Foreign tourist beaten unconscious, robbed by Thai gang in Pattaya

[RickeyParkany]

Just another case in point. Thailand has become a place to avoid at all costs. Such a shame.

I quit my regular travels to LOS 3 years ago. I got better places to go and enjoy without being assaulted, robbed, scammed, or killed.

OMG !!! You got killed ??? a shame, that. ;-} rap.

[Kawapete]

Poor guy, hopefully he recovers. I hardly ever go to Pattaya, but it seems that most of the posts from there is bad news !! Maybe only because bad news travels very fast.

[FM505]

We don't know what the tourist might have said or done to start it.

'We' being you... desperately seeking relevance. Inane perspective.

[dreimer]

Pattaya is close to being lawless during the day let alone the night, with the police visible only for two reasons:

1. A recent visit by a member of the Royal Family staying over night at the Hilton Hotel had several hundred Pattaya Police blocking off Second Road, Pattaya Klang and Sukhumviet Road until Chonburi Police escorted them at high speed all the way to Bangkok.

2. Roadblocks on major Pattaya Roads to stop farang driven cars and motor cycles.

I have lived in Pattaya and Bangkok for 15 years and for the last several years feel much safer in Bangkok than in Pattaya.

[rct99q]

The police are now urgently seeking the gang...

Anyone else have doubts about that?

Yes, every poster in the TV Pattaya section

All other able minded people in the world......NO

[chooka]

Many people have a feeling of safety in Thailand, perception I think as in their own countries they would very well know where and when to go and where and when not. On top of that being drunk doesn't help either.

Was he drunk?

[monkeycountry]

"The police assumed that the culprits are driving around late at night looking for tourist who are alone and drunk, once they find a victim they attack and rob them. The police are now urgently seeking the offenders to arrest them and prosecute them according to Thai law."

Who are the real bad guys here? If not caught, they get whatever was in the wallet, if caught they get a 500 baht fine (each). Either way they get to beat up someone they despise. Word that you can beat and rob foreigners for (almost) free of course spreads, and given the risk/reward, it cannot surprise anyone that this becomes more prevalent. To me the real bad guys are the ones that let offenders off with a 500 baht fine.

[little mary sunshine]

So is there a fine of 500B fine for packing a 38 if you decide to walk

the Beach after dark? Jail time is more likely if you are a farang.

[Miami Bob]

Horrible but don't lose perspective and get carried away with the Thai bashing. This kind of thing happens on a regular basis in the medium and large cities of our home countries.

[TechnikaIII]

The equivalent could happen in Melbourne, Sydney, Miami, Central Park NYC, wherever. .. at 03:30 am, drunk. Would there be Thaivisa-type voices saying that Australia, or the USA have given up?

To be careless in such places is simply asking for trouble.

[Sydebolle]

…… nice going for TAT; the Mother-of-all-Tourism B/S. It's about time that something is undertaken by those locals who suffer from this slime on both sides of the fence, be it criminals as well as those criminals-in-uniform.
Where are the local chapters of hotels, gastronomy and the official intervention of tour operators (and there are, when counting all those buses, quite a few).

Bangkok is political trouble, Phuket is Jet-Ski-trouble and Pattaya is all-the-rest-trouble; get your act together

[technologybytes]

More often than not it would have been ladyboys that would have been the attackers.

I knew it would not take long for someone to start on the Ladyboys rant.

[stevehaigh]

whilst you should be able to sit alone on beach road drunk at 3.30 in the morning without any problem but we know that is asking for trouble. More often than not it would have been ladyboys that would have been the attackers. Take care of yourself get drunk with friends.

i assume that was what was meant by 'admiring the scenery'

[Takaten]

And... what about the surveillance cameras, placed everywhere on the Pattaya Beach and surroundings???...

[PoetDrunkInTheBoat]

Just to be more informative, rather than sensationalist, it would be nice if sometimes these "news"papers would together post the "facts", and nothing but the facts, along with some indication of the likelihood that a similar circumstance might befall the rest of us tourists in this Land.

My guess is that this happens so rarely, on a per cap basis, that one need not worry about it happening to "you".

Sitting around drunk in Thailand, I mean.

What are the chances...........?

And I also do not see many Thia, if any, sitting around drunk. I know it must happen, but in my days here, so far, I just have not seen this. Neither have I seen sitting down on the sidewalk, by Thais, smoking cigarettes. I would therefore hope that in the future we can expect more proportion and less out of roundness from local newspapers, if only that we might obtain all the news that is fit to print, not as is now the case.

[maxx58]

Just another case in point. Thailand has become a place to avoid at all costs. Such a shame.

I quit my regular travels to LOS 3 years ago. I got better places to go and enjoy without being assaulted, robbed, scammed, or killed.

Nonsense!!

I feel safer here than in many other countries that I have visited in the past.

Drinking a beer alone at 3:30 in the morning is a definite red flag and an invitation to any miscreant, especially if they feel that he is drunk.

Common sense is not so common.

[ggt]

Just another sign of the times...

Open season on foreigners...

This is not an isolated incident...

Gangs are springing up everywhere...foreigners are main targets...

Thailand is quickly becoming a very unsafe place...

[Jose T]

Just as well they didn't stab him, like the 19 year old fake watch seller did to the German last week, or they would be looking at a serious 500b fine.

[Loles]

500 Baht fine / head, but group promotion 1,200 and of course apologize with crocodile tears

[Halion]

For those who think living or visiting Pattaya is "living the dream" ,you may want to think on.

[spermwhale]

Crime can usually take place as long as the police are being paid off.

With criminals happy to pay how will crime ever be reduced in Thailand??

I doubt very seriously thugs like these are paying off the cops. This not organized crime.

[SSSlongtime]

look french coast ,police on the beach ,on bikes ,on motor bikes ,on horses ,on foot , in cars ,watching all the time ,see little betty crime ,thailand should wage up and take control , little like a farmers taking control of his cow ,we are your cash cows take care of us please

[Bangkok45]

I feel sorry for the chap. I am just curious that on more than a few occasions it always seems that Russians tend to get into this kind of trouble.

Personally, I found Russians to be rude, and obnoxious when they had a drink too many. But I do know good upstanding Russians, too. But the latter is a small minority.

Please do not misunderstand me, I am not a racist or wishes to offend anyone. Just wondering if rudeness and obnoxious behaviour is a key contributing factor to being attack?

[stopthegreed]

i am quite sure that soon more and more people will come to realise that the land of smiles, is anything but. The smiles are false to part you from your money.

Thailand now is so money orientated, that they will do anything to get it. Anything !!!! The women are no better, but they use thier bodies and smiles, and "I love you " technic, to part you from your money. Brains rather than brawn, but the end result is the same.

it is sad that these stories are commonplace now. There is no police presence at night, or early hours of the morning. They are more intent on working the day shifts to stop people without helmets and putting the money in thier pockets.

What a diference 8 years have made to this country. When I came here these stories were very few and far between, it was a joy to live here. It was cheap ( Now its expensive) The people were so nice, ( Now they are focused ), Locals welcomed and genuinly liked forieners, ( Now they falsely smile and hate us ) It was a very safe place to be, ( Now it is becoming dangerous ).

they are not interested in learning English, except for the bar girls, who NEED to learn it. And that in itself will backfie big time.

You may say, "well if you dont like it leave " Well I am on 27th November. I am going to live in a Place called Da Lat, in Vietnam, if you have never been there, believe me you will love it.

Goodbye Thailand

[unclekleef]

Police who print the names of witnesses have no intention of prosecuting criminals ....just saying

Oh really - and your source for this scintilating piece of information?

[k9guy62]

Again the truly sad thing here is that the punishment for a crime like this will only result in a small fine for each of the thugs involved and maybe a few days in jail. If the shoe were on the other foot and a foreigner beat the snot out of local for defending himself the fine will be much higher and the punishment will probably be much harsher. The Thai government and local authorities enable these thugs to continue engaging in this activity. The law needs to be enforced equally on behalf of foreigners just as it would be for a Thai on Thai offense. Crime really does pay in Thailand, which is truly very tragic.

[shaurene]

It will never change until some high officials get off their ass and have the guts to make the punishments fit the crime like in the USA.

No leniency for these guys, hard labour and getting taught a lesson inside. Pay a few of the top nut prisoners in the jails to work them over every day, that will make them think about what they do later.

But they will not do anything until a lot of tourist country's make it public buy warning all their citizens not to go to the likes of Pattaya, Phuket and the other top holiday places in Thailand and recommend other safe country's in the region, and bring the Thai tourist numbers well down, them they might do something.

A paradise gone sour.

[chrisrazz]

Looks like open season on tourists and foreigners. On the one hand there is the police 'taxation' of anything that moves involving foreigners, on the other, the local yob opportunists who are getting away with serious offences due to failings in the legal system.

I've been coming here (Los) since '87, and on a more permanent living basis for the last 10 years. In all that time I have never really felt threatened, even late at night on the streets. I've been to Pattaya and Phuket once each, I didn't like either at all as I felt them both a sewer overflowing with effluent, Thai and falang. Sorry if this offends some, but in a lawless society, those who visit and reside in such a place to enjoy the lawlessness are exacerbating the problem. Oh, and if you live there for the beaches, there are better beaches all over the world to enjoy.

I hope they catch this gang and make an example of them that is enough to put the brakes on an escalating situation. Doubtful though given the track record.

[Mightyquinn]

Alone?? At 3-00 am? If he was alone he won't have had too much money left in his pocket...I have been far too drunk far too many times in Pattaya early hours and never had any trouble. I must be lucky... Or just too ugly!!

[mrwallettt]

And I'm sure the gang is urgently seeking the witness for retribution!!!!!!