Column: 'Would you like to have dinner, molest, rape with me?'
I once wrote that one of the many things living and working in Thailand so pleasant is that it is such a safe country. There is relatively little stealing (except by politicians, but that's another story).
There is little harassment on the street from underprivileged young people, whose fellow sufferers in Rotterdam sometimes want to hiss at you: “Am I wearing something of yours?”, to which the most conclusive answer is: “No, you are much too fat for that”. Of course you don't say that in such a case, because you don't want to be the suffering subject of a silent journey.
Here in Thailand, people just hang their motorcycle helmets on the handlebars of their parked Honda Dream and then go shopping. The helmet just hangs there. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, the life motto seems to be: if you have never stolen a bicycle, then you have not lived.
All well and good, then, here in the Land of the Setting Smile. Until you open the newspaper. Gossiepietje (I have become a member of the Association for the Preservation of Unused Dutch Strong Terms) there is some robbery, murder and rape in this good country.
None of that is much of a problem for Thai authorities until tourists get involved in murder, robbery or rape. Tourism accounts for 8% of foreign exchange inflows. That may not seem like much, but millions of people somehow earn their rice in the tourist sector. And once tourists become victims of crime, Thai authorities go into a “damage control” spasm, terrified that negative news would hurt the tourism industry.
Not so long ago, a young Dutch woman in the southern paradise of Krabi was assaulted and raped by a Thai guide. The perpetrator was arrested a month later. There was a DNA match. He confessed, later retracted his confession and he was released on bail. The young woman's father turned out to be a musician who was not amused used to be. He recorded a song on “Evil Man From Krabi”, which was released in no time viral went on Youtube. The Thai tourism bosses were wringing their hands at the conference table. The Minister of Tourism then publicly stated - still wringing his hands - that there was no way there could be rape because the perpetrator and the victim had dined together that evening. The previous assault was apparently a form of foreplay in the eyes of the minister.
“Snotverdulleme” thought the rest of the world – in the meantime the case had become world news, partly due to the clip on YouTube and the insane remark of the Minister for Tourism. The Thai version of 'damage control' had resulted in a huge pool of oil on the fire.
Hereby, I hear you, oh reader, thinking.
What the authorities don't seem to understand is that the 'damage control' is counterproductive. Crimes happen everywhere, as most potential Thailand visitors know. But deliberately covering up, justifying or concealing crimes against tourists only encourages people to think: 'If I get into trouble there, I can't count on help from the Thai authorities. I'll just go to Greece this year.'
Nothing has ever happened to me. But I am not that crazy to have dinner with a Thai tour guide…
Here's the clip of the raped woman's angry father:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/GRErWjo809g[/youtube]
Dear Cor,
What surprises me is that one minute you can lash out at the Thai government.
See article about bananas and the other moment you belong to the positive "oos" about Thailand. You cite the Netherlands as an example, young people with no prospects who harass you on the street. Or about a helmet that just hangs here. If you've never stolen a bike, you haven't lived. I can think of enough examples of Thais having their helmets stolen, what about the biker gangs harassing people. Last
they arrested a gang near pattaya where 50 of those customers were arrested and 100 motorcycles (stolen) were seized.
There is relatively little nicking in Thai. Where do you get that madness from?
Nothing has ever happened to you. Maybe you can't get anything.
J. Jordan
Moderator: comparisons with the Netherlands removed. It must be about Thailand.
Your quote: “Just in Bangkok, that is the order of the day there”
Sounds wonderfully incendiary but the reality is that I have been going to and from work every day for more than 10 years by motorcycle (125cc) and I have had an unwelcome incident. Did those sons of yours put up a sign saying "steal my bike?"
Two years ago I bought a bicycle in Udon Thani without a lock. Without a lock? Yes, without lock.
That lock is also not necessary at all. If you park your bike somewhere, it will still be there in a few hours.
Stories of robberies usually come from places like Pattaya. The victim is usually a drunken farang, completely covered in gold and with several tens of thousands of baht in cash in his wallet. If such a person is robbed in the middle of the night, then I have something like: yes…
@Jordaan.
My sense of security is a personal experience. I also do not claim anywhere that there is no robbery or murder in Thailand ("there is some robbery, murder and rape in this good country") You just read selectively, you pick out a few sentences and immediately relate them to your own experience . Moreover, the core of the story is about something completely different. I'm not going to chew that for you. You can choose yourself.
I would greatly appreciate it if there was a strong response to that release
from the Dutch embassy.
Moderator: sentence removed. Incitement to violence is not allowed according to our house rules.
Dear Sirs.
We don't live in paradise here.
We would like to believe that, but the reality is different.
If you ask yourself, the farangs also have butter on their heads.
The hefty rich youngsters hang out with expensive purchases, big houses with shiny fencing and big expensive cars.
And so on, Anything to show the Thai that we have the money.
Perhaps unconsciously we portray the Thai as poor wretches, while they were happy with what they owned.
That requires aggression and that will come, it will take a while but it will come.
And the farang in the places of pleasure but hanging out
Pogging is not difficult, but just doing it is an art
There are so many rich Thais with Porsches, BMWs and Mercedes. They walk
to show off LV's most expensive watches and bags. Yes, of course you should
not being in Isaan but just Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya. There are ferang from the Netherlands
or any other country nothing at all compared. The story of rich ferangs and poor Thai has long since ceased to hold true. Wealthy ferangs don't go to Thailand but to Cote d'Azur or Marbella. On the other hand, there are very rich Thais that you encounter every day in the big cities.
David, the increase in crime is not only with regard to farang, but also between Thais themselves. Moreover, I doubt whether materialistic motives are involved in rapes. Thai society is changing rapidly and unfortunately not for the better.
I recognize the feeling of safety in Thailand, but I also realize that if statistics were kept about crime and you could compare it with the Netherlands, Thailand would probably not win (and then apart from the road safety that is close by). against crime in Thailand). Part of it is a false sense of security in an environment where everyone is smiling. It's more of a feeling thing. I'd rather be a victim of a smiling Thai than a hate-filled Moroccan. The result may be the same, but I have more sympathy for that Thai (a little one), because he cannot receive benefits and life is harder in Thailand for the underclass. What remains is the mystery of the core of Cor's story. I think it's in the last sentence. Never dine with a Thai tour guide.
@BramSiam,
The core of the story is an extension of an earlier article “Crisis of confidence in the safety of tourists”. Trivializing, condoning and covering up violence or crime against tourists in order to protect Thailand's image as a paradise tourist destination, is counterproductive. Not least because of sites like YouTube. Comments such as that tourism bobo do the business no good at all. That kind of claptrap goes all over the world and is not limited to a column in the BP as it used to be. It is a form of 'damage control' that only fuels the outrage…
My opinion, even a drunk Farang, doesn't give anyone the right to rob him, right? Or am I becoming retarded? This week I heard a story that someone had been robbed in the village where I also live. a million baht, from a safe that the man had in his own house, that is not really smart in Thailand in my opinion, just leaving your coins in a reliable bank seems like a valuable tip, have you ever heard of self-protection? No, I'm still not retarded. And tying the cat to the bacon is not really helpful either, don't forget that you live in a poor country here, I would say, use it to your advantage. Otherwise a very good song and completely agree with the lyrics.
Greetings Hans-ajax.
Well, in the Middle Ages you already had highway robbers and gold thieves. If you were unlucky your (stealing) hand was cut off or even worse your head...
There will always be a possessing class and a thieving class…
Frank F