Village Violence

[somo]

Kuhn Somo -- I hope all has worked out to your and your friend's satisfaction and the 50K is cash-in-hand and not just a promissory note.

Still, it would be my personal discretion to not want to live in a place where death threats real or imagined determine the outcome of a typical day-to-day predicament.

Yes cash all paid up.

Bangkok (where I live most of the time) is considerably more dangerous than my village. This was not a typical day to day event and is the first I have known about in the last 15 years involving people I know well. Most of the violence if any is usually from outsiders trying to thieve and run.

As I said you are more likely to be run over or robbed in BKK

[JLCrab]

So all has worked out well. Great. Still, in BKK you are referring to random acts of violence ... not violence among friends and neighbors.

[somo]

Violence is violence random or not. To the victim it makes little difference.

What I will say is from my experience of fighting with brothers as a kid it was more viscous than say fighting in the school playground.

In my village and surrounding ones everyone is related in some way or other and have been living close up since the day they were born.

Once it erupts the violence is intense but imediately followed by great remorse which you don't get in BKK.

I think it is this remorse that has led to the settlement that seems to suit everyone. Given time I think the Bankok job may end and a return home sorted out for the exiled one.

Time is indeed the great healer, it is just a shame it is so limited for all of us.

[jamescollister]

Violence is violence random or not. To the victim it makes little difference.

What I will say is from my experience of fighting with brothers as a kid it was more viscous than say fighting in the school playground.

In my village and surrounding ones everyone is related in some way or other and have been living close up since the day they were born.

Once it erupts the violence is intense but imediately followed by great remorse which you don't get in BKK.

I think it is this remorse that has led to the settlement that seems to suit everyone. Given time I think the Bankok job may end and a return home sorted out for the exiled one.

Time is indeed the great healer, it is just a shame it is so limited for all of us.

Can't know the whole story, but here the village heads will exile a person for 3 or 5 years for a crime. Harsh sentence for a person to be removed from his family, friends and safety network.

If they don't go, it's a walk into the jungle and seen no more. Local police are usually on the panel involved in the judgement.

Village law and break the village rules and you won't be allow to stay.

That's why we have a load off shit heads living in the jungle stealing and robbing, they just cross over to Lao when things get too hot. As said earlier the border army pulled 6 bodies out of the jungle last year, near here.

There rules not ours. Jim

[JLCrab]

Kuhn Somo -- When I earlier mentioned a day-to-day occurrence I was not referring to the violence but to someone's wife mouthing off which you said was the sole reason for your friend ending up in the hospital.

To those who want to live in the rural regions of Thailand and grow rice or cassava or whatever, that is their choice. It is not mine -- and I do come from an agricultural background.having worked in the industry for many years in USA.

I think sometimes of living in a remote area the same as the old pilots line about flying: 99% sheer boredom followed by 1% sheer panic.

Edited January 4, 2013 by JLCrab

[somo]

Kuhn Somo -- When I earlier mentioned a day-to-day occurrence I was not referring to the violence but to someone's wife mouthing off which you said was the sole reason for your friend ending up in the hospital.

To those who want to live in the rural regions of Thailand and grow rice or cassava or whatever, that is their choice. It is not mine -- and I do come from an agricultural background.having worked in the industry for many years in USA.

I think sometimes of living in a remote area the same as the old pilots line about flying: 99% sheer boredom followed by 1% sheer panic.

Nowhere did I say the sole reason for the violence was the wifes big mouth so please retract that statement.

All I said was it may have been the trigger/last straw not the reason for it. The reasons behind it all are i feel more complex and to do with history to which I am not privy.

I think your analogy with bored pilots to be way off course! These people are not living in remote areas. There are lots of people around and they have lots of fun together. Unlike in big cities no one is lonely. The kids for one have a much more fun life than kids in any big city. You should go and live there for a bit before making such comments. I find life there vibrant and stimulating.

[JLCrab]

I'll retract whatever you want me to retract -- you and/or your family are the ones who are living in this soap opera where there is a complex story and history to which you are not privy ...life there is vibrant and stimulating but you still live in BKK.

At this stage in my life I am not interested in living in an environment where there are long-standing animosities and grievances swirling around me which do not concern me except by my presence in the thick of them.

As far as living or spending much time in a rural area in Thailand or elsewhere, what makes you think that I haven't?

Edited January 4, 2013 by JLCrab

[somo]

Hi.

I live in BKK as I need to not through choice.

Your comments lead me to believe you have not spent much time in rural thailand but you may well have.

If you did then maybe you just didn't like it, I don't know or care really. We all have different tastes so each to their own.

I started this thread in order to get some advice not to discuss the merits of living wherever.

The issue having been settled this thread is redundant really so I'll leave it to others if they really want to talk about other things but there are other threads that discuss such matters.

Edited January 5, 2013 by somo

[JLCrab]

You said all said and done so I will just leave it there following this:. You said that you were looking for advice from someone who has been in a similar situation. I have. I provided the funds so that in Thailand a rural property settlement could be contested. I never lived in the area though I visited often. Since it became known to those who though the deal had all been settled in their favor before being hauled into court that I was the one responsible for paying the lawyers and court fees, I have never been back there since.

You have stated many times to the effect that "the reasons behind it all are i feel more complex and to do with history to which I am not privy". I just questioned whether it is desirable to dwell in such a place. All this may now just be simmering below the surface before the next irrational eruption. Good Luck to you.

Edited January 5, 2013 by JLCrab

[maturebrit]

my two brother in laws got into it with a few thais a few years back.... each sustained gunshots to their legs.... we called the Police who arrested them.... then police said if we didnt get it resolved they would prosecute. .the family talked to the defendents family and got settled with 80k each.... subject closed..... and I stayed well out of the whole issue....as one post said.....leave the Thais deal with Thai issues

I did drop the local police a little tip for being so helpful

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[harryfrompattaya]

That's a bit like what is happening to me.

Ex cop/soldier with guns galore adopted me as a friend a while back and has now turned up uninvited but fully equiped to sleep on our balcony until things sort themselves out. My concern is that he already feels we are somehow involved! Having said that he is also one of those who can get away with anything!

I am afraid to say watch him the most. Happen to friend of a mine who lived in Minsky the Guard run away with his gay lover

[sirchai]

That's a bit like what is happening to me.

Ex cop/soldier with guns galore adopted me as a friend a while back and has now turned up uninvited but fully equiped to sleep on our balcony until things sort themselves out. My concern is that he already feels we are somehow involved! Having said that he is also one of those who can get away with anything!

I am afraid to say watch him the most. Happen to friend of a mine who lived in Minsky the Guard run away with his gay lover

Is larryfrompattaya still together with maryfrompattaya?-

[cooked]

Sorry on my 7th beer and ranting a bit. Jim

I trust thats 7 long necks there Jim, otherwise we might think you were a pommie pooftah that couldnt handle 7 schooners or midis or whatever they call them in Melbourne these days.

Yes real bottles not stubbies or cans. Think the sun burns my brain at times. Out hand watering coconuts for 4 or 5 hours,. First 3 long necks don't touch the sides, wife brings some food, but by then I am in the mood for drinking and post some drunken things.

On number 6 now, but ate early. It's a hard life. Jim

Waaay of topic.. I think we have to get together and buy Jim a hose pipe.

[jamescollister]

Sorry on my 7th beer and ranting a bit. Jim

I trust thats 7 long necks there Jim, otherwise we might think you were a pommie pooftah that couldnt handle 7 schooners or midis or whatever they call them in Melbourne these days.

Yes real bottles not stubbies or cans. Think the sun burns my brain at times. Out hand watering coconuts for 4 or 5 hours,. First 3 long necks don't touch the sides, wife brings some food, but by then I am in the mood for drinking and post some drunken things.

On number 6 now, but ate early. It's a hard life. Jim

Waaay of topic.. I think we have to get together and buy Jim a hose pipe.

You could just bring beer, I can drink without assistance from a pipe. right now having a few but it;s so cold, think warm beer, bitter or stout would be better. Jim

[manxninja]

hahah not like a manxman to be pissed Jim.

[CTO]

A few nights ago I had some idiot pull not one, but three knives on me, was quite amusing watching just how he was going to continue threatening mejuggling them all and not dropping one, was very apologetic fairly quickly, bought me a beer the next day. But at the time, so easy for things to have gone wrong, have written before that at times have had to remove various nasty's from people usually drunk, worse was a small home made pistol.