Local boats ignore teens and leave them to drown in Chao Phraya River

[bushwacker]

How is someone able to take a pic but not able to help?

Something smells fishy.

[edgarfriendly]

Chai-Yoooooooo!!

[MrBrad]

About 15 years ago 4 young boys drowned while swimming in the Ping River just north of Chiang Mai. 5 were playing together when one of them got into trouble. Another tried to help; then another, and another until 4 were gone.

As with the 3rd youth in the video, though the instinct to help a friend is great, one needs to be aware of one's own abilities and limitations. Sad.

[Artisi]

I want to see those two boat people brought to justice. This is ridiculous and so hearbreaking.

This mai bpen rai attitude is what will keep Thailand from building a space ship and only do tuk tuks for the next 1000 years.

Well we would have something to be grateful, every bus in Thailand suffers from brake failure - can you imagine Thai built space ships .

[haveaniceday]

Modern thailand.................pity they did not have 500baht in their hands all the boat would have come to them...sad

OUch, to true.

Like poeple never stop to help road victiums.

[EyesWideOpen]

Pretty sad......The Thai apologists will have a hard time spinning this one... How in god's name

could a boat drive past a drowning person ??

In fairness, did the boats know they were drowning? Did the boats even realize the people were there?

I am not trying to excuse wrongful behaviour, but know one knows what really happened.

Don't talk sense GK. it ruins the Thai bashing.

What ever you do, be sure to keep your rose colored glasses on....... Must be nice to

live in a fantasy world, but I prefer the real world myself.

From the Nation:

"Initially police wanted the two ferry drivers' action punished by a month in jail and/or Bt1,000 in fines as per the Criminal Code's Article 374 aimed at people who refuse to help others in danger, he said. However, he added, the police would investigate the case further and ensure justice for all sides."

So it would now appear that myself, other posters, and amazingly enough the Thai police

all feel that there was malfeasance on the part of the boat operators. And yes the person doing

the filming is at fault as well, and I suspect he will be prosecuted as well. Clearly the two boys

were in trouble early on, when their heads kept dipping under the water. The third boy who was clearly a good swimmer swam out to help them but could not.

The person doing the filming should have put the camera down, and been screaming at the boats parked in front of him to go help. If you watch the clip, it is quite apparent that the boats see the two people in the water, as they clearly steer around them, treating them as objects on the water to avoid running into. And at that point they were clearly in trouble, with their heads repeatedly going under the water.

Edited April 24, 2014 by EyesWideOpen

[robert888d]

T I T This is Thailand today. How it and the people have changed over the past ten years and not for the better. (maybe the people in the boats thought they were playing around, if not it is horendous!)

Edited April 24, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal. Do not post using overly large font.

[Scarpolo]

T I T This is Thailand today. How it and the people have changed over the past ten years and not for the better. (maybe the people in the boats thought they were playing around, if not it is horendous!)

I dont get the sense that any of the parties involved in this issue, neither the swimmers or the boaters know of these changes in thailand you speak of over the last ten years,

but I would enjoy an understanding of what has changed

[GunterChiangMai]

Maybe there are so many kids swimming, jumping off bridges and acting up in the klongs in Thailand maybe, just maybe, the boats guys thought it was all a game?

This could be true as if u watch and listen carefully to the clip. The boy swimming out stops and shouts twice, maybe for help, but he's a long way from the boats with their noisy engines. U would think they would all scream shout and wave as the boats pass, but they appear not to.

Several 'Thai' factors at play here I think:

1) A total lack of observation by the boatmen .........Try to catch the eye of a waiter or waitress in most Thai restaurants.

2) A total lack of initiative and common sense thinking on the part of the kids to do more to attract the boats' attention, and also of those filming and watching from the bank to do something........because Thai education is totally passive so Thais instinctively dont do anything unless told to.

3) A total lack of care or emotion by boatmen and spectators as defined by Thai culture. Even the boy returning to the bank is not crying or screaming for help.

Tragic!

I am not religious but the more time I spend in Thailand the more I realise how we take for granted how Christian values of love, care, and unselfish service for others unconsciously influence our culture and our everyday thinking and behaviour in the West. E.g: Some claim Thais dont feel guilt so therefore dont have a conscience. So a 'Conscience' is maybe a Christian concept we have inherited genetically -not a gene but a 'meme', which still strongly influences us even when we cease to be 'Christians'. Thais are in contrast inherently selfish as the original Thai Theravada Buddhism was rejected as selfish by most Buddhists in the World in favour of Mahayana Buddhism. Lets face it, In essence the Buddha taught individual's to selfishly renounce all their parental, family, and social and economic responsibilities to become a monk and selfishly seek 'Nirvana' (escape from rebirth) for themselves and themselves alone. There seems to only be a general teaching of 'compassion' with little emphasis of helping others or putting others before oneself as in Christianity; e.g., The Good Samaritan. I think Buddhism is in essence a cerebral religion, training the mind to coldly overpower instincts and emotions. It lacks the great Love of Hinduism from which it sprang.

I'm afraid that I do not like Thai Culture.

Christian values......hahahaha, yes i guess the natives around the world got blessed with those values. A good one!

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[Zodaka]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and not as one those old boat runners pictured in the film. Imagine jumping in (not knowing that it was being filmed) and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys until now saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shore and saves one.

Later, the family saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives but this sick foreigner tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news later that day ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

If you must live by the river teach your children to swim.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Zodaka

[Scarpolo]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and I'm us it would be different from those old boat runners. Imagine jumping in and had no one filmed it, and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys prior saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shorter and saves one. The family already saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives. This sick foreigner the tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

no Thainess for you!?

bravo.

[Jonmarleesco]

A good chance the boats' crews simply didn't see them, and a very good chance they didn't hear the boy calling out.

[dennisrobertpell]

This is messed up I'd like to boot the filmer in in the teeth a few times then upload that. I think even a cold hearted Russian would have thrown a rope or something that floats out help

There are many cold hearted Falang in Thailand..

[media]

Haha, like it, good humour! nothing wrong with it. I bet they have their own funny words for us westerners. nothing wrong with saying the word Slope seeing as their eyes do slope. he could have said something far worse.

[cheshiremusicman]

saw this on the thai news this morning, heartbreaking.

I will bet you a pound to a penny that the BBC don't report this, or any of the other tragedies that have happened in the last six months in Thailand. It seems that they have the greatest reluctance in reporting ANYTHING negative about Thailand. Begs the question WHY? Are they scared of being sued like Reuters? The Australian networks seem to have the balls but the UK doesn't.

[ScotBkk]

Heartless, sick and deplorable. I feel total and utter disgust and contempt for anyone who doesn't feel for God's children.

So sad.

[wellred]

The point is not 1 but 2 boats drove by and it didn't sound like the guy filming was trying to attract help. Was there also a 3rd long tail boat bottom right of the shot? Perhaps not but looked like the propeller of 1.

If it was an isolated boat that went by you could maybe argue that they couldn't swim ect but for 2? I think that comes across as a symptom of a deeper underlying issue which shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

[wellred]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and not as one those old boat runners pictured in the film. Imagine jumping in (not knowing that it was being filmed) and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys until now saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shore and saves one.

Later, the family saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives but this sick foreigner tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news later that day ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

If you must live by the river teach your children to swim.

I think a great career in writing fantasy novels awaits you.

[yellow1red1]

The first Page is full of [experts] on Thainess. Is there any mention, at all, in the next 7 pages about the Thai Hero who gave up his life trying to save the first victim? or of the second Thai Hero who gave rescuing a good effort, but what could he do?

I am sure the boat drivers had no idea people were drowning. When the camera zooms in they are not even looking in that direction and there is no way they could have heard any shouts.

The two heroes displayed Thai nature and human nature, which is seldom seen in TV.

[yellow1red1]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and not as one those old boat runners pictured in the film. Imagine jumping in (not knowing that it was being filmed) and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys until now saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shore and saves one.

Later, the family saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives but this sick foreigner tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news later that day ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

If you must live by the river teach your children to swim.

I think a great career in writing fantasy novels awaits you.

In Boy Scouts we were taught to never try to rescue a drowning person unless you were a super strong swimmer who knew how to keep them from pulling you under. They said it often turns into 2 deaths, instead of 1.

[wellred]

They were in a boat and could have grabbed them over the side! Not only did they not save them but they seemingly failed to even acknowledge their presence which to me was more sinister.

[yellow1red1]

'It has been explained as fundamental in the Buddhist philosophy that when you interfere in the course of events unfolding before your eyes you then assume full responsibility for any outcome.'

Perhaps this is the way it has been explained to you...although even a cursory glance at 'Buddhist philosophy' will reveal this is not so...

- sounds like something dug up from the Lawrence of Arabia movie.

[Awk]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and not as one those old boat runners pictured in the film. Imagine jumping in (not knowing that it was being filmed) and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys until now saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shore and saves one.

Later, the family saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives but this sick foreigner tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news later that day ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

If you must live by the river teach your children to swim.

I think a great career in writing fantasy novels awaits you.

Think he will first have to understand the difference between "controversial" and "very, very, retarded". Hope nobody else is stupid enough to believe the above rubbish. On the other hand, cowards will make all sorts of excuses to themselves for why they did not help somebody who needed it. Not that I would advocate jumping into a river to help somebody unless you are a strong swimmer or have some rope or similar to throw to the people drowning, but the above nonsense from Zodaka is not the reason to not help.

[EyesWideOpen]

Pretty sad......The Thai apologists will have a hard time spinning this one... How in god's name

could a boat drive past a drowning person ??

'The Thai Apologists' ??!! Are you for real ? Are you so desperate to slag off an entire nation at every opportunity that you actually have a name for people that can see the good in it ?

Pathetic really!

And your opinion of this event is what ???

[3NUMBAS]

they have never heard the parable of the good Samaritan in their lives.

i have seen them drive round a dead body in the road in case they get roped in to something that is none of their business ,leaving it there to get squashed by other vehicles.

[atyclb]

Thainess at it's best,what happened to TRT.Thai Rak Thai.

Me thinks TRK is really TFT INo need to elaborate on what "F' means

[GunterChiangMai]

Am going to say something controversial in nature here.

Had I been on one the boats or on shore near by I may've also been reluctant or hesitant to help. As a foreigner I would be worried that whichever one I saved, he might turnaround and accuse me of killing his friend or trying to kill him. I stress this though as a foreigner and not as one those old boat runners pictured in the film. Imagine jumping in (not knowing that it was being filmed) and swimming out to the boy. Then people who'd not noticed the boys until now saw this big white man clutching a boy or both of them, and then makes it back to the shore and saves one.

Later, the family saying how well their children can swim having lived on the river all their lives but this sick foreigner tried to harm or assault the young boy and his brother tried to save him but the evil foreigner pushed his head under water. The child goes along with his parents story and there's out rage amongst the community and the police call the foreigner in for questioning. Such out rage in the national news later that day ensures the arrest and trial of the foreigner who without an enormous amount of money is sentenced to 30 years in a Thai jail. NO THANK YOU.

If you must live by the river teach your children to swim.

I think a great career in writing fantasy novels awaits you.

In Europe, it could be a fantasy short story, in Thailand it is a serious contribution. Unfortunately!

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[deepcell]

this is sickness called society

[simondan]

How is this situation morally different from being refused treatment for a fatal disease in the USA because you dont have health insurance?

The wealthiest country in the world lets its poorest citizens die in pain lest it adopt the 'socialist' measure of free, universal health care.

Cant see much difference in essence between these boatmen and the US opponents of free health insurance.

Greatest country in the world? What a joke!

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[issanaus]

So, the boats did nothing, and the person filming did nothing. Great to see we are living in such a caring society now. Sad.

You just don't understand Thainess because you are not Thai.

I know you are joking, but if that is indeed "Thainess" in action, then it's nothing to be proud of.

Where's the basic humanity ... the helping a fellow human in their time of dire need ... or does it cost too much now?

It has been explained as fundamental in the Buddhist philosophy that when you interfere in the course of events unfolding before your eyes you then assume full responsibility for any outcome.

Total B/S - would you like to provide a reference or is this just something that you invented for some sick and twisted reason of your own

Apart from everything else Kama is in the intention Not in the action

Sorry to interfere with the flow of Thai/Buddhist bashing that some posters here are enjoying so much