The week that was in Thailand News: Caught on tape – is there no hiding place in Thailand anymore?

[rooster59]

The week that was in Thailand News: Caught on tape – is there no hiding place in Thailand anymore?

Time was when you could be a naughty boy or girl in Thailand and nobody would find out about it. Even the spouse was none the wiser if you kept a straight face and played dumb, the latter always coming easy for me.

Those days are gone with just about everyone carrying around a video camera in their back pocket ready to record your every move should you step remotely out of line.

And they just can’t wait to get back home and load the results onto Facebook!

Nationwide, those mobile phones were whipped out this week with Thais and foreigners recording the locals’ behavior for all and sundry to enjoy. Gun toting motorists, foul mouthed bus drivers, a teacher using a student’s head as a punching bag, and a bus passenger in camouflage all vied with road ragers and street thugs for our undivided video attention.

First up was the Udon teacher caught walloping a female student for wearing trousers on a Tuesday. A heinous crime indeed. The tragedy of the reaction for me was that so many saw nothing wrong in it both on Thaivisa and in Thai society.

But whereas Thais are still just a few years into legislation to try to prevent such assaults, surely the westerners still harboring the “good clip round the ear never did me any harm” attitude, should have learnt au contraire by now.

The teenager, caught up in the mess, obviously wanted the clip of the clip round the ear removed and even apologized for her behavior saying “sir” was only doing his job.

Sorry, but I was a teacher for thirty years and I managed to keep order without even giving so much as lines. I would sack him and counsel the girl as to why it was wrong. And if anyone deserves a detention, the teacher’s supporters do.

Mobile phones and swords were drawn on the Nawamin-Kaset road in another video taken by a fellow motorist as some truck drivers and a deliveryman chased each other through the traffic. Not as is usual in their vehicles but this time on foot!

And as if carrying a sword were not bad enough, in Chonburi a Vios driver was caught brandishing a gun out of his window after someone had the temerity to go faster than him.

Hard not to if you’re in a Vios, mate – get yourself a flashier motor, son, then you can easily save face and save money on the gun too.

Nastiest video star of the week was the man in the camouflage jacket repeatedly belting his defenseless girlfriend on a Bangkok bus. A fellow passenger secretly took this one perhaps knowing that the focus of the subsequent enquiry would not be the beating handed out to the girl but the damage to the military!

The ex-conscript was promptly rounded up and apologized for wearing the jacket. Next time he beats her up he will have learnt his lesson just wearing a plain t-shirt and sensible slacks no doubt. Fortunately, police found out a betting conviction in the man’s past. On football too…..disgraceful behavior.

Acting police chief Sanit even turned up for the press conference – acting? Sounds like doctors who only “practice” on you and besides, you would have thought he might have got the job full time by now with the amount of top brass transferred recently. Ho hum.

Another motorist had the presence of mind to start filming when an <deleted> and blinding bus driver got down to have a go at him for the crime of using the road as well. I was proud of the wife for NOT knowing all the words he used. His punishment was severe – seven days holiday. He must be counting them off until he can get back in the saddle and return to the fun of abusing the travelling public.

Another viral video was done by impetuous tourists visiting Pattaya who looked out of their tour bus window to see a Thai cultural event in progress - ten thugs attacking one guy in the street. I say impetuous because had they been more experienced about Thailand they could have saved battery power by waiting for a better video opportunity doubtless waiting just around the corner.

Like in all the videos this week the focus was not really on the crime itself but the reaction to it – in the Pattaya case the problem was that foreigners had seen and shared it, not that some poor sod had had his head beaten in. Indeed the sin is increasingly in the sharing.

Final video of the week, however, caused some firm and thankfully decisive action at long last against the perpetrator – in this case a bewildered rodent clambering over the donuts at a Sukhumvit Road branch of Tops.

The store was shut, the manager was made to wash his hands and the company assured the public it won’t happen again as the pest controllers were called in to get the dirty rat. I hope he is found and faces justice and a minimum charge of “nibbling on a ring donut with intent to consume the topping in daylight hours” – disgraceful behavior all round.

Caught on camera but doing a good deed this week was the motorcyclist “hero” making a path through serious Bangkok traffic for an ambulance with its lights flashing. Thai pride was restored in one impressive fell swoop even if it appeared the ambulance driver just needed to get to the loo at a petrol station. It’s the thought that counts.

Our hero was found by reporters and interviewed though most cynical Thaivisa posters missed the point about his gallant actions for the country in parting the sea of traffic and even getting to work a few minutes later than usual. No mention was made of the blocked hard shoulder, or needed to be, as national pride took center stage.

Though seeing the ambulance made me think – wouldn’t it be better if the minivan drivers were hired to take everyone to hospital. I mean they seem to get through the traffic faster than everyone else and there would be no need for anyone to make a path for them. They can just barge through.

Some 28 of their number were rounded up for operating illegally in the northern part of Bangkok though I was left wondering if they would be fined or just pay to get off after reading the typo of the week in the Thaivisa headline – apparently the arrests were made at “Future Perk” Rangsit.

Murky goings on were reported at the seaside as a former masseuse claimed extortion and rape at the hands of Na Jomtien police. Pattaya police have been brought in so that the case is dealt with without fear or favor. A bit like asking the head monk at Wat Dhammakaya to investigate his colleague in the sunglasses on the private jet methinks.

But let’s be fair, arrests were quickly made even if the perps were all allowed to go home and trusted with coming back to court next day. Fifty per cent did – quite a result considering.

We shall follow any charges and sentencing with interest – who knows someone may dislike them enough to secretly plant an E-cigarette on them. A police website reported this week that the penalty for toking on an E-fag could be a whopping five years. If you ask me, there seems to be a bit of disconnect between the penalties for raping and vaping.

Dumbass award of the week went to the team of fake cops and soldiers thinking it necessary to pose as extortionists and racketeers who turned up at a Nonthaburi “Everything for 20 baht shop”. Honest drug police were already at the store doing a bust and nine arrests were eventually made including the getaway driver outside who didn’t get away for once.

The 63 year old driver and ex-army man dressed in uniform came out with the excuse of the week – denying everything he claimed the uniform made him look good in his real job as a food supplement seller. You couldn’t make it up.

Meanwhile kids showed they are certainly learning young these days with a Khon Kaen burglar caught at just 19 with already 200 break-ins to his name. Residents had got so fed up with his thieving that one had spray painted a taunting message in red on his front wall saying there was nothing to nick in his gaff. “Raffles” merely responded by helping himself to beer and snacks when there were no iPhones lying about.

And three high school kids were taken to report to police by parents and teachers after a drug dealing woman they hated was murdered by a 15 year old with a meat cleaver in Thonburi. As clear a case as any this week of the Thai proverb of “surrounding the pen after the cow has disappeared”.

With such ugly goings on we needed some light relief and once again Thaivisa didn’t let the side down. No, it was not all those barmy Britons voting for Brexit that tickled my funny bone, but the story about the introduction of durian flavored condoms. At last it seemed I might be able to pull a Thai bird just by pulling on a piece of rubber. Who could resist that glorious aphrodisiacal aroma?

On second thoughts cancel that, I would only get caught and the video evidence on Facebook would not be pretty…..or very long. Now, if they only came out with fermented fish flavor, that might be different.

Final word this week must go to Harold the aging American businessman with the Thai adult movie star wife whose online antics have become a staple diet for many on Thaivisa forum. Neither Nong Nat nor the balding businessman are camera shy; though they were rather asking for it this week when pictures of Harold at Bamrungrat Hospital were posted along with buxom Nat’s gushing Facebook tributes to her hubby, thanking him for kindly giving her all his considerable wealth.

Needless to say, Harold was in hospital for a brain scan.

-- 2016-06-25

[FireMedic]

Film and post.....film and post. Only way to get anything done here. Shameful, but it works.

[shirtless]

Thailand is the hub of lip service, all there officials do is make announcements without any follow up its good their shortfalls are filmed and posted on social media .

[The stuttering parrot]

The flying saucer temple is a good place to hide!

No amount of police or army will ever find you.

[Aachen]

Film and post.....film and post. Only way to get anything done here. Shameful, but it works.

No, not only here. It is a worldwide problem. In Germany bystanders asked the ambulance men to move for better video...

[sweatalot]

I am grateful for all the smartphones and dashcams being around, hoping the perps and potential perps get a feeling of being watched all the time and hopefully change for the better.

[gyrosman]

and if Thai, 1000 baht fine

[mikiea]

NAUGHTY BOT OR GIRL ? nothing naughty about beating your wife or attempting to kick someone to death . choose your words better , you come off as making lite of this deadly lack of respect for your fellow man .

[MockingJay]

Nice article. Good read and some much appreciated Sunday afternoon chuckles! Thanks!!!!!

[masuk]

Nice article. Good read and some much appreciated Sunday afternoon chuckles! Thanks!!!!!

AGREED! Well written, good humour and summed up the Week that Woz very nicely.

Some of the antics such as the fake cops could well be a script for the Keystone Cops. Chaos reigns!!

[Firefan]

Very enjoyable post indeed! Cheers!

[Aussie69]

Well written round up, thanks.