Farang in trouble in phuket

[fester]

We got this in an email to the forum, so I publish it here as requested. /Fester

---

NAME James Pearson

E-MAIL [email protected]

PHONE    01-6931409

MESSAGE Fw: muslim faction pushing for deportation,for removing their anti-american sign

Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 6:10 PM

Subject: muslim faction pushing for deportation,for removing their anti-american sign

i am an american viet nam service honorable discharge. my home has been the

far-east since 1966 and for the past seven and a half year phuket thailand.

now they want to deport me for removing one very ugly anti-american sign.

please!!! can everyone please forward this to the local newspapers :joe

leiberman ,j. lenno, president bush. larry king , oregonian. l.a. post.

washingtion post.the VFW american legion amvets. etc.etc.

, thank you

best regards,

john t. baker expat at large

>Subject: Fw: Gazette News: Gulf War of words ends in court

>Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 09:11:07 +0700

>

>

>----- Original Message -----

>From: The Phuket Gazette

>To: Phuket Gazette News

>Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 5:35 PM

>Subject: Gazette News: Gulf War of words ends in court

>

>

>Gulf War of words ends in court

>

>PHUKET TOWN: Around the world protestors are turning out in their thousands

>almost every day to protest the prospect of a US-generated war on Iraq.

>

>There was the protester at a recent international golf tournament who held

>up a sign saying "Make par, not war" and a woman in a street demonstration

>who held a banner saying, "The only bush I trust is mine."

>

>Now Phuket has its own quirky take on war protests. Sixty-five-year-old

>American John T. Baker, a long-time resident, has been charged by police

>because he took down an anti-war sign on a wall outside a mosque in Baan

>Bang Tao.

>

>The sign said, in somewhat eccentric English, "Alah...my God, please save

>all our pained and pure brothers from being ruined by santaic (sic)

>leader."

>

>Underneath were the words PEACE NOW and an image of two hands shaking, one

>marked "Bush, USA", and the other "Saddam, Iraq".

>

>Mr Baker removed the sign and left his business card - and his own sign

>with the words "No desecration".

>

>Police called him today to the Cherng Talay Police Station, where he was

>told he faced a charge for removing the sign.

>

>Later he told the Gazette that he had put up the "No Desecration"

>sign because he objected to America being called "satanic."

>

>"This sign only stirs up hatred, not goodwill and peace," he said.

>

>"I'm not a devil. I just think it's not right. I didn't burn [the sign]. I

>just pulled it down. My action was more emotional than political."

>

>Representatives from the mosque were in court late this afternoon as the

>outcome of Mr Baker's actions were being discussed. A decision is expected

>shortly.

>

>Brought to you by:

>The Phuket Gazette

>18:33 local time (GMT +7)

[george]

One man’s war ends peacefully

PHUKET TOWN: Sixty-five-year-old American John T. Baker, arrested last month for pulling down an anti-war sign erected by the Cherng Talay Muslim community, is a free man.

He was released after reaching an agreement with representatives from the Cherng Talay community yesterday which resulted in charges of mischief against him being dropped.

Mr Baker told the Gazette, “At first the people in Cherng Talay wanted me to pay 30,000 baht before being deported. But my Muslim friends, who live in Kamala like me, helped me to negotiate. So everything is fine.

“Four days ago I made a 50,000-baht donation to the Cherng Talay Muslim community, and I wrote an apology letter, too. Now I have my passport back.”

The sign he removed said, “Allah ... my God, please save all our pained and pure brothers from being ruined by santaic [sic] leaders.”

Above was an image of two hands shaking, one marked “Bush, USA”, and the other “Sadam, Iraq”.

The sign is now back in place.

-- Phuket Gazette, April 4 2003

[Rinrada]

Good News

[dazdaz]

Good news indeed, however it does bring up some interesting important, questions.

First of which, is that I don't get it.

Under what specific legislation is "mischief?" When has was told he faced a charge for removing the sign.

And also, this reinforces my point that no one has replied to, about the over eagerness to deport farang and strip them of their visa's.  As if, people are just waiting for an excuse to do this.

What are we missing, because the equivalent of a verbal warning elsewhere in the world would be acceptable to my understanding.  We're talking of a minor, minor, minor situation being blown up out of all proportion.  So i'm obviously missing a large chunk of knowledge.

Over reaction to every *minor* farang situation seems to be the reality to every story we read in Thailand, am I right or wrong?  If a Thai person were to of done that, what would be their return?  Less severe.

Is the real issue here, the perception of farang coming from the West and having greater freedom than the Thai's, which is clearly not true the real cause of this?  We're back to the jealousy topic again.

So every farang who gets upto "mischief" can be deported.

Please knock some sense into me.

Cheers.

[Rinrada]

This is the bit I dont get...negotiated from 30k to 50K.

I must read it again.....

At first the people in Cherng Talay wanted me to pay 30,000 baht before being deported. But my Muslim friends, who live in Kamala like me, helped me to negotiate. Four days ago I made a 50,000-baht donation to the Cherng Talay Muslim community.

???

[dazdaz]

Excuse my generalisation, I spot a pattern.

->  Local sees farang

->  Greed arises

->  Farang does his thang

->  Local watches for opportunity i.e. farang relaxes and drops his guard

->  Local pounces with all teeth using farang's visa as good leverage to gain maximum for his charity

->  Authorities treat farang as a child

->  Charity is divided, unbeknownst to farang, entire village celebrate, party every day for a month until dawn

->  Trap re-set for next farang.

And if anyone is offended by that, then you've lost a sense of the reality.  This is everyday reality.

Someone is watching you.

We need to write an intellectual survivors guide for farang.

1. Never let anyone know your working in Thailand, dress as a tourist, wear dangly cameras, flip flops

   and extra large sun hats that block out sight and say "gee whiz, it's hot" a lot .

2. Make sure to ask everyone who looks respectable for directions to pat-pong.

3. Make a traditional wai to every tuk-tuk driver and shout at the top of your voice "Sawasdee" to show

   your really clever and very respectful at culture.

4. It's always important to let the tuk-tuk drivers know you've just arrived in Thailand.

5. Make sure your pockets bulge with Thai baht, which is clearly and visibly bulging, so you can buy

   your way out of any situation.

6. Wear a t-shirt, saying "Single" in large letters.

7. Be sure to make friends.  Ask the tourist police for a 1 to 10 rating for good honeys.

8. When in monsoon, make sure to come prepared with your stylised black umbrella, so everyone can

   see where your from.

9. Don't forget to show your superior knowledge of Thailand and ask people you meet, if they like

   visiting "<deleted>*ket".

10...

dazdaz  

[flackjacket]

Re the poster on the mosque. Islam is a peaceful religion basically, however like many things there are two sides, the good and the bad. Alas the latter, previously emerging locally first in Afghanistan,Indonesia (Bali) very nearly in Singapore, is present in S. Thailand . It has been for some time but has been played down, probably so as not to alarm the tourists.

The powers that be need to be aware that there a few fanatical fundamentalists who wish to stir up trouble amongst the peaceful muslims. I work in the Middle East and hear a lot of things from the locals that substansiate this. Tourists, ignore what the panic mongers say, still come to Thailand. Those farangs who live in Thailand, keep yours eyes and ears open. Did Americans suffer when a few muslim youths poured Coca Cola on the mosque steps. Of course not, it was the Thai owners and the local people. The only ones to gain were the ants!! Food for thought.