Soldiers Break Up Rescue Worker Brawl in Bangkok
By Khaosod English


Soldiers were forced to assist police in stopping a fight between rival groups of emergency responders at Lam Pak Chee Police Station on 4 Jan 2015.

BANGKOK — Soldiers were forced to assist police in stopping a fight between rival groups of emergency responders in Bangkok early Sunday morning.

The incident followed a brawl that broke out several hours earlier between staff from Romsai and Por Tek Tung Foundations on Suwinthawong Road in Nong Chok district on 3 January.

According to Panawuth Chu0sook, a 23-year-old member of the Por Tek Tung Foundation, his team was racing to assist victims injured from a fight in the area when a pickup truck driven by staff from the Romsai Foundation crashed into their vehicle.

Panawuth said the Romsai rescue workers shouted “foul language” at the Por Tek Tung staff, leading to a fistfight between the two groups.

While a team of Por Tek Tung workers brought the victims from the original fight on 3 January to the hospital, Panawuth and over 50 others from Por Tek Tung went to Lam Pak Chee Police Station to file assault charges against members of the Romsai Foundation.

However, rescue workers from Romsai also showed up at the station to file their own assault charges against Panawuth and his team members.

Sarawuth Chit-amphai, a 21-year-old worker with Romsai, told reporters that it was Por Tek Tung staff who attacked his team with "axes" and other weapons.

Tension at the police station soon escalated, with members of the rival groups trading insults and threatening to start another round of fighting. Police were eventually forced to request support from a nearby military unit to contain the situation.

Five soldiers arrived to separate the two groups, and after four hours of negotiation the two sides agreed not to press charges against each other, and left the police station.

Vicharn Tansuriyawong, the secretary-general of the Romsai Foundation, said the brawl broke out because of a "misunderstanding" about which areas the two groups were supposed to cover.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1420457101&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-01-06

They are suppose to be rescue worker not gang bangers. Why not work together to help those in need? Do they get kick backs for the number of incident they attend and is this the reason for fighting over injured persons? Instead of having these little rival gangs of rescue workers why not put them all under one command like most other countries do? State/Provincial Ambulance Service Emergency Service etc

Thainess

Never heard of the police asking the green men for help. What a loss of face that was!!!

Thainess

Will videos etc. of this sort of thing be shown at the opening ceremony for Thainess Year ?

Promoting "Peace and Harmony" with these rescue crooks maybe a difficult task. In fact the whole lot should be scraped and a proper ambulance service introduced.

Thainess

Brainless Thainess.

They are suppose to be rescue worker not gang bangers. Why not work together to help those in need? Do they get kick backs for the number of incident they attend and is this the reason for fighting over injured persons? Instead of having these little rival gangs of rescue workers why not put them all under one command like most other countries do? State/Provincial Ambulance Service Emergency Service etc

Yes there is cash involved which explains so much.

Imagine being trapped in a vehicle or lying by the roadside needing help and the ' rescue ' workers take time out to kick the crap out of each other for the right to attend to you ?

"... a fight between rival groups of emergency responders in Bangkok early Sunday morning."

Getting more like Buddha every day.

What a bunch of little kids. Did the soldiers bring along their M16s? Line them up against the wall!

Imagine trying to explain this to a normal person from anywhere in Western Europe. They would understand the words but I am sure they would not grasp the fact that the first responders in the capital city of Thailand were nothing but gangs of largely untrained, thrillseeking youths. They would not understand the consequences. The concept of a competent, equipped and responsible paramedic and ambulance service is taken for granted by almost all foreigners. How wrong they would be.

And even after the army arrived it took 4! hours before things calmed down.

This news is going all over the world, wonder what the Quality Tourists from Europe think about it

Bet they can't wait to come to Thailand, get crashed in a caraccident and be rescued by those friendly people.

So whilst these gangs are fighting, the injured probably pass away. When the fighting is over and it's last man standing to reap the rewards, who comes to assist the second group of injured. What a bunch of uncivilised morons. They are suppose to be educated and highly trained people who have devoted thier lives to care for those in need not violent cave men.

Years ago I went to Por Tek Tung HQ, near Sampantawong and said that I had seen a documentary of them on TV, got the full treatment, including a hour and a half of the grossest videos in their professional video editing booth (pre digital), couldn't really leave, bringing in kanom and coffee etc. Do you want to see the rescue of the train that derailed at Nakhon Phatom?

All around there are shops selling all the accessories for their private rescue vehicles. It's worth a look if your in the area, don't mention the word video though. Also a good chinese temple opposite that was very friendly during Gin Je, Sancho Hong Kong I think.

They also did a good job after the tsunami.

Emergency rescue teams in Thailand!! What a joke . MONEY MONEY ,thats all they care about, not assisting injured people.

I know from my own experience with these clowns.

My accident, they dragged me off the road ,no backboard neck brace nothing .They chased my wife around before i was removed to hospital, wanting proof of insurance so they were sure to be paid.

I had 4th 5th vertabrae shattered/ broken ribs collasped lung ,torn diaphram , broken hip/pelvis/leg.

How much damage did those untrained inexperieienst clown do to me????

Yes they were fighting over money, nothing else.

Years ago I went to Por Tek Tung HQ, near Sampantawong and said that I had seen a documentary of them on TV, got the full treatment, including a hour and a half of the grossest videos in their professional video editing booth (pre digital), couldn't really leave, bringing in kanom and coffee etc. Do you want to see the rescue of the train that derailed at Nakhon Phatom?

All around there are shops selling all the accessories for their private rescue vehicles. It's worth a look if your in the area, don't mention the word video though. Also a good chinese temple opposite that was very friendly during Gin Je, Sancho Hong Kong I think.

They also did a good job after the tsunami.

Because of these rescueworkers i don't dare to carry much cash with me in Thailand. I read too many story's of them cleaning wallets of victims first.

For me this is as low as it can get. Thailand really has to stop this but even the Police can't do it! They need the army to help and even then it takes 4 hours!

Thainess at it's finest.

Years ago I went to Por Tek Tung HQ, near Sampantawong and said that I had seen a documentary of them on TV, got the full treatment, including a hour and a half of the grossest videos in their professional video editing booth (pre digital), couldn't really leave, bringing in kanom and coffee etc. Do you want to see the rescue of the train that derailed at Nakhon Phatom?

All around there are shops selling all the accessories for their private rescue vehicles. It's worth a look if your in the area, don't mention the word video though. Also a good chinese temple opposite that was very friendly during Gin Je, Sancho Hong Kong I think.

They also did a good job after the tsunami.

Because of these rescueworkers i don't dare to carry much cash with me in Thailand. I read too many story's of them cleaning wallets of victims first.

For me this is as low as it can get. Thailand really has to stop this but even the Police can't do it! They need the army to help and even then it takes 4 hours!

Thainess at it's finest.

If you have any contact with Por Tek Tung, you are dead already

This news is going all over the world, wonder what the Quality Tourists from Europe think about it

"all over the world" ?? I doubt it

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Promoting "Peace and Harmony" with these rescue crooks maybe a difficult task. In fact the whole lot should be scraped and a proper ambulance service introduced.

This has ben asked for countless times , err Thainess.

They are suppose to be rescue worker not gang bangers. Why not work together to help those in need? Do they get kick backs for the number of incident they attend and is this the reason for fighting over injured persons? Instead of having these little rival gangs of rescue workers why not put them all under one command like most other countries do? State/Provincial Ambulance Service Emergency Service etc

a thai friend's dad was knocked down, the first two rescue crews refused to take him to hospital because he looked poor, the third did. in fact he is not poor and his family have a successful business.

he had a head injury. at A&E he was not prioritised and after four hours was given paracetemol. he fell into a coma in A&E, was admitted and died three weeks later without recovering conciousness.

welcome to thai healthcare.

in response to your original point - probably.

Well, you can't fault them on their keenness to get to the scene of the original incident.

I find it odd those that mention payments.

When they rescued me from an accident and took me to hospital, no payment was asked for.

I find it odd those that mention payments.

When they rescued me from an accident and took me to hospital, no payment was asked for.

My understanding is that they are paid a bounty by hospitals to bring in injured people. As a result, they bring patients not to the nearest, not to the best, and certainly not to the cheapest hospital but rather to the hospital that pays them the highest bounty.

Remember, this is Thailand: Why else would they fight over territory if money were not involved? Do you really think they are fighting over the right to do the most good for society? Ha.

Posted Today, 08:21

WhamBam, on 06 Jan 2015 - 08:06, said:

I find it odd those that mention payments.

When they rescued me from an accident and took me to hospital, no payment was asked for.

My understanding is that they are paid a bounty by hospitals to bring in injured people. As a result, they bring patients not to the nearest, not to the best, and certainly not to the cheapest hospital but rather to the hospital that pays them the highest bounty.

Remember, this is Thailand: Why else would they fight over territory if money were not involved? Do you really think they are fighting over the right to do the most good for society? Ha.

My thoughts exactly!!!

Years ago I went to Por Tek Tung HQ, near Sampantawong and said that I had seen a documentary of them on TV, got the full treatment, including a hour and a half of the grossest videos in their professional video editing booth (pre digital), couldn't really leave, bringing in kanom and coffee etc. Do you want to see the rescue of the train that derailed at Nakhon Phatom?

All around there are shops selling all the accessories for their private rescue vehicles. It's worth a look if your in the area, don't mention the word video though. Also a good chinese temple opposite that was very friendly during Gin Je, Sancho Hong Kong I think.

They also did a good job after the tsunami.

Because of these rescueworkers i don't dare to carry much cash with me in Thailand. I read too many story's of them cleaning wallets of victims first.

For me this is as low as it can get. Thailand really has to stop this but even the Police can't do it! They need the army to help and even then it takes 4 hours!

Thainess at it's finest.

So let me get this straight......you don't ever carry much money with you in case you somehow get in to a car crash and then in case it is serious enough that you need rescuing and then in case one of the rescue workers then steals your money. Really? I mean, really?

Oh my God help them please!

........are those the types of people you want to be rescued by......

" Five soldiers arrived to separate the two groups, and after four hours of negotiation the two sides agreed not to press charges against each other, and left the police station. "

So this means they did it without any retortion . Police have not to open any file cause they left the station after 4 hours of negotiation.

Very nice and a huge BRAVO.

Yes rescue workers steal money from victims of accidents !! me!!

Lying on the road, being searched robbed by rescue workers . Mobile phone over 6000 baht taken from me.

So anybody who says no money asked for, wake up anybody who says they dont steal wake up 'Been there had that happen to me.

Not hearsay not gossip .The truth 100%

as much as the bad press they get, sometimes they ARE your only hope of survival, waiting for an ambulance from a hospital may take 30 minutes or more ... this is Thailand after all, emergency crews don't respond within 5-10 minutes like they do in the west