Top brass police gather in Hua Hin as final suspect apologises for brutal attack

[jesimps]

Too late Thailand the damage is done. In reporting this story the world's media have dealt a further death blow to Thai tourism and rightly so. It is no longer safe in this country for any farang of any age to walk the streets without fear of being set upon for no rational nor logical reason ... oh they brushed passed me ... sorry what! While these mindless drunken pack animal thugs are allowed to continue unabated with their attacks on tourists your main source of income will fast disappear. Apologies are inconsequential because they mean nothing and they were probably prompted to give them anyway. The attacks were sickening to say the least and especially kicking the sh1t out of a defenceless old lady while she was already down ... that is not to say that the other attacks on the males were justified.

Since I started coming to Thailand in 1996 and then moved here in 2011 things have gone from bad to worse and the country is heading for armageddon ... there is no democracy, there is continuing suppression of any kind of peaceful protests, there is no progress on reconciliation, the computer crimes act is a joke, the continuing requirement for expats to jump through hoops and provide personal information to immigration is a is a travesty, corruption is rife all the way up the food chain and the criminal element/mafia (both farang and Thai) are allowed to get away with anything so long as the right amount of money changes hands, the level of road deaths increases on a daily basis ... and a whole lot more.

Why the hell am I living here ... time for a rethink.

Go back to the UK then - and I guarantee you'll be back within a month.

He'll probably do as he thinks fit despite you "Go back to the UK" brigade. How long you been here, 5

minutes?

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

If any Thai say that they accept this guys apology they are faking it. Look at the wai. There are three different positions of the hands when Thai's wai. When they wai someone considered to be of lower status or same status as themselves their finger tips will touch their chin, when they wai someone of higher status their finger tips touch their nose, for Buddha and the king their finger tips touch their fore head. He further didnt bend his head downwards as is practice. If you look at the photo you will see he didn't even try to do a proper wai, showing his contempt.

Wai oh Wai Delilah!

And if you look even closer, you'll see he hasn't had a manicure either!

Kids probably too busy shittin his pants, with every top cop in Thailand on his case, to worry about the style of his Wai...

Get a life!

Your total arrogance towards others and your ignorance about the Thai culture is reflected in your verbal d...a. If the guy was true in his remorse he would have been looking down with his hands position correctly, its drummed into Thai children from a young age. I suggest you take time off from your bar chair to get to know a little bit more about the country you stay in/are visiting. Being in front of the police would have prompted him to do it correctly if he was really showing remorse. I have a life but it seems as if you must troll people on TV to get attention.

[jesimps]

Anyone else noticed that the majority of those blaming the Welsh for this attack are junta fanboys? It's as though they're taking any criticism of the Thais as a personal attack on their heroes.

[true blue]

the police have there fall guys, Before the events happen half the time.easy way out of situations,case solved,

[MRH1959]

As stated, this case is being watched from around the world. If the culprits are given leniency due to being drunk and now apologizing, the police and Thailand as a whole will be seen as being weak.

Harden up Thailand, let the punishment suit the crime.

[dick dasterdly]

If any Thai say that they accept this guys apology they are faking it. Look at the wai. There are three different positions of the hands when Thai's wai. When they wai someone considered to be of lower status or same status as themselves their finger tips will touch their chin, when they wai someone of higher status their finger tips touch their nose, for Buddha and the king their finger tips touch their fore head. He further didnt bend his head downwards as is practice. If you look at the photo you will see he didn't even try to do a proper wai, showing his contempt.

Wai oh Wai Delilah!

And if you look even closer, you'll see he hasn't had a manicure either!

Kids probably too busy shittin his pants, with every top cop in Thailand on his case, to worry about the style of his Wai...

Get a life!

Your total arrogance towards others and your ignorance about the Thai culture is reflected in your verbal d...a. If the guy was true in his remorse he would have been looking down with his hands position correctly, its drummed into Thai children from a young age. I suggest you take time off from your bar chair to get to know a little bit more about the country you stay in/are visiting. Being in front of the police would have prompted him to do it correctly if he was really showing remorse. I have a life but it seems as if you must troll people on TV to get attention.

On seeing the 'photo, that was my first thought too - but presumably the 'photo was taken as he was starting the 'wai'?

[mgjackson69]

There; all done and dusted.

1. Photo shots of important top brass police

2. Pathetic and insincere apology by cowardly youth

3. Bail payments received from rich parents of other cowardly attackers

4. Flowers at the hospital bedside of aged victim

Safe for tourists to return now.

Your level of optimism, supported by your defeatist signature, I feel is misplaced.

I think the Thai guys will get disproportionately hammered, in a vain attempt to restore confidence.

This little boy, Khun Drop Kick, should have the book thrown at him, for sticking his jamook into events that didn't concern him. But I think the first 2 guys should not be charged, unless the farang are jointly charged for their initial assaults.

You, and people of similar opinions are as bad as the morons that carried out this attack. Possibly worse, because your support just encourages them.

That an elderly lady kicked senseless should be charged with assault,in your opinion, is sickening. You need help.

If the "elderly lady" started things by assaulting someone, then she should be charged if anyone else is.

The fact that she got her ass kicked in retaliation does not absolve her of any culpability.

[allyoops]

I have visited Thailand many times and I am about to plan my net holiday around christmas time .The authorities are right to worry about their tourism industry because this has swung me .I will probably go to Vietnam or Penang now instead .I am 62 and at that age even if you are reasonably fit you have no chance against this sort of behaviour.This has to be stamped out with a very harsh punishment for these thugs and it needs to be made plain all around the world that this will not be tolerated .Unfortunately ,as others have said ,this brutal attack will be punished with a slap on the wrist and a small fine .

In my view to attack these people in such a manner ,even if they were not totally innocent ,is beyond contempt .To punch and kick a 60 odd year old woman ,to kick people in the head when they are on the ground ,it is more than just an assault ,it could easily have ended in death or brain damage .

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

If any Thai say that they accept this guys apology they are faking it. Look at the wai. There are three different positions of the hands when Thai's wai. When they wai someone considered to be of lower status or same status as themselves their finger tips will touch their chin, when they wai someone of higher status their finger tips touch their nose, for Buddha and the king their finger tips touch their fore head. He further didnt bend his head downwards as is practice. If you look at the photo you will see he didn't even try to do a proper wai, showing his contempt.

Perhaps contempt, but it would depend on the photographer capturing the 'exact' moment of the wai - impossible to say.

Chris if he was really showing remorse he would not be making eye contact. His head would be down, his shoulders would be hanging forward and his hands would have been up and that would have been in that position for a substantial time, while he makes the apology (long enough for the press to get a clear photo). By showing this picture the people that set up the photo session let him go through the ropes thinking that no foreigner will know it has been faked. Next time when a Thai apologizes (not a fake one when a rich b...h kills a cop or rich cocaine filled boy murders a cop with his Lambo) towards another Thai look at their posture. But just for the fun of it ask a Thai person you know to make enact an genuine apology.

[Thaidream]

The actual facts in this case are clear:

-The Brits escalated the incident with a slap to the face by the lady and a punch by her husband. All they would have had to do was move on- no further incident.

- The son was pushed but fell over due to lack of balance

- The Thais response was way over the top and they have been charged with the equivalent of felon assault. Not all the Thais bear the same responsibility but should be punished accordingly.

- The news media everywhere have misrepresented the truth and left out key portions of the clip showing the Brits slap and punch.

- The police were not present on a holiday, in a crowded entertainment district and thus could not defuse this violent incident.

-The Thai Prime Minister has made comments and dispatched a Senior official to the crime scene.

What truly surprises me from all the posts on this topic is the outright hatred that so many people have of Thailand; Thais; and Thai culture. It is as if this incident has brought out an inner rage in the many Westerners /Foreigners who have some grievance against Thailand. It also shows their ignorance; lack of understanding of how things work in Thailand and their thinking that Western culture is superior to Thailand. This makes me feel more afraid of the foreigners in Thailand than anyone else. There is no doubt that the attack at the end of the clip shows some Thais that lost control and committed a serious crime. However, painting all Thai people with the same brush is just as much an over the top reaction as the incident itself. Thai on Thai crime occurs every day and if you watch the news in Thai every morning you can see it reported. Let's keep this incident in proper perspective.

[ScotBkk]

Sorry seems to be the easiest word.

What is this thing about saying' sorry? Does it make things any better? If you said that in one of our civilised countries the public outcry would be.

You will be - SONNY BOY !!!!!!!

Just saying .......

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Wuthi said that this was an important case as it involved tourists and police had worked hard to resolve the matter quickly and efficiently.

The matter won't be "resolved" until and unless all of the attackers are sentenced to long prison terms, befitting of the crimes they committed.

If anything else results, NOTHING will be resolved. Just saying "Hey, I was drunk and I'm sorry" doesn't pay the bill.

[dick dasterdly]

If any Thai say that they accept this guys apology they are faking it. Look at the wai. There are three different positions of the hands when Thai's wai. When they wai someone considered to be of lower status or same status as themselves their finger tips will touch their chin, when they wai someone of higher status their finger tips touch their nose, for Buddha and the king their finger tips touch their fore head. He further didnt bend his head downwards as is practice. If you look at the photo you will see he didn't even try to do a proper wai, showing his contempt.

Perhaps contempt, but it would depend on the photographer capturing the 'exact' moment of the wai - impossible to say.

Chris if he was really showing remorse he would not be making eye contact. His head would be down, his shoulders would be hanging forward and his hands would have been up and that would have been in that position for a substantial time, while he makes the apology (long enough for the press to get a clear photo). By showing this picture the people that set up the photo session let him go through the ropes thinking that no foreigner will know it has been faked. Next time when a Thai apologizes (not a fake one when a rich b...h kills a cop or rich cocaine filled boy murders a cop with his Lambo) towards another Thai look at their posture. But just for the fun of it ask a Thai person you know to make enact an genuine apology.

Good point, it makes no sense for the photographer to have missed the picture of him making a full and proper 'wai'.

Personally, I don't 'wai' because I will never be able to understand all the miniscule things that are obvious to Thais - so it makes more sense to bow my head (unless its an elderly person who has helped me in some way - in which case I will go OTT with hands up to forehead). The 'wai' in the 'photo is at best, disrespectful.

[Thaidream]

Saying you are sorry is a start. The Thais who did the kicking and the punching of the husband; lady and son at the end should be given a large fine/compensation and a jail term and it should be widely publicized.It is time for the public at large in Thailand and that includes both Foreign/Thai to be made aware that if you use alcohol and you commit a criminal act it will not be tolerated and firm justice will be done.

I would also hope that Foreign Embassies put out some information to their national's regarding the Do's and Dont's when visiting Thailand. Too many people come here with rose colored glasses on and leave their commonsense and manners at home.

[tonray]

Wuthi said that this was an important case as it involved tourists and police had worked hard to resolve the matter quickly and efficiently.

The matter won't be "resolved" until and unless all of the attackers are sentenced to long prison terms, befitting of the crimes they committed.

If anything else results, NOTHING will be resolved. Just saying "Hey, I was drunk and I'm sorry" doesn't pay the bill.

I am not sure we need to throw a 68 year old Welsh gal in the klink for too long as she perpetrated the first assault followed by sonny and hubby. But maybe if they apologize for being boorish sods we can all start fresh.

If I go to rob a bank and get my ass kicked, does that mean I should not get charged with attempted robbery ?

[dunroaming]

This piece of "news" will be forgotten within a week or two in the wider world.

[DaveinAsia]

I hope the British Embassy in Thailand will send a team to follow up on this case and put pressure on the Thai police to ensure that punishments meted out are proportionate to the violence they committed.

And yes, as somebody correctly pointed out, the TAT should invite the family back to Hua Hin for a fully paid holiday.

Sorry, but the British embassy have been on holiday since 2012.

As for TAT offering the family compensation; nobody thought about it yet, but I'm sure they will after reading this. It will be a grand display with all international media present

This 'incident' will cost Thailand 100's of millions of baht in revenues and only paved the way for a higher influx of Chinese tourists, not to mention the loss of face.

It's pretty clear to conscious people around the world that there is no law here and that this parade by the cops is fake and just to save their already frail tourist industry.

Let's check back in 2 or 3 years and ask Thais in tourist areas what they think about tourists having a dump in their garden and BBQ-ing their chihuahua on the parking lot, 555!

Som nam na. If you only rake in money but are too miserable to re-invest some of it in infrastructure, safety and education it will collapse eventually. Law of physics. When greed controls peoples hearts the end is near

Very true even now Thais are finding it hard to put food on the table .. Plus there debt is very high these days and on top of this ? They take big loans out on homes and vehicles they cant even afford to pay for .. am expecting an 97/98 eccommy crash sooner or later .. Then its going to be interesting when big companies are already moving offices to neighbouring countries and also working on all types of projects .. I think this maybe the time for people to move on to one of these neighbouring countries to be fair because could lose value on there investments and there retirement savings ...

Ouch ..

Thai banks see profits plunge in Q1, cut rates to boost loans

BANGKOK -- A prolonged slump in Thailand's economy has sent profits falling at its big four banks, prompting them to simultaneously make cuts to lending rates.

Combined net profits at Bangkok Bank, Krung Thai Bank, Siam Commercial Bankand Kasikornbank plunged 16% on the year to 36.049 billion baht ($1.03 billion) in the first quarter of 2016.

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/AC/Thai-banks-see-profits-plunge-in-Q1-cut-rates-to-boost-loans

I think many are leaving already. Vietnam and Myanmar are becoming more and more popular.

[sweatalot]

We were duped for two weeks with the tale that it was an unprovoked attack, but now that the video is out the we can see that it was far from unprovoked.

There is far less sympathy now for this so called innocent family and they should accept their behavior contributed to their downfall and issue an apology.

I think requesting an apology from those Brits goes too far, the answer to their provoking action was much too far over the top

but innocent victims they are not

How many people has Rosemary slapped in her merry old Wales? Just saying.

That we don't know and we don't need to. But in this case we saw that she slapped the Thai man

[facebookboy]

Just a thought, will the elderly couples travel insurance payout for the hospital bill (assuming they have insurance ). You know what insurance companies are like with alcohol involved or proof liability etc ?

[tonray]

Just a thought, will the elderly couples travel insurance payout for the hospital bill (assuming they have insurance ). You know what insurance companies are like with alcohol involved or proof liability etc ?

With video proof of the British family starting a row by physically assaulting locals....you can bet the insurance company will not pay a dime and no court would argue that they should

[sweatalot]

The actual facts in this case are clear:

-The Brits escalated the incident with a slap to the face by the lady and a punch by her husband. All they would have had to do was move on- no further incident.

- The son was pushed but fell over due to lack of balance

- The Thais response was way over the top and they have been charged with the equivalent of felon assault. Not all the Thais bear the same responsibility but should be punished accordingly.

- The news media everywhere have misrepresented the truth and left out key portions of the clip showing the Brits slap and punch.

- The police were not present on a holiday, in a crowded entertainment district and thus could not defuse this violent incident.

-The Thai Prime Minister has made comments and dispatched a Senior official to the crime scene.

What truly surprises me from all the posts on this topic is the outright hatred that so many people have of Thailand; Thais; and Thai culture. It is as if this incident has brought out an inner rage in the many Westerners /Foreigners who have some grievance against Thailand. It also shows their ignorance; lack of understanding of how things work in Thailand and their thinking that Western culture is superior to Thailand. This makes me feel more afraid of the foreigners in Thailand than anyone else. There is no doubt that the attack at the end of the clip shows some Thais that lost control and committed a serious crime. However, painting all Thai people with the same brush is just as much an over the top reaction as the incident itself. Thai on Thai crime occurs every day and if you watch the news in Thai every morning you can see it reported. Let's keep this incident in proper perspective.

Western culture superior to Thai culture might be true, while Thai believe the opposite without any background

[phantomfiddler]

"He told Wuthi that it happened because they were drunk. "

Try again. I have been drunk many times in my life and never ever was involved in beatings. It happened because they are psychopathic violent losers who figured no punishment would happen for their night of fun.

10 years in Thai prison might give him time to come up with real reason, not lame excuse. Slim chance of that.

Right on ! They know they will get off with little or no punishment. VERY sad

[thomaspwilson1]

Seems like saying "I was drunk and I'm sorry" makes it OK

[soc]

Nothing 20 lashes would make think about what they done. Anyone I know that would punch a 68 year lady would be publicly flogged or maybe just beat to death.

20 lashes? l'd give him at least 100 & then the knout.

[foxteen]

My Thai friends really believe this.

They said to me last night "These guys were on tv, gave a Wai and apologised, saying they were drunk. All is ok now"

I asked if they really meant that. They replied yes of course. Thais accept their apology.

I really can't believe Thai mentality.

Yeah i go out and knock anyone down and make sure is down and then come the police ..i explain i was under something and don't know what i was doing..so i can give a Wai and everything is fine and life goes on ....only in Thailand and is bad and i think that's why many thais get away and be free again as soon as

[optad]

Peculiar, given the stupid auspice of all this, was when the son hit the ground at the mother's feet, she just turns to remonstrate rather than attend to him and what may have been a nasty knock. Just odd behavior.

[Just1Voice]

According to some friends, this is ALL OVER British news, both print and electronic media. I wonder how many Pounds LOS will lose over this one.

[Thaidream]

Just to answer the poster regarding cultures- no culture is superior to another. However , throughout history cultures have risen and fell normally due to greed. Most long standing cultures have brought great advances and change to the World. At this juncture in World History we are seeing a clash of civilizations and a degradation of ALL cultures. The Western mindset and culture still feels they are superior to all others and should dominate, however, Asian cultures and sensitivities go back thousands of years. What is caused the clash is the intrusion on each others culture without showing any respect. There are too many foreigners who come to Thailand with a chip on their shoulder and believe the Thai people are their minions and because money is spent that makes it all correct. I could actually write a book on the loutish, drunken, condescending behavior of foreigners towards Thai people that I have personally witness over many decades. Is it no wonder Thais have 'foreign fatigue'. What ever happened to manners. respect for others and fair play.

The problems in Thailand are many , yet foreigners come here and criticize everything. Some of it is true but if you invite me to your home- would you like me to criticize it in front of you? I cannot name a country in this day and age that does not have serious issues. However, it is up to the people of each country to solve their problems.

This whole incident shows me there are so many things that are wrong with all societies. Would your grandmother and grandfather travel to a foreign country or even their own country and get into a fight? Would a member of your Thai family kick and punch elderly people? If you answer yes- then I pity your family. They are part of the problem and not the solution.

The level of education around the World has declined over the last 20 years. Parents, schools, religious organizations; and society in general do not teach ethics; manners; proper decorum; or respect for others. Society itself is on a downward spiral fueled by greed; a me first attitude and the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Let's try and remember the Golden Rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated . Try it- it works.

[huahinboilerman]

as to bringing swift justice, i had the crap beat out of me by a disgruntled vicious builder who we slung off site for shoddy work and it took us 2 years and a private prosecution to get past police corruption and all he got was 18 months probation and 20,000 but compo thai justice is a laugh.

[harleyclarkey]

Gentle Thai lad looking so contrite and apologetic. What a nice lad who surely wouldn't hurt a fly.

What a load of utter PR rubbish. This is the very same monster who was in a heroic group of macho guys who beat the c**p out of a couple of defenceless pensioners.

I don't give a toss about being drunk....not an excuse. We all get a bit hammered but the vast majority of us here do not go and pick on pensioners....or anybody else for that matter.

What this low life scum did was inexcusable and this farcical,staged stunt by the stupid, inept, couldn't care less cops and TAT won't change what we all saw.