Deal Sought For Accused Driver: Hit-And-Run Accident In Bangkok

[OzMick]

Nisa, where have you been. You only show up on Tv when theres a road accident.

modern version of ambulance chasing?

[phiphidon]

I don't know, why this happens all across the globe in terms of rich and powerful being able to buy their way out of trouble or why some are able to get paid to facilitate the transaction except that lawyers and police are more experienced dealing with such matters. It is a sad thing that prisons all over the world are most filled with the poorer of society. Corruption or not, it is the way things are done. Personally, I see some positives in having a victim be compensated so quickly and having to pay a small fee to somebody to broker the deal rather than spend years fighting and seeing 33% of your settlement go to the lawyer and another 33% go to doctors and a another huge amount being spent by the plaintiff on their attorneys when that money could have went to the victim. In many instances too, I believe it is great that the victim of a crime can have such influence over the punishment of the perpetrator.

As for your last comment, not sure what you are trying to say or why it needed saying or why it needed saying with an exclamation point.

So you're taking a similar line to the one you took with the girl driver and the mini bus crash. All paid up everybody happy. Except the dead/injured people. How long did that girl get to serve in jail again?

Edited May 29, 2012 by phiphidon

[Nisa]

Why should someone who has committed a criminal act be able to buy their way out, with the police taking a commission? One law for the rich, another for the poor - isn't that the definition of corruption?

BTW they are liable for victim compensation anyway!

I don't know, why this happens all across the globe in terms of rich and powerful being able to buy their way out of trouble or why some are able to get paid to facilitate the transaction except that lawyers and police are more experienced dealing with such matters. It is a sad thing that prisons all over the world are most filled with the poorer of society. Corruption or not, it is the way things are done. Personally, I see some positives in having a victim be compensated so quickly and having to pay a small fee to somebody to broker the deal rather than spend years fighting and seeing 33% of your settlement go to the lawyer and another 33% go to doctors and a another huge amount being spent by the plaintiff on their attorneys when that money could have went to the victim. In many instances too, I believe it is great that the victim of a crime can have such influence over the punishment of the perpetrator.

As for your last comment, not sure what you are trying to say or why it needed saying or why it needed saying with an exclamation point.

I'm saying that most of their bribe money would be payable even if they go to jail. So why is paying it enough to escape criminal prosecution?

I am not sure the court case will go away or that he can avoid prosecution. The kid still did a hit and run. But if they make right with the victims then I'm sure they will be less willing to cooperate or let the court know this and it does hold much more considerably weight here. If he admits his guilt, shows remorse and has compensated the victims prior to sentencing then I am sure he gets off with a slap on the wrist but I don't believe he is not going to face criminal procedures because he compensated the victims before a court order.

In some ways it is similar to a plea deal. On the other hand if the kid acts like an idiot and denies responsibility and shows no remorse then regardless of how much grandma pays, he is going down.

I'm also not sure the judge can enter any kind of civil payout in a criminal matter. I guess he could order restitution but this would also involve talks with the family and tons of reviews of medical bills and such ... having this all wrapped up before hand not only is a form or remorse and taking responsibility but it is a burden off the court.

[Nisa]

Funny, I've yet to see a farang complain for being able to bribe there way out of a trip to the police station but God forbid a rich Thai can do the same.

Also interesting how 6,000 baht is all of a sudden pocket change considering all the whining I have read here about farangs having to pay a few extra baht to go to a tourist spot.

Or the perception of how barbaric Thai jails are compared to the west and how doing time in one is like doing 5 times the amount of time in a western jail but this isn't even a consideration when it is a Thai facing jail time.

Another contradiction comes to mind is how the same criminal penalties on the books are insanely harsh when a farang is arrested but all of a sudden incredibly lenient when a Thai is arrested.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Nisa

[OzMick]

Why should someone who has committed a criminal act be able to buy their way out, with the police taking a commission? One law for the rich, another for the poor - isn't that the definition of corruption?

BTW they are liable for victim compensation anyway!

I don't know, why this happens all across the globe in terms of rich and powerful being able to buy their way out of trouble or why some are able to get paid to facilitate the transaction except that lawyers and police are more experienced dealing with such matters. It is a sad thing that prisons all over the world are most filled with the poorer of society. Corruption or not, it is the way things are done. Personally, I see some positives in having a victim be compensated so quickly and having to pay a small fee to somebody to broker the deal rather than spend years fighting and seeing 33% of your settlement go to the lawyer and another 33% go to doctors and a another huge amount being spent by the plaintiff on their attorneys when that money could have went to the victim. In many instances too, I believe it is great that the victim of a crime can have such influence over the punishment of the perpetrator.

As for your last comment, not sure what you are trying to say or why it needed saying or why it needed saying with an exclamation point.

I'm saying that most of their bribe money would be payable even if they go to jail. So why is paying it enough to escape criminal prosecution?

I am not sure the court case will go away or that he can avoid prosecution. The kid still did a hit and run. But if they make right with the victims then I'm sure they will be less willing to cooperate or let the court know this and it does hold much more considerably weight here. If he admits his guilt, shows remorse and has compensated the victims prior to sentencing then I am sure he gets off with a slap on the wrist but I don't believe he is not going to face criminal procedures because he compensated the victims before a court order.

In some ways it is similar to a plea deal. On the other hand if the kid acts like an idiot and denies responsibility and shows no remorse then regardless of how much grandma pays, he is going down.

I'm also not sure the judge can enter any kind of civil payout in a criminal matter. I guess he could order restitution but this would also involve talks with the family and tons of reviews of medical bills and such ... having this all wrapped up before hand not only is a form or remorse and taking responsibility but it is a burden off the court.

Crap. Pure unadulterated crap! The deals done here include victim payments, in return the alleged criminal walks. My friend dies, and the driver pays far less than the value of the car she used to kill him.

And what does the perp learn - with money I can get away with anything. How about criminal behavior has consequences. Not here.

BTW criminal judges decide penalties for criminal acts. If you re found guilty of a criminal act you will almost certainly lose in a related civil matter, and sometimes even if you are found innocent (OJ Simpson)

Edited May 29, 2012 by OzMick

[Nisa]

I don't know, why this happens all across the globe in terms of rich and powerful being able to buy their way out of trouble or why some are able to get paid to facilitate the transaction except that lawyers and police are more experienced dealing with such matters. It is a sad thing that prisons all over the world are most filled with the poorer of society. Corruption or not, it is the way things are done. Personally, I see some positives in having a victim be compensated so quickly and having to pay a small fee to somebody to broker the deal rather than spend years fighting and seeing 33% of your settlement go to the lawyer and another 33% go to doctors and a another huge amount being spent by the plaintiff on their attorneys when that money could have went to the victim. In many instances too, I believe it is great that the victim of a crime can have such influence over the punishment of the perpetrator.

As for your last comment, not sure what you are trying to say or why it needed saying or why it needed saying with an exclamation point.

I'm saying that most of their bribe money would be payable even if they go to jail. So why is paying it enough to escape criminal prosecution?

I am not sure the court case will go away or that he can avoid prosecution. The kid still did a hit and run. But if they make right with the victims then I'm sure they will be less willing to cooperate or let the court know this and it does hold much more considerably weight here. If he admits his guilt, shows remorse and has compensated the victims prior to sentencing then I am sure he gets off with a slap on the wrist but I don't believe he is not going to face criminal procedures because he compensated the victims before a court order.

In some ways it is similar to a plea deal. On the other hand if the kid acts like an idiot and denies responsibility and shows no remorse then regardless of how much grandma pays, he is going down.

I'm also not sure the judge can enter any kind of civil payout in a criminal matter. I guess he could order restitution but this would also involve talks with the family and tons of reviews of medical bills and such ... having this all wrapped up before hand not only is a form or remorse and taking responsibility but it is a burden off the court.

Crap. Pure unadulterated crap! The deals done here include victim payments, in return the alleged criminal walks. My friend dies, and the driver pays far less than the value of the car she used to kill him.

And what does the perp learn - with money I can get away with anything. How about criminal behavior has consequences. Not here.

BTW criminal judges decide penalties for criminal acts. If you re found guilty of a criminal act you will almost certainly lose in a related civil matter, and sometimes even if you are found innocent (OJ Simpson)

So, it sounds like what is upsetting you is that considerably more weight is put on compensating the victims than actual punishment here as opposed to where you are from.

And since rich and powerful pay off people all the time to minimize or avoid legal problems even in your home country, I am guessing it may be getting you worked up because it is done in a more obvious way here.

By the way, not to get off topic but I think OJ is a bad example (especially when you use it as an example to tell me something I stated in the post you are quoting) as the victim's families haven't got diddly and I believe anything that came or comes in is still going to pay the lawyers. In that case, neither crime not punishment was handed out and the only people who really made out were the lawyers.

[soi41]

Main problem here is distinct tiered society, where people from birth are tought "to know their place". Not only the rural poor, but even the Thai middleclass are given the big wais to anyone they themselves consider of a higher social standing. Remember one of the surviving victims from the minivanaccident (16 year old driver) being interview in his hospitalbed, no hard feelings against the driver whatsoever, no economic claims. All because the girls parents (Na Ayatthaya, as close to blue blood as you get in this country) had found time in their busy schedule to visit him (the victim) in hospital. See that's a good Thai.

With a attitude like that and a police all to willing to make the system survive, it is never going to change. All this in a country where "reconciliation" has been in the headlines for the last couple of months, first they need to teach 65M Thais about equality.

I think you are reading too much into a person and culture where it is much more common for people not to take personal an act of somebody else that wasn't intended to be personal. Unlike many people in the west, many Thais are able to understand a person's bad actions may hurt them but that the offender had no intention to hurt them and therefore no reason to hold a grudge or do they feel a need to see that person punished in order to feel justice. I'm sure the victim and his/her family you mentioned above felt grateful there was somebody with the means to compensate them (which they did) and in fact a large reason for the visit was to make initial cash payments to the victims in the hospital.

It is just not the same mentality in many cases here. Somebody bumping you on the street and not an apologizing is generally not meant to be disrespectful or a show of superiority and it is not taken that way. Getting in an accident may cause a person to initially be upset but they soon realize these things happen and the other person didn't mean to harm them even if they were drunk or driving like an idiot ... just no reason to take it personal or be upset but rather more smarter to simply be reasonable and get out of it what you can and move on with life.

You would be right, if we lived in a country, where the teachings of Buddha were the guidelines of everyday life. But as we all are aware of, that is not the case in Thailand. Most people living in the west are better buddhists than here.

If your child was killed by one those fine Thai youths, what would your pricetag be? What if the driver was constructionworker Somchai=no money to be paid. Just put it down to karma?

[OzMick]

So, it sounds like what is upsetting you is that considerably more weight is put on compensating the victims than actual punishment here as opposed to where you are from.

And since rich and powerful pay off people all the time to minimize or avoid legal problems even in your home country, I am guessing it may be getting you worked up because it is done in a more obvious way here.

By the way, not to get off topic but I think OJ is a bad example (especially when you use it as an example to tell me something I stated in the post you are quoting) as the victim's families haven't got diddly and I believe anything that came or comes in is still going to pay the lawyers. In that case, neither crime not punishment was handed out and the only people who really made out were the lawyers.

The paying of money to police to avoid criminal prosecution is corruption.

That the rich and fatuous can do so here sticks in my craw, yes, but don't make assumptions about Oz. Google Marcus Einfield for a supreme court judge who ended up with 3 years for trying to avoid a $77 speeding fine.

Victim compensation is fine, and they are entitled to it if the perpetrator has assets. Paying it does not entitle the perp to a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Try not to confuse the 2 issues.

[noitom]

Family member killed by Somchai the construction worker or Phet the street food vendor and they have no money. You would in fact be stuck and have to put it down to karma. No real closure. Worst thing is Somchai and Phet could be remorseful but still destitute and go out again next month and repeat the same thing. Same as the underage Thai drivers referenced in these posts. Or the drunk or sleeping truck/van drivers who flee and later get remorseful. There is no underlying philosophy of "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime." Compensation based retribution alone downgrades the value of human life and the sincerity of apology and degrades moral sense of right and wrong.

"Plea deals" in the west generally seek a "conviction" of a serious crime as a method of emphasizing severity of offense and inhibiting repetition among others as well as minimizing government court costs and taxpayer money. Wealthy individuals in most judicial and rule of law societies are rarely if ever able to avoid serious penalty for driving without a license and causing harm, drunk driving, vehicular homicide, etc...and lastly for sure, fleeing the scene of a crime.

[Chupup]

Nisa, are you an out of work lawyer ? as you have the abbility to say in 10 words something that can be said in 2/3

[Sharp]

Main problem here is distinct tiered society, where people from birth are tought "to know their place". Not only the rural poor, but even the Thai middleclass are given the big wais to anyone they themselves consider of a higher social standing. Remember one of the surviving victims from the minivanaccident (16 year old driver) being interview in his hospitalbed, no hard feelings against the driver whatsoever, no economic claims. All because the girls parents (Na Ayatthaya, as close to blue blood as you get in this country) had found time in their busy schedule to visit him (the victim) in hospital. See that's a good Thai.

With a attitude like that and a police all to willing to make the system survive, it is never going to change. All this in a country where "reconciliation" has been in the headlines for the last couple of months, first they need to teach 65M Thais about equality.

I think you are reading too much into a person and culture where it is much more common for people not to take personal an act of somebody else that wasn't intended to be personal. Unlike many people in the west, many Thais are able to understand a person's bad actions may hurt them but that the offender had no intention to hurt them and therefore no reason to hold a grudge or do they feel a need to see that person punished in order to feel justice. I'm sure the victim and his/her family you mentioned above felt grateful there was somebody with the means to compensate them (which they did) and in fact a large reason for the visit was to make initial cash payments to the victims in the hospital.

It is just not the same mentality in many cases here. Somebody bumping you on the street and not an apologizing is generally not meant to be disrespectful or a show of superiority and it is not taken that way. Getting in an accident may cause a person to initially be upset but they soon realize these things happen and the other person didn't mean to harm them even if they were drunk or driving like an idiot ... just no reason to take it personal or be upset but rather more smarter to simply be reasonable and get out of it what you can and move on with life.

You would be right, if we lived in a country, where the teachings of Buddha were the guidelines of everyday life. But as we all are aware of, that is not the case in Thailand. Most people living in the west are better buddhists than here.

If your child was killed by one those fine Thai youths, what would your pricetag be? What if the driver was constructionworker Somchai=no money to be paid. Just put it down to karma?

+1

[Sharp]

Put him in the same cells as Moo Ham and that girl on the tollway with no licence that ploughed into the van.

Oh wait......................................................................................

Exactly ...................

[chooka]

"Pol Lt-Colonel Natthapol Kominchart, the deputy superintendent of Express Way Traffic Control Police Centre 1, said he believed the two "did not intend" to escape"

Is this a real statement? was there some alien force that made them flee against thier will. Oh please does he really think that people are that stupid to believe this.

[OzMick]

"Pol Lt-Colonel Natthapol Kominchart, the deputy superintendent of Express Way Traffic Control Police Centre 1, said he believed the two "did not intend" to escape"

Is this a real statement? was there some alien force that made them flee against thier will. Oh please does he really think that people are that stupid to believe this.

It's a bit of preparatory spade work before it leaks out that the kid paid and walked, and the Col gets a deposit on his new Benz

[binjalin]

i wonder how much 'they did not intend to escape' cost? when is running away not 'escaping'? Amazing Thailand

[ginjag]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

[ginjag]

sorry if this last post is in bold type, I did NOT request it.

Edited May 30, 2012 by metisdead
Bold edited from previous post.

[binjalin]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

I agree I am amazed that anyone can argue for the rich to be 'let off' because 'they didn't mean it' and I'm sure some poor farmer who did the same but had no money would appreciated Nisa's weird way of looking at it. So - to summarize Nisa - even if they are drunk, have no licence and are speeding 'they didn't mean it' this is ok?

[simple1]

If Nisa is for real, an excellent insight into the thought processes/beliefs of an educated Thai - helps clarify many matters that I have comtemplated regards the culture of the Thai justice system

[Nisa]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

Yes, I have thought about once being a kid myself and having raised kids successfully but I don't think I can't think of incidents where it makes me angry ... perhaps when I was less mature and younger. Bottom line is most kids will be kids and many kids pull similar stunts as others but are lucky to be caught or their same actions didn't result in horrible consequences such as having an accident. It is very common for kids to drive before they have a license or young people to drive recklessly but much fewer who are unlucky enough to have serious accidents while doing so. As the vast majority get older they become aware their actions were stupid and reckless and go on to be very productive members of society while others get thrown in jail where the chances of them ever amounting to anything becomes significantly less.

Then you have the kids who laugh behind the backs of grumpy old men who speak of locking kids up and how kids are much worse from when they are young only to grow up and become these same type of grumpy unhappy old men who appear to gravitate towards being posters on Thaivisa.

[Nisa]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

I agree I am amazed that anyone can argue for the rich to be 'let off' because 'they didn't mean it' and I'm sure some poor farmer who did the same but had no money would appreciated Nisa's weird way of looking at it. So - to summarize Nisa - even if they are drunk, have no licence and are speeding 'they didn't mean it' this is ok?

More amazing that somebody can read very clear written words and believe they say something completely different than what they do. Kind of helps explain why so many posters here do little but complain and act superior to Thais ... they simply have comprehension issues in terms of understand the most basic concepts expressed by others if they differ from what their inflexible minds have be trained to think.

[TheWalkingMan]

Paying your way out of things and not serving any jail time is not a penalty. If you are well off, the payment is nothing more than an additional expense to be forgotten once the cash is dropped off.

[binjalin]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

I agree I am amazed that anyone can argue for the rich to be 'let off' because 'they didn't mean it' and I'm sure some poor farmer who did the same but had no money would appreciated Nisa's weird way of looking at it. So - to summarize Nisa - even if they are drunk, have no licence and are speeding 'they didn't mean it' this is ok?

More amazing that somebody can read very clear written words and believe they say something completely different than what they do. Kind of helps explain why so many posters here do little but complain and act superior to Thais ... they simply have comprehension issues in terms of understand the most basic concepts expressed by others if they differ from what their inflexible minds have be trained to think.

sounds like you're a 'Thai expert' right? a 'pseudo Thai'? go on confirm it - we just don't 'get it'

because YOU know right? 'they didn't mean it' right? those poor rich kids?

Edited May 30, 2012 by binjalin

[Nisa]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

I agree I am amazed that anyone can argue for the rich to be 'let off' because 'they didn't mean it' and I'm sure some poor farmer who did the same but had no money would appreciated Nisa's weird way of looking at it. So - to summarize Nisa - even if they are drunk, have no licence and are speeding 'they didn't mean it' this is ok?

More amazing that somebody can read very clear written words and believe they say something completely different than what they do. Kind of helps explain why so many posters here do little but complain and act superior to Thais ... they simply have comprehension issues in terms of understand the most basic concepts expressed by others if they differ from what their inflexible minds have be trained to think.

sounds like you're a 'Thai expert' right? a 'pseudo Thai'? go on confirm it - we just don't 'get it'

because YOU know right? 'they didn't mean it' right? those poor rich kids?

Read my post again and this time try to take something away from it besides continuing to do exactly what I describe.

[ginjag]

Sorry Nisa, everyones wrong again, as usual, everyone is a grumpy old man with a grudge, Please I for one are fed up to the teeth with your thing you have about Kids. Kids are kids usually under ten years, we are talking about young adult-17 years old who it looks like his family have not shown him the rules of the norm. BUT the point is here, he is old enough to be taught a lessen, and his parents, It is the big I AM attitude here again, not giving a sh#t about others. exactly the same as that toll way incident. I am from a big family with little money, but as kids yes I meen young kiddies we were taught to respect-and never take liberties. This young man did everything wrong, and knew it, but the family umbrella is there to protect him---I bet he knew it. Your soft approach to young adults who do blatant acts needs looking at.

Edited May 30, 2012 by ginjag

[garrya]

Sorry Nisa, everyones wrong again, as usual, everyone is a grumpy old man with a grudge, Please I for one are fed up to the teeth with your thing you have about Kids. Kids are kids usually under ten years, we are talking about young adult-17 years old who it looks like his family have not shown him the rules of the norm. BUT the point is here, he is old enough to be taught a lessen, and his parents, It is the big I AM attitude here again, not giving a sh#t about others. exactly the same as that toll way incident. I am from a big family with little money, but as kids yes I meen young kiddies we were taught to respect-and never take liberties. This young man did everything wrong, and knew it, but the family umbrella is there to protect him---I bet he knew it. Your soft approach to young adults who do blatant acts needs looking at.

Agree with this.

What I have seen that this society is lacking the proper discipline, and families don't teach their kids how to be prosocial. In a healthy society this perpatrator would get a long prison sentence. Speaking in favour of this person in any context is outrageous.

[OzMick]

Nisa, do you ever stop to think about the hurt--do you ever feel angry at the young adults who have total disregard for other people, selfish SH#ts who do not give a toss about their action, because their parents never taught them. This young adult knew whatever happened he could walk away free, because of family umbrella---MONEY exactly the same as the toll way episode. The biggest crime here is that young adults (late teens) are not being punished, they have to hurt for their wrongs, this money and protect the KIDS-MINORS talk is bull. The family have to hurt more for allowing it all, but not just compensation, in other ways, to stop this carry-on--JOKE

Yes, I have thought about once being a kid myself and having raised kids successfully but I don't think I can't think of incidents where it makes me angry ... perhaps when I was less mature and younger. Bottom line is most kids will be kids and many kids pull similar stunts as others but are lucky to be caught or their same actions didn't result in horrible consequences such as having an accident. It is very common for kids to drive before they have a license or young people to drive recklessly but much fewer who are unlucky enough to have serious accidents while doing so. As the vast majority get older they become aware their actions were stupid and reckless and go on to be very productive members of society while others get thrown in jail where the chances of them ever amounting to anything becomes significantly less.

Then you have the kids who laugh behind the backs of grumpy old men who speak of locking kids up and how kids are much worse from when they are young only to grow up and become these same type of grumpy unhappy old men who appear to gravitate towards being posters on Thaivisa.

" As the vast majority get older they become aware their actions were stupid and reckless........."

After they have killed or maimed somebody with their "stunt" shouldn't the time for realisation be now? Because their families have money and connections, should they be allowed to mature before this sinks in, possibly repeating stupid immature acts endangering others?

I can almost certainly guarantee you that 6 months in a prison would transform this young man's attitude to life considerably and for the better, and he will think twice before committing another criminal act. And still be a productive member of society.

Of course there is a chance that he will be seriously injured or even killed in prison. Life is full of risks - ask his victims.

[ginjag]

The people of Thailand and visitors hope that this situation should be outlawed asap. Young adults have to be made example of, along with anyone who condones them. We really have to seperate the kids thing from the young and virile adult. Responsibility is the key word,along with the feeling for others. Respect is lacking in Thailand and this word here is fear. Here you are taught to honour all those above you, no matter what they say, you do it.

[Babcock]

Can you believe that occurances similar to this are manipulated by money and BIB more often than you hear about BUT when 'Lady Gaga' mentions Fake Rolex shopping in Thailand, they get indignant. There is a poor girl it critical condition and they want to just buy her off with money and let the young driver walk around freely thinking that 'grandma' can just pay-off his lack of concern for other's pain that he causes.

I hope Gaga (or somebody else) will tweet to the world about Thailands 'way of dealing with' situations like this.......

As quoted on the other blogs my wife's nephew was in the back of the Mitsubishi that crashed into the Mercedes fast asleep.

He has had major surgery and his family are poor. Nothing has been paid for his healthcare.

He's discharged from the private hospital home and the last we heard he had locked himself in his room. He's a lovely boy now truly damaged

And all both these hisos can think to do if save their miserable skins and flee the scene of a serious accident. The Mercedes driver was drunk Sunday morning but came to the police a day later on Monday morning after he had sobered up

[Nisa]

Main problem here is distinct tiered society, where people from birth are tought "to know their place". Not only the rural poor, but even the Thai middleclass are given the big wais to anyone they themselves consider of a higher social standing. Remember one of the surviving victims from the minivanaccident (16 year old driver) being interview in his hospitalbed, no hard feelings against the driver whatsoever, no economic claims. All because the girls parents (Na Ayatthaya, as close to blue blood as you get in this country) had found time in their busy schedule to visit him (the victim) in hospital. See that's a good Thai.

With a attitude like that and a police all to willing to make the system survive, it is never going to change. All this in a country where "reconciliation" has been in the headlines for the last couple of months, first they need to teach 65M Thais about equality.

I think you are reading too much into a person and culture where it is much more common for people not to take personal an act of somebody else that wasn't intended to be personal. Unlike many people in the west, many Thais are able to understand a person's bad actions may hurt them but that the offender had no intention to hurt them and therefore no reason to hold a grudge or do they feel a need to see that person punished in order to feel justice. I'm sure the victim and his/her family you mentioned above felt grateful there was somebody with the means to compensate them (which they did) and in fact a large reason for the visit was to make initial cash payments to the victims in the hospital.

It is just not the same mentality in many cases here. Somebody bumping you on the street and not an apologizing is generally not meant to be disrespectful or a show of superiority and it is not taken that way. Getting in an accident may cause a person to initially be upset but they soon realize these things happen and the other person didn't mean to harm them even if they were drunk or driving like an idiot ... just no reason to take it personal or be upset but rather more smarter to simply be reasonable and get out of it what you can and move on with life.

You would be right, if we lived in a country, where the teachings of Buddha were the guidelines of everyday life. But as we all are aware of, that is not the case in Thailand. Most people living in the west are better buddhists than here.

If your child was killed by one those fine Thai youths, what would your pricetag be? What if the driver was constructionworker Somchai=no money to be paid. Just put it down to karma?

Of course you are actually factually 100% wrong regarding the practices of Buddhism in Thailand vs the West this but does indicate that you have limited knowledge on Buddhism and the people who practice it. But this is also a completely different subject and I was simply trying to express how views in different cultures can differ. It certainly doesn't make one view better than somebody else's unless of course your view include condemning others you don't understand or how they handle situations that have nothing to do with you.

As for if my child was killed by a "Thai youth" (or any other nationality), I can only hope I know how I would react but there is no amount of money that could bring him back and there is no jail time or punishment that could bring him back either. However, for me, money could certainly go much further in helping to move forward as the money could be used for many good things in the name of my child. As for punishment and jail sentence, I would get absolutely no comfort from this and could care less of his punishment unless I believed the person was a danger to society and would likely kill others. I'd be much more interested in the person taking their own steps to show their sorry and performing deeds that were positive to society and honoring my child. I am also sure this is what my child would want and would be the way I wanted if I was the victim. There is just absolutely no hesitation in knowing that I would much rather see my family profit my death than see somebody punished. And if both were possible, I really couldn't care about punishment unless it was believed it would help the person.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Nisa