Swedes Burns Down Bungalow Village In Koh Lanta

[meadish_sweetball]

Regarding the "kee neeo"-ness of Thais. Business is one thing, and friendship is another.

In my experience with Thais, friendship here is something which is very highly valued, and unlike the Western cultures I am familiar with - friendship extends to money as well. I have several examples to back this up, but I only have time for one.

A couple of Thai university teachers I know are helping a friend of theirs, who 10 years ago hit a motorcyclist with her car, resulting in a court case which has lasted until today. Each time she goes up in court again, she has to pay damages to the motorcyclist and his family, each time in the range of 50,000 - 300,000 baht.

These teacher friends of mine have helped her with the money, fully knowing that the chance that they will get it back is minimal.

I could give you plenty of examples like this, and just might if I have the time. Please don't insinuate that most Thai people are kee neeo when it is so far from the actual truth.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Regarding the "kee neeo"-ness of Thais. Business is one thing, and friendship is another.

In my experience with Thais, friendship here is something which is very highly valued, and unlike the Western cultures I am familiar with - friendship extends to money as well. I have several examples to back this up, but I only have time for one.

A couple of Thai university teachers I know are helping a friend of theirs, who 10 years ago hit a motorcyclist with her car, resulting in a court case which has lasted until today. Each time she goes up in court again, she has to pay damages to the motorcyclist and his family, each time in the range of 50,000 - 300,000 baht.

These teacher friends of mine have helped her with the money, fully knowing that the chance that they will get it back is minimal.

I could give you plenty of examples like this, and just might if I have the time. Please don't insinuate that most Thai people are kee neeo when it is so far from the actual truth.

Nice post Mr Sweetball ... very welcome too

[meadish_sweetball]

Nice post Mr Sweetball ... very welcome too 

Cheers, Doc! Sometimes I just feel the forum is a tad biased...

[snowleopard]

to say that most Thais are kee neeo is quite rude.

I'm not being rude!I say it as it is!

Some Thais can be generous in some circumstances.

Especially when making merits!

But a majority is stingy and greedy too!Often the rich ones!

Let me state it like this if Thai language script is supported in this thread...

ผมคิดว่าคนไทยส่วนใหญ่ขี้เหนียวมากนะครับ แต่บางคนไม่เห็นแก่ตัว

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[meadish_sweetball]

Well, snowleopard, our experience of Thais is obviously very different.

Of course, the stingy people exist as well, I don't deny that - but in friendship, I see very little stinginess here compared to in Europe.

I fail to see your need to render the same message in Thai writing - does it make more sense to you or anyone else (except for Thais who can't grasp English properly) this way? Will you consider my opinion more carefully if I tell you I can read it?

Well, I can, but my system doesn't support writing it, so I had to rearrange yours instead.

ส่วนผม คิดว่าคนไทยส่วนใหญ่ไม่ขี้เหนียว แต่บางคนเห็นแก่ตัว.

Merit-making is separate from generosity, it has its own rules and is more to do with economic transactions - keeping your karma in the blacks, basically. I don't approve with institutionalized buddhism myself, but then again, neither do you, probably.

Please tell me what you like about Thailand and Thai people instead, it would be interesting to hear.

[snowleopard]

to say that most Thais are kee neeo is quite rude.

  Sometimes I just feel the forum is a tad biased... 

Well, snowleopard, our experience of Thais is obviously very different.

So obviously, I wasn't rude as you first tried to claim;but,rather I was honest to my own experience!

In general,I don't like to generalize characteristics and say all 64 million Thais are like twins;or clones of one another,with the same genotype and behavior;but I was trying to make a point about the bail money which the Thai so generously posted for the Swede.

The point was...

First the Swede burns down his life-creation worth 15 million baht so he loses everything.

Then he borrows,or somehow scrapes together,another 200 000 baht to post bail as a reward for the guy who's made him destitute.

Friendship and generosity or something else altogether??

I rest my case till the Swede has appeared before the court and we know more facts!

Snowleopard.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nice post Mr Sweetball ... very welcome too 

Cheers, Doc! Sometimes I just feel the forum is a tad biased...

Heheheh forums usually are biased. Luckily, and for the sake of continuing the argument, posters actually change positions.

[Up2U]

Nice post Mr Sweetball ... very welcome too 

Heheheh forums usually are biased. Luckily, and for the sake of continuing the argument, posters actually change positions.

Yes Doc, personally I change positios several times each night. And change girls too, when I can..

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nice post Mr Sweetball ... very welcome too 

Heheheh forums usually are biased. Luckily, and for the sake of continuing the argument, posters actually change positions.

Yes Doc, personally I change positios several times each night. And change girls too, when I can..

We have a lot in common. I'd better hurry up on this visit Viking's Tour in the wilds of Pattaya

[sirhc]

Here are some FACTS about the Lanta fire. I must admit to being a friend of the bungalow owner and to knowing the person responsible for some time. I was also there the night of the fire.

1. The insurance claim was NOT 15 million, it was slightly over one third of that sum.

2. The Swedish insurance company sent an assessor to Lanta and he has authorised the claim, which is now in the process of being paid. So I guess it wasn't inflated.

3. The bungalows were standard Thai beach bungalows made from wood with thatched roofs, no different to hundreds throughout Thailand.

4. They were not insured because, in Thailand, it is impossible to get insurance for any building with a thatched roof.

5. The owner got the man respomsible out of jail because the guy had been staying in those bungalows for 10 years (so had his parents and many of his friends). The owner considered him a friend and, despite the fact that the man caused the loss of his bungalows, restaraunt, house and all his personal possessions, he still does.

6. It WAS an accident, a candle left alight. Stupid but still an accident.

7. The owner will not be buying a "new Merc" as suggested by a particularly cynical contributor. There is no need, on the night of the fire the owner (and his car) were away. He had been to hospital for a check up having suffered a serious heart attack only three weeks before.

8. Will he retire on the profits? No. On March 29th building started on the new bungalows (without thatched roofs) which is good news for the owner, his pregnant wife, three children, his loyal staff, dozens of 'regulars' and hundreds of friends all over the world who consider "The Sanctuary" to be their second home.

I hope the many cynical and often racist people who have contributed to this site will stop their uninformed and hurtful comments and instead visit The Sanctuary, Pra Ae Village, Long Beach, Ko Lanta where they will be made welcome and they can meet the people concerned and see for themselves.

[polecat]

I think you guys are being a bit hard on the Swedes. On an island, electricity probably cut after say 7 pm:

"excuse me, Khun Guesthouse. How can I seeing my buxom babefriend and rolling my spliff?"

"Mai bpen rai kap. You have torch?"

"No"

"Here, have small candle. B50 mai pairng, chai mai. You need more ganja? I can for you good price. Please only smoking inside. Police very serious now "

"Thank you kind man. Everything very nice in Thailand"

"sabai sabai, see you tomorrow"

Most huts I've stayed in over the years, have the leccy cut off in the eve and telltale hardened wax on the floor and ledges. I can't believe you guys have never used a candle. I guess you're just too ###### sensible. Shit happens. Noone died. lesson learned.

[meadish_sweetball]

So obviously, I wasn't rude as you first tried to claim;but,rather I was honest to my own experience!

Fair enough, I'll give you that. I feel very sorry for you if you have almost only met kee niao people in Thailand, because my experience is the opposite of yours, just like I stated. May I ask if you engage in a personal business and live in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket, by any chance?

First the Swede burns down his life-creation worth 15 million baht so he loses everything.

Then he borrows,or somehow scrapes together,another 200 000 baht to post bail as a reward for the guy who's made him destitute.

Friendship and generosity or something else altogether??

We'll see. I don't take out anything in advance either, but it looks as if the Swedish insurance company decided to pay up anyway [sirhc's post above] (and talking about experience - even with JUST claims, they will try to cringe and twist and turn and find fault with everything you say if it brings down or eliminates the bill. Remember the news in the Swedish press last year about them sending out a private eye to spy on a 55-year old woman who claimed she'd been disabled in her job?).

Ha det.

/M

[ayakiawe]

Smoking "cancer sticks" can be very very expensive. I wish the world would just burn them all up and be done with them.

They cause so much unneeded pain and suffering!

When will humans figure it out?

Smoking kills!

[snowleopard]

. I feel very sorry for you

Thank you,but no thanks!

I'm a very poor recipient for that kind of pity because I almost never feel sorry for myself!

Maybe you could somehow project that self-righteous feeling of pity right back onto yourself,where it belongs,and become your own pitiful target?

Then you can pity your own inexperience,deal with it and hopefully find a remedy!

Your being a "board brain" doesn't really solve that issue for you now.does it?

Let's meet again after you've successfully lived twenty years like a Thai here in Thailand without many dealings with Westerners;as I have been doing!

At that juncture,our experiences might jibe a bit better than now!?

ประสบการฌ์ที่คุฌ"มีดิชสวีทบอลล์"ได้รับเกี่ยวกับเรื่องนิสัยความประพฤติของคนไทยโดยทั่วไป มันก็ไม่ค่อยถูกต้องเท่าไรนะครับ

เพราะว่ามันขึ้นอยู่กับแต่ทรษฏีเท่านั้น จึงมันไม่มีทางปฎบัติและไม่มีประโยชน์การใช้ในชีวิตจริงด้วย

ถ้าไม่เห็นด้วย ไม่เป็นไรนะกรับ ตามสบายก็ได้

No hard feelings!

Ha det så bra.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[Snark]

deleted

[megashox]

...Thai law is fairly strict concerning negligence as a cause of fire.  Even accidental fires may lead to several years in prison...

AND the jails here are overflowing with arsonists!

[joniS]

Hi, Im the one who took the pictures that was publiced in aftonbladet of the fire at koh lanta.

You want to see some more? Have some other..

Also have a book that belong to "sanctury" that im gonna return the next time Ill visit. ( hopefully in december-jan..)

(ignore the line below, didnt read the whole thread when i posted that)

Do anyone have any update how it did go for the people that was arrested?

/ Christian

Edited May 14, 2004 by joniS