Kids Dying/hurting In Thailand. Is This Actually A Horrible Country?

[SiameseCurios]

Though I disagree with the OP almost entirely I can say that I empathise a tiny amount. About 3 years ago in our soi, in Bangplad, a young man had not been keeping up on his repayments on his Fino. The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him. The end result to this was all the new Finos at the top of the soi disappeared the next morning (I assumed they all returned them to the loan shark).

The thing that bugged me (and still does when I see him) is that he was back drinking and chatting with the girl's family within 3 weeks of her death. There was no secret that it was his debt that caused her death yet he seemed forgiven.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends. I just wonder how they can even face him. Not something I could see myself doing if the same happened to my little girl. I can only see my hands around his throat even though I am not a violent man (the last time I landed a punch I was still wearing knee-length shorts!).

The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him.

Sounds like you lived in a great Soi. Congrats. Thais love farangs with a bit of class.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends.

That's right, bro. Never learn from the past. Keep going back there. But please, don't ever post dumb threads on Thaivisa about the differences between farang winners and losers.

Edited December 1, 2012 by SiameseCurios

[themadpoorfreelover]

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there

yep. you are just the same as the Thais then too shy or scared to do or say anything about it. but yeh i believe your story, it is a horrible country.

[draftvader]

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there

yep. you are just the same as the Thais then too shy or scared to do or say anything about it. but yeh i believe your story, it is a horrible country.

Tell me what there is/was for me to do? Run away and leave my friends? Abandon a community of 500 people over the ridiculous actions of an 18 year old and the repercussions there-of when the rest of them just got on with their lives day in day out? Did I even say that I associated with any of these people?

Can't wait to hear your suggested version of events.

[draftvader]

Though I disagree with the OP almost entirely I can say that I empathise a tiny amount. About 3 years ago in our soi, in Bangplad, a young man had not been keeping up on his repayments on his Fino. The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him. The end result to this was all the new Finos at the top of the soi disappeared the next morning (I assumed they all returned them to the loan shark).

The thing that bugged me (and still does when I see him) is that he was back drinking and chatting with the girl's family within 3 weeks of her death. There was no secret that it was his debt that caused her death yet he seemed forgiven.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends. I just wonder how they can even face him. Not something I could see myself doing if the same happened to my little girl. I can only see my hands around his throat even though I am not a violent man (the last time I landed a punch I was still wearing knee-length shorts!).

The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him.

Sounds like you lived in a great Soi. Congrats. Thais love farangs with a bit of class.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends.

That's right, bro. Never learn from the past. Keep going back there. But please, don't ever post dumb threads on Thaivisa about the differences between farang winners and losers.

The soi was great. It was my home for 4 years. A lot of the people there had next to nothing, but never judged me for what I was or wasn't. The incidence was isolated making this soi much safer than any of the other places I have lived in my life (and that includes London's safest borough).

How was this a dumb post about the difference between farang winners and losers?

[themadpoorfreelover]

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there

yep. you are just the same as the Thais then too shy or scared to do or say anything about it. but yeh i believe your story, it is a horrible country.

Tell me what there is/was for me to do? Run away and leave my friends? Abandon a community of 500 people over the ridiculous actions of an 18 year old and the repercussions there-of when the rest of them just got on with their lives day in day out? Did I even say that I associated with any of these people?

Can't wait to hear your suggested version of events.

my suggested version of events:

when i re-read the story i wonder firstly how much you are really involved in the "community of 500" it is bangpalad, and it maybe over more than a fino, and then the bit about the "finos" dissapearing in the soi was just thrown in for good measure. what is it "fino-loan-shark-mafia", does he deal in honda waves too? in that case i better be carefull i have a fino too.. then you just contradicted yourself that you "couldnt abandon a community of 500 people", when "none of them are actually your friends anyway?"

so what is your point? you did nothing because you care about the local people although you are not friends with any of them.

therefore if they are not your friends then it is likely you dont really know the full truth about why she was shot/murdered, maybe she just ran away with another man he the boyfriend went out on the street let off some shots and the Chinese whispers started...

you tried to say that you disagree with me entirely (meaning this is not a horrible country), but you gave an example of why it is a horrible place for kids to live and oh its the power and soul of the people that make the people just keep on going.

so your story proves nothing, other than it is a horrible country.

[themadpoorfreelover]

Though I disagree with the OP almost entirely I can say that I empathise a tiny amount. About 3 years ago in our soi, in Bangplad, a young man had not been keeping up on his repayments on his Fino. The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him. The end result to this was all the new Finos at the top of the soi disappeared the next morning (I assumed they all returned them to the loan shark).

The thing that bugged me (and still does when I see him) is that he was back drinking and chatting with the girl's family within 3 weeks of her death. There was no secret that it was his debt that caused her death yet he seemed forgiven.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends. I just wonder how they can even face him. Not something I could see myself doing if the same happened to my little girl. I can only see my hands around his throat even though I am not a violent man (the last time I landed a punch I was still wearing knee-length shorts!).

The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him.

Sounds like you lived in a great Soi. Congrats. Thais love farangs with a bit of class.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends.

That's right, bro. Never learn from the past. Keep going back there. But please, don't ever post dumb threads on Thaivisa about the differences between farang winners and losers.

The soi was great. It was my home for 4 years. A lot of the people there had next to nothing, but never judged me for what I was or wasn't. The incidence was isolated making this soi much safer than any of the other places I have lived in my life (and that includes London's safest borough).

How was this a dumb post about the difference between farang winners and losers?

they didnt judge you because they didnt care about you.. who you are what you do. did you build them a new road so they can remember you? if i was you i would have erected a statue in my own honour! bronze, finely crafted, the caption would read : farang came farang is gone.

farang ma, farang wing bai lao..

[thaibeachlovers]

No, it's not a horrible country, which is why I live here.

However, I'm surprised the death toll isn't a LOT higher. I've seen m'bike riders holding a baby in one arm, or holding an umbrella, and lots of them talking on mobile phones. Given the state of the roads, the accident rate should be astronomical, but it's not really.

[Stradavarius37]

Wish you well in Australia.

[themadpoorfreelover]

No, it's not a horrible country, which is why I live here.

However, I'm surprised the death toll isn't a LOT higher. I've seen m'bike riders holding a baby in one arm, or holding an umbrella, and lots of them talking on mobile phones. Given the state of the roads, the accident rate should be astronomical, but it's not really.

ok comparing the murder rates and accident rates prison population of the two countries i based the thread on australia and thailand

murder rates for one year:

thai : 41 per 100,000 people

Au: 1 per 100,000 people

car accident deaths

thai: 3000 deaths

AU 1300 fatalities

prison population

thai 210,000 people

au 29,000

car thefts:

thai: 3200

AU: 140,000

so the worst thing australians do is steal cars. you are 41 times more likely to have your car stolen in australia, but 41 times more likely to get murdered in thailand.... great another great reason to leave here, a high death toll.

so far nobody can give me a good argument, just two line comments with no factual basis.

[manarak]

OP: freedom comes with dangers and responsibility.

You can leave anytime for a country that has fences everywhere and regulations for everything.

[themadpoorfreelover]

OP: freedom comes with dangers and responsibility.

You can leave anytime for a country that has fences everywhere and regulations for everything.

well i cant leave anytime the paperwork to take a child out takes a bit of time, two months and counting now.

[cbrer]

OP.

Mai

Bpen

Rai.

You think too much. Think too much no good.

[themadpoorfreelover]

OP.

Mai

Bpen

Rai.

You think too much. Think too much no good.

ahahahahh what! i read that i thought how did my girlfriend get on here to write that!

[manarak]

OP: freedom comes with dangers and responsibility.

You can leave anytime for a country that has fences everywhere and regulations for everything.

well i cant leave anytime the paperwork to take a child out takes a bit of time, two months and counting now.

don't worry, the papers will get ready eventually.

I too did some crime, accident and disease comparisons, found some sources for country rankings on the internet.

BUT: as the farang population is tiny compared to the rest of Thailand's inhabitants and because farang behave so very differently, the statistics are meaningless, maybe with exception of the traffic accidents.

I'd really like to see the same statistics aggregated from embassy sources

[thaibeachlovers]

No, it's not a horrible country, which is why I live here.

However, I'm surprised the death toll isn't a LOT higher. I've seen m'bike riders holding a baby in one arm, or holding an umbrella, and lots of them talking on mobile phones. Given the state of the roads, the accident rate should be astronomical, but it's not really.

ok comparing the murder rates and accident rates prison population of the two countries i based the thread on australia and thailand

murder rates for one year:

thai : 41 per 100,000 people

Au: 1 per 100,000 people

car accident deaths

thai: 3000 deaths

AU 1300 fatalities

prison population

thai 210,000 people

au 29,000

car thefts:

thai: 3200

AU: 140,000

so the worst thing australians do is steal cars. you are 41 times more likely to have your car stolen in australia, but 41 times more likely to get murdered in thailand.... great another great reason to leave here, a high death toll.

so far nobody can give me a good argument, just two line comments with no factual basis.

Just as at "home", I don't know anyone that has been murdered here. Life is full of tragedy, but many will pass through unaffected.

An ill event is haphazard and can happen to you anywhere, even in Oz.

Personally, if life in Oz is anything like that portrayed on ABC, I'd probably slit my wrists because of the PC.

[themadpoorfreelover]

No, it's not a horrible country, which is why I live here.

However, I'm surprised the death toll isn't a LOT higher. I've seen m'bike riders holding a baby in one arm, or holding an umbrella, and lots of them talking on mobile phones. Given the state of the roads, the accident rate should be astronomical, but it's not really.

ok comparing the murder rates and accident rates prison population of the two countries i based the thread on australia and thailand

murder rates for one year:

thai : 41 per 100,000 people

Au: 1 per 100,000 people

car accident deaths

thai: 3000 deaths

AU 1300 fatalities

prison population

thai 210,000 people

au 29,000

car thefts:

thai: 3200

AU: 140,000

so the worst thing australians do is steal cars. you are 41 times more likely to have your car stolen in australia, but 41 times more likely to get murdered in thailand.... great another great reason to leave here, a high death toll.

so far nobody can give me a good argument, just two line comments with no factual basis.

Just as at "home", I don't know anyone that has been murdered here. Life is full of tragedy, but many will pass through unaffected.

An ill event is haphazard and can happen to you anywhere, even in Oz.

Personally, if life in Oz is anything like that portrayed on ABC, I'd probably slit my wrists because of the PC.

PC?

[themadpoorfreelover]

No, it's not a horrible country, which is why I live here.

However, I'm surprised the death toll isn't a LOT higher. I've seen m'bike riders holding a baby in one arm, or holding an umbrella, and lots of them talking on mobile phones. Given the state of the roads, the accident rate should be astronomical, but it's not really.

ok comparing the murder rates and accident rates prison population of the two countries i based the thread on australia and thailand

murder rates for one year:

thai : 41 per 100,000 people

Au: 1 per 100,000 people

car accident deaths

thai: 3000 deaths

AU 1300 fatalities

prison population

thai 210,000 people

au 29,000

car thefts:

thai: 3200

AU: 140,000

so the worst thing australians do is steal cars. you are 41 times more likely to have your car stolen in australia, but 41 times more likely to get murdered in thailand.... great another great reason to leave here, a high death toll.

so far nobody can give me a good argument, just two line comments with no factual basis.

Just as at "home", I don't know anyone that has been murdered here. Life is full of tragedy, but many will pass through unaffected.

An ill event is haphazard and can happen to you anywhere, even in Oz.

Personally, if life in Oz is anything like that portrayed on ABC, I'd probably slit my wrists because of the PC.

PC?

yeh i know a guy from my home city was murdered in buriram a few years ago, he didnt die at the scene but died on his way home.

but actually i lived in serbia when i was younger... that was something else, in the one and a half years i stayed there with my family quite a few people i knew and many more were murdered in my suburb in belgrade...

but its not the murder thats the problem, its just the all round level of < Snip! > everywhere. like i said cross the border its only got to 10x worse.

Edited December 2, 2012 by metisdead

[NeverSure]

There are a million children living in poverty in the richest country on Earth. Address that first before expecting Thailand to do better.

Define poverty. Other than the kids whose parents trade the food stamps to buy drugs and alcohol or to gamble, (something no one can control) there are no very poor or hungry kids in the richest country on earth. The government gives housing, free medical, cash payments and food stamps to the poor who have children. Most of the poor got that way from being totally irresponsible including drug use. All of that help is stolen by the parents for drugs or gambling or other things. The parents are lazy and heartless. The parents should be hanged in public.

As for tragic drownings and other accidents, I think that happens everywhere.

Edited December 1, 2012 by NeverSure

[PapaNasty]

I'm a little lost here......

OP what is your actual point?

That Thailand has bad crime?

That you are more likely to die in Thailand than in Australia?

What's your point? 99.9% of the world population would realise this already.

[cbrer]

I'm a little lost here......

OP what is your actual point?

I think he's pointing out how backward and mind-bogglingly stupid many Thai people, and their society appear to be.

Thought that of course could be down to him and how he processes information.

But it's probably down to Thai people and their society, and not just how they appear.

Does that help at all?

Edited December 1, 2012 by cbrer

[themadpoorfreelover]

I'm a little lost here......

OP what is your actual point?

That Thailand has bad crime?

That you are more likely to die in Thailand than in Australia?

What's your point? 99.9% of the world population would realise this already.

my point is a question, I dont really know the answer to,

Is this a horrible country

Is my TGFs village the worst in thailand

can you give any reason why kids should be raised here over australia. those are kind of my points but its more of a discussion, im just trying to understand why people are here.

Edited December 2, 2012 by metisdead
: Fixed mispelling of a word.

[themadpoorfreelover]

I'm a little lost here......

OP what is your actual point?

That Thailand has bad crime?

That you are more likely to die in Thailand than in Australia?

What's your point? 99.9% of the world population would realise this already.

did you read my first post in the topic? and my story about the old disabled farang man that extorted for all his money and then was left for dead?

[TommoPhysicist]

...........

Is my TGFs village the worst in thailand

can you give any reason why kids should be raised here over australia. those are kind of my points but its more of a discussion, im just trying to understand why people are here.

It can't be that bad, you haven't mentioned any drugs problems.

Most Many of the villages have huge Yabba problems.

Edited December 1, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[themadpoorfreelover]

...........

Is my TGFs village the worst in thailand

can you give any reason why kids should be raised here over australia. those are kind of my points but its more of a discussion, im just trying to understand why people are here.

It can't be that bad, you haven't mentioned any drugs problems.

Most of the villages have huge Yabba problems.

my TGFs mum (the grandmother of my son) is in nongpalai doing time for ya-ice, she has been there since 2011 and will be out late 2013. i know its not yabba but cmon.. and yeh there is also problems there with yabba, like the boy who raped the toddler was high at the time, the ladies up the soi who robbed the old man are all on yabba in and out of bangkwang and prachinburi city jail, TGFs cousin used first time when he was 15, as did her younger brother but i think he was smoking cigarettes with the mum and playing cards before he was ten... i cant speak for all the other young boys and girls round there, but they do get pretty bored and move off to the cities, and yeh im pretty sure they are doing it there, and yeh i have been on "carrying duties" which means i go round to the old peoples homes on the block and carry the drunk elderly to their mats in the home to sleep, sometimes I have found them lying in their own vomit and its pretty gross, and yeh often they just pass out and wet thier pants or start to urinate when you pick them up

so yeh i reakon alchohol is the biggest problem there it makes it a quiet place at night every one is incapacitated, but at the same time i dont even want my son to see people like that.. he already found great granma drunk on the kitchen floor one night and was hitting her face because he thought she was playing dead, or just dead i dont know. he is 15mnths old

so yeh there is one old person there out of about 100 who doesnt drink thats my TGFs granmas sister.. and yeh all their living conditions are bad, all open houses with no windows and just concrete bloscks with upper levels full of junk and stuff, old motors around and stuff, i have taken few friends there to get the "ridgey didge thai experience" and most just want to leave after the first night, longest i spent there was 5 months, it got too much for me, but i do thank them because we can live there for about 5000 a month, if we ever had money problems. one month we did a little experiment how cheap we could live we did 4000 baht in one month, it should of cost that much but i bought all the kids snack all the time... you wanna eat kill a chicken kind of thing.

yeh and plenty of other shady charachters around there, plus all the young guys are running around with different size guns at night always going to the next villages down the road for shootouts... yeh its the wild east...

Edited December 1, 2012 by themadpoorfreelover

[cbrer]

Life in paradise huh.

[rene123]

Negativism attracts negative things. When you only search for the bad then don't be surprised if that is all you see. The OP will have a sad life no matter where he chooses to live. You could give him 10 million dollars and he would still be poor. I truly feel sorry for him, but only the person can change their own outlook on life. It can't be done by anyone else.

[themadpoorfreelover]

Negativism attracts negative things. When you only search for the bad then don't be surprised if that is all you see. The OP will have a sad life no matter where he chooses to live. You could give him 10 million dollars and he would still be poor. I truly feel sorry for him, but only the person can change their own outlook on life. It can't be done by anyone else.

yes and no and no and yes. but thanks for feeling sorry for me

I love my country Australia, I have lived the best life there living 8 years away from there has made me appreciate what australia has, fences, regulations and all..

[SiameseCurios]

I'm a little lost here......

OP what is your actual point?

I think he's pointing out how backward and mind-bogglingly stupid many Thai people, and their society appear to be.

Thought that of course could be down to him and how he processes information.

But it's probably down to Thai people and their society, and not just how they appear.

Does that help at all?

Does that help at all?

It helped me. Thanks

[NanLaew]

Though I disagree with the OP almost entirely I can say that I empathise a tiny amount. About 3 years ago in our soi, in Bangplad, a young man had not been keeping up on his repayments on his Fino. The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him. The end result to this was all the new Finos at the top of the soi disappeared the next morning (I assumed they all returned them to the loan shark).

The thing that bugged me (and still does when I see him) is that he was back drinking and chatting with the girl's family within 3 weeks of her death. There was no secret that it was his debt that caused her death yet he seemed forgiven.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends. I just wonder how they can even face him. Not something I could see myself doing if the same happened to my little girl. I can only see my hands around his throat even though I am not a violent man (the last time I landed a punch I was still wearing knee-length shorts!).

The loan shark took a dim view and sent a reminder for him. 2 in the morning he and his girlfriend (a girl born and raised in the soi) were pulled from their bed and she was shot dead in front of him.

Sounds like you lived in a great Soi. Congrats. Thais love farangs with a bit of class.

This was never going to stop me living in the soi or returning there (now we have left) to see our friends.

That's right, bro. Never learn from the past. Keep going back there. But please, don't ever post dumb threads on Thaivisa about the differences between farang winners and losers.

The soi was great. It was my home for 4 years. A lot of the people there had next to nothing, but never judged me for what I was or wasn't. The incidence was isolated making this soi much safer than any of the other places I have lived in my life (and that includes London's safest borough).

How was this a dumb post about the difference between farang winners and losers?

they didnt judge you because they didnt care about you.. who you are what you do. did you build them a new road so they can remember you? if i was you i would have erected a statue in my own honour! bronze, finely crafted, the caption would read : farang came farang is gone.

farang ma, farang wing bai lao..

Your example of the child rapist returning to the village after jail time and everyone carries on as normal. Then draftvader's example of the alleged loan-gone-bad, the associated murder and the guy still talking with the victims family. Why does this bother you? You are assuming that the only logical option is to be enraged by what you see as the insensitivity of Thai people and their 'acceptance' of these perpetrators of violence back into the community.

It may have escaped you in your minimal years in LOS but the overwhelming majority of Thai people are not big on public displays of anger, resentment. OK, so you are not a Thai but in consideration of these two cases quoted, what would you gain personally if every Thai thought the same as you and shunned these people or, maybe acted out some acts of violence against them; some sort of vengeance maybe?

You should be aware that Thai's are very big on making merit and making their 'next life' a better one. As far as these two unfortunate chaps are concerned, through their criminal actions or involvement, they are doomed as they walk this life. There is no merit-making that will make things better for them. They are facing something really bad next time around. So, there is absolutely NO reason for people to try and 'punish' them further by ostracizing them from society, refusing to talk to them, gossiping about them, etc.. The rapist may have done his time but his time is yet to come. The guy who lost his girlfriend to a loan-gone-bad may has well cash his chips in now.

This is not at all like Eastenders or the goings on on 'Ramsay Street' where the whole premise of everyone being in everyone else's business is the norm. My father used to find excuses to get out of the house when his kid brother made his monthly visits since all his brother wanted to do was gossip about the rest of the family, their scams, their relationships, their day-to-day dealings in great and gory detail. He reckoned he would have loved to have retired to Thailand just to get away from his brother! He probably would have enjoyed life in the OP's village.

Edited December 2, 2012 by NanLaew

[NanLaew]

Negativism attracts negative things. When you only search for the bad then don't be surprised if that is all you see. The OP will have a sad life no matter where he chooses to live. You could give him 10 million dollars and he would still be poor. I truly feel sorry for him, but only the person can change their own outlook on life. It can't be done by anyone else.

yes and no and no and yes. but thanks for feeling sorry for me

I love my country Australia, I have lived the best life there living 8 years away from there has made me appreciate what australia has, fences, regulations and all..

And this maybe is the crux of the matter? You have made a move to Thailand and for various reasons you deeply regret this. However, your move may have been a bit of a 'bridge burner' in that return to Australia and married life there may not be an easy option? There may even be an assimilation of the old Thai 'face' issue involved? You have been telling all your doubters and naysayers back home what a fantastic life you are living here where in reality you have some major self-doubt. Otherwise, you would think that with all these daily horrors in the village, the crap schools, the huge and ongoing scamming and murdering of foreigners nationwide, your mind would be made up and the relocation carried out without having to milk this forum for opinions and critique of your writing.