Vicious Beating On Khao San Road

[cmsally]

Story number 1,034a as we say

Why in one version does he get beaten up with his friends being held back but another version all 3 of them are beaten up. As with any story did the incident happen and if it did why. If he was beaten up and didn't retaliate why did everyone join in or were they busy beating up the girls (second version) (which doesn't usually happen here).

Whatever the why's and if's - some of the backpackers really leave their brains at home.

Why don't they just learn that if you are polite and considerate to people then you will get the same back. If you are anywhere late at night with alcohol, it doesn't mean you lose your manners - it means you are EXTREMELY polite and considerate.

It's called common sense which some people seem to lack.

[WhiteShiva]

KSR, somewhere I just avoid as much as possible. I remember my wife being harrassed there by drunken back-packers, our crime, we went there to meet some tourist friends and have spaghetti for dinner.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know when you were there, but IMHO KSR has laterly changed for the better over the last few years. I occasionally take visitors down there for a few drinks, and have found some of the places there great for having a good meal and a couple of beers, and enjoying the occasional looker walking by.

The entire road is now pedestrian only in the evening (give or take the odd motorbike - TIT afterall!), and I dare say the majority of the people there on a Friday or saturday evening are Thais, mostly young, mostly middle-to-upper class.

A few weeks ago time I went out with a visitor from the US on a Friday night, and we hit a few of the "nicer" bars and had a good time. In all the bars we went to, the great majority of the patrons were Thai, and in at least one place we were the only foreigners to be seen. Friendly atmosphere everywhere. No signs of ripp-offs, rude Thais, etc whatsoever.

I think to get into trouble in KSR, you either have to be exceptionally unlucky or behaving like a real idiot. Neither would be the fault of KSR.

[Sydney_Tom]

Maybe I think I am Hi-So, but I much prefer Sukhumvit than KSR. Apart from forged Press ID's and fake University degrees, Sukhumvit has it all.

White Shiva, the last time I was there I think it was about 6 months ago, and we just sat in some bar on the foot-path and made jokes about the smelly and dirty back-packers (in Thai) as they walked by. The jokes started when three of them walked past and the smell just about put us off our beer. They smelt like they had just had a bath in Som-Tum.

None the less, good fun, but I am happy to stay in Sukhumvit and Chit-lom.

[daleyboy]

Funny how many posters here are in complete denial about the violence that exists in Thailand.

Some of the comments are laughable really....such as "go home if you don't like it here"  "they got what they deserved"  "the violence is restricted to Khao San Road"

"it wont happen to me because i understand Thai culture" "I feel safer here than at home"

None of these statements addresses what happens on a regular basis in LOS.

Tourists are routinely beaten and in some cases murdered on a disturbingly regular basis in Thailand. Further the perpetrators are often not caught nor are the police remotely interested in catching them. You can forget about due process in Thailand and any real protection from the law.

Thailand promotes iteslf as a tourist destination but in one of the main tourist  areas of Bangkok an attack like the one posted here happens and the police can't be bothered to do anything. What sort of message does that send to your average Thai? Pretty clear really....tourists are open season.

Do you think you could get away with this in Sydney, London or Paris?

I would love to see some hard evidence tolley of these sweeping statements you make.

[WhiteShiva]

Maybe I think I am Hi-So, but I much prefer Sukhumvit than KSR. Apart from forged Press ID's and fake University degrees, Sukhumvit has it all.

White Shiva, the last time I was there I think it was about 6 months ago, and we just sat in some bar on the foot-path and made jokes about the smelly and dirty back-packers (in Thai) as they walked by. The jokes started when three of them walked past and the smell just about put us off our beer. They smelt like they had just had a bath in Som-Tum.

None the less, good fun, but I am happy to stay in Sukhumvit and Chit-lom.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know what you mean, Tom - Sukhumvit has a bit more 'class', at least in certain areas, and a bit more mature clientelle. Also most of the foreigners there are expats, rather than tourists, which I supposed gives the venues a bit more of an 'established" atmosphere.

I guess what I enjoy about KSR is the ability to walk around outdoors, and simply sit and look at people walking by. Not many places in Bangkok you can have an outside beer without having to endure the traffic pollution at the same time.

Just imagine if they made lower Sukhumvit (say from Emporium to Ploenchit) into a pedestrian zone....... Not that it would ever happen. Even having level, un-potholed, unobstructed footpaths would go a long way.......

But I am dreaming.....

[suprnogo]

I think to get into trouble in KSR, you either have to be exceptionally unlucky or behaving like a real idiot. Neither would be the fault of KSR.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I lived on Soi Rambutri, on and off, for 6 months during the summer of 2003. I was training Muay Thai twice a day at the Sor Vorapin gym close by. I am not a drinker and certainly not a trouble maker.

On the whole the place is pretty mellow, but a fair few of the staff at the Sawadee place are thugs. I saw a farang expat, a graphic designer IIRC, being given a kicking for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You dont have to have done anything to get a beating - and with no consequencies what's stopping heavy handed staff?

It's very easy to think the farangs in this case must've done something. After all Thais are such a genteel, passive people. Heh.

[WhiteShiva]

I think to get into trouble in KSR, you either have to be exceptionally unlucky or behaving like a real idiot.  Neither would be the fault of KSR.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I lived on Soi Rambutri, on and off,  for 6 months during the summer of 2003. I was training Muay Thai twice a day at the Sor Vorapin gym close by. I am not a drinker and certainly not a trouble maker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am very glad for you

On the whole the place is pretty mellow, but a fair few of the staff at the Sawadee place are thugs. I saw a farang expat, a graphic designer IIRC, being given a kicking for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You dont have to have done anything to get a beating - and with no consequencies what's stopping heavy handed staff?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess he was in the wrong place at the wrong time - what I referred to as "exceptionally unlucky" above

It's very easy to think the farangs in this case must've done something. After all Thais are such a genteel, passive people. Heh.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is my distinct impression that you are extremely unlikely to encounter unprovoked violence here in LOS. I feel a he11 of a lot safer here (and that includes KSR) that I do in any western country. 7 years here, and I have never felt threathened, and I am a drinker who knows nothing about Muay Thai.

Not that I have ever felt the need to tell people about my knowledge or lack of martial art skills anyway - if you are in a situation where you need to fight, you have already made at least one big mistake. Better to focus on not getting to that point in the first place.

[chonabot]

[

Not that I have ever felt the need to tell people about my knowledge or lack of martial art skills anyway - if you are in a situation where you need to fight, you have already made at least one big mistake.  Better to focus on not getting to that point in the first place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately sometimes it is not your fault , hence your reference to wrong place and time. What is wrong with a few self-defense skills that may save your life and others?

[suprnogo]

It is my distinct impression that you are extremely unlikely to encounter unprovoked violence here in LOS. I feel a he11 of a lot safer here (and that includes KSR) that I do in any western country. 7 years here, and I have never felt threathened, and I am a drinker who knows nothing about Muay Thai.

Not that I have ever felt the need to tell people about my knowledge or lack of martial art skills anyway - if you are in a situation where you need to fight, you have already made at least one big mistake. Better to focus on not getting to that point in the first place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

7 years in Thailand and you dont know any Muay Thai? Sheesh, what a waste

That said, MT skills are pretty useless against a mob attack. Unless you're Tony Jaa.

Anyhow, I'll ignore the Ad Homs and restate my point. I hung out on Rambutri for a while and have first hand experience of some of the unstable characters that work there. I saw an unprovoked attack against a placid expat in this very bar. The perpetrators in this case ran into the neighbouring Bangkok Bar to hide. Were the police interested? Nah...

[penelope]

I was reading a book about some sas guys once, and i remember reading that if a fight broke out in a bar,the sas guys role in it would be that he would have surveyed the bar upon arrival, continually monitored the location,seen the situation brewing 10 minutes before hand and when the fight errupted he would already be at another bar.

AFAIC, solving conflict by tactically avioding it is much cooler then confronting it head on and then dealing with all the repurcussions.

[chonabot]

I was reading a book about some sas guys once, and i remember reading that if a fight broke out in a bar,the sas guys role in it would be that he would have surveyed the bar upon arrival, continually monitored the location,seen the situation brewing 10 minutes before hand and when the fight errupted he would already be at another bar.

AFAIC, solving conflict by tactically avioding it is much cooler then confronting it head on and then dealing with all the repurcussions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Absolutely , one of the things I have picked up over the years of going to dodgy places and seeing a few scraps is the ability to spot a possible trouble causer and react accordingly. If I am with the wife or family I will leave at the earliest opporunity. If not , then that is where some Boxing or other full contact skill will be useful.

No matter how many black belts you may have achieved , there is no substitute for being streetwise.

IMO of course.

[Tolley]

Funny how many posters here are in complete denial about the violence that exists in Thailand.

Some of the comments are laughable really....such as "go home if you don't like it here"  "they got what they deserved"  "the violence is restricted to Khao San Road"

"it wont happen to me because i understand Thai culture" "I feel safer here than at home"

None of these statements addresses what happens on a regular basis in LOS.

Tourists are routinely beaten and in some cases murdered on a disturbingly regular basis in Thailand. Further the perpetrators are often not caught nor are the police remotely interested in catching them. You can forget about due process in Thailand and any real protection from the law.

Thailand promotes iteslf as a tourist destination but in one of the main tourist  areas of Bangkok an attack like the one posted here happens and the police can't be bothered to do anything. What sort of message does that send to your average Thai? Pretty clear really....tourists are open season.

Do you think you could get away with this in Sydney, London or Paris?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would love to see some hard evidence tolley of these sweeping statements you make.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You ought to get out more.

Assaults on farangs are a regular occurrence.

Heck there have been three or four quite viscous attacks in the last week that were reported in the newspapers.

I wonder how many don't make the press.

Thai on Thai violence is even worse.

There are plenty of no go areas in Bangkok once you leave the relative safety of the tourist areas.

Petty crime and assaults and murders are commonplace amongst the Thai community with much of it not reported.

Even the Thais themselves who are somewhat used to violence are alarmed at the increasing violent nature of their society.

On top of this you have state sponsored assassinations of some 2000 people just recently and of course environmentalists, trade unionists and political canditates are assassinated with alarming regularity.

Ansd of course ou have the violence in the south of the country where there are regular killings on both sides.

It all adds up to a serious problem for Thailand.

[suprnogo]

You've hit the nail on the head here.

Thailand is lawless. End of.

I grew up in a pretty rough Scottish New Town, populated with the dregs of the Glasgow overspill. Salt of the Earth, you understand. The violence there is nothing compared to the fights I saw in Thailand.

Thing to remember is that violence in Asia is pretty full on. Not much of posturing and brinxmanship you get back home. In Thailand it's *BOOM* straight to the chase.

[DJ Pat]

Funny how many posters here are in complete denial about the violence that exists in Thailand.

Tourists and expats are two different species Mr Tolley, sorry if it has appeared that we side with the Thais on this one but if you went over to the thread and read all the posts you will see that these people are idiots who I think, deserved this wake up call.

In fact this should serve as a wake up call for that crappy publication LONELY PLANET, get with the times and travel somewhere in Bangkok apart from KSR.

The whole thread on Lonely planet's &lt;deleted&gt; forum for &lt;deleted&gt;

[suprnogo]

deserved got nuthin to do with it.

[Tolley]

Funny how many posters here are in complete denial about the violence that exists in Thailand.

Tourists and expats are two different species Mr Tolley, sorry if it has appeared that we side with the Thais on this one but if you went over to the thread and read all the posts you will see that these people are idiots who I think, deserved this wake up call.

In fact this should serve as a wake up call for that crappy publication LONELY PLANET, get with the times and travel somewhere in Bangkok apart from KSR.

The whole thread on Lonely planet's &lt;deleted&gt; forum for &lt;deleted&gt;

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is a very interesting concept of justice you seem to have.

Somebody allegedly doesn't pay a bill and they deserve to be beaten by all and sundry to a pulp.

What about the guy in Asoke last week who allegedly didn't pay for something and was beaten from behind and is lucky to be alive and may not make a full recovery.

I suppose he got what he deserved eh.

What about those English backpackers that were murdered in Kanchanburi?

I suppose they got what they deserved to.....insult a Thai and expect to be killed....maybe they should put something in their tourist publicity about how not paying a bill or insulting a Thai may end in a serious incident.

Gimme a break.

[Khutan]

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