yes, I would

so your children's life is worth $3500 ?? pathetic

Maybe, but memories don't put food on the table...

Thais are the best for sorting out there own problems and as long as theres not an easy way out (farang) they will sort it out themselves.

When the missus was 15 she and her little sister were eating in a roadside stall down south when 4 girls came in and picked a fight, words were exchanged after they sat on the table right next to her food which of course is very rude and she asked them to move, they moved and left, 5 minutes later they returned one with a knife and proceeded to attack her stabbing her in the upper stomach my missus used the only thing handy which was the fork she was using to eat with and stuck it right up under the chin into the skull killing the girl dead at that point the other 3 girls ran out of the shop.

The police came and she was arrested until the shop owner told the real story how the 4 girls were the aggressors and she was only defending herself.

She was released without charge however she still needed to deal with the familly of the dead girl as when you take a life as far as I can understand in Buddism you have to make merit and pay for the life you have taken.

Her familly was far from rich but they had worked hard and built a nice house by thai standards and had a bit of land they farmed, her parents had to sell all that and pay just under 500,000 to the girls familly with the help of a bank loan

So whatever happens looks like the familly will still expect a payment even if he does go to jail and they will want to make it for merits sake.

It has always amazed me how thais immediately pick up knives or weapons when in a fight and think its ok and normal behaviour.

Another horrific story, I was heading into town in the car on the hang dong road and stopped at the lights (had the kids in the car) and immediately to the left was a thai restaurant it was crazy there was one guy getting a right kicking by 3 guys he got hit over the head several times with a large chang bottle, then out from the back of the shop came a lady (the cook by the looks of it) with a meat clever and started to chop the guy multiple times blood shooting everywhere thankfully the lights changed and I was outta there, im sure that guy suffered horrific wounds as a result.

Its like theres no fear of the consequences of there actions.