Road Rage Australian Hurls A Large Stone At Pattaya Taxi

[Rimmer]

Australian “settles” following stoning of Pattaya Taxi

PATTAYA:--An Australian National was arrested early on Sunday Morning following a bizarre incident which occurred at the Central Pattaya Traffic Lights on Pattaya Second Road where it intersects with the Central Pattaya Road.

The incident involved a Pattaya Meter Taxi driven by Khun Chaliaw aged 45, who was on his way home, when he slowed at the Traffic Lights and drove-up beside the Australian, Mr. Vincent Van Mil aged 45. Mr. Van Mil is accused of raising his middle finger and directing the insult towards the Taxi Driver.

Khun Chaliaw was incensed and offered some choice words to Mr. Van Mil before parking his Taxi. He claims that Mr. Van Mil then approached the Taxi armed with a large stone which was thrown through the rear driver-side window.

Passers-by assisted the driver and detained Mr. Van Mil pending the arrival of Police who took both parties to Pattaya Police Station.

Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/90440/australian-settles-stoning-pattaya-taxi/

-- Pattaya One 2013-06-09

[chooka]

Idiot, there is no excuse for this,

[blabla1]

Idiot, there is no excuse for this,

+1

[yoslim]

another quality oz expat

[alfieconn]

That must have been the taxi drivers story as i'm sure there was more to it than that ! but that doesn't excuse what the Aussie done.

[Gone]

Obviously this OZ is a tourist and not an expat who has spent any time in Thailand or he would have known that he got off VERY lucky. You cannot insult Thais and get away with it.

I know it can be annoying sometimes with taxis, motorbike taxis, vendors all trying to get your business but hey they are just trying to make a living. Just a polite mai aow khrap would always get you a smile and keep you out of danger.

Throwing a brick that large I'm surprised he is still not recovering in Pattaya Bkk Hospital. (The Oz I mean).

[Greer]

No excuse for this sort of behaviour at all - even without knowing the full story, this is not acceptable at all. The Australian was in the wrong and to try to damage someone's car like this is not on.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Probably angry that the "meter" taxis don't use their meters...striking a blow against the meter taxi mafia.

[sawati]

20.000 baht?

10.000 for the police

10.000 for the driver

Both of them smiling

[chooka]

20.000 baht?

10.000 for the police

10.000 for the driver

Both of them smiling

Scratch a Jet Ski and you are looking at between 30 & 40K throw a rock thru the window of car and only 20K yes he got off pretty lightly. Very lucky he wasn't charged with Criminal Damage, Interfering with motor vehicle and assault.

[Lancelot]

But it goes both ways.

I'm south bound on Soi Buakao but see I can't make a right hand turn (understandable, that intersection creates a lot of traffic jams.) I turn left at Pattaya Tai, then do a U turn at the entrance of Friendship to contine west on Pattaya Tai. A Thai girl is driving up (east) on Pattaya Tai, wrong side of the road, so I stop and yield the right of way into Friendship. She stops and verbally abuses me before riding off to the Friendship parking lot to enter Pattaya Tai again, almost hitting me in the process. Truth be told we were both in the wrong, but that didn't stop her from screaming insults at me. I just stared at her and didn't respond.

At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well. Sure, superficially we get by but that thin veener of civility is paper thin and easily abrogated.

Just the way it is

[pattayadingo]

It does seem an odd reaction from the Oz tourist. I doubt that the report contains all the information and seems very one sided. Maybe a previous incident(s) with this taxi driver or others. He may simply be a crazed tourist.

But hurling a rock through the window of the taxi is a no-no in any country. He is lucky that those restraining him did not give him a good kicking while waiting for the police to arrive.

[chooka]

It does seem an odd reaction from the Oz tourist. I doubt that the report contains all the information and seems very one sided. Maybe a previous incident(s) with this taxi driver or others. He may simply be a crazed tourist.

But hurling a rock through the window of the taxi is a no-no in any country. He is lucky that those restraining him did not give him a good kicking while waiting for the police to arrive.

I would be interest to know how he injured his right knee. Was it as a result of being restrained or was it part of the lead up to the rock?

[Radar501]

I'm forever staggered the way law is administered in Thailand.

Check photo 5 in the Pattaya One news clip.

Following a heated and violent confrontation on the street between the victim and offender, here are the two of them up close and personal at the cop shop, 'negotiating a settlement'.

Excellent chance for emotions to be tipped over the edge again. I suppose that would just up the ante for the amount of compensation.

[SlyAnimal]

Sounds to me like the Taxi driver was at least partly to blame. Doesn't say what provoked the Australian to give him the fingers (If it was just the taxi pulling up next to him, then he shouldn't give the fingers to him, if he offered him "services of ill repute" or to take him somewhere for an excessive price, then giving the fingers is justified).

However regardless of whether giving the fingers were justified or not, the taxi driver parking up to "confront" the Aussie isn't really on either, throwing a rock at the taxi isn't justified either, but then it's basically just an escalating situation, for which both could probably be charged with something (The Aussie caused the most property damage, but the Taxi driver caused the most physical injury.... tit for tat)

[cup-O-coffee]

Sure smells fishy, even though the Australian man over reacted. But the fact that he reacted compels the question, "Over reacted to what?"

Did he over react to a taxi cab slowing down and pulling up next to him? According the the perfectly innocent Thai taxi driver, this is what happened. The poor dear.

I submit that the Australian simply reacted out of incensed rage for something which occurred before the taxi driver slowed down and pulled up next to the foreigner; slowed down out of caution and guilt? Pulling up slowly just in case, but not expecting the reception he got?

When Thais blow a gasket no one really cares or are that surprised.

When a foreigner blows a gasket, everyone acts surprised.

In this instance, I will have to say that my sympathies are with the Australian (he does not appear drunk or mad) and seemed to be quite contrite after his blow out. This suggests being incensed with knee-jerk rage over an utterly idiotic antic by a Thai; possibly having his life endangered and the Thai driving on as if nothing happened.

That is my take, and incidentally, I never trust anything a Thai says unless I have absolute proof myself. TFT is their motto, and FFF is mine; until the truth comes out.

In closing, I read this vicariously, from the Australian's POV, as many times I, myself, have wanted to smash a rock through their windshields (windscreens) or their faces over some idiotic and life-threatening antic that they have done to make me swerve or slam on my brakes and nearly avoid a smashup.

The thing is; you simply do not go that far, but I do sincerely understand his reaction.

[Suradit69]

But it goes both ways.

I'm south bound on Soi Buakao but see I can't make a right hand turn (understandable, that intersection creates a lot of traffic jams.) I turn left at Pattaya Tai, then do a U turn at the entrance of Friendship to contine west on Pattaya Tai. A Thai girl is driving up (east) on Pattaya Tai, wrong side of the road, so I stop and yield the right of way into Friendship. She stops and verbally abuses me before riding off to the Friendship parking lot to enter Pattaya Tai again, almost hitting me in the process. Truth be told we were both in the wrong, but that didn't stop her from screaming insults at me. I just stared at her and didn't respond.

At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well. Sure, superficially we get by but that thin veener of civility is paper thin and easily abrogated.

Just the way it is

"At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well."

Yes, because in Thailand all westerners love each other and Thais never disagree with one another. Moreover, back in our home countries drivers blow kisses at one another and often demonstrate their appreciation for one another's driving skills, ever mindful of their shared western values.

It always amazes me how people assume daily life in Thailand is so different from back in Happy Farang Land and how these alleged differences are always attributable to the some racial divide. Two individuals can never have some disagreement, it has to be a dispute between "all of us" and "all of them."

Whenever my Thai friend is driving us around Pattaya he makes frequent disparaging comments about other drivers, more often the other drivers are Thai rather than farang. His ire is directed at their driving, not their race, and it's almost always done with humor (and kept to ourselves).

Edited June 10, 2013 by Suradit69

[F4UCorsair]

There is an excuse for it. He's an imbecile, and shouldn't be out without a bell around his neck to warn the rest of us he's on the streets.

[Mighty Mouse]

The taxi almost rolled over his foot so he threw a rock.

What's wrong with a bit of rock 'n' roll.

[Considered Opinion]

another quality oz expat

idiot. he is Austrian not Australian.

[Gerald14]

Aussies do this in OZ as well, sometimes I am ashamed to be one

[Rimmer]

Australian Tourist Goes Mad After Drinking Too Much

An Australian tourist was reported to have smashed a taxi window with a brick after he had consumed too much alcohol.

PATTAYA – June 9, 2013 [PDN]; At 02.00 AM, Police Lt. Colono Weerawut Meelai of Pattaya City police station was informed that a tourist acted madly by smashing a taxi’s window with a brick. Police rushed to the incident in hopes to calm the tourist down.

At the scene, Police saw taxi that had it’s windows smashed up, a brick that was believed to be the object that tourist used to smash the window was found next to the car. The driver of the damaged taxi told the police that as he was driving his taxi back to his residence, a tourist approached his car, he then opened a window asking what he wanted, but soon after he opened his window down, the tourist then grabbed the driver’s arm.

Full story:http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/06/09/australian-tourist-goes-mad-after-drinking-too-much/

--PATTAYA DAILY NEWS 2013-06-10

[Considered Opinion]

There is an excuse for it. He's an imbecile, and shouldn't be out without a bell around his neck to warn the rest of us he's on the streets.

Perhaps you could try that as well your honour.

[seajae]

not all that long after I arrived here to stay we were driving in the centre lane and there was a car on the inside lane(3 lanes each way) driving very eratically, as we passed him he swerved over towads us and almost took out the side of the car, the idiot was talking on his mobile phone. I rolled down the window and flipped the bird and told him to watch what he was doing and we kept driving. A bit further up the road we pulled up at a set of light and this idiot pulled up beside us and wanted to have a go at me so I went to oblige but my wife went ballistic and took off with this idiot chasing us.Have to admit she is a pretty good driver when she wants to be and lost him pretty quick then explained to me that there are a lot of locals that loose face if you tell them off and they get you to get out of the car then either shoot you or stab you. She also said the here flipping the bird means get f...ed not up yours/sit on it as it does in Australia. Doesnt stop me from flipping it occasionally but only when the idots deserve it, dont throw rocks though, that is just a bit overboard but understandable with some of the thai drivers.

[cup-O-coffee]

But it goes both ways.

I'm south bound on Soi Buakao but see I can't make a right hand turn (understandable, that intersection creates a lot of traffic jams.) I turn left at Pattaya Tai, then do a U turn at the entrance of Friendship to contine west on Pattaya Tai. A Thai girl is driving up (east) on Pattaya Tai, wrong side of the road, so I stop and yield the right of way into Friendship. She stops and verbally abuses me before riding off to the Friendship parking lot to enter Pattaya Tai again, almost hitting me in the process. Truth be told we were both in the wrong, but that didn't stop her from screaming insults at me. I just stared at her and didn't respond.

At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well. Sure, superficially we get by but that thin veener of civility is paper thin and easily abrogated.

Just the way it is

"At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well."

Yes, because in Thailand all westerners love each other and Thais never disagree with one another. Moreover, back in our home countries drivers blow kisses at one another and often demonstrate their appreciation for one another's driving skills, ever mindful of their shared western values.

It always amazes me how people assume daily life in Thailand is so different from back in Happy Farang Land and how these alleged differences are always attributable to the some racial divide. Two individuals can never have some disagreement, it has to be a dispute between "all of us" and "all of them."

Whenever my Thai friend is driving us around Pattaya he makes frequent disparaging comments about other drivers, more often the other drivers are Thai rather than farang. His ire is directed at their driving, not their race, and it's almost always done with humor (and kept to ourselves).

While I agree that emotions (and the things which trigger those emotions) are similar in most cultures (generally speaking), the issue that I propose for your consideration is that there are two things; called responsibility and accountability, and these two things are the factors which restrain a well-adjusted person from crossing the line, or not...

Whilst Thais and Westerners in their respective countries do not "blow kisses at each other" (I read your implied sarcasm) over rude behavior and endangerment, I submit that it is the Thai people who have absolutely no sense of responsibility and accountability, and therefore are more apt to cross the line much more frequently than any Western person; moreover for reasons that defy all human logic and reasoning perceptions.

So, it is my view that you are only half correct, and the other half which I explained does not draw upon any further similarities, but rather demonstrates the differences between developed minds that show self-restraint the majority of the time and undeveloped minds, where restraint is the exception to the rule.

Edit: This OP reeks of the same logic that was in the article about the poor Thai woman who bought lottery tickets on I.O.U's and did not repay the thugs. She got her face bashed in by the thugs. Debt repaid! So, where is all the same logic used against this foreigner for getting retribution over his hurt?

Edited June 10, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[Lancelot]

But it goes both ways.

I'm south bound on Soi Buakao but see I can't make a right hand turn (understandable, that intersection creates a lot of traffic jams.) I turn left at Pattaya Tai, then do a U turn at the entrance of Friendship to contine west on Pattaya Tai. A Thai girl is driving up (east) on Pattaya Tai, wrong side of the road, so I stop and yield the right of way into Friendship. She stops and verbally abuses me before riding off to the Friendship parking lot to enter Pattaya Tai again, almost hitting me in the process. Truth be told we were both in the wrong, but that didn't stop her from screaming insults at me. I just stared at her and didn't respond.

At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well. Sure, superficially we get by but that thin veener of civility is paper thin and easily abrogated.

Just the way it is

"At the end of the day, the locals and we westerners really don't get along that well."

Yes, because in Thailand all westerners love each other and Thais never disagree with one another. Moreover, back in our home countries drivers blow kisses at one another and often demonstrate their appreciation for one another's driving skills, ever mindful of their shared western values.

It always amazes me how people assume daily life in Thailand is so different from back in Happy Farang Land and how these alleged differences are always attributable to the some racial divide. Two individuals can never have some disagreement, it has to be a dispute between "all of us" and "all of them."

Whenever my Thai friend is driving us around Pattaya he makes frequent disparaging comments about other drivers, more often the other drivers are Thai rather than farang. His ire is directed at their driving, not their race, and it's almost always done with humor (and kept to ourselves).

Naa, we're not all loved, only you.

But I'll pass on you blowing me a kiss

[cup-O-coffee]

There is an excuse for it. He's an imbecile, and shouldn't be out without a bell around his neck to warn the rest of us he's on the streets.

He is not an imbecile, in my opinion. He over reacted to a stimulus that does not fit the description from the known liar (a.k.a. a Thai). You rant suggests that you should avoid the open public.

[HarryMilton]

another quality oz expat

idiot. he is Austrian not Australian.

Based on the reports perhaps you should go to the top of the idiots class.

[Globeman]

another quality oz expat

If it was an American or a Brit or a Russian, would you have said the same? What nationalities would have been an exception?

The persistent tendency for TV members to insult entire groups of people on the basis of nationality is truly disappointing.

I guess bigotry isn't confined to any particular national group.

[Keanuv]

It doesn't matter what the taxi driver may or may not have done. You don't go throwing rocks that are large enough to flatten someone's head. Absolutely ridiculous.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Rimmer
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