The Tragic Tale Of The Pad Thai Man

[ThaiPauly]

My wife regularly buys soy milk from a vendor in Mae Hia market.

She told me this afternoon what happened yesterday after she went to get some today....and ths is the gist of the events that unfolded as accurately as I can portray them so please allow for a margin of error.

The soy milk guy has his regular selling space next to a Pad Thai guy and apparantly they did not get on too well.

Yesterday they had another argument that led to a fight in the market and ended up with the soy milk guy stabbing the Pad Thai guy in the chest ....he died on his way to hospital.

Now this bit I don't understand ...the Soy Milk guy carried on selling soy milk (instead of being arrested) long enough for the Pad Thai guy's son to get to the market to confront the Soy Milk guy..and was promptly stabbed as well.....but thankfully not fatally

The BIB eventually arrived and took the soi milk guy into custody.

The Pad Thai guys WIFE.....carried on selling Pad Thai while her husband was dying in whatever transport took him to Klaimore Hospital

All in all a very sad Chiang Mai story ...and one that you probably won't read about elsewhere

I'm posting this just because its a snapshot of stuff we never hear about, like the 10 Burmese workers who live on the outskirts of our village who were killed when the truck they were in overturned in the underpass near Big C....they were Burmese and Thais don't seem to care much about the fate of Burmese, its certainly not a newsworthy story as far as they are concerned

TP

[Jingthing]

Wow! The show must go on, I suppose.

[neverdie]

Shocking Paul. Life is definately cheap in these parts - maybe it was a busy night for phad thai?

[chiang mai]

You couldn't make it up, could you.

[mrmillersr]

While a lot of people have the attitude that most Thais are a docile lot of peace loving Buddhists, I think this is a badly mistaken and distorted perception of the truth as many have already found out.

To me many Thais are like that quiet kid in school who never says a word until one day he erupts and decides to waste half the class along with the teacher.

The Thais have also shown once they gather into a mass and the group mentality takes over, they can become a very uncompassionate and irrational lot as a whole. Just look at what happened to the thousands of visitors on holiday who were shown no respect or consideration when the airport was taken over. Or the recent episode with the hospital and other current events that just took placed. How many other countries do you think people would react like this, or where it would be tolerated to begin with?

Like the saying goes, there are two sides to every story, and this is the dark side of the LOS.

[sbk]

What an odd juxtaposition. From a personal argument that ends violently to mob mentality. Never mind no mob was involved.

I've known quite a few people murdered over the years and if its not business, its personal-- argument, cheating with spouse, whatever. The comparison to the kid who blows away half the school is only valid in that once ignited most Thais blow completely. But random violence of the kind found in the US (and now Europe and the UK) rarely occurs in Thailand. It is almost always the result of an individual problem.

[Ulysses G.]

I realize that Thais can go off the deep end and can be quite violent when they get angry, but, over many years, I've had many more unprovoked confrontations with Westerners than Thais. They are not perfect, but pretty good compared to some of us.

[Gerryasia]

What an odd juxtaposition. From a personal argument that ends violently to mob mentality. Never mind no mob was involved.

I've known quite a few people murdered over the years and if its not business, its personal-- argument, cheating with spouse, whatever. The comparison to the kid who blows away half the school is only valid in that once ignited most Thais blow completely. But random violence of the kind found in the US (and now Europe and the UK) rarely occurs in Thailand. It is almost always the result of an individual problem.

Hmmm....if you've known "quite a few people that have been murdered over the years"...I hope you were in law enforcement. Otherwise, I would say you were hangin with a "less than desirable" crowd.

I am 56, from America, and don't know ANYONE (personally)who has been murdered.

Living in Thailand for the last 5 years has PROVEN to me that what sbk says is true.

Check the stats...and check the "beatings" headlines.

Otherwise, they CAN be a very peaceful culture...compared to MANY others.

1 man's opinion.

[jackdawson]

note to self: continue to buy soy milk at foodland (rather than on the street)

[sarahsbloke]

but, over many years, I've had many more unprovoked confrontations with Westerners than Thais

I never have had a problem with a westerner, but have had a few violent incidents from Thai ladies, not always my Thai lady either.

In the past year

2 incidents with carving knives

1 incidents with beer bottles

1 poisoning

2 assults

I have also witnessed similar incidents with two of my male friends, some more serious, none involving Thai men.

Thailand is a violent country, domestic violence is rife. Did I mention the next door neighbour beating the shit out of her 2 year old with a stick!

My Thai wife pretty much sums it up, "if you don't beat me, I will be beating you."

Edited May 5, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[lannarebirth]

My Thai wife pretty much sums it up, "if you don't beat me, I will be beating you."

You got yourself a keeper there, congrats.

[whiterussian]

"you can take a girl out of the bar but... "

Ive spent 3 1/2 years in a Thai night market with 400+ people, many of them punks, ki yaa, bikers, gays, ladyboys, reds, yellows, hi-so's, lo-so's and conmen... . Seen one fight, and that was just a chair being smashed over the back of a drunk Thai for insulting language about somebodys mother... taught the drunk some manners.. he has been very polite lately. Mixing alcohol, cheap loose women and farang is a recipe for violence. Too many cocks chasing the hens.

'Ordinary' Thai's are very 'soopap'!

Although the president of the bike gang had a muay thai fight with a cop once, gun went off in the struggle, as the cop pulled out his gun... and shot someone else in the foot!! - but that was out of town at a restaurant somewhere..

Another gang member was taken out by hitmen for sleeping with somebody's wife, in my first year here.

It's a good idea not to sleep with a Thai mans wife. They are old fashioned in that regard In fact I met a Thai man in the market (not a friend of mine) who's wife was 'stolen' by a German expat 5 years ago. He carries a pair of handcuffs with him, if he ever sees him again, he intends to 'detain' him.

Having said all that.. my dear neighbour Derek a retired postie was killed by his wife slowly.. with a daily diet of farang food... greeezy cow pat, spam, bacon, chips, good old english grub...and a lack of bedroom aerobics.

Edited May 5, 2010 by whiterussian

[jayjay0]

I have lived here for four years in the night Bazaar area and heard of only one murder here.

When I first moved to Thailand I was informed that they had a high murder rate. My informant claimed that it was because they never learn problem solving skills.

Another reason in my opinion is the believe in Buddhism that they will come back again .

One of the big factors in my liking the people is they are not afraid to live. Hence they take more risks than a Farong and also take more enjoyment out of life. Just My Opinion

[sbk]

Gerryasia, I've been in Thailand for over 20 years. Koh Phangan natives don't rely on the police for enforcement of anything. They went without the police for a very long time, and they don't really bother with them now. The first murder occurred aboiut 6 months after I moved to the island, the guy who delivered pork to Hadrin was gunned down on the beach outside our house very early one morning. My understanding was that he liked other men's wives. A cousin in law's husband was murdered for the same reason.

Koh P is considered the wild west, I know but the above story by TP just goes to show that what I have always believed, the Thais know the rules. They also know the consequences that could occur from breaking those rules. You might get away with it, you might not. But of all the murders I have heard of and the people I know that have been murdered, none have been random. Some were business related, one politics, mostly just personal. Men who liked other mens' wives. Men who liked to fight. A neighbor was murdered about drugs (so, I guess, in a way, business then).

So, yes ThaiPauly's story doesn't surprise me that much, even for Chiang Mai. If you learn to read the Thai language papers you will see these kinds of stories repeated across the nation on a regular basis.

[ozzieovaseas]

I have lived here for four years in the night Bazaar area and heard of only one murder here.

When I first moved to Thailand I was informed that they had a high murder rate. My informant claimed that it was because they never learn problem solving skills.

Another reason in my opinion is the believe in Buddhism that they will come back again .

One of the big factors in my liking the people is they are not afraid to live. Hence they take more risks than a Farong and also take more enjoyment out of life. Just My Opinion

whats a Farong??

Isnt it some sort of dress??

[iSabai]

I have lived here for four years in the night Bazaar area and heard of only one murder here.

When I first moved to Thailand I was informed that they had a high murder rate. My informant claimed that it was because they never learn problem solving skills.

Another reason in my opinion is the believe in Buddhism that they will come back again .

One of the big factors in my liking the people is they are not afraid to live. Hence they take more risks than a Farong and also take more enjoyment out of life. Just My Opinion

whats a Farong??

Isnt it some sort of dress??

No, that would be a sarang.

[jayjay0]

I have lived here for four years in the night Bazaar area and heard of only one murder here.

When I first moved to Thailand I was informed that they had a high murder rate. My informant claimed that it was because they never learn problem solving skills.

Another reason in my opinion is the believe in Buddhism that they will come back again .

One of the big factors in my liking the people is they are not afraid to live. Hence they take more risks than a Farong and also take more enjoyment out of life. Just My Opinion

whats a Farong??

Isnt it some sort of dress??

Sorry about the spelling not my strong suit. If you look in the mirror you will see one.

[IanForbes]

Gerryasia, I've been in Thailand for over 20 years. Koh Phangan natives don't rely on the police for enforcement of anything. They went without the police for a very long time, and they don't really bother with them now. The first murder occurred aboiut 6 months after I moved to the island, the guy who delivered pork to Hadrin was gunned down on the beach outside our house very early one morning. My understanding was that he liked other men's wives. A cousin in law's husband was murdered for the same reason.

Koh P is considered the wild west, I know but the above story by TP just goes to show that what I have always believed, the Thais know the rules. They also know the consequences that could occur from breaking those rules. You might get away with it, you might not. But of all the murders I have heard of and the people I know that have been murdered, none have been random. Some were business related, one politics, mostly just personal. Men who liked other mens' wives. Men who liked to fight. A neighbor was murdered about drugs (so, I guess, in a way, business then).

So, yes ThaiPauly's story doesn't surprise me that much, even for Chiang Mai. If you learn to read the Thai language papers you will see these kinds of stories repeated across the nation on a regular basis.

Much the same in Canada as far as the reasons for murder are concerned. But, the exception is Canadians are mostly sheep and leave EVERYTHING to the police to control. Last year in Vancouver (or should I say "Hongcouver") there were about 40 murders in the first 3 or 4 months. But, all but a few of the murders where drug or gang related.

I DO know the places I visited in the Philippines were a lot rougher, though. You definitely don't want to mess with another man's woman. That is just asking for trouble and I believe it's probably the same in Thailand.

As most Thai people understand (and many expat farangs), the Thai police are not really there to protect the citizens. That means that Thai people tend to take care of problems their own way.

It is the same in Vietnam and Korea. We have many Vietnamese in British Columbia, and they came here with the same mistrust of the police and authority that they had in their own country... and for very good reason. Many new Asian citizens in Canada have trouble adjusting to the environmental laws and regulations of Canada.

[witold]

"Last year (2008), Vancouver recorded 18 murders, compared to Toronto's 70 and Montreal's 29. The first few months of 2009 does show a new trend: more Vancouver murders, 20 so far."

"But to put things in perspective, Vancouver continues to be a relatively safe North American city. In the U.S., the average homicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. In Seattle last year, 30 murders were recorded, in L.A., 381, in New York, 523."

http://www.canada.com/scripts/story.html?i...66d&k=60696

[Crow Boy]

getting back to the original post it remains a sad thing that people have been killed over what appears to be a relatively minor issue. Two vendors trying to make a living and now two families pretty much destroyed as a result.

I lived in a small village for quite a while, after the event it was explained to me by my house mother. A man had been encroaching on other men's wives and was "sorted" out by a husband who beat the living bejesus out of the fellow. The guy had to wait until the local police left the village for a couple of days so that it could be handled in house. The guy got a beating, the wives got a bit as well, the police knew nothing.

I asked my house mother about the women who had been cheating with the guy and she said they had to be beaten but "not too much" so they would learn who was the boss in the house. Old fashioned and not politically correct in modern society but the situation was sorted out.

CB

[Crow Boy]

"you can take a girl out of the bar but... "

Be very careful with that sort of statement. You have no cause to suggest that anyone in this situation was or is a bargirl or that it is anyway relevant to the story.

[whiterussian]

"you can take a girl out of the bar but... "

Be very careful with that sort of statement. You have no cause to suggest that anyone in this situation was or is a bargirl or that it is anyway relevant to the story.

No No, not in the tragic pad thai tale... Thats just an awful story. How could the wife stay there at the shop...

Consider my wrist slapped, didnt intend to ruffle any feathers. Just a general observation that many of the 'violent' incidents I hear of tend to involve mismatched partners, and also a defense of the 'ordinary' Thai, who wouldnt dream of violence. This is Chiang Mai, not BK or a resort town.

The only other sociological experience I have with this kind of violence is an old chap in my wifes village who tried many times to kill his wife so that he could live with his mianoy.. the last attempt was to electrocute his wife with wires from the bedside lamp while she slept. She anticipated the attempt, and jumped out the window. The upshot of this was that village community exercised their judgement and he became exiled from his house...

to the other side of the village.

Edited May 6, 2010 by whiterussian

[Toolz]

it remains a sad thing that people have been killed over what appears to be a relatively minor issue.

Au contraire! Actually the guy had been blabbing all week about how his pad thai was so much better than the Sunday Lunch Special at a farang place he'd been to downtown ... and it just came to a head. Lucky really that he didn't have an account to post on Thai Visa or it could have been a lot messier.

[ThaiPauly]

"you can take a girl out of the bar but... "

Be very careful with that sort of statement. You have no cause to suggest that anyone in this situation was or is a bargirl or that it is anyway relevant to the story.

Hey CB nice to see you back again

[WinnieTheKhwai]

To be completely honest, it may well have been self defense (not saying that I know one way or the other, but neither does anyone else know of the exact circumstances).. The Pad Thai guy was a bit weird.

[sbk]

Murders on Koh Phangan have nothing to do with being a beach resort town and only very very rarely involve a foreigner. Its almost always local on local and there is usually a reason behind it. May not be a valid reason to us, but it is to them. Pretty sure thats par for the course everywhere in Thailand. Like I said check out ThaiRath on a daily basis. Dead bodies on nearly every front page.

[LJW]

I'm posting this just because its a snapshot of stuff we never hear about, like the 10 Burmese workers who live on the outskirts of our village who were killed when the truck they were in overturned in the underpass near Big C....they were Burmese and Thais don't seem to care much about the fate of Burmese, its certainly not a newsworthy story as far as they are concerned

The reason you don't hear about this stuff TP, is because most of the news in Thailand is in Thai, not English.

If you learn a bit of Thai, it will be clearer to you, in my opinion.

[Trickcyclist]

"if the desire to kill and the opportunity to kill always came together, who would escape hanging?"

Mark Twain

[ThaiPauly]

I'm posting this just because its a snapshot of stuff we never hear about, like the 10 Burmese workers who live on the outskirts of our village who were killed when the truck they were in overturned in the underpass near Big C....they were Burmese and Thais don't seem to care much about the fate of Burmese, its certainly not a newsworthy story as far as they are concerned

The reason you don't hear about this stuff TP, is because most of the news in Thailand is in Thai, not English.

If you learn a bit of Thai, it will be clearer to you, in my opinion.

Gee thanks for the heads up LJW, I am so os grateful to you for pointing that out

Oh and by the way opinions are like assh#les...everyones got one and everyone thinks the other person's one stinks

[ferd54]

Gee thanks for the heads up LJW, I am so os grateful to you for pointing that out

Anyway, TP, thanks for the account that offers a glimpse of market-level realities in Thailand. Sad on so many levels -- the wife continuing to work while the husband expired -- we should all be grateful for for the advantages we have.