Danish Resident in knife-incident with watch-seller at Pattaya Beer Bar

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Danish Resident in knife-incident with watch-seller at Pattaya Beer Bar

PATTAYA:-- Late on Saturday Night, Pattaya Police were called to a Beer Bar located only meters away from the Station on Pattaya Beach Road, by a Danish resident who had just been threatened with a knife after refusing to purchase a fake branded wrist watch from a street vendor.

The vendor was able to escape but was soon located further up Pattaya Beach Road and was found to be aged only 16. The knife thought to have been used was recovered by Police.

Mr. Lars Jensen aged 50, who operates a Kitchen Utensil Business in Thailand, was at the Bar with his wife and friends when the vendor approached and offered the watches for sale. Mr. Jensen refused to purchase a watch which angered the vendor who produced the knife and threatened harm to Mr. Jensen.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/218983/danish-resident-in-knife-incident-with-watch-seller-at-pattaya-beer-bar/

-- Pattaya One 2015-11-08

[SoiBiker]

Weird. If you're prepared to pull a knife on someone to get their money, why bother with the watch selling stuff beforehand?

[JHolmesJr]

wow….this place gets more and more insane by the day.

[KittenKong]

I've occasionally sat outside bars and have seen p*ssed-up farangs just say "#@$! off" to vendors who have done nothing worse than show their wares with a smile.

It doesn't surprise me that some get knifed.

[lemonjelly]

Remain polite, don't give them a confrontation...... Normal MO here.

[champers]

The Dane looks like a calm and reasonable chap in the photo. He's 50? Must have had a tough life.

[onemorechang]

One more example of the lovely little boys of Thailand.

500 Baht fine should do it, or 50 Baht fine for juvenile

Amazing Pattaya.

Edited November 8, 2015 by onemorechang

[whitemouse]

I've occasionally sat outside bars and have seen p*ssed-up farangs just say "#@$! off" to vendors who have done nothing worse than show their wares with a smile.

It doesn't surprise me that some get knifed.

Very true!

I it is not wise to run your mouth to strangers, thinking there wouldn't any repercussions. These vendors are angry people, riding around tourist areas all day, stopping, making rounds with their cases of watches, and no one is buying.

They get frustrated and it doesn't take much for the guy to snap, and I'm sure all of them carry knives.

I always notice how differently foreigners react to watch vendors, people who live here look away slightly, and from the raction the sales guy knows this is a local foreigner, he isn't gonna buy, and he walks away to next target immidiately.

Tourists give a long speech how they don't need another watch, they point to their own watch on the wrist and say 'look, I have', or tourist starts going throught the stock of watches, there is already talk of prices.. and it always ends with tourist declining at the end, after waisting sellers time.

The worst thing to do is tell vendor to FO, that is when the violence is moments away, and what follows depends only where this takes place, how well lit, and how many people are around.

I have seen things get tense several times, last time was just couple of nights ago, outside Starbucks at soi 13. Two guys looking at watches, few tables away, so I didn't hear the whole thing, but it ended with angry shouting, and Thai, or more likely Cambodian watch vendors making not very friendly hand gestures, they then hopped on a bike and rode off.

These guys know very well that the front of Starbucks is covered by Beach Rd cameras, SB's own cameras, and there were many people outside witnessing this. Had this taken place at some soi, I have no doubt this would have ended differently.

I not saying waisting vendors time, or being rude to vendor justifys attack, not at all, just speculating what may have led to this attack.

[Jingthing]

You can REDUCE your chances of being attacked by a nutcase with a knife with those confrontation avoidance tactics. You can't eliminate them. Some people will just snap and you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't blame the Dane unless you were there and saw him attack the knifer first.

Edited November 8, 2015 by Jingthing

[NCC1701A]

just act completely disinterested and learn to say "No thank you" politely in Thai. Works very time.

[piersbeckett]

The Dane looks like a calm and reasonable chap in the photo. He's 50? Must have had a tough life.

Yeah, 'done every day of it', 'and the rest'!

Edited November 8, 2015 by piersbeckett

[onemorechang]

They get frustrated and it doesn't take much for the guy to snap, and I'm sure all of them carry knives.

I always notice how differently foreigners react to watch vendors, people who live here look away slightly, and from the raction the sales guy knows this is a local foreigner, he isn't gonna buy, and he walks away to next target immidiately.

Tourists give a long speech how they don't need another watch, they point to their own watch on the wrist and say 'look, I have', or tourist starts going throught the stock of watches, there is already talk of prices.. and it always ends with tourist declining at the end, after waisting sellers time.

That is BS, some will not stop until they have eye contact and verbal acknowledgement.

some will just stay there tapping your shoulder or arm or back.

That's the truth.

[SoiBiker]

I've never understood how people can't deal with these guys. Just say no and then ignore them completely. They soon get the message.

[slipperylobster]

It could of been something that was said.

A simple shake of the head and fast walk away never resulted in an attack.

I wouldn't want to say something like "get that fake crap out of my face, bozo"...although I heard people say something similar.

[Happy Grumpy]

wow….this place gets more and more insane by the day.

If he stabbed him, it would like have been a 500b fine.

As was what happened to the 19 yr old Thai that stabbed a 70 yr old Westerner for brushing past him in the street.

[KhunBENQ]

They get frustrated and it doesn't take much for the guy to snap, and I'm sure all of them carry knives.

I always notice how differently foreigners react to watch vendors, people who live here look away slightly, and from the raction the sales guy knows this is a local foreigner, he isn't gonna buy, and he walks away to next target immidiately.

Tourists give a long speech how they don't need another watch, they point to their own watch on the wrist and say 'look, I have', or tourist starts going throught the stock of watches, there is already talk of prices.. and it always ends with tourist declining at the end, after waisting sellers time.

That is BS, some will not stop until they have eye contact and verbal acknowledgement.

some will just stay there tapping your shoulder or arm or back.

That's the truth.

Agree, such annoyance happens and then it becomes difficult to stay calm and give a smile.

Sitting in the first row can be exhausting.

Usually bars will not allow the hawkers to walk around inside.

Some have clear signs in Thai and ? that hawking customers is not tolerated.

Edited November 8, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[onemorechang]

These hawkers of pattaya are in no way saints.

you can round the lot up tomorrow.

Pattaya and Jomtien would be a much better place.

People run real shops here, they pay rent, rates, Tax.

what do these scum bags do ?

That's it irritate tourists having dinner or a beer.

[whitemouse]

No, not BS at all!

The vendors use different approch with different targets, you probably look to them a tourist, and their experience tells them that pushy tactic works for your 'type'.

Or you may look like a kind pensioner, again, they choose a pushy tactic in order to get your attention, if you look kind and friendy, their hope is that with enough pressure you will buy something.

I observe them all the time, they work different targets with different amount of effort, they always use their judgement when making an approach, the foreigners that are very obvioulsy living here get the leat amount of harrassment from vendors, any vendors, and not just watch guys.

I never been knocked on shoulder by a watch guy here, and I'm outside all the time. So it clearly depends on individual. You will now prolly say again that what I say is BS, but I can't help that.

The 'shoulder knockers' are Philipina scam artists, who run around Pattaya, and not just Pattaya or Thailand, pretending to collect money for children's charities. To me, those girls make watch guys look like angels. To scam good hearted, compassionate people by using photos of children from regions where children's suffering is a very real problem, is the absolute worst! These scammers are the lowest of the low.

They get frustrated and it doesn't take much for the guy to snap, and I'm sure all of them carry knives.

I always notice how differently foreigners react to watch vendors, people who live here look away slightly, and from the raction the sales guy knows this is a local foreigner, he isn't gonna buy, and he walks away to next target immidiately.

Tourists give a long speech how they don't need another watch, they point to their own watch on the wrist and say 'look, I have', or tourist starts going throught the stock of watches, there is already talk of prices.. and it always ends with tourist declining at the end, after waisting sellers time.

That is BS, some will not stop until they have eye contact and verbal acknowledgement.

some will just stay there tapping your shoulder or arm or back.

That's the truth.

[onemorechang]

No, not BS at all!

The vendors use different approch with different targets, you probably look to them a tourist, and their experience tells them that pushy tactic works for your 'type'.

Or you may look like a kind pensioner, again, they choose a pushy tactic in order to get your attention, if you look kind and friendy, their hope is that with enough pressure you will buy something.

I observe them all the time, they work different targets with different amount of effort, they always use their judgement when making an approach, the foreigners that are very obvioulsy living here get the leat amount of harrassment from vendors, any vendors, and not just watch guys.

I never been knocked on shoulder by a watch guy here, and I'm outside all the time. So it clearly depends on individual. You will now prolly say again that what I say is BS, but I can't help that.

The 'shoulder knockers' are Philipina scam artists, who run around Pattaya, and not just Pattaya or Thailand, pretending to collect money for children's charities. To me, those girls make watch guys look like angels. To scam good hearted, compassionate people by using photos of children from regions where children's suffering is a very real problem, is the absolute worst! These scammers are the lowest of the low.

Sorry mate , you obviously never go out or don't live here.

[Briggsy]

Beach Road bars in Pattaya have long, long since ceased to be a fun place to hang out.

That in no way excuses the actions of the vendor. I suspect if, 25 years from now, someone was to put a "This is your Life" of the "watch vendor/knife puller" on Thaivisa, it would make fairly seedy reading with lots of low-level crime, drunkenness, drug abuse and wife beating, interspersed with stretches in prison.

[JHolmesJr]

My technique for dealing with them is to just go on doing whatever it is I am doing….without looking at them….no talking to them either…they usually move on.

[GBW]

The Dane looks like a calm and reasonable chap in the photo. He's 50? Must have had a tough life.

maybe 'The Dane' was not happy with the 'utensil' ? Hawking <deleted> in his territory? close to the 'station'...

[scorecard]

Weird. If you're prepared to pull a knife on someone to get their money, why bother with the watch selling stuff beforehand?

I can't see any background detais / information. maybe the farang was less than civil with the watch seller and the guy reacted.

Pulling a knife is not acceptable but nobody here knows the details, maybe the watch seller was threatened!

In the past I've seen many farang get very angry and abusive to such people, way more than appropriate, in many cases they are just very poor people with very few options in life and desperate to survive.

I don't know, you don't know, why jump to conclusions?

Edited November 8, 2015 by scorecard

[scorecard]

Beach Road bars in Pattaya have long, long since ceased to be a fun place to hang out.

That in no way excuses the actions of the vendor. I suspect if, 25 years from now, someone was to put a "This is your Life" of the "watch vendor/knife puller" on Thaivisa, it would make fairly seedy reading with lots of low-level crime, drunkenness, drug abuse and wife beating, interspersed with stretches in prison.

What?

[onemorechang]

Pulling a knife is not acceptable but nobody here knows the details, maybe the watch seller was threatened!

Oh, do behave.

[thairay]

perhaps he was trying to sell the knife?

[NanLaew]

Remain polite, don't give them a confrontation...... Normal MO here.

Agreed. I usually make sure I briefly engage them with a smile, head shake and a "Maiao krap" since even a dismissive wave can set some of these buggers off.

However, while savouring a stogie at my favorite bar the other night, a tat seller stopped to watch the movie on the bar television. When I looked at her, she looked at me, my cigar, wrinkled her nose and said, 'Min!'

In this instance, I said, "Well F.O. then!"

[mcfish]

There is more to this. I bet the farang told him to F. O and there was loss of face

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[jacko45k]

I am ambivalent about this.

I can guess some people get frustrated by having their evening out disturbed, conversation interrupted etc by hawkers touching them.

I am particularly aggravated by them (lottery ticket sellers mostly) bothering me when I am eating.

Another has posted the way I normally handle it, look away, ignore.

Or a 'mai-ow krap'.....

They are a pest, they have no right to get aggressive, and actually should have no right of access into the bar area unless a customer shows interest and waves them over.

It might seem cute to have a little child trying to sell you chewing gum but knife wielding druggies selling illegal copies is not.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Been living in Pattaya for over a decade and politely waived away or ignored hundreds of watch sellers without incident so I'm wondering what the Dane did or said to provoke the incident, assuming, arguendo, that it really happened. I do know that having reported an apparently harmless incident to the police, he better watch his back whenever he is drinking in beer bars in the future.

Edited November 9, 2015 by OMGImInPattaya