Apprehension!

[gisele]

''I was in Samui yesterday, just for the day, 5:30 in the afternoon we came out of Atlas supermarket on Chaweng, my husband nods for me to look back at the store front and whispers that the woman sleeping on the bench was a farang. The cashier had just told him she lives here and is often seen in such a state. There she was clutching a can of chips, shoes off, sunglasses dangling, skirt hiked up, wallet in clear view, so vulnerable .

I wondered what will happen to her, so easy for anyone to take advantage. In such a state anyone is a magnet for trouble.

The sad thing is that she isn't alone in similar precarious situation.''

Yep, she has been here years. I wont mention her name or were she is from here, but she is usualy seen outside burger king/islander with a bottle of loco or chang, very pissed and talking to herself/shouting at tourists. Completley bonkers, proper lost the plot.

Rumour has it (and i have heard this of a few people) that she used to be a concert pianist. Honestly. For whatever reason, she came to the island, over-indulged too much and lost the plot. Has a half Thai kid here.

Then, you would think family/friends/police? should do something to help her.

Eventually, she will be another statistic.

How sad.

[Ollie]

QUOTE

''now, having read your posts, you gangsters moll, or whatever you might imagine you are''

Sigh.....

Honestly, I gave that impression? Seriously? Just by stating that I had a very brief, legal encounter with them regarding a very small matter?

I previously rented a building of them, and needed help with a couple of legal and above board issues I had. I did not need 'mafia' to assist me as any Thai in business could have helped, it just so happens I paid my rent to these guys so they helped out with a very small matter that was perfectly legal, that’s all. This was a relevant post to the OP who mentioned mafia, as I was trying to convey that samui mafia are usually simply powerful business people, but very ordinary and approachable by regular people like me. I am certainly not trying to present myself as a'mafia wanabee' simply because I mention a brief moment with them... you condescending little tit have you nothing better to do than flame me?

QUOTE

''I'll most certainly pass.''

And....?

And what? Others seem to portray a different image of the place than you manage. You didn't do it any favours and others have ridiculed your comments about the mafiosi. But as I haven't been and probably never will (you can't go everywhere and I'm done travelling), I will bow to your knowledge.

[evadgib]

Rumour has it (and i have heard this of a few people) that she used to be a concert pianist. Honestly. For whatever reason, she came to the island, over-indulged too much and lost the plot. Has a half Thai kid here.

I saw her this morning in much the same state as you have reported; her nationality remains unclear but a friend suggested (some time ago) that she was a 'bubble' (Greek for the non-Brits!)

[Patsycat]

I remember her from last April outside the Islander shouting and talking to herself and wearing (in 40 degree heat) woollen legwarmers. I was told that she has been there for years.

[SamuiRes]

I remember her from last April outside the Islander shouting and talking to herself and wearing (in 40 degree heat) woollen legwarmers. I was told that she has been there for years.

All of us who live here know this lady I am sure. A very sad case. She can be seen late at night and early morning almost always with a bottle in hand. Some people might say we should try and help her, but the reality is she is unapproachable and incomprehensible if you try and talk to her. What I cannot understand is how she can be legally here and Immigration have not picked her up. Maybe for the same reason I mentioned above - she is a bigger problem than they wish to cope with!

[Patsycat]

I remember an English guy bought her a bottle of water because he was worried she was dehydrating and she just threw it all over him. I was told she was Dutch and slept on the beach. But then I was just there for a month, but saw her practically every day (you couldn't miss her!). Is there no one that could find out and help her? Strange that she has been able to wander around for so long, obviously in need of help if she hangs around that area where people probably buy her booze, food etc. perhaps just to have contact with people.

[gisele]

There must be some times when she is lucid, or else how would she get her visas.

How does she live? Pay rent?

It is so sad, she seems to be in her late 20s, such a waste.

[Patsycat]

Gisele,

Last year I tried to talk to her, but to no avail. She seemed to be totally out of it all the time - whether it was drugs or booze or both - I dont know. Other people I saw tried to talk to her but she got aggressive and pushed them away. People with children in buggies were crossing the road to avoid her. Its strange, she has stuck in my mind for almost a year, and probably in other people's minds as well.

It was sad to see her like that - but what can you do? If I took every waif under my wing i would have to be a billionaire and live in a huge mansion!!

[SamuiRes]

Gisele,

Last year I tried to talk to her, but to no avail. She seemed to be totally out of it all the time - whether it was drugs or booze or both - I dont know. Other people I saw tried to talk to her but she got aggressive and pushed them away. People with children in buggies were crossing the road to avoid her. Its strange, she has stuck in my mind for almost a year, and probably in other people's minds as well.

It was sad to see her like that - but what can you do? If I took every waif under my wing i would have to be a billionaire and live in a huge mansion!!

If you even so much as look at her and she catches your eye you can be sure of a torrent of abuse. I am sure there are people who would like to help, but she is really unapproachable on any sane level.

[gisele]

Gisele,

Last year I tried to talk to her, but to no avail. She seemed to be totally out of it all the time - whether it was drugs or booze or both - I dont know. Other people I saw tried to talk to her but she got aggressive and pushed them away. People with children in buggies were crossing the road to avoid her. Its strange, she has stuck in my mind for almost a year, and probably in other people's minds as well.

It was sad to see her like that - but what can you do? If I took every waif under my wing i would have to be a billionaire and live in a huge mansion!!

If you even so much as look at her and she catches your eye you can be sure of a torrent of abuse. I am sure there are people who would like to help, but she is really unapproachable on any sane level.

I was wondering what to do when I saw her last Friday, I felt I should do something, it seemed wrong not to act but I guess if she is abusive it was better that we didn't.

I wonder if the police have tried to do something.

[Patsycat]

I doubt it. She seems to be "part of the furniture". I'm surprised she's still around to be quite honest. Last year she was in a bad, bad way. And as SamuiRes says, people have tried but just got abuse back.

[BattyBatty]

Yes, she is Greek. Apparently, she has two brothers here...?

I remember once seeing her outside Starbucks, 8pm, with her tits out.

Rumour has it (and i have heard this off Thai's) that she offers certain free services to certain people.... this may explain the visa issue.

[Eureka]

Well I have been going to Sumui for the last 9 years,

yes it has changed allot, over the years . But I can not say I have ever felt unsafe in the resorts.

I the only time I feel unsafe is driving a motor bike at night at closing time . to many Drunks riding back to there hotels.

Needless to say I will be back to Lamai in February with my family.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, I have been going to Samui for years, now, we live on the mainland and often go for weekends and I've never ever had any problems.

For many vacationners, a holiday mood seems to anesthetise their brain cells, they behave in such ways as if immune to harm, forgetting they are in unknown territory putting themselves in situations that they avoid back home.

It's like any place in the world, you must be aware of your surroundings and just be careful.

Isn't it the same whether in Hawaii, St-Tropez or Jamaica?

Words of Wisdom.

Everybody can quote statistics but always fail in ONE of the most important. How many incidents were made possible due to the the brain being on holiday?

Bad things can happen, as recent events show, but chances increase when you adopt an invincible attitude. Just because you are on holiday does not mean that all else will be resting.

Enjoy your holiday but use common sense as I am sure you loved ones back home are waiting for their souveniers.

[bluezephyr]

i was in ko samui last september,we stayed at the relax resort on chaweng beach,not the best but it was ok for 4 days.

we had a fantastic time,but if you buy souveniers,i'd buy them after ko samui or before as the prices seemed to be about 4x as expensive than when we were at Hua Hin.

[PanzerJohn]

I stayed at Lamai 2nd week of Jan and thought the place was fine, saw nothing that made me feel uncomfortable, some of the beaches could do with a bit of tidying up and I didn't like Chawaeng, to commercialised, to much techno music booming out and too many pissed up farangs. Prob won't go back, what with the cost of the airfare, I think I prefer the relative tranquility of Samet and its proximity to the the funtown of Pattaya.

[sriracha john]

By Nirmal Ghosh

The Straits Times

Publication Date : 2006-02-01

The rape and killing on Jan 1 of 21-year-old Briton Katherine Horton on Koh Samui's Lamai beach was doubly shocking because it happened in a place touted as paradise.

There are many who still love the island that up to around 10 years ago certainly lived up to that label.

Management consultant Rico Stapel, 38, a native of Stuttgart, Germany, has lived on Koh Samui for 18 years.

"It's not a bad place," he said, adding that he would never have advised a woman to walk out on the beach in the dark.

"But I would give the same advice to a woman anywhere in the world."

Just two weeks after that incident, a young woman from Liverpool was raped in Pattaya. Her assailant has been arrested.

These were just part of a clutch of headline-grabbing violent crimes against tourists in Thailand in recent years.

Singapore's Embassy in Bangkok receives about one passport theft complaint a week, and one gem scam complaint a month from Singaporeans. Many of the passports are swiped in the crowded Chatuchak weekend market.

Thailand, like the region, has seen a boom in visitor arrivals.

According to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata), South-East Asia had the highest tourism growth rate in the world in 2004, leaping 30.6 per cent to 48.5 million visitors.

Of that number, 11.7 million went to Thailand that year.

When high-profile crimes hit the headlines, the Thai authorities were concerned, not least because tourism contributes about 6 per cent to the country's gross domestic product. Bad news can hurt the industry.

Horton's two attackers, fishermen Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, were arrested within days, given one of the speediest trials in modern Thailand's legal history and sentenced to death.

Police officers were suspended, and Koh Samui's local tourist police force has been beefed up.

"The government takes crime against tourists very seriously," said John Koldowski, a Pata director in Bangkok.

"Everything boils down to balance, however. How do you balance the need to have fun and a good time, and avoid the negative consequences of extremes?"

Koh Samui has reportedly had five killings in the past four months, not all of tourists. Locals say violent incidents linked to quarrels over lucrative land deals and real or perceived slights appear to be rising.

The night Horton met her death, a Thai youth was stabbed through the heart by another Thai on the same island, though that case made few headlines.

More injuries and deaths are caused by road accidents in Phuket and Koh Samui, as tourists hire powerful motorcycles and drive them on winding roads without safety helmets -- often after a couple of beers.

Dr Narong Budhraja, director of Koh Samui's Bangkok Hospital, notes that Asian visitors do not figure highly in the violent crime or accident statistics, and surmises that being inherently more conservative, they may indulge less in extreme behaviour.

He also sees a trickle of drug-related cases from the monthly full moon rave parties on Koh Phangan, where close to 10,000 tourists gather to dance on the beach. Local authorities have recently moved to crack down on drug use at these parties.

Indeed, tourism analysts say countries need to ensure that their law and order machinery functions well enough to ensure security, not just for tourists but society in general.

There is room for improvement in Thailand. According to police data, out of 9,558 murders reported nationwide in 2002 and 2003, arrests were made in only 38 per cent.

Veteran Brazilian backpacker Veronica Simas de Souza, 29, who has travelled in half a dozen countries, has words of advice for tourists.

"It is the mix of parties, drugs and booze that is a recipe for incidents," she told The Straits Times.

"Also, sometimes tourists don't respect other cultures in the way they dress and behave."

For example, despite injunctions in guidebooks against going topless in Thailand, it is easy to spot a few bare-breasted women on Thai beaches. Locals consider this obnoxious -- most Thai women swim in shorts and tank tops.

A Canadian woman who has been a longtime resident of Koh Samui grumbled: "Sometimes tourists forget there are rules, just because they are on holiday. They think because Thais don't say anything, it's okay."

Koh Samui's chief of tourist police, Lieutenant-Colonel Teerawat Namseetarn, told The Straits Times his team strength was doubled to 28 after the Horton rape-murder.

He plans to register fishing boats and crews, employees of entertainment and tourism establishments, and start bicycle patrols. More closed circuit security cameras may be installed at strategic points.

Koh Samui, an island smaller than Phuket, received almost a million visitors in 2004, and construction activity is frenetic as investors try to cash in on tourism.

Women comprise a little under half the visitors to Thailand. Many travel alone or, like Horton, with a female friend.

United States government travel advisories for half a dozen countries in Latin America and Africa mention the same warnings repeated in guidebooks and by veteran travellers: Avoid dark alleys; do not trust "new friends"; beware of spiked drinks; do not walk on beaches in the dark; conceal and disperse your cash and valuables.

A briefing paper by international security firm Stratfor pinpoints "situational awareness" as the key to safety for the individual traveller: Be aware of where you are, what you are doing, where you are going, and who is around you.

Sitting on approximately the same spot where Horton was attacked on Jan 1 helps focus the mind on that advice.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

''I was in Samui yesterday, just for the day, 5:30 in the afternoon we came out of Atlas supermarket on Chaweng, my husband nods for me to look back at the store front and whispers that the woman sleeping on the bench was a farang. The cashier had just told him she lives here and is often seen in such a state. There she was clutching a can of chips, shoes off, sunglasses dangling, skirt hiked up, wallet in clear view, so vulnerable .

I wondered what will happen to her, so easy for anyone to take advantage. In such a state anyone is a magnet for trouble.

The sad thing is that she isn't alone in similar precarious situation.''

Yep, she has been here years. I wont mention her name or were she is from here, but she is usualy seen outside burger king/islander with a bottle of loco or chang, very pissed and talking to herself/shouting at tourists. Completley bonkers, proper lost the plot.

Rumour has it (and i have heard this of a few people) that she used to be a concert pianist. Honestly. For whatever reason, she came to the island, over-indulged too much and lost the plot. Has a half Thai kid here.

She's Greek or at least speaks Greek. Her English is quite good. So if you speak Greek, have a word.

I know a bit about her story. She had a bit of a soft spot for me. Whenever she saw me she would straighten herself up. I've had a few chats with her.

She's not totally 'lost the plot', but she doesn't want to deal with reality. I can understand that.

It's surprising how articulate she can be. Once she walked in on me whilst I was in a restaurant toilet(I had my back to her) Her apology was remarkably polite and articulate. She then went back to ranting outside the LEK Supermarket.

She can be quite defensive with people at first. Not with me though. I must have a friendly face.

I had to distance myself though, as I couldn't make a positive difference. Plus, she'd taken to trying to caress me. Not good when your trying to talk with someone else and mortifying if out alone.

If you can help, do so.

Edited February 2, 2006 by Jiu-Jitsu

[gisele]

''I was in Samui yesterday, just for the day, 5:30 in the afternoon we came out of Atlas supermarket on Chaweng, my husband nods for me to look back at the store front and whispers that the woman sleeping on the bench was a farang. The cashier had just told him she lives here and is often seen in such a state. There she was clutching a can of chips, shoes off, sunglasses dangling, skirt hiked up, wallet in clear view, so vulnerable .

I wondered what will happen to her, so easy for anyone to take advantage. In such a state anyone is a magnet for trouble.

The sad thing is that she isn't alone in similar precarious situation.''

Yep, she has been here years. I wont mention her name or were she is from here, but she is usualy seen outside burger king/islander with a bottle of loco or chang, very pissed and talking to herself/shouting at tourists. Completley bonkers, proper lost the plot.

Rumour has it (and i have heard this of a few people) that she used to be a concert pianist. Honestly. For whatever reason, she came to the island, over-indulged too much and lost the plot. Has a half Thai kid here.

She's Greek or at least speaks Greek. Her English is quite good. So if you speak Greek, have a word.

I know a bit about her story. She had a bit of a soft spot for me. Whenever she saw me she would straighten herself up. I've had a few chats with her.

She's not totally 'lost the plot', but she doesn't want to deal with reality. I can understand that.

It's surprising how articulate she can be. Once she walked in on me whilst I was in a restaurant toilet(I had my back to her) Her apology was remarkably polite and articulate. She then went back to ranting outside the LEK Supermarket.

She can be quite defensive with people at first. Not with me though. I must have a friendly face.

I had to distance myself though, as I couldn't make a positive difference. Plus, she'd taken to trying to caress me. Not good when your trying to talk with someone else and mortifying if out alone.

If you can help, do so.

I was in Samui this past Saturday evening, there she was, in front of the Islander crouching amongst the motorcycles, playing with the fingers like she was counting something.

Wondered what could be done to help her

Edited February 3, 2006 by gisele

[bulmercke]

The following is an account of another nasty incident that took place on Koh Phangan late last year.

- "We figured that there was no place better to have nothing to do than on a tropical Thai island. However this idyllic setting was soon marred by an experience that neither Ben nor myself have ever encountered, and for the life of us, never hope to encounter again.

One morning after attending a yoga class high up on top of a mountainside on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where there was a platform overlooking the entire beach cove, we decided that spot would be a great place to bring my guitar and let our creative juices flow. What better backdrop could there be for allowing us to work through all the little ideas we’d had along the way but never had the time or place to really flesh them out. So we made the hike up there and sat for a while enjoying the view and the pleasant experience of having nothing to do but be creative. While I played some guitar, Ben took advantage of the wonderful view and stared his yoga routine. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a group of Thai men coming up the path to where we were. We recognized one of the men as being the owner of the restaurant and bungalows nearby. The platform where we were was abandoned and run down like it had once been used but since forgotten. We figured that he was probably the property owner of the land so I initiated our introduction with an extended hand and a warm smile to greet him as he approached. His response to my friendly invitation was not at all what we were expecting. My handshake was not met with an open palm but instead with a closed fist wielding punches. You can imagine the state of shock and confusion we were in. Without any sort of provocation we were being attacked for what seemed to be a harmless act of trespassing. I jumped up, with my guitar now in my hand being held like a bat to use as protection. We still weren’t sure exactly what his intentions were. We didn’t know whether he was just trying to scare us to get us to leave or whether he was seriously looking to get into a fight. At that point the fight or flight mode kicked in and I had to decide what to do. I quickly took in my surroundings and noticed that there were about 4 other Thai men waiting with a look like they we’re anticipating the moment when they could jump in. In a split second, I made the decision to refrain from retaliating, knowing that if I took a swing at this man that I would soon have four other guys on me, beating me to a bloody stump. So I tried my best to avoid him while at the same time trying calm the situation by talking to him to find out why he was so furious. It soon became apparent that his intentions were not to get us to leave his property but rather to keep us trapped there so he could continue to vent his violent aggression. This was just the beginning of the dread we were already feeling. By this time one of the other guys, had picked up a long baseball bat sized log and had his arms cocked back about to take a swing. Whenever Ben stepped in to intervene he was threatened with raised fists and was outnumbered, overpowered, and frustratingly unable to do anything but try to reason with these people, who were incapable of clear thought. At that point everything became a slow motion blur. I don’t know what happened or what I did exactly but the next thing I knew I was fighting my way out of the grip of one of the guys who was trying to knee me in the face. Only the fleshy part of his thigh was making contact with my cheek, so miraculously my nose didn’t get broken and my blood stayed on the inside of my skin. Freeing myself from his grip, I was no longer worrying about knee caps kissing my chin but now saw the first guy charging at me with my own guitar in his hands and the look of determination in his eyes. This might sound completely absurd but the dilemma I was facing was how to avoid having my face broken by my guitar while at the same time trying to save my guitar from being broken. I don’t remember what my resolve was but from inspecting my wounds afterwards I put together that I had used my forearms and hip to block his swings. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case was) after impacting my body several times, the guitar finally gave way and cracked in half. For some reason this seemed to satiate his violent temper because he threw down the broken pieces and began to walk away. With a wounded body and ego, I gathered up the remains my guitar and hurried down to our bungalow where we packed our shit and got the hel_l off of that island. We stopped at the police, but it is doubtful they will do anything as the police here are a joke and corrupt as all hel_l. We later ran into a woman we had met on that beach and she told us that one of the men who had surrounded us had beaten up her british friend, for confronting him when she had found him cheating on her."

LINK: http://kauratravels.blogspot.com/2005/10/v...oken-notes.html

[KhunMarco]

The following is an account of another nasty incident that took place on Koh Phangan late last year.

- "We figured that there was no place better to have nothing to do than on a tropical Thai island. However this idyllic setting was soon marred by an experience that neither Ben nor myself have ever encountered, and for the life of us, never hope to encounter again.

One morning after attending a yoga class high up on top of a mountainside on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where there was a platform overlooking the entire beach cove, we decided that spot would be a great place to bring my guitar and let our creative juices flow. What better backdrop could there be for allowing us to work through all the little ideas we’d had along the way but never had the time or place to really flesh them out. So we made the hike up there and sat for a while enjoying the view and the pleasant experience of having nothing to do but be creative. While I played some guitar, Ben took advantage of the wonderful view and stared his yoga routine. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a group of Thai men coming up the path to where we were. We recognized one of the men as being the owner of the restaurant and bungalows nearby. The platform where we were was abandoned and run down like it had once been used but since forgotten. We figured that he was probably the property owner of the land so I initiated our introduction with an extended hand and a warm smile to greet him as he approached. His response to my friendly invitation was not at all what we were expecting. My handshake was not met with an open palm but instead with a closed fist wielding punches. You can imagine the state of shock and confusion we were in. Without any sort of provocation we were being attacked for what seemed to be a harmless act of trespassing. I jumped up, with my guitar now in my hand being held like a bat to use as protection. We still weren’t sure exactly what his intentions were. We didn’t know whether he was just trying to scare us to get us to leave or whether he was seriously looking to get into a fight. At that point the fight or flight mode kicked in and I had to decide what to do. I quickly took in my surroundings and noticed that there were about 4 other Thai men waiting with a look like they we’re anticipating the moment when they could jump in. In a split second, I made the decision to refrain from retaliating, knowing that if I took a swing at this man that I would soon have four other guys on me, beating me to a bloody stump. So I tried my best to avoid him while at the same time trying calm the situation by talking to him to find out why he was so furious. It soon became apparent that his intentions were not to get us to leave his property but rather to keep us trapped there so he could continue to vent his violent aggression. This was just the beginning of the dread we were already feeling. By this time one of the other guys, had picked up a long baseball bat sized log and had his arms cocked back about to take a swing. Whenever Ben stepped in to intervene he was threatened with raised fists and was outnumbered, overpowered, and frustratingly unable to do anything but try to reason with these people, who were incapable of clear thought. At that point everything became a slow motion blur. I don’t know what happened or what I did exactly but the next thing I knew I was fighting my way out of the grip of one of the guys who was trying to knee me in the face. Only the fleshy part of his thigh was making contact with my cheek, so miraculously my nose didn’t get broken and my blood stayed on the inside of my skin. Freeing myself from his grip, I was no longer worrying about knee caps kissing my chin but now saw the first guy charging at me with my own guitar in his hands and the look of determination in his eyes. This might sound completely absurd but the dilemma I was facing was how to avoid having my face broken by my guitar while at the same time trying to save my guitar from being broken. I don’t remember what my resolve was but from inspecting my wounds afterwards I put together that I had used my forearms and hip to block his swings. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case was) after impacting my body several times, the guitar finally gave way and cracked in half. For some reason this seemed to satiate his violent temper because he threw down the broken pieces and began to walk away. With a wounded body and ego, I gathered up the remains my guitar and hurried down to our bungalow where we packed our shit and got the hel_l off of that island. We stopped at the police, but it is doubtful they will do anything as the police here are a joke and corrupt as all hel_l. We later ran into a woman we had met on that beach and she told us that one of the men who had surrounded us had beaten up her british friend, for confronting him when she had found him cheating on her."

LINK: http://kauratravels.blogspot.com/2005/10/v...oken-notes.html

What a bunch of dirty cowards.

[seville]

Bulmercke,

What was your point about posting this story? I think it is terrible that these two guys got jumped, but this type of thing could happen anywhere.

It struck a nerve in me because I live on the island that it happened on and I was wondering about the comment saying the police are corrupt. The men were on vacation, had never been there before and yet, they didn't bother to go to the police and report these guys, even though they knew who they were.

I can't say what the out come would have been, but I have found the police on KPN to be very helpful.

And jumping two tourists would have been taken very seriously in my opinion. So for those of you out there who are hearing all these horror stories, please understand that the number of people that have nothing but a wonderful time on KPN, far out numbers the stories such as this.

P.S. Yes, there are corrupt cops on the island mostly extracting money from tourist caught with drugs. But if you consider the Thai Laws concerning drugs...

[somchai jones]

The following is an account of another nasty incident that took place on Koh Phangan late last year.

- "We figured that there was no place better to have nothing to do than on a tropical Thai island. However this idyllic setting was soon marred by an experience that neither Ben nor myself have ever encountered, and for the life of us, never hope to encounter again.

One morning after attending a yoga class high up on top of a mountainside on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where there was a platform overlooking the entire beach cove, we decided that spot would be a great place to bring my guitar and let our creative juices flow. What better backdrop could there be for allowing us to work through all the little ideas we’d had along the way but never had the time or place to really flesh them out. So we made the hike up there and sat for a while enjoying the view and the pleasant experience of having nothing to do but be creative. While I played some guitar, Ben took advantage of the wonderful view and stared his yoga routine. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a group of Thai men coming up the path to where we were. We recognized one of the men as being the owner of the restaurant and bungalows nearby. The platform where we were was abandoned and run down like it had once been used but since forgotten. We figured that he was probably the property owner of the land so I initiated our introduction with an extended hand and a warm smile to greet him as he approached. His response to my friendly invitation was not at all what we were expecting. My handshake was not met with an open palm but instead with a closed fist wielding punches. You can imagine the state of shock and confusion we were in. Without any sort of provocation we were being attacked for what seemed to be a harmless act of trespassing. I jumped up, with my guitar now in my hand being held like a bat to use as protection. We still weren’t sure exactly what his intentions were. We didn’t know whether he was just trying to scare us to get us to leave or whether he was seriously looking to get into a fight. At that point the fight or flight mode kicked in and I had to decide what to do. I quickly took in my surroundings and noticed that there were about 4 other Thai men waiting with a look like they we’re anticipating the moment when they could jump in. In a split second, I made the decision to refrain from retaliating, knowing that if I took a swing at this man that I would soon have four other guys on me, beating me to a bloody stump. So I tried my best to avoid him while at the same time trying calm the situation by talking to him to find out why he was so furious. It soon became apparent that his intentions were not to get us to leave his property but rather to keep us trapped there so he could continue to vent his violent aggression. This was just the beginning of the dread we were already feeling. By this time one of the other guys, had picked up a long baseball bat sized log and had his arms cocked back about to take a swing. Whenever Ben stepped in to intervene he was threatened with raised fists and was outnumbered, overpowered, and frustratingly unable to do anything but try to reason with these people, who were incapable of clear thought. At that point everything became a slow motion blur. I don’t know what happened or what I did exactly but the next thing I knew I was fighting my way out of the grip of one of the guys who was trying to knee me in the face. Only the fleshy part of his thigh was making contact with my cheek, so miraculously my nose didn’t get broken and my blood stayed on the inside of my skin. Freeing myself from his grip, I was no longer worrying about knee caps kissing my chin but now saw the first guy charging at me with my own guitar in his hands and the look of determination in his eyes. This might sound completely absurd but the dilemma I was facing was how to avoid having my face broken by my guitar while at the same time trying to save my guitar from being broken. I don’t remember what my resolve was but from inspecting my wounds afterwards I put together that I had used my forearms and hip to block his swings. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case was) after impacting my body several times, the guitar finally gave way and cracked in half. For some reason this seemed to satiate his violent temper because he threw down the broken pieces and began to walk away. With a wounded body and ego, I gathered up the remains my guitar and hurried down to our bungalow where we packed our shit and got the hel_l off of that island. We stopped at the police, but it is doubtful they will do anything as the police here are a joke and corrupt as all hel_l. We later ran into a woman we had met on that beach and she told us that one of the men who had surrounded us had beaten up her british friend, for confronting him when she had found him cheating on her."

LINK: http://kauratravels.blogspot.com/2005/10/v...oken-notes.html

This really surprises me.

I've been attacked by gangs of youths for no apparent reason in London when I was younger, but in all my years spent in Thailand, unprovoked violence is something I've never encountered and never worried about.

If this was an unprovoked attack as has been reported, my sympathies to those who were set upon.

[gisele]

The following is an account of another nasty incident that took place on Koh Phangan late last year.

- "We figured that there was no place better to have nothing to do than on a tropical Thai island. However this idyllic setting was soon marred by an experience that neither Ben nor myself have ever encountered, and for the life of us, never hope to encounter again.

One morning after attending a yoga class high up on top of a mountainside on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, where there was a platform overlooking the entire beach cove, we decided that spot would be a great place to bring my guitar and let our creative juices flow. What better backdrop could there be for allowing us to work through all the little ideas we’d had along the way but never had the time or place to really flesh them out. So we made the hike up there and sat for a while enjoying the view and the pleasant experience of having nothing to do but be creative. While I played some guitar, Ben took advantage of the wonderful view and stared his yoga routine. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a group of Thai men coming up the path to where we were. We recognized one of the men as being the owner of the restaurant and bungalows nearby. The platform where we were was abandoned and run down like it had once been used but since forgotten. We figured that he was probably the property owner of the land so I initiated our introduction with an extended hand and a warm smile to greet him as he approached. His response to my friendly invitation was not at all what we were expecting. My handshake was not met with an open palm but instead with a closed fist wielding punches. You can imagine the state of shock and confusion we were in. Without any sort of provocation we were being attacked for what seemed to be a harmless act of trespassing. I jumped up, with my guitar now in my hand being held like a bat to use as protection. We still weren’t sure exactly what his intentions were. We didn’t know whether he was just trying to scare us to get us to leave or whether he was seriously looking to get into a fight. At that point the fight or flight mode kicked in and I had to decide what to do. I quickly took in my surroundings and noticed that there were about 4 other Thai men waiting with a look like they we’re anticipating the moment when they could jump in. In a split second, I made the decision to refrain from retaliating, knowing that if I took a swing at this man that I would soon have four other guys on me, beating me to a bloody stump. So I tried my best to avoid him while at the same time trying calm the situation by talking to him to find out why he was so furious. It soon became apparent that his intentions were not to get us to leave his property but rather to keep us trapped there so he could continue to vent his violent aggression. This was just the beginning of the dread we were already feeling. By this time one of the other guys, had picked up a long baseball bat sized log and had his arms cocked back about to take a swing. Whenever Ben stepped in to intervene he was threatened with raised fists and was outnumbered, overpowered, and frustratingly unable to do anything but try to reason with these people, who were incapable of clear thought. At that point everything became a slow motion blur. I don’t know what happened or what I did exactly but the next thing I knew I was fighting my way out of the grip of one of the guys who was trying to knee me in the face. Only the fleshy part of his thigh was making contact with my cheek, so miraculously my nose didn’t get broken and my blood stayed on the inside of my skin. Freeing myself from his grip, I was no longer worrying about knee caps kissing my chin but now saw the first guy charging at me with my own guitar in his hands and the look of determination in his eyes. This might sound completely absurd but the dilemma I was facing was how to avoid having my face broken by my guitar while at the same time trying to save my guitar from being broken. I don’t remember what my resolve was but from inspecting my wounds afterwards I put together that I had used my forearms and hip to block his swings. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case was) after impacting my body several times, the guitar finally gave way and cracked in half. For some reason this seemed to satiate his violent temper because he threw down the broken pieces and began to walk away. With a wounded body and ego, I gathered up the remains my guitar and hurried down to our bungalow where we packed our shit and got the hel_l off of that island. We stopped at the police, but it is doubtful they will do anything as the police here are a joke and corrupt as all hel_l. We later ran into a woman we had met on that beach and she told us that one of the men who had surrounded us had beaten up her british friend, for confronting him when she had found him cheating on her."

LINK: http://kauratravels.blogspot.com/2005/10/v...oken-notes.html

This really surprises me.

I've been attacked by gangs of youths for no apparent reason in London when I was younger, but in all my years spent in Thailand, unprovoked violence is something I've never encountered and never worried about.

If this was an unprovoked attack as has been reported, my sympathies to those who were set upon.

It may have been something as innocuous as talking with the local guy's girlfriend. This is an entry from a blog of a member of a band, these guys would have been oblivious if something they did was seen as provocation. Some guy was probably losing face for instance if it was seen as flirting with his girlfriend.

Maybe not, just a thought.

[KhunMarco]

Yeah. we don't really know how things went.

Maybe the 2 guys were that kind of tourists that we all hate.

Good on the Thais . Well done!

These dirty hooligans going around with their guitars stiring up things.

Edited February 14, 2006 by KhunMarco

[gisele]

Yeah. we don't really know how things went.

Maybe the 2 guys were that kind of tourists that we all hate.

Good on the Thais . Well done!

These dirty hooligans going around with their guitars stiring up things.

come on,

of course the local guys were wrong, no matter how much somw guy might be losing face.

I was just trying to figure out why something like this could happen. Somehow it just seems odd to me that out of the blue, a group of men would walk up a hill and randomly beat up on a tourist playing guitar. However, stranger things happen so who knows ...

[britmaveric]

Yeah. we don't really know how things went.

Maybe the 2 guys were that kind of tourists that we all hate.

Good on the Thais . Well done!

These dirty hooligans going around with their guitars stiring up things.

come on,

of course the local guys were wrong, no matter how much somw guy might be losing face.

I was just trying to figure out why something like this could happen. Somehow it just seems odd to me that out of the blue, a group of men would walk up a hill and randomly beat up on a tourist playing guitar. However, stranger things happen so who knows ...

Well hard to say - we might be missing some details to this story. However don't think it justifies what happened. However we all know how hot headed some thai lads are - so its entirely possible, but I think smth precipitated it.

[KhunMarco]

Yeah. we don't really know how things went.

Maybe the 2 guys were that kind of tourists that we all hate.

Good on the Thais . Well done!

These dirty hooligans going around with their guitars stiring up things.

come on,

of course the local guys were wrong, no matter how much somw guy might be losing face.

I was just trying to figure out why something like this could happen. Somehow it just seems odd to me that out of the blue, a group of men would walk up a hill and randomly beat up on a tourist playing guitar. However, stranger things happen so who knows ...

Oh sorry, It's just my twisted sense of humor.

I was kidding really

We don't really know, and sometimes i feel like beating up some tourist for their total lack of respect.

[gisele]

Yeah. we don't really know how things went.

Maybe the 2 guys were that kind of tourists that we all hate.

Good on the Thais . Well done!

These dirty hooligans going around with their guitars stiring up things.

come on,

of course the local guys were wrong, no matter how much somw guy might be losing face.

I was just trying to figure out why something like this could happen. Somehow it just seems odd to me that out of the blue, a group of men would walk up a hill and randomly beat up on a tourist playing guitar. However, stranger things happen so who knows ...

Oh sorry, It's just my twisted sense of humor.

I was kidding really

We don't really know, and sometimes i feel like beating up some tourist for their total lack of respect.

mai pen rai