Professor Wanchai – same old same old

From time to time big media events in Thailand cause a breakout in the national sport of soul searching. This is usually followed by promises of action, crackdowns and the like before everything returns to normal.

This week’s mega event was the televised suicide of Professor Wanchai who was wanted for murder and cornered in a Bangkok motel. What followed was a media and online event to rival the most unpleasant of recent years. A five hour plus standoff repeatedly showed the desperate professor raise a gun to his temple as police brought in all and sundry to try and talk him out of it.

The media coverage and police action plans – or lack of them – has even prompted the prime minister to speak out. Once again the Thai public are seen as ghouls desperate for every scrap of information, every video, every picture, no matter what the cost in common decency, no matter what the cost to justice and procedure.

On the 25th anniversary of a similar soul searching event this seems like just same old same old.

The event in question was the May 26th 1991 crash of Lauda Air flight 004 in Suphanburi. All 223 passengers and crew perished in a remote jungle area now a national park. The cause was generally accepted to be the deployment of thrust reversers in flight but it was not the cause of the accident or even the fact that it was the biggest aviation disaster in Thailand’s history that was the reason for the soul searching.

It was the fact that the crash site was looted by villagers and foundation workers employed to assist the victims of accidents. A whole treasure trove of electronics, jewelry and personal items were taken that compromised the investigation.

But not just that a stream of members of the public descended on the crash site with its attendant entourage of noodle stands and drinks vendors in support. And to add insult to injury tables were set up to sell items from the wreckage with passports, watches, necklaces and other less valuable “souvenirs” being traded in a disgraceful impromptu market.

While the internet generation with all its clamoring for fast news and instant comment can be said to be behind the media show that was the death of the professor, these were just distant dreams in the Lauda incident. News slowly filtered out but many Thais felt it was a turning point.

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/professor-wanchai-old-old/

-- Inspire Pattaya 2016-05-29

Once again the Thai public are seen as ghouls desperate for every scrap of information, every video, every picture, no matter what the cost in common decency, no matter what the cost to justice and procedure.----OP

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Disgusting the Thai public aren't they ?

This is so different from when I was last in America & they were after this guy called OJ. I was staying at a motel in that area at the time, never knew that he had a problem.......... But I did think the Russians had invaded.........................

If soul searching were indeed the national sport, we wouldn't even recognize this place.

But what has changed with time and soul-searching ? Not much.

Only 2 or 3 days ago we read a pick-up transporting mushrooms over-turned, scattering the valuable mushrooms and injuring the driver or passenger. And what happened next ? the scavengers scavenged and ignored the injured driver or passenger screaming for help.

Yes. Same old Same old.

Savages, basically, acting like Stone Age Man.