Farang Ripping Off Farang

[evanson]

I was thinking about one of the many threads on this forum where Thai on Farang crime seems to polarize the expat community insofar as these type of threads seem to bring out the vehemently anti-Thai, or conversely, Thai can do no harm contingent, even though there are decidedly shades of grey amongst all people, regardless of race.

However, I don't remember having ever seen a post here regarding the many farang/expats who seem to have no qualms about robbing/cheating their fellow farangs blind, examples of which abound, particularly in predominantly expat areas such as Phuket.

Why is that do you think? Is it verbotten to talk about one's fellow farang's misdoings in print, so to speak, resulting perhaps from some of 'we're all in this together' bunker mentality? Much as, I would presume, there might be on a predominantly Thai forum with a Thai posting something negative about another Thai? Or are people afraid they might be recognised?

Hmm. Interesting. Your thoughts?

Edited April 23, 2010 by evanson

[gilmore34]

I was attacked by a drunk middle east man for no reason in a bar in Bangla road. He was to drunk to even fight, so the fight was over before it even started. Anyway 3 thai men asked me if I needed any help to beat him up. Of course I said no, but my experience with thais are great. :-))

[petercallen]

in my dealings with farangs/ expats i have found them more dishonest than Thai people.

The ones always trying to find a way to make money out of you i call farangs.

The honest ones who give you information without trying to stitch you up through one

of there friends to make a commission i call expats.

[WOOHOO]

examples of which abound, particularly in predominantly expat areas such as Phuket.

Are there that many examples??

I would guess it has something to do with TV rules. Making libalous claims about someone isn't allowed, I wouldn't have thought.

[ESB7]

Dont trust anyone in LOFS

[gotlost]

Not just in Phuket but throw out Thailand. More so around the night life venues. Thailand has a way of attracting its share of scum.

[fredob43]

If I had to choose who to trust, a farang, or a bar lady, it would'nt be the farang

[elcent]

this happens all over the world. It's common knowledge that foreigners rip each other off.

[pagallim]

I seem to recall a similar thread from a year or two ago, and nothing much has changed. Any expat orientated community will always attract the 'jack the lad' types, whom prey on newcomers unfamiliarity, at first glance seemingly through 'doing favours', where in fact the favours turn out to be a specific form of business, if not directly, through commission. Before coming to Thailand, I lived in Spain for 10 years, and like here, the place is full of them. Because there is an association through language, and the inherent wish of most people to be trusting/believing of others, quite a few people make a living leeching from others.

Any community that has a high turnover of expats will attract them, particularly within the popular expat resorts.

Edited April 23, 2010 by pagallim

[surangw]

the timeshare touts and sales persons come to mind instantly

[NADTATIDA1]

I would not class farang scamming farang as "omerta" in Thailand more like desperation and opportunism,but i think the term applies to a lot of Thai crime here that is for sure.....sow wow!!

[backsoon]

this happens all over the world. It's common knowledge that foreigners rip each other off.

Correction. This happens all over the world. It's common knowledge that people rip each other off.

Any additions to this general statement would be nationalistic, racist or chovinistic.

Brits do it. Aussies do it. Yanks do it. Russians do it. Japs do it. Thais do it. Jews do it. etc....

And when they do it, they care about your money, not nationality.

[thrilled]

be careful who you associate with

[bubblegum]

Let me guess, Brits, Aussie and US. Nobody from Western Europe....

I'm from The Netherlands myself and had only one encounter so far with expat trying to cheat me. I think he is still shitting his pants.

But to be honest, most of you cannot be trusted, likewise, I can't.

Same all over the wold. We are naughty

[LivinginKata]

A number of posts have been removed. I remind all members of rules ...

6) Not to post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[ray23]

Yep very common until you understand and then easy to stop.

[ivowatson]

I was attacked by a drunk middle east man for no reason in a bar in Bangla road. He was to drunk to even fight, so the fight was over before it even started. Anyway 3 thai men asked me if I needed any help to beat him up. Of course I said no, but my experience with thais are great. :-))

A unique opportunity missed to be seen as "one of them", although 4 on 1 is a bit in the low numbers, even if he couldn't move anymore.

[steelepulse]

This is a very weak thread. Bad people take advantage of people no matter where they are in the world regardless of race, religion or gender.

[evanson]

This is a very weak thread. Bad people take advantage of people no matter where they are in the world regardless of race, religion or gender.

I believe you and another couple of posters are missing the point somewhat. Farang perpetrate the most horrendous of crimes here against one another, simply because they believe they can. And here I'm talking about ordinary farangs who for the most part lead unexceptional lives, not 'Jack the lad types'.

Not only are most farangs ignorant of the laws here, more alarmingly they are totally unaware as to how these laws are interpreted. Thai Law is indeed based on those in the West, but with very different emphasis on the severity of one law against another. For instance laws regarding property are taken far more seriously than crimes against the person. Bet a lot of you didn't know that, did you?

Another factor to be taken into account is that farang believe themselves, probably rightly, to be impervious to the censure of their contemporaries, who make up a significantly smaller percentage of the population and therefore no real 'community' exists, and so feeling further isolated in a foreign land, don't want to 'rock the boat', hence the 'omerta' aspect to all this.

To wit, why does the very worst of some people's characters emerge under the aforgoing circumstances? Are they fundamentally savages after all?

[barka]

this happens all over the world. It's common knowledge that foreigners rip each other off.

Correction. This happens all over the world. It's common knowledge that people rip each other off.

Any additions to this general statement would be nationalistic, racist or chovinistic.

Brits do it. Aussies do it. Yanks do it. Russians do it. Japs do it. Thais do it. Jews do it. etc....

And when they do it, they care about your money, not nationality.

There are ..Conmen... everwhere no more no less in Phuket,usually desperate expats running out of money are the worst... instead of looking for customers they start looking for Victims...Beware..stay in control..

[cotambear]

Perhaps LOS attracts more than its fair share of

a) Farang short on money desperate to stay here

People who have made big money in business largely by having no scruples. The continue here because `its in the blood` so to speak

Add into that little possibility of redress in the courts, immunity bought with police bribes..............

[evanson]

Perhaps LOS attracts more than its fair share of

a) Farang short on money desperate to stay here

People who have made big money in business largely by having no scruples. The continue here because `its in the blood` so to speak

Add into that little possibility of redress in the courts, immunity bought with police bribes..............

If you read my last post you will see I stated 'odinary people leading unexceptional lives', which obviously precludes not only scummy shyster jack the lads, but equally scummy donald trump wannabes also. Although your remark 'in the blood' is almost there - was Lord of The Flies a true reflection on human nature after all?

As to 'little possibility of redress in the courts' Yes immunity guaranteed by police bribes is indeed the norm, unless one stops listening to bar talk and engage a lawyer who is willing and able to circumvent the thieves in brown and press enforcable charges through the Civil Court.

But my question as to why some expats find themselves actually capable of reprehensible behaviour toward their fellow expats/friends has still not been answered. Is it, after all, 'wire in the blood'?

[doggie888888]

My experience: farang means "I charge you European prices but I deliver local third world standards only".

The excuse: "we are using Thai workers and you are in Thailand, so whaddaya expect?"

My response: "well, let me pay you Thai prices then."

[evanson]

My experience: farang means "I charge you European prices but I deliver local third world standards only".

The excuse: "we are using Thai workers and you are in Thailand, so whaddaya expect?"

My response: "well, let me pay you Thai prices then."

No, still not quite got it have you? Think I'll abandon this thread. Not one poster seems able to grasp the premise. Don't know why on earth anyone here would

Okay. As you were. Back to tuktuk bashing and where you can buy palms ...

[cotambear]

If you read my last post you will see I stated 'odinary people leading unexceptional lives', which obviously precludes not only scummy shyster jack the lads, but equally scummy donald trump wannabes also. Although your remark 'in the blood' is almost there - was Lord of The Flies a true reflection on human nature after all?

As to 'little possibility of redress in the courts' Yes immunity guaranteed by police bribes is indeed the norm, unless one stops listening to bar talk and engage a lawyer who is willing and able to circumvent the thieves in brown and press enforcable charges through the Civil Court.

But my question as to why some expats find themselves actually capable of reprehensible behaviour toward their fellow expats/friends has still not been answered. Is it, after all, 'wire in the blood'?

Hmm perhaps I should have said `force of habit` or personality disorder rather than `in the blood`.

LOF by Golding was informed by his Catholic misanthropy - original sin and all that. It is unlikely that even a group of boys (except from abusive families) would act like that. Adults of course have a lifetime conditioning in right and wrong, and even young children can distinguish that too.

[evanson]

Hmm perhaps I should have said `force of habit` or personality disorder rather than `in the blood`.

LOF by Golding was informed by his Catholic misanthropy - original sin and all that. It is unlikely that even a group of boys (except from abusive families) would act like that. Adults of course have a lifetime conditioning in right and wrong, and even young children can distinguish that too.

'Force of habit' doesn't fit, surely? That would bring the question 'why?' full circle. Personality disorder, yes, that I would go with. To an extent. I have personally come across people in whom 'personality disorder' would fit, but only having manifested itself with the aforgoing set of circumstances present: no fear of regress, censure from peer group.

I take issue with your comment that 'It is unlikely that even a group of boys (except from abusive families) would act like that'. It has been widely proven that two children from equally abusive families would both turn out to be, themselves, abusers. One might, the other might not.

So 'conditioning' is a red herring IMHO.

[cotambear]

'Force of habit' doesn't fit, surely? That would bring the question 'why?' full circle. Personality disorder, yes, that I would go with. To an extent. I have personally come across people in whom 'personality disorder' would fit, but only having manifested itself with the aforgoing set of circumstances present: no fear of regress, censure from peer group.

I take issue with your comment that 'It is unlikely that even a group of boys (except from abusive families) would act like that'. It has been widely proven that two children from equally abusive families would both turn out to be, themselves, abusers. One might, the other might not.

So 'conditioning' is a red herring IMHO.

Error in logic here. Not all children in abusive families become abusers themselves. But a much higher proportion of them do than from functional families Its like the ladyboy argument - the great majority of ladyboys are not pickpockets, but arguably there is a higher proportion thsn the general populous. While Darwin was one of the greatest figure of the Enlightement, many of his followers have adopted a crude animalistic model of man, ignoring the thinking man who has a culture and values. Shocking as each individual case is, the reason it is more shocking is that the murder of young children by other young children is so exceptional.

[LivinginKata]

Well, the last few posts seem well off the initial topic and it would seem that this topic has run out of interest. Now closed.