Italian tourist beaten by two Thai teenagers in Pranburi

[jingjoe]

dominic ended up with some pretty nasty facial injuries,i was told the story by his friend who paid for the ambulance and contacted the police the next day.

[sateeb]

Not really, we've heard 2 versions of a story. Comments were made on the story reported on the forum, the purpose of which I assume was to draw discussion. However, some people objected to using the forum for discussion , so I, for one withdrew.

Yes, really!!

You made an observation about these youths carrying baseball bats and assumed that this was what really happened. I rarely comment on threads like this due to a lack of independent witnesses and I would suggest that the only comments should be directed to the injured man wishing him a speedy recovery

[nanyang]

[Harry Bosch]

Not really, we've heard 2 versions of a story. Comments were made on the story reported on the forum, the purpose of which I assume was to draw discussion. However, some people objected to using the forum for discussion , so I, for one withdrew.

Yes, really!!

You made an observation about these youths carrying baseball bats and assumed that this was what really happened. I rarely comment on threads like this due to a lack of independent witnesses and I would suggest that the only comments should be directed to the injured man wishing him a speedy recovery

A moderator as well WOW, should he have that position? Maybe not!

[Big Boy]

Fair enough guys - I responded to an official report quoting Thai officials. Maybe I should have waited for the story being passed by word of mouth.

[STEVE G]

When I first started living with my Thai partner in Hua Hin about ten years ago, we used to do quite a bit of late night drinking and I was always amused by how wary she was of the sort of Thai youths that roam about on scooters in the early hours as they looked like harmless kids to me. However, over the years I've realised that she was right and they should be given a wide berth, obviously they're not all bad but if you get it wrong, you can end up like this Italian or worse.

[GLCQuantum]

Some posters seem to be massively overreacting towards BB's initial post. Never pleasant to see a sudden gang forming out of nothing.

[Vital Spark]

^ Totally agree.

Blimey! If somebody's going to be shot down in flames for making a comment about a news story, that, apparently, is different to what actually happened, then posters will stop posting their views.

Come on guys, lighten up a bit.

VS

[redzonerocker]

^^
I agree and i'm joining the 'defending' gang

I can't see what difference it makes that BB is a moderator
The opinion or viewpoint is still only right or wrong in the eyes of the reader.

Should moderators only police the forum & not interact at all?
I'm all for more interaction without the, he's a mod, he should know better & set an example attitude,
Which is total nonsense.

[richard]

RZR

I've always maintained that it would be better if nobody knew who was a mod. Have them all reside under the 'grimreaper' tag but it's too late now to suggest as a change. If they post under their individual handle I treat them the same as i would the rest of us lowly punters.

Anyway that's way off topic so I don't have a problem with people posting 'hearsay' but it must be clearly indicated as such. It does then allow somebody closer to the facts to clarify the post based on their knowledge

[Hilux]

Come on Guys...
I don't even want to start speculating about what the guy was doing with two schoolboys in the middle of the night. That is also why I did not comment on the assault itself in my first post - but only on the TAT response.
But considdering the circumstances I actually think the initial comments on the matter has been very gentle. If it turns out that he was actually assaulted without any reason I feel deeply sorry for him.

[charlesh]

Who believes anything written in the press or seen on TV anyways?
We all know they are impeccable sources no matter where you live.
Everyone is allowed an opinion and anyone is a fool to suggest that wandering around with 2 young strangers in the wee hours with or without baseball bats and somewhat under or not under the weather in a strange country is OK.
That's my opinion!

[kendo]

The attack might have happened as the Thai lads wanted some money for helping recover the broken down bike who knows?

Two key learnings for the tourist
Don't drink and ride, being the first and drinking with Thai teenagers late at night you are asking for trouble and making youself very very vunrable.

I wish the tourist a speedy recovery and it's a lesson learnt.

Now all opinions and comments count on this forum for me so don't have a dig at BB for his first impression and comment Mod or not out of order, he's just as entitled as you or me or anyone else.

Kendo.

[STEVE G]

BANGKOK - A doctor said the condition of an Italian tourist assaulted by two teens in Pranburi in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Thursday, was still a worry, so he would remain in hospital for another two or three days.

Teenage boys hit Dominico Franco, 34, with a baseball bat before stealing his belongings. The man's skull was fractured.

Police visited the man at Hua Hin Hospital for further testimony after arresting the suspects.

Franco told police he was staying at a resort in Paknam Pran sub-district and that he wanted to return home as soon as possible.

On hearing that the attackers had been arrested, he thanked police and Pasitta Inpan, head of the local Tourism Authority office.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/condi ... d-worrying

[J.J.B.]

I think I understand why Sig. Franco might have taken the actions others on the Forum, myself included, consider to be somewhat foolhardy. Having lived in Milan for over three years, one of the things that struck me about the Italian culture is how safe and unthreatened one feels out and alone at night. There are groups of teens and young people gathered around their scooters, smoking and looking quite intimidating with their tattoos and ripped denims but they really are harmless and will simply ignore you. In the UK, I would avoid such a gang at all costs for fear of abuse but in Milan, at least, there really is no problem.

First, the Italians don't drink to excess the way Brits, and other northern Europeans do. They tend to have one alcoholic drink, if at all, and then stick to soft drinks or coffee for the rest of the evening; it was strange to observe. They don't like being drunk but more importantly feel ashamed to be seen and acting drunk.

Second, the Italian culture is one of general selfishness and I don't mean that they are hard-minded but rather that they care little about anything and anyone outside their immediate circle. You have to consider that Italy is a country only 153 years old and most Italians feel no love for their fellow countrymen outside those who are from their village, a term they describe as 'campanilismo' or 'loyalty to their bell tower' since even the smallest 'commune' have a church tower. While this may seem odd, it might explain why they have been ruled by tyrants and crooks, taken reluctantly into war and bullied by crime families. Most societies wouldn't put up with this type of treatment and yet the Italians simply shrug and lament that 'this is the way it is in Italy'.

This 'selfishness' leads to my third point, that Italians are generally respectful of people they don't know and especially people who are in authority or older than them. Now while I know that doesn't pertain to Thai teenagers, it does leave the Italians trusting of strangers and especially those who seemingly know more than they do. In Italian business culture it is the norm for workers to respect the role or position that a person holds rather than the individual who occupies it. That is quite the reverse of Anglo-American business culture where people care less about the position and more about the character of the individual, often holding them to account more about their conduct in their private life than their business dealings.

So irrespective of the whys and wherefores of this case, I imagine that Sig. Franco was trusting because that's how people generally are in Italy, especially with strangers; they tend to be open by default. I'd like to think that I, too, would like to trust the kindness of strangers and be trusted in return so it's sad to see a case like this reported - whatever the details - but it does come down to being fully aware and fully in control of one's senses and 'gut feeling'. I hope that Sig. Franco has a speedy recovery.