'Five-Star Tony,' well-known homeless foreigner of Pattaya, 44, dies

[Khun Riki]

on a side note, why do the BiB not take action on a farang living on the streets for 3 years?

Good question. So why?

[dutchisaan]

IMO the police can actually arrest him send him to IDC and there he will stay till somebody gets him a ticket home.

Last year a French woman here got arrested for vagrancy, she went through the wheels of justice and eventually ended up in IDC BKK, no idea if anybody has paid her ticket yet ?

I have very little sympathy for characters like those in the article. They might have had some bad luck.....usually brought on by their own actions,.... but to keep on bummin' around, nah shows of little self respect and low class.

I like your screen name "likewise". Does this means you are the same as the people you talk down?

I hope for you that you never end up in problems that you did not count on, and if you do, please do not post them on TV.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Satcommlee]

The poor bloke doesn't seem to have been a problem to anyone, it seems he wasn't a public nuisance or a thief for example, so was it really necessary to pick him up and throw him in the Immigration jail?

The police are not interested in picking up penniless and down and out foreigners anyway because they have no tea-money to offer, and i guess in jail they have to be fed and paperwork needs to be done.

[soihok]

This is news?

[Bung]

Alcoholic vagrant but connected to a church? I guess that was the way he could get the sympathy and pocket some donation money and get a free meal, then go enjoy himself getting drunk on Pattaya streets.....Sounds like a fine, upstanding citizen, someone to look up to. I mean, who wouldn't like to get free meals and alcohol when most people have to work for a living?

[bobbysan124]

I hope his children, at the very least, have been cared for all this time.

[OMGImInPattaya]

As sad or disconcerting these stories may be, I'd rather be homeless there in Thailand, than here where I am. Weather alone would dictate this. I'd love to be able to come work in Thailand, as I age the arthritis alone is telling me what kind of life I am going to be facing in my 50's and 60's. But if I couldn't work, I'd life as best as I could with out the substance abuse.

It's pretty cold in Pattaya at nite right now. I have to huddle under a top sheet as its been getting into the mid-to-high 60s (15-20c) in the late evening and early morning!

[phycokiller]

I knew Tony and unlike some of the posters here and altho it may have been alcohol induced he had a sense of humor which in my book says a lot about a person

[Gone]

It doesn't matter why he died or if he drank to much or what visa he had or why they didn't deport him etc.

What matters is that he never hurt anyone, wasn't on the streets bumming money or bothering anyone, he went to church, he had children and was a PERSON.

My feelings are that at least he died in a country where he prefered to be and not back in his home country where he obviously dit NOT prefer to be so......

RIP Mr. Tony and may your god be with you !!!!

[OMGImInPattaya]

It doesn't matter why he died or if he drank to much or what visa he had or why they didn't deport him etc.

What matters is that he never hurt anyone, wasn't on the streets bumming money or bothering anyone, he went to church, he had children and was a PERSON.

My feelings are that at least he died in a country where he prefered to be and not back in his home country where he obviously dit NOT prefer to be so......

RIP Mr. Tony and may your god be with you !!!!

Please, give the "god" stuff a rest. We're in the 21st century for Christ's sake! 55555 Edited February 7, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[impulse]

"I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible."

I'm saddened that I missed this guy. Even though I never met him.

[chrisinth]

on a side note, why do the BiB not take action on a farang living on the streets for 3 years?

Good question. So why?

If he didn't break the law, hurt anyone or generally come to the attention of the police, they would have left him alone. No reason for them to bother him if there is no complaint against him. I would doubt that he was sleeping on the streets (probably had permission to crash at the church), but that is assumption on my part.

For all the people of like mind on this thread, basically blaming the deceased for his life-style and how he eventually died, or blaming the police for not deporting him, please remember that the world is full of individual people with circumstances (that a lot couldn't even imagine) controlling their destinies.

Perhaps he couldn't return to his homeland through financial restraints. Perhaps he had commitments here in Thailand that weren't mentioned in the OP. Only Tony, proper friends & perhaps family would ever know why he did what he did.

Everyone is different. Just hope that you never have to endure something you are not used to later in your lives, as rosey as they may be at the minute. We are not as fully in control of our futures as many would think.

RIP Tony 5*

[Lex Talionis]

Bears a strange & striking resemblance to BillyBob Thornton. "I see my light come shining - from the West down to the East - any day now - I shall be released""

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Rimmer]

A racist post has been removed also a quoted reply:

In using Thai Visa I agree:

5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling.Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[Gazou]

I think I knew this guy when he was living in Bangkok.

Anyone know if he used to run a Dutch language school in BKK before he moved to Pattaya?

hello JonnyF, I am looking for Tony could you tell me how you met him? Do you know his last name or his wife by any chance? Thank you very much.

[Gazou]

Hello everyone! I am trying to gather information about Tony. So if anyone knew him, his family, even his family name or knew what his business used to be, could you please contact me? Thank you very much for your help!

[Gazou]

I knew Tony and unlike some of the posters here and altho it may have been alcohol induced he had a sense of humor which in my book says a lot about a person

Hey! How did you know Tony?? Do you have information about him? Thank you so much.

[soihok]

What's your motive?

[Gazou]

It's a personal motive, I met Tony and interviewed him. I'm touched by his death so I want to know more about him.

[Gone]

It doesn't matter why he died or if he drank to much or what visa he had or why they didn't deport him etc.

What matters is that he never hurt anyone, wasn't on the streets bumming money or bothering anyone, he went to church, he had children and was a PERSON.

My feelings are that at least he died in a country where he prefered to be and not back in his home country where he obviously dit NOT prefer to be so......

RIP Mr. Tony and may your god be with you !!!!

Please, give the "god" stuff a rest. We're in the 21st century for Christ's sake! 55555

What does being in the 21st century have to do with ones religious beliefs?

I simply said; May YOUR God be with you" as many people have different interpetations of what "God" they belive in.

Sorry if I offended you by trying to send positive vibes out for this man's soul.

[OMGImInPattaya]

It doesn't matter why he died or if he drank to much or what visa he had or why they didn't deport him etc.

What matters is that he never hurt anyone, wasn't on the streets bumming money or bothering anyone, he went to church, he had children and was a PERSON.

My feelings are that at least he died in a country where he prefered to be and not back in his home country where he obviously dit NOT prefer to be so......

RIP Mr. Tony and may your god be with you !!!!

Please, give the "god" stuff a rest. We're in the 21st century for Christ's sake! 55555

What does being in the 21st century have to do with ones religious beliefs?

I simply said; May YOUR God be with you" as many people have different interpetations of what "God" they belive in.

Sorry if I offended you by trying to send positive vibes out for this man's soul.[/pri]

Any sentient and thinking being in the 21st century would have no need for beliefs in myths and fairy tales from our distant path is all. And your "god" stuff sent out a very negative "vibe" to me.

Edited February 8, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[Emster23]

I knew Tony, saw him almost every day on Jomtien beach. He was a nice enough guy, seemed a bit shifty, but this is Pattaya after all.... He told me he was cleaned out by Thai woman. A common enough story.

Why didn't police pick him up? Simple answer is money. If you are trully broke, there is no profit in picking you up. I know several in that category, and police don't hassle them. If picked up for visa violation, then they will become a burden on Thai government for who knows how long? No one will bail out, send them home.

I can just imagine an annual review of cop who might have arrested him, with superior officer saying "You arrested a man with no money, now it is costing Thailand money to feed an house him. A black mark on your record. You need to set a performance goal of only arresting people with money for the coming year."

[Gazou]

I knew Tony, saw him almost every day on Jomtien beach. He was a nice enough guy, seemed a bit shifty, but this is Pattaya after all.... He told me he was cleaned out by Thai woman. A common enough story.

Why didn't police pick him up? Simple answer is money. If you are trully broke, there is no profit in picking you up. I know several in that category, and police don't hassle them. If picked up for visa violation, then they will become a burden on Thai government for who knows how long? No one will bail out, send them home.

I can just imagine an annual review of cop who might have arrested him, with superior officer saying "You arrested a man with no money, now it is costing Thailand money to feed an house him. A black mark on your record. You need to set a performance goal of only arresting people with money for the coming year."

Hey, do you have an email address so we could talk but in private?

[Tokay]

44 is so young. I always thought the guy was late 50s. Hard life he's had.

RIP Tony. See you on the flip side.

[Laco]

gazou why are you so interested in tony ? They called him on the beach tony sato because he always was on the rice wine. I have some pictures of him.

[Bung]

I heard he had an elite card, that is how he managed to bum around and not need to pay for visa runs.

[The Maltese Falcon]

Maby it was the guy on the funny bicycle? (whit the flags and stuff?)

No he wasn't " the goldenman " goldenman went back home to Wimbledon London England.

It couldn't be him because I saw him on his bike going down Tooting high street

[joepattaya1961]

Maby it was the guy on the funny bicycle? (whit the flags and stuff?)

No he wasn't " the goldenman " goldenman went back home to Wimbledon London England.

.....and seemed to have passed away recently.

[HooHaa]

He just died, no cause of death?

one would suggest you learn how to follow a link. cause of death is clearly stated.

[HooHaa]

It's a personal motive, I met Tony and interviewed him. I'm touched by his death so I want to know more about him.

bit late now