Flood Victim Robs Bank To Rebuild Flooded Home: Thailand

[webfact]

Flood Victim Robs Bank to Rebuild Flooded Home

A young man suffering from depression after his home was flooded in Ayutthaya Province has robbed a bank in the hopes of rebuilding his home.

Surasak Sae Tang, a resident of the Pai Ling subdistrict in Ayutthaya Province, had been arrested by Chonburi officials on robbery charges.

He had robbed the Talad Mai branch of Siam Commercial Bank at Makamyong subdistrict in Chonburi Province.

According to police investigations, Surasak walked into the bank alone while the bankers were busy serving customers.

He pushed through the door to enter the restricted area where the tellers are located.

He then took one of the bank employees hostage while stealing 640,000 baht in cash.

However, he was caught by bank employees and a bank security guard.

Surasak admitted that he planned to use the money to restore his flooded home in Ayutthaya Province.

Since the inundation, he has been living with his aunt and helping her sell fresh vegetables at the Talad Mai market in Chonburi's Muang District.

After his aunt received the news, she went to the police station.

She said Surasak had been staying with her after his home was flooded, and she never thought he would commit such a crime.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-18

[frodo]

I really feel for the guy. Yes, it wasn't the brainiest idea, but stress and desperation coupled with a government that could care less about people, I expect to see a rise in incidents like this.

[Cuchulainn]

Poor bugger!

[peterdk]

His actions really tells the tale of despair and suffering.

Poor bloke, could see no other way out, to try and get funds to rebuild his home.

I sincerely wish and hope, that the government will help in rebuilding what was lost.

Not only for this one individual, but for the many who has lost so much.

[robblok]

Not a smart move, but it shows what desperation there is among people who have been flooded.

[toenail]

My heart goes out to all of the flood victims...after the water is gone there will be the reality of financial lost, and repairs to be done. A sack of rice and a package of water will not be able to cure this kind of emotional stress. (There isn't such a thing as flood insurance.)

[FOODLOVER]

Poor dude, hope they show some leniency.

[frodo]

Poor dude, hope they show some leniency.

As do I. If pardon's are to be given, it should go to people such as this.

[rkidlad]

Poor dude, hope they show some leniency.

As do I. If pardon's are to be given, it should go to people such as this.

There will be no pardon for this poor man. Pardons are only for the rich who steal. Don't want the poor thinking they can steal too.

[sparebox2]

He should not go to jail.

He should be rewarded and praised.

[KKvampire]

Ironic if people driven to extremes and stealing due to flooding are imprisoned whereas there may well be amnesties for high profile multi million embezzlers and those who committed or incited acts of terror and violence

Edited November 18, 2011 by KKvampire

[sparebox2]

So robbers have good excuse now. Well done.

[frodo]

So robbers have good excuse now. Well done.

Nobody is saying it was a good excuse, nor is anyone actually condoning the act. Unlike some who see things only in black and white, there are those who are able to be emphatic and to a degree sympathetic as well. When people lose everything they own, it is common for depression to set in and people do act in ways they never thought possible. Perhaps you don't really understand the reality of things and the loss and suffering people continue to go through.

A good insight from those suffering can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.c...p&smid=fb-share

"Some start speaking to themselves. Some laugh without any reason and then start to cry immediately," Mr. Pichit said. "They are stressed because they feel they have nothing left. All their belongings are gone with the flooding."

[WhizBang]

Poor dude, hope they show some leniency.

As do I. If pardon's are to be given, it should go to people such as this.

Agreed.  The article didn't say if he was armed or not.  Hopefully not, then the courts can show him some leniency.

[siampolee]

So robbers have good excuse now. Well done.

Seems to apply to high level public servants and disgraced politicians without let ot hindrance, why not the little man who has been all but destroyed mentally and no doubt financially and possibly family wise.

Whilst it was criminal act it should be considered what the circumstances were or are that lead to this desperate action.

[erobando]

So robbers have good excuse now. Well done.

Yeah, I'm not sure why everyone takes his reasoning at face value.

I would have sympathy for him if he robbed the bank to share with other flooded victims.

And what are the chances he has 640K Baht in damages?

[DP25]

His problem was that he didn't steal enough. A few hundred thousand baht will earn you a harsh sentence and years in prison. You have to steal billions of baht before you qualify for a government pardon.

[travelmann]

Guess that 5000 baht offer from the govt wasnt enough then???

[Spoonman]

Paying for insurance now seems like a good idea to him I expect. hindsight, what a wonderful thing.

[animatic]

The collapse of civil society has started.

This is one of the major symptoms, the murders will start soon enough.

As the desperation grows more uncivil acts will be reported.

It shouldn't be forever and irredeemable, but it's gonna happen for a time.

Unless it is enough, with other events, to trigger the civil war on the horizon.

I too feel sorry for this poor guy.

Edited November 18, 2011 by animatic

[robblok]

The collapse of civil society has started.

This is one of the major symptoms, the murders will start soon enough.

As the desperation grows more uncivil acts will be reported.

It shouldn't be forever and irredeemable, but it's gonna happen for a time.

Unless it is enough, with other events, to trigger the civil war on the horizon.

I too feel sorry for this poor guy.

Hope your outlook it too grim.

Things like this could be prevented with fair compensation.

[animatic]

The collapse of civil society has started.

This is one of the major symptoms, the murders will start soon enough.

As the desperation grows more uncivil acts will be reported.

It shouldn't be forever and irredeemable, but it's gonna happen for a time.

Unless it is enough, with other events, to trigger the civil war on the horizon.

I too feel sorry for this poor guy.

Hope your outlook it too grim.

Things like this could be prevented with fair compensation.

I also hope I am being too pessimistic.

But disasters of long duration do not play well with mental health and desperation. And adding the inevitable post mortem of the incompetence and perceived lack of humanized feeling and you have a recipe for one spark igniting something worse that what we have now, even as thew water recedes.

[sfbandung]

Only a heartless bastard would not feel sorry for the guy. But...

Never abide thieves. We all face hardship at times. If we all turned to crime to resolve it we'd wind up with an even bigger mess.

[ozzieman05]

My Thai wife is very concerned now about the social order in Thailand

If you look like you have what another needs you become a victim of the social order

How can a poor Thai who can not feed his children

watch a family that eats like a King, with out his instinct of survival for him and his family take over

Yes we should not accept what this man did

But the real people to blame are those that can help, but have no intention to do so

If our Thai leaders have no respect for Thai laws

How can we blame to man who lives by example

[FOODLOVER]

Only a heartless bastard would not feel sorry for the guy. But...

Never abide thieves. We all face hardship at times. If we all turned to crime to resolve it we'd wind up with an even bigger mess.

True, You may be the next contestant on PM of Thailand.

[kurnell]

The collapse of civil society has started.

This is one of the major symptoms, the murders will start soon enough.

As the desperation grows more uncivil acts will be reported.

It shouldn't be forever and irredeemable, but it's gonna happen for a time.

Unless it is enough, with other events, to trigger the civil war on the horizon.

I too feel sorry for this poor guy.

Nothing like a bit of melodrama to start the day

[Nacho]

Yes we should not accept what this man did

But the real people to blame are those that can help, but have no intention to do so

If our Thai leaders have no respect for Thai laws

How can we blame to man who lives by example

Absolutely.