Bangkok's Brawling Vocational Students Are a Threat to Public Health

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Bangkok's Brawling Vocational Students Are a Threat to Public Health

By Adam Ramsey

Bangkok has a serious student violence problem.

In Thai media, barely a week passes without some mention of bloody brawls between students from the city's numerous vocational colleges. In 2015, more than 1,000 cases were reported in Bangkok by mid-year, many of them resulting in serious injury and even death.

As the violence has intensified, the issue is now considered a significant public health issue.

Late last month, just a week ahead of the 83rd anniversary of the founding of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok Uthentawai (simply known as Uthentawai), Bangkok's metropolitan police preemptively raided its campus and that of the school's archrival, the Pathumwan Institute of Technology, located a short walk away. The bust produced two handguns and ammunition, 55 knives, six bulletproof vests, and materials for making nail bombs.

On Monday, the day of the anniversary, an incongruously heavy security presence at Uthentawai testified to this darker side of Thailand's vocational and technical education system. Police officers and military personnel milled about, sniffer dogs patrolled the periphery, and two explosive ordnance disposal technicians stood by the front gate, which was ringed by metal detectors.

Full story: https://news.vice.com/article/bangkoks-brawling-vocational-students-are-a-threat-to-public-health

-- Vice News 2016-02-06

[wow64]

Interesting places of learning.

The Universities should be teaching rather then....... Better stop there or I will get a lawsuit for defemation.

Sent from my c64

[RichardColeman]

And they wonder why all their girlfriends are running off with Falang !

[Buddumber]

And they wonder why all their girlfriends are running off with Falang !

mai chai! my observation is that they are running off with each other Edited February 6, 2016 by Buddumber

[ezzra]

Why don't they offer a degree and a scholarship in brawling and causing bodily harm to others?

I'm sure all of them will graduate with honors, first in their class.....

[Bluespunk]

"As the violence has intensified, the issue is now considered a significant public health issue."

Asinine statement.

It's a law and order issue.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Bluespunk

[hansnl]

Can anybody enlighten me why they are brawling, fighting or killing each other?

[huangnon]

Can anybody enlighten me why they are brawling, fighting or killing each other?

Thainess? Either that or an unemployment solution.

These "vocational colleges" seem have been fighting each other forever. I suppose that looking back, during "metalwork" classes in school, we did used to spend a lot of time making weapons of some description, so it's probably just a natural progression.

[Traveling Sailor]

Can anybody enlighten me why they are brawling, fighting or killing each other?

"For me, it was never a question," explained a former Uthentawai student who left school nine years ago, who asked to be identified as Gan. "If I see someone from Pathumwan, we must fight. And they feel the same towards me."

There you have it in a nutshell. These students are not taught how to think for themselves, probably too late by the time they get to this level of school. So it is like tribal mentality. Something Neanderthal men were good at.

Solution? Simple. Anyone caught fighting or possessing a weapon is thrown in jail for one month, minimum, and kicked out of school with no refund. The schools need to develop big, brass ones and say "NO" to this crap. Give the schools 30 days to come up with the new rules or shut the school down using Article 44.

I know, won't happen. It requires the ability to think, plan ahead and actually do something, not just talk about it.

[mrrizzla]

People saying 'Thainess'

Yes because society already judging and looking down on guys like these and thus they form gangs is exclusively a Thai problem isn't it? Nope, it happens in near enough every country in the world. This is a social problem, as much here as it is anywhere else.

Am I condoning their behavior? No, just trying to look at the bigger picture of why these kinds of things happen.

[PaullyW]

Why don't they offer a degree and a scholarship in brawling and causing bodily harm to others?

I'm sure all of them will graduate with honors, first in their class.....

Because most of those punks would not graduate on account of them being p@ssies who fight like women.

[Mot Dang]

We need some proper head-bashers in the police force. This is an easy job. Every western country in the world has had this problem at one stage or another...Set the precedent, kids play up warn them. Kids play up a second time, provide them with a plastic bag to put their teeth in. Third time, get out the waddie stick. They will soon get the message, they are little wimps. Exactly the same wimps you see skulking around my village, no job, no brains, unemployable. The only fights that they win are by king-hitting their gfs when she is not looking. Cowards all of them.

Pattaya police need not apply, they are too busy pushing around grey haired pensioners.

[mmh8]

one suspects that any students that are fighting and not asking questions such as what is future for me, what about importance of human rights, democracy etc. are the right sort of student.

in fact, if all students wre doing this I am sure certain people would be happy

keep em fighting not thinking

[Kaalle]

And if you paired them up and they had to fight one on one would they do it?

[WhizBang]

What? A public health issue? No, not at all. A virus is a public health issue. AIDS is a public health issue.

These brain dead morons are a public SAFETY issue. BIG difference.

[thhMan]

At least the Police, Parents and Teachers were safe... (The ones that teach children, respect, good virtues and common sense)

Its also good to know that ThaiTV is careful not to show violence on a regular basis

-sic-

[poohy]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

[bark]

Each student must bring a letter signed by their parents saying that if their kid causes problems then; they must take their kid out of the school, forever. Or they must put up a bond of 25-50,000 bt. If their kid causes problems then they lose the money.

[monkey4u]

Send all these Brain Dead idiots down south selling pork

[NCC1701A]

And they wonder why all their girlfriends are running off with Falang !

just the tip of the iceberg of a very long list of reasons.

if i have to hear my Thai girlfriend say one more time "No like Thai man" I am going to jump out the window.

[benbear]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

Isn't Thai boxing 1 on 1 fighting ?

[Alwyn]

If they want to see real violence go to any University in the west and watch the anti-Semites kicks off when Jew want to walk past wearing a yarmulke or an Israeli professor visits....

[Jonmarleesco]

Can anybody enlighten me why they are brawling, fighting or killing each other?

Because that's the level of intelligence the vocational colleges are attracting.

[poohy]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

Isn't Thai boxing 1 on 1 fighting ?

I believe you have got my point! Indeed it is! that's why i am amazed, However Outside That ring these Thai men would not enter a fight unless they outnumber their opponent 50/1

[gandalf12]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

The Thai boxers, the notable ones, dont usually go around fighting outside of the ring. They dont have anything to prove.

[CoreanoOzzie]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

You white boys would have to be the biggest pussies...

[nottocus]

They go to some crap school.

They have no hope when they go in and they know they have know hope when they get out.

So they fight.

[Scott]

In order to survive, humans, and most animals, have to know who the enemy is. It once was cavemen watching for sabre toothed tigers, later it became people who spoke a different language, lived on the other side of the river or wore different clothing or worshiped a different god. Whether it is gangs in the US or football hooligans in Europe, it's what we do. Large numbers of young men are driven by testosterone and that drive is to protect ones turf and territory.

Move the schools very far from one another for a start and then get rid of the uniforms or don't allow them to be worn off campus.

I had two colleagues who were on a bus when a group of vocational students came in and threw them on the floor of the bus. A few motorcycles went by and the shooting started. Thank God the students were nice enough to try to protect the passengers.

[Mot Dang]

For a country where 1 on 1 fighting is unheard of, as they are all a bunch of cowards,I am amazed they are that good at thai boxing

You white boys would have to be the biggest pussies...

Says you, living in Australia, under the generosity of Australians.

[NanLaew]

Can anybody enlighten me why they are brawling, fighting or killing each other?

There's a gang culture in just about every civilized country. The uniquely Thai manifestation of this is in the vocational education system.

Why? Because like many a TV members wife or girlfriend, Thailand IS different.