Chiang Mai gov visits Hmong children at center of theft row - but mum won't let the matter rest

[webfact]

Governor visits Hmong children at center of theft row - but mum won't let the matter rest

 

Image: Daily News

 

CHIANG MAI: - Chiang Mai governor Pawin Chamniprasat travelled to the home of the two Hmong children falsely accused online and in the foreign press over the theft of a watch.

 

He handed out a bursary for the children's education. They are aged 7 and 10, reports Daily News.

 

But their mother, Daeng, is still furious and she wants the British female tourist at the center of the row to take responsibility for damaging her children's reputation and hurting them mentally.

 

She said that she intends to do everything in her power to seek restitution through the law.

 

Governor Pawin singled out the British media for the trouble and said that they had now accepted that it was all a misunderstanding.

 

The story had been trumpeted in the UK's Daily Mail and other media around the world along with a picture of the children in their hill tribe costumes standing next to the female tourist at the steps of Doi Suthep.

 

It is now understood that the tourist found the watch but the damage has been done. Daily News went so far as to say that the incident had had a serious impact on tourism.

 

Mum Daeng laid into the Brit tourist alleging that she was drunk when she visited the temple. She had lost the watch herself but blamed her children.

 

The headman of  Ban Maew Doi Pui village where the children live said that Hmong tribesmen living abroad had been contacted to try and locate the tourist on behalf of the family.

 

Neither her nor her boyfriend who was with her have been heard from since.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-10-07

[AGareth2]

criminal defamation

extradition required

[stubuzz]

The mother should be punished for making her underage children "work" at the temple.

[Rob8891]

I hope the education bursary was in voucher form, not cash......

[daveAustin]

Get over it, for gawd's sake! How can the sometimes coolest place on earth be so uptight with itself? The tourist made a mistake, but even though she thought it was stolen she wasn't bothered. And it's not like it doesn't happen... petty theft here is rife. It's all about face, again, and vehemently trying to win some back. The 'mother' should do herself a favour and take some responsibility. Her kids are effectively out on the streets to earn her money. Just disgusting. I would sooner put a gun to my head, the lazy so & so. 

[terminatorchiangmai]

i really don't understand how social media can not find this couple any more. There must be someone that knows them right ?

An open apologies would be the least they can do.

[FritsSikkink]

21 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Get over it, for gawd's sake! How can the sometimes coolest place on earth be so uptight with itself? The tourist made a mistake, but even though she thought it was stolen she wasn't bothered. And it's not like it doesn't happen... petty theft here is rife. It's all about face, again, and vehemently trying to win some back. The 'mother' should do herself a favour and take some responsibility. Her kids are effectively out on the streets to earn her money. Just disgusting. I would sooner put a gun to my head, the lazy so & so. 

Get a grip, what would you do if your children were displayed all over the world as being thieves? Gun idea isn't bad.

[Paul Catton]

Nothing wrong with the kids out of school hours, being enterprising dressing in traditional outfit and earning pocket money and more, for tourists to take a fuzzy-warm selfie, especially under the auspice / prompting of parents. 

[Colabamumbai]

Hoping I do not see those girls on the streets of Pattaya in 15 years.

[anon4637435435]

This is ridiculous. Another oppertunity to tarnish the farang image try and extort some money, good image, self promotion.... The crazy women of the child should be held accountable for child labor as well as the government and room full of fat little monkey pigs snickering with a sense of superiority but completely overlooked the child abuse aspect. 

Who cares really. Its a criminally driven country. Im the only person i know that tries desperately to do the right thing but its now becoming difficult.

Mother should shut her mouth considering it makes her and thailand look stupid anyway. 

Bib should go back to the roads and stay of the tv and news if the thai image is sooooo important...

Perhaps the watch was actually stolen but. Makes more sense as to why the charades taken place....

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The headman of  Ban Maew Doi Pui village where the children live said that Hmong tribesmen living abroad had been contacted to try and locate the tourist on behalf of the family.

and then what, man?  Headman, tribesman, hitman?

Edited October 7, 2016 by klauskunkel

[DGS1244]

Something is a little confusing. They say that they do not know who the tourist woman was and cannot find her yet seem to 'know' that she 'found' her watch later. seems rather odd.

[RoboGeisha]

The mom is trying to save face at the expense of her kids. Nobody would have given a thing about this story if the Thai media just would have ignored it. But no, the tiniest sign of injustice from a foreigner towards a Thai and Thailand goes on a rampage. Pathetic amygdala hijack Thai style. I'm sorry for the kids.

Edited October 7, 2016 by RoboGeisha
typo

[chuang]

Strange still blaming the mother and her kids....nothing said about the quality farang tourist....why she disappered..she can clear the cloud...

[TheSiemReaper]

Another day, more racist stupidity - the two little girls were innocent of any crime. They were accused internationally throughout the media based on a stupid post on Reddit. If I were their parent; I'd be furious too.

 

Pretending that this is somehow a generic fault of Thai people after the "they're all thieves" line was disproved is simply disgusting. If it were true that Thais didn't want us here (and it isn't) you couldn't blame them, based on the comments here. 

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, TheSiemReaper said:

.

 

Pretending that this is somehow a generic fault of Thai people after the "they're all thieves" line was disproved is simply disgusting. 

 

  Who was you quoting ?

Who was it that said "they're all thieves" ?

[cncltd1973]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

and then what, man?  Headman, tribesman, hitman?

knock on the door with an empty envelope?

[Borzandy]

3 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

i really don't understand how social media can not find this couple any more. There must be someone that knows them right ?

An open apologies would be the least they can do.

Yes, I agree, they could say "Sorry, I have lost my watch"

[klauskunkel]

      1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

and then what, man?  Headman, tribesman, hitman?

16 minutes ago, cncltd1973 said:

knock on the door with an empty envelope?

Mailman!

[Mace648]

I saw the Hmong in action during the Vietnam war and if the headman has people out looking for the tourists they are done.

[Penicillin]

2 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

Something is a little confusing. They say that they do not know who the tourist woman was and cannot find her yet seem to 'know' that she 'found' her watch later. seems rather odd.

My exact thought and probably the same as everyone .

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, bsdthai said:

This is ridiculous. Another oppertunity to tarnish the farang image try and extort some money, good image, self promotion.... The crazy women of the child should be held accountable for child labor as well as the government and room full of fat little monkey pigs snickering with a sense of superiority but completely overlooked the child abuse aspect. 

Who cares really. Its a criminally driven country. Im the only person i know that tries desperately to do the right thing but its now becoming difficult.

Mother should shut her mouth considering it makes her and thailand look stupid anyway. 

Bib should go back to the roads and stay of the tv and news if the thai image is sooooo important...

Perhaps the watch was actually stolen but. Makes more sense as to why the charades taken place....

 

 

 

What about the drunk farang who misplaced here watch and gone apeshit?

[PremiumLane]

I wouldn't call the Daily Mail a newspaper or media - more like toilet paper

[anon4637435435]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What about the drunk farang who misplaced here watch and gone apeshit?

This has been displayed on the television as another a poor thai type story. Im personally sick of turning the tv on nowadays. 

This drunk farang. So be it. Let them come and go. Drunk or not. Pull them up on name calling and say bye bye to more tourists. Best to grin and bear it. Its not right to post garbage on facebook but it will happen to all of us. I have been attacked and my wifes business took a huge hit by lies and missleading information. I wont use facebook, twitter or any such garbage anymore with this tv posting exteme for myself. Probably live longer and happier i think.

My children have suffered similar and we have no one to turn to and legal advice is a dead end. Local mayors assitants children were told to hurt my son in school we have been told. Apparently being nice and helping people in the neighbourhood has got us a bad reputation where we live. I could rant all day but seriously i dont think any of this is news worthy. The lady should let it go. Its stupid. Get over it and be a role model. Dont bring up kids that will be unable to deal with criticism, lies and such. Its a cruel world. Better things to do.

 

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Governor Pawin singled out the British media for the trouble and said that they had now accepted that it was all a misunderstanding.

Yes its their fault the Thai media is so much superior/honorable/faultless/newsworthy. Way to go Gov get involved everyone is seeking their 15 minutes of fame on this story and the mother wow she is going ballistic. Loss of everything according to her. Buy them a couple 99 baht watches and lets move on. This one has been flogged to death. 

[rebo]

1 hour ago, bsdthai said:

Im personally sick of turning the tv on nowadays.

 

I'm personally sick of turning the TV on since more than 20 years.

[Puwa]

I don't believe there was ever a theft. Someone saw the holiday snap with the girl's fingers near the watch and made up a story to fit the photo and sold it to the Daily Mail. It was an ordinary clickbait story that blew up. The "explanation" that the tourist in question later found the watch--and it was all a big misunderstanding--also sounds like a complete fabrication.

[the donger]

13 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

i really don't understand how social media can not find this couple any more. There must be someone that knows them right ?

An open apologies would be the least they can do.

The original post was on reddit. They didn't sell the story or try to stir up trouble. It was a throwaway post in the funny photo section saying "guess that's where my watch went", with a photo of the cute kid touching the wrist strap.

 

They didnt go to the papers or police, or actually accuse anything - see the word "guess". The mother is milking it for attention and money, like all this are obsessed with defamation.

Edited October 7, 2016 by the donger

[evadgib]

...I've seen nothing confirming the watch has been found, other than speculation here.

[Pattaya28]

Not legal in Thailand for children to work. 

The mother should be arrested and have her kids taken into carehome.

We talking 7 and 10 years old.

Mother says the children have been "hurt mentally" 

How do they quantify "serious impact on tourism" ?