One Photo You Do Not Want To Be In.

[NamKangMan]

The below article appeared on an Australian news website today.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2012/11/12/15/45/why-thai-ambulance-workers-take-trophy-shots

When my time comes, I would hate to think I end up on the wall, or Facebook, of a Thai emergency service volunteer so his friends and family can have a laugh.

Sadly, some of the emergency service personnel on Phuket must have quite a collection of photos.

[manly100]

Have to agree blocking out people smoking cigarettes but showing dead bodies. Is that what unbalanced media is?

[fiddlehead]

It's a different culture.

I'd recommend: get used to it.

Did you read the article?:

“We have published shots of the dead on occasions where I thought it was important to do so. I remember especially the body of a drowned 10-year-old boy being wheeled past me in the foyer of a hospital, straight out of an ambulance,” Mr Morison said

A friend of mine stationed in Afghanistan just told me about an 8 month old baby with her leg blown off.

Kinda makes you think if they showed pictures of things like that, perhaps the war would be over a lot quicker and less death.

Our culture is screwed up in many ways too.

Edited November 12, 2012 by fiddlehead

[NamKangMan]

It's a different culture.

I'd recommend: get used to it.

Did you read the article?:

“We have published shots of the dead on occasions where I thought it was important to do so. I remember especially the body of a drowned 10-year-old boy being wheeled past me in the foyer of a hospital, straight out of an ambulance,” Mr Morison said

A friend of mine stationed in Afghanistan just told me about an 8 month old baby with her leg blown off.

Kinda makes you think if they showed pictures of things like that, perhaps the war would be over a lot quicker and less death.

Our culture is screwed up in many ways too.

I have no problem with police/forensic photos being taken of a murder victim, to be used as evidence in Court. Also, photos of the victim of an accident for use during a coronial inquiry, or insurance claim, however, photos taken by volunteer emergecy service personnel with two days first aid training so they can put it on Facebook for their friends and family's viewing pleasure is a bit much, and in my opinion, has very little to do with Thai culture and is more about someone showing off to their friends.

Even on this forum, comments are moderated so not to offend and to show repect to a victim's friends and family. If I was to post a similar photo on this forum, it would be removed.

I did note that that the journalist of a Phuket publication that can not be named on this forum admitted to publishing photos of a deceased child, however, the target market for his publication is the expat community here and maybe the odd tourist.

Living in Thailand can "desensitise" you from many things. Eg. living with corruption is part of everyday life here, so is the vast sex trade.

Yes, I chose to accept Thailand,and the way things are here, or I leave, but there is something a little distasteful about ending up in someones Facebook photos when you are dead, especially if your death was as a result of a crime or accident.

You state the photo of an 8 month old baby with her leg blown off my end the war early, but wouldn't a photo like that enrage people, further fueling the hatred and the war?

Anyway, surely some respect can be shown, or some right to privacy observed, even upon your death, but I suppose that's too much to ask for in the LOS.

[simon43]

Unfortunately, most Thais are simply ignorant of the distress that such photos can cause to family members. They perhaps assume that non-Thais enjoy taking photos of dead bodies/body parts, or posing with the obligatory smile, V sign and fingers pointing at the remains of a Pattaya 'flyer'.

Their actions show a lack of understanding of other cultures and religions, which is rather concerning when many Thais earn their living in tourist areas and rely on other nations to line their pockets..

I saw the manner in which the dead bodies of tourists who erished in the One2Go were treated - and I did not like it!

My advice to Thais - grow some respect for other religions and nationalities

Simon

[NamKangMan]

Unfortunately, most Thais are simply ignorant of the distress that such photos can cause to family members. They perhaps assume that non-Thais enjoy taking photos of dead bodies/body parts, or posing with the obligatory smile, V sign and fingers pointing at the remains of a Pattaya 'flyer'.

Their actions show a lack of understanding of other cultures and religions, which is rather concerning when many Thais earn their living in tourist areas and rely on other nations to line their pockets..

I saw the manner in which the dead bodies of tourists who erished in the One2Go were treated - and I did not like it!

My advice to Thais - grow some respect for other religions and nationalities

Simon

I'm pretty sure if a farang volunteer tourist police officer was to pose for photos with a deceased Thai National, in public, it would not be long before he would be assaulted, badly, by other Thai's.

I agree Thai's have a different view on death to westerners, but passing these photos off as a "cultural difference" is a bit wide of the mark for me. I mean, seriously, putting them on your Facebook is a bit much. As you mentioned, it's a lack of understanding, through education, about other cultures, religions and beliefs.

Edited November 13, 2012 by NamKangMan

[Talk To The Hand]

I'm pretty sure if a farang volunteer tourist police officer was to pose for photos with a deceased Thai National, in public, it would not be long before he would be assaulted, badly, by other Thai's.

Yes, he's getting quite some beating.

[NamKangMan]

I'm pretty sure if a farang volunteer tourist police officer was to pose for photos with a deceased Thai National, in public, it would not be long before he would be assaulted, badly, by other Thai's.

Yes, he's getting quite some beating.

Fair call, no beating in this photo.

I'm sure he's a nice guy, just been in Thailand too long and trying to hard to be Thai.

What would his motivation be to take such a photo? Should I be impressed? Would he feel "important" as he shows these photos around his local bar?

If the women in the photo is the victim, what's it got to do with him, being a farang tourist police volunteer?

Anyway, I think it's poor form taking these photos as souvenirs or trophies and putting them on Facebook.

Amazing Thailand - one person's demise is another persons entertainment.

Edited November 13, 2012 by NamKangMan

[Talk To The Hand]

I'm sure he's a nice guy, just been in Thailand too long and trying to hard to be Thai.

What would his motivation be to take such a photo? Should I be impressed? Would he feel "important" as he shows these photos around his local bar?

He didn't have any motivation to take the photo because he didn't take it!

My guess would be the Thai photographer asked him to pose the way he did, and he simple obliged. The photo was for a local publication, so there is nothing to suggest that he would have a copy and absolutely nothing to suggest that he "would feel important showing them around his local bar".

It seems to me as if maybe you have more issues than the volunteer worker in the photo to be honest.

[kurnell]

Standing there pointing at a dead body and posting on Facebook is simply retarded. Calling it local 'culture' doesn't make it any less so.

[NamKangMan]

I'm sure he's a nice guy, just been in Thailand too long and trying to hard to be Thai.

What would his motivation be to take such a photo? Should I be impressed? Would he feel "important" as he shows these photos around his local bar?

He didn't have any motivation to take the photo because he didn't take it!

My guess would be the Thai photographer asked him to pose the way he did, and he simple obliged. The photo was for a local publication, so there is nothing to suggest that he would have a copy and absolutely nothing to suggest that he "would feel important showing them around his local bar".

It seems to me as if maybe you have more issues than the volunteer worker in the photo to be honest.

Let me rephrase, just for you.

What would be his motivation to POSE for such a photo????

He looks like a farang tourist posing with a slow loris, or a lizard.

The photo is not just for a "local publication" now, is it???? It's now on the World Wide Web for everyone to see. It may as well be on Facebook.

As a volunteer tourist police officer, surely he would have known that "posing" for a photo for a journalist would mean the photo could be published in, or on, anything and anywhere.

Agreed, nothing to suggest he would have a copy, but the publication went all around Pattaya, so I guess he feels like a celebrity. That publication is in many bars, guest houses, hotels and restaurants for foreigners to read.

No issues here, I think it's poor form. As stated earlier, understandable from the Thai's, due to their lack of education and understanding about "respect" for family and friends of the deceased, but this farang should know better. In any case, he looks like a fool in this photo.

If the photo of the women is the deceased, she is a Thai National, so what's it got to do with a farang volunteer tourist police officer other than him filling himself full of self importance????

Edited November 15, 2012 by NamKangMan

[wellred]

It's a lack of respect pure and simple. Could you imagine if a Thai person were killed in an accident and a bunch of farangs all gathered around to pose for pics? It's the same as the soldiers in Iraq posing with prisoners imo.

[Talk To The Hand]

Let me rephrase, just for you.

What would be his motivation to POSE for such a photo????

Let me repeat what I said just for you. My guess would be that his motivations were no more sinister than he was simply asked to do so by the Thai photographer, and knowing that it's the way things are done in Thailand he simply obliged. Everything else you have said about him is pure fantasy!

I wouldn't even disagree that it's an odd practice, and one that perhaps the powers that be could think about refraining from when dealing with Farang. However, your posts on this thread ( and a few others I have read) quite clearly show you have issues that go far beyond your genuine concern for the deceased in the photos.

For example:

so I guess he feels like a celebrity.

In any case, he looks like a fool in this photo.

other than him filling himself full of self importance????

been in Thailand too long and trying to hard to be Thai

Should I be impressed?

Would he feel "important" as he shows these photos around his local bar?

Like I said in my post before, that's a lot of concern you seem to have for a random stranger in a photo! and I stand by my statement that perhaps it's not him who has the problem.

Not to mention the fact that I'm not quite sure why you needed to shoe horn this in to a thread about posing with dead bodies?? Which again brings me back to issues!

living with corruption is part of everyday life here, so is the vast sex trade.

I have noticed that you have said the same thing almost word for word on several other threads. My guess would be the old 'business owner from somewhere else, slagging of Phuket' trick. You don't have a bar in Hua Hin by any chance?

[NamKangMan]

Let me rephrase, just for you.

What would be his motivation to POSE for such a photo????

Let me repeat what I said just for you. My guess would be that his motivations were no more sinister than he was simply asked to do so by the Thai photographer, and knowing that it's the way things are done in Thailand he simply obliged. Everything else you have said about him is pure fantasy!

I wouldn't even disagree that it's an odd practice, and one that perhaps the powers that be could think about refraining from when dealing with Farang. However, your posts on this thread ( and a few others I have read) quite clearly show you have issues that go far beyond your genuine concern for the deceased in the photos.

For example:

so I guess he feels like a celebrity.

In any case, he looks like a fool in this photo.

other than him filling himself full of self importance????

been in Thailand too long and trying to hard to be Thai

Should I be impressed?

Would he feel "important" as he shows these photos around his local bar?

Like I said in my post before, that's a lot of concern you seem to have for a random stranger in a photo! and I stand by my statement that perhaps it's not him who has the problem.

Not to mention the fact that I'm not quite sure why you needed to shoe horn this in to a thread about posing with dead bodies?? Which again brings me back to issues!

living with corruption is part of everyday life here, so is the vast sex trade.

I have noticed that you have said the same thing almost word for word on several other threads. My guess would be the old 'business owner from somewhere else, slagging of Phuket' trick. You don't have a bar in Hua Hin by any chance?

As you stated yourself, your "GUESS" is he was asked to pose for the photo. Maybe he wanted to pose for the photo. Maybe he even asked to have the photo taken. We don't know, but what we do know, through the photo, is he is posing voluntarily, and in my opinion, he is embarrassing himself.

Even if he was asked by a Thai photographer to pose, he should have declined. If I did everything a Thai asked me to do, I would be financially ruined by now. :) You would have to question why he is a tourist police volunteer when he buckles to peer pressure so easily, unless he actually wanted to pose for the photo, so, once again, I think it's poor form.

I don't think it's an "odd practice." I think it's a disgraceful practice and shows a lack of respect for the friends and family of the deceased. Especially uploading them onto Facebook.

Pointing with your index finger at a Thai is not socially acceptable in Thailand, so why do they do it to the deceased?

I definately do not have a business in Hua Hin. I have stated many times before that I will never "buy" property here, and most likely, never buy or start a business here. I have no need to, and my cash/assets are making more money in my home country without any depreciation or risk. So, I'm not exposed here in any way. This probably makes me more subjective than some members on here who do have property or a business and are always "talking the place up" perhaps you are one of those. I have no conflict of interests, can you say the same? Maybe you are the one with some "issues" in relation to some purchases and decisions you have made here in the past.

If you enjoy reading my older posts, you would have seen I have asked, one more than one occassion, "Name one good thing that has been done for tourists, and the tourism industry, on Phuket, in recent times?" To date, no one has been able to give an answer. That sums up Phuket, perfectly. Not progressing forward, so therefore slipping backwards compared to their competition. Eg. Hua Hin, which it sounds like you know as well, is now booming. So, no "issues" here - just calling it as I see it.

[mikebike]

Frig, another "Thai's should be more like us because we 'westerner's' have cornered the market correct behaviour thread"...

[geriatrickid]

If the TAT ever wanted to repair the tattered image of Thailand, it would ask the media to show some respect when it came to posting images of the dead and injured. I note that the local english language papers do make an attempt at it and one local in paper will often not release names until the next of kin are notified.

[geriatrickid]

Frig, another "Thai's should be more like us because we 'westerner's' have cornered the market correct behaviour thread"...

Actually, respect for a dead body is common in many cultures. Singapore and Japan refrain from publishing Thai style images. As such, it is not just about westerners, but also respect for other asian practices.

[LivinginKata]

3 inflammatory and off topic posts removed