Woman Beaten Unconscious On Phuket Beach

[metisdead]

More posts regarding moderation have been removed from view.

As to the naming and shaming issue: If a member of Thai Visa posts a comment here in order to name and shame, then Thai Visa could be held accountable and possibly prosecuted for libel/defamation under Thai law.

[SteeleJoe]

Thanks for that but...

"I personally would have read it with a little less salt if you had been a member for over two days"

Not entirely sure what that means -- that I'm less credible because I'm a new member? I hope that's not it because that would be ridiculous. I've been an visitor, observer, student and resident of Thailand for quite possibly longer than anyone you know and probably longer than this forum has existed. The idea that someone's expertise on the subject of things Thai should or could be measured by how many days they've been a member here -- well, that's just silly. But more to the point: regardless of how long I have been here, do my comments stand up to scrutiny? Are they logical and founded in solid analysis and fact? I believe so or I wouldn't have made them (literally; I don't intend on posting anything that I don't believe to be the truth and can't honestly defend -- but you are obviously welcome to your own opinion as to their merit.)

"I have been wondering if there really is that much shock and dismay about it. On Thai Visa and myself there is but what about the rest of Thailand and the Press."

Don't know. As is clear in the post I think, I was talking about the reaction on Thai Visa.

"As for why foreigners act the way they do. Did it ever occur to you that there actions are unacceptable back home. And-or the drinking and whoring is more acceptable here than back home. Lets face it Thailand is a lot easier to live in for some people than where they come from"

Yes, those things have occured to me. But you have misunderstood me, I was not commenting on Farang lifestyles (nor judging them - I've enjoyed the liberties afforded here plenty, back in the day) I was commneting (as, again, can be seen in the post) on Farangs who choose to frequently visit or live here and yet constantly strive to paint the place and its people in the worst possible light.

"As for your comment on the BiB well you did not come right out and say it but you left no doubt that you agreed with the posters who have made a blanket statement that all police in Thailand are crooked."

I haven't agreed with ANY blanket statements and generally don't. And I wouldn't necesssarily say all were corrupt. But corruption in that system (and the larger system of which it is part) is systemic and virtually universal. This is DOCUMENTED -- by the That government, national and international NGOs, Thai universities and on and on. You can not be in that system if you don't follow its rules to one degree or another. And certainly you can not rise in it without doing so.

"You and the other poster's sound like a clown who has disappeared from TV said in one of his posts He had studied a 7 11 on the walking street in Pattaya and knew all about Thai's in Thailand."

<deleted>?!

My comments are based on academic study, personal observation, thousands of hours of conversation with Thais (from academic, writers, to slum folks or nightlife personnel and more than a few Thai cops -- some of which are friends) and news reports in a wide variety of sources.

How about you? What do base this assertion on?

"There are many good cops in Thailand."

There are some (relatively speaking). Perhaps many. But why is it that you feel confident in saying so? What's the source of that?

INQUISITIVE make a great post and tells a story not different from others I could share of my own and that of freidns and relatives -- and I think we have roughly the same take on it: even the good guys (some of them friends) aren't exactly good.

Edited January 11, 2011 by SteeleJoe

[sunanta]

This kind of shit sickens me.

HELLO....THEY NEED CCTV.......

[Thongkorn]

To the routine annoyance of people within ear-shot, I can normally talk for England,

but this report, assuming it is totally accurate, makes me speechless with gloom and

sorrow.

Anyone else having second/third/fourth....thoughts about living in this cruel land ?

(given the endless stream of bad-news....perhaps just stop reading TV altogether.)

And before anyone jumps up with the usual: Bad things happen everywhere, even

in cuddly England...absolutely right....but I bet you cannot come up with any story of

a gang descending on and beating a lone woman for trying to sell a few items of fruit ?

Behind all the gold decor, posing in pastel shirts, and quaint mannerisms, Cruel LOS ?

No your right... this kind of shit just doesn't happen in England or the U.S. ... we are far too civilised for groups of men to be beating the shit out of defenseless women for something as petty as selling goods on someone elses supposed turf.

But doing it for fun..now that's a different matter..

Heres a little selection it took me all of 10 seconds to find...

http://www.createpea...manmurdered.htm

http://www.theargus....ver_work_again/

http://www.topix.com...TNDJ7QUMN101RSI

By all means be disgusted at what happened to this woman...undoubtedly these guys are scum...but don't give it the self righteous 'this shit don't happen back home' nonsense, because it does and far worse...And if you watch some of the documentaries on Chinese cockle pickers on the beaches of England the exact same shit happens ...

I knew it wouldn't take long for one of you to drag the United States into this incident.

I Agree with you , Even the Uk was named, This happened on a beach in Phuket Thailand not America not England.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Thongkorn

[jayjay0]

I'm wondering about the nationality of the restaurant people. It feels to me that they are not Thai - or not real Thais.

Oh, man. Seriously?

Forgot to say...

All this talk about whether "Mafia" is the right term to be used (and to the guys who said he saw no reference to mafia in the article, he needs to read it again -- it's in there twice): it seems that some Falangs have been confused to an extent by the way Thais use the term -- that is to say very, very loosely. It may or may not be a reference to organized crime of some sort -- often very, very small scale (ie one group of criminals controlled or influenced by someone of relative wealth or power -- ie a restuarant owner with money perhaps a couple of connections and some nephews and local thugs) but sometimes massive (ie people who control trade worth millions and who are virtually untouchable and extremely powerful) -- but often it's just a term thrown around by Thais to mean career criminals in groups or even just one nasty guy.

And a "Mafia" is sometimes used by otherwise "respectable business people as a means of getting certain things done. That doesn't mean that business person is some sort of godfather and it's far more common than -- I suspect -- most of you would think.

Many thanks for your definition of Thai Mafia now the term makes sense to me.

[SteeleJoe]

I'm wondering about the nationality of the restaurant people. It feels to me that they are not Thai - or not real Thais.

Oh, man. Seriously?

Forgot to say...

All this talk about whether "Mafia" is the right term to be used (and to the guys who said he saw no reference to mafia in the article, he needs to read it again -- it's in there twice): it seems that some Falangs have been confused to an extent by the way Thais use the term -- that is to say very, very loosely. It may or may not be a reference to organized crime of some sort -- often very, very small scale (ie one group of criminals controlled or influenced by someone of relative wealth or power -- ie a restuarant owner with money perhaps a couple of connections and some nephews and local thugs) but sometimes massive (ie people who control trade worth millions and who are virtually untouchable and extremely powerful) -- but often it's just a term thrown around by Thais to mean career criminals in groups or even just one nasty guy.

And a "Mafia" is sometimes used by otherwise "respectable business people as a means of getting certain things done. That doesn't mean that business person is some sort of godfather and it's far more common than -- I suspect -- most of you would think.

Many thanks for your definition of Thai Mafia now the term makes sense to me.

You are welcome.

By the way, it's no coincedence that the Thais simply borrowed the English word and not coined one of their own; it's just a thing that has always gone on even at village level but Hollywood made it cool to be a bad guy and there's some drama and glamor attached to the term -- try asking the average Thai what it means...I suspect you generally won't get the precisely the same definition as you'd get from a westerner. "Organized Crime" (a more accurate and less emotive term) doesn't even always apply -- sometimes it's just people who can and do throw their weight around and have people stand by as they do or who will help them do it.

[LivinLOS]

What if the restaurant also sells fruit, pays a pretty hefty sum to occupy the beach, has warned the vendor previously against selling inside their restaurant, but the vendor still walked right into the restaurant to sell fruit . What if the restaurant owner, an elderly matron, simply threw the vendor out on her ear. What if the charges are only claimed by the vendor as some sort of retribution?

So, let's get the rest of the story before Thai bashing and ascribing guilt..

Dear Lord..

The woman was beaten unconscious.. By 6 male thugs.. On the public beach.

It was witnessed, she was hospitalized..

And you turn this into an aggressive pan handler being gently asked to leave by an old matron.

What planet do you live on?

[bulldogtwo]

It is the street vendors who make Thailand neat and unique. Not to mention that you can get some of the best food from street vvendors as well as fruit. I hope that the powers to be in Thailand understand this about their country and the importance of having them

[jayjay0]

Thanks for that but...

"I personally would have read it with a little less salt if you had been a member for over two days"

Not entirely sure what that means -- that I'm less credible because I'm a new member? I hope that's not it because that would be ridiculous. I've been an visitor, observer, student and resident of Thailand for quite possibly longer than anyone you know and probably longer than this forum has existed. The idea that someone's expertise on the subject of things Thai should or could be measured by how many days they've been a member here -- well, that's just silly. But more to the point: regardless of how long I have been here, do my comments stand up to scrutiny? Are they logical and founded in solid analysis and fact? I believe so or I wouldn't have made them (literally; I don't intend on posting anything that I don't believe to be the truth and can't honestly defend -- but you are obviously welcome to your own opinion as to their merit.)

"I have been wondering if there really is that much shock and dismay about it. On Thai Visa and myself there is but what about the rest of Thailand and the Press."

Don't know. As is clear in the post I think, I was talking about the reaction on Thai Visa.

"As for why foreigners act the way they do. Did it ever occur to you that there actions are unacceptable back home. And-or the drinking and whoring is more acceptable here than back home. Lets face it Thailand is a lot easier to live in for some people than where they come from"

Yes, those things have occured to me. But you have misunderstood me, I was not commenting on Farang lifestyles (nor judging them - I've enjoyed the liberties afforded here plenty, back in the day) I was commneting (as, again, can be seen in the post) on Farangs who choose to frequently visit or live here and yet constantly strive to paint the place and its people in the worst possible light.

"As for your comment on the BiB well you did not come right out and say it but you left no doubt that you agreed with the posters who have made a blanket statement that all police in Thailand are crooked."

I haven't agreed with ANY blanket statements and generally don't. And I wouldn't necesssarily say all were corrupt. But corruption in that system (and the larger system of which it is part) is systemic and virtually universal. This is DOCUMENTED -- by the That government, national and international NGOs, Thai universities and on and on. You can not be in that system if you don't follow its rules to one degree or another. And certainly you can not rise in it without doing so.

"You and the other poster's sound like a clown who has disappeared from TV said in one of his posts He had studied a 7 11 on the walking street in Pattaya and knew all about Thai's in Thailand."

<deleted>?!

My comments are based on academic study, personal observation, thousands of hours of conversation with Thais (from academic, writers, to slum folks or nightlife personnel and more than a few Thai cops -- some of which are friends) and news reports in a wide variety of sources.

How about you? What do base this assertion on?

"There are many good cops in Thailand."

There are some (relatively speaking). Perhaps many. But why is it that you feel confident in saying so? What's the source of that?

INQUISITIVE make a great post and tells a story not different from others I could share of my own and that of freidns and relatives -- and I think we have roughly the same take on it: even the good guys (some of them friends) aren't exactly good.

Sorry about the two day membership. I have a problem with people who come in from out of the Blue and claim to have all the answers.

The reason I saaid what I did about your attitude towards the BiB was because it sided with the previous posters who had made blanket statements. On this post you do admit there are good ones. But then you go on to put qualifications on them. Qualifications that no man women or child can stand against.

I base my opinion on common sense. I suspect that you are a good man and I will not give reasons for why you might once in a while be a little bit less. We are all human beings.

As for your <deleted> it was because of your unstated opinion on the BiB. You have seen some maybe a lot of corruption by the BiiB so every single cop in Thailand is crooked. That is what a blanket statement or agreeing to one is saying. My common sense tells me no. And don't even waste your time or mine by your experience obviously all negative I flat out admit there is a lot of BiB corruption.:jap:

[exu156]

Oh Thailand, what a horrible place. Makes me so happy to have left when I did. Its one place I will happily never set foot in again (Asia has soooooooo much better on offer). This story for me further encapsulates the Thai persona. Utterly horrible country. I hope the lady recovers quickly.

[surangw]

since this incident, have the other vendors cleared out of the area in question?

if so, maybe look for the area with no vendors and make the connection to the property owner.

also, IMHO, Mhaiwadee Thonglor being from a Muslim family, she will get even less help ( respect) from the power that be.

[SteeleJoe]

Oh Thailand, what a horrible place. Makes me so happy to have left when I did. Its one place I will happily never set foot in again (Asia has soooooooo much better on offer). This story for me further encapsulates the Thai persona. Utterly horrible country. I hope the lady recovers quickly.

You hate it so much you visit a website exclusively devoted to all things Thai and living in Thailand.

Huh.

[surangw]

This kind of shit sickens me.

HELLO....THEY NEED CCTV.......

FROM april 2010

" The majority of closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras in Patong don’t work, the Gazette has learned."

in other words, a good idea that was not done well.

[MAJIC]

How is it that when anything like this happens as sure as eggs are eggs we will get a justification reply that this sort of stuff happens everywhere in the world, and hence its not really a problem.

We are'nt in any other part of the world, we are on Thai visa discussing a Thai incident, involving Thai thugs.

Exactly: "Two wrongs don't make a right" neither is it a plea in Law!

Usually brings the UK bashers,out in force as well,any chance to slip in their own agenda.

[moorebwb]

I couldnt believe what i was reading, Totallly disgusted me, those 6 cowards should be done for attempted murder...and when there found guilty along with the owner, hopefully there exposed and go out of business, as thats the minimum they deserve...i hope the young girl gets well soon..and justice is done!!

[MAJIC]

To the routine annoyance of people within ear-shot, I can normally talk for England,

but this report, assuming it is totally accurate, makes me speechless with gloom and

sorrow.

Anyone else having second/third/fourth....thoughts about living in this cruel land ?

(given the endless stream of bad-news....perhaps just stop reading TV altogether.)

And before anyone jumps up with the usual: Bad things happen everywhere, even

in cuddly England...absolutely right....but I bet you cannot come up with any story of

a gang descending on and beating a lone woman for trying to sell a few items of fruit ?

Behind all the gold decor, posing in pastel shirts, and quaint mannerisms, Cruel LOS ?

No your right... this kind of shit just doesn't happen in England or the U.S. ... we are far too civilised for groups of men to be beating the shit out of defenseless women for something as petty as selling goods on someone elses supposed turf.

But doing it for fun..now that's a different matter..

Heres a little selection it took me all of 10 seconds to find...

http://www.createpea...manmurdered.htm

http://www.theargus....ver_work_again/

http://www.topix.com...TNDJ7QUMN101RSI

By all means be disgusted at what happened to this woman...undoubtedly these guys are scum...but don't give it the self righteous 'this shit don't happen back home' nonsense, because it does and far worse...And if you watch some of the documentaries on Chinese cockle pickers on the beaches of England the exact same shit happens ...

I knew it wouldn't take long for one of you to drag the United States into this incident.

I Agree with you , Even the Uk was named, This happened on a beach in Phuket Thailand not America not England.

Yes! but you know this sort of Post is Tailor made for the Bashers, of either their own Country, or someone elses.

I hope the Lady gets well soon,and continues her livelihood.

Edited January 11, 2011 by MAJIC

[kenmackie]

Assault and battery, grievous bodily harm, attempted murder - why is the restaurant owner not in custody now and that being reported? I guess it would be too hard for the police to try to 'prove' the case against the owner as he can simply say - no idea what you are talking about! Then it is hearsay until proven otherwise. The other post was right, the girl is insignificant and the family probably can't "pay" for justice. Very sad situation indeed. But let's see if public outcry will motivate the Police Minister into getting things happening. Another nail in the coffin of the Thai Tourism Authority and Phuket as a destination.

Refreshingb to hear " Another nail in the coffin" of the Thai Tourism Authority and Phuket as a destination.

I Might as well say the next,, if you don't love it leave it

[kenmackie]

Assault and battery, grievous bodily harm, attempted murder - why is the restaurant owner not in custody now and that being reported? I guess it would be too hard for the police to try to 'prove' the case against the owner as he can simply say - no idea what you are talking about! Then it is hearsay until proven otherwise. The other post was right, the girl is insignificant and the family probably can't "pay" for justice. Very sad situation indeed. But let's see if public outcry will motivate the Police Minister into getting things happening. Another nail in the coffin of the Thai Tourism Authority and Phuket as a destination.

Refreshingb to hear " Another nail in the coffin" of the Thai Tourism Authority and Phuket as a destination.

I Might as well say the next,, if you don't love it leave it

Comeon you senior posters and admins let us hear some wisdom?

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

the thug went on to become a respected politician.

<snip>

Not respected by me. Chuwit will get his, one day soon.

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

I actually knew a woman who had her life savings invested in a bar there and lost the lot that day.

Me too, but my lady friend had another bar in the wonderful soi 0.

Still, it kept her solvent.

[fasteddie]

one from 2005 and two from 2007, great links! you sure did your research!

To the routine annoyance of people within ear-shot, I can normally talk for England,

but this report, assuming it is totally accurate, makes me speechless with gloom and

sorrow.

Anyone else having second/third/fourth....thoughts about living in this cruel land ?

(given the endless stream of bad-news....perhaps just stop reading TV altogether.)

And before anyone jumps up with the usual: Bad things happen everywhere, even

in cuddly England...absolutely right....but I bet you cannot come up with any story of

a gang descending on and beating a lone woman for trying to sell a few items of fruit ?

Behind all the gold decor, posing in pastel shirts, and quaint mannerisms, Cruel LOS ?

No your right... this kind of shit just doesn't happen in England or the U.S. ... we are far too civilised for groups of men to be beating the shit out of defenseless women for something as petty as selling goods on someone elses supposed turf.

But doing it for fun..now that's a different matter..

Heres a little selection it took me all of 10 seconds to find...

http://www.createpea...manmurdered.htm

http://www.theargus....ver_work_again/

http://www.topix.com...TNDJ7QUMN101RSI

By all means be disgusted at what happened to this woman...undoubtedly these guys are scum...but don't give it the self righteous 'this shit don't happen back home' nonsense, because it does and far worse...And if you watch some of the documentaries on Chinese cockle pickers on the beaches of England the exact same shit happens ...

[brahmburgers]

Random

Thanks for the clarification

. I have always wondered about (brahmburgers) I will use a lot more salt now when I read his posts.

Just goes to show how the truth can be warped to make it seem what it is not. I was a little skeptical about truck loads of goons to tear buildings down. That is out of there line of work it takes machinery.

Well there is a little more to it than that.. The bars which got torn down actually had legal leases, it wasnt like the leases ran out and they wouldnt pay, only that he had a buffer leaseholder in between to run away and hide allowing plausible deniability. I actually knew a woman who had her life savings invested in a bar there and lost the lot that day.

There were actually 120 small businesses destroyed that night (starting at 04:00am on Jan 26th 2003). 60 of them were bars, the rest included internet cafes, travel agents, souvenir shops and a laundry. Most, if not all, held legitimate leases. They were all destroyed along with their contents (except for those that were looted by the thugs, as witnessed by residents of a Soi 10 apartment building), because one shell corporation run by Chuwit leased the land to another shell corporation, also run by Chuwit, for redevelopment. Jayjay0 is correct that it required machinery; back-hoe loaders, generators and lighting gantries were brought along to do the job, as well as truck loads of the afore mentioned thugs. Thaksin himself got involved with the fallout, calling for justice and screaming that the mafia responsible would be punished. Chuwit came back by threatening to reveal a list of senior police officials who he was paying off in return for keeping his brothels open. Thaksin spat his dummy even further, promising to personally clean up the police within three months, which dragged on to a year, then spluttering out once it was all forgotten. Yet another broken promise by the man we're told did so much for the country.

Hi JayJay0, you're wrong yet again, as other posts back up my assertion. You can use as much salt as you want to try to refute what I write, but the most you'll get is salty gruel. It was Chuwit's hired thugs, armed with wooden sticks who violently scared away vendors and flattened their little kiosks on Sukumvit in 2003. Following that, it was heavy machinery. Chuwit may have had a bit of legitimacy in his gripe (not being able to evict vendors) but he went about destroying their livelihoods in a thug-like fashion. The point being, Thai police showed once again how inept they are at handling blatant thugery, as they will show with this recent sad incident - of the girl being beaten on the Phuket beach.

Have there been arrests in this Phuket beach incident? One would expect no-bail, and a thorough fair-minded assessment of the incident - yet, this is Thailand, so.........

[Ulysses G.]

Im sorry but in Canada we do not have a culture of 6 men beating on a lone woman, we simply do not, you might find one lone crazy that is capable at any one time but 6 men together all sharing the same evil outlook on life and perpetrating in public with no shame whatsoever?

Canada has some of the most violent motorcycle gangs in the world and they have done some pretty terrible things (Too bad no one pays their airfare to Thailand to deal with these cowardly creeps)

[NCFC]

Well I'm with the restaurant on this one. These days you can't go on a beach without a swarm of vendors all over you. From selling their rubbish trinkets, unhygienic foods and overpriced drinks to unskilled massages that you just don't want. They're like vermin and destroy what should be a really nice. relaxing day out. What's even worse is when you're sitting in a restaurant, hopefully escaped from these pesky varmint, but still they come around trying to flog their tacky wares. So much so that we don't go to the busy beaches any more.

Now I've read a thousand posts where people are complaining about these unlicensed and illegal vendors and the authorities do nothing about the problem. So big surprise, the ordinary citizen has to do his own policing these days. These vendors have been warned time and time again yet they still persisted in being a nuisance. So that's the bottom line. And I've read ten thousand hand 'em high and flog 'em posts on this very forum in various threads from the very same people who are on the side of the illegal vendors, so don't come back to me whith your holier than thou replies.

Next I hope some concerned citizens will take to the streets of Bangkok and clear the riff, raff, the beggars and the prostitutes off Sukhumwit. If it takes a few cracked skulls then so be. It's the only language these people understand.

[graeme64]

one can only assume NCFC is kidding? Are the fruit vendors on the beach breaking any laws as they imply, I dont know?

Is there anything to suggest the owners of the restaraunt are thai. I have read nothing that would suggest they are. Nothing in the OP even suggest the thugs where thai, unless I missed something - which is possible.

@BrahmBurgers - I take it you are not a landlord?

G

[Bagwan]

Sadly this thing is common, especially with some of the thugs/scum/ cowards in Phuket. Jet ski operators, tuk-tuk drivers, Bangla Road touts, Soi San Sabai Motor bike parking security guards. They all have a number of things in common; They operate in groups/packs. If they are bored or high, they will cause violence. Once the violence starts, they get the smell of blood and all dive in for the kill. Another common factor is that it is never, never 1 on 1. Until the police start doing a policing job, this problem is here to stay and it will get worse.

The police tend not to get involved because they are as cowardly as the thugs who beat up this woman. It took 50 of them to riddle a refrigerator of an elderly couple full of holes , remember? Some time ago a thief was apprehended on Sukhumvit in BKK by public spirited passersby. A policeman came on the scene and arrested the thief - and then stood by as a mob beat the recidivist to death. For moral rectitude and valour BiB might well be described as ' all red dress but no drawers'.

I suggest that the Phuket police would only take on the local mafias in battalion strength but of course they won't. Even a very dumb Thai knows that self inflicted injury is not a good idea,

[ianh68]

And the sad thing is they were probably actually trying to kill her ..... just so they could sell some more 30 baht phad thai.

Yes, how about the name of the restaurant? Anyone?

As you may know, naming and shaming is not permitted on ThaiVisa. Warnings and suspensions will be given if this occurs.

What if I posted a message asking those who knew the name of the restaurant to PM me?

[jantrevor]

The men responsible for attacking Ms Maiwadee will be prosecuted, V/Gov Weerawat said.

Of course all Thai men look alike and all are innocent according to the police.

And the restaurant owner pays the police for protection.

Some shop owners hire off duty police to protect their stores.

Just more of the same old Thailand

[LivinLOS]

This kind of shit sickens me.

HELLO....THEY NEED CCTV.......

FROM april 2010

" The majority of closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras in Patong don’t work, the Gazette has learned."

in other words, a good idea that was not done well.

It was superbly done.. If by 'done' you mean installed to make someone a lot of money on the side.

It was funny the or bor tors budget to install them was X per camera and the gazette published that a private enterprise donated a camera or two and the costs to do it for the private company were about 16th of X..

[atsiii]

It seems to me that the sad reality in here is that the police are for hire. Every day there are stories like this one: the two accomplices to murder in Pattaya who have a shoot out wih police, subsequently lead them to a body, but who finger someone else as the trigger man are released! Police throw up roadblocks around the kingdom then, if they can't find something wrong, make up a violation to collect 100 or 200 baht payment on the spot (which is of course, illegal). This is so common that most e-forums like TV will tell you to just pay it! In BKK during the last redshirt uprising, three leaders climb down the outside of their hotel building in broad view of the TV cameras, then jump into awaiting pickups and speed off while the police are confused and don't see them. Yea... rrrrriiiiiigggghhhhhttttt.

I'm on Koh Chang, and here the bar owners pay the police to stay open late and and play loud annoying music until 3am when the law clearly says midnight!; or to look the other way if the farang bar owner doesn't have a work permit. Recently a resort owner in Bailan hit a NZ woman tourist over the head from the back and knocked her to the floor. She got up and fought back, biting and hitting him--so he called the police. When they showed up, without so much as questioning witnesses or the combatants, they arressted the woman--never charging her--took her passport, and then drover her around the island for 24 hours before dropping her off in White Sands. Can you guess who paid the police in that one? Probably not the tourist from NZ. And on and on it goes... My guess is that in this case the restaurant pays the local police and so, "no--there will be no prosecutions!" When I asked the French owner of a local girlie bar not far from my apartment in Kai Bea why he had to play his music (not really!) so loud music until 3am--especially when there were not even customers in the bar, he replied, "I pay the police so I can do whatever the 'f..k' I want!" This, I think, is the attitude spawned by such corruption. And in a land (of smiles) where the police are all for hire--then only those with money can have any element of safety or protection.

While there are certainly examples of this kind of corruption in my country, too (the U.S.), I think our most flagrant corruption is at a much higher level. In America--in particular thanks to the Supreme Court--our entire elected government is now for wantant hire; how many million do you want to pay for a senator or a congressman? The payback is then in the form of favorable laws and/or contracts paid with taxpayer money. But this higher level of corruption--while no doubt equally as vile--does not have the same direct affect on average common folk as the low-level corruption I have witnessed here in LOS. Local government officials usurping budgets for drainage and runoff to buy more personal land to develop; police for hire by the bars and restaurants, fake roadblocks to line the cops' pockets, etc. All this weighs directly and heavily on the welfare of the average common person. Ultimately--from the standpoint of stable society--I believe it is untenable.

anyway... my two bahts worth.

Edited January 12, 2011 by thaiphoon
Fonts resized for better reading