Family Of Man In Skytrain Scuffle Threatened

[Awk]

This is a very simple case of an undertrained Thai security guard assaulting a foreigner! What discugsts me the most is that it was over some baloons and he was taking his very younge daughter home from a birthday party. I am a thai lawyer and Thai people do not condone this kind of behaviour despite what some despicable people might have posted on this site. I will be taking a very personal interest in this case and will be happy to take the victim case to court without charge. if the victim is reading you can contact me my office is on Petchaburi Rd betwwen atrium and Thantakit. Shame on any of you who condone such voilence!

You managed to spell violence the same way as an Irishman would pronounce it. You`ll do just fine as his counsel.

What an utterly useless reply to evenmoney's generous offer. Since we're in Thailand, I'd suspect the counsel's

Thai would be slightly more relevant than his English. Wouldn't you?

Some people really have little use in this world, other than being grinded up and fed as the last meal to

a pig being put down due to swine influenza.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Awk

[Thaddeus]

If you are white and in Thailand, at all times you should walk around nervously in a quivering mess worried about possibly offending a Thai person and if it should ever happen, you should immediately fall to the ground in tears grovelling, begging for forgiveness and apologising for the fact that you are white in this wonderful country. If these steps are followed, you can nervously go about your day knowing that your family will be safe.

Rubbish.

All people need to do is behave themselves and act in a reasonable manner, not go at it like a bull in a china shop.

Sarchasm.

[Trouble]

200 + posts on this and the full facts are not even known. Released video shows a guy with balloons bumbling around trying to get through entrance, an altercation, the subject of which, we know nothing about, his apparent attempts to go on while security guard trying to impede his progress, continuing apparent altercation, and his eventual trip up an escalator. That's it until BTS video released as far as I can tell. Biggest question I have is who cares? If this had been two Thais it would not even be talked about. This is only news because of the guy was a farang. For all the bitching many farangs make over unfair treatment, there are also a lot who see themselves as something special and a cut above the Thais and entitled to special treatment. So it works both ways.

If indeed it is against the rules to bring in balloons, the guard tried to tell him he could not bring in the ballons, and he tried to bring them in anyway, he's an idiot and got what he deserved.

[Beetlejuice]

From what I see in the beginning of the video the teacher was denied entrance to the BTS station , but then he forces himself inside with the balloons and the security guards around him warns him he can not do that.

And his friend also try to calm him down but the irishman will not listen to him or the guards.

Thanks to him a guard lost his job , just because of some silly balloons. No sympathy from me.

What kind of guard beats up a father in front of as 6 year old girl!! a guard who should be in prison!!!

What kind of father takes his 6 year old daughter and places her in the front line of his disputes? For all this idiot knew, guns may have been drawn, exposing the little girl to severe danger. He went into this in blind rage with his brain in low gear.

15 years ago while in New york I was driving along a small Avenue with my 10 year old daughter sitting at the back of the car.

Suddenly some guy driving behind me decides that I`m not driving fast enough and it took him a couple of minutes to overtake me.

Then he pulls up in front, stopping me and gets out of his vehicle looking in a foul mood. He came up to my front side window. I just sat quite and looked the other way, because I feared for my daughter and did not want any confrontation that could have turned violent. After a minute or so, the guy returned to his car and drove off. The guy believed he had won the argument and had me scared. So what? That was it, no harm done.

To me that was using common sense and acting as a decent father by putting the safety of my child first. Sod my pride and trying to prove that I was right, it`s all irrelavant in this case.

Sorry, but there is no excuses for this guy.

Probably the phone threats he has been receiving is the message; you`re not wanted in Thailand, so bugger off and I agree.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Beetlejuice

[DP25]

....no security guard has the right to club the guy on the head....

Yes, they do and they routinely do it all over the world. The clubs are not for show only and these guys have the authority, which you accept by entering the system with your ticket.

This guy was clubbed BEFORE he entered the system with his ticket. There was no imminent danger that required a clubbing. It was an out of control and violent guard assaulting a passenger over a verbal argument that occurred outside of the ticket gate.

[stander]

The whole thing was minor altercation that would have blown over, if Drummond had not got involved. He thrives on this sort of stuff and usually I support what he does, but in this case he has shown poor judgement and it looks like the Irish lad will suffer as a consequence.

[yellow1red1]

When i read about this I think of what would have happened in Canada, if he didnot comply with a quards request. Here is what I think would have happened especially if he tried to force his way through with the balloons. He would have probably been tasered. Then balloons and him taken to local police station and his wife and child would have had to arrange bail. He would have had to go to court and probably have a criminal record at the end of it all. He and his family should apologize to the quard, the BTS and pay the quard for lost wages , pain and suffering.

A public apology would help alot.

BS, this would not have made it passed a stern conversation with the first transit cop encountered if this were in Canada. The Canadian police do not smash people in the face with appliances when they see someone is upset with them. They have training.

BS several cases of canuck police assaulting people, and the cops being charged... they get away with most of their assualts tho.

[yellow1red1]

....no security guard has the right to club the guy on the head....

Yes, they do and they routinely do it all over the world. The clubs are not for show only and these guys have the authority, which you accept by entering the system with your ticket.

This guy was clubbed BEFORE he entered the system with his ticket. There was no imminent danger that required a clubbing. It was an out of control and violent guard assaulting a passenger over a verbal argument that occurred outside of the ticket gate.

actually,,, based on evidence in the tape and information here > http://www.nationmul...g-30178547.html it appears he got the whack on the head after this tape was over, upstairs.

1. the guard has no weapon in his hands at the start

2. after the irish pushes the woman guard, punches the guards hat off and kicks the supervisor, THEN the guard can be seen returning with a weapon, [not that there's anything wrong with it] I think it's telling the little girl hands some ballons to the Superv!

3. the wife says

She claimed the BTS security guards attacked her husband after they had already taken the balloons away.

"The chief of the station then tried to provide first aid, but the passenger refused and tried to walk up the platform. Then, the scene turned chaotic]again]" Anat said.

It looks and sounds like he continued his thug show at when they went up the stairs. after this video ended.

Edited March 25, 2012 by yellow1red1

[chrisinth]

From what I see in the beginning of the video the teacher was denied entrance to the BTS station , but then he forces himself inside with the balloons and the security guards around him warns him he can not do that.

And his friend also try to calm him down but the irishman will not listen to him or the guards.

Thanks to him a guard lost his job , just because of some silly balloons. No sympathy from me.

What kind of guard beats up a father in front of as 6 year old girl!! a guard who should be in prison!!!

Or a guard that should be listened to.............??

[JMG]

In any other major city this would not have even been a public discussion. It's completely unacceptable and illustrates the high level of discrimination in Thailand towards foreigners when a person carrying a childs balloons is actually stopped by a public transport employee who then assaults the guy in front of his 7 year old child. And to top it off, now some imboicile is making threats of violence by telephone. Surely there are far more important matters transit staff can attend to other than hassling and assaulting a bloke holding balloons. Thailand officials want the tourist dollar and yet allow this disgusting abuse of foreigers to occur.In the UK, US, Canada, EEC, HK, Japan, Australia and just about anywhere else, it's not okay to treat foreign visitors like this.

[F4UCorsair]

flying sporran, I asked a question but you haven't answered. You implied, and may have even stated, that you have seen the CCTV footage. Another poster asked you, and I then asked you to confirm that you have, in fact, seen the footage and you danced around both questions.

I'll ask again. Have you, or have you not, seen the CCTV footage? Seems a simple enough question to me, in light of your comments indicating that you have, and a YES or NO will be fine. The second question was, "How did you gain access". Damaging Thai/farang relations or tourism, if released, doesn't seem like an adequate reply to me, in the absence of an unequivocal response that you have seen the CCTV footage and an explanation on how you managed that.

I've only skimmed through the several pages in between, and it may be that you've answered, and if so, please just direct me to a post number.

evenmoney, there's an even money bet that you aren't a Thai solicitor. Competent solicitors don't take a strong position as you have without a firm grip of the facts, and it occurs to me that there is probably not one of us who is yet in that position.

Having said that, I will contend that the guard did not approach Behan and clobber him without considerable provocation, and it's ludicrous to even suggest it. Based on the restraint shown by the guard in the camera video, I'd suggest quite the opposite.

evenmoney, I'll tell you what sort of guard beats up a guy in front of his kid. The answer is a guard who has asked, probably more than nicely, for a traveler to give up the balloons because it is against rules to take them on the BTS, and the traveler, in this case Behan, tells him to shove it and proceeds against further direction not to do so, and then muscles the guard. I'm with you crisinth.

JMG, you quite obviously haven't been following this or similar threads.

Edited March 25, 2012 by F4UCorsair

[Ulysses G.]

If indeed it is against the rules to bring in balloons, the guard tried to tell him he could not bring in the ballons, and he tried to bring them in anyway, he's an idiot and got what he deserved.

Concise and to the point.

[Curt1591]

If indeed it is against the rules to bring in balloons, the guard tried to tell him he could not bring in the ballons, and he tried to bring them in anyway, he's an idiot and got what he deserved.

Concise and to the point.

Yes, the theory is clear. but, ...

On one thread, someone posted that they went to this station to check out the signs. They pointed out that, even though their sole purpose was to find such signs, they couldn't find the signs.

Now, given that he had already ridden with the balloons, the conflicting messages may have implied that he was simply dealing with another clown with a name tag and whistle.

[Ulysses G.]

If an official "clown with a name tag and whistle" tells you that balloons are against the rules and that you can not take them on the BTS, it is time to give him the balloons or take a taxi.

[F4UCorsair]

If an official "clown with a name tag and whistle" tells you that balloons are against the rules and that you can not take them on the BTS, it is time to give him the balloons or take a taxi.

That is EXACTLY what I've been saying on the three threads dealing with this event for the past several days Ulysses G. Forget the inconsistencies. Behan could have taken it up with the BTS management after the event, but to ignore a 'clown with a name tag and a whistle' has ended in tears for Behan, and the tears may have a way to run yet, perhaps ending in deportation?? That will be a serious tears event.

JMG I think to put the guy down as a 'monkey in a uniform' is a bit silly, and probably racist. He may not be the top of the intellectual tree (are you?), but he's doing a job, the skill set for which he possesses. Initiative may not be a requisite, but slavishly following the rules most certainly is. You remind me of my father, and what a prick of a man he was. If you don't agree with him, he tips a bucket of **** on you.

Edited March 26, 2012 by F4UCorsair

[laurentbkk]

Once again,

Here is the danger of losing your temper in Thailand.

Now this family is being intimidated. All because this man created a confrontation. It's stupidity on his part. Who, with any knowledge of Thailand, would seriously consider causing a confrontation over a bunch of balloons?

Yes the assault was over the top, but let it be a lesson to everybody.

Don't fight in Thailand, don't be aggressive in Thailand, don't look for confrontation.

You will pay a price like you cannot believe, just as this guy has done.

so when you receive a slap on the cheek , you give the other cheek to be slapped too ? your idea is to shut up and accept ? well people are different and in a country where its so easy to threat others ..some people have to stand and say STOP.

[whybother]

If an official "clown with a name tag and whistle" tells you that balloons are against the rules and that you can not take them on the BTS, it is time to give him the balloons or take a taxi.

Yes, for the sake of arguing your point, you certainly talk the talk. But, your arrogance makes me think the reality would be different if you encountered this situation.

Would you force your way through if you were told that you weren't allowed to take balloons into the station?

[geriatrickid]

f you consider sober rational thought expressed calmly as an indication of arrogance, then I suggest you pick up a dictionary and check out the definition.

U. has been in Thailand many more decades than you and yet, he has yet to go psycho on a security guard. The fact of the matter is that only one person has pulled a tantrum over balloons on the BTS in such a wild viral manner, and that person is Mr. Behan. No one else has, although, I don't think too many folks are walking about with balloons seeking to violate the health and safety regulations of the BTS.

Edited March 26, 2012 by sbk
deleted post removed

[Nisa]

Once again,

Here is the danger of losing your temper in Thailand.

Now this family is being intimidated. All because this man created a confrontation. It's stupidity on his part. Who, with any knowledge of Thailand, would seriously consider causing a confrontation over a bunch of balloons?

Yes the assault was over the top, but let it be a lesson to everybody.

Don't fight in Thailand, don't be aggressive in Thailand, don't look for confrontation.

You will pay a price like you cannot believe, just as this guy has done.

so when you receive a slap on the cheek , you give the other cheek to be slapped too ? your idea is to shut up and accept ? well people are different and in a country where its so easy to threat others ..some people have to stand and say STOP.

Well this guy didn't get a slap to the cheek and then offer the other ... he got a knock to the head and then asked for another as he continued on his tantrum and violent outburst at the BTS. In this case following the rules and direction of BTS staff would have avoided the entire conflict but to get bopped on the head (right or wrong) and then ask for more doesn't at all seem like a logical, reasonable or safe thing to do. especially with your daughter in tow.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Nisa

[KKvampire]

As someone who has been here 2 years continuous and before that various periods in ten years , I find the arrogance of those Falang who have been in the country for a decade or decades nauseating. I have heard their lectures of how to deal with situations so many times and in reality they have become Thai in all but nationality and looks. Deal with Thai's in the way you see fit. You can still be polite . But never be afraid to tell them what you think firmly and seriously and use the fake smile if you feel inclined.

Edited March 26, 2012 by sbk
deleted post removed

[Ulysses G.]

As someone who has been here 2 years continuous and before that various periods in ten years , I find the arrogance of those Falang who have been in the country for a decade or decades nauseating. I have heard their lectures of how to deal with situations so many times and in reality they have become Thai in all but nationality and looks.

You do not think that following BTS rules is good advice because I have been here too long?

Edited March 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[KKvampire]

As someone who has been here 2 years continuous and before that various periods in ten years , I find the arrogance of those Falang who have been in the country for a decade or decades nauseating. I have heard their lectures of how to deal with situations so many times and in reality they have become Thai in all but nationality and looks.

You do not think that following BTS rules is good advice because I have been here too long?

The issue "is" and let's hope the truth will be shown on video, what " illegal" physical action an employee of the BTS took on a member of the public.

[DP25]

This guy was clubbed BEFORE he entered the system with his ticket. There was no imminent danger that required a clubbing. It was an out of control and violent guard assaulting a passenger over a verbal argument that occurred outside of the ticket gate.

actually,,, based on evidence in the tape and information here > http://www.nationmul...g-30178547.html it appears he got the whack on the head after this tape was over, upstairs.

1. the guard has no weapon in his hands at the start

2. after the irish pushes the woman guard, punches the guards hat off and kicks the supervisor, THEN the guard can be seen returning with a weapon, [not that there's anything wrong with it] I think it's telling the little girl hands some ballons to the Superv!

3. the wife says

She claimed the BTS security guards attacked her husband after they had already taken the balloons away.

"The chief of the station then tried to provide first aid, but the passenger refused and tried to walk up the platform. Then, the scene turned chaotic]again]" Anat said.

It looks and sounds like he continued his thug show at when they went up the stairs. after this video ended.

You're timeline of these events is completely wrong.

The Irish guy was bashed in the head BEFORE the youtube video started, BEFORE he passed the ticket gate. That's why they started filming to begin with, because he was attacked. He says that the CCTV footage proves that he was attacked during a verbal argument and that he did not attack anyone first.

He was then attacked a SECOND time, AFTER the youtube video that we all have seen. This is also on CCTV, but also has not been released. After the video clip that was posted on youtube, he went up the stairs to the train platform, where he was attacked a second time by a group of guards.

All of this is captured on the CCTV according to the Irish guy. If you go to Andrew Drummond's website the Irish guy himself is posting comments as well, and he says everyone who has seen the CCTV footage, including police and BTS staff, agrees that he has been wronged. If that is the case, we know why the CCTV video is not being released.

[whybother]

I take it from some of the comments that the security guard(s) in the video are probably not one of the ones that hit him before the video started.

[p_brownstone]

so when you receive a slap on the cheek , you give the other cheek to be slapped too ? your idea is to shut up and accept ? well people are different and in a country where its so easy to threat others ..some people have to stand and say STOP.

No, you act sensibly and report the incident to the relevant authorities.

Patrick

[Nana Cowboy]

If the Irish guy was plastered, he would not have a clear recollection of events. We've all had plastered days and/or nights. Try and remember details of what went on during those times. It's impossible as alcohol fades memory

[sbk]

Derogatory comments toward all Irish and posts quoting that post have now been deleted. Drop the racist derogatory comments and the nitpicking nastiness. I have really had my fill of it.

[Nisa]

If the <snip> guy was plastered, he would not have a clear recollection of events. We've all had plastered days and/or nights. Try and remember details of what went on during those times. It's impossible as alcohol fades memory

The same is true when we are in a highly emotional state as this guy clearly was. I'd like to see the BTS video when the police get done with their investigation but I have no doubt that it will not change any opinions by those with racist views. regardless of what is or isn't on the videos.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Nisa

[stander]

I see that someone on Drummonds website is threatening to really escalate this, this poor guy is going end up getting deported

"INTERNATIONAL NEWS. Not yet really, but I assure you that if John Behan is subjected to any more harassment, I personally will make sure it hits International News headlines and prime-time TV"

[KKvampire]

so when you receive a slap on the cheek , you give the other cheek to be slapped too ? your idea is to shut up and accept ? well people are different and in a country where its so easy to threat others ..some people have to stand and say STOP.

No, you act sensibly and report the incident to the relevant authorities.

Patrick

Really? "Relevant Authorities" in Thailand. and see them take action in support of a Falang? . How many others would look away when "hit"?