German man brutally attacked in Udon Thani by 'Koh Tao copycats'

[loongdavid]

"I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that".

I think it about time a few folk stated just using the names of the towns where these things are happening. To lump all of Thailand into this problem and to tar it with the same brush is both wrong and stupid. If things get out of hand in any of the better known tourist hot spots then leave. I for one will be staying put right here in my little bit of Isaan backwoods paradise where the crime rate is NIL.

Your quiet little bit of issan? You obviously missed the Brit shot by hitmen hired by his missus in Banphai a couple of years ago.

Face it. There are now problems large and small for foreigners pretty much everywhere now.

Sorry, I won't "face it" and certainly do not agree!

You quote one incident of a "couple of years ago" and condemn a whole area for that incident, wow!

The frequency by which the word THAILAND has been used in these posts far exceeds that of the town used by the OP. Furthermore, the frequency of assaults, murders etc in the 'tourist hot spots' far exceeds those anywhere in Isaan. I can walk the streets of a dozen or more towns in Isaan at any time day or night without fear of being the subject of a crime.

If one frequents the bars and whatever else after dark in the towns mentioned previously I guess one can expect to experience trouble.

I stand by original comment that my little bit of Isaan backwoods paradise is just perfect and peaceful.

[Thai at Heart]

"I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that".

I think it about time a few folk stated just using the names of the towns where these things are happening. To lump all of Thailand into this problem and to tar it with the same brush is both wrong and stupid. If things get out of hand in any of the better known tourist hot spots then leave. I for one will be staying put right here in my little bit of Isaan backwoods paradise where the crime rate is NIL.

Your quiet little bit of issan? You obviously missed the Brit shot by hitmen hired by his missus in Banphai a couple of years ago.

Face it. There are now problems large and small for foreigners pretty much everywhere now.

Sorry, I won't "face it" and certainly do not agree!

You quote one incident of a "couple of years ago" and condemn a whole area for that incident, wow!

The frequency by which the word THAILAND has been used in these posts far exceeds that of the town used by the OP. Furthermore, the frequency of assaults, murders etc in the 'tourist hot spots' far exceeds those anywhere in Isaan. I can walk the streets of a dozen or more towns in Isaan at any time day or night without fear of being the subject of a crime.

If one frequents the bars and whatever else after dark in the towns mentioned previously I guess one can expect to experience trouble.

I stand by original comment that my little bit of Isaan backwoods paradise is just perfect and peaceful.

I lived in isaan virtually m entire time in Thailand. In the last few years with the mushrooming of farangs bars in town, we had our first farang attacked by local. There was also a Brit beaten to within an inch of his life in Ubon a couple of years ago

How do I know? I used to assist the British embassy with problems for British nationals. The last few years I was there I had more phone calls for beating, threats combined in the previous 10.

I first went there in 95, and the difference to today is immense. It isn't the wild west, but its not what it was.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[nontabury]

Non-Thais, particularly tourists, will, by definition, have no link to any patron in Thailand while a Thai is far more likely to. Since convicting and sentencing in Thai courts is extremely heavily influenced by considerations of relative social importance of the parties involved, then, again by both definition and design, Thais will tend to be treated more lightly when committing crimes against foreigners as the Thai will likely have important Thai people vouching for him. The system is deliberately designed to protect wealthy, powerful Thais from other Thais and all Thais against foreigners. The concept of all being equal before the law would be considered ludicrous.

However these teenagers will get a heavy sentence for the reasons I put in earlier posts.

Perhaps 'more likely', but very far from actually having one.

Wrong. Social importance means s0d all, unless one is seriously cashed up, and then it wouldn't even get as far as Court.

Wrong again. Foreigners tend not to have the patience to deal with the circus that is the 'judiciary' here. Thais can wait forever if there's a couple of baht at the end of it. To which many marrying 'long con's' can testify.

Your wrong,while seriously rich Thai people don't go to court, plenty of others use their connections to avoid justice, especially if a Farang is involved.

[SMSinBangkok]

How come the story has yet to appear in The Nation and the other big English newspaper. Is it another <deleted> Thai cover up?

[mauGR1]

How come the story has yet to appear in The Nation and the other big English newspaper. Is it another <deleted> Thai cover up?

Maybe attempted murder on foreigners is not news anymore... They don't want to lose readers

[lewy67]

from a local news source -

German national attacked in Udon Thani - Udon-News visited the victim in hospital

18.11.2014 - 14:38

Michael S. (25) was sitting outdoors by a lake in Udon Thani on November the 15th at 3 o'clock in the morning, along with a Thai friend and his girlfriend. Three young Thais passed by on a moped and verbally abused the group. No one thought anything of it until they came back 15 minutes later.

2 boys dismounted and approached the group. One had a garden hoe, and he struck Michael several times on the head, with full force.

Read more here: http://udon-news.com/en/news/german-national-attacked-in-udon-thani-udon-news-visited-the-victim-in-hospital

Edited November 18, 2014 by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy and supporting link added.

[Docno]

Well at least the cops aren't blaming the Burmese or Cambodians.

Bang goes another 10k tourist arrivals.

10000 tourist arrivals? Really?? I think our perceptions get very distorted with TV as a news source. I just did a Google news search, and this story is only being picked up in the Thai media so far. Granted, it's still hot off the press. Let's see what happens over the next couple of days, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes barely a ripple in the international media. Hard to compete with ISIS, ebola, and the Ukraine.

This story is running like crazy around all my friends and contacts on facebook. It is presumably quite big on German news.

I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that.

While we can't dismiss social media as a source of news, it's not easy to assess its impact. Yes, the story might spread across your FB contacts and friends, but your online friends probably share interests with you and so are not representative of the broader (western) public. If we're to believe that this story will reduce tourist arrivals by 10,000 (as claimed here), the story would 1) have to stick in the general consciousness of the 'traveling public' in the west and 2) would have to be interpreted as indicative of the threat generally faced by foreigners in Thailand. I'm not convinced that either of these will happen (though, yes, I could be wrong).

[WolfgangGiesen]

How come the story has yet to appear in The Nation and the other big English newspaper. Is it another <deleted> Thai cover up?

Maybe attempted murder on foreigners is not news anymore... They don't want to lose readers

Not mentioned in the german media as well, apart of some internet portals in german for german expats in Thailand

[brewsterbudgen]

The little rascals have way too much free time to set around drinking and planning assults on fellow man. Use them as fish bait and target practice while towed behind a speed boat over the coral reefs.

Seems a lot of ooop north villages have too many sitting around doing nothing, seems many of the men spend all day drinking same with the teenagers..................hang on I thought "No Thai person could do this"

What do you mean up north? There are millions of thai blokes all over the country sitting around basically doing nothing . that goes for the 20 guys in homepro selling u a water heater, or the gang of motorcycle taxi blokes at the end of a bangkok soi.

This blatent attack because this man is a foreigner, is really scary. Broad daylight in a park. Just to kill someone. Maybe drugs, maybe booze, maybe they just don't like farangs , but how dangerous do people have to be to attack people like this.

Very dangerous.

3 in the morning is not "broad daylight"!

Why do people seem to expect Thailand to be some sort of crime-free paradise in which xenophobia doesn't exist?

[tingtongtourist]

from a local news source -

German national attacked in Udon Thani - Udon-News visited the victim in hospital

18.11.2014 - 14:38

Michael S. (25) was sitting outdoors by a lake in Udon Thani on November the 15th at 3 o'clock in the morning, along with a Thai friend and his girlfriend. Three young Thais passed by on a moped and verbally abused the group. No one thought anything of it until they came back 15 minutes later.

2 boys dismounted and approached the group. One had a garden hoe, and he struck Michael several times on the head, with full force.

Read more here: http://udon-news.com/en/news/german-national-attacked-in-udon-thani-udon-news-visited-the-victim-in-hospital

im sure there will be many people thank you for this post.

I, like many others am happy that the guy is ok, and as you say, the injuries arent life threatening.

But...how can a guy get hit several times "full force" to the head with a hoe and still be ok?

Must have very thick skull or very poor quality hoe?

[IgboChief]

Any news of the condition of the victim?

The Thai friends he was with - were they hurt? I thought I read that one had a broken arm? Was he attacked or was he defending the victim?

Good evening,

yesterday evening I came back and read that story today on TV, so I decided to go to the hospital in order to visit him.

The good news is While Michael suffered severe head injuries, he will survive. Michael is conscious and was able to speak with me. He is a very nice kid, was calm and only a bit surprised when I showed up (as we are not related in any way). He was in critical condition and lost a lot of blood but now seems to be stable, but weak and shocked of course. Still my impression is that he copes with it.

The bad news is He is in the public hospital beside Nong Prajak, which is not the best place. He stays in a room with around 15 other poor souls. It was even difficult for me to find him. Nobody wanted to understand my Thai.

I am trying now to get him into the Aek Udon (as these people somehow understood my Thai). Unfortunately he does not seem to have any health insurance, in fact he is just a kid, but a good one. So I will see what I can make possible.

He had contacts with his mom already. Also the tourist police spoke with him. I did not got into the details in order to give him as much rest as possible. Will visit him tomorrow again and keep you posted. Thank you for your sympathy though, Michael much appreciates it.

Regards

Edited November 18, 2014 by IgboChief

[jpinx]

Several thoughts --

A drunk person does not focus his strength in the same way a sober person does.

Assuming the Thai friend leapt to assist, the perpetrator would probably only have time for 3 or 4 hits.

Apply those thoughts to both this crime and the one they were trying to copy.

[Docno]

A lot of people here are suggesting that this event is symptomatic of a new and violent hatred toward westerners in Thailand. Unfortunately, these kind of attacks are probably not new, and they're definitely not unique to Thailand. This is from this week's news in 'safe' Singapore: http://news.asiaone.com/news/crime/girl-gets-nasty-naughty-pub ... several westerners attacked in a bar in the city-state simply for the colour of their skin. This happens around the world to people of all races and nationalities. Random but targeted violence of this sort is particularly disturbing because it makes us all feel like potential victims, but we should be cautious about inferring wider trends and patterns...

[Just to add, 20 Myanmar nationals have been murdered in Penang state, Malaysia, so far this year ... talk about being a target].

Edited November 18, 2014 by Docno

[mojorison]

It's hard to remember more than a few of the constant stream of murders and brutal assaults on foreigners in Thailand. The old ones fade from memory and the latest ones steal the attention.

A few that come to mind from 2014 include the couple on Koh Tao, the American found in a coma with head injuries on a beach in or near Phuket, another American murdered outside the Nana Hotel in Bangkok and this latest attack on the German in Udon Thani.

But I am there have been many others, all of the above were just in the last few months. If read of many more minor assaults, I'm just listing the death or close to death cases.

If it was subterfuge, it is not past them.

[impulse]

There is hope...

The injured Thai called his father, an army officer, and this initiated an APB.

Referring to the victim's Thai friend....

Source from above: http://udon-news.com/en/news/german-national-attacked-in-udon-thani-udon-news-visited-the-victim-in-hospital

[ttthailand]

Many of these attacks are similar ; happen very late at night, involve alcohol and are in an isolated place. I have seen too many Thais going crazy after a few drinks. Add the other factors and it is trouble in the waiting....

I also know of some farang who can not handle their alcohol and are a$sholes but they have not killed anyone yet .... As far as I am aware.

My advise is to avoid situations that involve drunk Thais and avoid dark isolated places after dark. If you smell trouble get out of there quickly and avoid conflict. We farang have our pride but it is better to walk away and live another day.

Thailand is so disappointing now a days ....

[Thai at Heart]

Well at least the cops aren't blaming the Burmese or Cambodians.

Bang goes another 10k tourist arrivals.

10000 tourist arrivals? Really?? I think our perceptions get very distorted with TV as a news source. I just did a Google news search, and this story is only being picked up in the Thai media so far. Granted, it's still hot off the press. Let's see what happens over the next couple of days, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes barely a ripple in the international media. Hard to compete with ISIS, ebola, and the Ukraine.

This story is running like crazy around all my friends and contacts on facebook. It is presumably quite big on German news.

I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that.

While we can't dismiss social media as a source of news, it's not easy to assess its impact. Yes, the story might spread across your FB contacts and friends, but your online friends probably share interests with you and so are not representative of the broader (western) public. If we're to believe that this story will reduce tourist arrivals by 10,000 (as claimed here), the story would 1) have to stick in the general consciousness of the 'traveling public' in the west and 2) would have to be interpreted as indicative of the threat generally faced by foreigners in Thailand. I'm not convinced that either of these will happen (though, yes, I could be wrong).

Well my friends reach pretty far and wide thoughout Asia, UK, Europe and the USA.

I get plenty of responses around any articles I like or share. People are wondering what the hell is going on in Thailand.

[stephen terry]

Many of these attacks are similar ; happen very late at night, involve alcohol and are in an isolated place. I have seen too many Thais going crazy after a few drinks. Add the other factors and it is trouble in the waiting....

I also know of some farang who can not handle their alcohol and are a$sholes but they have not killed anyone yet .... As far as I am aware.

My advise is to avoid situations that involve drunk Thais and avoid dark isolated places after dark. If you smell trouble get out of there quickly and avoid conflict. We farang have our pride but it is better to walk away and live another day.

Thailand is so disappointing now a days ....

I'm an &lt;deleted&gt; under you statement, but I would never get involved in a confrontation with a Thai. I'll leave that to my wife.

[Mr Somtam]

anything more to say...!!!??

"Thailand 'one of the most dangerous tourist destinations on Earth': Expat investigation lifts lid on dark side of the Land of Smiles"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2833369/Thailand-one-dangerous-tourist-destinations-Earth-Ex-pat-investigation-lifts-lid-dark-Land-Smiles.html#ixzz3JJXUvHPO

Blocked...

[MJP]

A daft comment and replies to it have been removed. It's a figure of speech by the way, a term of endearment.

[EyesWideOpen]

anything more to say...!!!??

"Thailand 'one of the most dangerous tourist destinations on Earth': Expat investigation lifts lid on dark side of the Land of Smiles"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2833369/Thailand-one-dangerous-tourist-destinations-Earth-Ex-pat-investigation-lifts-lid-dark-Land-Smiles.html#ixzz3JJXUvHPO

Blocked...

Not blocked here in Pattaya. Although the article is so critical of

Thailand that am sure it is just a matter of time until it is blocked...

Guess the censors are too busy examining porno sites and deciding

which ones of those need to be blocked....

[brewsterbudgen]

Well at least the cops aren't blaming the Burmese or Cambodians.

Bang goes another 10k tourist arrivals.

10000 tourist arrivals? Really?? I think our perceptions get very distorted with TV as a news source. I just did a Google news search, and this story is only being picked up in the Thai media so far. Granted, it's still hot off the press. Let's see what happens over the next couple of days, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes barely a ripple in the international media. Hard to compete with ISIS, ebola, and the Ukraine.

This story is running like crazy around all my friends and contacts on facebook. It is presumably quite big on German news.

I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that.

While we can't dismiss social media as a source of news, it's not easy to assess its impact. Yes, the story might spread across your FB contacts and friends, but your online friends probably share interests with you and so are not representative of the broader (western) public. If we're to believe that this story will reduce tourist arrivals by 10,000 (as claimed here), the story would 1) have to stick in the general consciousness of the 'traveling public' in the west and 2) would have to be interpreted as indicative of the threat generally faced by foreigners in Thailand. I'm not convinced that either of these will happen (though, yes, I could be wrong).

Well my friends reach pretty far and wide thoughout Asia, UK, Europe and the USA.

I get plenty of responses around any articles I like or share. People are wondering what the hell is going on in Thailand.

People and maybe your friends, need to realise that Thailand is just like any other country - it has crime! Why is this so surprising?

[bannork]

Alcohol and repressed anger are bad bed fellows.

When I lived in a guesthouse in Banglampoo years ago there was a retired Aussie soldier, he had joined upat 15, retired at 40 to Thailand but hated all Thais and most farangs as his Roi Et wife had deserted him following the failure of their pig farm. He was alright sober but once the alcohol kicked in, the fists would start to clench and he was literally itching for a fight,he couldn't stand to see people enjoying themselves.

Years ago in Udon one time, I arrived too late to get home to Ban Dung so I had to spend the night there.

Eating dinner, I noticed 3 Thai guys drinking in a restaurant, a table away from some stout farang and his rather attractive Thai lady friend. They were getting drunk, 2 of them were fine but one guy was clearly agitated by the farang.

Clenching his fists he kept lunging forward as if to attack but luckily he was restrained by his friends. The resentment of some fat bastard stealing their women because of money was as plain as day.

Avoid drunk Thais, especially at night

As someone remarked, the difference between 4 and 5 am is considerable. I go to work at 5.30 am and there are a few drunk stragglers at times near my bus stop but their energy is spent, folks are starting to go to work, dawn is breaking, they know it's time to scurry back away from the harsh sunlight.

But prior to that in the dark of the night, still fuelled up, anything could happen.

What was a teacher doing in the park at 4.00 am?

What were 3 Thai guys doing with a hoe in the park?

[kaorop]

Any news of the condition of the victim?

The Thai friends he was with - were they hurt? I thought I read that one had a broken arm? Was he attacked or was he defending the victim?

Good evening,

yesterday evening I came back and read that story today on TV, so I decided to go to the hospital in order to visit him.

The good news is While Michael suffered severe head injuries, he will survive. Michael is conscious and was able to speak with me. He is a very nice kid, was calm and only a bit surprised when I showed up (as we are not related in any way). He was in critical condition and lost a lot of blood but now seems to be stable, but weak and shocked of course. Still my impression is that he copes with it.

The bad news is He is in the public hospital beside Nong Prajak, which is not the best place. He stays in a room with around 15 other poor souls. It was even difficult for me to find him. Nobody wanted to understand my Thai.

I am trying now to get him into the Aek Udon (as these people somehow understood my Thai). Unfortunately he does not seem to have any health insurance, in fact he is just a kid, but a good one. So I will see what I can make possible.

He had contacts with his mom already. Also the tourist police spoke with him. I did not got into the details in order to give him as much rest as possible. Will visit him tomorrow again and keep you posted. Thank you for your sympathy though, Michael much appreciates it.

Regards

wish him all the best

can his family support his move to a better hospital?

of note, it was pointed out to me that at music festivals dont stay to late,

as sometimes a farang target is soft because there is no "gang" to retaliate.

sadly we have no "gang" here to strike any fear in those scum.

[nontabury]

Well at least the cops aren't blaming the Burmese or Cambodians.

Bang goes another 10k tourist arrivals.

10000 tourist arrivals? Really?? I think our perceptions get very distorted with TV as a news source. I just did a Google news search, and this story is only being picked up in the Thai media so far. Granted, it's still hot off the press. Let's see what happens over the next couple of days, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes barely a ripple in the international media. Hard to compete with ISIS, ebola, and the Ukraine.

This story is running like crazy around all my friends and contacts on facebook. It is presumably quite big on German news.

I find this type of daylight random attack to be genuinely terrifying. I am very glad I have left. If it means one can't walk around because as a farang you are a target, what is the point in Thailand. Plenty of places with sunshine that are safer than that.

While we can't dismiss social media as a source of news, it's not easy to assess its impact. Yes, the story might spread across your FB contacts and friends, but your online friends probably share interests with you and so are not representative of the broader (western) public. If we're to believe that this story will reduce tourist arrivals by 10,000 (as claimed here), the story would 1) have to stick in the general consciousness of the 'traveling public' in the west and 2) would have to be interpreted as indicative of the threat generally faced by foreigners in Thailand. I'm not convinced that either of these will happen (though, yes, I could be wrong).

Well my friends reach pretty far and wide thoughout Asia, UK, Europe and the USA.

I get plenty of responses around any articles I like or share. People are wondering what the hell is going on in Thailand.

People and maybe your friends, need to realise that Thailand is just like any other country - it has crime! Why is this so surprising?

From my own personal observations over the last 25yrs, certainly

over the last ten years,these violent attacks on farangs seem to be increasing, couple that with the fact that no competent and honest police force exist here in Thailand, unlike most counties in the world, especially those countries that market themselves as tourist destinations.

[MexicanFarang]

"what the hell is going on in Udon?"

I think the Farang who thought living in a rural area would be relatively peaceful and crime free, are starting to wake up.

Or perhaps, due to the internet, the crimes that have always happened are being reported globally...

[Khun Paul]

Suggest you use Wattana hospital far better valuew for money not AEK who consider every patient a cash cow.

[IgboChief]

Any news of the condition of the victim?

The Thai friends he was with - were they hurt? I thought I read that one had a broken arm? Was he attacked or was he defending the victim?

Good evening,

yesterday evening I came back and read that story today on TV, so I decided to go to the hospital in order to visit him.

The good news is While Michael suffered severe head injuries, he will survive. Michael is conscious and was able to speak with me. He is a very nice kid, was calm and only a bit surprised when I showed up (as we are not related in any way). He was in critical condition and lost a lot of blood but now seems to be stable, but weak and shocked of course. Still my impression is that he copes with it.

The bad news is He is in the public hospital beside Nong Prajak, which is not the best place. He stays in a room with around 15 other poor souls. It was even difficult for me to find him. Nobody wanted to understand my Thai.

I am trying now to get him into the Aek Udon (as these people somehow understood my Thai). Unfortunately he does not seem to have any health insurance, in fact he is just a kid, but a good one. So I will see what I can make possible.

He had contacts with his mom already. Also the tourist police spoke with him. I did not got into the details in order to give him as much rest as possible. Will visit him tomorrow again and keep you posted. Thank you for your sympathy though, Michael much appreciates it.

Regards

wish him all the best

can his family support his move to a better hospital?

I am not sure about that. I spoke with the AEK Hospital today, ICU is around 10250 THB/day depending on the condition. I offered already to pay the transport and one week in the hospital (and see how far we come). AEK is checking with the Goverment Hospital the actual status, also what bill is open at the Gov. Hospital. I will go there again in the morning to speak with Michael. He definitely understands the advantage of the AEK (also to avoid long term damage and scarfs), but could not decide anything today due to funds. Also he needed to rest.

Will keep you informed tomorrow, I keep trying to get him into the AEK Udon.

[IgboChief]

Suggest you use Wattana hospital far better valuew for money not AEK who consider every patient a cash cow.

Thank you Paul. Where exactly is it located please and do they speak some English at least? (The Government Hospital depressed me a lot, not only in that regard).

AEK is expensive, I know. But given that it is a bad head injury and upper face damage, he needs good treatment.

Edited November 18, 2014 by IgboChief

[loongdavid]

"what the hell is going on in Udon?"

I think the Farang who thought living in a rural area would be relatively peaceful and crime free, are starting to wake up.

Or perhaps, due to the internet, the crimes that have always happened are being reported globally...

Believe me, there's nothing whatsoever to "...wake up" to. We choose to live in remote, rural areas because we enjoy the peace and quiet without any perceived crime whatsoever. The absence of inebriated and obnoxious fools is also a big attraction. The people who should be very concerned appear to be those living in, or close to, the principal tourist areas.