Swiss Tourist assaulted by street vendors close to Pattaya Port

[Rimmer]

Troll post and reply removed

[khaowong1]

"treating the vendors inappropriately" What the hell? In your opinion, was he supposed to be wai'ing them, kissing their ass? Does all of a sudden, street vendors become somebody special? <deleted> them.. Unless he spit in their face or physically assaulted one of them, they have no right to assault a customer. You are completely off base bkkcanuck8..

[Baerboxer]

Please stop making excuses for the violent thugs and blaming the victim.

Shouldn't do either, without knowing all the facts.

It seems well established he was violently attacked.

But not the reasons, if any, that provoked the attack.

[Jingthing]

Please stop making excuses for the violent thugs and blaming the victim.

Shouldn't do either, without knowing all the facts.

It seems well established he was violently attacked.

But not the reasons, if any, that provoked the attack.

Fine. Catch the violent offenders, charge them, and let them present their defense, if they have any. It's not a clue to you that they're hiding? Jeez. Sometimes a cigar is really a cigar!

[Baerboxer]

Nice to hear all the TV experts dog-piling the victim. "The victim must have asked for it." That's right up their with raping women because they are wearing short, thigh skirts and skimpy bras. ""The victim must have asked for it." Ya'll support rapists too I suppose for the same reasons?

Amazing Thailand (expats).

Yep it is very twisted indeed.

Bad if the man was attacked for no reason, or simply not wanting to buy or be willing to be forced into looking and then buying. However, finding out why he was attacked first might help. Before all TV's finest condemn the attackers because after all they're Thai.

[Jingthing]

Nice to hear all the TV experts dog-piling the victim. "The victim must have asked for it." That's right up their with raping women because they are wearing short, thigh skirts and skimpy bras. ""The victim must have asked for it." Ya'll support rapists too I suppose for the same reasons?

Amazing Thailand (expats).

Yep it is very twisted indeed.

Bad if the man was attacked for no reason, or simply not wanting to buy or be willing to be forced into looking and then buying. However, finding out why he was attacked first might help. Before all TV's finest condemn the attackers because after all they're Thai.

Why are they hiding from the law if they're innocent and have a good reason. Get real. There is no good reason.

[Baerboxer]

But not the reasons, if any, that provoked the attack.

Fine. Catch the violent offenders, charge them, and let them present their defense, if they have any. It's not a clue to you that they're hiding? Jeez. Sometimes a cigar is really a cigar!

I really can't see the word "hiding" in the report. It does say the police are urgently looking to arrest the alleged attackers; the word alleged is certainly there. Must be my eyes.

Yeah, we can all see the clues we want and interpret them how we want, on any violent thugs in any situation.

He may be a perfectly sober gentleman enjoying a stroll in Walking street after which he is hounded to buy things and then outrageously attacked. We'll know when the alleged attackers are arrested. Perhaps they videoed it on their smart phones too.

[Baerboxer]

Nice to hear all the TV experts dog-piling the victim. "The victim must have asked for it." That's right up their with raping women because they are wearing short, thigh skirts and skimpy bras. ""The victim must have asked for it." Ya'll support rapists too I suppose for the same reasons?

Amazing Thailand (expats).

Yep it is very twisted indeed.

Bad if the man was attacked for no reason, or simply not wanting to buy or be willing to be forced into looking and then buying. However, finding out why he was attacked first might help. Before all TV's finest condemn the attackers because after all they're Thai.

Why are they hiding from the law if they're innocent and have a good reason. Get real. There is no good reason.

Sorry, maybe it's me today, but I just can't find that word "hiding" in the report. Says the police are looking for them to arrest them for the alleged assault. Not bothering to go to the police is not the same as doing a runner and hiding.

But I see you've made your mind up already. Your idea of reality is exactly that, your idea only.

[Jingthing]

Oh please. They know they beat up a man. Do you really think they will show up at the same vending spot? They know full well they are going to be arrested if they show their faces and if they are innocent, yes, they should volunteer to defend themselves.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[Baerboxer]

Oh please. They know they beat up a man. Do you really think they will show up at the same vending spot? They know full well they are going to be arrested if they show their faces and if they are innocent, yes, they should volunteer to defend themselves.

Attacked and assaulted - hardly beat up. Come on, now, he even videoed it!

I agree they should go to the police as soon as they know a complaint has been made.

[Baerboxer]

There are the usual Posters who will defend a Thai whatever the situation and likewise a farang whatever the facts were.

In this case there was clearly no excuse for violence. If the Swiss dude broke a law the vendors could have called the cops. Stop defending thuggery.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The vendors probably know how useless the RTP are. Would they have bothered to come if called?

You say there is no excuse for violence - maybe you are right. But, as you know, in many Asian and other cultures, saying the wrong thing can provoke a violent reaction. Expats are more attune to this, a tourist not.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Last year during International Women's Day(yeah i know...you've never heard of it, but it's bigger than Valentine's Day in Russia), I was with some friends and had bought them roses. There was this particularly aggressive vendor who took umbrage that our girls already had roses, so he physically grabbed them off them and offered his. The first time was easy to overlook, but after he continue to do it, he was told it was enough.

He decided that was a good time to over react. He decided to shout out in Thai, "Look the foreigner refuses to pay me".... hoping that would bring him some undue assistance. It didn't work. No one even took a step towards me. So then he grabbed the small bottle of whisky from one of the girls, smashed it and threatened me with it. Let's just say that was a mistake too far on his part. All attempts at lies to bring people to his aid failed miserably and even the nearby vendors said they saw what happened. Next time I saw him, he pretended that he didn't see me.

So please, a little less of the conjecture that he somehow provoked them. As it has been said...you weren't there.

[cookee68]

Humm, I've had 15 years of interactions with Thai street vendors and never been lacerated...and some bloke comes on a holiday and gets smacked in the face. I imagine he threw the F-bomb at them to which they didn't take kindly. Some people have to learn things the hard way.

That still should not be a reason that 3 people attack you, I am surprised as they usually need 6 to attack you, scumbags

[keebone]

Nice to hear all the TV experts dog-piling the victim. "The victim must have asked for it." That's right up their with raping women because they are wearing short, thigh skirts and skimpy bras. ""The victim must have asked for it." Ya'll support rapists too I suppose for the same reasons?

Amazing Thailand (expats).

Yep it is very twisted indeed.

Bad if the man was attacked for no reason, or simply not wanting to buy or be willing to be forced into looking and then buying. However, finding out why he was attacked first might help. Before all TV's finest condemn the attackers because after all they're Thai.

I don't think anybody is condemning the attackers because they're Thai, rather they're condemning the attackers because they're,,,,,well, attackers!

[Seismic]

Humm, I've had 15 years of interactions with Thai street vendors and never been lacerated...and some bloke comes on a holiday and gets smacked in the face. I imagine he threw the F-bomb at them to which they didn't take kindly. Some people have to learn things the hard way.

I have had 34 years of interaction with Thai street vendors, the first 25 went very well. But I have seen and been subjected to harrasment for no other reason than I refused to look or buy from them. Before you jump on me for being nasty, I was polite and I do speak Thai.

My take on this story is the time, and maybe the swiss man wasnt the only one who had a few drinks.

[German Viking]

First take a look to the picture than start to judge the vendors.

Thank you.

I have never attacked by any vendor for 10 years ...

The times are harder in these days for the vendors.

[German Viking]

Was the Swiss guy speaking French, German, Italian or English? If he really was not happy with the vendors, I'm sure he would say something bad in his native language, not an F bomb in English. Maybe these Thai vendors were multilingual. No matter the situation, assault is not the answer to an unhappy potential customer.

Maybe he spoke rätoromanisch(Rhaeto romance, 1 of the 4 official languages in Switzerland) to the Vendors in angry way and they got angry, caused they could not understand him.

[German Viking]

Humm, I've had 15 years of interactions with Thai street vendors and never been lacerated...and some bloke comes on a holiday and gets smacked in the face. I imagine he threw the F-bomb at them to which they didn't take kindly. Some people have to learn things the hard way.

+1...Same here, have had many dealings with street vendors and Never had a problem or even a bad face given to me. It's all how you act.

You forgetting a very important thing, influence of alc and drugs creating short fuses and we all don't know what was real happend there.

[davetrout]

an australian death in thailand every four days how can this be

[morrobay]

There are the usual Posters who will defend a Thai whatever the situation and likewise a farang whatever the facts were.

In this case there was clearly no excuse for violence. If the Swiss dude broke a law the vendors could have called the cops. Stop defending thuggery.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The vendors probably know how useless the RTP are. Would they have bothered to come if called?

You say there is no excuse for violence - maybe you are right. But, as you know, in many Asian and other cultures, saying the wrong thing can provoke a violent reaction. Expats are more attune to this, a tourist not.

For example saying what in Thailand is going to provoke a violent reaction that does not do so in a Western country ? I think it has more to do with some of these vendors in Pattaya being aggressive jerks. This is not the first time something like this has happened

Edited January 5, 2015 by morrobay

[Christie Paul]

Unfortunately, as the economy grinds downward, tensions ratchet up, especially for those on the margins.

Numbers of visitors are down and they are staying for shorter periods and spending less.

I've seen this before.

[MrWorldwide]

OK - I doubt that there is a single foreigner in Pattaya who hasnt been annoyed by a vendor at some point but it doesnt usually end in violence - whatever this guy did or didnt do, the Thais have decided that retaliating made more 'sense' than preserving a lucrative tourist market. This is all speculation, but let me throw this out there:

- after the lowest of low seasons, many of the vendors must be hoping for a massive turnaround now that high season is here

- as high seasons go, this one isnt looking particularly promising from what I've seen in central Pattaya after the massive influx on NYE

- the myth that you can simply get on a bus from Nakhon Nowhere, come to Pattaya and mine the rich vein of tourist gold must surely exist only in the dullest of minds in 2015

- despite that, come they do and in ever increasing numbers. We've got dwellings that I could only describe as 'shanties' just a few hundred metres from Big C Extra : seriously third world living conditions in a country allegedly enjoying full employment.

- a lot of the junk they're trying to flog on the street is readily available elsewhere and simply isnt worth taking up space in your luggage to cart it home. Unless you're trying to sell me something genuinely unique and preferably handmade, why bother to even glance at the wares on display ?

Marry all of the above with an increasingly tight-fisted group of tourists and its not a formula for good times, but I doubt that will stop new arrivals getting on the bus from the provinces - I hope they make enough for the return fare.

[MrWorldwide]

Unfortunately, as the economy grinds downward, tensions ratchet up, especially for those on the margins.

Numbers of visitors are down and they are staying for shorter periods and spending less.

I've seen this before.

A lot more succinct than my post above, but I agree 100% - just not sure I want to be here with a face that screams 'ATM' to people with so little to lose. If that's needless scaremongering, so be it - I just dont know where the tipping point will be in a country with nothing in the way of a welfare safety net.

[MrWorldwide]

an australian death in thailand every four days how can this be

Jesus of Bendigo ?

Seriously, watch a few of the Aussie tourist brigade in the bars and on motorbikes - you'll get the picture. They also do a very good job of topping themselves in Bali, but I think you're drawing a long line between an assault on a Swiss tourist and Australian deaths in Thailand.

[petercool]

A troll post removed

[DLock]

My buddy was walking past a flip flop store and they had some flips flops that looked like little computer keyboards.

He asked how much and the lady said 800 baht.

He said I'll give you 200 baht. She said ok. He went to keep walking. I could see things were about to go real bad, real fast.

I told him, that to avoid a problem, you better go buy those flip flops. You stated a price, she agreed. Deal done.

He bought them. Didn't really want them, but I told him next time to just shut-up and ignore people if you don't want to buy.

It doesn't take much to set them off.

[peecee]

I interact with street vendors all the time and never ever had a problem - other than sometimes having to deal with the hard sale. One can only guess what the hell set them off - and how he set off 3 at the same time.

For the sake of argument I will assume that it had something to do with the loss of face -- not at not buying -- but treating the vendors inappropriately.... Legally, the vendors were in the wrong and should have to face up to what they did. If the instigation was treating the vendor with disrespect - then I would not feel sorry for him..... sooner or later when you go around doing that someone is going to take offense and you are going to get into an altercation.... but then the lack of information leaves a lot open to guessing.

The Mrs sent me back to a street vendor once who was overcharging tourists (she was hospitalized at the time), just about escaped the joining her. Never again, she does it so much better than me anyway!

[ultimate weapon]

So in your worlds, a Thai street vendor has every right to physically attack someone? If a Thai street vendor doesn't like the way a potential customer acts, or doesn't like to be denied a sale, the proper recourse is to physically attack someone?

Let me give you another scenario: the man was walking and didn't respond to the various vendors hawking their wares. When the vendors became more aggressive in their sales pitch, the man told the Thai vendors (in his native language, of course) to leave him alone. The Thais deemed a refusal as a loss of face and attacked the man. This is probably more along the lines of what happened. And no, I wasn;t there. Neither were you.

How's this for another scenario. I have lived in both Thailand and China and I like the people from both places.

However, just the other day I was asking a Chinese guy who had the obvious appearance of being lost, if he was ok.

He responded to me in some Chinese that you didn't need to understand to understand.

So I responded with the toe of my Australian boot right in his wallet pocket.

And I like the Chinese. My wife was one...

Rule number one: Never believe anything that you hear (or read) and only half of what you see.

Not all farang are polite good guys.

Don't get your story.