again, my "getting involved" was to make an anonymous phone call. What "potential consequences" are there in that?

What if the guy you're seeing happened to be a cop? Someone in connection to the cops? Has friends who know the cops? A local mafia guy? Everyone knows someone in this country who's connected to the top somehow. Thai people bottle up a lot of rage and start living out deranged revenge fantasies involving stalking, harming loved ones, hit and runs etc, and it happens all the time in this country. What you did was brave. I would personally have moved on for the sake of security for my friends and family.

I love these posts that are suppose to paralise you with fear, every thai has a gun, every thai is connected with the mafia or someone whose going to destroy your life....WARNING, WARNING, the planet is about to spin out of alignment and we'll all be killed

[dttk0009]

If you are prepared to deal with the potential consequences of involving yourself with those kind of people, then by all means, get involved. I would strongly recommend against it.

Again, my "getting involved" was to make an anonymous phone call. What "potential consequences" are there in that?

What if the guy you're seeing happened to be a cop? Someone in connection to the cops? Has friends who know the cops? A local mafia guy? Everyone knows someone in this country who's connected to the top somehow. Thai people bottle up a lot of rage and start living out deranged revenge fantasies involving stalking, harming loved ones, hit and runs etc, and it happens all the time in this country. What you did was brave. I would personally have moved on for the sake of security for my friends and family.

I love these posts that are suppose to paralise you with fear, every thai has a gun, every thai is connected with the mafia or someone whose going to destroy your life....WARNING, WARNING, the planet is about to spin out of alignment and we'll all be killed

Erm, right. Foreigners never die or get injured under mysterious circumstances in this country. Feel free to nudge yourself into whoever's business you please. Pattaya would be a good place to start looking

[tb86]

funny, one of my kitchen employees had a boyfriend that like to show her how tough he was,,, untill he came by to pick her up one night at the restaurant,,, i can tell you for sure 3 of my cooks hadnt forgotten or ignored the fact that it wasnt their buisness, needless to say he hasnt been heard from or seen in over a year... Not all these guys are so tough, when the person they are confronted by isnt a woman..... says alot about the character of people when they choose to ignore these kind of things

[Maizefarmer]

Scubabuddha - you done the right thing, and as another member rightly stated, the chances of the other person having a gun, been a copper or the mafia coming to his aid are non greater in Thailand than they are anywhere else. It's another of the stereotypical myths about Thai's. Chances are the abuser is a "nothing" and a coward with low self esteem - as are most males who pick on woman.

Sadly though, despite the high incidence of domestic violence (and child abuse) in Thailand, like everywhere else most of it takes place behind closed doors and its only over the last few years or so that moves have started to address it - one of those been to get the police to take the matter and respond to it.

The problem the police have when it comes to prosecuting is much the same as the problem associated when prosecuting when an ex-ppat complains about something: couples make up and "forgive" each other - and don;t want to follow through with the legal process - so the cops go to all the paperwork effort wondering where the matter ultimately is going ... just like the ex-pat who files a complaint about his bsuiness partner, then gets tired of ahnging round waiting for the ever so slow wheels of Thai justice to grind into action, so pushes off home: and the cops sit with a pile of paperwork and time spend on something thats ultimately going no-where (why start the ball rolling in the first place they ask themeselves). That really is a large part of why the cops don;t like to get involved, but there are also the old fashioned social attitudes to such matters, and they will take more time to break down - but well done for standing up and taking notice: it would have been a very different story if you had driven off, only to come back half an hour later to find a group of people standing around a body lying at the side of the road (and that has happened before).