More Farang Being Targeted For Crime In Isaan.

[Mai Krap]

My TGF tells me this guy is being discussed on a Thai site. It says he is German, and was riding his motor bike too fast.

http://www.udonthani.com/udnews/04440.html

jack

I wonder what happened to his wallet and money? Something smells.

Im still waiting for some better story from the cops or hospital or something but that may never come. If he crashed and anybody saw it either them or whoever found him first could have easily taken the billfold and phone. They would most likely just view watching him die and making A profit off of it good luck for them and bad kharma for him. For sure they would not view it as robbery. I have tried not to speculate here but in most cases A car runs them off the road on accident, A stupid and in most cases drunk accident but that would be nothing close to murder here.

Gary A, Have you been to the hospital in Loei? I hear people are dieing to leave it.

[bannork]

The article in Khao Sod says he was driving too fast and lost control on the bend.

Quite possible at night; that road, from Bandung to Nong Mek is quite good being a main road, but there's still a few potholes here and there.

Other possible causes are dogs sleeping or crossing the road, unlit motorbikes or bicycles.

To drive a motorbike fast at night on a country road is pure lunacy.

[bdenner]

------To drive a motorbike fast at night on a country road is pure lunacy.

Unless you are being chased by armed youths?? The German thing is interesting as the only thing found on him was a lone business card (that could have come from anywhere) and one of our group recognised it as being either German or Austrian. He recommended to the police investigator that he do a google search on the address or call the number.

We cannot get any info of late. I hope this is not just going to get swept under the table.

[Gary A]

Gary A, Have you been to the hospital in Loei? I hear people are dieing to leave it.

Actually, last year I had acute appendicitus. No way could I have made it to Bangkok. The local doctor sent me directly to Loei Ram private hospital. I checked in about 3:30 PM and at 6:30 PM I was on the cutting table. They had run numerous tests and wasted no time. The room was quite good and I must say that I was impressed with the service and the care. I lived through it so it must have been OK.

[bannork]

The article in Khao Sod also says the biker was going to Ngiew Meechai บ้านงิ้วมีชัย which is further down the road.

Now, how did the journalists know that?

The biker must have been going home, right?

Regarding hospitals and GaryA's remark, I would like to second that.

Last June I collided with a wilful cow that charged out of a field, knocking me off my motorbike and rendering myself unconscious for a brief period. I was taken to to Bandung hospital in a few minutes by the Puuyai Ban's pick-up and within 2 minutes of entering Bandung hospital I was on the stretcher being x-rayed, cleaned up and taken into care for one night.

The total cost was 1,200 baht, sadly the cow refused to pay claiming diminished responsibility, but its owner did.

[Mai Krap]

Gary A, Have you been to the hospital in Loei? I hear people are dieing to leave it.

Actually, last year I had acute appendicitus. No way could I have made it to Bangkok. The local doctor sent me directly to Loei Ram private hospital. I checked in about 3:30 PM and at 6:30 PM I was on the cutting table. They had run numerous tests and wasted no time. The room was quite good and I must say that I was impressed with the service and the care. I lived through it so it must have been OK.

Its hasip hasip over there, Glad it worked out OK for you. I have been there A couple times for minor things and had problems, They screwed up the prescriptions and gave me some high dollar crap I didnt need so I refused it, typical stuff and nothing life threatning..

[bdenner]

---Last June I collided with a wilful cow that charged out of a field, knocking me off my motorbike and rendering myself unconscious for a brief period. I was taken to to Bandung hospital in a few minutes by the Puuyai Ban's pick-up and within 2 minutes of entering Bandung hospital I was on the stretcher being x-rayed, cleaned up and taken into care for one night.

---

Off topic but I had a fall off a bike here 3 years ago when a child ran on the road right in front of me. I missed him but dropped the bike and finished up in the Ban Dung hospital. Excellant quick medical treatment and x-rays (total 320 Baht) then taken home feeling sorry for myself. The dressings were changed daily at our village medical clinic (20 Baht), this also is a very good facility when one considers where he is living. Well staffed, clean and as near to sterile as one could hope for, air con, etc.

[Martin]

Our son got belly-ache when here on holiday from Bangkok.

A private hospital in Udon wanted 20k bahts to whip out his appendix, so he said "Stuff that" and drove down to the big Regional one in Khon Kaen (which is the teaching hospital for KK University). Just as good care, better backup available, and a far smaller bill.

I swear by that hospital. It is busy and Outpatients is always crowded and slow, but the medics and equipment are excellent. I have had a para-umbilical hernia repaired there, and my coronary arteries 'dyno-rodded' by them, and have nowt but praise for the place.

[tomchaam]

Have lived here in LOS for more than "sip hok pee" and have been helped more than 100 times by the kind and considerate Thai people...in Isaaan, Chiang Mai, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Just a few days ago my Honda Phanthom went from slow down to lock up in the middle of Petchkasem with cars and motosikes screaming by in the 17:00 end of day, home from school traffic. I couldn't move the bike, even in neutral, with the locked brakes. I hollered "chuay duay" and two Thai guys jumped off a motosike with side cart and helped me to the side of the road. And then one of them said he would go get this truck to take me and my motoside home or wherever I wanted to go. We ended up in a warehouse close by and the next morning he took my bike to the Honda motosike shop and informed me of his kind gesture via cell phone. Later that day I picked up my helmet at the warehouse and again thanked a newly made friend. Yes, for the sceptical minded, I did give him a purple note.

About ten years ago I did get pickpocketed in Korat by a tuk-tuk driver in Korat and we ended up in the local police station. The police gave me the name and address of the thief's Khun Mae and I showed him a letter I had written to her telling her that 'look chai' was a stealer, a liar, and using drugs. His response was "NO DRUGS NO WAY" and yet there was evidence of maryjane, yaaba, and booze.

Next week I'm driving my truck to Isaan (finally got the Blue Book) and will travel across the new bridge Mukdahan to Savanakhet in Laos. Then on the Vientienne, Luang Prabang, and north almost to China before heading southwest to Ban Huay Xai and by ferry boat back to LOS at Chiang Khong. Lao folks are just as or more friendly than their Thai sisters and brothers and they all speak Thai and are able to understand my attempts at Thai language.

Final words are that if one stays sober, isn't using drugs, knows how to smile and not bitch, complain, and whine about the locals, and speaks the language .... Thailand and Laos are very safe and hospitable countries. And my hopital experiences are that they are very hospitable and worthy of praise.

It also helps to be able to read and write the language and doing so amazes the locals who think the only things farangs can say in Thai are hello-goodbye, thank you, and can you lower the price.

Happy Holidays... and be careful on those motosikes....there's turkeys, geese, pigs, goats, dogs, cows, and buffalo crossing the roads along with kids and old ladies and the occasional drunk and high farang

staggering out of a Karaoke bar.

[bannork]

Last Friday night the body of a farang was found on the side of the road alongside his bike about 5 km from Ban Dung. Police initially thought he was the victim of a ‘hit and run’ accident. We were shown photos of his body on Saturday during police attempts to identify him, no money or identification on his body!. From the blood on his head it was obvious he was upright when enduring head injuries??? We later heard the police are now looking for 3 youths seen to have followed him out of a karaoke bar just before his demise. We think he has now been positively identified but new to the area and unknown to us.

Our condolences to his family and may he RIP.

Some points here:-

1. He was seen to have shown a large wad of cash when paying his bin.

2. He was riding alone on a dark road at late night.

3. He was not wearing a helmet which may have given him a better chance.

During a group discussion about this event yesterday we determined that there has been some 15 farang home invasions in A. Ban Dung over the past 12 months, that we knew of. 12 of these were carried out at night and whilst the homes were occupied, in most cases gas or a chemical was used to knock the occupants out. Only one culprit is in the ‘monkey house’. From the evidence and using a little logic quite a number of these burglaries would have to be put down to an ‘inside job’. – Family, neighbours, contractors etc.

Time to think about better security and how we conduct our lives here in Isaan, the good times may be over.

One of my brothers-in-law in Bandung said that guy had nearly 300,000 baht's worth of assets taken, apart from the money he was wearing expensive jewelry.

I can only assume he had had a serious argument with his girlfriend, for who in their right mind would go alone, expensively attired as it were, to a karaoke bar outside town late at night?

[Mid]

One of my brothers-in-law in Bandung said that guy had nearly 300,000 baht's worth of assets taken, apart from the money he was wearing expensive jewelry.

I can only assume he had had a serious argument with his girlfriend, for who in their right mind would go alone, expensively attired as it were, to a karaoke bar outside town late at night?

and therefor it's the falangs fault ????

[Bottlerocket]

One of my brothers-in-law in Bandung said that guy had nearly 300,000 baht's worth of assets taken, apart from the money he was wearing expensive jewelry.

I can only assume he had had a serious argument with his girlfriend, for who in their right mind would go alone, expensively attired as it were, to a karaoke bar outside town late at night?

and therefor it's the falangs fault ????

Uh,......................................yeah.

It doesn't justify the behaviour, I know. But would you walk into a forest full of bears wearing a steak shirt?