News Forum - Finnish man accused by neighbours of insulting Thai people

[Thaiger]

A Thai woman in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum claims that her Finnish husband was attacked by more than 10 neighbours on April 14. The neighbours admitted to attacking the foreign man but insisted that they did so because he insulted them and the Thai people first. A 40 year old Thai woman named Aoy …

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[Ramanathan.P]

I have a strong feeling that the shop owner is telling the truth. Thai people are generally humble and nice in nature. They always try to help strangers in difficulty. Many have helped me when I face difficult situations during my bike ride in Thailand over the years. Any emergency along the way, there will be some one rushing to help you even though they don't know the you. As a guest we always have to respect the host and their culture. That is most important and the Finnish have learned it in a hard way. Good for him that he will not forget it for the rest of his life.

[Pinga]

1 minute ago, Ramanathan.P said:

I have a strong feeling that the shop owner is telling the truth.

I believed it up to the point where she claimed she didn't know how he got his injuries. It sounds like he had a history of being a nuisance, and she and the rest of the pack finally had enough and took out their built up aggression on him all at once. Ridculously over 10 baht.

[kalyan]

finish guy is a problem creator, from the narration it look like this guy is not a social guy.  I never seen anyone in particular villages that an thai women attach a farang unless something serious. Bad word usage to an female is completely prohibited that too it is an English stand that quickly they swear. 

possibly an good lesson.

[Grumpish]

1 hour ago, Ramanathan.P said:

I have a strong feeling that the shop owner is telling the truth. Thai people are generally humble and nice in nature. They always try to help strangers in difficulty. Many have helped me when I face difficult situations during my bike ride in Thailand over the years. Any emergency along the way, there will be some one rushing to help you even though they don't know the you. As a guest we always have to respect the host and their culture. That is most important and the Finnish have learned it in a hard way. Good for him that he will not forget it for the rest of his life.

Yes, Thai people are generally welcoming and helpful, much more so once you get away from the tourist traps, but there is a dark side to their nature as well - would they have done this to a Thai in similar circumstances? Probably not. And what would be their reaction if it was a Thai who had got a kicking from a group of farangs for being drunk and disorderly?

[Ramanathan.P]

45 minutes ago, Grumpish said:

Yes, Thai people are generally welcoming and helpful, much more so once you get away from the tourist traps, but there is a dark side to their nature as well - would they have done this to a Thai in similar circumstances? Probably not. And what would be their reaction if it was a Thai who had got a kicking from a group of farangs for being drunk and disorderly?

Just imagine what would have happened if a Thai or other nationals would have done this in USA....immediately he will be shot dead. 

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, Ramanathan.P said:

I have a strong feeling that the shop owner is telling the truth. Thai people are generally humble and nice in nature. They always try to help strangers in difficulty. Many have helped me when I face difficult situations during my bike ride in Thailand over the years. Any emergency along the way, there will be some one rushing to help you even though they don't know the you. As a guest we always have to respect the host and their culture. That is most important and the Finnish have learned it in a hard way. Good for him that he will not forget it for the rest of his life.

From my experience in my wife's village, there is always petty squabbles going on 

Farang or not..............

 

But they are just squabbles

 

Both places that sell beer near the house aren't the most pleasant people I have met, but I would never have words with them............

[Saunk]

I believe the shop owner, otherwise there's no reason for them to beat up a random farang.  Farangs are known in Thailand to get drunk and act stupid, lines up with her story.

[Saunk]

1 hour ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Just imagine what would have happened if a Thai or other nationals would have done this in USA....immediately he will be shot dead. 

This is true, especially if he was in a ghetto area of the US.  People act like Thai people don't have a right to defend themselves against unruly farang behavior.

[Marc26]

51 minutes ago, Saunk said:

This is true, especially if he was in a ghetto area of the US.  People act like Thai people don't have a right to defend themselves against unruly farang behavior.

They never have a right to gang attack anyone................

 

If he was being unruly to the lady, have her husband not be a p*ussy and defend her one on one..........

 

 

PS....I do believe the guy was probably being an a-hole and deserved a beating, but not a gang fight

[PATRIQUE]

in general this broadcast owns a very strange rhetoric

and even if he did insult Thailand it doesnt justify this behaviour at all . clever people

would ignore even if there were silly insults

 

[HiuMak]

10 neighbours words against one farang's word..... you judge yourself.

[KaptainRob]

6 off-topic posts removed

[USA2ChiangMai]

As a retired U.S. cop, in my opinion the Farang committed a minor disorderly conduct. The Thais a aggravated battery, a serious crime. In the U.S. the Thais would be arrested, charged and found guilty based on all statements.

[Highlandman]

14 hours ago, Grumpish said:

Yes, Thai people are generally welcoming and helpful, much more so once you get away from the tourist traps, but there is a dark side to their nature as well - would they have done this to a Thai in similar circumstances? Probably not. And what would be their reaction if it was a Thai who had got a kicking from a group of farangs for being drunk and disorderly?

They would have attacked a Thai for doing the same, absolutely yes. Happens every day. The rest of your comment I agree with.

[Highlandman]

6 hours ago, PATRIQUE said:

in general this broadcast owns a very strange rhetoric

and even if he did insult Thailand it doesnt justify this behaviour at all . clever people

would ignore even if there were silly insults

Yeah I have trouble believing either account. They both sound exaggerated. The Finns account sounds implausible to me. Even if Thais sometimes have a short fuse, it's not that short (despite the regular bar stool stories we hear and read everyday).

Thais usually have to be pushed quite far before they explode and this guy saying one or two expletives isn't enough. Moreover, like most people, Thais generally get more offended when an insult is directed at them personally than a general insult that applies to the people as a whole, even if both cause offense, the more personal one is worse.

The Thai store keeper's account sounds way too exaggerated to be real as well.

Whatever did happen - I think the Finn has learned a few valuable lessons. If I were him, I'd never come back to Thailand again ever.

I'd make sure my Thai wife moves to Finland to live with me or perhaps a third country. If my wife wanted to live in a country with a similar culture, try Laos. There seems to be far fewer problems (or at least we hear far fewer issues) with farang living in Laos than in Thailand.

His family made the right call by ensuring he goes back to Finland for medical treatment. The quality of treatment is better there anyway. Nurses and doctors can speak his language. Treatment is free as he's a citizen.

Being treated in an emergency situation in Thailand is a nightmare - dealing with staff who don't speak English or only very poor pidgin English is one impediment but for someone like me, it can sometimes, though rarely, go in an unexpected direction. This is because I speak fluent Thai, but sometimes you get some arrogant hospital administrator who tries to practice their English, to which I immediately tell them I will speak to you in Thai as I am not in a mood to speak ngu ngu pla pla in a serious situation like that, moreover I find it incredibly rude to be spoken to in English when I can speak Thai much better than any Thai can speak English.

In such situations, you might find something going wrong for example with the insurance, because misunderstandings will inevitably occur; this is because Thais usually overestimate their capabilities. To avoid any problems, I make sure that we're both on the same page by only communicating in Thai with the Thai hospital and separately with my insurance. 

Generally speaking, for anything serious or sometimes even more minor issues that can wait, I prefer to get treated back home than in Thailand as it's just easier and more pleasant. Moreover, Thailand isn't great at certain things. They don't have any holistic dentists for instance. Mental health barely exists as a discipline. Anything that isn't allopathic is almost extinct in Thailand, which is one of the most pro pharma countries in the world. 

Anyway, back to the point- in an emergency situation like this, it's terrifying enough in general. Would be even more so in a foreign country not to mention the justified concerns that your son might be harmed if he gets treated in Thailand, by the same people who harmed him in the first place. I assume he has good insurance, hence he's well looked after.

[Highlandman]

12 hours ago, Saunk said:

This is true, especially if he was in a ghetto area of the US.  People act like Thai people don't have a right to defend themselves against unruly farang behavior.

That's not true. Besides, we can't judge what happened because none of us were there or have seen footage of what transpired. Both accounts seem outlandish to me. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

[USA2ChiangMai]

One more thought from a retired U.S. cop. No one deserves a serious beating from anyone, let alone a group of people. Sober/drunk or high he was rude and obnoxious but not violent. I would like to think that the people that beat him will be held accountable and learn that you don't respond to stupid rhetoric with violence. If he had died resulting from the attack these individuals would be charged with killing him. A really bad ending for a few F-U's.

[TheDirtyDurian]

3 hours ago, Highlandman said:

Yeah I have trouble believing either account. They both sound exaggerated. The Finns account sounds implausible to me. Even if Thais sometimes have a short fuse, it's not that short (despite the regular bar stool stories we hear and read everyday).

Thais usually have to be pushed quite far before they explode and this guy saying one or two expletives isn't enough. Moreover, like most people, Thais generally get more offended when an insult is directed at them personally than a general insult that applies to the people as a whole, even if both cause offense, the more personal one is worse.

The Thai store keeper's account sounds way too exaggerated to be real as well.

Whatever did happen - I think the Finn has learned a few valuable lessons. If I were him, I'd never come back to Thailand again ever.

I'd make sure my Thai wife moves to Finland to live with me or perhaps a third country. If my wife wanted to live in a country with a similar culture, try Laos. There seems to be far fewer problems (or at least we hear far fewer issues) with farang living in Laos than in Thailand.

His family made the right call by ensuring he goes back to Finland for medical treatment. The quality of treatment is better there anyway. Nurses and doctors can speak his language. Treatment is free as he's a citizen.

Being treated in an emergency situation in Thailand is a nightmare - dealing with staff who don't speak English or only very poor pidgin English is one impediment but for someone like me, it can sometimes, though rarely, go in an unexpected direction. This is because I speak fluent Thai, but sometimes you get some arrogant hospital administrator who tries to practice their English, to which I immediately tell them I will speak to you in Thai as I am not in a mood to speak ngu ngu pla pla in a serious situation like that, moreover I find it incredibly rude to be spoken to in English when I can speak Thai much better than any Thai can speak English.

In such situations, you might find something going wrong for example with the insurance, because misunderstandings will inevitably occur; this is because Thais usually overestimate their capabilities. To avoid any problems, I make sure that we're both on the same page by only communicating in Thai with the Thai hospital and separately with my insurance. 

Generally speaking, for anything serious or sometimes even more minor issues that can wait, I prefer to get treated back home than in Thailand as it's just easier and more pleasant. Moreover, Thailand isn't great at certain things. They don't have any holistic dentists for instance. Mental health barely exists as a discipline. Anything that isn't allopathic is almost extinct in Thailand, which is one of the most pro pharma countries in the world. 

Anyway, back to the point- in an emergency situation like this, it's terrifying enough in general. Would be even more so in a foreign country not to mention the justified concerns that your son might be harmed if he gets treated in Thailand, by the same people who harmed him in the first place. I assume he has good insurance, hence he's well looked after.

My experience has normally been that those who profess their thai language level to be of a certain standard are never actually as good as they think they are. 

[HiuMak]

2 hours ago, USA2ChiangMai said:

No one deserves a serious beating from anyone, let alone a group of people. Sober/drunk or high he was rude and obnoxious but not violent. 

Thais are really sensitive to losing face.

This could be one of those moments that Finnish swear at the wrong time, wrong place and wrong person, offending many.

[Pinetree]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

My experience has normally been that those who profess their thai language level to be of a certain standard are never actually as good as they think they are. 

Well I am certainly as bad as I think I am.

[Pinetree]

1 minute ago, HiuMak said:

Thais are really sensitive to losing face.

'Face'; there is no such thing.  It's an excuse that is pushed out for many other things; shyness, embarrassment, lack of social graces, lack of education, lack of intelligence, lack of language skills and just plain old ignorance.  No need to give it some kind of 'top cover word' to excuse one or more of that list. We don't do that in the West and there is no need to do it in Asia. I have heard the same opinion from very many of my Asian friends. Their Grandparents may have signed up to it, but they don't. 

[HolyCowCm]

What ever happened is they did not want him there and had a disliking for him already. But if true and he did go back to buy a bottle of alcohol trhenh e was already thick and over his smart zone. the next if true or not of not wanting to pay 70 baht is a huge mistake. Can also blame his GF for allowing himn to go back. enf od the scenario is that he cannot go back there and buy anything, and he is now the laughing-stock of the village. Time for him to move on and never go back again. Thai are notorious for group beatings, and if he does go back it just may well happen again, but when he doesn't see it at night.

[Aussieroaming]

Even if  he did say those things it doesn't warrant 10 people attacking him. Makes living there in the future awkward as well. More likely he spoke in Finnish and was mis interpreted.

[Marc26]

7 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

My experience has normally been that those who profess their thai language level to be of a certain standard are never actually as good as they think they are. 

Haha so true

 

Although I don't think anyone should be language shamed if they are trying

 

My Thai is horrendous after 20 years with my wife.............