What should I have done differently?

[Guest lazyphil]

Hasn't Trink been in LOS since the Round Table? (longtimer)...speaks little or no Thai?

[SUZIBANDIT]

As for intervening in a possibly volatile situation here in LOS, I doubt there are any hard and fast rules, although the one I hear most often, from Thais and expats is: don't.

 

Case in point is that just yesterday our maid's hudband was out shopping at the market. Two guys he didn't know were fighting and making a scene. He decided to break things up by separating the guys and telling them to talk it out.

 

The guys then start yelling at the maid's husband. A completely different guy then comes up (a friend of one of the fighters) and thinks that the hubbie is the one fighting his friend. He starts beating the husband down with a two by four.

 

End result: Hubbie ends up in hospital with a broken arm and a gash across the head that needs 18 stiches.

 

The maid is upset, but she and my girlfriend agreed that hubbie had obviously seen one too many Red Bull coomercials and tried to play the hero. Obviously they blame the perps, but they also blame him for getting involved in the first place.

 

Now this is a 20-something Thai guy who knows the neighbourhood, the culture and the language and could probably hold his own in most fights. Imagine what the result could have been for an outsider.

 

I know its hard not to get involved, but there are reasons Thais warn foreigners to stay out of things.

 

I'd say unless someone is going to be raped or die and you can realistically help the situation without getting yourself seriously hurt, just back off, call the police, walk away, or do anything else other than get involved.

 

Just my take.

[Zaad]

I'd say unless someone is going to be raped or die and you can realistically help the situation without getting yourself seriously hurt, just back off, call the police, walk away, or do anything else other than get involved.

Totally agree.

Your example is different and I would definitely back off and allow the guys to continue their show. Their problem...now if, before they leave my eye sight, I see that one falls down heavily bleeding on the ground with the other still going at it then I would try to make the best out of it.

 

What your husband's maid did was well-intended, but also very stupid. Poor the guy with his best intentions but he should think twice next time.

[SUZIBANDIT]

[color:"red"] What your husband's maid did was well-intended, but also very stupid. [/color]

 

Fuck me, when did a get a husband with a maid? I know I spend a lot of tiime on the Net, but I really better go check the other room and find out who the new guy is.

 

It was our maid's husband. Yes, stupid, but like others have and will do, he misread the situation.

[Zaad]

55555 ROTFLMAO...

Tears are running down my face...hilarious typo.

 

No hard feelings

[pattaya127]

"he can speak enough Thai to get himself into trouble, but not enough to get out of it..."..

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Good one, JI!

The problem with old hands, is that we/they tend to tell people what/how they should do, which sometimes merely shows they've been too long around and are part of the furnitures. Now, there are cases where the old hand is always right, but in the case we are talking, i'd say the old hand was wrong. the OP acted out of individual concern, and not of old hand conventional wisdom. It is refreshing to see that people can act of their own, not follow "what you're supposed to do" line.

Someone said it right when he added that if we were in the place of the vistim, we'd appreciate the help.

 

PS: If i had listened to my GFs for what to do, I'd be broke, BTW!

[pattaya127]

Two guys he didn't know were fighting and making a scene

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The hubbie was thai too. the OP's story was about a farang helping a farang, in a situation where no one was fighting. I think no farang is fool enough to be involved in a brawl where thais totally strangers to him are involved.

I 've been close enough to be badly involved in situations where tempers and hits can flare up. usually, there are warnings easily discernable so you can either back off or cool things down, and being a farang, ie. an outsider (even if involved at first), the time slot for that is wide. I am sure thais are not given that much leverage to deal with sticky situations.

[keekwai]

>>>Two guys he didn't know were fighting and making a scene. He decided to break things up by separating the guys and telling them to talk it out.....

End result: Hubbie ends up in hospital with a broken arm and a gash across the head that needs 18 stiches<<<

 

Were you able to verify his story of how he got his injuries? No offence but it sounds like a BS story to me.

[gummigut]

"It is refreshing to see that people can act of their own, not follow "what you're supposed to do" line.

Someone said it right when he added that if we were in the place of the vistim, we'd appreciate the help."

 

Hey, if I'm alone in a foreign country. Get drunk on my own with no friends but dubious women I just met, act belligerently, take off my shirt like I don't care, someone please knock me up side the head and take my money.

 

Wait wait, her name was Noi, and she just did that yesterday! Really though, if the guy had any common sense, he wouldn't be in that position to become a victim. No sympathy for that.

 

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