More than half of women are victims of sexual assault by drunken Songkran men, claims report

[webfact]

More than half of women are victims of sexual assault by drunken Songkran men, claims report

 

FILE photo

 

A report submitted to the Thai Interior Ministry claims that more than half of all women are subjected to sexual molestation by drunk men at Songkran.

 

Claims have been made that the celebration is out of control mainly because of men and alcohol.

 

Calls have been made to protect women, young people and children from the drunken and dangerous revelry that now typifies the Thai traditional New Year celebration.

 

Writing on behalf of thirty victims of sexual assault Jadet Chaowilai said that Songkran was out of control as drunks and opportunists used the cover of the celebration to assault and grope women, cause arguments and injure people.

 

Songkran also resulted in loss of life in road accidents with drunks taking to vehicles.

 

Jadet sent the letter to Sutthipong Juncharoen in charge of protecting the public at the Interior Ministry. Demands were made for action to protect the public and start campaigns to reign in the celebration.

 

Victims also gave their impact statements about what happened to them in tourist areas of Bangkok.

 

Jadet, on behalf of several organizations promoting the interests of women and young people said that in a 2016 survey of 1,793 women and girls aged from 10 to 40 85.9% of respondents said that measures should be put in place to protect females at Songkran.

 

A staggering 51.9% said they had suffered some form of sexual harassment or molestation.

 

"A" was typical of those. She said that she went to Khao San Road with her son and daughter in law. A drunk man came up to her to put powder on her.

 

But he grabbed and fondled her breasts. She felt terrible but made no complaint at the time fearing trouble if she spoke up.

 

Instead she said to her family that they should immediately go home.

 

"That was the end of Songkran for me," she said "I learned my lesson". She added that as they were leaving she heard the screams of another woman who was being molested by the same man.

 

An 18 year old named only as "B" recounted a similar story about how a drunk man bent down and tried to kiss and grope her during the celebration.

 

Others spoke of being forced to drink alcohol in the name of fun.

 

The organisations are calling on the Interior Ministry to step up measures to protect women as this year's Songkran festival looms in three weeks' time.

 

They want to see the authorities out in force, volunteers mobilized and campaigns conducted to encourage acceptable behavior.

 

Principally they see alcohol and its misuse as central to the trouble at Songkran.

 

In a Banmuang report on the handing over of the letter the ministry were urged to make Songkran safe and fun for locals and tourists alike.

 

Values of Thai-ness celebrating Songkran as traditional and friendly should be promoted by the authorities.

 

What were called "Community Checkpoints" should be set up to encourage correct behavior on the roads.

 

Sutthipong received the letter and promised action.

 

He also said in other comments that Thais should think about recycling and not wasting valuable resources at Songkran.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-22

[Darcula]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

Others spoke of being forced to drink alcohol in the name of fun.

 

That's not good. It means less alcohol in the world for serious drinkers.

 

[z42]

It's become a complete monster imo. Alcohol and the general chaotic nature of it makes a whole heap of already not very bright people do even more crazy / reckless things than they normally would.

A couple of hours of it around midday when i can take my little girl out is actually quite good fun for me and her because people are sober still and it has a more peaceful / happy feel.

In the late afternoon big groups are totally wasted and are quite menacing (like what is described in the OP).

It is what it is though, any measures that are effective in making it a little mord family friendly am all for

[anon789561]

more than half. i find that highly unlikely from what i have seen in the past. some for sure but more than half. doubt that very much

[Ossy]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Others spoke of being forced to drink alcohol in the name of fun.

What, like being held down, mouth wedged open, whilst booze was poured in? Being forced to drink is a lot different from being persuaded to drink. If you don't want to drink, don't drink and if that means choosing new friends, do that.

 

Right girls . . . let's try to be 100% honest and truthful. If your drinking contributed to your being groped, it has to be more your own fault than that of the boozy boys that you could, if you'd made the effort, have avoided. You don't have to walk within arms length of these cretins and most sensible folk would simply make sure they didn't. There's keeping out of trouble and there's asking for trouble . . . the choice is yours, more than Thailand's boozy New Year.

[Bluespunk]

22 minutes ago, Ossy said:

What, like being held down, mouth wedged open, whilst booze was poured in? Being forced to drink is a lot different from being persuaded to drink. If you don't want to drink, don't drink and if that means choosing new friends, do that.

 

Right girls . . . let's try to be 100% honest and truthful. If your drinking contributed to your being groped, it has to be more your own fault than that of the boozy boys that you could, if you'd made the effort, have avoided. You don't have to walk within arms length of these cretins and most sensible folk would simply make sure they didn't. There's keeping out of trouble and there's asking for trouble . . . the choice is yours, more than Thailand's boozy New Year.

The only ones to blame are those assaulting women, not the victims.

[JOC]

23 minutes ago, Ossy said:

If your drinking contributed to your being groped, it has to be more your own fault than that of the boozy boys that you could, if you'd made the effort, have avoided.

There is never ever an excuse for a man to grope a unknown female.....

So according to you, if the girl is drunk, it is okay for any male to grope her?

Hope your daughter is not celebrating Songkran here...

[Samui Bodoh]

I must say that when I see survey results claiming that 50% of women suffer from a form of sexual harassment or molestation, I find it hard to believe because it simply does not reflect what I see and experience. Nevertheless...

 

Is there anyone out there who thinks that it is safe to be a woman in Thailand? A general question perhaps, but anyone? One of my neighbours occasionally works until around 8 PM, and when she does she often calls me to meet her at the gate of my housing compound as there is often a group of men drinking near the entrance and she is afraid. Who the hell deserves to live like that?

 

Is the number of 50% or so correct? I do not know. Is it safe to be a woman in Thailand? I don't think so.

 

It is reasonable for the authorities to take some action on this; no one deserves to be harassed or molested. No one.

 

 

[Ossy]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

So according to you, if the girl is drunk, it is okay for any male to grope her?

Did I say groping was OK? Nothing of the sort. I very clearly stated that's it's in everyone's common-sense interests to keep out of arm's length of the sexy drunks. There has to be some value in that approach, surely.

[marko kok prong]

Well last year in our town,two 20 something girls obviously drunk,became amarous together and next thing were on the ground kissing and fondling each other,a group of young lads egging them on,shorts and panties off one girl came off,and the other was down on her,then the Police came and stopped them,i was most dissapointed,it was just harmless fun.

[anon789561]

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I must say that when I see survey results claiming that 50% of women suffer from a form of sexual harassment or molestation, I find it hard to believe because it simply does not reflect what I see and experience. Nevertheless...

 

Is there anyone out there who thinks that it is safe to be a woman in Thailand? A general question perhaps, but anyone? One of my neighbours occasionally works until around 8 PM, and when she does she often calls me to meet her at the gate of my housing compound as there is often a group of men drinking near the entrance and she is afraid. Who the hell deserves to live like that?

 

Is the number of 50% or so correct? I do not know. Is it safe to be a woman in Thailand? I don't think so.

 

It is reasonable for the authorities to take some action on this; no one deserves to be harassed or molested. No one.

 

 

what a load of drama. i know plenty of girls that haven't been molested here, at songkran or otherwise. perhaps recommend your female 'friend' to inform the police or move if you are so paranoid about some local lads having a drink and minding their own business may touch her, which it seems they haven't.

[Daveyh]

Songkran is a nightmare ................ most people leave Thailand & go elsewhere, because it's become a complete farce & far from the traditions that were once sacred here! I hate this period each year. Best thing is to stock up with food, movies & ensure your internet is ok. I stay in from 9th April to 19th April inc. ............. clean house, diy & generally catch up with all my outstanding chores ...... works for me. 

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, Happy enough said:

more than half. i find that highly unlikely from what i have seen in the past. some for sure but more than half. doubt that very much

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Interior Ministry claims that more than half of all women are subjected to sexual molestation by drunk men at Songkran.

Yes. I think about 30+ million women seems a bit of an exaggeration  And are multiple molestations of the same women over different days of Songkran taken into account. That would blow the figure skyhigh for the purpose of over-dramatisation. 

 

[DM07]

Just my 2 satang: in a country, where domestic violence and rape is being part of everyday life as a kind of "traditional" behavior, it should not surprise anyone, that the groping rate (or worse) goes up, when alcohol is involved!

Instead of - like always- blaming it on alcohol and Songkhran, how about re- thinking the role and picture of women in Thai- society and teach men some respect and that a woman is not your personal possession,for   them to "use" as ever you please!

Maybe, if there would be a better education on the role of women in the 21st (yes, Thailand...that's what it is!) century, you wouldn't have to come up with this BS every Valentine's Day or Songkhran!

[Bob12345]

If it was that bad, wouldnt you expect to only see men doing the sonkran celebrations?

 

I mean, molest me once shame on you, molest me twice ...

I would expect all females to stay indoors together with all expats and farang pensioners.

[rkidlad]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

There is never ever an excuse for a man to grope a unknown female.....

So according to you, if the girl is drunk, it is okay for any male to grope her?

Hope your daughter is not celebrating Songkran here...

What I always ask people like this is "How would you feel if you (a man) woke from a drunken slumber and were told you'd raped by another man? How would you feel after if people were saying to you 'You shouldn't have got so drunk'". 

 

2 hours ago, Ossy said:

What, like being held down, mouth wedged open, whilst booze was poured in? Being forced to drink is a lot different from being persuaded to drink. If you don't want to drink, don't drink and if that means choosing new friends, do that.

 

Right girls . . . let's try to be 100% honest and truthful. If your drinking contributed to your being groped, it has to be more your own fault than that of the boozy boys that you could, if you'd made the effort, have avoided. You don't have to walk within arms length of these cretins and most sensible folk would simply make sure they didn't. There's keeping out of trouble and there's asking for trouble . . . the choice is yours, more than Thailand's boozy New Year.

When you tell a victim or potential victim that they're to blame too, you set very bad precedents. You're also telling sexual attackers that it's not all their fault. Not true. It's all on the attacker 110%. 

 

I'm all for giving advice like, 'be careful'. But I'd never ever tell anyone else how to dress or how to dance, etc. If a person sees a beautiful woman and feels the urge to grope her, I suggest they go home and get some serious help. It's perfectly normal to see  beautiful woman and feel aroused. There is nothing at all normal about acting inappropriately on that. It's completely abhorrent and criminal. 

 

We need to get the message to attackers that they are the only bad guys in the equation. They're the only ones to blame. Anything less than that is an insult to people who just wanna go about their day without being harassed. 

 

[chrisinth]

3 hours ago, Happy enough said:

more than half. i find that highly unlikely from what i have seen in the past. some for sure but more than half. doubt that very much

Based on a BS survey in 2016 carried out on only 1,793 women and girls.

 

From this they clarify that more than half of all (yes, all) women taking part in Songkran throughout the kingdom were subject to sexual abuse.

 

This is a problem with polls and statistics in general; you can make them read whatever you want depending on the people interviewed and the questions asked. Carry it out on a small group and then speculate.

[Lupatria]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

More than half of women are victims of sexual assault by drunken Songkran men, claims report

I was not aware they need a special occasion for that. But respect, so far nobody blamed the foreigners for this disrespectful behavior at the hub of moral values as usual so far. 

[eddie61]

1 hour ago, marko kok prong said:

Well last year in our town,two 20 something girls obviously drunk,became amarous together and next thing were on the ground kissing and fondling each other,a group of young lads egging them on,shorts and panties off one girl came off,and the other was down on her,then the Police came and stopped them,i was most dissapointed,it was just harmless fun.

If that is the case, this year I may make a Songkrahn excursion, rather than digging in at home with 4 large boxes of beer for 7 days

 

[Emster23]

The article per usual gives example of going to that notorious spot, Khao San Road, home of those horrible farangs and their filthy ways. If 50% figure has any sort of validity, why not example from wheretheheckburi... The implication by example of farangs behind this is rotten. What happens? do the farangs spread out like an invading force far and wide to grope women all over Thailand? Or perhaps they don't want to say "Gee, with those numbers, sounds like Thai men have a problem".

 I will spend those days of madness (week?) in Pattaya in the relative sanity of Bangkok. Avoid the farangs: don't know about the groping, but in general they turn their normal passive aggressive action into active aggression. And spare us any of that "oh, you are such a spoilsport and don't like fun".

Assault isn't fun, at least in my book.

[HLover]

2 minutes ago, Emster23 said:

The article per usual gives example of going to that notorious spot, Khao San Road, home of those horrible farangs and their filthy ways. If 50% figure has any sort of validity, why not example from wheretheheckburi... The implication by example of farangs behind this is rotten. What happens? do the farangs spread out like an invading force far and wide to grope women all over Thailand? Or perhaps they don't want to say "Gee, with those numbers, sounds like Thai men have a problem".

 I will spend those days of madness (week?) in Pattaya in the relative sanity of Bangkok. Avoid the farangs: don't know about the groping, but in general they turn their normal passive aggressive action into active aggression. And spare us any of that "oh, you are such a spoilsport and don't like fun".

Assault isn't fun, at least in my book.

Your speaking of responsible and accurate journalism, something that just doesn't exist much anymore.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

[FarangLife]

How nice to see a bunch of men think they know what happens to women better than the women themselves. 1. It was half of women celebrating Songkran, not half of all women. 2. Its sexual assault, that means every instance of butt-slapping and breast-grabbing, half seems like a low estimate to me. 3. As a woman I feel safer in Thailand than I do in most other countries, Songkran is just extra drunken so I avoid Khao San and stick to the provinces. 4. Why should I stay home and let the men have all the fun? Better to just travel around with sober friends who won't let anyone close enough to do more than splash me. 5. Why don't all the Chester the Molesters stay home and get drunk with the expat pensioners? Seems a much better solution to me. ♡

[wvavin]

Thais simply loves checkpoints!

[anon789561]

27 minutes ago, FarangLife said:

How nice to see a bunch of men think they know what happens to women better than the women themselves. 1. It was half of women celebrating Songkran, not half of all women. 2. Its sexual assault, that means every instance of butt-slapping and breast-grabbing, half seems like a low estimate to me. 3. As a woman I feel safer in Thailand than I do in most other countries, Songkran is just extra drunken so I avoid Khao San and stick to the provinces. 4. Why should I stay home and let the men have all the fun? Better to just travel around with sober friends who won't let anyone close enough to do more than splash me. 5. Why don't all the Chester the Molesters stay home and get drunk with the expat pensioners? Seems a much better solution to me. ♡

oh. who disputed your point number 1.it's good you avoid kao san whether songkran or not. and a bunch of men may well may know what happens. 

have you ever been to silom on songkran as a male? no. whinging western girls. you do make me laugh

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

 

Yes. I think about 30+ million women seems a bit of an exaggeration  And are multiple molestations of the same women over different days of Songkran taken into account. That would blow the figure skyhigh for the purpose of over-dramatisation. 

 

16 million or so maybe. .....  1/2  the population of 65 million or so being men.  However 50+% sounds wrong.  Male on female assault  stats have a way of being inflated by fanatics.  I remember the questions asked in school some years ago back home about fathers bathing or kissing daughters goodnight were twisted to prove that 80+% of fathers molested their daughters. I tend to stay indoors at Songkran as I am such a "hansum man" that I am always at risk of molestation by drunk women. It happens all the time in Walking street.

[bbbbooboo]

hmm...... what a surprise...... alcohol and sex

[Ossy]

32 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I'm all for giving advice like, 'be careful'.

And that, thanks, Rkidlad, was the key point of my post, advising females:

 

1. to avoid getting drunk, themselves.
2. to avoid provoking molestation, e.g. by seductive behaviour, wet T-shirts, boob-bouncing and the like.
3. to avoid - and assuming that it is absolutely necessary for you to be on that particular street - getting within arms length of the problem louts.

And where does Thai law stand, here? Despite a number of attempts for clarity, I can't read whether groping is classed and is punished as sexual assault, whereas rape is, of course. If groping is illegal, here, then evidently - just like with enforcing driving laws - there should be a massive police presence, with a policeman, every ten yards on the celebration streets, if things are as bad as the headline makes out.

 

We don't need posters jumping on the self-righteous band-wagon at the slightest suggestion that the groped girls can sometimes be as much to blame as the groper. We all know that he is most at fault, but let's not dance to his tune . . . let's just be sensible.

[Borzandy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

More than half of women are victims of sexual assault

So, it makes Thailand number one..

[The Deerhunter]

1 minute ago, bbbbooboo said:

hmm...... what a surprise...... alcohol and sex

Two of my favourite things.  Perfect together as long as everyone is able to think and behave responsibly.