Judicial system in the village.

[krisb]

So he attacked him first, followed by a lump of wood over the back of the neck, this then led to a knife attack which the victim raises his arm to stop the large knife from slicing his neck now his arm is severely opened up with tendons cut and blood everywhere.

Attempted murder?...probably could be seen as something like that right? grievous bodily harm at least.

Now off the victim goes to hospital, driven by the village ambulance who is Puu yaai baan(no, not George ), operation follows, 3 nights on a hospital bed, can't feel his arm anymore...

"you have to pay 100,000 baht to me or your going to jail"...

"NO...you threw the first punch!"

"I can't feel my arm anymore, you went for my throat with the knife, and only missed cause I raised my arm which you sliced wide open!"

Puuyai baan steps in..(no not George )..ok, meeting at my place to sort this out...

30 villagers meet at his house, families of the 2 involved, know most of them, never knew they were all related!

Local cop just moved into the village, not a bad thing right?

"My grandson was attacked by this gang" says Yai...

"NO WAY, he was attacked by your grandson with a knife, 100k or jail, no negotiation" says the other Yai.

"No not paying, send him to jail then"

The attempted negotiations continue....Puu yaai baan(no not George ) is having a little drink but since it's his house, he can.

Finally after getting nowhere, the cop steps in and says,"heard enough, pay up now or jail"

"send him to jail then" shrugs Yai.

"your daughter sends all this money which you never spend and you won't save your own grandson?"

"NO!...not send me jail please Yai!"

"shutup, bad luck!" says Yai.

So that's it, off to jail, awaiting to see a judge.

Amazing Thailand uses 2 Grandma's as lawyers, which are next door neighbours btw, a half drunk Puu yaai baan(n n G ) ambulance service, and a cop who has dressed up in his full uniform to keep it official looking.

If you really wanna know how much jail time he gets, I shall let you know ok, I am also keen to find out cause usually the money is just handed over.

Quite fascinating the village judicial system and how it's unwritten laws operate even when the law is present, and it works!

[tim armstrong]

I'm guessing - about 3 months in jail, with money changing hands. Murder maybe the only crime that is taken seriously, but maybe that depends on who you are too.

[CharlieH]

Nothing surprises me here, although frequently amazed !

I"ll wager that most villages and then provinces will have variations of the same thing as there is no consistency in Thailand and it usually comes down to who you know, who's involved and ultimately MONEY.

[belg]

bad luck for the thai, as if he would have atttacked a tourist, 500 b + slap on the wrist and a promise not to do it again (in the next 24 hours)

Edited February 6, 2014 by belg

[Notable]

I've not seen anything about it on here but I've been told that a school teacher (from Cameroon) was murdered up north a few weeks ago.Some kind of dispute with a local and he's found with his throat cut. Just be very careful how you react to conflict and try to alwsys keep a big smile on your face.

[ajarnmarc]

Very interesting.

Never heard of such a thing.

Thanks for sharing the story.

[Lancelot]

bad luck for the thai, as if he would have atttacked a tourist, 500 b + slap on the wrist and a promise not to do it again (in the next 24 hours)

Lets not be judge mental, a 500 baht fine for attacking some upity farang is indeed harsh punishment. Don't you understand how many servings of som tom the brave Thai would have to forego?

[saab]

Pink Panther / Peter Sellers comes to mind

[krisb]

Pink Panther / Peter Sellers comes to mind

If you saw the knife wound you would not be laughing champ.

[mamypoko]

get any blood on your dress? jk

[dighambara]

The system is corrupt from top to bottom. My wife was in a fender bender - motorbike sped in front of her and she could not stop in time. In any other country the motorbike would be at fault, but not here.

Initially, the fine was 30,000 Baht, but the Judge discovered she had a Farang husband, so the fine went to 300,000 Baht. Over a period of weeks, it was bargained down to only 150,000 Baht. Bargaining a fine..?? Only if it is a bribe...!!!

[Issangeorge]

The system is corrupt from top to bottom. My wife was in a fender bender - motorbike sped in front of her and she could not stop in time. In any other country the motorbike would be at fault, but not here.

Initially, the fine was 30,000 Baht, but the Judge discovered she had a Farang husband, so the fine went to 300,000 Baht. Over a period of weeks, it was bargained down to only 150,000 Baht. Bargaining a fine..?? Only if it is a bribe...!!!

The farang is not always wrong. Last March I was cut off by a motorcycle while riding mine. While avoiding him I dropped my bike, broke my leg and upper arm. After a great deal of trouble on my wife's part the Thai motorcycle rider's family paid me ฿30,000 for medical costs.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[howerde]

Never like this on Walton's mountain

[khunPer]

Thanks for sharing

[krisb]

Here is the arm of the young victim. Keep in mind this wound is the result of putting it up to protect his face and neck area.

[rgs2001uk]

The system is corrupt from top to bottom. My wife was in a fender bender - motorbike sped in front of her and she could not stop in time. In any other country the motorbike would be at fault, but not here.

Initially, the fine was 30,000 Baht, but the Judge discovered she had a Farang husband, so the fine went to 300,000 Baht. Over a period of weeks, it was bargained down to only 150,000 Baht. Bargaining a fine..?? Only if it is a bribe...!!!

Not so far from the truth.

I was woken up one Sunday morning with two of Bangkoks finest hammering at the door, opened the door.

To cut a long story short, Money was asked for with the implied threat, "you not pay him stay monkey house long time"

The wife nearly ripped the door from the hinges as she slammed it shut, "good, him no good, keep him there long time"

The BIL had got into an altercation and someone had smelt a farang, nice try lads, sorry no cigar today.

[ajarnmarc]

The system is corrupt from top to bottom. My wife was in a fender bender - motorbike sped in front of her and she could not stop in time. In any other country the motorbike would be at fault, but not here.

Initially, the fine was 30,000 Baht, but the Judge discovered she had a Farang husband, so the fine went to 300,000 Baht. Over a period of weeks, it was bargained down to only 150,000 Baht. Bargaining a fine..?? Only if it is a bribe...!!!

The farang is not always wrong. Last March I was cut off by a motorcycle while riding mine. While avoiding him I dropped my bike, broke my leg and upper arm. After a great deal of trouble on my wife's part the Thai motorcycle rider's family paid me ฿30,000 for medical costs.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

This is indeed an exception, which you were so lucky.

A tip of the hat to your wife for have the courage to stand up for you.

Most Thai's will ask your wife are you Thai?

Meaning why you stand up for a foreigner.

First time I heard this statement was in Phuket,

from the Tourist Police,

to a friend of mine who was a Thai Man.

The Tourist Police figured out where I was staying,

and later payed me a visit in search of a bottle of Regency...

I told them ask my friend for it, after you apologize for questioning his nationality.

They just at me like I was crazy, shook their head and got back in their makeshift mobile,

and drove off into the night.

I had only been here for a month,

so I was .

Edited February 6, 2014 by ajarnmarc

[krisb]

Very interesting.

Never heard of such a thing.

Thanks for sharing the story.

Add to that the cop was only there cause he's just moved into the village. I have been staying in this village for a few years and never, not once have I seen a single cop in the surrounding area even on a patrol. There is a few military guys who can take care of business if need be, and 1 Aussie guys father in law owns a M16.

The op is a true account. Fascinating how this whole sub judicial system is alive and well in I think all Thai villages.

[wym]

I think the point of the OP was that the village justice system, though ad-hoc and informal tends to work just fine and is quicker and cheaper than getting the official system involved.

There wasn't any talk of corruption there why do you guys interpret it that way?

[rgs2001uk]

I think the point of the OP was that the village justice system, though ad-hoc and informal tends to work just fine and is quicker and cheaper than getting the official system involved.

There wasn't any talk of corruption there why do you guys interpret it that way?

There wasn't any talk of corruption there why do you guys interpret it that way?

Re read the OP, so some shit house lawyer arbitarily sets the fine.

Great stuff, a bunch on inbred red neck hillbillies borrow money from another set of inbreds to pay off the first set of inbreds.

Lets hope there was no farang involvement.

You couldnt make this shit up, the perpetrator borrows money from the victims family to pay off the victim.

Welcome to medieaval Europe still alive and and well in darkest Issan, dont forget to tug your forelock and doth your cap as you pass by the puu yai baan.

[wym]

The US would be a much better place if this kind of matter could be settled like this, more lawyers out of work the better.

[rgs2001uk]

The US would be a much better place if this kind of matter could be settled like this, more lawyers out of work the better.

Concur, the system here works, no matter how corrupt some may see it.

I would rather pay 200 baht to Sgt Somchai for running a red light than face the BS of the UK legal system.

On the spot justice, give me that everyday, try post modern Oztralaeya for example.

[somchaismith]

Where's the village? I need to know so that I can avoid it!

[speedtripler]

Where's the village? I need to know so that I can avoid it!

doesnt matter ,similar shit happens in all of the country

the "fine" is a blackmail and whoever is the biggest decides

how much it will be and the loser has to pay up

[kinmaew]

A perfect description of how the country performs in all aspects. What the hell is the point of having "Elections" when at grass roots level you have behavior and a social structure like this?

[krisb]

Where's the village? I need to know so that I can avoid it!

It's the village of Thailand. You can't miss it.

[sustento]

I was talking to a Thai friend of mine who's lived in the UK for 20 years and set up a successful business here about justice and the Thai police. His answer was 'we don't need the police for justice - we sort it out amongst ourselves' You might not agree with it but that's the way it's done in Thailand.

[timewilltell]

It is not dissimilar to how the courts work here on a civil claim. The two sides are encouraged to mediate first and come to a settlement - hearings for this process take about six months to arrange. Then the defending side generally does not show and another six to nine months to decide if the case has merit. If the judge decides there is a case to answer then another nine to eighteen months for a proper hearing date. Then there will be adjournments at every step for the most spurious of reasons to delay another year or so.

At the end of three to four years you might have your decision and then another year for each of the appeals. All the while paying your lawyer who you have a 70% chance is not actually working for you but rather the other side because you are a foreigner - 100% in Phuket because there it is just complete racism and corruption by the police and lawyers. You will be pilloried and hated as will your lawyer no matter what laws the Thais have broken to force you into court in the first place. Plus no costs for all the adjournments either!

Compare and contrast with meeting the two families and some big knob and having a chat to work out a deal. No lawyers, no police and a settlement Romeo & Juliet style. It even works if you are a farang I am sure just the amount to pay will be multiplied ten fold because you are not Thai.

The racism in this place is astounding at every level but it absolutely should have no place in the justice system or the professions where people are supposed to be educated.

[krisb]

The US would be a much better place if this kind of matter could be settled like this, more lawyers out of work the better.

Concur, the system here works, no matter how corrupt some may see it.

I would rather pay 200 baht to Sgt Somchai for running a red light than face the BS of the UK legal system.

On the spot justice, give me that everyday, try post modern Oztralaeya for example.

Yes it does work and leaves the official system un cluttered and a plus is you get your case over and done with quickly and without an official lawyer or court costs.

Calling them inbred and rednecks is a bit wrong cause every village and probably every city in the whole country works like this. Exactly the same when you see cops stopping people for no helmets right?

[Somtamnication]

Man, George is everywhere!!!