Robbery and Attempted Rape of Tourist Near Khaosan Road

[mauGR1]

We dont talk like it has not happend before,,Most of us on here,are now pissed of with thailand,We came here 30 years ago,when they had nothing,As a tourist then,You were safe,and the smiles were true,I tell people now ,TO STAY AWAY,There is nothing good to talk about thailand any more,And now thailand is trying to show the world that they are trying to change ,They dont give a shit,About you me or anybody else,MONEY number 1,,And there loosing it by the billions,,Thats why these crimes are being reported more,They only report what suits them,

You say you don't talk like this didn't happen in the past - and then in the very same sentence claim that tourists were safe here 30 years ago?

Hilarious.

SoiBiker, although you may have some point, which is largely debatable, your incessant posting makes one suspicious..

.. As many on this board, i have the perception of a steep increase in crimes here..

..So, please, let us know, what is your agenda ?

[jpeg]

I can see your point, and once again I'm not female but I think walking alone at 2 in the morning being a female wouldn't be advisable in any SE Asian country or probably western country.

I'm for equality of gender and race and I kind of resent the implication that half the population of the planet should restrict it's freedom because the other half can't control itself

And please, don't start up with all the 'well that's the way it is' comments. It's the way it shouldn't be and needs to change.

[SoiBiker]

We dont talk like it has not happend before,,Most of us on here,are now pissed of with thailand,We came here 30 years ago,when they had nothing,As a tourist then,You were safe,and the smiles were true,I tell people now ,TO STAY AWAY,There is nothing good to talk about thailand any more,And now thailand is trying to show the world that they are trying to change ,They dont give a shit,About you me or anybody else,MONEY number 1,,And there loosing it by the billions,,Thats why these crimes are being reported more,They only report what suits them,

You say you don't talk like this didn't happen in the past - and then in the very same sentence claim that tourists were safe here 30 years ago?

Hilarious.

SoiBiker, although you may have some point, which is largely debatable, your incessant posting makes one suspicious..

.. As many on this board, i have the perception of a steep increase in crimes here..

..So, please, let us know, what is your agenda ?

You disagree with me, so I must have an agenda?

[Docno]

It seems that every time a crime reported here, people chime in about how predatory violence (especially against foreigners) is on the rise, how this place is going to the dogs, how it's not like the good old days, and how it's all due to the prevalence of drugs, a lack of core values, some deficiency in Thai people, or <insert favourite explanation here>. Now, we all know that we'll never see reliable statistics on violent crime against foreigners and probably many people here would be skeptical of even general stats on violent crime (even if many are quick to believe popularity polls concerning a certain general). But the fact of the matter is that people all over the world are prone to believing that crime is increasing even when there is clear evidence to the contrary. It has to do with how our memory works as well as the impact of the media, especially social media. Just Google 'public perceptions of crime' and you'll come across the same point being made in many different countries.

As terrible as this latest incident is, most of us probably wouldn't have read about it if it took place 10 or 20 years ago ... it wouldn't have made it into the mainstream media. Now these things figure prominently in places like this forum, Facebook, small online newspapers, etc. That's a good thing, but it can also lead to distorted perceptions of what's going on.

[Note: I'm not claiming that crime is not on the increase, only that we need to take our own perceptions with a large grain of salt]

[Donnie Brasco]

Thailand is wrongly sold as paradise where it's totally safe to do anything you want, but that is not true.

It is? Who by?

TAT -TIT

So show us this mythical TAT campaign where Thailand is claimed to be a totally safe paradise where you can do whatever you like with no consequences.

The first "Amazing Thailand" TAT initiative in 1996 was one.

Then there were the lower profile sites like Travelthai etc.

Many others came and went.

But your vantage point from under that bridge deep in the bowels of wherever you called home twenty years ago might have been obscured by little heaps of Ampland detritus.

[mauGR1]

We dont talk like it has not happend before,,Most of us on here,are now pissed of with thailand,We came here 30 years ago,when they had nothing,As a tourist then,You were safe,and the smiles were true,I tell people now ,TO STAY AWAY,There is nothing good to talk about thailand any more,And now thailand is trying to show the world that they are trying to change ,They dont give a shit,About you me or anybody else,MONEY number 1,,And there loosing it by the billions,,Thats why these crimes are being reported more,They only report what suits them,

You say you don't talk like this didn't happen in the past - and then in the very same sentence claim that tourists were safe here 30 years ago?

Hilarious.

SoiBiker, although you may have some point, which is largely debatable, your incessant posting makes one suspicious..

.. As many on this board, i have the perception of a steep increase in crimes here..

..So, please, let us know, what is your agenda ?

You disagree with me, so I must have an agenda?

I just asked a simple question, you are free to answer yes or no, and not answer at all..

[malc419]

So many farang leave remarks that are derogatory to Thailand on this site when something like this happens. Perhaps they should look at their own countries and ask if such a thing ever happens there. We are all here because we chose to be here and those that have been here for a long time probably prefer Thailand, for what ever reason, to their own country. Rape, murder, theft and every other kind of law is broken in all countries around the world, not just Thailand.

[SoiBiker]

It seems that every time a crime reported here, people chime in about how predatory violence (especially against foreigners) is on the rise, how this place is going to the dogs, how it's not like the good old days, and how it's all due to the prevalence of drugs, a lack of core values, some deficiency in Thai people, or <insert favourite explanation here>. Now, we all know that we'll never see reliable statistics on violent crime against foreigners and probably many people here would be skeptical of even general stats on violent crime (even if many are quick to believe popularity polls concerning a certain general). But the fact of the matter is that people all over the world are prone to believing that crime is increasing even when there is clear evidence to the contrary. It has to do with how our memory works as well as the impact of the media, especially social media. Just Google 'public perceptions of crime' and you'll come across the same point being made in many different countries.

As terrible as this latest incident is, most of us probably wouldn't have read about it if it took place 10 or 20 years ago ... it wouldn't have made it into the mainstream media. Now these things figure prominently in places like this forum, Facebook, small online newspapers, etc. That's a good thing, but it can also lead to distorted perceptions of what's going on.

[Note: I'm not claiming that crime is not on the increase, only that we need to take our own perceptions with a large grain of salt]

I quite agree. In the case of ThaiVisa, I think the effect is exacerbated by the demographics of its user base. Many here are old enough that the modern day flood of information from the internet and media is a new experience for them, and thus they tend to misinterpret it as evidence that the sky is falling.

The 'good old days' they hark back to were not a more innocent time - merely a more ignorant one.

Edited November 5, 2014 by SoiBiker

[Baerboxer]

People are commenting like these acts only happen in Thailand.

Sure I'm a male, but I feel safer in BKK than I do in most other western cities I've visited.

In thailand the rapes seem to be targeted at a specific group.

Namely--- white skinned tourists or white skinned expats. I am sure if say in England, there were almost daily reports of rapes, murders and robberies against people of asian denomination. there would be a worldwide outcry. Human rights the un and governments would address the problem. Many of these racist crimes are never convicted .

I suspect that is likely motivated by a desire to rob as well as rape. These types of criminals always think tourists, especially Western ones have lots of valuables.

I had an Indian colleague who was robbed in Italy, pick pocketed, his wife had her handbag snatched, and his son was mugged. All on the same trip. They just didn't think Europe would be like that. They are reasonably well off professionals, and look the part.

There are rapes in the UK that target white skinned girls - carried out by organized groups of mainly ethnic Pakistani's. But there's more concern for the local religious sensitivities than the victims.

Is crime rising or is the reporting of crimes more prolific than it was? Hard to really know, but most Thais I know believe that crimes are on the increase here.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Baerboxer

[SoiBiker]

.. As many on this board, i have the perception of a steep increase in crimes here..

SoiBiker, although you may have some point, which is largely debatable, your incessant posting makes one suspicious..

..So, please, let us know, what is your agenda ?

You disagree with me, so I must have an agenda?

I just asked a simple question, you are free to answer yes or no, and not answer at all..

I'm not sure what you think you're asking me.

I have opinions, as does everyone else. What sort of 'agenda' are you accusing me of having?

[jpeg]

I'm not making excuses for any sort of crime, but with the Army and the Police taking away the earning power of local people such as street traders, many will inevitably resort to crime in the fight to survive..... "Desperate men resort to desperate measures".

Crime rises when the disparity between the rich and poor becomes wider. There is a running joke in the UK 'The only place where the Muslims and Jews live in harmony, is Kensington'.

BTW Many years ago, after my first visit to Khao Lak, I remarked to a Thai neighbour here on Phuket how much friendlier the people were. He said 'Wait ...'

Edited November 5, 2014 by jpeg

[amto]

So many farang leave remarks that are derogatory to Thailand on this site when something like this happens. Perhaps they should look at their own countries and ask if such a thing ever happens there. We are all here because we chose to be here and those that have been here for a long time probably prefer Thailand, for what ever reason, to their own country. Rape, murder, theft and every other kind of law is broken in all countries around the world, not just Thailand.

True. But if you look at the statistics, rape and murder is much more prevalent here (although gun crime is really quite bad in the USA, that's the exception rather than the rule for western countries). Fact.

Just because bad things happen everywhere doesn't mean people shouldn't want things to improve. And clearly there is room for improvement here.

In fact, it is people who put their head in the sand that are part of the problem, mai-pen-rai and all..

[mauGR1]

.. As many on this board, i have the perception of a steep increase in crimes here..

SoiBiker, although you may have some point, which is largely debatable, your incessant posting makes one suspicious..

..So, please, let us know, what is your agenda ?

You disagree with me, so I must have an agenda?

I just asked a simple question, you are free to answer yes or no, and not answer at all..

I'm not sure what you think you're asking me.

I have opinions, as does everyone else. What sort of 'agenda' are you accusing me of having?

Not accusing you, in fact your " agenda " , if you have any, may be perfectly legit.... I was just intrigued by your incessant posting on this subject.

Btw, i also like to live in Thailand, but i have the feeling that it's getting less safe recently.. To play it down doesn't make a lot of sense, does it ?

[Baerboxer]

I can see your point, and once again I'm not female but I think walking alone at 2 in the morning being a female wouldn't be advisable in any SE Asian country or probably western country.

I'm for equality of gender and race and I kind of resent the implication that half the population of the planet should restrict it's freedom because the other half can't control itself

And please, don't start up with all the 'well that's the way it is' comments. It's the way it shouldn't be and needs to change.

Throw in social and economic equality, and you are describing a nice world.

Given the profound differences that exist in all areas, mankind's unfortunate intolerance, greed, jealous traits, bigotry and bias, do you think that will ever happen?

In the meantime, people need to take precautions. Sad perhaps, but the consequences of not doing so can be seen.

[SoiBiker]

Not accusing you, in fact your " agenda " , if you have any, may be perfectly legit.... I was just intrigued by your incessant posting on this subject.

'Incessant posting'?

Sorry, but is there something wrong with me having an opinion on the matter?

[SoiBiker]

Btw, i also like to live in Thailand, but i have the feeling that it's getting less safe recently.. To play it down doesn't make a lot of sense, does it ?

I'm not trying to 'play it down'. Please don't try to attribute any agenda to what I post.

[Baerboxer]

The British boyfriend is surprised his gf is attacked near a police station.

Surprising that he seems to think sending her out alone for food at 2.30 am in a foreign city is without danger.

Doesn't matter where in the world you are, you need to exercise some thought about security and safety.

[Time Traveller]

And TAT expects quality tourists to enter this ongoing mayhem?

That's not correct. It's the tourism minister and prime minister who is ordering TAT to target quality tourists. The TAT actually have a more cynical view, in fact this is the what the deputy governor of TAT - Mr Sugree Sithivanich said just a month ago:

"Thailand's tourism trade will remain a leader in the region for now but the future is quite doubtful. The key reason is that the quality and morality of Thais these days are terrible," he claims.

"A number of tourism operators take advantage of tourists, noticeable from the increase in tourism frauds. Thainess in terms of food and culture has not really changed but Thais' morality and integrity have changed for the worse," he adds.

Don't confuse lying evil politicans, with the more level headed public servants.

[maidee]

bring in those quality tourists

more to steal/rob/rape/murder for the thai maffia

[Time Traveller]

True. But if you look at the statistics, rape and murder is much more prevalent here (although gun crime is really quite bad in the USA, that's the exception rather than the rule for western countries). Fact.

Couldn't resist turning this story into an America bashing one could you?

[amto]

True. But if you look at the statistics, rape and murder is much more prevalent here (although gun crime is really quite bad in the USA, that's the exception rather than the rule for western countries). Fact.

Couldn't resist turning this story into an America bashing one could you?

Haha. Defensive much?

Last time I quoted crime statistics, someone came back quoting the terrible gun statistics from the USA as proof that Thailand was no worse than the west.. So pointing out that USA is the exception is totally legitimate and prevents muddying the issue.

Even it hurts your poor little feelings.

[smotherb]

Drug use on the rise.

This is the product of that. Senseless crimes wicked in nature which only human numbed on drugs could do.

Yeah, look out, jumping so far may leave you fathomless. What about lao kao? Couldn't do it? Or maybe even some desparate thug just wanting some easy money. Couldn't do it?

[jpeg]

bring in those quality tourists

more to steal/rob/rape/murder for the thai maffia

Oh give it up foxtrot foxtrot sierra

[Time Traveller]

People are commenting like these acts only happen in Thailand.

Sure I'm a male, but I feel safer in BKK than I do in most other western cities I've visited.

That's because in thailand no one wants to confront the ladyboy walking down the street. Just keep telling yourself Dorothy those ruby red slippers will keep you safe.

[smileydude]

Suddenly Thai males are getting horny and have a violent penchant for western women?

Its a well known fact that Thai men find western women very attractive due to their more voluptuous proportions in general and often fantasize about it after watching too much western porn/hollywood movies but this sudden rash of violence if not explainable as copy cat crimes is really weird.

Drug use cannot explain the rationale to target only farang women. The laws really need to get serious about all kinds of rape crimes.

Chemical castration would be a good start.

[toooa]

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Drug use on the rise.
This is the product of that. Senseless crimes wicked in nature which only human numbed on drugs could do.

In the Islamic State they have no problem with senseless, wicked violence, and they don't need drugs to do it. In fact drugs are forbidden on pain of extreme punishment. How is that possible if their minds are not "numbed on drugs"? You might want to be a tiny bit more specific than "drugs". Do you mean penicillin, or caffeine, alcohol, or smack? It's easy to blame everything on "drugs", but as the word includes a host of completely different things, clarity is in order.

What bothers me is the double standards when invoking "drugs" as the root of all evil. For e.g. if you enjoy watching Muay Thai, you may notice that it is sponsored by "drugs". Regency whiskey is a drug is it not? At the same time, they try to promote boxing events as against drugs. Well, what is it? For or Against? There is a massive beer "drug" garden out the front of Central World....I've even seen police reflective jackets with the Johnny Walker logo on them.

You can't promote drugs and fight them at the same time. At least not if you value logic and consistency, although that's hardly an issue in Thailand.

Is it not possible that, this behaviour is the result of a society in which might is right, and violence is endemic? Just take a look at the Thai soaps on TV..... plenty of rapey style violence there. Why are we surprised?

[mauGR1]

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Btw, i also like to live in Thailand, but i have the feeling that it's getting less safe recently.. To play it down doesn't make a lot of sense, does it ?

I'm not trying to 'play it down'. Please don't try to attribute any agenda to what I post.

Not accusing you, in fact your " agenda " , if you have any, may be perfectly legit.... I was just intrigued by your incessant posting on this subject.

'Incessant posting'?

Sorry, but is there something wrong with me having an opinion on the matter?

Fair enough, i guess we will agree to disagree then.

Thailand is a beautiful country, the climate is great and it is not too expensive... the same can be said about many other countries in the world, but, i have to say, what brought me and many others to visit and choose to live here, was the good-natured people and the perception of safety.

At the moment, i am doubting if i made the right choice, but then, where i come from, it's pretty safe, although admittedly a bit boring.

[SinCityGr8One]

bring in those quality tourists

more to steal/rob/rape/murder for the thai maffia

A Crime such as this would not happen in a area controlled by the Real Mafia (Think the late John Gotti). If it did, the Capos would be ordered to find the perp(s) bloody them up, shoot them in the back of the ear and put them in the trunk of a stolen car and set it on fire in a lot someplace. Quality Tourists bring in Money to spend at the Mob controlled restaurants, shoppes, beauty centers, resorts. I'm not sure why you think stealing, robbing, raping, murdering would be allowed in any area controlled anyplace under the influence of any Real Mafia (La Cosa Nostra, 14K Triads, etc.) IMHO.

[EyesWideOpen]

Although I don't like to see too much police presence on the street, I'm from NYC (police state), I am mesmerized why you rarely, if ever, see a beat cop in Bangkok, especially in these tourist areas. Correct me if I'm wrong....has anyone here seen many?

For the Thai police, it is raking in money from checkpoints by

day, and drinking in karaoke bars at night. So no time to

do patrolling of the streets......

When I first came here a long time ago, I sort of had this sense that

there was an unwritten agreement between criminals and the police.

Meaning the criminals knew not to &lt;deleted&gt; with tourists, as that would

endanger a multibillion baht money flow. So if they wanted to rob

someone, best to stick with robbing Thai people. But somehow

that fear of the police has gone away. But as someone noted,

if drugs are involved then there is little thought process occurring...

[smotherb]

True. But if you look at the statistics, rape and murder is much more prevalent here (although gun crime is really quite bad in the USA, that's the exception rather than the rule for western countries). Fact.

Couldn't resist turning this story into an America bashing one could you?

Off topic, yes, but not US bashing; more like simple statement of fact. However, the US is not the worst--check-out the gun violence and gun homicide statements below:

“The dubious distinction of having the most gun violence goes to Honduras, at 68.43 homicides by firearm per 100,000 people, even though it only has 6.2 firearms per 100 people. Other parts of South America and South Africa also rank highly, while the United States is somewhere near the mid-range. Still, America sees far more gun violence than countries in Europe, and Canada, India and Australia, which is perhaps how it gets its bloody reputation among comparatively peaceful nations.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/14/schoo-shooting-how-do-u-s-gun-homicides-compare-with-the-rest-of-the-world

“The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership - and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer - 54.8 per 100 people. But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate - that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people”

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/jul/22/gun-homicides-ownership-world-list