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Random Foreigners Being attacked by gangs


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"Your basis for claiming that Thailand is full of ruffians that attack foreigners for no reason is...? "

 

Where did I say this?

You didn't. Nor did you imply it. But it is much easier to attack this sort of exaggerated claim than it is to address factually grounded and balanced observations about violence in Bangkok. This is why straw man arguments are so attractive.

 

Thailand is not Somalia and Bangkok is not Mogadishu, but it not as safe as some are suggesting. For example, the chances of getting injured or killed in Bangkok are certainly much higher than they are of getting injured or killed on the flight over here. You didn't say or suggest this, but Suadum - who attributed a "claim that Thailand is full of ruffians that attack foreigners for no reason" to you - did. His exact words: "you have a better chance of being killed in a plane crash on the way here than having anything violent happen to you" in Bangkok. That should help put things in perspective.

 

Bad things do happen here, and they sometimes happen to Farangs. I think most of us here agree on this rather obvious fact.

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The thing is I have heard enough stories to make me wonder if things are indeed not getting worse as regards to violence and petty crime.
We're not the only ones who have wondered about this. From this week's Stickman Stickman 7 Aug report:
I do voluntary teaching to policemen from three different police stations. After the lesson ends the cops usually hand around and chat and we chat about life in Thailand... These cops, the very guys who are right there at the coal face, told me that violent crime is on the increase in Thailand.
And then later on a summary of the very incident that triggered this thread:
The foreign gentleman was attacked while on the back of a motorbike being ridden by another foreigner late on Saturday night, last weekend. In what appeared to be a random act of violence by a motorbike gang against a foreigner, he was attacked with clubs, knives and machetes, beaten up and basically mutilated! He was rushed to emergency surgery where one leg was amputated in emergency surgery before he went on to die a day and a half later.
Between this unprovoked murder, the much debated incident on Sukhumhumvit a week or so back where a foreignor was violently attacked and in critical condition because of a dispute with a bar owner, the cold blooded murder of two backpackers in Kanchanburi by a policeman, and the large number of suspicious "suicides" in Pattaya and Bangkok, you'd have to be a fool to conclude that Thailand is safe. Most middle class Thais I know don't consider it particularly safe; apparantly, nor do many Thai students. Again, from this week's stickman column:
... I never waste the opportunity to give the kids a bit of insight into the farang way of thinking...So when I taught this particular lesson just a few weeks ago, I told the students that many farangs, and indeed many of my friends, truly believe that compared with cities in the West, Bangkok is safe...

 

My students were horrified. They couldn't believe what they were hearing and they disagreed strongly, saying that Bangkok was dangerous, and that the city is full of criminals, many of them violent. ...two of the female students stayed behind to give me some advice. "Please do not do what these people do. Bangkok is very dangerous. We are Thai people and we know. We do not want you to have a problem."

Anyone interested in this topic should take a moment to read his column this week.
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Gadfly1 said:

The foreign gentleman was attacked while on the back of a motorbike being ridden by another foreigner late on Saturday night, last weekend. In what appeared to be a random act of violence by a motorbike gang against a foreigner.

 

 

There's in Bangkok a chapter of Bandidos.

 

Maybe that was a Bandidos' vendetta against some rival gang members or just against a Harley owner, and has nothing to see with 'violence against foreigners'.

 

 

:dunno:

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Since the beginning of the third war on drugs, many Thais have seen a marked increase in violent robberies. Some of these robberies have occurred on soi 11 which is in the heart of the tourist area. When a motorcycle approachs you from behind with the engine turned off, you have no time to defend yourself from the rider's knife that cuts the strap of your bag/purse or grabs your wallet.

 

I was walking against traffic when 2 bikes crossed the road to my side of the street with their engines off. One bike coasted in front of me and one bike stopped behind me. There were two men per bike. As if they had done this before, they slowly got off their bikes and then they suddenly pulled out their machettes. In close quarters, with them armed and demanding I give them everything I have, it was a situation I never want to be in nor do I want to hear about another person experiencing the same thing.

 

I have come across several falangs who have been attacked. It would be interesting if some of them will relate their stories.

 

For those who doubt what I say, go to the Police Hospital any night and wait outside and watch the parade of victims as they are delivered. My wife experienced this as I laid inside the hospital from my injuries. She had to see another American be brought in who had received a downward knife wound to the top of his head and both sides of his neck were cut. What people tell me is the face is the main area of the body they seem to really attack.

 

I advice nobody to stay out late at night nor travel alone by foot. Thailand is getting to be almost as bad as falang cities. It is a shame.

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"I advice nobody to stay out late at night nor travel alone by foot. Thailand is getting to be almost as bad as falang cities. It is a shame. "

 

BKKtraveller, what farang cities are u talking about?? in the light of what I'm reading nowadays I'd sure say I feel safer in Paris than in bangkok ( hang out in rather priviledged areas in both cities).

 

I agree as well with those who say that westerners can get involved in unwarranted violence. A girl's whim or jealousy might well start a big mess, and a guy freshly or not so freshly arrived might be surprised to be ganged up by a bunch of thai guys after he answered to some gratuitous provocation. I can personnally recall a couple of times were I was insulted by passer bys or motorcycles.

 

Actually recall another event where I ended up in Bumrumgrad late at night for a few stitches... but arguably i had more alcohol in my body that night than street smarts

:dunno:

 

Otherwise BKKtraveller, I would have felt more comfortable to read a few more posts from you before. Could u please give more details about your regretable incident?? It seems you posted it in two different threads with contradictory details.

 

Why did you suffer injuries after you gave the bikers all you had? and how did you get to know the guy was HIV when not even staying in the same room. Your wife saw it or it's you?

 

I'm quite sorry if anything like this hapened to you but somehow worry there might be some doom and gloom bandwagon at the moment some people might be glad to jump in with whatever stories they feel sound nice.

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