American Teacher Charged With Bank Robbery In Bangkok Bank

[AgentOkeyDokey]

This is sad. What was he thinking? Complete madness.

[SunsetT]

When trying to communicate, it is important to write in a fashion that is understood. He seems to understand the level of English that would be understood.

Christ! He was optimistic and lucky that the cashier understood any English at all!

[mikemac]

""a vast percentage of crimes commited in thailand are done by foreigners and not by thai nationals"."..........Wow, I'm writing that one down ! It confirms my belief that Takki has been posing as a farang and posting on TV.

And anyone who thinks this guy wrote the stick-up note the same way he would write when teaching a class English has a mentality much lower than that of a five year old.

[yoshiwara]

I'm sure the note was made to look like it wasn't him nor his writing. Duh.

BTW, bash the yanks if you come from a small socialist country on the brink of collapse & have gotten a lot of US aid over the course of the past few decades (or would otherwise be speaking German right now).

Yes of course, and America is not 17 trillion in debt is it? And........you only came into the war in 1941, the small socialist countries were fighting oppression long before that without the great "i ams" . Yes, everything is bigger in America.isn't it?........especially egos and mouths, .

I am not sure which so-called socialist countries were fighting oppression prior to 1941. The only nation claiming socialist credentials at that time was the USSR. Spain had prior fallen to Franco, Stalin was murdering and sending to the gulag most of the Russian leadership from 1917 and prior to Hitler's invasion of Russia had signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov Peace Pact.

[dotpoom]

Perhaps one of the critics of the note based on its misuse of the Queen's English in it's content, might like to give us a lesson in how it should have been written, without resorting to a manuscript the length of a Shakespearian play of course.

[Traveling Sailor]

When will foreigners learn, you cannot steal from Thais and get away with it, only Thais are allowed to steal from Thais.

And Farang!

[mikemac]

Perhaps one of the critics of the note based on its misuse of the Queen's English in it's content, might like to give us a lesson in how it should have been written, without resorting to a manuscript the length of a Shakespearian play of course.

At least the teller understood the message and handed the loot over. Had it been written by one of the highly educated owners of the "Queen's English" the teller would have spun the note sideways and upsidedown, handed it back and said "Mai kowjai"

[chrisinth]

I'm sure the note was made to look like it wasn't him nor his writing. Duh.

BTW, bash the yanks if you come from a small socialist country on the brink of collapse & have gotten a lot of US aid over the course of the past few decades (or would otherwise be speaking German right now).

Here we go again............. another one who believes Hollywood's version of history. I don't bash my American friends or their country. But I don't limit my historical research to Hollywood either.

As for this teacher - who knows what drove him to rob a bank? But chances are his mind was not working straight when he wrote the note, hence the mixture of upper and lower case.

Interesting that he isn't allowed bail - "because violence was used". He said he had a knife and gun but didn't actually hurt anyone, other than scaring them. Now if he'd shot a few he'd presumably be allowed bail like the several cases involving Thai policemen or treated nicely like the two Aussie tattoo gunment.

The law here certainly works differently.

An armed robber wouldn't get bail in most countries, so I don't think Thailand is any different. I don't know what the penalties are for Armed Robbery in Thailand but this guy could be looking at a very long stretch in the Hilton.

I think it is somewhere between littering and not wearing a helmet...............

[sirchai]

Another reason to change the laws for us.-

[Bluespunk]

Perhaps one of the critics of the note based on its misuse of the Queen's English in it's content, might like to give us a lesson in how it should have been written, without resorting to a manuscript the length of a Shakespearian play of course.

At least the teller understood the message and handed the loot over. Had it been written by one of the highly educated owners of the "Queen's English" the teller would have spun the note sideways and upsidedown, handed it back and said "Mai kowjai"

how good are you at reading Thai then? Edited June 1, 2013 by Bluespunk

[dighambara]

Speaks volumes for American english teachers.

Here we go.

Perhaps, as Americans have not changed the language for two centuries, while England has created many dialects.

Edited June 1, 2013 by dighambara

[indyuk]

His defence lawyer will start out by saying 'The real crime here is what Teachers are paid in Thailand!'

I have never quite understood how it can be that I have to prove an income of a minimum of 65,000 Baht per month in order to renew my retirement visa yet if I was a Teacher in Thailand I could get a Visa and a work permit on a Thai salary of 20,000 Baht per month. I guess it is quite logical to a Thai. Go figure?

[rubberduck]

His defence lawyer will start out by saying 'The real crime here is what Teachers are paid in Thailand!'

I have never quite understood how it can be that I have to prove an income of a minimum of 65,000 Baht per month in order to renew my retirement visa yet if I was a Teacher in Thailand I could get a Visa and a work permit on a Thai salary of 20,000 Baht per month. I guess it is quite logical to a Thai. Go figure?

Then you will even less understand how I could get a Visa and a work permit when teaching as a volunteer WITHOUT any salary

[CqK]

I am struggling to comprehend that the person that wrote that note is here teaching kids English. Looks to be written by a 5 year old.

I think (I HOPE!) he wanted authorities to believe he was not a native English speaker?

Someone using English as a second language?

[CqK]

Speaks volumes for American english teachers.

And those posters on the other thread who said it wouldn't be a yank but an aussie, what say now?

I think you should look at your own English first!

And I am English not American.

I like your sense of humor, Chooka.

And I'm an American . . .

[CqK]

It is strange how one person's actions represents either all Americans and/or all teachers through quick generalization.

My generalization from responses to this article:

ThaiVisa responders are typically anti-American and mostly Teachers by profession.

Curious about the disguise used if any? Sad to see anyone reach the point of desperation.

Atleast it was not a violent crime.

It is not a generalization but a factual and empirically substantiated observation. Americans are (like it or not) one of the most disliked people on this planet. Their current generation is led by a government who shamelessly pry into and impertinently interfere with the affairs of those beyond their borders, with little or no regard to the sovereign authority of those they share this planet with.

Simple: to keep your friends, know your limits and respect those limits.

All these Americanisms-- "high-fiving" and "backslapping" and pumping out obnoxious whoops and hoots-- these are much despised. Leave them on US soil. Gives one an ear infection.

In light of your "factual and empirically substantiated observation", I'm sure all Americans will be eager to apologize to you, for their disgraceful behavior.

Now, gimme 5!

(and give us a great big smile for the drone's camera)

Thank you, rijb!

[lee b]

He cant even write correctly, Why did he use capital letters in the middle of a word? Some teacher !!

[chiangmaikelly]

He cant even write correctly, Why did he use capital letters in the middle of a word? Some teacher !!

He was trying to fool them into thinking he was a Canadian.

Edited June 1, 2013 by chiangmaikelly

[JO1973]

Speaks volumes for American english teachers.

And those posters on the other thread who said it wouldn't be a yank but an aussie, what say now?

"Volumes" does it? That's moronic. Attempting to indict an entire people based on one man's actions says more about you -- one could say volumes even -- than it does about them.

Edited June 1, 2013 by JO1973

[chooka]

I'm sure the note was made to look like it wasn't him nor his writing. Duh.

BTW, bash the yanks if you come from a small socialist country on the brink of collapse & have gotten a lot of US aid over the course of the past few decades (or would otherwise be speaking German right now).

Here we go again............. another one who believes Hollywood's version of history. I don't bash my American friends or their country. But I don't limit my historical research to Hollywood either.

As for this teacher - who knows what drove him to rob a bank? But chances are his mind was not working straight when he wrote the note, hence the mixture of upper and lower case.

Interesting that he isn't allowed bail - "because violence was used". He said he had a knife and gun but didn't actually hurt anyone, other than scaring them. Now if he'd shot a few he'd presumably be allowed bail like the several cases involving Thai policemen or treated nicely like the two Aussie tattoo gunment.

The law here certainly works differently.

An armed robber wouldn't get bail in most countries, so I don't think Thailand is any different. I don't know what the penalties are for Armed Robbery in Thailand but this guy could be looking at a very long stretch in the Hilton.

I think it is somewhere between littering and not wearing a helmet...............

with or without receipt?

[Johnniey]

He cant even write correctly, Why did he use capital letters in the middle of a word? Some teacher !!

Duh, think about it for a second, and if you figure it out, there's no hope.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed.

[rijb]

He cant even write correctly, Why did he use capital letters in the middle of a word? Some teacher !!

When he is in a bank and holding it up, he is a bank robber.

When he is in a school and teaching English, he is a teacher.

Maybe it should be "some bank robber" instead of "some teacher" ... See the difference?

[yoshiwara]

Speaks volumes for American english teachers.

Here we go.

Perhaps, as Americans have not changed the language for two centuries, while England has created many dialects.

That just isn't so. Do people just make these things up?

[pacharaphet]

I have never had a high opinion of English Teachers in Thailand but this chap is barely literate in the language.

How on earth could someone like this get a job teaching?!

Patrick

barely literate? I don't know where you have the proof for that?

Left out an article or two in order to make his message more clear to the Thai reading it/save space? Possible.

Conjecture and ranting...status quo at TV

[mrtoad]

This guy is a Darwin candidate

[Rudyruns]

That note alone shows that Yanks should not be teaching English to anyone.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Another narrow minded person on Thai Visa!

[NCFC]

I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about that lack of punctuation.

[pilot321]

What a tragic shame his students will be deprived of having a teacher so dedicated to educating them that he robbed a bank in order to stay because he wasn't being paid a decent wage. That sort of self-sacrificing devotion to teaching is rare.

What planet are you living on.....how do you know he was dedicated and not a yabba freak.......

Planet Humor. Try taking a trip there sometime.

That post, my friend, is what is colloquially referred to as a "joke"

[ben2203]

Any pics?

One wonders what was the attraction of Thailand that was so great he felt he had to risk spending the rest of his life in a hellish prison just in order to stay here.

It's craziness isn't it? He's getting on his years though so perhaps he wasn't able to get a job or he had work but not much and just stuck in a rut, nobody willing to help him or able to help him, I wonder how long he had been in thailand for?