Thai teens arrested for battery after slapping elderly foreigner on the head with shoe

[soi41]

For crying out loud: This was a prank!!

Not an attack on the son of a holocaust survivor!

Not an attack on the white man!

Not disrespecting the elderly!

Someone dared him. And he was brave/stupid enough to do the stunt. Ofcourse it was more fun/daring with a farang. All while his friends took the video and posted it on u-tube.

Reading the replies here, I wonder if the average age on Thaivisa is 90+

[Mooner]

The 2 teens confessed that they had just finished their classes at a technical school that day and were looking to play pranks on some people.

Some Farang!

If they tried this on a Thai they know they would of been beaten within a inch of their lives!

[Thai at Heart]

Thank you punks, may I have another?

It's interesting they chose a white man target considering the cultural symbolism of the foot and the head. Imagine if they had tried that on a Thai stranger. Of course that would have been brave (and even more stupid).

Says a lot doesn't it.

[bodymassagemyfriend]

I am afraid the attitude in Thailand against foreigners is getting worse.

There is now 8 years that i regularly travel to Thailand i see more problems every year.

Last year is was slapped two times:

1- At night when comming back from Pattaya to Jomtien , soi pratumnak.

Slapped from behind with a shoe by one of 3 teenagers ( are 12 yo ) which came from nowhere.

2- Another da , on a bhat bus on Pattaya beach road. 2 kids on a motorbike , he could slap me on the heap because i was

standing on the platform , not on a bench.

Then Police was helpless , the guys at the police station where too busy writing for hours or talking with each other.

So i start to feel unsafe in Thailand

[Confuscious]

If we look at the incident only as a prank from 2 minors, I agree with the apologies and 500 baht fine.

But this happened in Thailand an the 2 boys are old enough to know and understand the Thai "do and don'ts".

In Thailand the feet are seen as the most filthy part of the body.

Even sitting with the bottom of your feet pointing at a Thai can give you serious trouble.

On my first visit to Thailand, I want to Wat Prakhaew and asked the guide to take a picture of me while sitting on my knees in front of the Buddha,

The guards cam immediately to me and started to shout at me for not showing respect to the Buddha.

Then the guide told me that I was knee'led in front of the Buddha with the bottom of my feet pointing to the Buddha statue.

The guide told me also that I shall never touch a Thai person on the head.

Try hitting a Thai on the head with a slipper and that would not be your best day.

Personally, I think that there was more behind this prank.

[SuwadeeS]

I hate this country more and more. Slapping an old foreigner cost only 500 B,

but if a foreigner do that with a Thai, he would get a jail term without probation

Thailand is getting worse.

Edited October 21, 2013 by SuwadeeS

[ChrisY1]

Ongoing display of Thais dissaproval of foreigners in the LOS.

I get anti-farang sms messages....with number, but never connected when I try to call back...on any phone.

[Thai at Heart]

I hate this country more and more. Slapping an old foreigner cost only 500 B,

but if a foreigner do that with a Thai, he would get a jail term without probation

Thailand is getting worse.

A foreigner doing the same would probably be lucky to live.

[KRaymond]

I believe they only confessed because they were caught.

Those thinking this was just two kids playing around performing stupid and disrespectful pranks after school, how would you like being slapped in your head with slippers.

The age doesn't really matter. Again, country without a clue of common sense and some of you are too kind or too stupid to know.

[Thai at Heart]

Ongoing display of Thais dissaproval of foreigners in the LOS.

I get anti-farang sms messages....with number, but never connected when I try to call back...on any phone.

SMS? <deleted>?

[CPT]

They are a couple stupid teens, I don't see any reason to have taken it further than a fine and public apology. I do agree things would have been different if they had struck a Thai but should it be different?

[gemini81]

Ongoing display of Thais dissaproval of foreigners in the LOS.

I get anti-farang sms messages....with number, but never connected when I try to call back...on any phone.

SMS? Tardish or stoned out of your mind?! ' Dear sms recipient: foreigners and tourists suck, call me back.' Never got one of those!

[Roachiebkk]

Commonly known as thonging

And we all know what 'thongs' are........ Thumthing Frank Thinatra Things!

[chrisinth]

If the shoe were on the other foot, and it was a 16-year old white lad who tapped an elderly Thai on the head, I wonder if the penalty would be the same?

If a shoe was on the other hand, it could have been a double-tap..................

Apparently a few people who use this as a signature live in the inns & taverns of Pattaya (by all accounts!!), they may also be in CM. Doubtful if they would be 16 yo's or Thai for that matter........................

[yingyo]

Only a bit of fun, we've all done silly things when 16 to look big and badass in front of one's peers.

[Jingthing]

Only a bit of fun, we've all done silly things when 16 to look big and badass in front of one's peers.

Common enough but usually well short of an international incident ...

[falkan]

link to the clip?

[Thai at Heart]

Only a bit of fun, we've all done silly things when 16 to look big and badass in front of one's peers.

Yeah yeah yeah.

It's maybe not assault with a deadly weapon, but in terms of insults it's about as bad as you can get in Thailand.

[MMarlow]

What % of Thais are unconsciously envious of actually doing such a thing.

0%. Impossible to be unconsciously envious, lack of consciousness precludes any emotions.

[brucegoniners]

58 is elderly? Man, I turn 56 this month. I don't think that really applies, lol

[ianf]

A 500 baht fine for hitting an old man on the head?

I hope their parents beat the siht out of them.

Less of the old please. The guy was only 58!

[MMarlow]

Is that man seriously only 58?

Does it make any difference to the report or did you just want to make an ignorant, offensive remark?

[webfact]

UPDATE
Teens Arrested For Beating Italian With A Shoe
By Khaosod Online

BANGKOK: -- Chiang Mai police have arrested a pair of teenagers who randomly hit an Italian passer-by with a shoe, and uploaded a video clip of the incident on the internet afterwards.

The two 16 year old suspects have been charged with causing physical and mental harms for the crime which allegedly took place in front of a gift shop called ′Freebird′ in Mueang district in late September.

The victim, an Italian national named Mark Monti, filed the report to Chiang Mai police on 20 October, claiming that the teenagers attacked him unprovoked, hitting him in the face with a shoe.

Police then quickly solved the crime, as they reportedly had possessed some information on the suspects prior to Mr. Monti′s report.

The accused admitted to their crimes, stating that they, along with two other friends, left their college that morning with the intention to ′find someone they could prank on′, police officers said.

They allegedly found Mr. Monti later and decided to attack him with the sandal as recorded in the video.

In the press conference announcing the arrests of the two suspects, Pol.Col. Aksorn Wongyai, Chief of the Chiang Mai police station, said the crime has damaged the good images of Chiang Mai city, a popular tourist destination.

According to Pol.Col. Aksorn, Mr. Monti did not initially wish to pursue legal charges against the teenagers in the first place. However, the video soon went viral on the internet and his friends started asking about the incident, causing Mr. Monti′s embarrassment.

He eventually sought police supports to arrest the suspects and demanded their apologies. The teenagers’ parents and teachers were also asked to acknowledge the suspects′ actions, Pol.Col. Aksorn said, and Mr. Monti will not pursue any further action.

"We have contacted the teenagers′ parents to inform them about their children′s action." said Pol.Col. Aksorn, "The case will proceed according to the legal procedures, and the accused should be fined no more than THB 500 each.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNE1qTTBNVEF6Tmc9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-10-21

[crumpled]

Whatever his number age the picture of this white man certainly appears to be elderly. So that adds to the message of disrespect they were acting out. Shoes - head - elder.

The head being classed as the most sacred part of the body and the foot being the lowliest (dirtiest) part of the body, this is indeed a shameful act. Perpetrated against a Thai they would have been in a lot more trouble. Make that an elderly Thai and that would compound the offence. These two teenagers definitely showed total lack of respect, as Jingthing has also noticed.

The 500 Baht fine is not enough in this case. Some form of very dirty work or shameful experience should have befallen these two teenagers.

[alocacoc]

not a big deal. What kind of bullshit we did in this age?

here the clip. funny https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1394522607452268&set=vb.221317851322226&type=2&theater

[darrendsd]

For crying out loud: This was a prank!!

Not an attack on the son of a holocaust survivor!

Not an attack on the white man!

Not disrespecting the elderly!

Someone dared him. And he was brave/stupid enough to do the stunt. Ofcourse it was more fun/daring with a farang. All while his friends took the video and posted it on u-tube.

Reading the replies here, I wonder if the average age on Thaivisa is 90+

At last a bit of common sense on Thai Visa

This is a prank and nothing more, It is a popular prank for schoolkids all around Thailand and has been for years, I have seen this happen in Hua Hin

Reading the responses here you would think that this was the start of some sort of genocide against Farangs

Edited October 21, 2013 by darrendsd

[bgrvian]

I'm Italian, I'm over 60, any punk gets in my grill, with arm raised above my head (slipper or no slipper or unknown purpose), gets knocked out with one punch. End of story!

[happysanook]

Wait. 58 is considered elderly? That isn't even age of retirement. Jeez. Where do you people find these writers?

[lmaxv]

Good gosh, laugh it off! Such bitter little minds!

[colin2]

At least in Japan the kids were pulling down panties.

Not even the bar girls really want to look inside an old mans pants !.