My Life Flashed Past My Eyes

[Radar501]

Returning from Malaysia, I decided to stay a night in the Thai border town of Dannok. That afternoon, I went for a jog in the countryside. I was about 3 km out of town on a quiet isolated forest track, when two Thai guys rode past me in the opposite direction.

A minute or so later, they rode back past me again and stopped about 20 metres ahead of me. The pillion passenger reached under his shirt and pulled out a small black handgun and pointed it towards the ground in the 'rest' position. If this was a robbery, I had no valuables on me at all, just a fake watch.

I saw my life flashing past me, but somehow I held my nerve. I jogged straight past them, staring out the guy with the gun. I didn't know if I was going to get a shot in the back of the head, but I continued on, step after step.

When I was about 30 metres past them, I heard the motorcycle heading off in the other direction and out of earshot. I never looked back and eventually returned to the safety of the town.

I don't know what their intention was, but maybe the gun was an imitation, and they were hoping to call my bluff by scaring me into handing over any money I had. I will never know.

I have slapped myself around a few times since for putting my wellbeing in such a vulnerable position. A valuable lesson was learnt that day.

Anyone else out there found themselves in a scary predicament in Thailand?

[transam]

Your cheap flip flops saved the day.

[jbrain]

So you think that they expected you to hand over your valuables without them even have to ask for it ?

[diddums]

Question is....did you like what you saw ?

[jamescollister]

First time I came to the wife's village, Lao land border, jungle, dirt roads, rented car. dark.

Turned a corner to see 6 or so guys, balaclavas and guns, tell the wife to hit the deck and plant the foot, they are not taking me alive.

Poor bastards are jumping into rice wet fields to get out of the way.

They were hunting rats in the rice paddy, lucky never hit one.

Live here now and have no fear of rat hunters. Jim

[richard_smith237]

'You've got to ask yourself one question.....Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk!'......

Frightening stuff.... your faux confidence may well have averted a major incident. But you took control by continuing on. IF you had stopped it may well have forced them to respond...

[h90]

maybe they were on the way to the bank and the gun under the shirt started itching, so he took it out.

Or one sold the gun

Or one tried to shoot...obviously not because you would hear that....

They just waited till there is nobody on the street and they considered you as nobody.....just my thinking.

[jbrain]

maybe they were on the way to the bank and the gun under the shirt started itching, so he took it out.

Or one sold the gun

Or one tried to shoot...obviously not because you would hear that....

They just waited till there is nobody on the street and they considered you as nobody.....just my thinking.

Still a possibility, as maybe the gun didn't function

[jamescollister]

Will say now 20 meters with a hand gun, with an untrained person is a miss, miss , miss shot. Very unlucky to be hit. OP should have turned and run into the jungle.

One to remember, hand guns are useless at distance unless the guy is really well trained and lucky.

We used to have a story in my last job, guys running away. Officer says, stop or I will shoot, draws his side arm and puts one in the fleeing guys back.

Second officer says, lucky he stopped or you would never had hit him at the speed he was going.

Situational awareness, you are not on your home turf. Jim

[h90]

maybe they were on the way to the bank and the gun under the shirt started itching, so he took it out.

Or one sold the gun

Or one tried to shoot...obviously not because you would hear that....

They just waited till there is nobody on the street and they considered you as nobody.....just my thinking.

Still a possibility, as maybe the gun didn't function

Policeman Somchai: "I forgot to give you the bullets back I borrowed.....can't take them out...it would scare the people."

OK we go on a silent street....brrrrrr.....here is good

But there is a Farang!!!

Ahh Nong, Farangs aren't afraid of guns!!!

---Take out the bullets hand it over---

Somchai: "Really the Farang didn't care....Farangs aren't afraid of guns really"

[arminbkk]

"My liife flashed past my eyes"

So what did you see?

:-)

[diddums]

"My liife flashed past my eyes"

So what did you see?

:-)

Nothing worth stopping for..

[Semper]

Your cheap flip flops saved the day.

You're right.

I always dress as a bum, keeps beggars and robbers at bay.

[tuky]

So what should one do if confronted by a situation like this?+

"I saw my life flashing past me, but somehow I held my nerve. I jogged straight past them, staring out the guy with the gun. I didn't know if I was going to get a shot in the back of the head, but I continued on, step after step."

You are a long time shot in the back of the head, all for keeping your nerve but at what cost?

What would be the right way of handling something like this?

[Radar501]

Your cheap flip flops saved the day.

I always go jogging in my flip flops.

[diddums]

So what should one do if confronted by a situation like this?+

"I saw my life flashing past me, but somehow I held my nerve. I jogged straight past them, staring out the guy with the gun. I didn't know if I was going to get a shot in the back of the head, but I continued on, step after step."

You are a long time shot in the back of the head, all for keeping your nerve but at what cost?

What would be the right way of handling something like this?

I would have dived head first into the paddy fields and rolled in the mud and laid dead still.

[DLock]

I have been in several situations where I really thought that was my last moment on this earth.

It's easy to say in hindsight or in the third person what you would do, or what you should have done. Things happen fast.

Not sure how you kept running when you saw he had a gun, but it was probably because you didn't know what else you should do. Your brain mentally seized up and your body just kept running. I bet you picked up your pace a little once you'd passed and then when you knew you were safe, you realized how lucky you were.

As IceT would say "Today was a good day".

[transam]

I was doing high revs on my Honda through Blackwall Tunnel in l think 1967, 12 at night, leaned for the bend to see a coach over taking a broken down car in my lane.

Yep, saw lots in a millisecond.

[FritsSikkink]

I saw my life flashing past me,

Maybe they saw it too and felt sorry.

[SteeleJoe]

I have been in several situations where I really thought that was my last moment on this earth.

It's easy to say in hindsight or in the third person what you would do, or what you should have done. Things happen fast.

Not sure how you kept running when you saw he had a gun, but it was probably because you didn't know what else you should do. Your brain mentally seized up and your body just kept running. I bet you picked up your pace a little once you'd passed and then when you knew you were safe, you realized how lucky you were.

As IceT would say "Today was a good day".

You mean Ice Cube (ex NWA)

Edited February 12, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[kevvy]

WHY WOULD YOU RUN ON A ISOLATED TRACK IN A TOWN YOU DON'T KNOW , PUZZLES ME

[diddums]

WHY WOULD YOU RUN ON A ISOLATED TRACK IN A TOWN YOU DON'T KNOW , PUZZLES ME

Wife at the other end ?

[cbrer]

A few times in my life I've been confronted by people trying to intimidate me, the closest to yours was two Asians with a 12 inch blade in Sydney when they blocked the only exit to a room, every time I have stared them out with a fuc_king do it then muthafukha stance, I am still here without ever having to physically defend myself in my adult life, or have never needed to throw a punch in anger.

[Satcommlee]

Maybe they just wanted to know if you wanted to buy a BB gun?

I've been offered them in the bars of pattaya.

[jamescollister]

A few times in my life I've been confronted by people trying to intimidate me, the closest to yours was two Asians with a 12 inch blade in Sydney when they blocked the only exit to a room, every time I have stared them out with a fuc_king do it then muthafukha stance, I am still here without ever having to physically defend myself in my adult life, or have never needed to throw a punch in anger.

You are a lucky man, I am not that lucky, sometimes things go bad. Best bet keep out of bad places.

Not one to talk, live in a border village Thai/ Lao gun fire every day hunting, bad boys with AK47s in the jungle. Safer than most big cities in the world if you don't get involved. No random shootings , no house robberies in a village, kids play in the street. No one to say what are you looking at and stick a knife or a glass in your face.

Kids or or I can walk after dark, no threat, won't let them walk down a street by themselves in most places I have lived.

I go into the jungle and know there are bad gun totting people out there, I am not a threat and no one cares. Jim

[pumpuiman]

My scariest moment happened in broad daylight, rush hour, on Sukhumvit in Bangkok.My wife and I were seated in the back seat of a taxi, when we noticed a policeman (in full uniform) walking down the middle of the street with his gun drawn. He was drunk beyond belief. He was approachng cars, pointing his gun and demanding money from drivers and passengers. We watched horrified as he approached our taxi. He leaned in the drivers window and waved the gun around at all of us. The driver wai'ed to him repeatedly and tried to hand him all his money....but he was so drunk he didn't even acknowledge him. He started aiming at my head and speaking some drunken rambling that neither myself or my Thai wife could decipher.I keep my money in my shirt pocket, and withdrew (slowly and carefully) several thousand baht and held it out for him. He was so drunk he didn't even notice it. He then asked the driver where I was from, as if meeting a guest at a party or something...the driver told him I was from America...the crazy drunken cop then spoke some more words we could not understand, withdrew his gun and his body from the car and continued stumbling down the middle of the street.

What could I or anyone do? No news reports of this incident(witnessed by hundreds of people)...nothing.

Very scary indeed.

[diddums]

My scariest moment happened in broad daylight, rush hour, on Sukhumvit in Bangkok.My wife and I were seated in the back seat of a taxi, when we noticed a policeman (in full uniform) walking down the middle of the street with his gun drawn. He was drunk beyond belief. He was approachng cars, pointing his gun and demanding money from drivers and passengers. We watched horrified as he approached our taxi. He leaned in the drivers window and waved the gun around at all of us. The driver wai'ed to him repeatedly and tried to hand him all his money....but he was so drunk he didn't even acknowledge him. He started aiming at my head and speaking some drunken rambling that neither myself or my Thai wife could decipher.I keep my money in my shirt pocket, and withdrew (slowly and carefully) several thousand baht and held it out for him. He was so drunk he didn't even notice it. He then asked the driver where I was from, as if meeting a guest at a party or something...the driver told him I was from America...the crazy drunken cop then spoke some more words we could not understand, withdrew his gun and his body from the car and continued stumbling down the middle of the street.

What could I or anyone do? No news reports of this incident(witnessed by hundreds of people)...nothing.

Very scary indeed.

Run him over and park the car on top of him.

[breadbin]

Lesson learned I think.

Remember in most countries, if not all, there are opportunist criminals and isolated locations are not risk free.

Glad you are ok.

Don't do it again!

[TomTao]

Going for a run on a quiet road around one of the southern border towns was probably not too clever, especially with all the trouble down that way, I think you are fortunate the pillion passenger with the hand gun didn't use it on you when you were close enough to be a sure hit. Please consider your personal well being when you are in an area where trouble is in abundance, such as the southern border region.

[Skeetjones]

This was when I was 20 I am now just turned 28. Was living in the village with mom, my second trip to Thailand. Didn't have any friends because I could speak hardly anything at the time. So my cousin, a friend of hers had a younger nephew who had been staying in Thailand from America like I was.

So he came over, he was 17 at the time, but we had a lot in common, and both acted the same, likes same music, both made music ( what's the chance right ? )

We kicked it a couple times. Then we went to the bar just up the street from my moms. And we drinking or whatever telling story's. cracking jokes shits like that, just happy we can speak English and understand each other topic wise.

Then a group of "government" officials came in had some drinks but where eyeing us like (annoyed) some thai/farangs where in there drinking. Anyways.. Dude i was with could speak and understand a whole lot better than me, and was kinda going back and forth with the table (dumb it's me and him) and like 7 grown thai people at the other...

We get to free style rapping over thai karaoke songs and the older Thais and muttering "speak thai" like insulting... But whatever nothing happened.

We are drunk, my mind isnt clear, he's like let's go to the club in Aran, I'm like alright "we just walk its not that far" well on a bike going like 70mph down this straight road to get to my moms took about 3-4 minutes, so I figured it would take 10 walking LOL! Nope.

We get to walking. It's pitch black. We are right on the border with Cambodia, bout 3 minutes go by.. He's like "you know they call this such and such road right" (hinting that people get killed on this road/ kidnapped) ... I'm like nope. But see a long think stick, picked it up, broke it in half and gave him the other.

I'm like "I see anyone coming at us I'm swinging LoL!" He's laughing too. Like fuc_k it. We still walking.

Truck comes past us, keeps going. We don't acknowledge it we just walk. That butch turnt around.. "we like hmmmm, might have to get down" ... It pulls up.

It's the government officials from Aran/my village. But only the guy from my village and two people inside.

I supposed their asking "where you going, you shouldn't be walking on this road at night, well give you a ride" ... We look at each other well dam_n what else CAN we do, we out in the middle of no where. So we are like "alright just get us to the road leading to the city and we out your hair." (Cause they he was telling the guy I'm with we need to get a ride)

... Sooooo we in the back, a little dam_n paranoid. And we are discussing we hope this ain't a set up, these guys where just talking shit in the bar. And my guy, grabbed the wheat knife that was in the back (basically he's like "I'm not going out like that") I'm like F*** ! (In my head, shit is about to get real) .. But at the same time I'm like fuc_k it, we didn't WANT the ride.

We get close to the road to the city, they pull over, my guy gives me 100baht to give to them for the ride, I'm like alright cool (so its not like they did us a complete favor) ... Well it gets fuc_king odd when we jump out the back.

I'm thinking (give driver 100 baht, say thanks and we all on our way) ... Hell no. For some reason, they didn't want the money, and all 3 got out the truck. And saw that my friend had the Wheat Knife in his hand in case and they surrounded us.

(The driver and him are speaking thai back and forth) (my mom tells me the next day, my friend was telling them "I'll cut you up if you try to fuc_k with me/us") one of the guy grabbed the knife from the back and threw it in the field.

Now my friend is hella helpless now backing up saying "kor tot kor tot!" Driver grabs him, I push the driver off him, he throws a drunk in' tony jaa kick at me and misses. I look back going to tell dude to run, but he's already half way up the street looking at me like "run!" So I start running! Catch up with him and pass him in flip flops LoL!

These Thai guys jump in the car and chase us through the city! As I look back. (I'm like dam_n it, these guys are serious) so I'm like "F*** that" both run to nearest building with people in it. Trying to hide, but at the same time if they try to kill us there's people around to see (hopefully good peolple) ...

So they end up getting to us (no shit) yelling chasing us around tables and chairs like its (Tom and Jerry).. Smack like friend in the head, (while he's trying to defuse it with "kor tot" "it's cool") ... But people are watching so dude calls the cops .....

Cops come. Tell us (farangs) to get in the back of the truck. They drive us to there station. We both in the back of the truck some what releaved, laughing, what to say to cops.

My friend overhears them there the thin glass talking .. He's like "aye , there talking about taking us to a park, hang us and claim its suicide" but I'm like "fuc_k it guess I'm a die tonight" (half serious / half thinking he's just trying to BS me) ..

Anyways he tells the story. Cops think we BS, but let us go. We leave. (This guy asks me if ima walk home... HELL NO IM NOT WALKIN HOME LOL") ...

Slept that there place.

Later months later, read that the cops hanging trouble makers in fields and claim its suicide was real and did happen I'm Thailand.

Felt lucky. And thought maybe he wasn't BS'n me. Maybe we cheated death twice that night.

Maybe we thought it was more than what it was.

Fun times though lol. Wasn't too scared when it was going down but thought alittle about it after.