Wayward Thai Youths Learn From The Example Of Adults

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Wayward youths learn from the example of adults

By The Nation

Authorities cannot hope to resolve problems such as student violence if people can't behave as responsible citizens in a civilised society

The recent shooting of a second-year Siam Technology College student was tragic and devastating. The incident should never have happened. Apparently, as is all too common in such cases, the attack was the result of a brawl between students from rival colleges. What made this incident worse was the fact that the victim was innocent and did not intend to become involved in a fight.

It was reported that the unknown assailants asked the victim and his friend which school they were from and whether they thought they were cool, before firing a shotgun at them. Police say the shooting may have been the result of a misunderstanding between the students. But that is absolutely not an excuse for anyone to commit such a crime.

Sadly, this incident is not the first of its kind, nor is it likely to be the last. Student brawls, especially between students from technical colleges, have been in the news for years. In the past these fights were, for the most part, ordinary scraps that did not involve the use of dangerous weapons. However, an alarming recent development is the use of deadly weapons such as knives, guns or even explosive devices to attack opponents simply because they happen to be from a rival college.

This trend must be dealt with and stopped urgently because more young people will be injured or killed due to peer pressure to become involved in an escalating spiral of violence.

Sadly, many victims are not involved in the brawls, but are injured or even killed because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A 9-year-old boy was killed in such circumstances recently.

It will be a hopeless ideal for everyone in our society to enjoy peaceful co-existence if the issue of student brawls is not addressed by all responsible parties, especially the college authorities, parents and the students themselves.

These brawls can no longer be taken lightly. They cannot be dismissed as a consequence of raging hormones, especially when lethal weapons and premeditated murder are now regular occurrences.

Education and counselling are key issues here. Students who are liable to become involved in these attacks must be made aware of the possible consequences of their actions. They need to be taught how to exercise judgement with more consideration. Those students who do engage in violence tend to be insecure, or choose violence to mask a lack of self-worth. There are other contributory factors, but it is up to educators and parents to identify those most susceptible and to take remedial action as early as possible.

These attacks reveal a weakness in our educational system, as students do not learn how to become responsible citizen. Schools and colleges tend to focus on rote learning and technical skills without imparting social awareness and responsibility. At the same time, families fail to engender within children a good moral conscience and the skills to make good judgements.

It is extremely worrying that our youth increasingly choose to use violence and other extreme acts as a form of self expression, instead of trying to prevent conflict through reason and discussion. Kids must be taught how to listen and how to constructively pursue arguments. An understanding of the concept of co-existence must be instilled in students, and that everyone is accountable for the society they live in.

Adults need to do more to nurture a sense of social responsibility, tolerance, conscience and ethics in our youth, from an early age. Being loyal to one's college is a commendable value, but activities to promote team spirit should be promoted, instead of allowing students to take matters into their own hands against rivals on the street. This is not a proper college value. Unfortunately, schools and colleges simply don't have the resources to effectively promote the humanitarian side of learning.

Student brawls disrupt the learning environment. Schools and colleges therefore need a violence prevention programme and appropriate measures to punish and then rehabilitate students who engage in fights. Adults meanwhile need to show youth the best way to constructively resolve conflict - by listening, negotiating and determining the root causes of differences. Young people imitate and learn from the actions of adults. Adults should thus reflect on whether they have set a good example for youth when it comes to sorting out differences.

-- The Nation 2010-09-23

[ThaiRich]

Monkey see, monkey do.

[crusty]

Singapore and Malaysia recognised this problem 20 years ago and now have free facilities with equipment and coaches for music, badminton, tennis, football, swimming and sailing. Thailand has zilch !

[rubl]

I think this is one of the reasons the Thai society has to be very careful with the various amnesty plans circulating!

[Xangsamhua]

Being loyal to one's college is a commendable value

In what way? One attends a technical college to learn vocational skills, not to join a Mafia-like sub-culture bound by loyalty to whichever bullies or patrons have the power.

History is full of example of how loyalty to an institution or cadre of peers or superiors has encouraged dreadful crimes.

[junglist]

Singapore and Malaysia recognised this problem 20 years ago and now have free facilities with equipment and coaches for music, badminton, tennis, football, swimming and sailing. Thailand has zilch !

You nailed it. Children are a low priority here.

[Robby nz]

They see violance and fighting every day on the lovely Thai soaps.

Shows them how they are supposed to behave.

[Phuket Stan]

Its not only Thailand that has a problem with youth

From today's English Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8019379/Police-give-up-the-fight-as-yobs-take-over.html

Robbie NZ....dont u read the NZ Herald ???? its particuarly good on Mondays reporting on the violence over the respective weekends ...then move onto the Sydney Morning Herald

[tomyummer]

Singapore and Malaysia recognised this problem 20 years ago and now have free facilities with equipment and coaches for music, badminton, tennis, football, swimming and sailing. Thailand has zilch !

You must be joking. Thailand has tons for youngsters! Video game parlors, shopping malls,klongs, temples.....shopping malls,...er....video games..

[markokang]

Outside Burapa University last night there was a big brawl involving over 30 students (Not from Burapa) on motorcycles. No-one seriously hurt but this stuff goes on almost daily now in Thailand. Only when someone dies is it newsworthy.

Pretty accurate article. Good point too by Crusty: There is little for young kids/teenagers to do outside of school, particularly in Bangkok.

[Changian]

It is extremely worrying that our youth increasingly choose to use violence and other extreme acts as a form of self expression, instead of trying to prevent conflict through reason and discussion. Kids must be taught how to listen and how to constructively pursue arguments. An understanding of the concept of co-existence must be instilled in students, and that everyone is accountable for the society they live in.

Good to see The Nation advocating prevention of conflict through reason and discussion and preaching co-existence and accountability. Pity they didn't prractice this themselves in this July 30th Editorial which had more of the 'Do things my way or else I will first sulk and then use force to get what I want' type of attitude that they are now against as it shows how 'people can't behave as responsible citizens in a civilised society'.

If Cambodia insists on managing Preah Vihear, Thailand should respond in kind by closing the borders and stopping all trade with its neighbour. This would be the first warning. Thai soldiers on the border are on high alert. If the first warning goes unheeded, we should reserve the right, under our sovereignty, to drive out any nationals infringing upon our land.

[asiawatcher]

The bi-annual protest by the red shirts and their acts of terrorism and holding a city to ransom? Great example. The only way to break it up was with more violence. Sad but true. Lead by example Thailand. When there is no respect of law or enforcement by the representatives of law, what else would you expect from youth?

[Phuket Stan]

Outside Burapa University last night there was a big brawl involving over 30 students (Not from Burapa) on motorcycles. No-one seriously hurt but this stuff goes on almost daily now in Thailand. Only when someone dies is it newsworthy.

Pretty accurate article. Good point too by Crusty: There is little for young kids/teenagers to do outside of school, particularly in Bangkok.

Only 30...just a little bit of a melee....you get more than that after a football match in the UK

[sunanta]

Outside Burapa University last night there was a big brawl involving over 30 students (Not from Burapa) on motorcycles. No-one seriously hurt but this stuff goes on almost daily now in Thailand. Only when someone dies is it newsworthy.

Pretty accurate article. Good point too by Crusty: There is little for young kids/teenagers to do outside of school, particularly in Bangkok.

hhhmmmm lets look at dad.....drinking lao cow at dawn, smack mom around a bit before taking his prize chicken for a workout.........truth, not trolling

[selftaopath]

Thai people and Thailand are know for not taking responsibility for behavior. hel_l. the average Thai "never makes a mistake." There are few consequences for inappropriate deeds. Lying, cheating, stealing, at all costs are encouraged. Young people want to become wealthy or wealthier and they see how they can accomplish that i.e. become a cop/politician/ govt. worker etc. Not that the salaries of said positions will bring fortune but because of the power to squeeze money out of others and rather than benefiting the country of Thailand they can increase their own bank account. How ofter is ANYONE in Lack of Sanctions (LOS) held responsible?????? LOL

What a joke. What a confusing culture.

[RKASA]

Yea a new problem never seen before anywhere.

jets sharks 1961

[brahmburgers]

Someone mentioned the awful TV shows that proliferate Thai networks. I would add the videos. Look at the selection in any store. Very little, if anything about science, inventions, nature, ...instead a steady diet of violence, might is right, metaphysics, emotionally shipwrecked people, revenge, vindictiveness, wanton killing.

Are there any Thai equivalents of Nat'l Geo, or Discovery or Animal Planet or even Sesame Street? If so, I haven't heard. Even if a Thai family has access to Thai overdub versions of those types of shows, do you think the average family would watch them - instead of the soap opera and katoy silliness they ordinarily watch?

I also agree with the idea of offering free activities. Granted, many boys play sports after school, but there are a wealth of other invigorating activities, for boys and girls. And outlets for artistic endeavors (music, painting, sculpture, dance, etc)? If they're available, I haven't seen them.

Edited September 23, 2010 by brahmburgers

[RKASA]

This is the one I wanted to post but could not find - its classic.

[golferchin76]

Thai people and Thailand are know for not taking responsibility for behavior. hel_l. the average Thai "never makes a mistake." There are few consequences for inappropriate deeds. Lying, cheating, stealing, at all costs are encouraged. Young people want to become wealthy or wealthier and they see how they can accomplish that i.e. become a cop/politician/ govt. worker etc. Not that the salaries of said positions will bring fortune but because of the power to squeeze money out of others and rather than benefiting the country of Thailand they can increase their own bank account. How ofter is ANYONE in Lack of Sanctions (LOS) held responsible?????? LOL

What a joke. What a confusing culture.

I disagree with you. I have many employees who are responsible and who are loyal as well as honest. They are truckers, and engine technicians, and generally the public regards them as druggies and violent labor class.

If you get to know them and pick out the bad ones, give them that little respect they need and don't underpay them, they behave as good as you would want them to.

As for you wrote, "Thai people and Thailand are know for not taking responsibility for behavior." I saw you have a lot of posts containing negative comments toward the Thais as a whole. My experience is that the general Westerners or let's say Chinese, or any races on this earth, are just as cunning or bad if not worse in behavior. But I think generally 90% of Thais are good people by heart.

[Thai at Heart]

Thai people and Thailand are know for not taking responsibility for behavior. hel_l. the average Thai "never makes a mistake." There are few consequences for inappropriate deeds. Lying, cheating, stealing, at all costs are encouraged. Young people want to become wealthy or wealthier and they see how they can accomplish that i.e. become a cop/politician/ govt. worker etc. Not that the salaries of said positions will bring fortune but because of the power to squeeze money out of others and rather than benefiting the country of Thailand they can increase their own bank account. How ofter is ANYONE in Lack of Sanctions (LOS) held responsible?????? LOL

What a joke. What a confusing culture.

I disagree with you. I have many employees who are responsible and who are loyal as well as honest. They are truckers, and engine technicians, and generally the public regards them as druggies and violent labor class.

If you get to know them and pick out the bad ones, give them that little respect they need and don't underpay them, they behave as good as you would want them to.

As for you wrote, "Thai people and Thailand are know for not taking responsibility for behavior." I saw you have a lot of posts containing negative comments toward the Thais as a whole. My experience is that the general Westerners or let's say Chinese, or any races on this earth, are just as cunning or bad if not worse in behavior. But I think generally 90% of Thais are good people by heart.

On the whole I agree with you. Thai's are not inherently devious any more than any others. However, Thai society allows an awful lot of negotiation with the law. It is not applied hard, fast and evenly.

On the general subject of teen gangs, these have been around for ever virtually everywhere in the world, and have been around in Thailand for a very long time, but now as the seriousness of the offences increases the issue is hot for the moment. They probably have seen the lack of sanction on adults for their conduct and realised that they may get away with more brazen conduct.

It will be only by making these youths pay the consequences for the actions, that there is any hope of preventing this from increasing. However, for every 50 gang members who get caught and punished, there will always be the select few who "daddy" will save from paying for his actions. Some adults (and their children in the case of one famous current politician) in Thai society are beyond the law, it isn't much of a leap of logic for a young mind to believe they are beyond the law too.

It isn't hard to see that until ALL people are handled evenly by the law, that a fair percentage of people will continue to show it no respect.

[moe666]

If you are trying to change things at 19 you are a bit late, it has to be done at a very early age. Some kids are just going to be bad cases and no way around it.

[swerver]

Monkey see, monkey do.

Very simple – Very to the point

Just finished driving for a month on Royal Road 7 LCB – BKK – LCB to take care of business in BKK. Talk about no morals, no courtesy, no following road laws – tailgating, cutting sharply after passing, exceeding speed limit 120 KPH (doing 150-160 KPH), blinking headlights to make vehicles driving at 120 KPH Max Speed Limit to move out of the offender’s lane, trucks and busses 3-lanes across trying to pass each other – the list is endless. All this by Thai and farang vehicle “operators”. All of them adults, most of them having children and often with them in the vehicle getting their education how their parent is behaving in society.

Talk about government controlling this under present system amounts to nothing more than talk.

This Royal Road 7 and also 9 (2-roads I have been using for the past month) can be brought under control very simply. First change the Highway Police to Highway Patrol. Take 2 of the fat asses out of the car and place them on motor cycles, and as the name implies, PATROL, instead of standing/sitting in the shade under an overpass. In countries were I have worked with Hiway Patrols they have 1-car and 3-motorcycles consisting of a Patrol Unit. The car is for when having to transport an offender to the Hiway Patrol Station or direct to jail, in addition the car is necessary when having to block a part of the Hiway when there is vehicles accident. When they are PATROLLING they are moving all the time at Highway speed 120 KPH. From their own speed they can gauge the speed of the traffic on the road and pick out the speeders, pull them over, issue them a speeding ticket, and in case of intoxication, call the Patrol car to transport the intoxicated person to Jail.

In addition, speeding can be stopped dead-in-its-tracks by issuing at the Tollbooths Time Stamped tickets or in the case of the Chonburi Elevated Expressway add the time of entry to the electronic card issued. In both cases, at the EXIT Tollbooth the exit time is applied. Being an electronic system the system know point of entry and point of exit how many kilometer distance and with the Speed limit calculates how long it takes to cover the distance at Speed limit speed. When the time is inside the time required the vehicle “operator” will be instructed to move the vehicle to the Tollbooth Parking area and processed with the speeding fine. All this is in operation now for many years in Europe.

Royal Road 7 and 9 have signs showing a camera and the Speed Limit sign below it showing 120. Going by the excess speed vehicles fly by these signs these signs must the JOKE of the year 2010.

The only camera I have been able to locate is on Royal Road 7 under the last overpass before Royal Road 7 ends at Sukhumvit Road Pattaya. The came and its operator seems to be there occasionally, not all the time. Why this camera does have to have an operator in this electronic age? In Europe these cameras operate automatically by them self. There are signs informing motorists that the road is under camera control, but there are no signs showing were the camera is located. My nephew learned that the hard way when he received a stack of photos shows the back of his car with license plate number and a Speedo meter in the right-hand top corner showing his speed, way in excess of the road’s speed limit.

[doggie888888]

It's not just the youths. The headlines can also be: "Wayward Thai police learn from the example of their senior officers".

[ableguy]

Monkey see, monkey do.

Very simple – Very to the point

Just finished driving for a month on Royal Road 7 LCB – BKK – LCB to take care of business in BKK. Talk about no morals, no courtesy, no following road laws – tailgating, cutting sharply after passing, exceeding speed limit 120 KPH (doing 150-160 KPH), blinking headlights to make vehicles driving at 120 KPH Max Speed Limit to move out of the offender's lane, trucks and busses 3-lanes across trying to pass each other – the list is endless. All this by Thai and farang vehicle "operators". All of them adults, most of them having children and often with them in the vehicle getting their education how their parent is behaving in society.

Talk about government controlling this under present system amounts to nothing more than talk.

This Royal Road 7 and also 9 (2-roads I have been using for the past month) can be brought under control very simply. First change the Highway Police to Highway Patrol. Take 2 of the fat asses out of the car and place them on motor cycles, and as the name implies, PATROL, instead of standing/sitting in the shade under an overpass. In countries were I have worked with Hiway Patrols they have 1-car and 3-motorcycles consisting of a Patrol Unit. The car is for when having to transport an offender to the Hiway Patrol Station or direct to jail, in addition the car is necessary when having to block a part of the Hiway when there is vehicles accident. When they are PATROLLING they are moving all the time at Highway speed 120 KPH. From their own speed they can gauge the speed of the traffic on the road and pick out the speeders, pull them over, issue them a speeding ticket, and in case of intoxication, call the Patrol car to transport the intoxicated person to Jail.

In addition, speeding can be stopped dead-in-its-tracks by issuing at the Tollbooths Time Stamped tickets or in the case of the Chonburi Elevated Expressway add the time of entry to the electronic card issued. In both cases, at the EXIT Tollbooth the exit time is applied. Being an electronic system the system know point of entry and point of exit how many kilometer distance and with the Speed limit calculates how long it takes to cover the distance at Speed limit speed. When the time is inside the time required the vehicle "operator" will be instructed to move the vehicle to the Tollbooth Parking area and processed with the speeding fine. All this is in operation now for many years in Europe.

Royal Road 7 and 9 have signs showing a camera and the Speed Limit sign below it showing 120. Going by the excess speed vehicles fly by these signs these signs must the JOKE of the year 2010.

The only camera I have been able to locate is on Royal Road 7 under the last overpass before Royal Road 7 ends at Sukhumvit Road Pattaya. The came and its operator seems to be there occasionally, not all the time. Why this camera does have to have an operator in this electronic age? In Europe these cameras operate automatically by them self. There are signs informing motorists that the road is under camera control, but there are no signs showing were the camera is located. My nephew learned that the hard way when he received a stack of photos shows the back of his car with license plate number and a Speedo meter in the right-hand top corner showing his speed, way in excess of the road's speed limit.

Dream on this is Thailand