Thailand Tourist Attacks Common

[Livinginexile]

"The father of an Adelaide man who died after a machete attack in Thailand fears more Australians will be targeted as local courts fail to hand out appropriate sentences."

More here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8304681

It seems every week now one reads about a foreigner being murdered in Thailand.

Is it getting worst or are they just getting more publicity?

[Atmos]

Thankyou for posting the outcome; so often these events just 'fade away'

The earlier thread is here

Australian Tourist Dies After Thai Street Attack

[kerryk]

It is getting much worse especially on Fridays.

[WebBangkok]

It is sad, but the attacker was 17 and would usually get a reduced sentence in Australia too.

I don;t mean to be a douche by saying that, but just saying.

[meom]

It is getting much worse especially on Fridays.

Why Fridays?

With the internet, forums etc. there’s definitely more publicity.

It’s probably worse than 15 years ago but then again the number of foreigners coming to Thailand 15 years ago was a lot less so it seems logical that with more foreigners there’s more of them becoming a victim of crime in general.

Attacks as referred to in the article are still pretty rare I would guess

[Atmos]

It is sad, but the attacker was 17 and would usually get a reduced sentence in Australia too.

I don;t mean to be a douche by saying that, but just saying.

since you mentioned it - this from the same site as the link in OP; a light sentence I'd have thought.

Wife killer gets five years

Tue Sep 20 2011

A Perth martial artist who punched his wife in front of their children, then left her body to rot in a bedroom for two weeks after finding her dead, has been jailed for five years.

Bradley Wayne Jones, 34, will serve a minimum of three years for the manslaughter of Saori Jone, 31, in December last year.

read more

[thequietman]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

[kerryk]

It is getting much worse especially on Fridays.

Why Fridays?

With the internet, forums etc. there’s definitely more publicity.

It’s probably worse than 15 years ago but then again the number of foreigners coming to Thailand 15 years ago was a lot less so it seems logical that with more foreigners there’s more of them becoming a victim of crime in general.

Attacks as referred to in the article are still pretty rare I would guess

The ladies have lots of customers most days except Fridays when everyone flies out to Farang land to be back to work by Monday morning. Ladies without customers can be very dangerous. They drag old guys into bars and have their way with them.

[zzaa09]

With the internet, forums etc. there's definitely more publicity.

Yes, more seemingly forced upon attention and publicity.

Which certainly doesn't equate to higher dramatic numbers.

Folks are just easily manipulated......repeated over and again.

[roamer]

This guy's family have been handed a crap deal by both the Thai & Australian governments. First the ludicrous insult of a sentence handed down on appeal. The Australian government have not exactly covered themselves in glory by refusing the victims wife and child a resident visa, they are currently with his parents but have been told they must leave in Feb 2012. I would imagine she is even more apprehensive about her return in light of the sentence.

[qualtrough]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Three juveniles high on drugs target a rich tourist and from that you extrapolate that this is a sign that Thais are upset at farangs because they have taught their wives to stand up for their rights? The mind boggles.

[moe666]

I think the headline should be Travel Insurace Company get off scott free after ordering injured man from hospital leading to his death by infection.

I realize the men should be punished for the attack but it seems that the insurance company are liable for ordering him from hospital.

[thequietman]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Three juveniles high on drugs target a rich tourist and from that you extrapolate that this is a sign that Thais are upset at farangs because they have taught their wives to stand up for their rights? The mind boggles.

Edited September 21, 2011 by thequietman

[HeavyDrinker]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

What a load of cobblers...

[DP25]

I think the headline should be Travel Insurace Company get off scott free after ordering injured man from hospital leading to his death by infection.

I realize the men should be punished for the attack but it seems that the insurance company are liable for ordering him from hospital.

Unbelievable from the insurance company. He dies on a 9 hour bus ride because his insurance company orders him to leave the hospital and return to Australia for treatment or they would end his policy.

[Richard4849]

Common? I guess that depends on your definition. And your definition of "attack"...like do you discount cases where the victim was more or less asking for it? Picking drunken fights with locals, initiating road rage incidents, getting involved with illegal vice industries, picking up street walkers, hitting on someone else's wife or girlfriend, or generally making themselves a target?

[robblok]

I think the headline should be Travel Insurace Company get off scott free after ordering injured man from hospital leading to his death by infection.

I realize the men should be punished for the attack but it seems that the insurance company are liable for ordering him from hospital.

Unbelievable from the insurance company. He dies on a 9 hour bus ride because his insurance company orders him to leave the hospital and return to Australia for treatment or they would end his policy.

Yes really bad they caused his death.. Sure the THai teen initiated it but that company should not get of this easy.

[WebBangkok]

ahhh, this forums sometimes really cracks me up.

Especially the doom and gloom mob.

[Latindancer]

I think the headline should be Travel Insurace Company get off scott free after ordering injured man from hospital leading to his death by infection.

I realize the men should be punished for the attack but it seems that the insurance company are liable for ordering him from hospital.

I agree.......but how to make them legally liable ?

[HeavyDrinker]

I agree.......but how to make them legally liable ?

Pass on the insurance documents to your legal team and have them check the wording. If they were indeed acting outside the terms of the contract then they are liable for an action however random speculation on whether they were or not is pointless here without the document.

[MrJohnson]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Three juveniles high on drugs target a rich tourist and from that you extrapolate that this is a sign that Thais are upset at farangs because they have taught their wives to stand up for their rights? The mind boggles.

Yes, a rather long bow to draw there i think - slightly paranoid. There is no conspiracy! 'They' are not out to get 'us'. Please recite 10 tens before bed. It is all random.

[mca]

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

More like they are saying with a collective voice " On a daily basis we give westerners about as much thought as we give to the price of milk in Peru."

[MrJohnson]

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

More like they are saying with a collective voice " On a daily basis we give westerners about as much thought as we give to the price of milk in Peru."

Indeed. And why not. for the average Thai not directly connected with the tourism industry westerners are just those annoying people that ride the BTS smelling like a wet hessian sack carrying backpacks that knock people over and raising their voices when not immediately understood. In other words, a nuisance. Violence will always be part of Thai society and occasionally it will be directed at westerners - however, it goes largely unreported, but most of the violence is directed at other Asian nationals, most notably Burmese and Khmers. 'Nuff said.

[Ijustwannateach]

The 'foreigner effect' can only be very small. Even with increased numbers, we are a tiny and little-impacting group here. I think if there are any increased levels of violence that are not explained simply by more accurate reporting, that they would more reflect (indirectly- I'm not saying the machete-wielder was carrying political pamphlets or anything) the growing discontent with the way the separation of classes has been handled. Whether we like it or not- and in some cases the assumption is quite incorrect- foreigners get lumped into the 'moneyed' class here.

[NanLaew]

I think the headline should be Travel Insurace Company get off scott free after ordering injured man from hospital leading to his death by infection.

I realize the men should be punished for the attack but it seems that the insurance company are liable for ordering him from hospital.

The deceased chose to stay in Thailand and get second-rate provincial medical care for very serious wounds. The insurance company quite rightly protected both his and their interests and recommended that further insured treatment was only possible in his homeland. The insurance company did not tell him to use a mini bus to go get his passport. The deceased was indeed a victim of a horrendous crime. However, his decisions on post trauma medical treatment contributed the most to his demise. If I get hacked up in a machete attack or get seriously injured in a auto accident, you think I am going to stay in state-run hospital in Nakhon Nowhere or fork out absurd amounts for private treatment in this the land of clowns?

[hawthorne]

My unscientific opinion is it is getting more dangerous in Thailand. Or as I get to know Thailand I see how much more dangerous it really is. Maybe new is getting reported more, I circle of westerners in Thailand is growing there fore my rumor mill grows by the day. Much more risky now!!

[anon7867763]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Go any where in the world and its not the same as 9 years ago.This type of violence doesn't just happen to Falang.Everyday there are horrible cases with Thai victims.The problem is often consumption of yaa baa.Anyway this was a tragic case of the worst kind.

[MrHammer]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

[IanForbes]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

I tend to agree with you. If a person continually pushes the limits on ANYTHING then eventually it will come home and bite you. I've taveled all over Thailand and stayed in some pretty raunchy places. I often come home at night alone in the wee hours of the morning, but I never get drunk or act stupid. I don't recall ever feeling threatened. But, I have had problems in the Philippines in the notorious Angeles City. However, if I got drunk and hung around Soi 6 in Pattaya on a regular basis then I'd probably get mugged at some point in the game. I don't care where you are in the world, there are some places that strangers are not welcome.

[MrHammer]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

I tend to agree with you. If a person continually pushes the limits on ANYTHING then eventually it will come home and bite you. I've taveled all over Thailand and stayed in some pretty raunchy places. I often come home at night alone in the wee hours of the morning, but I never get drunk or act stupid. I don't recall ever feeling threatened. But, I have had problems in the Philippines in the notorious Angeles City. However, if I got drunk and hung around Soi 6 in Pattaya on a regular basis then I'd probably get mugged at some point in the game. I don't care where you are in the world, there are some places that strangers are not welcome.

Consider that for foreigners in Thailand, some parts of Pattaya, such as a huge, dirt cheap brothel soi, is probably the lowest moral point in the country and then I think it's suprisingly safe. I have been in the Philippines as well and the area around Malate, which is far less seedy than Pattaya, is a lot more dangerous. Heck, most red light districts in Europe are REALLY dangerous, not even mentioning Eastern Europe, the Carribean or Latin America . The kind of behaviour you regularly see on Walking Street would get stabbed, mugged and shot. I think that is really amazing that the Thais allow hordes of ill behaved foreigners to come and sleep with their daugthers in front of them and they still smile at you.