News Forum - 4 Thai tourists hospitalised after wooden pier breaks in Koh Larn off Pattaya coast

[Soidog]

6 hours ago, Stonker said:

A perfect choice of headline - details could then have been included in the article, as you say, keeping even the paranoid and self-obsessed happy until they found something else to complain about.

It is the headline I had issues with. I’ve no problem with details such as nationality or gender or reason for accident being included in the body of the report of its informative to the reader. Unfortunately most people simply look at headlines, form opinions and move on (just as you appear to do with the majority of what I post on this forum). Headlines are by their very nature attention grabbing. This is why it’s important not to fill them with such dangerous tripe as nationality unless there is a principle reason to do so. 
 

There is an important principle at hand here Stonker that you are either unwilling to accept or unable to comprehend. In the case of exposing nationality or ethnicity in a relatively minor issue as some people having minor injuries, then you could let it slide. The same isn’t true when it comes to reporting more serious matters such as criminal offences. Headlines such as “German man arrested for assaulting woman” is unacceptable. Unless of course the aim is to instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with Germans. Do you see the potential dangers of such reporting? Not for rational and fair minded people, but for the small minority of loonies who harbour racist views and such headlines gives license to their racist views. There’s a serious issue here and it’s not a simple a case of paranoia. I’m sure if you had gone in the homes of loonies like Anders Breivik or Brenton Tarrant you would find such newspaper headlines adorning walls or in scrap books. 
 

 

 

[LoongFred]

I can't believe that this subject has generated so much response. People just want attention by writing stuff. I'm sure guard rails break everywhere in the world every day. I do hope the injured are doing OK.  

IMG it's like arguing about arguing.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Soidog said:

There is an important principle at hand here Stonker that you are either unwilling to accept or unable to comprehend.

Perfectly able to "comprehend" it, I simply don't agree with you about it in any way.

3 hours ago, Soidog said:

Headlines such as “German man arrested for assaulting woman” is unacceptable. Unless of course the aim is to instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with Germans.

I just don't see that as either unacceptable or as aiming to "instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with Germans", but as an informative piece of news.

If it was simply "man arrested for assaulting woman" my interest and probably many others would be zero as I'd assume it was a Thai man assaulting a Thai woman and so an every day occurence as there are rather a lot more of both here.

I'd feel exactly the same way if the headline was the other way round, as it frequently is:

 

"Thai man sentenced to death for German tourist rape, murder"

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7236929/Thai-murderer-sentenced-death-killing-German-backpacker-raping-her.html

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thai-man-sentenced-to-death-for-german-tourist-rape-murder

Which was reported in exactly the same way in the Thai press:

 

Thai Man Arrested for the Rape, Murder of German Tourist Mariam Beelte in Chonburi, Thailand

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime/thai-man-arrested-for-the-rape-murder-of-german-tourist-mariam-beelte-in-chonburi-thailand/

 

A female German tourist was raped and murdered on Koh Si Chang island while on a day trip from Pattaya. A local Thai man has been charged with her murder.

https://web.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/photos/a-female-german-tourist-was-raped-and-murdered-on-koh-si-chang-island-while-on-a/3073118289368684/?_rdc=1&_rdr

Are those headlines, international as well as national, all suggesting that there's "a particular issue" with Thais raping and killing people, partticularly Germans, or with Germans being raped and murdered by Thais?

The assumption that anything that mentions race or nationality is aimed to "instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with" that race and to encourage racial divides is just something I don't agree with in any way and I find totally contrived, deliberately seeing and making an issue where none exists.

[Stonker]

13 hours ago, King Cotton said:

Hear, hear!

As for @Stonker's earlier remark, 'Actually I agree with a lot of people on this forum, sometimes even including you, and a lot also agree with me.' . . . perhaps he should PM this 'lot' to see if they really do agree with him . . . just a thought that his interesting remark provoked!

Well, given that "this 'lot'" have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped .

[Marble-eye]

11 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Well, given that "this 'lot'" have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped .

I wouldn't have thought that 0•8 likes per post is a great testament to anybodies popularity.

[Pinetree]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:33 PM, Jason said:

It's what happens when you don't do maintenance checks. 

You mean don't do maintenance at all

[Pinetree]

1 minute ago, Marble-eye said:

I wouldn't have thought that 0•8 likes per post is a great testament to anybodies popularity.

Who is here for popularity? I don't give a monkeys whether people agree with me or not. My views are my views.  

[Marble-eye]

2 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

Who is here for popularity? I don't give a monkeys whether people agree with me or not. My views are my views.  

 

20 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Well, given that "this 'lot'" have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped .

Hope this helps.

[KaptainRob]

4 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

You mean don't do maintenance at all

Well, it was in need of a coat of paint 

Preventative or routine maintenance just isn't a priority with many Asian cultures, a shiny car yes, bald tyres .... no problem, they still hold air.

[Stonker]

19 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

I wouldn't have thought that 0•8 likes per post is a great testament to anybodies popularity.

I've never claimed to be "popular" - if that's the reason why people post here rather than to inform, to be informed, and to discuss rationally, and that's what motivates you, then I find that rather sad.

I was simply pointing out that if people "have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped".

I thought the meaning was clear, but inevitably apparently not.

12 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

Hope this helps.

I can't really imagine how - it was posted as a reply to @King Cotton who had suggested I should PM them all to make sure they "really do agree" which I thought was rather a strange suggestion.

16 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

Who is here for popularity? I don't give a monkeys whether people agree with me or not. My views are my views.  

I would have imagined that was most people's view here, but apparently that's what some are here for.  All a bit sad, and far enough off topic for me.

[Marble-eye]

4 minutes ago, Stonker said:

I've never claimed to be "popular" - if that's the reason why people post here rather than to inform, to be informed, and to discuss rationally, and that's what motivates you, then I find that rather sad.

I was simply pointing out that if people "have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped".

I thought the meaning was clear, but inevitably apparently not.

I would have imagined that was most people's view here, but apparently that's what some are here for.

Why would anyone say 'have a look at my likes' if they are not trying to be overly clever, I merely pointed out to you that you have nothing to brag about by having 4000 likes. You brought the likes into the conversation and not me. You have said it and it cannot be unsaid.

But if by the sound of it you are really trying to improve your 'like' count, can I suggest less of the patronising. 

 

 

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

Why would anyone say 'have a look at my likes' if they are not trying to be overly clever ... (snip)

Because I was replying to a point, which was whether "this 'lot' .. really do agree" and that I should PM them to make sure.  I was suggesting that the probability was that 4,000 likes were unlikely to have been by accident, so that we could return to the topic without the childish ad hominem distractions.

If that's beyond you, then I'm afraid I don't know how to explain it any more simply and I see no point in continuing this when there's a valid topic to discuss. It's way beyond tedious when these topics are well worth discussing, as I think this is, but all some want to do is de-rail them.

 

[Marble-eye]

25 minutes ago, Stonker said:

Because I was replying to a point, which was whether "this 'lot' .. really do agree" and that I should PM them to make sure.  I was suggesting that the probability was that 4,000 likes were unlikely to have been by accident, so that we could return to the topic without the childish ad hominem distractions.

If that's beyond you, then I'm afraid I don't know how to explain it any more simply and I see no point in continuing this when there's a valid topic to discuss. It's way beyond tedious when these topics are well worth discussing, as I think this is, but all some want to do is de-rail them.

You are again simply not making any sense, you were trying to wear your likes like a North Korean general wears his battle medals. Again you are saying that your "4000 likes were not by accident". You were in fact using your likes to infer that other posters like what you write which doesn't seem to be the case at all "and if that is beyond you, then I simply don't know how to explain it more simply" (your patronising words, not mine)"

But it wouldn't be you if you didn't go out with a bit of patronising eh stonker.

Beam me up snotty.

[Soidog]

4 hours ago, Stonker said:

Perfectly able to "comprehend" it, I simply don't agree with you about it in any way.

I just don't see that as either unacceptable or as aiming to "instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with Germans", but as an informative piece of news.

If it was simply "man arrested for assaulting woman" my interest and probably many others would be zero as I'd assume it was a Thai man assaulting a Thai woman and so an every day occurence as there are rather a lot more of both here.

I'd feel exactly the same way if the headline was the other way round, as it frequently is:

"Thai man sentenced to death for German tourist rape, murder"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7236929/Thai-murderer-sentenced-death-killing-German-backpacker-raping-her.html

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thai-man-sentenced-to-death-for-german-tourist-rape-murder

Which was reported in exactly the same way in the Thai press:

Thai Man Arrested for the Rape, Murder of German Tourist Mariam Beelte in Chonburi, Thailand

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime/thai-man-arrested-for-the-rape-murder-of-german-tourist-mariam-beelte-in-chonburi-thailand/

A female German tourist was raped and murdered on Koh Si Chang island while on a day trip from Pattaya. A local Thai man has been charged with her murder.

https://web.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/photos/a-female-german-tourist-was-raped-and-murdered-on-koh-si-chang-island-while-on-a/3073118289368684/?_rdc=1&_rdr

Are those headlines, international as well as national, all suggesting that there's "a particular issue" with Thais raping and killing people, partticularly Germans, or with Germans being raped and murdered by Thais?

The assumption that anything that mentions race or nationality is aimed to "instil the feeling in the reader that there is a particular issue with" that race and to encourage racial divides is just something I don't agree with in any way and I find totally contrived, deliberately seeing and making an issue where none exists.

I think it’s wrong which ever way this is applied. To have a headline that says Thai man arrested for rape is just the same as my original issue of 4 Thai tourists. 
 

You will find that many countries have guidelines or laws which prevent issues such as nationality being reported in such a way, especially in criminal cases. They do that for a reason.  However, I’m clearly wasting my time trying to have a debate on this. You just disagree and that’s fine with me. 

[Soidog]

4 hours ago, Stonker said:

Well, given that "this 'lot'" have seen fit to press the 'like' button some 4,000 times for comments I've made, I don't really see the need to PM them each time to ask if they "really do agree" or if their finger just slipped .

 

That’s misinformation @Stonker  you have posted approx 5,000 times and received only 2761 Likes. That’s 55%

it’s a juvenile thing, but since you introduced it, I thought I’d check my own stats. Approximately  2,650 posts and 3098 likes. That’s 117%
 

 

[DWiener]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:33 PM, Jason said:

It's what happens when you don't do maintenance checks. 

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often TBH. Dodgy construction is everywhere in Thailand. No planning, no engineering input, no maintenance. 

As another commenter posted - it's only checked AFTER it breaks and someone gets injured or killed. 

And what are they supposed to do with 5000 baht?? Seriously?

[LoongFred]

1 hour ago, DWiener said:

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often TBH. Dodgy construction is everywhere in Thailand. No planning, no engineering input, no maintenance. 

As another commenter posted - it's only checked AFTER it breaks and someone gets injured or killed. 

And what are they supposed to do with 5000 baht?? Seriously?

Sounds like you need to show up with a hammer and nails. 

[DWiener]

13 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Sounds like you need to show up with a hammer and nails. 

Rust-proof undercoating and lots of it. I'm amazed that so much oceanfront construction is made from unpainted steel. Also I've yet to see a concrete seawall that hasn't fallen partially or wholesale into the sand or ocean. You think they'd learn...

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Soidog said:

That’s misinformation @Stonker  you have posted approx 5,000 times and received only 2761 Likes. That’s 55%

it’s a juvenile thing, but since you introduced it, I thought I’d check my own stats. Approximately  2,650 posts and 3098 likes. That’s 117%
 

You're obviously far more interested in this than I am.

I clicked on my icon to see if it showed, as I thought @King Cotton's point was pretty weird, and it said 'reputation 3.9k' so I simply assumed that meant 3.9k likes so I said "some 4,000".

I don't know where you got the figures from, and TBH I really couldn't care if it's 1, 1k, 10k or 100k - that wasn't the point I was making and I find this all a little bit sad.

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, DWiener said:

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often TBH. Dodgy construction is everywhere in Thailand. No planning, no engineering input, no maintenance. 

As another commenter posted - it's only checked AFTER it breaks and someone gets injured or killed. 

And what are they supposed to do with 5000 baht?? Seriously?

I have to agree, and it's far from just piers. The tourist viewpoints near me involve a lot of galvanised (I hope) stairs and ladders to get to the top, and there are no checks at all apart from when one of the guides report something broken. 

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, Soidog said:

You will find that many countries have guidelines or laws which prevent issues such as nationality being reported in such a way, especially in criminal cases. They do that for a reason.  

Well, actually I couldn't find any, let alone "many", and the UK's evidently not one of them, nor Hong Kong / China, as they do so in the links I gave and quoted above so I'd be very interested to know what these "many" countries are.

Any chance of you naming some of them?

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, DWiener said:

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often TBH. Dodgy construction is everywhere in Thailand. No planning, no engineering input, no maintenance. 

As another commenter posted - it's only checked AFTER it breaks and someone gets injured or killed. 

And what are they supposed to do with 5000 baht?? Seriously?

I should add that what amazes me as much as the lack of checks is the lack in a lot of places of anything to check.

I've gone up Khao Pra Bat at Khao Kitchakut a few times (very much a Thai pilgrimage thing, so no double pricing ) and there's literally no safety at all on the boulders at the top, with people just bimbling around wherever they want on top of the boulders.

Similarly in Erawan cave, halfway up a hill in Loei (free, even farangs).  There are some electric lights around the cave so you can find your way round in relative safety, but no stand-by emergency lights at all so if the electricity goes out the cave's in total darkness with the only staff at the bottom of the hill - as, inevitably, happened on our first visit when we were at the furthest point of the cave.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

You're obviously far more interested in this than I am.

I clicked on my icon to see if it showed, as I thought @King Cotton's point was pretty weird, and it said 'reputation 3.9k' so I simply assumed that meant 3.9k likes so I said "some 4,000".

I don't know where you got the figures from, and TBH I really couldn't care if it's 1, 1k, 10k or 100k - that wasn't the point I was making and I find this all a little bit sad.

. So sad I agree. Be careful with what you say. It’s not right to spread misinformation

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

Well, actually I couldn't find any, let alone "many", and the UK's evidently not one of them, nor Hong Kong / China, as they do so in the links I gave and quoted above so I'd be very interested to know what these "many" countries are.

Any chance of you naming some of them?

Now no more Stonker. I’m not playing your silly games anymore. I was trying to have an proper informed and sensible  debate. Not turning this in to a silly slanging game.  Now please, go pester someone else. I really don’t have time to spoon feed you

[Marc26]

On 2/15/2022 at 10:50 PM, LoongFred said:

However, they were taking pictures indicates they weren't  local, so they were tourists, but its unimportant if they were foreign or Thai. 

I just took this last night, 3 blocks from my apartment............

 

But you are probably correct.