Families Of Student Brawl Call For Tougher Measures: Bangkok

[webfact]

Families of student brawl call for tougher measures

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The families of those killed in Wednesday's shooting incident on a Bangkok bus are urging the authority to pass tougher laws on student brawls, enabling the police to quickly catch the shooter and closing permanently any school that it unable to control its students.

On Wednesday evening, a group of six technical college students opened fire at rival students from Thaivichitsilp School on the Rangsit-Victory Monument bus resulting to the deaths of Thaivichitsilp freshman Wanchai Thongsongkaew, 21, and female passenger Yupa Plaingam, 48, and injuring two others.

Yupa's husband Lerngchai, accompanied by their two children and Yupa's twin sister Yupin Thanomnnoom, collected Yupa's body at the Police General Hospitals' morgue at noon today. The morgue announced Wanchai's cause of death as a gunshot wound to the heart and lung while Yupa's was brain damage caused by a gunshot.

Lerngchai said Yupa, his wife of 15 years, worked as a cleaning maid and took this bus to and from work. Saying he was shocked at her death, he urged the authorities to implement a tougher law and close schools that couldn't control their students. Yupa had mentioned student brawls on the route before so he urged her to take airconditioned buses to avoid getting caught in the line of fire but his wife wanted to save her hardearned money, he recalled.

Wanchai's parents, Police Senior Sergeant Major Wana Thongsongkaew and his wife Atchariya Yardnam, also came to collect their youngest son's body for the funeral.

-- The Nation 2012-06-14

[Scott]

My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

[phuturatica]

I had to drive past this yesterday on my way home from work. So sad. My condolences to the families of those hurt. It's sickening to think that a brawl has led to this.

[Sayonarax]

What is wrong with people. Shooting people over what school you belong in, you belong a zoo with all the other animals.

[edwinchester]

I even saw this pack mentality in Kanchanaburi a few days when some students chased someone from another school through a department store.

Looked like a pack of dogs chasing down a weaker prey.

Absolute madness.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[scorecard]

What is wrong with people. Shooting people over what school you belong in, you belong a zoo with all the other animals.

Nothing can bring back the unfortunate victims of these insane actions, and my condolences to their families and loved ones.

What could help is for Thailand to have leaders who have and demonstrate good values and good morals and are good role models for our kids, sadely we have the opposite.

This subject does have it's complications, and punishing the well behaved students by closing their school seems not to be the best answer.

Ask a few Thais who have closer connection to these stupid acts and many will tell you that some of the teachers at technical schools are just as much to blame, they encourage these kids to brawl, etc.

Headmasters should have the guts to weed these teachers out and dismiss them.

[Baloo22]

Remind me never to poke fun at any technical colleges whilst I am over here in the "Land of Smiles"!

[Unkomoncents]

Those technical colleges are literally chock-full of little, Thai, ya baa-addled, wannabe gangsters with homemade guns. This is tragic and it's frightening to think that you could end up in the crossfire during one of these senseless exercises in misguided, moronic machismo. I cannot imagine how Yupa's family feels...powerless, I imagine. Truly sad.

[tominbkk]

This has gone on the 20 years I have been here, every couple years a few of them kill or get killed, outrage ensues, but nothing is ever done. Same ole same ole.

[MEL1]

And gun laws in LOS lead to what? Are there gun laws here, including license laws? I have no idea, but it seems not!

Students in possession of guns? Seems like USA 40 years ago.... Is LOS that far ahead of US 40 years ago? Nope....

So we have to live High Chapparal before anything is done about this, I guess.........?

-mel.

[Misterwhisper]

Hold exactly those who call for tougher measure liable, the parents. The parents of those who brawled. When I brawled during my highschool or university days (which I never did, because I was an angel) and my parents would have learned about it, I would have faced severe repercussions. Parenthood is not a blessing, it's a vocation and a duty. If you raise brats, curb them.

Edited June 14, 2012 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[MEL1]

Hold exactly those who call for tougher measure liable, the parents. The parents of those who brawled. When I brawled during my highschool or university days (which I never did, because I was an angel) and my parents would have learned about it, I would have faced severe repercussions. Parenthood is not a blessing, it's a vocation and a duty. If you raise brats, curb them.

But many parents are brats so how do you account for that scenario?

-mel.

[bangkokbruce]

My condolences to the families of the victims and all those that witnessed this terrible tragedy. Unfortunately the police have been ignoring this problem for years and it has to stop. May I suggest random car and body searches of these school students to stem the flow of drug use and possesion of the weapons used in these random acts. Also counciling of the students and rewards for tips so police can intervene before these senseless acts occur. Also armed guards at the bus stops and on the busses these students use so innocent people don't get gunned down. Just seeing this tragedy will cause Post tramatic stress syndrome and you live with that forever. I will pray for the victims. God help Thailand, it gets worse everyday.

[FreedomDude]

It is truly bizarre how a gang problem and its associated violence has developed in Thailand within the technical college community?? Technical college community????????

Most gangs in other countries have nothing whatsoever to do with any sort of academic world.

Item #237 on the list of things I'll never understand about this strange land!

[moe666]

And gun laws in LOS lead to what? Are there gun laws here, including license laws? I have no idea, but it seems not!

Students in possession of guns? Seems like USA 40 years ago.... Is LOS that far ahead of US 40 years ago? Nope....

So we have to live High Chapparal before anything is done about this, I guess.........?

-mel.

Where have you been guns are so availiable in the states these days, throw a rock at somebody and he or she will pull a gun. Edited June 14, 2012 by moe666

[rayfork]

No point in having any more laws - Thailand doesn't understand the meaning of 'enforcement'.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Yes I have no idea how "tougher laws" will allow police to more quickly apprehend the thugs.

And why close the schools, what control do they have over students after hours?

It's definitely the parents that need to take more control, but sadly that's usually just not going to happen.

Assuming there were effective enforcement resources available (ha!) maybe an early curfew for all such students during the dangerous times of year, spot-check pat-downs for weapons?

[noitom]

Condolences to their families and innocent bystanders. High school students with guns is the big issue. That's a big concern.

[webfact]

CRIME

Crackdown urged after 2 killed in student brawl

Saowanee Nimpanpayungwong,

Kwanhatai Malakarn

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The families of those killed in the shooting incident on Wednesday on Bangkok bus number 59 are calling on the authorities to take tougher measures and permanently close schools that are unable to control their students.

On Wednesday evening, six students, believed to be from the Don Muang Technical College, opened fire at a group of Thaivichitsilp School students on the Rangsit-Victory Monument bus. The shootout killed Thaivichitsilp freshman Wanchai Thongsongkaew, 21, and passenger Yupa Plai-ngam, 48, and injured two others.

The Thaivichitsilp School was forced to close down for a week yesterday, while its executives will meet their counterparts from the Don Muang Technical College today to discuss the problem. The college has not been punished yet because it has not been confirmed if the culprits hailed from this school.

Yupa's husband Lerngchai, collecting his wife's body at the Police General Hospital morgue yesterday, said they had been married for 15 years and that she took this bus to and from her job daily. He called on the authorities to take tougher measures and close schools that cannot control their students. He said Yupa had mentioned student brawls on this route, but refused to take air-conditioned buses because she wanted to save money.

Wanchai's parents, Pol Snr Sgt-Major Wana Thongsongkaew and Atchariya Yardnam, also came to collect their youngest son's body. "At first I didn't think it was my son, but when I saw the body, my knees went weak," Wana said.

He said Wanchai was studying for a higher vocational certificate at his old school on the quiet even though his father wanted him to go to university. The distraught father called on the killers to turn themselves in, saying he was trying very hard to forgive the person who killed his son. However, the mother said she would never forgive the killer and hoped he would be captured soon.

City police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Pisit Pisutsak said arrest warrants would be issued today according to the sketches. Based on security camera footage, police summoned a cabbie that one of the students had hailed. Also initial investigation revealed that Wanchai did not have any prior conflicts and was killed because he came from a "rival institution".

Region 1 Army Commander Lt-General Udomdet Sitabut said the military, if provided enough monetary support, could bring back the project that put rowing students in a boot camp.

In related news, another student brawl broke out at 9am yesterday at a bus stop in front of a Major Cineplex Mall in Nonthaburi's Muang district resulting in six students being injured. The police later managed to arrest 16 students believed to be involved.

-- The Nation 2012-06-15

[meatboy]

This has gone on the 20 years I have been here, every couple years a few of them kill or get killed, outrage ensues, but nothing is ever done. Same ole same ole.

i remember the wifes brother going to one of these schools 24 years ago as you say nothing has changed same same.

[TommoPhysicist]

And gun laws in LOS lead to what? Are there gun laws here, including license laws? I have no idea, but it seems not!

Students in possession of guns? Seems like USA 40 years ago.... Is LOS that far ahead of US 40 years ago? Nope....

So we have to live High Chapparal before anything is done about this, I guess.........?

-mel.

They use zip guns, not proper guns, can't be stopped by any gun laws.

Easy to make at Tech College.

[LennyW]

Until Thais learn to discipline their children from an early age nothing will change.

I've seen a young Thai kid knock over a motorbike by accident - the parents just laughed!!!, he should have been disciplined and made to understand not to touch things that don't belong to him, but no - just laughed!

I see young Thai kids poking and beating puppy dogs on the head with sticks - parents just laugh, incredible!!

I've never seen such a lack of discipline among children, unfortunately once they grow a little older - the sad results are there to be seen everyday!

[theblether]

Do any of you guys remember fights between schools in your home countries? I know it was and still is common in mine.

The thing is though it's just teen machismo and stupidity, it rarely results in deadly force but it can happen.

Condolences to the victims, condolences to the families of the perps, many lives changed on Wednesday night and Thailand, like many other countries, will have to dig deeper into the gang mentality at schools.

However I fear this problem can never be solved, there's always a new generation of head strong teenagers just around the corner.

[ginjag]

MEL Did all this start with the grand parents ?? or is it only the parents who have no control ??? so the kids are ---free style-anarchy. Curb the brats with the law...whooops, there are more brats that are in control here, whoooops and they are like a franchise, who do not take orders from the government, whooops here is another example of corrupt lawlessness

[LucidLucifer]

It wouldn't be a complete solution, but maybe aboloshing uniforms could go some way to helping. Of course it wouldn't prevent a victim known to the attackers being targetted, but may help kerb random attacks.

[w11guy]

And gun laws in LOS lead to what? Are there gun laws here, including license laws? I have no idea, but it seems not!

Students in possession of guns? Seems like USA 40 years ago.... Is LOS that far ahead of US 40 years ago? Nope....

So we have to live High Chapparal before anything is done about this, I guess.........?

-mel.

No. Seems like the USA today. Many more students get shot and killed in the USA than in Thailand. In the UK students knife each other to death. This isn't just a problem in Thailand.

[LucidLucifer]

And gun laws in LOS lead to what? Are there gun laws here, including license laws? I have no idea, but it seems not!

Students in possession of guns? Seems like USA 40 years ago.... Is LOS that far ahead of US 40 years ago? Nope....

So we have to live High Chapparal before anything is done about this, I guess.........?

-mel.

In the UK students knife each other to death. This isn't just a problem in Thailand.

This statement is a huge exaggeration. While knife crime is a massive problem in the UK, it is exceptionally rare a student is stabbed or killed simply because he attends a different school. It is a totally different problem to what this thread is discussing.

[prefabs]

Do any of you guys remember fights between schools in your home countries? I knnw it was and still is common in mine.

The thing is though it's just teen machismo and stupidity, it rarely results in deadly force but it can happen.

Condolences to the victims, condolences to the families of the perps, many lives changed on Wednesday night and Thailand, like many other countries, will have to dig deeper into the gang mentality at schools.

However I fear this problem can never be solved, there's always a new generation of head strong teenagers just around the corner.

Don't ever remember school v school, fights going on in Kirkcaldy, but I believe they are compulsory in Glasgow. And the boys schools are sometimes just as bad

[tominbkk]

Easy fix to this mess:

1. Any school that is caught fighting, the school is closed down for 2 weeks.

2. Any student from a school that kills or maims another person, the school is fined between 500000 to 1000000 baht per injured person/death.

This would immediately stop this nonsense. The owners of these school encourage this thuggery. The students are but pawns in their own weird game of chess. Hit them in the pocket and they will call it all off.

[MEL1]

MEL Did all this start with the grand parents ?? or is it only the parents who have no control ??? so the kids are ---free style-anarchy. Curb the brats with the law...whooops, there are more brats that are in control here, whoooops and they are like a franchise, who do not take orders from the government, whooops here is another example of corrupt lawlessness

I thoroughly understand what you relate to, but what you alluded to is that there is, in fact, no control.

The guys at the top are, of course, no example in this dire situation in a land that is otherwise calm and collected ( ) usually.

However, I alluded to other countries just to inspire comparisons, but it now appears, "Hey, it's ok. It's not as bad as USA, or knife crimes in UK, or badminton in Malaysia...."

My bone of contention is that this kind of unique shooting incident is becoming far far too daily that most don't even hit the headlines.

Not that they all do abroad either, but Thailand in the shooting world is falling rapidly. So much for the incentive for tourists to visit "Amazing Thailand".

There is no mention from the government, and neither has there ever been, to make attempts to curb or make pay for this intolerant behavior.

Ooops, my apologies, I used tolerant in the Western dogma, and not the Thai one.

But seriously, students shooting students on buses because they come from a different learning school??

That is far worse than the division between Detroit 8 mile, and the likes, and the blatant racism that once occured.

This is my school vs your school to the death.

It might just wake up the parent who was a copper though. I wonder if any slugs came from a gun of his?

-mel.