Pattaya people channel

[panadolsandwich]

Anyone else watch this? Must admit I've been very shocked by what I've seen. Like the drunken Swedish man that killed two Thai people on a doughnut balloon on the beach whilst operating a jetski. Apparently they tested his blood and he reported 275mg alcohol where 50mg is the limit. He admitted to drinking all morning. They showed the very graphic pictures of the victims being slung onto a pickup truck and the alleged perpetrator talking to police.

 

Or then the was the Swiss national whose family has disowned him after he fell asleep with a fat joint of marijuana that lit his bed on fire then the police discover 50grams on him.

 

Also the police urine tested one punter which later turned 'purple', so he was charged with drug taking and sent to (was it Nong bai prison?), he later bribed the police 20000 (or is this bail?) but spent six days in prison. Pattaya people channel reported that this particular jail is no good and newcomers are treated very harshly. They reported he was bailed crying inconsolably for many days and now suffers serious panic attacks at the 'nightmare' he experienced. Then comes a warning of big jail time and how Thailand is not liberal at all with drugs.

 

I realise this is not news to any of you - but I just can't seem to stop watching the show. It's neither particularly informative; it's often very gruesome; and it re minds me just how many scum surround me. But I'm like a guy with a sore tooth - can't leave it alone even though it hurts every time I touch it.

 

Man there are some scum in Pattaya - but is it just that this news service is particular more 'reality' than Western media?

 

ps sorry for such a long rambling post - too many Singh - think I'll stay home tonight!

[junglesoup]

So many people drink and drive. I admit I have been behind the wheel before whne I ve been drinking. I m not proud of that but I ll not do it again, i hope. But alcohol is one of those things that reason goes out the window. The who fell asleep with the joint I dont think is a "bad" person. He was in his room and not planning to do anything to harm anyone possibly. I think alcohol is much more destructive than marijuana, more deaths caused by alcohol etc and its legal.

Lots of people make mistakes and some very sadly that cause death or harm to others. But if addictions are seen objectively as an illness then these people aren' t really crimnals. It all comes down to the point of whether or not addiction is seen as an illness.

Maybe Zombie could shed some light on how the psychology field treat or view addiction, gambling,drug and alcohol etc.?

 

Personally I think its down to will power and desire to get away from a destructive life path. But thats me and I ve always been able to say enough is enough, but maybe others with addictions just cant do it. Its bigger than them so to speak.

Whether or not that excuse their actions is open to debate and opinion...

[panadolsandwich]

So many people drink and drive. I admit I have been behind the wheel before while I've been drinking.

 

Maybe Zombie could shed some light on how the psychology field treat or view addiction, gambling,drug and alcohol etc.?

 

Whether or not that excuse their actions is open to debate and opinion...

 

Must admit I have drunk and driven before. Not proud of it either. I was even considering taking one of those jet skis out myself. Must admit I'd had several beers just before. Just seemed good like a laugh at the time. I don't know, but I'd imagine that the guy that killed those people would be very sorry about it - not just because of the punishment he's looking at.

 

I agree; I'd appreciate Zombie's opinion on whether addiction is any excuse? It's a good question and haven't really thought about that before.

 

Certainly Pattaya in particular attracts many ppl from the world with destructive behaviour. Cheap beer, cheap women, easy access to drugs (although fierce retribution if you're caught), cheap food, very accommodating people who'll just smile if you act like an arsehole. I really the respect that the Thai police have a very difficult job to do - and I think from what I can tell they are very considerate. Although I never want *anything*, *anything* to do with them.

 

 

 

[Guest]

Addictions eh?

 

Well, it's primarily to do with your genetic makeup, some people are predisposed to addiction because of their genes.

 

The chemical released from cigarettes, alcohol, speed and cocaine is mainly dopamine, plus others depending on the substance. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter associated with learning, plus other things. Every time you learn, you get a release of Dopamine. It is a mildly pleasureable experience, hence the reward for learning. However certain substances release lots of it...the brain and therefore us, love it.

 

There are also the environmental factors...a severe stressor can tip someone over the edge, a depressed person can seek oblivion, however, most environmental stimulus relate to how we cope and how we cope relates to our upbringing plus genetic factors. There are as many variables as there are people.

 

A highly flawed or damaged person will find it harder to free themselves of an addiction, especially if the individual is genetically predisposed to addiction. For some it's impossible. Others can do it however, if the reverse is true (they weren't damaged emotionally/psychologically in the first place and their genes preclude a genetic disposition).

 

Hope that answers something. It's very complicated...everyone is different. Addiction is a serious illness for some, a temporary abberation for others.

[MooNoi]

Pattaya People and Pattaya City News are pretty graphic in their coverage.

 

It amazes me that so many farang who have done something pretty shocking don't have any issues with the camera filming them in the police station etc.

 

OF course, there's some pretty ordinary crimes by Thais on there as well.

 

I know what you mean though, 'Sandwich... those news shows are like a car accident - you know you shouldn't look, but you can't help it.

 

Pretty gruesome at times.

[walletss]

I watch Pattaya People when I am over there and I read The Pattaya Mail when I am here. I cannot remember a time when I have tuned in or logged in and not been shocked by the volume of murders, accidents and suicides surrounding the Farang community.

Having said that let me say that nothing of a dire nature has ever happened to me or any of my friends. We are moderate in our habits and behavior. Sure we have fun but you can have fun without getting into drunken fights.

My hometown is Melbourne and if I was out on the town and behaved in the loutish and drunken way some of the Farangs in Pattaya behave, I would get my head kicked in just as easy.

Personal safety in Pattaya is not a major issue for me as yet.

 

[carew66]

Pattaya local TV. Great innit?

 

Actually, the Pattaya Mail (the newspaper) is the biggest load of shit published weekly (apart from notstickmanbangkok) and it has declined noticeably in the last couple of years. Now it's bulk is composed of a collection of AP and Reuters stories, a few boring and predictable letters about 'baht-buses', their drivers and their alleged over-charging; then the remainder is a circle-jerk for the in crowd of Pattaya ex-pats: dozens of photographs of instantly forgettable people in the 'Social Scene'.

 

The nauseating couple who wrote their home-spun, cod philosophy in their own respective columns were a particular trial.

 

I wonder if Howie Reed is as tedious translated into German in the Pattaya Blatt? I hear now there is a Russian language version though that's hardly surprising.

 

The TV though. Man, I love that hour of news and restaurant reviews. The presenter's voice always has that reverb or echo on it and the interviews, whilst hardly Paxman, do tell us a lot about 'Life in Fun City'...

 

INTERVIEWER: So, why did you open this steak house in North Pattaya?

 

OWNER: We came and looked at North Pattaya and decided it would be a good place to open a steak house.

 

INTERVIEWER: Riiiight...So, tell us about the menu...(etc etc)

 

 

Love it. Love it.