Incident While Waiting For A Big Mac

[jomama]

Yesterday I decided to go to McDonald’s at the Night Bazaar. It wasn’t open yet (doesn’t open ‘till 10 a.m.), so I sat at a restaurant next door (called Click and Drink (!) -- because they have an internet shop, too) and, uncharacteristically, struck up a conversation with a man sitting at the next table. He seemed to be looking at the Royal Princess Hotel.

He was Palestinian, he said, and has lived in the U.S. for 33 years (in Seattle). There was a boy with him, perhaps 18 to 20 years old. He was wearing a brand-new running suit and new sneakers. He seemed agitated, and kept getting up and pacing around, and had an intense, rather angry look on his face. I asked him where he was from, and he said Thailand.

“Oh ya, that’s great -- where?” I said. He looked at me blankly, so I said in Thai: ”Khun ma jaak ti nai?” He looked at me blankly, then turned his back on me. The older man said something, and the boy turned around and said “Pattaya.”

I began to speak more Thai to him and realized the boy didn’t understand at all (and my Thai is not that bad after 13 years here). All the while he was getting up and pacing around Chang Klan Road. He then arrived back with another man, a bearded guy, who spoke some Thai. He said to me: “Roojak Osama bin Laudin?” (Do I know Osama bin Laudin?). He smiled and walked away. The boy smiled too.

I must say the boy didn’t look Thai at all, rather Middle Eastern. I also wondered why a sophisticated, older man who spoke near-perfect English was hanging out with a young man in a cheap new running suit who spoke neither English nor Thai.

I just had a gut felling that this “smelled funny,” and walked up the street to where a group of tuk-tuks were. I had left my cellphone at home, so I asked them to call the police -- just to check the guy out. Of course they refused to do so because it’s not their business. A younger driver, however, seemed interested and asked if one of them had a beard. I said yes, and he said he knew what I was talking about. He said he would keep an eye on them. Just then, the man and boy left the restaurant and it appeared that the older man was having heated words with the boy in the street.

When I left, the boy was still hanging around on Chang Klan Road like he was waiting for someone.

Am I paranoid? I don’t think or worry about these things, and I’ve seen a whole lot of weird characters in my time here. This one just seemed different...

[ThaiPauly]

I Don't think you are being Paranoid at all.

It is a documented fact that terroists have passed through Chaing Mai on thier way to cause mayhem elsewhere.

My guess would be that if they are terrorists they could be heading for BK.

I would certainly post this outside the CM forum or contact someone you know in authority, you must have some contacts if you have been here so long?

You cannot be too over cautious these days, if you feel it was suspicious (and I agree with you it certainly seems suspicious from your post) you MUST do SOMETHING.

You would never forgive yourself if something went down because you did not make your suspicions known to the authorities. If they fail to act then thats their fault.

Have you thought about contacting your Embassy? I am sure they have a photo libraray of known terroists, you may be able to pick them out.

You Cannot Let this pass

Do the right thing, it may come to nothing and may be nothing but you can't take the chance can you?

Thanks for posting this, keep us informed of what happens, we are now 20 hours behind them

[pedro01]

& make sure you keep reporting these issues to the nearest Tuk-tuk drivers - they'll be able to stop terrorists dead in their tracks..

[ThaiPauly]

I know that BK Motorcycle Taxi Riders and Taxi Drivers were trained in how to spot a potential Rocket Launcher, before APEC, but I don't know if this policy extended as far as CM.?

Joking aside though this is a very serious situation.

TP

[jomama]

I Don't think you are being Paranoid at all.

It is a documented fact that terroists have passed through Chaing Mai on thier way to cause mayhem elsewhere.

My guess would be that if they are terrorists they could be heading for BK.

I would certainly post this outside the CM forum or contact someone you know in authority, you must have some contacts if you have been here so long?

You cannot be too over cautious these days, if you feel it was suspicious (and I agree with you it certainly seems suspicious from your post) you MUST do SOMETHING.

You would never forgive yourself if something went down because you did not make your suspicions known to the authorities. If they fail to act then thats their fault.

Have you thought about contacting your Embassy? I am sure they have a photo libraray of known terroists, you may be able to pick them out.

You Cannot Let this pass

Do the right thing, it may come to nothing and may be nothing but you can't take the chance can you?

Thanks for posting this, keep us informed of what happens, we are now 20 hours behind them

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually when I got back home with my Big Mac I called the American Consulate and asked for the duty officer...he wasn't there, but the Consul General herself took the call and seemed very interested...and she too said I wasn't being paranoid. It was fully noted.

[ThaiPauly]

Well done Jomama,

you have done the right thing, it is now in their hands, nothing more you can do.

Cheers

TP

PS. Those Big Macs arn't good for you Man, they are terrorists in their own right!!!

[JXXXL]

Speaking of terrorism, something must have happened at CNX to trigger the heightened security. We will probably never know as the real story would hurt tourism. I heard a rumor that a nasty package was found, but never heard anything to substantiate it.

I reckon that CM, with all the western tourists, would be a prime target inside Thailand for international or domestic terrorism.

[meadish_sweetball]

Speaking of terrorism, something must have happened at CNX to trigger the heightened security.  We will probably never know as the real story would hurt tourism.  I heard a rumor that a nasty package was found, but never heard anything to substantiate it.

I reckon that CM, with all the western tourists, would be a prime target inside Thailand for international or domestic terrorism.

That is due to the bomb blast in Hat Yai. Security has not only been heightened in Chiang Mai.

[jomama]

& make sure you keep reporting these issues to the nearest Tuk-tuk drivers - they'll be able to stop terrorists dead in their tracks.. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, at least they have eyes "on the ground." After I raised a bit of an alarm, the whole street was watching. These tuk-tuk guys get around, and know many pople, including policemen, undercover and not. It's the best I could do until I got home.

[penzman]

Blowing his cover by asking you if you know of Ben Laden?

They probably wanted to be left alone.

[cmsally]

Wouldn't have anything to do with the sudden explosion (excuse the pun!) of tailoring shops here, by any chance would it.

Almost as bad as Phuket now, every 20m theres a tailor, there can't be that many people on holiday ordering suits can there?

[ProThaiExpat]

My take is it is just as likely a "human trafficing" situation!!

[earlofwindermere]

I'm white, a Christian and living in Chiang Mai .... People always assume that I'm a missionary here.

I can relate somewhat with these guys when they made a joke about osama because I'm sure that they get labelled in the same type of manner all the time. While I don't want to make light of your observations, could it possibly their way of dealing with constant stereotyping?

[jomama]

I'm white, a Christian and living in Chiang Mai .... People always assume that I'm a missionary here. 

I can relate somewhat with these guys when they made a joke about osama because I'm sure that they get labelled in the same type of manner all the time.  While I don't want to make light of your observations, could it possibly their way of dealing with constant stereotyping?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I knew this would be the response from some. I am not stereotyping. I simply related the experience and what the actual facts were. Perhaps they made a joke, perhaps a taunt. At any rate, I didn't judge them at first, but when someone tells you they're Thai and I later asked in Thai language: ("Khun bin con Thai, rip plaaw?" ) and someone looks at you blankly you know they're not Thai....so why the lie?

Another poster said it could be human traficking. That could be possible too. I didn't hassle these guys and I didn't want the hassle either. All I know is it did happen and it smelled damned funny. That's all.

[jomama]

Blowing his cover by asking you if you know of Ben Laden?

They probably wanted to be left alone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sure they wanted to be left alone....

[earlofwindermere]

I never said that you were stereotyping. I said that maybe it was their way of dealing with constant stereotyping. Whether you were or not, I'm sure they face it often. Anyway, I don't want to argue. I'm glad that you did what you thought was right. Cheers

[Darknight]

oh well, America is safe again

[Rumpole]

At any rate, I didn't judge them at first, but when someone tells you they're Thai  and I later asked in Thai language: ("Khun bin con Thai, rip plaaw?" ) and someone looks at you blankly you know they're not Thai....so why the lie?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just after the first Gulf war (Desert Storm), I was back home in the UK and went into a takeaway food place - kebabs etc. A customer asked one of the guys behind the counter where he was from, to which he replied "Italy". I overheard the staff talking to each other in Arabic and I asked them in the same language where they were from. Turns out they were (Christian) Iraqis - refugees from the Sadam regime. They told me it was more expedient for them to say they were Italian, both in terms of business and having fewer hassles in their daily lives. They were more than happy to tell me their story when they realized that I spoke their language, had worked for a number of years in the Middle East, and wasn't about to prejudge them solely on the basis of their ethnic origins.

I am not saying your suspicions were totally unfounded. I am simply saying things are not always as they seem, and there may have been a good reason (at least in his own mind) why the boy said he was Thai. Given the prevailing climate of hostility towards Middle Easterners and Muslims, I can't say that I particularly blame him.

I would add that I had to insist on paying for my order, as the kebab shop owner wanted to give it to me for free!

Edited June 10, 2005 by Rumpole

[ThaiPauly]

oh well, America is safe again   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybee somewhere closer to where we call "home" is safe Darknight thanks to Jomama's actions

[jackr]

At any rate, I didn't judge them at first, but when someone tells you they're Thai  and I later asked in Thai language: ("Khun bin con Thai, rip plaaw?" ) and someone looks at you blankly you know they're not Thai....so why the lie?

Given the prevailing climate of hostility towards Middle Easterners and Muslims, I can't say that I particularly blame him.

Something tells me they bring it on themselves

[chuchok]

At any rate, I didn't judge them at first, but when someone tells you they're Thai  and I later asked in Thai language: ("Khun bin con Thai, rip plaaw?" ) and someone looks at you blankly you know they're not Thai....so why the lie?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Given the prevailing climate of hostility towards Middle Easterners and Muslims, I can't say that I particularly blame him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Something tells me they bring it on themselves

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly mate.

The op should have said "my name's Israel Mcfatbastard and I eat Muslims and babies..want to come round for dinner?"

[bggg]

Speaking of terrorism, something must have happened at CNX to trigger the heightened security.  We will probably never know as the real story would hurt tourism.  I heard a rumor that a nasty package was found, but never heard anything to substantiate it.

I reckon that CM, with all the western tourists, would be a prime target inside Thailand for international or domestic terrorism.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes security has been tightened everywhere in the kingdom, however there was a problem at Chiangmai airport it has been a while but they found a bomb there. This was a month or so before the found the two at Kad suan kaew. No they don't report it because of tourism.

[aaaaaa]

Blowing his cover by asking you if you know of Ben Laden?

They probably wanted to be left alone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

may be Osama love Big Macs too ?

[maerim]

No your not paranoid they are really out to get you.

Thanks to your quick thinking you have averted a terrorist attack, as I have not heard any explosions in the last few days.

Keep up the good work.

[Totster]

may be Osama love Big Macs too ? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah ... the symbol of Capitalist America...

No your not paranoid they are really out to get you.

Thanks to your quick thinking you have averted a terrorist attack, as I have not heard any explosions in the last few days.

Keep up the good work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

totster

Edited June 11, 2005 by Totster

[jomama]

No your not paranoid they are really out to get you.

Thanks to your quick thinking you have averted a terrorist attack, as I have not heard any explosions in the last few days.

Keep up the good work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do I want to make a comment to the effect it's hard to hear anything with your head in the sand?

But seriously, the reason I posted this here is I wondered if should have just blown it off like usual...again, the thing that got me was the young man's behavior. If he acted like that at an aiport or anywhere there are responsible police they would have had a talk with him, just to see what the deal was. That's all I thought should happen -- just check the guy out. I didn't mean to "ruin their day," nor be so ######*d culturally insensitive.

And about the Big Macs -- we almost always cook at home and it's been many years since I had one. Just had a craving. You know, I'm just not a politically correct guy, I guess.