Udon teens blame 'GTA' for beating elderly westerners

[DM07]

Many years ago , in England there was a case where a young boy , I think 11 years old killed another boy after watching a violent video , not a game. He explained in court he wanted to kill after watching the video .,

My point is that young people can get influenced by video games , we see it all the time. Even if most people understand the difference between a game and the real world.

...and it is NOT the vault of the video!

Why was the kid watching a violent video?

Where were the parents?

Also: no one watches a video and turns into a killer!

Usually there are psychological issues at hand and a video etc. may trigger something- but is not the sole and only reason for an 11 year old ,going on a killing- spree!

[Shaunduhpostman]

The more this happens the more people will start buying, carrying and if necessary deploying pepper spray. A shot of that to the face ought to drive home the difference between a video game and reality.

[mercman24]

i think one tragic point no one had mentioned , one poor guy is in a coma because of these little toerags actions, hope he pulls through or else it is a case of murder.

[Jonathon]

Too many kids brought up by parents who impose no discipline or, more likely, grandparents who simply can't be bothered.

[Moonsterk]

Wow, the Thai bashers are in full swing today. Boys will be boys. As a teenager I did some bad things that now I think back were pretty terrible. The Thais didn't make this game up, it was probably the Americans.

In some ways Thai kids are actually better than their western counterparts. Most "civilized western countries" cities are covered in graffiti and vandalism against public property is rife. Don't see that much of it here. I also find their manners better GENERALLY speaking.

I agree, rather encounter a crowd of Thai youth than Manchester hooligans.

Maybe some kind of testosterone inhibitor is needed.... like abortion.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Moonsterk

[DekDaeng]

It's got nothing to do with video games you morons. If that's the case why weren't you all beating the sh*t out of each other after watching tom and jerry? Narrow minded fools. If they are prone to violence, games or films are not going to make the person do what they are predetermined to do anyway.

If a connection is shown, GTA's makers should be in the dock.

You don't need to beg the question - 'morons' 'narrow minded fools'

- shows that you doubt your own POV.

[tgeezer]

The 'game' is a Western invention where the hero is the player, he is cast in the role of a thief! I am surprised that people condemn the kids and not the sickos who thought up and market the game.

[Lorn]

I have just read the Telegraph report on banning the game in Thailand. The report states that the game encourages gamers to steal in order to find the funds to play the game, if this is true then I am amazed that posters here can criticise Thailand when this utterly criminal game is a product of their own culture.

No you've combined to many things there. The game encourages you to steal in game to get points but in those versions of the game (pre 2008) there was no online play so if he was frustrated at having no money to play it would have been just for using the game cafe.

Unfortunately in newer games they do try to get you to pay more and more money to unlock content but that includes totally non-violent games. Are you going to blame Iphones or LV bags for crime as people need money to buy those too?

[Lorn]

The 'game' is a Western invention where the hero is the player, he is cast in the role of a thief! I am surprised that people condemn the kids and not the sickos who thought up and market the game.

So no movies where the main character is a criminal should be allowed either? Ban the Godfather!

The games have an age-restriction so if you don't want to condemn the kids then condemn whoever is allowing them to play the game.

[balo]

Many years ago , in England there was a case where a young boy , I think 11 years old killed another boy after watching a violent video , not a game. He explained in court he wanted to kill after watching the video .,

My point is that young people can get influenced by video games , we see it all the time. Even if most people understand the difference between a game and the real world.

...and it is NOT the vault of the video!

Why was the kid watching a violent video?

Where were the parents?

Also: no one watches a video and turns into a killer!

Usually there are psychological issues at hand and a video etc. may trigger something- but is not the sole and only reason for an 11 year old ,going on a killing- spree!

I agree that we can not only blame a video or a game , it's the whole package , the upbringing, irresponsible parents etc.

But the kids got the idea to rob foreigners from a video game , you can't deny that .

And one thing led to another etc.

[Roomuck]

Wow, the Thai bashers are in full swing today. Boys will be boys. As a teenager I did some bad things that now I think back were pretty terrible. The Thais didn't make this game up, it was probably the Americans.

In some ways Thai kids are actually better than their western counterparts. Most "civilized western countries" cities are covered in graffiti and vandalism against public property is rife. Don't see that much of it here. I also find their manners better GENERALLY speaking.

That is sarcasm, isn't it?

Please tell me it is!

Otherwise, this must be the dumbest post, I have read in a loooong time and I read some pretty dumb posts on other threads!

Boys will be boys?

Seriously?

Going out in to a park and clubbing some old age pensioneer into a coma?

You have done similar things, when you were young?

...and for the rest of your post: what a steaming pile of BS!

The mind boggles!

No, not sarcasm, I am serious. Never put anyone in a coma. I am not saying that they shouldn't be punished, they should. However, shit like this happens in most/all countries. A bit rich to blame it on Thainess. If it is soooo bad here then why do we live here. All the bitching about Thainess when anything bad happens.

I feel pretty safe working around, but shit can happen anywhere. This kids need to grow up, but I think you will find most countries are legally a lot more tolerant of young offenders. Because judges etc. realize that young people <deleted> up but when they grow up most end up all right. Maybe you were an angel at 15-18, I wasn't. I had a privileged upbringing but first arrested at 15. Now I am law abiding, because I grew up.

You may disagree but I don't think it is a part of Thainess do vandalism and graffiti as much as it is in western countries. Just have a look around. You may think it is a dumb thread, I never claimed I was intelligent. Thanks for your reply and have a nice day in the land of Smiles.

[wow64]

The real crime here is how GTA has not shown these teens what you do after a elderly person beat down.

Anyone who is half decent at GTA know once you have commit a bashing/killing/car theft/kill a cop.. you run to the closest car steal it and go hide in a quiet street or safe house until your stars/wanted level goes down.

[Craig krup]

Some farangs should knock Friar Tuck out of a couple of the kids and say they were traumatised by this story on Thai Visa.

[MorristheRunt]

The real crime here is how GTA has not shown these teens what you do after a elderly person beat down.

Anyone who is half decent at GTA know once you have commit a bashing/killing/car theft/kill a cop.. you run to the closest car steal it and go hide in a quiet street or safe house until your stars/wanted level goes down.

Trevor Phillips has a lot to answer for!

[DM07]

Many years ago , in England there was a case where a young boy , I think 11 years old killed another boy after watching a violent video , not a game. He explained in court he wanted to kill after watching the video .,

My point is that young people can get influenced by video games , we see it all the time. Even if most people understand the difference between a game and the real world.

...and it is NOT the vault of the video!

Why was the kid watching a violent video?

Where were the parents?

Also: no one watches a video and turns into a killer!

Usually there are psychological issues at hand and a video etc. may trigger something- but is not the sole and only reason for an 11 year old ,going on a killing- spree!

I agree that we can not only blame a video or a game , it's the whole package , the upbringing, irresponsible parents etc.

But the kids got the idea to rob foreigners from a video game , you can't deny that .

And one thing led to another etc.

I am quiet sure, they had an idea about "robbing people" before they played GTA.

Ever watched Thai- TV?

[hawker9000]

Nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the fact these teens are worthless scum.

Sadly my experience of the teen Thai male is born out by this attack....The young males seem almost to be a protected species and get away with murder..sometimes literally. Sadly this situation won't change till the whole culture changes and that's not going to happen any day soon....And as someone else said sadly there's no decent role model available to them either. When I lived in Thailand with my ex wife I saw first hand from her son and his friends everything that was wrong with the way there brought up..

And there you have it. Exactly right. Very little to do with the video game (as little as there might be to recommend it...). To blame the video game is to confuse a mere symptom with the actual disease, which is the lack of decent upbringing. There ought to be jail time for bad parenting.

[DM07]

Wow, the Thai bashers are in full swing today. Boys will be boys. As a teenager I did some bad things that now I think back were pretty terrible. The Thais didn't make this game up, it was probably the Americans.

In some ways Thai kids are actually better than their western counterparts. Most "civilized western countries" cities are covered in graffiti and vandalism against public property is rife. Don't see that much of it here. I also find their manners better GENERALLY speaking.

That is sarcasm, isn't it?

Please tell me it is!

Otherwise, this must be the dumbest post, I have read in a loooong time and I read some pretty dumb posts on other threads!

Boys will be boys?

Seriously?

Going out in to a park and clubbing some old age pensioneer into a coma?

You have done similar things, when you were young?

...and for the rest of your post: what a steaming pile of BS!

The mind boggles!

No, not sarcasm, I am serious. Never put anyone in a coma. I am not saying that they shouldn't be punished, they should. However, shit like this happens in most/all countries. A bit rich to blame it on Thainess. If it is soooo bad here then why do we live here. All the bitching about Thainess when anything bad happens.

I feel pretty safe working around, but shit can happen anywhere. This kids need to grow up, but I think you will find most countries are legally a lot more tolerant of young offenders. Because judges etc. realize that young people f... up but when they grow up most end up all right. Maybe you were an angel at 15-18, I wasn't. I had a privileged upbringing but first arrested at 15. Now I am law abiding, because I grew up.

You may disagree but I don't think it is a part of Thainess do vandalism and graffiti as much as it is in western countries. Just have a look around. You may think it is a dumb thread, I never claimed I was intelligent. Thanks for your reply and have a nice day in the land of Smiles.

Your blinkered view of Thailand is amazing...to phrase it mildly!

So you think, Thailand is so much better, when - for example- you read about students hacking teachers of "rivaling" schools to death or have a "friendly exchange" of bullets and machete- fights with "rivaling" schools?

You read about this on an almost daily basis in Thailand!

Haven't heard about something like that where I came from in ...forever!

What is to blame on "Thainess" is the inability of taking responsibility and blaming everything on something else!

You are a gang of criminals, who rob and beat up farang senior citizens- blame a video game!

"The guy in the video made me do it!"...is that the equivalent of hearing and obeying the voices in your head?

[JonnyF]

I didn't even know the game was banned in Thailand, I bought it here very easily.

It's a great game (not for kids but then it has an age rating to reflect that) and banning it would be ridiculous. If someone watches Scarface and then goes out and does a professional hit on someone should we ban violent movies? Someone watches an erotic movie and then rapes someone, ban that as well?

I've got loads of friends who've been playing these types of games for years, none of us have been in any serious trouble and most of us are pretty successful people.

These kids were idiots, simple as that. Hope they go to jail for such a cowardly assault.

[inzman]

Did they beat up any old thai people ? Well this is then a hate crime isn't it ? They have an innate hatred for white people.

[diehard60]

It does not matter anyway as they will be out on the streets to do it again and again. The cops won't do anything about it. They talk big.

[JeffreyO]

I have always believed this, desensitizes the knuckleheads, what game did they learn kicking someone's head in by 6 or more, even the girls are using this tactic, by some of the videos on FB, a Disgrace, should be Banned these games, sure some can handle it without acting out, but u have these imbeciles who cannot control themselves...

45 million copies of GTA 5 sold, including all the other GTA's we're talking hundreds of millions. I know, let's also ban movies because some kids will act out what they see in movies. Oh, and then we have to ban TV, and books, and anything else that we think might lead to bad acts by others which basically shuts down all creative freedoms.

You sir, are a fool and know nothing of video games or even how the human mind works. Emulation is normal but that doesn't mean we stop millions of others from entertainment because of a select few. Furthermore, these kids are just doing what everyone who gets caught doing a crime does, looking for an excuse so they don't get in trouble. Remember, it's always everyone else's fault but theirs.

[Asiantravel]

Did they beat up any old thai people ? Well this is then a hate crime isn't it ? They have an innate hatred for white people.

indeed. They can do this so easily right now what could they be like if there was a real crisis in this country and people fell on real hard times (e.g. financial or constitutional). Foreigners would be real sitting targets in my opinion.

[flossiebear]

Poor excuse. Reminds me people blaming alcohol for similar. What about taking responsibility.

[Gutenberg]

1. No, GTA is not the reason for this attack. It is never a game. A psychopath is a psychopath, regardless if he plays golf on the computer or GTA on the computer. Also, as mentioned before, tons of millions of GTA copies are sold.

2. The reason why they brought up the "because of GTA" is to blame somebody/something else. They know they can get away with it as GTA was previously banned in Thailand. I could even imagine about a police officer said that they should say this to walk free.

3. Small minded people and particularly old people fall for this trick. They really think a game could turn kids into violent punks. No, it is just not true, regardless how many times you might repeat it.

4. Their upbringing and education made them do it, nothing else. If your father lays in a hammock drinking alcohol all day long, beating up you and your mother every second day, you have a high chance to be violent yourself because of your upbringing, not because of a game.

Result: Don't be silly and fall for the propaganda of games turning peaceful kids into violent killing zombies.

[stickylies]

Respect the elderly. Buddhism. Jai yen. Blahblahblah...

[johnmell]

Why does there need to be so many police in this picture?.

[Jim walker]

Why are Thai teens so frightened at one another to fight one to one even when they attack old people they need a gang are they all so afraid some 80 year old will beat the living daylights out of them, I put the blame firmly at the parents feet they obviously don’t teach these children self-respect or to show any respect to their elders, this whole country is going to the dogs with such crimes against the elderly in another generation it will be a totally lawless no go country run by gangs of youths. I have seen movies/games where the bad nasty people end up dead or have they missed that ones, or don’t watch these because it will never happen to them.

[torpedo1970]

And it is all down to Thainess.

The great art of not taking any responsibility for own actions.

We see it in all the news.

"the game made me"

"she made me angry, so i killed her"

"It was the rains fault i crashed"

"the brakes did not work"

"The alcohol made me loose control"

And finally

"sorry, wont do it again"

then together with some cash it is all forgiven!

Thainess

TIT

[MW72]

I have always believed this, desensitizes the knuckleheads, what game did they learn kicking someone's head in by 6 or more, even the girls are using this tactic, by some of the videos on FB, a Disgrace, should be Banned these games, sure some can handle it without acting out, but u have these imbeciles who cannot control themselves...

And before video games no one ever robbed anyone? Why don't we ban all movies with violence while we are at it? Let's ban alcohol because a few knuckleheads get violent when they are drunk.

Lowest common denominator nonsense.

[Craig krup]

Your blinkered view of Thailand is amazing...to phrase it mildly!

So you think, Thailand is so much better, when - for example- you read about students hacking teachers of "rivaling" schools to death or have a "friendly exchange" of bullets and machete- fights with "rivaling" schools?

I've got to admit, when I saw kids running hell for leather straight across busy roads in Nong Khai, scooters pulling rapid u-turns in pursuit, and all the rest of it, I was quite surprised. None of the locals batted an eyelid.