News Forum - Rescue worker shot dead after rival volunteer groups brawl in Bangkok

[Thaiger]

A volunteer rescue worker has died, after reportedly receiving a lethal gunshot wound to the chest during a street brawl that broke out between two rival volunteer foundations on Sunday in Bangkok. Officers from Thonglor Police Station investigated Kasam Rat Road in front of Lotus’s Rama 4 branch in Bangkok yesterday, after receiving a report of a fight between two volunteer rescue teams — Poh Teck Tung Foundation and Siam Ruam Jai Foundation. One rescue worker was reported to be shot at the scene and he later died at a hospital. According to the report on Khaosod, the scene of […]

The story Rescue worker shot dead after rival volunteer groups brawl in Bangkok as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Soidog]

Literally couldn’t make it up! 

[Fanta]

Surely a country with the 25th highest GDP in the world can afford a government run ambulance service? Start trimming, by natural attrition, the RTP and the armed forces and put those “savings” into actually caring for the people that pay for them. Crying poor won’t work forever. 

“The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of all civil servants.” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Police

360,850 people in the Armed Forces, #13 in the world. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Armed_Forces 
 

[HiuMak]

Should be "gangs" instead of "volunteer groups" 

[kalyan]

Why i am so much surprised when an accident happens so many private ambulances queue up, certainly there are lot of pocket open, this guys find it picked up.

a rescuer needs to be rescued pathetic situation. !

 

 

[Ramanathan.P]

A business to be rescued has risked its rescuer to rescue itself from being rescued by a rescuer......end of the day it is the $$$ that makes the difference. "The Land of Smile for Thousands"

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Fanta said:

Crying poor won’t work forever. 

Totally correct. Thailand has a GDP roughly 4 times less than the U.K at $500 billion. The problem seems to be in tax revenue collection. I’m not talking about high taxation versus low taxation, I’m referring to normal tax collection on rates already in place. It’s tax revenues are roughly 10 times less than the U.K. at around $86 billion and I believe this is where the problem lies. I don’t know why it’s so low. One obvious issue is the amount of people who are said to be employed but fall below the income tax threshold. With an ageing population this issue is likely to get worse. The other factor which impacts all aspects of life in Thailand is corruption this will inevitably be a factor in both personal and corporate tax collection. 
 

The government was planning tax reforms but these seem to be on hold following the pandemic. With such low revenues, to then waste it on so many inefficient police and other civil servants making multiple paper copies of just about everything, along with hundreds of Army generals, is why basic services are so poor. It’s about priorities. 

[Mandy]

Anybody out there know if there's a gun law here, why is everyone packing heat in the land of smiles?

[Pinetree]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

otally correct. Thailand has a GDP roughly 4 times less than the U.K at $500 billion.

Well you wouldn't know it by the state of UK infrastructure, its terrible roads railways and airports, its lack of affordable public housing and its truly terrible NHS. Seems to me that Thailand is doing a lot more with a lot less.  Yes it needs to do more for the poor and disadvantaged, but it has the excuse of being a developing country; the UK has no such excuse.

[Soidog]

47 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

Well you wouldn't know it by the state of UK infrastructure, its terrible roads railways and airports, its lack of affordable public housing and its truly terrible NHS. Seems to me that Thailand is doing a lot more with a lot less.  Yes it needs to do more for the poor and disadvantaged, but it has the excuse of being a developing country; the UK has no such excuse.

Sorry mate but can’t agree with most of that. Nothing at all wrong with the roads. The road network in the U.K. is massive compared to its size and most roads are perfectly fine, with a spending of £11 billion compared to £4 billion in Thailand, with most of that £4 billion being spent on new roads; something the U.K. doesn’t need. Airports are also fine although Heathrow needs to either move or add two extra runway’s.  

Other services like the NHS and affordable housing are being stretched by the inadequate immigration controls. As Boris put it. “Our compassion may be infinite but our capacity to help people is not”. As for the comparison of railways, the U.K. railways are infinitely better than Thailands and so it would make no sense to compare. 
 

Also bear in mind that the NHS annual budget is £136 Billion ($176 billion). That alone is twice the total Thai tax revenue. We then spend an incredible amount on other social care needs and payments of pension. The average U.K. pension is £680 per month compared to Thailands £17!!  That’s 40 times more even though tax collection is 10 times more. I know people like to compare, but on the matter of social care and welfare, there is simply no comparison. 
 

I actually think the U.K. does a lot more with their 10 x Thailands Tax revenues compared to what Thailand achieves.

[Pinetree]

7 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Sorry mate but can’t agree with most of that. Nothing at all wrong with the roads. The road network in the U.K. is massive compared to its size and most roads are perfectly fine, with a spending of £11 billion compared to £4 billion in Thailand, with most of that £4 billion being spent on new roads; something the U.K. doesn’t need. Airports are also fine although Heathrow needs to either move or add two extra runway’s.  

Other services like the NHS and affordable housing are being stretched by the inadequate immigration controls. As Boris put it. “Our compassion may be infinite but our capacity to help people is not”. As for the comparison of railways, the U.K. railways are infinitely better than Thailands and so it would make no sense to compare. 
 

Also bear in mind that the NHS annual budget is £136 Billion ($176 billion). That alone is twice the total Thai tax revenue. We then spend an incredible amount on other social care needs and payments of pension. The average U.K. pension is £680 per month compared to Thailands £17!!  That’s 40 times more even though tax collection is 10 times more. I know people like to compare, but on the matter of social care and welfare, there is simply no comparison. 
 

I actually think the U.K. does a lot more with their 10 x Thailands Tax revenues compared to what Thailand achieves.

We must agree to disagree.  I think that the UK is a basket case of a country, run by idiots and totally run down and I have the scars to prove it.  I have no intention of ever returning to the place.  My fervent hope is that my three kids will see the light and move out themselves. I agree that social care is much better in the UK, and exploited to destruction by a workforce who are workshy and a large population of scroungers. As for the NHS, a bottomless pit of inefficiency, where if you can access it, you get care to the lowest level possible and usually too late to be any good to you. This Easter, if you have followed the UK news. shows all that is wrong with the place.  As a comparison, at least for me as an expat, so admittedly not as Thai, my life is easier, safer, more pleasurable that it ever could be in the UK. As I say, LOS has a long way to go, but it is generally on the right track and is making steady progress upwards, The UK is making much quicker movement in the opposite direction. 

[Soidog]

6 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

We must agree to disagree.  I think that the UK is a basket case of a country, run by idiots and totally run down and I have the scars to prove it.  I have no intention of ever returning to the place.  My fervent hope is that my three kids will see the light and move out themselves. I agree that social care is much better in the UK, and exploited to destruction by a workforce who are workshy and a large population of scroungers. As for the NHS, a bottomless pit of inefficiency, where if you can access it, you get care to the lowest level possible and usually too late to be any good to you. This Easter, if you have followed the UK news. shows all that is wrong with the place.  As a comparison, at least for me as an expat, so admittedly not as Thai, my life is easier, safer, more pleasurable that it ever could be in the UK. As I say, LOS has a long way to go, but it is generally on the right track and is making steady progress upwards, The UK is making much quicker movement in the opposite direction. 

I can’t disagree with the fact the U.K. is heading in the wrong direction and that is true of most Western liberal democracies. However, if I had a serious illness and didn’t have good health insurance, I would head straight back to the U.K. for care. What we should never forget is that while the U.K. could and should do a lot better, it remains one of the most developed and economically strong countries in the world. It’s also a safe country with relatively low levels of corruption. When you call the police you know you will get an impartial response and should anything ever go to trial, the impartiality and fairness is infinitely better than many other places. 
 

Its far from perfect as I suspect is true of everywhere. It really depends on so many personal factors as to where you feel you can enjoy life. 
 

Anyway, as you say, seems we may need to agree to disagree on this one. Ultimately, as long as you are happy, then that’s all that matters.  

[Saltire]

Well despite the fact I live far from a decent Thai hospital, and even if I had one  next door, I'd opt for the NHS without hesitation if I had a choice.

This was brought home to me recently when my identical twin brother had a heart attack at midnight. By 4 am he had been screened at his local hospital, been transferred to a different hospital, and had 3 stents fitted. He was home the next day.

I shudder to think what my chances of survival would be if this happens to me here in Thailand.

Best  not forget my credit card and insurance policy before I leave for medical assistance. I will have plenty of time to look them out.

I agree the UK is in trouble in several areas but the NHS is the one thing they have to look after.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Saltire

[Pinetree]

1 hour ago, Saltire said:

Well despite the fact I live far from a decent Thai hospital, and even if I had one  next door, I'd opt for the NHS without hesitation if I had a choice.

I would not go near an NHS hospital for anything. My choice would be a Bangkok International hospital every time.  Even when I did live in the UK, I still came here for a Consultant appointment and some minor surgical work. 

[Saltire]

33 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

I would not go near an NHS hospital for anything. My choice would be a Bangkok International hospital every time.  Even when I did live in the UK, I still came here for a Consultant appointment and some minor surgical work. 

I'd say the Internl hospitals are great too, but i've been to 3 in the past so called 'best' Hospitlas are the best I agree, but the doctors I had not so much. One misdiagnosed, another tried to get me to take 30k USD spinal operation without which I recovered 100% with therapy.

Will be leaving the sticks soon as the very least I can do is not be so remote.

[Pinetree]

3 minutes ago, Saltire said:

I'd say the Internl hospitals are great too, but i've been to 3 in the past so called 'best' Hospitlas are the best I agree, but the doctors I had not so much. One misdiagnosed, another tried to get me to take 30k USD spinal operation without which I recovered 100% with therapy.

Will be leaving the sticks soon as the very least I can do is not be so remote.

you do have to be selective in choosing your hospital and consultant.  Both of my consultants were Western trained, one in Germany, the other in Australia.  They were (are) both excellent and the service effective.