High Crime in Thailand

[jagoturner]

Thailand is a hugely violent country. The Bangkok Post and The Nation, which among other things are aimed at tourists, tend not to play up the extent of that crime. They don't so much hide it as regard it as irrelevent to their readers.

One of the reasons there are so many crimes of rape is that the Thai population are quite repressed. There are great social strictures placed upon poor Thais. It takes a large amount of money to marry. Sex with a disinterested and maybe captive hooker is hardly a genuinely satisfying sexual outlet for a young man. When you are young sex is often as much about feeling powerful and desired as about the raging hormonal need. The Thai poor are powerless and have very little chance of becoming the Thai rich. Maybe the women can come to Bangkok and sleep with rich tourists but what can the men do ? Added to this is the fact that up until adolescence male Thai children are spoiled and loved but when they become young adults suddenly they are nothing. Rape is a way that men can exercise power, vent frustration at the world, and also satisfy sexual urges. It is very often a crime committed by the socially impotent. That's why it is so associated with violence. It is often not enough for the victim to comply sexually. She must be injured, wounded, overcome. The woman becomes the symbol of everything else that the man cannot control. In order to avoid identification rape is often followed by murder.

My wife reads Thai Rath every day and one of the most disturbing crimes that seems prominent is that of profound child abuse and infanticide. Every two or three days she relates a story of a man who has raped his own children before killing them or a woman who has drowned her babies. Again I suspect these crimes are founded on a kind of absolute hopelessness and frustration.

I know many people say Thais are this or Thais are that but really they are just as we would be born into their world and their society. Generally I think Thai people are remarkably well adjusted to often appalling situations. Their belief in maintaining equilibrium and avoiding confrontation at all costs makes Thailand a great place to visit but when this goes or snaps there is an incredible savagery.

My wife tells a story of when she was young sitting at one of those makeshift film shows in the jungle. While everybody sat enjoying the film an angry jilted lover arrived and put a machete through the head of his rival. Nobody could do anything but watch the man jitter on the floor and bleed to death. The murderer had just snapped. One humiliation too far perhaps.

So, despite the fact Thais are genuinely easygoing most of the time, it's worth bearing in mind that there are weapons everywhere.

I remember watching the film Sia Dai with my wife. There's a scene in the film where some ordinary looking schoolboys decide to chase and rape some schoolgirls they see in a shopping centre. I thought it seemed a bit far fetched but she just nodded saying "Yes. Thai schoolboys are like this. This happens all the time."

[Guest]

Don't know about now, but Thai papers in the 60's would often report about how a jilted lover sees his girlfriend with another guy at a country fair so he gets a grenade, comes back, and throws it at them, killing and wounding several.

How is it they could always find a grenade? Dunno, but we made up a song about The Old Grenade Lady based on The Old Lamplighter (they both made the night a little brighter).

Cheers!

[Guest]

Alexander Turner,

About 2 years ago, in broad daylight, a bunch of boy students dragged a girl out of a Bangkok bus; nobody dared interfere. Then they bundled her off and raped her.

[Guest]

could be a smile is just instinct to show your teeth in a stressful situation.

( my dog likes to "smile" as strangers)

 

just for fun

[Guest]

about three weeks ago five cops raped a 22 year old cousin of my wife in the prison cell. one of the cops was the head of the police station in her village. she was arrested for the major offence of being cought playing cards. her husband could not pay the fine.

she was then released under threats against her life if she makes an official complaint.

another everyday occurance.

[pattaya127]

quote:

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Originally posted by Scum_Baggio:

Pattaya127,

it's a Buddhist thing, or to be more Om Shanti, SB.

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Not to be contradictory, but i still think a long established social order based on hierarchic and complex ties adds up to the explanation with buddhism. The same behaviour is also pretty much the rule in Indonesia and they are muslims (or Hindu bali). japan too,of the other buddhism, or Nepal, favor unantagonistic approach to social relations, and utter courtesy. i always think that sometimes, the whole society goes beserk every few decades or hundred years when there is not much outlet for expression, even if the politics of the day seem to explain all the violence (cambodian genocide, Bali's anti-communist progrom in the 60's, 1992's BKK military coup). Thanks for your opinion

[Guest]

Originally posted by land o' scams:

" I always thought the Thai's were so peaceful and smiling all the time due to the fact that they were always stuffin the muffin. What gives??"

The Thais are not smiling because they're such happy and fulfilled people, but because social convention demands it. Smiles are often employed as a pacifier, to ward off a potential aggressor. In their innermost selfs, Thais are often far from contented (not that I blame them for that), and the discrepancy between the inner self and the fact that they always have to put on a friendly face, leads to enormous tension - and this tension often seeks release in violence. So, in a way the smiles which are supposed to forestall aggression, are self-defeating, up to a point.

Ever pondered why many Thais like to look a those horrific crime magazines (with pictures

of bloodied, battered corpses etc.)? In my humble opinion, it's their way of coping with their latent aggression, a kind of catharsis - there's a lot of tension and aggression within, but not everyone dares commit a violent act or crime to release it; so looking at the results of the violent deeds of others helps letting off some of pent-up steam.

So much for my layman's psychoanalysis. Now back to the blowjob page ...

[ August 25, 2001: Message edited by: Scum_Baggio ]

[PhordPhan]

quote:

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Originally posted by land o' scams:

One thing that still boggles me is that why in a country where sex is so easily obtainable, does rape even occur.

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LOS,

FWIW, rape is a violent crime that just happens to include sex. A lot of people think rapists commit their crime because they want sex, but that's secondary. Rapists don't commit the crime for sex, they do it for the violence against the woman, and it's an especially personal sort of violence. The stabbing thing is not that uncommon, either. More of the personal violence against the victim.

Also, I wonder. How much sanuk can the average Thai man afford? They certainly can't afford the farang places (if they could get in) and I understand the upscale Thai places are way more expensive yet. Maybe somebody else can shed a little light.

PhordPhan

Phriendly Philanderer

[pattaya127]

quote:

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Originally posted by land o' scams:

Ther is a lot of nasty shit going on in "los" that the average tourist is not exposed to. One thing that still boggles me is that why in a country where sex is so easily obtainable, does rape even occur. And as far as the violence goes, I always thought the Thai's were so peaceful and smiling all the time due to the fact that they were always stuffin the muffin. What gives??

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And the average thai too. You seem to think that rape has something to do with sex. It has to do 100% about violence. I saw a little pimp beat up a girl off Silom Rd afew years ago, and an "upper" thai kick a dockworker who would not respond to the attack. If you listen to your g/fs, many of them have lost a sibling or a parent thru murder. Thailand is a very unequal society, and that's ground for a lot of crime, rich crimes and poors crimes. I do not think tourists ignore it, but when you have 2 weeks or 1 month vacation, your main purpose is rarely to get to the social side of things.

[Guest]

Wow. This has been one of the better discussions on the new board. Wish I had something to contribute at the moment. Thanks all.