Yesterday in Bangkok I witnessed a thief being caught in Minburi high street.

The thief was a skinny and dirty teenager, he tried to snatch a belt, just an ordinary brown belt for trousers, a belt that would not fetch over 100B on a market and which belong to a taxi-motorcycle orange vest driver, while passing by on the side of the road.

As soon as he grabbed the belt he orange vest driver immediately chased him and caught him.

He proceeds to beat him right bang in front of all passers-by.

The kid was not resisting he let the orange vest driver beat him until his rage was over.

He was then let off and the kid run off.

I watched the all scene along with a policeman sitting on his motorcycle. He never got off his motorcycle, he never intervened, he never asked anyone anything, he did not write a report, he just sat there as if nothing regarding law matters was happening.

Two weeks ago my friend had to stop someone from his family from beating up another thief to death. He said the guy was badly beaten and he thought he could die. My friend was called by a 5 year old kid to stop the massacre and let the thief escape.

So this is where we are now: A country where citizens make their own law and justice and who could blame them? Police is unqualified, corrupted and only motivated to do anything by waving a bunch of bills.

People are now finding normal not to resort to police for anything anymore and do their own justice.

This is really scary.

The motorbike taxi guy would likely have been paying the police to operate, while the thief probably wasn't.

Weally, weally, weally scary.

A complete breakdown of law and order, no doubt about it.

I would head for the airport right this minute before it's too late.

BTW, why didn't you intervene?

Edited December 12, 201411 yr by Gecko123

The motorbike taxi guy would likely have been paying the police to operate, while the thief probably wasn't.

Yes that what I mean

Police don't do anything "free" anymore.

And the people think it's better not to involve the police in most matters.

Weally, weally, weally scary.

A complete breakdown of law and order, no doubt about it.

I would head for the airport right this minute before it's too late.

BTW, why didn't you intervene?

I am a woman with a chronic disease.

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

No confusion about how it's dealt in my country, as I am aware there are lot of places in the world that are also lawless.

I was not aware it was the same here; I knew the police was corrupted and useless, I just did not realized to which level.

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

No confusion about how it's dealt in my country, as I am aware there are lot of places in the world that are also lawless.

I was not aware it was the same here; I knew the police was corrupted and useless, I just did not realized to which level.

Corruption is endemic in the police force, and the government. Evidenced by the current scandal with one of the top cops. As was stated in one of the the articles about this, every ministry in the south was involved in his web of corruption. The difference being, corruption is from top to bottom in the police force. But only at the upper levels in the government as they are the ones handling the funds. Sad, but true.

With that being said, there are some good apples out there. And they do a great job. But quite a few bad ones also.

P.S. A post with a rude comment has been removed from view.

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

No confusion about how it's dealt in my country, as I am aware there are lot of places in the world that are also lawless.

I was not aware it was the same here; I knew the police was corrupted and useless, I just did not realized to which level.

Corruption is endemic in the police force, and the government. Evidenced by the current scandal with one of the top cops. As was stated in one of the the articles about this, every ministry in the south was involved in his web of corruption. The difference being, corruption is from top to bottom in the police force. But only at the upper levels in the government as they are the ones handling the funds. Sad, but true.

With that being said, there are some good apples out there. And they do a great job. But quite a few bad ones also.

P.S. A post with a rude comment has been removed from view.

If anybody was to go in search of an honest cop or Jesus Christ reincarnated in Thailand, they would find JC first.

Weally, weally, weally scary.

A complete breakdown of law and order, no doubt about it.

I would head for the airport right this minute before it's too late.

BTW, why didn't you intervene?

I am a woman with a chronic disease.

And the question would be intervene on which side? Help the thief or help beating him?

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

No confusion about how it's dealt in my country, as I am aware there are lot of places in the world that are also lawless.

I was not aware it was the same here; I knew the police was corrupted and useless, I just did not realized to which level.

Corruption is endemic in the police force, and the government. Evidenced by the current scandal with one of the top cops. As was stated in one of the the articles about this, every ministry in the south was involved in his web of corruption. The difference being, corruption is from top to bottom in the police force. But only at the upper levels in the government as they are the ones handling the funds. Sad, but true.

With that being said, there are some good apples out there. And they do a great job. But quite a few bad ones also.

P.S. A post with a rude comment has been removed from view.

If anybody was to go in search of an honest cop or Jesus Christ reincarnated in Thailand, they would find JC first.

The problem is that as policeman you MUST be corrupt. You need to pay to get promoted. If you don't do that you stay forever as low policeman. As low policeman the salary is simply not enough for living. So one way or another you are dragged into corruption.

Weally, weally, weally scary.

A complete breakdown of law and order, no doubt about it.

I would head for the airport right this minute before it's too late.

BTW, why didn't you intervene?

I am a woman with a chronic disease.

A medical condition, and I can think of many others, is a good reason for trying to stay focused on the positive.

I am a woman with a chronic disease.

A medical condition, and I can think of many others, is a good reason for trying to stay focused on the positive.

Reporting what I witness, and not turning a blind eye to the country's problems is the best way I know to make it change for better

The general Thai populace have little no confidence in the Police, nor do they have any confidence in the Thai so called justice system. The ordinary Thai is no fool, he knows what is going on, the blatant double standards practiced by the courts, and their bias towards one political spectrum or another. They know about the 15 years for mushroom pickers and the cop killing soft drink heirs getting away with it, is it any wonder that they take the law into their own hands, because there is no law if they don't help themselves.

Is any developing country any different? I think people expect too much from Thailand. Give it another 20-30 years and it may be better.

Weally, weally, weally scary.

A complete breakdown of law and order, no doubt about it.

I would head for the airport right this minute before it's too late.

BTW, why didn't you intervene?

As told by a recent lorry driver carving someone up in another thread its "not your country"

OP, I'm surprised that you are only seeing/hearing about this now. Up-country we call this village justice and it has been around I'm sure before people dressed up and pretended to be a police force.

For me, the only downside of this is that it can go too far and end up with someone dying. Personally, I don't believe people have confidence in the police force, and believe in most cases, the penalty does not deter the crime.

I am not sure that I would call it wrong, as I live here now and am not confused about what would happen in my country of origin.............................

No confusion about how it's dealt in my country, as I am aware there are lot of places in the world that are also lawless.

I was not aware it was the same here; I knew the police was corrupted and useless, I just did not realized to which level.

Corruption is endemic in the police force, and the government. Evidenced by the current scandal with one of the top cops. As was stated in one of the the articles about this, every ministry in the south was involved in his web of corruption. The difference being, corruption is from top to bottom in the police force. But only at the upper levels in the government as they are the ones handling the funds. Sad, but true.

With that being said, there are some good apples out there. And they do a great job. But quite a few bad ones also.

P.S. A post with a rude comment has been removed from view.

If anybody was to go in search of an honest cop or Jesus Christ reincarnated in Thailand, they would find JC first.

Not strictly true I know ONE good un, hes VERY Buddhist and Im sure this is where it comes from.

He was in the border patrol Police for 8 years before changing to a local cop

Yep, that cop wanted no part of it, and likely does not intervene when weak males beat up their wives. But as sad and wrong as it is the cop doing nothing, I am also glad the taxi rider beat up the crim... thieves are the scum of the earth.

OP, you arent changing anything - for the better or otherwise. Let me ask you this - having seen what that moto-taxi driver will do to someone for the sake of a 100-baht belt (and its not the money we're talking about here - this is territorial IMO), would you cross one of them ?

Summary justice happens all over Asia - my advice is to walk away. You dont have to be a witness to anything - if the Thais want this to change, it's up to them, and that goes for their miserable joke of a Police farce. You're not in Kansas any more.

What are you proposing? Incarceration of the teenager?

Maybe it was his favorite belt.

Maybe the kid had nothing to hold his pants up.

But he stole it. He deserved the beating. He knew what would happen should he get caught.

Will he steal again? Probably.

The police let it happen because it should have happened.

What was the point of you post again?

Sound like the thieves got what was coming to them - a better sort of justice than in the courts....

What are you proposing? Incarceration of the teenager?

Maybe Ferguson policing?

Kampong justice, the same all over asia.

I dont see a problem with this

Play stupid games win stupid prizes

In Australia the thief would be let off even if the police were bothered to put down their revenue raising radar guns to begin with and he would then keep thieving

Edited December 12, 201411 yr by Jdiddy

Many in the UK would like to return to a time when petty theft was dealt with by a "clip around the ear".

What is more lawless, stealing a cheap belt or assault?

Id go with assault.

Some bystander should have grabbed the belt and returned fire.

"Pick on someone your own size".

In an ideal world the policeman would have intervened in the name of the law to keep the peace. The 'thief' may not be a thief. it is vitally important that differences should be arbitrated by the legal system, this is called The rule of Law. At the lowest level it is difficult to apply as this case shows. The policeman decided that the motorcycle taxi driver was entitled to dispense summary justice because he saw the incident in the same light as the "original poster".

Suppose that the belt had been stolen earlier from the kid, possession is nine tents of the law, the motorcycle taxi driver is the thief, and the "law" has supported him.

Kitsune,

Stop trying to make this land like your own. There's the spirit of the law and there's the letter of the law remember.

Back in the days of normal behavior the punishment of criminals was left to the people they affected, not some distant judge.

I bet the thief will be much less likely to reoffend now than if he'd been given a slap on the wrist by the court.

The motorbike taxi guy would likely have been paying the police to operate, while the thief probably wasn't.

Yes that what I mean

Police don't do anything "free" anymore.

And the people think it's better not to involve the police in most matters.

The most relevant point Thais think"its better not to involve the police in most matters" And that is the most dangerous issue if large sections of the country believe such.