[pepsi]

Thailand's wealthy untouchables
By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok


Credit to Source: http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/7328054.stm

Sometimes a single incident manages to shine a spotlight deep into the soul of a society.


Soaring skyscrapers are testament to Thailand's economic growth

There was just such an incident in Thailand last year, which has just gone to court, and which speaks volumes about the dislocating impact of more than four decades of break-neck economic growth.

It was a seemingly routine accident along Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's busiest and most traffic-clogged thoroughfares.

A Mercedes-Benz was pulled up alongside a city bus, and a young man was having an angry exchange with the bus driver, whom he accused of scraping against his car.

The passengers started shouting at the man, who got back into his car and appeared to be about to leave.

But instead he accelerated forwards onto the pavement and into the crowd of passengers, crushing several of them under his vehicle.

One woman later died, and several other passengers were seriously injured.

A fit of road rage perhaps? The police charged the young man, Kanpitak Pachimsawas, with murder.

But the case very quickly turned into one about class differences, about the perceived arrogance of Thailand's rich, towards the poor.

'Bad attitude'

Kanpitak, it turned out, was the 20-year-old son of a former Miss Thailand beauty queen and a wealthy businessman.

Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people - if you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue

Suchira Insawan

He was also the nephew of a powerful police officer.

The bus driver reported that his father had arrived at the scene and threatened to use his police connections against the passengers.

"He thinks he has money and a big family name, so he can do things like this to poor people," the bus conductor told reporters at the scene.

Kanpitak's father was unrepentant. Speaking on a TV chat show two days later, he showed more concern for his son than his victims.

Responding to the bus conductor's comments he said: "They are uneducated. That's how they are.

"They think they are abused, that rich people are bad, that the police are bad. Lower class people have a bad attitude towards police officers and rich people. They hate us and curse us."

Suddenly we were witnessing something you do not see much in Thailand - open class conflict.

Inequality

Thailand has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth anywhere on the planet, despite some recent improvements.

And that yawning gap between rich and poor is most openly on view in Bangkok, where ostentatious displays of wealth are commonplace alongside the grinding poverty experienced by millions of migrant workers who have come from the countryside.


High-end shops cater to the wealthy in central Bangkok

Luxury cars costing more than the entire annual income of a village rub up against the battered carts of street vendors.

New shopping centres and apartment blocks are crowding out what little open space remains in the city, projects that help the rich get even richer.

It should come as no surprise that it is in Bangkok that a five-star hotel is offering its 50 highest-spending guests what it calls the meal of a lifetime, prepared by a team of Michelin-starred chefs and preceded by the guests being flown by executive jet to a village in eastern Thailand to witness a little poverty before tucking into their 10-course feast.

Total cost: around US$300,000 (£150,000). The event has barely raised an eyebrow in Thailand, but caused such an uproar elsewhere over its questionable taste that many top chefs in France have decided to boycott it.


Bangkok's architecture showcases the uneasy coexistence of rich and poor

What is so striking about Thailand's inequality is how little visible social tension there is.

For the most part people appear to accept their lot without resentment. Some put this down to Buddhist concepts of fate and karma, others, to Thailand's deep-rooted sense of hierarchy, with the king at its apex.

Social activist and former Senator Jon Ungpakorn sees more prosaic causes.

"Because of the high growth rates in Thailand there is a sort of buffer," he says.

"Even the poor feel they are doing better than they would have done many years ago. They still see that they have opportunities ahead."

'Damage is done'

The case of Kanpitak Pachimsawas has struck a raw nerve.

Websites in Thailand are filled with comments demanding that the young man face the full force of the law, regardless of his family connections.

Some poke fun at his father's claim that it was mental stress that caused him to drive his car into the crowd.

But there is little of the blistering anger that erupted in China after a similar case four years ago, when a woman who drove her BMW at a farmer she had been arguing with, killing his wife, was given only a suspended jail sentence.

It forced the Chinese authorities to reopen the case, and to close down websites carrying the online debate over the case.

In Thailand, Kanpitak Pachimsawas was released on bail and, amazingly, even allowed to continue driving.

On his first day in court he was apparently overcome by nerves and said he was unable to answer any questions. The judge adjourned the case until November. He may never go to prison.

Suchira Insawan, the daughter of the woman he killed, says she feels no anger towards him.

She has yet to receive any compensation from the Pachimsawas family - she has asked for 7m baht ($222,000; £111,000) but is likely to get less, perhaps even less than the list price of the Mercedes-Benz that crushed her mother.

"The damage is done," she told me. "I forgive him. I don't want to destroy his future, I don't want him to be jailed. I don't want bad karma."

She also had little faith that the courts would find against such a privileged young man.

"Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people. If you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue."

[pam]

that's awful, but it seems like they had to offer her some sort of lump sum to let it go that easy though. If the kid didn't have any intentions then I would let him go, but he meant to run those ppl down, and he should be discipline to some sort of sentence.

[pepsi]

I thought it was cruel of him to just run those people over he's a murderer. He needs to know that he can't just do what he wants because he's rich. They need to set an example with him.

[pepsi]

Here's another article on this matter...
credit to source:http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/07/06/headlines/headlines_30039549.php

Beauty queen's son slapped with murder charge
Benz driver mows down 3 people, killing one, after incident with bus


Former Miss Thailand Sawinee Pachimsawas and Kan-anek, the parents of Kanpitak, whom police charged with premeditated murder after he allegedly drove his Benz into bus passengers, say in a press briefing yesterday that their son has an underlying disease.

Police are preparing to press a premeditated-murder charge against a 20-year-old man who swerved his Mercedes-Benz car into a crowd of people on a footpath in Bangkok shortly after he attacked a bus driver with a rock on Wednesday night.

The incident critically injured three people, one of whom died yesterday.

The driver was identified as Kanpitak Pachimsawas. He is a son of former Miss Thailand Savinee Pachimsawas, 42, and Kan-anek Pachimsawas. Kan-anek's elder brother is Lt-General Ukrit Pachimsawas, a former assistant commissioner of the Royal Thai Police.

The woman who died was Saichon Luangsaeng, 42, an official of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

"Doctors said the vehicle pressed over mum's chest and torso. Her ribs were broken and they pierced into her internal organs. Her pelvis was broken into pieces," said Saichon's daughter, Sucheera Insuwan, 25. "I am shocked. I never thought mum would face such violence. I am going to fight for justice."

Sucheera said Saichon's body would be donated to the Red Cross Society in accordance with her mother's wishes.

"We will ensure justice for both sides," Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Adisorn Nonsee said yesterday.

He said investigators at Thonglor police station were preparing to charge Kanpitak with premeditated murder, attempted murder and physical assault.

Kanpitak was taken to Samitivej Hospital following the incident.

After he swerved his car into the crowd and ran over three victims, witnesses attacked him. As of yesterday, Kan-anek said his son was crying all the time and was depressed.

"He has suppressed his feelings since he was young. He often became stressed out and hospitalised," Kan-anek said.

The father said his son had recently lost consciousness and was sent to hospital. "He has suffered from stress relating to his girlfriend and his mum," he said.

He said he had taken care of Kanpitak from Monday to Friday, while Savinee had taken care of him on weekends. "From now on, I won't let my son drive. He will also enter the monkhood in dedication to his victims," Kan-anek said.

The father also expressed deep condolences to the victims and offered to compensate them.

Adisorn reckoned that Kanpitak had an underlying disease that made him unable to control himself.

"We have to check his health history and interrogate doctors," Adisorn said.

Galaya Rajanagarindra Institute director Dr Sirisak Thitidilokrat said Kanpitak had paid three visits to the institute as an outpatient.

"The first time was on March 9 and the last time was in April," he said.

However, Sirisak declined to disclose any further details because he needed to protect the patient's rights. The

institute treats people with mental problems.

On Wednesday night, Kanpitak complained to Pol Sgt-Major Nukool Dechaphan that a bus had brushed against his sedan. "I flagged down the bus," Nukool said.

The bus stopped and Nukool was about to examine the vehicles when he heard Kanpitak fighting with bus driver Sathaporn Arunsiri, 37.

Sathaporn yesterday testified to investigators at Thonglor police station that he was checking on the Benz sedan when Kanpitak banged his face with a rock.

"I became groggy and then saw the man banging his Benz into the crowd," Sathaporn said.

The bus driver insisted that his vehicle did not brush with Kanpitak's luxury car. He believed the young man might have misunderstood what had happened.

"I have been driving for seven years and I have never been involved in any accident," Sathaporn said.

Fare collector Somjit Klaewkla stood by Sathaporn's account. "Our bus didn't do anything. There was no brushing accident," she said.

She said some passengers pointed their fingers at Kanpitak and used their camera phones to photograph his face after they were asked to get off the bus.

When a bus is involved in an accident, passengers have to get off and wait for a new bus to come.

"I believe the man got angry and therefore swerved his car into where we were standing," Somjit said. She said she had sustained only minor injuries.

Another survivor, Ratchanee Jiew, 58, also said the bus did not brush against any vehicle.

Sathaporn also told police that a man, who identified himself as the father of the car's driver, threatened to harm his wife and children.

"He said he knew many senior police and military officers. The threat was made in front of police officers. I am scared," Sathaporn said.

[pepsi]

credit to source:http://absolutelybangkok.com/thailands-wealthy-untouchables/

I found something that else that was interesting, I know one can't believe everything they read unless your going through it yourself, I don't live in Thailand but I have read in other threads that Thailand's been having political unrest can anyone shed light on this a little more and share there opinions. Here is an article on one person's perspective:

THAILAND’S WEALTHY UNTOUCHABLES


Thai academic Thirayuth Boonmee recently assured us that Thai society is now deteriorating significantly - at a pace that Thailand’s judicial system is the only institution left which provides stability and which the people can rely upon.
Khun Thirayuth, the former 1973 student uprising activist who now directs the Sanya Dhammasak Institute, mentioned five problems: A lack of unity, righteousness, overly bureaucratic polity, politics, and academic and media institutions, all causing a deep crisis from which no solutions could be found.
These problems, says Thirayuth, can be seen clearly as a division between those who live at the country’s grass-roots level now disagreed with middle-income people about ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Above them all thrones another society, seemingly untouched by the troubles of the lower societies: Thailand’s wealthy untouchables.
They even have that, say some, “attitude.” Or do as rich boy Kanpitak Pachimsawas does, son of a former beauty queen and a wealthy businessman? Just claim insanity and keep quiet.
Maybe we foreigners just don’t understand the difference between being God-given and God-taken: After the financial meltdown in 1997 I once asked our former Minister of Commerce Supachai Panitchpakdi why none of the rich who brought financial ruin to countless, why not a single one of those rich ended up in prison?
Said Khun Supachai: “Having lost face, in our society, is already punishment enough.”

[Sunny]

Yes, Thailand's like that, its either very poor or fifthly rich.

[pepsi]

They don't have any programs to help the less fortunate? Like opportunity for financial assistant, job enrichment programs, health, and education type things?

[Grace]

I donno...

[Sunny]

pepsi, on May 31 2008, 07:49 AM, said:

They don't have any programs to help the less fortunate? Like opportunity for financial assistant, job enrichment programs, health, and education type things?

Umm not sure if they still have it but Thailand used to have 30 baht all illness things for the poor ones, but that was when Tanksin was still in government, now his gone, all the poor people are in danger, one thing I love about Tanksin is that he helps poor people, he doesn't leave him behide the queue... he makes sure everyone gets to eat KFC and steak, not just the rich

[pepsi]

Oh I see I don't much about Tanksin and his contributions towards Thailand. I heard a lot of people wanna get him outta power why?

[Sunny]

lol you heard alot of people that wanted him out of power but you also didn't hear the other lot of people that also wanted him in, just because those people wanted him out of power because of greedy, Tanksin was richer than they are anyways there was alot of things like corruption etc but I still cheer Tanksin he done a hell heap for Thailand more than any other government has done, he was able to get Thailand out of debt from owing US I remember that, no one has done alot like him yet.

[pepsi]

Corruption on his part?

[lilxgxriah]

this is why i love america....you have the chance to become whatever you want...there are so many possibilities....plus i think we're more open to everyone's ideas and always search for ways of equality...

although, there are incindents where the rich do get away with a lot of stuff

This post has been edited by lilxgxriah: 01 June 2008 - 05:12 AM

[natty]

here's the thing. rich people have money, lots of money, to "donate" to the government. poor people dont.

in america rich people can get away with things too cus they can hire the best lawyer while poor people have to depend on the overworked public defenders.

it's not just in thailand.. it's all over the place.. sad but reality.

[aiyaja]

Yes, there are gaps all over the world but in countries besides America, it's really bad in that, if you were born poor, you're most likely to stay that way unless you marry off to some wealthy family or become a celebrity who eventually marries into a wealthy family anyway. I mean, if education isn't even free, of course, there's going to be an extremely large gap between the poor and rich since education is required for any type of decent job at least. And even then, people who have education need connections to succeed. It's tough, very tough.