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What do they mean by "mafia?"


zanemay

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My girlfriends are always using this word and I see it in Cent's posts.

Is this a general word for criminal or organized crime? Both?

A girlfriend pointed out a farang bar manager with a ponytail, "Mafia," she whispered. She would know, too.

Another one said she used to work for "mafia."

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Zane,

Mafia means...well...mafia. Just like in the West.

Nakhon Sri Thamarat is noted for its mafia wars. The leaders are known as khamnan or headmen. This is also used to describe the village chief, so it is not always a mafia term.

Khamnan Poh is one of the most famous mafiosi. He lives in Chonburi and controls much of the area surrounding Pattaya.

These people are just as ruthless as the American or Italian mafias.

Most of the time when a BG is using the term she's just referring to a gangster, not necessarily a real mafiosi. Although pointing to a farang, particularly in Pattaya, may be a reference to the Russian mob or other major organised crime rings that have people in the area.

If she says some guy is mafia, it would be a good idea to stay away.

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quote:

Originally posted by db_sez_aloha:

My wife points at me and says "mafia" whenever I'm overdue for a shave.

... or maybe she thinks you are real mafiosi hiding out in Thailand from your criminal past back home.

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brink wrote: <The leaders are known as khamnan or headmen. This is also used to describe the village chief, so it is not always a mafia term>

i always thought the mafia leaders are called chao phor for the superior ones and nak leng for the middle level? kamnan is the tambon leader or head of a group of villages.

however the concept of the thais for the term mafia is probably very different from the one in western countries and there is a large grey zone. sometimes the term is also used for very powerful well known persons (which maybe is a reference to the way, how many people in thailand gain their power and influence....)

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