Four arrested for attack on British family in Hua Hin as first photos of the victims are released

[puffy]

In my country, when a foreigner is robbed or beaten. Someone from an organisation will go to visit the victim. All medical expenses are paid by the government. Victims are given any assistance they need by finance or amenities. There are often gifts of flowers or chocolates .this process helps victims with a nice last memory of the country. It also can counterbalance a little bit of their horrible memory. This is actually very beneficial to their healing.

Well done tat for helping these guests in your country.

anyone seen anyone from the BRITISH EMBASSY

If the British Embassy have to get involved with every case that involves British people in Thailand, then they will need to employ a lot of people. The embassy are not there to interfere in Thai law nor are they there to pick up the pieces when holidays go wrong...

Exactly. The British Embassy is there to advocate for British business and political interests. Having to help out Brits in the country is nothing but an irritation.

Totally agree, Why should the British embassy get involved in a huge International incident, that is not what they are there for,

they are there to charge ridiculous fees for getting a piece of paper to allow you to marry. Just because there is a notion that an

Embassy is there to help and protect it's citizens, that is obviously not the function.

[sambum]

Thai people do not have a seething rage for Westerners, foreigners or any other. Some abuse alcohol and drugs. Others are simply worn down by the stress of life in Thailand without any hope of ever getting anything better. the lack of education; lack of real work opportunities; and the simple hopelessness of existence causes an inner rage. In addition Thais are taught from birth to avoid confrontations and adopt the Mai Pen Rai attitude. It really takes a lot to provoke a Thai person and the video does show the Thai man even after being slapped, not fight back against the foreign woman. However, fueled by alcohol in this case; the pack mentality sets in. I am not trying to dismiss what happened as insignificant. I am trying to understand and explain the Thai psyche. They indeed should be punished for their over reaction and injury to others.

I am actually amazed at how many posters on this board show their hatred towards the Thai people and utter lack of any insight into how Thai people think and live. They rant and rave about everything bad in Thailand . They do not have to adapt to us- we have to adapt to their culture. If there is any animosity inside a Thai person towards a foreigner, it is based on the foreign attitude that 'we are better than you' and can do whatever we want. There are too many expats and foreigners with chips on their shoulders. All one has to do is watch the behaviors of foreigners towards Thais to understand why they may feel some resentment. The way foreigners talk and comport themselves turns me off so you can imagine how Thai people feel. Thailand is still the LOS- I see it daily. I also believe that Thailand is not the same now as it was 50 years ago when i first came, but neither is America, Europe or Australia. Everyone is chasing the Baht; Dollar, Euro or Aussie Dollar. The majority do it to survive- the rest are greedy.

This incident should cause a wide introspection into how not to act towards others. In other posts I have mentioned how everyone has to share guilt. The widespread portrayal in the foreign media and on this board that it was all one sided, is just not true. While there is plenty to complain about in Thailand, it is not an unsafe country; Thai people do not dislike foreigners, and the government has no vendetta against the foreign/expat community. When you are out and about treat everyone with dignity and respect. If you drink too much- go back to your residence. Try and assimilate into the local culture and understand Thailand and its people. There is just too much negativity and animosity in this World and Thailand is not immune. At times, all of this makes me want to move further away from so called 'civilization".

So how often do tourists in Soho get beaten up by groups of ladyboys, as is a regular occurrence in Pattaya, and how many tourists commit suicide by leaping from skyscrapers in New York?

There are indeed many decent Thai people, but for the most part the type of Thai person that "works" in the likes of Pattaya's "entertainment" area does not fit into that category.

And the animosity towards foreigners that you vehemently deny can be seen almost every time there is a disagreement between a Thai and a Farang. The resulting violence is NEVER "one on one", and it seems that even elderly women are fair game if they dare to speak out. (That would never happen in my town or most others that I know of) in the UK - they would be told to shut up, keep out of it, or physically held back, but NEVER knocked to the ground by a cowardly piece of garbage like that, and THEN kicked in the head as she tries to get up!!! Absolutely disgraceful, inexcusable behaviour - drunk or not.

"Thais are taught from birth to avoid confrontations and adopt the Mai Pen Rai attitude."

( Didn't see much of that in this instance!)

However, a good piece of advice that has been quoted a few times on here is try to avoid a confrontation and just walk away, because once you start an arguing and shouting match with a Thai, his "face" has gone, and the ensuing violence is almost expected by his peers, who will gladly jump in and "help"!

[eddie61]

It makes me so angry to read of so many injustices like this against western visitors to Thailand. It seems like I have read about hundreds instances like this. We seem to be nothing more than punching bags for these people that neither like or respect us. They only like our money. How many thai visa members have expressed indignation through the years at behavior like this but nothing every changes, it only gets worse. Let me be the first to say that we need to organize and speak out. Let's set up a website of all the violence against westerners like this and put it on the internet. Let the world see these atrocities. FIGHT BACK! Let Thailand know that we are tired of being beaten senseless by their citizens and have them do nothing about it. Anytime a potential tourist does research on Thailand this website will come up and make them think twice about Thailand as the Land of Smiles. Officials in thailand will soon feel the heat. It will negatively impact their pocketbook as well as their "face". This will work as I have seen it work when a Thai physician did some bad work on a western patient. This person could get no recourse from the doctor or the government. Well, this patient set up a website outlining what happened and that nothing was done to help him. This doctor, so I hear from another doctor, has lost 80% of his western customers. The website has been running for 2 years and every time someone googles the doctor's name or related procedures performed, this website comes up. I'm sick of this violence and when I read about the old lady behind KICKED IN THE FACE WHEN LAYING IN THE ROAD, I was incensed. Does anybody have experience with website design? Your work shouldn't be for free, maybe others will contribute, as I will put in USD$100 as the first. OK everybody, this is your chance to do something besides run your mouth. This is an opportunity to fight back and get the government to start prosecuting these animals with sentences that will help stop the violence.

But watch out for the computer crimes act.... 100,000 baht or 5 years in prison....

I speak from experience

[cyberfarang]

Gotta be the last nail in the coffin of the Thai tourist industry, I took a visitor to Walking Street last night, seen nothing like it, the street was busy but only with Korean and Chinese tour groups shuffling along behind pratts holding up little flags, just taking photo's, not spending a baht, all the bars along the street were empty, this is the result of the Thais trying to attract these 'quality tourists' and keeping out the big spending sex/fun time falang tourists. Sad to see what has happened to Pattaya, streets clogged up with non spending tour groups and roads clogged up with giant tour buses.

No it`s not. This is the result of the bars and the whole scene getting greedy and can be more expensive then in mainland Europe, America, Australia and England. These days I am too scared to enter these places in case I get over changed and beaten up if I dispute the bill. The whole lot have turned into rough houses full of drunks, junkies, the lowest of the low with pond life prostitutes and locals. Any problems and you`re likely to get your head kicked in or worse. It just means that the Koreans and Chinese have more sense by staying in their organised tour groups, unlike the big tough Farlangs that think they can handle any situation if confrontations occur, that consider Thais being polite with smiles on their faces means stupid. Thailand is no different from England, it has it`s thug elements so we go to places less likely to attract such people and where it`s safer.

To avoid trouble then do what the Koreans and Chinese do, that is give these places a wide berth. There is plenty in Thailand for tourists without having to visit girly bars and rough house drinking s**tholes.

[cyberfarang]

BOYCOTT HUA HIN until there is justice !

I like this quote. Never mind the detective work here, never mind the call for Thai justice and goading or bashing. Never mind the suspicions of TAT. Never mind who was drunk.

We need to unite in a way just like Thais unite for a fistfight. I'm not sure how to utilize social media, but boycott sounds like the way to justice. Take a victimless proactive approach and wait for no one to do their "job".

Whatever it takes. Donation to an organization that organizes a boycott. Should it be only Hua hin? Surely the problem exists at least in all tourist spots. A demonstration in the streets perhaps? Every weekend? On appropriate Thai holidays? Buddha days? In different cities?

I'm there.

My arse may be skinnier now but I still know when to get off it!!

What say you guys??

I`ve seen some rubbish posts on Thai Visa in my time, but this has to be the daddy of them all.

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in Hua Hin,

we shall fight on the beaches of Phuket and Pattaya,

we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in Thailand, we shall defend all Farlangs, whatever the cost may be.

[SpeakeasyThai]

Nice postcard.

[jollyhangmon]

Know what dumb-post i'm always missing on threads like this - an increasing number btw? The otherwise wildly frequented >when in Rome do it Romanian blablabla< standard apologizer steaming BS ...

Well now, i'm all in for that, this common behaviour like packs of effin' rabied curs got to be answered in the proper way ... 'nuff said ...!

[SpeakeasyThai]

The full force of the. Thai law will be down on them like a tone of bricks with a hefty 500 Baht fine and if they try that again the fine could almost double now on your way and I don't want to see you in my court ever again

I wouldn't be so cynical if I was you, this has turned out to be an international embarrassment for Thailand and the offenders could get an extremely harsh punishment for this: Flower arranging once a month for 12 months.

[Asheron]

I've watched the video very carefully a few times now. "Son" was falling down pissed when everything began. I'm in NO WAY condoning any aspect of the event but I see where it started. This isn't UK or the western world, especially during Songkran. How you move about, the things you say, the things you do, even hand/arm gestures.., it's different here.

Great advice... now when i see thai people on the streets in Europe doing, talking, moving or geturing the way i don't like i can go kick their teeth in.

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[RikDao]

Fk the "adverse effect on tourism" these pieces of excrement need to be thrown in jail indefinitely. Being "drunk" is no excuse whatsoever for this foul inhuman behaviour. That could easily have been your or my mother getting punched to the ground and kicked in the head. If I got that guy in a locked room he's be f*cking dead now.

Yo Cap'n Crunch! You seem to imply that you'd kill him, is that it?

Of course you're exaggerating, but why say it in the first place?

[dirtycash]

honestly thai men cannot fight unless they are trained in muay thai boxing but even then all they can do is a few palty summersaults and twirls ive yet to see a full on blood and guts fight .

i beat 4 ladyboys on nana sukumvit a few years back ( arent they men ? ) they are weak and punch like like little sissy girls i couldnt believe how weak they were and only for the thought that more of them were coming i had to walk / back away. they are very good with their nails though, sharp as daggers.

[phantomfiddler]

Well, I had my family of 4 set to come out here for vacation around December and have now cancelled after watching this. We brits vote with our feet. Totally disgusting that all the onlookers did absolutely nothing to stop the carnage ! Another point worth mentioning, the thug lower left who looks like a little kid incapable of harming a fly. In relation to the Koh Tao murders, you just can,t make any judgement based on innocent appearance !

[AlphMichaels]

I've watched the video very carefully a few times now. "Son" was falling down pissed when everything began. I'm in NO WAY condoning any aspect of the event but I see where it started. This isn't UK or the western world, especially during Songkran. How you move about, the things you say, the things you do, even hand/arm gestures.., it's different here.

Great advice... now when i see thai people on the streets in Europe doing, talking, moving or geturing the way i don't like i can go kick their teeth

And we have a winner! Knew one would come thru. Re-read my post and watch the video again.

[Dodgydownunder]

No need for any punishment here-. They said sorry.

[kentrot]

In the start of the video ... the Black tee shirt Thai guy & the White shirt Thai guy are having a disagreement. There is some shoving between the 2 Thai's.

Then the white shirt gets "touched" by the British son and all hell breaks loose. What ever happened to the disagreement between the 2 Thai's at the start of the clip ????

The old magician's expression - MISDIRECTION

[tonray]

Well, I had my family of 4 set to come out here for vacation around December and have now cancelled after watching this. We brits vote with our feet. Totally disgusting that all the onlookers did absolutely nothing to stop the carnage ! Another point worth mentioning, the thug lower left who looks like a little kid incapable of harming a fly. In relation to the Koh Tao murders, you just can,t make any judgement based on innocent appearance !

Apparently some of your countrymen did not get the memo:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/913834-londoners-queue-through-hail-and-snow-for-two-nights-to-bag-l49-flights-to-thailand/

[tonray]

The site would be blocked via their firewall in short order. Just because they can.

The real solution does not exist because it is in the billionaires interest who run this country to keep people uneducated and in debt and drunk. Did you ever wonder why it is so easy for Thais to get a job and why there are 4 times as many employees in any business than are actually needed ? Psychology shows that people are willing to spend and even take on huge debt as long as they have a job, no matter how meager the wages really are. This greases the wheels of commerce and keeps the rich happy. The uneducated face kickers are not a problem because they have a role too. If you educate people and teach them manners and respect well wouldn't you know it the next thing they would be demanding is accountability in government and an end to corruption. That is not going to happen. I agree that we should punish areas economically like Hua Hin because that will force them to add more security. But you need to be careful about inflaming passions with a website in a country where you can be arrested for it and jailed or deported.

[blistering blue barnacles]

The site would be blocked via their firewall in short order. Just because they can.

The real solution does not exist because it is in the billionaires interest who run this country to keep people uneducated and in debt and drunk. Did you ever wonder why it is so easy for Thais to get a job and why there are 4 times as many employees in any business than are actually needed ? Psychology shows that people are willing to spend and even take on huge debt as long as they have a job, no matter how meager the wages really are. This greases the wheels of commerce and keeps the rich happy. The uneducated face kickers are not a problem because they have a role too. If you educate people and teach them manners and respect well wouldn't you know it the next thing they would be demanding is accountability in government and an end to corruption. That is not going to happen. I agree that we should punish areas economically like Hua Hin because that will force them to add more security. But you need to be careful about inflaming passions with a website in a country where you can be arrested for it and jailed or deported.

"The real solution does not exist because it is in the billionaire’s interest who run this country to keep people uneducated and in debt and drunk."

Unlike the U.S. I suppose?

Oh, and let's not forget the fear element, scared citizens are always a whole lot easier to tax, exploit and control.

[tonray]

The site would be blocked via their firewall in short order. Just because they can.

The real solution does not exist because it is in the billionaires interest who run this country to keep people uneducated and in debt and drunk. Did you ever wonder why it is so easy for Thais to get a job and why there are 4 times as many employees in any business than are actually needed ? Psychology shows that people are willing to spend and even take on huge debt as long as they have a job, no matter how meager the wages really are. This greases the wheels of commerce and keeps the rich happy. The uneducated face kickers are not a problem because they have a role too. If you educate people and teach them manners and respect well wouldn't you know it the next thing they would be demanding is accountability in government and an end to corruption. That is not going to happen. I agree that we should punish areas economically like Hua Hin because that will force them to add more security. But you need to be careful about inflaming passions with a website in a country where you can be arrested for it and jailed or deported.

"The real solution does not exist because it is in the billionaire’s interest who run this country to keep people uneducated and in debt and drunk."

Unlike the U.S. I suppose?

Oh, and let's not forget the fear element, scared citizens are always a whole lot easier to tax, exploit and control.

No...similar psychology is at work in the US also. The difference is here they use religion and customs (The Thai way) to keep people compliant. in the US it's largely fear/greed and nationalism to do the same.

[superal]

BOYCOTT HUA HIN until there is justice !

I like this quote. Never mind the detective work here, never mind the call for Thai justice and goading or bashing. Never mind the suspicions of TAT. Never mind who was drunk.

We need to unite in a way just like Thais unite for a fistfight. I'm not sure how to utilize social media, but boycott sounds like the way to justice. Take a victimless proactive approach and wait for no one to do their "job".

Whatever it takes. Donation to an organization that organizes a boycott. Should it be only Hua hin? Surely the problem exists at least in all tourist spots. A demonstration in the streets perhaps? Every weekend? On appropriate Thai holidays? Buddha days? In different cities?

I'm there.

My arse may be skinnier now but I still know when to get off it!!

What say you guys??

Hello Harveyg , I can understand your concern and upset but what you propose i.e. a demonstration on the streets will probably be seen as inciting trouble with the Thais .and you are sure to get a reaction which you may well regret . I doubt that you will get any support from TV readers and for obvious reasons , you cannot beat the Thais in a confrontation , they will use whatever means to win and show no fear or concern of the consequences of their actions . Rather than be a lone crusader I suggest considering moving to a safer area or another country however cowardly violence is a commonplace even in the western world . Take care of yourself and avoid situations that could escalate to confrontations plus take off your western hat.

[Domenico Ernesto Esposito]

From the video we can see that the guy, who have kicked the old lady, tried clearly to kill the woman, he was not drunk because his action was determined and tough. He definitely tried to kill the woman. Apologies are not sufficient for such criminal act.

[Songlaw]

Let's not be so quick to forget that for many of us, leisure, or free time has at least a modicum of "stress reduction" rolled into our actual time away from the job. And that we had jobs. It should be obvious to anyone who even accidentally wanders off of Sukhumvit that this aspect of leisure time does not exist to any measurable degree for most of the people who are native to this society. Twenty four hours, seven days a week, there is no relief from the fact that if you don't work, in very short order, you won't eat. So, unless you are a member of the 10%, you are always one disaster away from epic failure. And if you fail, no matter what the reason, your family (read:children) perish, right alongside you and your mate, if you are fortunate enough to even have one.

This happened in a beach resort, these guys spend every day strolling on the beach, looking at foreign girls in bikinis.

They spend every evening taking drugs and getting drunk.

I would say about 50% of the Thai population never do any work of any sort ever.

And these are the ones giving out the kickings. Not the stressed out family men in BK that you describe.

I am aware. And if you read back a bit in my comment, you perhaps would have seen that I had acknowledged going pretty far off topic. This paragraph is taken out of context. But in certain respects, 80% of my post was written out of context, as I was addressing someone's reaction about the writer's use of "farang" in the article. I do think I managed to convey condemnation of this act, as well as any and all who were involved in the actual beating. Your point, just the same, is taken. Though I would suggest phrases like, "a large percentage," as opposed to anything that directly implies half. In most cases, a claim of 50% of anything is usually misleading. This is certainly no exception.

[balo]

That 65 year old Welsh woman knew how to defend herself, when you look at the video from 0:52. Slapping a Thai in the face and you're lucky to live another day.

[ScotBkk]

That 65 year old Welsh woman knew how to defend herself, when you look at the video from 0:52. Slapping a Thai in the face and you're lucky to live another day.

I know you mean well

Sorry to rattle your cage but this Welsh woman is Scottish unless I'm also reading the wrong page.

Personally, I would gladly slap a few Thai coward faces on home-ground if they boot elderly people half to death with a baby in tow.

The mindset of these animals can't be expressed in words. They do it because they get away with it usually with a slap on the wrist not the face.

Did this scenario in our country they would definitely Lose Face:

Their Own !!!!!!!!

[webfact]

please continue here:

Police not behind video attack leak - incident a "nightmare" for the country, says PM office

HUA HIN:-- Hua Hin police have moved quickly to deny online speculation they were behind the leaking of the clip showing the beating of the British tourists in the town over Songkran.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/914216-police-not-behind-video-attack-leak-incident-a-nightmare-for-the-country-says-pm-office/

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/Admin