British tourist reportedly raped in Kanchanaburi

[mathias67]

Lets hope that the BIB doesn't tell the 19 year old victim that " You can't Rape the Willing," or words to that effect, because it's par for the course in the LOS.

That's why so many young farang female rape victims don't even bother reporting the sexual assault..

Why be raped, then abused-re-humiliated all over again?

She would have had to die, and the case go viral for the BIB to get real serious and find the Perp.

Remember the young lady from Scotland?

And the Beat Goes On..

Welcome to sunny Thailand the Land of Smiles and continual reports of crimes against ferang. This will really boost tourism

[DLang]

No off-duty police officers involved?

That's surprising.

[pmh2009]

Well... it is near the Thai-Burma border right? and so it must be a "Burmese" cycle-taxi guy right??!!?? LOL sheeet!!! Thailand has been following the lifestyle of the West... Where parents no longer take care of their children after 18 or whatever age they say is an adult, and parents have to go to old aged homes so they can be looked after... where money is God and designer things/stuff/items are the most coveted items/things!!! Not that I blame the Westerners after what the Catholic priests did to disabled children, young boys and girls!!! How can one believe in any religion, tradition, culture??? All these bad side-effects of the Western culture have seeped into to SE Asia, Middle East, and Asia... and S'pore and Thailand is the worst hit in SE Asia!!! Not being conservative but certain traditions and cultures do have benefits to family and society. Once those are lost we now see the headline "British tourist reportedly raped in Kanchanaburi"

[SoiBiker]

So much hysteria.

Crimes happen everywhere.

[fishbrando]

Regardless of what time it was or what she was wearing these bastards need putting down.

I think we all agree with that.

But what would you tell your daughter/ sister if she called and said she was staying in Kanchanaburi tonight? Or planning a trip to Kanchanaburi in the near future?

You would say have a good time and be careful.

What you say or don't say wouldn't have changed the outcome. Its a natural thing that a parent would say.

What is your point?

The point is that statements such as, "It doesn't matter what the victim was doing, the criminal is at fault," while true, doesn't really help anyone avoid being victims in the future.

[BigBadGeordie]

Rape statistics for 2007, source Wikipedia.

Reported rapes per 100,000 of population.

USA: 29.8

Scotland: 17.0

Thailand: 6.8

Suggests she twice as safe here than being at home in Scotland?

REPORTED RAPES!!

[Bluespunk]

Of course I do not blame the victim, but seriously, why do teenage tourists think getting drunk in a 3rd world country and wandering around like it's Disney World. Most Thai people have little and nothing to lose, they are not governed by the same controls found in the Nanny states. Tourist need to relaize that coming here and getting drunk and stoned and taking chances is not a good idea. I hope the catch the rapist and throw away the key, but of course, they will likely get 3 yrs, and then only if they are over 18.

So you are blaming the victim then.

Not blaming, but people needs to think how they act.

For example, if you are an 18 year old female, who gets drunk and wasted and then strips down bare naked in the middle of know where in a 3rd world country, is it her fault that she got raped? No. Can we blame her for it, No. But can we say that it was pretty stupid of her to act like that? YES!

All that is needed to stop rape is for rapists to stop raping.

Nothing that you mention in your post happened, except possibly she was drunk [not a crime or invitation to rape by the way].

However even if you had stuck to what happened it is still the rapist and the rapist alone who is to blame for rape.

[Longstaff]

So what can we distill from the discussion so far (apart from some fairly radical opinions!)

1. A heinous crime has been reported
2. The victim is a young woman visiting this country who SHOULD have been able to do so without this happening
3. Thailand could do a lot more to deter such crime, look after its tourist guests, find and deal with offenders
4. The fact that these young guys were on motorbikes is irrelevant
5. We all need to take reasonable caution for our own safety, whether at home or abroad. This is irrespective of whether we are male or female. This includes informing ourselves about the country we plan to visit.
6. Sadly, women are a target for men of this type throughout the world; and consequently they should exercise particular caution and be aware of risk factors that may unintentionally place them in harms way (all well documented by previous posters)
7. We all need to look after our mates and travelling companions (where were hers?)
8. Thailand remains a relatively safe place in terms of this sort of crime

[SoiBiker]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

[Bluespunk]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

oh well, that's fine then. lets not worry, eh.....

[TacoHell]

So much hysteria.

Crimes happen everywhere.

Not hysteria, its the miserable lot saying it was her fault.

No matter how drunk, how attractive, how willing she seemed, or even passed out, The ONLY thing a even half decent human being should do is take her to her hotel and make sure she's safe.

It has nothing to do with Thailand, but the integrity of those involved. That's what makes some of the replies to this thread so sad.

Edited May 29, 2015 by TacoHell

[SoiBiker]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

oh well, that's fine then. lets not worry, eh.....

I don't see what point you are making here.

People are posting stuff like 'Thailand is full of rapists', and suggesting that people shouldn't come here.

I just thought a reality check might be in order.

Sadly, some will seize any opportunity to put the place down.

[MILT]

Of course I do not blame the victim, but seriously, why do teenage tourists think getting drunk in a 3rd world country and wandering around like it's Disney World. Most Thai people have little and nothing to lose, they are not governed by the same controls found in the Nanny states. Tourist need to relaize that coming here and getting drunk and stoned and taking chances is not a good idea. I hope the catch the rapist and throw away the key, but of course, they will likely get 3 yrs, and then only if they are over 18.

You just did blame the victim.

Why do holiday makers think they can wear a bikini in when on holiday.

Why did the man have his money in his pocket when he was drinking.

Why did the girl smile and chat with the taxi driver.

It is your attitude that continues to give excuses to violent behaviour.

She is on holiday. She went out for drinks. She walked back to her hotel. She chatted to some friendly motorcycle guys. As you chat with friendly girls.

Maybe they offered her a ride back to the hotel.

She did nothing wrong.

This government needs to step up punishment of offences against foreigners.especially crimes of rape and violence. Nobody cares about a bag snatch or a scam here and there for a few hundred baht. The violence against foreigners in this country is the worst in the entire world.

....your post makes a great point! However I would argue that Thailand "is the worst in the entire world."

I can assure you it is not...Certain areas of Thailand are dangerous and compete for the top rankings in

violence against foreigners but I would not go as far as to say Thailand is at the top of the list.

[Nickymaster]

How about, its the fault of scumbags? Universal scumbags as can be found the world over. Scumbags who should be made an example of in the legal system, by getting a jail sentence so huge that it it strikes fear into the dark hearts of other scumbags and proto-scumbags everywhere, thus lowering the future incidences of scumbaggery.

We all agree, it's the fault of the scumbags.

But what practical advice would we give to a woman staying in Kanchanaburi tonight (or contemplating a trip in the near future), given what has happened? Rid the world of scumbags?

I don't have advice, it is just common sense that many attacks would not happen if the the attacker felt it was highly possible they would get caught and spend a long time in jail.

Some attackers will of course continue to attack regardless of consequences, but your average opportunistic scumbag won't risk 20 years in the slammer for something like this. With a low probability of arrest, and light sentences, it is a different proposition entirely.

Edit ; And I actually answered your question in the part of my post you edited out of your /quote. I said one should obviously take great care when travelling. But that this is easy to remember in principle, and harder for young people to remember when they are swept away on their holiday buzz. And that this is not their fault, it is a system that spends its whole time selling dream holidays to people, then doesn't regulate to protect those people properly when they arrive. Next time please don't cut my quote down by 2/3 and then ask me a question I already commented on in the snipped piece, thankyou.

But if its not possible to get rid of all the scumbags you still have no advise for (young) women who travel to lets say Thailand for holidays?

[Yunla]

The point is that statements such as, "It doesn't matter what the victim was doing, the criminal is at fault," while true, doesn't really help anyone avoid being victims in the future.

If criminals are targeted as a matter of priority and then jailed for long sentences, this reduces the number of future victims. Strict policing and harsh sentencing also teaches young kids that they will lose basically everything if they turn to crime when they grow up, this also reduces the number of future victims.

You are right about victims in the sense that of course it matters what they are doing, but then we should remember that young people from the UK are arriving in a very hot climate and are jetlagged, they are dazed by their new exotic surroundings in many ways even before they enjoy a few beers. Most of them are probably more careful at home, but it is very disorienting for young people arriving out here for the first time, certainly the first week or so. I think we should give them some leeway in terms of expecting them to be totally on their guard when they are basically in this dazed arrival condition. This is where strict regulation by the authorities should come in, to make sure the areas are safe enough for tired and culture-shocked young travellers who have enjoyed some beers, to be able to seek a taxi home safely.

[longstebe]

Regardless of what time it was or what she was wearing these bastards need putting down.

I think we all agree with that.

But what would you tell your daughter/ sister if she called and said she was staying in Kanchanaburi tonight? Or planning a trip to Kanchanaburi in the near future?

You would say have a good time and be careful.

What you say or don't say wouldn't have changed the outcome. Its a natural thing that a parent would say.

What is your point?

The point is that statements such as, "It doesn't matter what the victim was doing, the criminal is at fault," while true, doesn't really help anyone avoid being victims in the future.

You must be quoting somebody else mate, I never said that.

[KamalaRider]

Where does it say the biker gang was Thai...?

Also, this even happens in the nanny states, bikers all over the world make a point of raping, its a male chauvinistic culture that endorses abuse and objectification of women... this happens often even in the most highly "nannied" states... bikers are just scum with a delusional sense of entitlement and a perverted perspective on life, values, fellow human beings and society !

Having reported the crime proves well for the young lass... don't let these pathetic thugs have the better of her... !

I'm a biker and you just insulted me and my friends who are bikers.

Apparently you haven't met bikers or know anyone of us.

From my experience with other biker gangs/organisations, women are more safe with these guys than any other "group".

If anyone would beat/rape a woman or a child, that person would be dealt with swiftly and also excluded from that biker gang forever if still alive.

I'm excluding criminal gangs pretending to be bikers, they are in minority but looks like they are the majority of bikers because of the media coverage.

My daughter once got seriously drunk at one of their parties.

Some of the guys helped her and drove her home, tucked her in bed and no, they didn't undress her, one of them stayed in her room until I arrived to her apartment.

They called me but I didn't wake up by the phone until hours later.

That guy missed the whole party but he stayed because he didn't feel safe with her being so drunk.

I have been to biker parties almost all over the world and in my experience, women are MUCH safer than anywhere else.

True that most male bikers probably would be considered to be male chauvinists (don't know them all) and most of them will protect women and children and would so with their lives.

The thing is, the phrase male chauvinist isn't correct though, call us masculine men is a better one.

Being masculine male is from a point of view very desirable for a woman because we will defend and protect them no matter what and that reason alone attracts women.

Please next time you feel the urge to jump on a group of people, make sure you point to perpetrators of crimes and not people prune to being friendly towards others apart from when being threatened.

Edited May 29, 2015 by KamalaRider

[Bluespunk]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

oh well, that's fine then. lets not worry, eh.....

I don't see what point you are making here.

People are posting stuff like 'Thailand is full of rapists', and suggesting that people shouldn't come here.

I just thought a reality check might be in order.

Sadly, some will seize any opportunity to put the place down.

And some will do everything they can to deny the negatives.

I live here and like the people and the way of some aspects of life here.

I don't allow that to blind me to the negatives though.

[jackanapes]

words widely spread that a young british girl had been raped in kanchanaburi was she or wasn't she is it true or not?

[DLock]

So much hysteria.

Crimes happen everywhere.

You do realize we are not "everywhere" right?

[longstebe]

So much hysteria.

Crimes happen everywhere.

You do realize we are not "everywhere" right?

Exactly, we may aswell just close the topic if that's the case.

"Ah it's OK, it happens everywhere".

[smotherb]

Where does it say the biker gang was Thai...?

Also, this even happens in the nanny states, bikers all over the world make a point of raping, its a male chauvinistic culture that endorses abuse and objectification of women... this happens often even in the most highly "nannied" states... bikers are just scum with a delusional sense of entitlement and a perverted perspective on life, values, fellow human beings and society !

Having reported the crime proves well for the young lass... don't let these pathetic thugs have the better of her... !

I can see where you got the first part of your name. I have been a biker all my life--I've ridden since I was 10, I am 70 now. I have never raped a woman and I know no other biker who has; therefore, I doubt the credibility of your statement, " . . . bikers all over the world make a point of raping . . ."

You might as well replace the word "biker" with father, husband, grandfather, brother, son, priest, policemen, mayor, etc., ad infinitum; it would be just as truthful.

[soalbundy]

British,teenager,drunk, early morning walk alone = stupid

Comments like that = stupid

I bet she wont do it again,some just have to learn the hard way.

Edited May 29, 2015 by soalbundy

[longstebe]

British,teenager,drunk, early morning walk alone = stupid

Comments like that = stupid

I bet she wont do it again,some just have to learn the hard way.

You must be on a wind up, surely?

[KamalaRider]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

Because women REPORT when being raped in the western world.

In Thailand women DON'T, because there's no point and they are happy they didn't get murdered after.

Edited May 29, 2015 by KamalaRider

[JOC]

Of course I do not blame the victim, but seriously, why do teenage tourists think getting drunk in a 3rd world country and wandering around like it's Disney World. Most Thai people have little and nothing to lose, they are not governed by the same controls found in the Nanny states. Tourist need to relaize that coming here and getting drunk and stoned and taking chances is not a good idea. I hope the catch the rapist and throw away the key, but of course, they will likely get 3 yrs, and then only if they are over 18.

Yes you are blaming the victim!!

Did she use common sense? NO

Does that give anybody the right to sexually assault her ? NO !!

[Guest]

Lets get some perspective here. This is a horrible, unfortunate event, but Thailand is not the world capital of rape.

Statistically, it doesn't even make the top 20. The UK, the US, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia all have higher levels of rape per population.

oh well, that's fine then. lets not worry, eh.....

I don't see what point you are making here.

People are posting stuff like 'Thailand is full of rapists', and suggesting that people shouldn't come here.

I just thought a reality check might be in order.

Sadly, some will seize any opportunity to put the place down.

SoiBiker, I believe you will agree that on Thai Visa, any and all negative events are an opportunity to put Thailand down. Including acts of god (Floods) Really, think about that.

I have finally got it that Thai Visa is a Troll Bait site, where the endless debate will be between reasonable people, and racist xenophobic idiots who have a rather nasty ax to grind. Ironically, few of them actually live full time in Thailand, yet are experts on it.

What many people constructive are posting today is, what I would call the "I didn't see that coming" Index.

Example - Got drunk, slept late, missed flight to Hong Kong, company lost client, got fired, did not see that coming! 555 , ummm , yes, you did .. Please do not act surprised.

Or - Pretty girl gets drunk, meets a gaggle of horny drunk boys at 1:30 AM, is friendly enough to get on a motorcycle with one of them, gets raped, did not see that coming! In a culture where any girl out on the street drunk, showing skin, flirty .. is considered to be a whore.

No one is slightly suggesting rape is in any way, in any circumstance in any way ok.

Many are just saying, word to the wise... when a series of actions has a high probability of a certain outcome, you can not slap your forehead and say "Didn't see that coming!"

We have this every single day on American college campuses. Went to Frat Party, got really drunk, smoked some weed, went back to the dorm to "hang out and listen to music in "Jeff's" room, got raped .. "Didn't see that coming!"

This is not a Thai Thing, this is a F'd Up fact of life that all of our governments and institutions have done a miserable job on. It is not a Thai thing ... it is just a thing that needs to stop .. everywhere.

And yes, we were not there, but in this scenerio, it does send mixed signals to drunk village boys when you show a lot of skin and jump on a bike like that. These boys need to be punished severely, this girl needs love and support. I just wish when they spin this in the press,they would focus more on the "never leave your wingman" principle. No one, not even two guys, should split up , F'd Up in the wee hours. It never ends well.... ANYWHERE.

Most "nice" Thai girls are shy and do not flash a lot of skin. My wife wears a robe to the pool, swims, gets out, and puts it back on. She will not walk alone at night. Her friends are the same way. That is not a Thai Thing, that is a "smart thing" .. and applies everywhere.

[smedly]

I don't think it is wrong for someone to assume they are safe in a popular tourist town - in a country that has been hosting tourists for some 30 years and especially just after the Tourism Minister assured everyone that Thailand is safe destination

Visiting a 7/11 across from your hotel should never be a dangerous endeavour - no way - any time - any one - in this country period

They talk about police reform, how about 24hrs a day enforcing the law proactive policing

[JOC]

British,teenager,drunk, early morning walk alone = stupid

Comments like that = stupid

I bet she wont do it again,some just have to learn the hard way.

Your mother, sister, wife and daughter must be so proud of you!!

[lovinglife]

OH Man!

I was In Kanchanaburi and walked along that street back to my hotel at about 1am, there was a large crowd of youngsters partying outside a bar as I walked past them, many were in fancy dress. I'm guessing she wanted to go to the Tesco Lotus which is only about 300m along the road from there.

I also do remember two motorbikes speeding up and down a couple of times with two young lads on each, the girls in the bar I was in knew them. The fact that she has reported it surely means they will take swabs and get DNA samples, this should not be difficult for the police to solve if they have the will.