Youths who murdered handicapped bread seller won't face premeditated murder charge

[Dancin Dna 11]

Is it usual for the police to be holding the hand of the arrested?

[gyrosman]

What goes around, comes around. Animals, I hope my brakes fail if I see they crossing a street.

[dunroaming]

It's the brazen "don't give a sh*t" way the Thai authorities totally disregard any form of fairness or justice. It's not a cover-up it's openly corrupt practice for everyone to see. The irony is that by these actions Thai's lose face big time but they don't see that at all. The arrogance is staggering.

[TPI]

With time off for good behaviour...and the luck of a chalerm....they will have solid govt employment by next week.

And speaking of the Pink Bently, the family have been pretty quiet as of late??

[Winniedapu]

I'm curious as to why the Thai people are not reacting with rage to this incident. It's all very well to say that the police are corrupt and that four of these young thugs were sons of policeman. It's also all very well to say that in Thailand, the corruption is so ubiquitous, so blatant and so corrupting of public morals that even if the police are not corruptly manipulating the outcome of the prosecution of these thugs, the widespread assumption is that they are, for this is the experience of people in Thailand. For this the police have only themselves to blame. Of course it's not just the police, the Armed Forces are equally notorious for corruption, drug smuggling and human trafficking, and yet the little general doesn't mind getting up on his hind legs to pretend that all Thailand has to do to achieve Nirvana is to follow him and allow him to guide them, while he steadfastly refuses to account for his unusual wealth.

The most important question in all of this, as it seems to me, is "what does Thailand have to do to reverse the situation regarding corruption in its government and public utilities and public services?" Because it seems to me that the system is corrupt beyond redemption and cannot be rehabilitated.

So what does that mean for Thai Society? In Isaan, where I am a frequent guest, many Thais believe that corruption is so ingrained in the culture as to disadvantage the non-corrupt. Many of them also believe they know where the corruption springs from and why it is so hard to eradicate. These two factors combine to instill a feeling of "better to join the corrupt then to be honest, but alone and vulnerable".

So how is the corruption (which is, to be sure, dreadful) best combated? Sadly, I think the entire Thai culture is beyond redemption. Corruption is a way of life, and that is not going to change for as long as the feudal society in Thailand is allowed to persist. The situation can (in my view) be summarised in this way: "There is 1% of Thai people who run Thailand. This same 1% does not feel bound by any law or convention of behaviour, and yet this 1% is allowed to dictate that the remaining 99% must abide by the laws and customs which the 1% have themselves created. For everybody else".

Perhaps this is excessively bleak, but it's the way that it seems to me, having lived among Thais, and having observed their behaviour and close quarters for many years. In my view a civil war is inevitable in Thailand, and that same civil war could be harnessed to make the changes that will transform Thailand from a third-class, feudal civilisation, into a modern nation that can hold its head up high in the international community.

Because right now it can't, and this thread is typical of the reasons why it cannot and should not.

Winnie

[aussienam]

let me take a guess, they will be sentenced to 20-30 years, they confess they are guilty, their sentence will be half to 10-15 years. On good behavior they will be out just after 5 years or so.

I think Thailand should not allow halving of jail terms for murder crimes.

From my personal experience in laying prosecution charges in Australia for many years plea bargains are very standard practice and discounts apply to early pleas that avoid lengthy and costly trials. 10% discount for early pleas was about right. The prosecutors in Oz have a list of conditions they refer to whereby if applicable they will consider and agree to reducing charges to lesser offences.

Discounts vary from state to state to country of course. Loads of woeful sentencing outcomes in Australia as well. Not confined to Thailand. Is global and a lot of it is due of course to International Human Rights Conventions.

[mike324]

let me take a guess, they will be sentenced to 20-30 years, they confess they are guilty, their sentence will be half to 10-15 years. On good behavior they will be out just after 5 years or so.

I think Thailand should not allow halving of jail terms for murder crimes.

From my personal experience in laying prosecution charges in Australia for many years plea bargains are very standard practice and discounts apply to early pleas that avoid lengthy and costly trials. 10% discount for early pleas was about right. The prosecutors in Oz have a list of conditions they refer to whereby if applicable they will consider and agree to reducing charges to lesser offences.

Discounts vary from state to state to country of course. Loads of woeful sentencing outcomes in Australia as well. Not confined to Thailand. Is global and a lot of it is due of course to International Human Rights Conventions.

I know it is a global to reduce the sentence for early guilty plea. Its just that in Thailand, its an automatic half of the sentence with a guilty plea no matter the crime. I find that too much for some of the heinous crimes people commit.