Foreigner Assaulted At Bangkok BTS Station By Security Guard - Police Launch Investigation

[JimsKnight]

Farang come here and expect to be treated like royalty. I was in Nakon Ratchisima and a farang yelled at the top of his lungs at a waitress. "Iv'e asked you for the salt twice now! I won't ask again!" Then he turned to his mates and said, "You have to know how to talk to these peasants."

The Thai waitress did not understand English, but understood his belligerent tone well enough. I had just paid my bill at the Jolly frog--really good really cheap food to boot!

The table behind him was in reach, and had salt and pepper shakers on it. I walked over. Knocked on the table so he turned, and pointed at the shakers. He was still swearing and I was still laughing as I walked out.

Unlike the smug punter, I left a tip.

The new generation of farang's are some of the worst I've ever seen. I'm glad I wasn't there as the farang might have had the pepper pot rammed where the sun doesn't shine!

[Curt1591]

....

As one poster mentioned, there are no signs that say ballons are NOT allowed. ...

Apparently, it's posted somewhere: http://paulvickersde...o-balloons.html

BTW, air is cheaper than either helium or hydrogen. These balloons were on sticks, for God sakes!

Edited March 22, 2012 by Curt1591

[takatukaland]

All I see is a loser trying to get away with not obeying the law and then complaining after he is hit. Why do these people think they are above the law? What if every passanger carried a shed load of baloons on the BTS? Think HE might complain about that? I sure would.

Just another idiot teaching his children how to grow up and disobey the laws and also how to become an intollerable moron.

These security guards are hired to sustain the laws governing the BTS rules and regulations and are issued batons for a reason, not just to have them hanging on there side. If they allowed EVERY person to break the rules the same way this muppet did then the BTS would be even more hell-ish then they already are don't you think?

Are baloons any different to a pipe bomb? No, not when you don't know what they are filled with. I for one am on the side of the poor security gaurd and thing the farang should be banned from using the system if he can't follow simple rules.

PS: I don't know why the BTS would give this loser 1 cetang !!!!!!

They pay because they are wrong,first there let him go without any problems,on return trip suddenly its wrong,on top a security guard hits him on the head in front of his daughter,so the security guy is lucky he did not meet the wrong guy,security guys of bts are not there to hit the customers of bts,on top i never saw any sign what say it is prohibited to bring ballons into bts,maybe the teacher did not act nice,maybe,still no reason for security guard to act like that,and I hope this security guard looses his job,impossible to let a guy with bad temper work in public service

[Pseudolus]

I just wonder what all the farang protectors here would say if this happened in their own country. Man tries to take something onto a mass public transport system in the capital city a few weeks after a (failed) terrorist attack. The Security try to stop him; he gets pushy (that's being polite) and tries to push through anyway;might have or might not have attacked a female guard depending upon conflicting reports, damaged a bin (showing signs of disproportionate anger?) and gets whacked by a security guard. What would the public in your home country say if it happened in New York, Paris, London... well when Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes pushed through a turnstile in London, failed to stop when the guards shouted stop, he ended up getting shot 7 times in the head and most people I know in the UK think "well, he was a fool, and I would rather they topped him and be wrong then not top him resulting in another 100 people getting blown up. Its almost as if because we are expats, we can not possibly be terrorists so leave us alone despite that I have known many Iranians in my time and they can look very western, almost Welsh or Irish?

Although it is rare that security people here actually do do their job, maybe it should be appreciated when they do. I'd rather cop a smack to the head myself and know they were doing a good job than to have the bts go boom, or for the entire train to get done over with Sarin at some point in the future.

Edited March 22, 2012 by AdamBanks

[FOODLOVER]

I have used the BTS since its inception and never had a problem. If someone says please don't take balloons on the train. I would say "oh okay no problem. I will get a taxi". I fully understand why on a crowded train you don't want balloons stuck in your face.

It's not that...

Fact is there's been balloons sold with very flammable gas inside them.

TIT I'm afraid.

The rule is there for good reason.

Sorry to tell you this but ballons are not filled with flammable gas inside them. They are filled with a non flammable gas. I think its Helium. Do you think that Disney would give/sell ballons to children if they were dangerous.

Let me repear one more time....

In THAILAND balloons have been sold with flammable gas inside them.

I know they aren't supposed to be, but this is Thailand.

There's a history here with balloons being filled with what they shouldnt.

This explains the tingling in extremities and heart palpitations. Voice wasn't high either.

[mauGR1]

All I see is a loser trying to get away with not obeying the law and then complaining after he is hit. Why do these people think they are above the law? What if every passanger carried a shed load of baloons on the BTS? Think HE might complain about that? I sure would.

Just another idiot teaching his children how to grow up and disobey the laws and also how to become an intollerable moron.

These security guards are hired to sustain the laws governing the BTS rules and regulations and are issued batons for a reason, not just to have them hanging on there side. If they allowed EVERY person to break the rules the same way this muppet did then the BTS would be even more hell-ish then they already are don't you think?

Are baloons any different to a pipe bomb? No, not when you don't know what they are filled with. I for one am on the side of the poor security gaurd and thing the farang should be banned from using the system if he can't follow simple rules.

PS: I don't know why the BTS would give this loser 1 cetang !!!!!!

Well said..And the job of this guy is "teacher" lol ..I feel sorry for the little girl..and i am not saying that he deserved to be hit...probably paying the bad karma of 1000 arrogant foreigners

What's wrong with being a 'teacher'?? Something funny there?

You can't pay someone else's Karma... everyone knows that.

Nothing wrong with being a teacher ! My irony is about a teacher which IMO is misbehaving.

About karma...Are you sure ?

[BKKBrit]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Hear, Hear!!

[Gone]

So where DID this loser work? Seems there might be an opening tomorrow?

Fired-work permit cancelled-leave Thailand the same day.

I get a laugh out of complete idiots like this guy. Kind of reminds me of that moron farang red-shirt guy that threw the stick on the ground and said we will set fire to the whole city. haha5555555

[Petesear]

The issue here should not be about the balloons, it should be about whether the Irish guy was assaulted by the guard or not.

If he was then he should be charged.

Many posters here are saying how the Westerner is acting aggressively etc. But how many of those same posters would have quietly walked away from this situation? I know I would not have.

[sparebox2]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Can't agree more.

[animatic]

From what I saw of the video and read elsewhere, it's the guys own fault. He tried to do something that isn't allowed, got abusive, and got what was to be expected when you get abusive with security/police.

More likely he just got ANGRY visibly which is quite western when faced

with an absurd and unexplained double standard situation,

but freaks out Thais, which likely spurred the club in the head.

Since a person going off his head would also be likely going violent..

to the guards view point, better subdue the soon to be violent big guy first to be safe.

Except from the point of view of most of us this IS MADNESS.

I think considering the guy was already clubbed in the head for carrying balloons,

and not showing the guard enough respect that he lost face, and so clubbed him,

the 2nd half of the dispute he was actual rather calm. I think the uniform

is the only thing that kept the little guy from being out cold on the ground.

Edited March 22, 2012 by animatic

[whybother]

The issue here should not be about the balloons, it should be about whether the Irish guy was assaulted by the guard or not.

If he was then he should be charged.

Many posters here are saying how the Westerner is acting aggressively etc. But how many of those same posters would have quietly walked away from this situation? I know I would not have.

That would depend on why and how (and IF*) he was hit by the security guard.

* How often have you seen a security guard outside the turnstiles? I am assuming he was hit by the security guard, but would like some one to explain (or better, see video of) how it happened.

[AngryParent]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Hear, Hear!!

What a racist comment about the young child.

look keung kid

and you are supporting this.

Disgusting xenophobic, nationalist Thai BS!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTS has a rule no balloons. This is very clear. I almost got into a similar situation when it was my sons birthday. I was in a hurry, had balloons and was stopped. I nearly went balistic. I seriously thought about taking on the BTS guard.

It would seem that some of us have aggression and anger management issues to deal with... Ballistic over balloons???

I'd hate to see what happens when your newspaper gets wet or the cat pees on the floor instead of in its box.

[sparebox2]

....

As one poster mentioned, there are no signs that say ballons are NOT allowed. ...

Apparently, it's posted somewhere: http://paulvickersde...o-balloons.html

BTW, air is cheaper than either helium or hydrogen. These balloons were on sticks, for God sakes!

It could be filled with poison gas. Same reason why airport don't allow you to bring your bottle water, even though it is harmless. Want to argue with the airport security that your water is harmless?

[beerchang]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Hear, Hear!!

Seconded.

[Soutpeel]

Farang come here and expect to be treated like royalty.

Maybe so, but they dont come to Thailand expecting to be smacked around the head with a metal detector either because one is carrying more than the permitted

Very obvious Corporal Somchai of the BTS special forces unit has not been trained correctly in dealing with problem customers, as very sure hitting a customer in the head with a metal detector is not in the procedures manual

[AngryParent]

....

As one poster mentioned, there are no signs that say ballons are NOT allowed. ...

Apparently, it's posted somewhere: http://paulvickersde...o-balloons.html

BTW, air is cheaper than either helium or hydrogen. These balloons were on sticks, for God sakes!

It could be filled with poison gas. Same reason why airport don't allow you to bring your bottle water, even though it is harmless. Want to argue with the airport security that your water is harmless?

OK. Thanks for that.

Now, does anybody know if that sign is in the BTS station that this incident happened in?

Edited March 22, 2012 by AngryParent

[SabaiBKK]

BTS has a rule no balloons. This is very clear. I almost got into a similar situation when it was my sons birthday. I was in a hurry, had balloons and was stopped. I nearly went balistic. I seriously thought about taking on the BTS guard. However I kept my cool and explained that I was just passing through the station and not taking the train. This is an unfortunate event and hopefully the BTS system will relax their no balloon rule.

ballons are clearly not allowed in the MRT but i never saw such signs in the BTS

[Curt1591]

....

As one poster mentioned, there are no signs that say ballons are NOT allowed. ...

Apparently, it's posted somewhere: http://paulvickersde...o-balloons.html

BTW, air is cheaper than either helium or hydrogen. These balloons were on sticks, for God sakes!

It could be filled with poison gas. Same reason why airport don't allow you to bring your bottle water, even though it is harmless. Want to argue with the airport security that your water is harmless?

Poison gas cost more than all of them!

The airport laws are clearly defined, although Thai screeners have made up some of their own arbitrary rules.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Curt1591

[FOODLOVER]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Hear, Hear!!

Seconded.

Pathetic

[sparebox2]

Farang come here and expect to be treated like royalty.

Maybe so, but they dont come to Thailand expecting to be smacked around the head with a metal detector either because one is carrying more than the permitted

Very obvious Corporal Somchai of the BTS special forces unit has not been trained correctly in dealing with problem customers, as very sure hitting a customer in the head with a metal detector is not in the procedures manual

What would you do if you are a security guard, and your subject get aggrasive?

Let him go and pretend nothing happens?

[Pseudolus]

Farang come here and expect to be treated like royalty.

Very obvious Corporal Somchai of the BTS special forces unit has not been trained correctly in dealing with problem customers, as very sure hitting a customer in the head with a metal detector is not in the procedures manual

Quite right - those metal detectors cost $150 USD and could have been damaged. He should have used his baton.

[arthurwait]

I obviously don't know what actually happened and stopping a kids balloons is over the top, but the security guard probably has the education of a western 10 year old and has never been taught to think for himself. He earns about 6000B a month and probably has a family to feed on that. Obviously with security stepped up everywhere after 9/11 then on the BTS after the red shirts bombs some on the BTS and the recent Bangkok bomb he has probably been told to follow rules to the letter and will do to keep his job so he can feed his family. When faced with a guy twice his size ignoring him either through a language problem or arrogance he will resort to the only training he has.

If you want to use the BTS or anything else you have to follow the rules and the people employed to enforce them. No one has a right to just ignore them. What else was the security guard meant to do he must have asked him to not go through with them first and got ignored. " Hey just go on with them and ignore the security rules, I don't mind losing my job and not being able to feed my family". If this was an Asian guy ignoring security rules at a western train station or airport the Asian guy would be looking at a prison sentence.

[BKKBrit]

All I see is an arrogant, deranged baldy farang with his poor look keung kid being dragged around while the father just shows himself and up for being a gobby prat.

Farang coming into Thailand are some of the lowest of the low nowadays. All the decent ones are few and far between imo.

Hear, Hear!!

What a racist comment about the young child.

look keung kid

and you are supporting this.

Disgusting xenophobic, nationalist Thai BS!

Racist? What is racist?? Thai-Farang off-spring in Thai are 'luk kreung'. It means, if you can't understand Thai, 'half-child'. What's the issue? Who's being xenophoic? I presume you have an objection to being referred to as 'farang', too?

And yes, I agree 100% with Jimsknight and a host of other TV contributors who live and work in Thailand, that there are more and more lager louts appearing on these shores who feel they have a god-given right to look down on Asians as a whole.

And before you ask, I am 46 and have lived in SE Asia for 46 years. I am not a newbie that thinks I am God in this country.

[daninthai]

It gives a whole new meaning to going clubbing in Bangkok!

On a serious note, it does worry me on the level of gratuitous violence that I am now reading about by Thais on farangs.

Judging from Thai news (TV and print), and even the dramas on TV, Thais are a very physically violent people. Sometimes non-thais are on the receiving end.

Yea them bloody violent Thais! Did you sehe vid? See that little violent Thai trying to get the placid farang away. I should go back to my own country. No violent people there. Bloody 'ell!

I'm my post or the one I was commenting on, no mention was made of the video. It was obviously a comment made towards Thai society in general. Have another beer Chang and forget your English.

[Curt1591]

Quite right - those metal detectors cost $150 USD and could have been damaged. He should have used his baton.

They can be had for about $130. But, with all the pay-offs, they probably cost the BTS a grand!

[Petesear]

Farang come here and expect to be treated like royalty.

Maybe so, but they dont come to Thailand expecting to be smacked around the head with a metal detector either because one is carrying more than the permitted

Very obvious Corporal Somchai of the BTS special forces unit has not been trained correctly in dealing with problem customers, as very sure hitting a customer in the head with a metal detector is not in the procedures manual

What would you do if you are a security guard, and your subject get aggrasive?

Let him go and pretend nothing happens?

I suppose the Westerner should be grateful these 'guards' don't carry guns?

Would it not be possible to call the real Police in situations like this?

[sparebox2]

http://www.zazzle.com/no_balloon_thai_bts_skytrain_sign_speckcase-176953747528613491

BTS has a rule no balloons. This is very clear. I almost got into a similar situation when it was my sons birthday. I was in a hurry, had balloons and was stopped. I nearly went balistic. I seriously thought about taking on the BTS guard. However I kept my cool and explained that I was just passing through the station and not taking the train. This is an unfortunate event and hopefully the BTS system will relax their no balloon rule.

ballons are clearly not allowed in the MRT but i never saw such signs in the BTS

http://www.zazzle.com/no_balloon_thai_bts_skytrain_sign_speckcase-176953747528613491

No Ballons sign in Thai BTS Skytrain.

[gamini]

It gives a whole new meaning to going clubbing in Bangkok!

On a serious note, it does worry me on the level of gratuitous violence that I am now reading about by Thais on farangs.

looks lile the other way around. A typical loud mouth agressive farang.