Here we go again. Won't they EVER learn?

[readerc54]

Another thing foreigners need to be reminded about: getting involved in any disputes between Thais can be hazardous to your health.

This unfortunate 51-year-old Korean learned the hard way when about 10 youths joined in the retaliation.
http://pattayaone.news/en/korean-attack ... ai-youths/

In this case, a 67-year-old American came to the aid of a lady in bar. The rest is predictable.
http://pattayaone.news/en/american-gets ... -domestic/

[Jun]

Besides, as I state above, since this matter was reported to the authorities, we cannot rule out the possibility that the youth was not a willing participant.

If the youth was not a willing participant why did he go with the falang in the first place?

It is very likely he's a willing participant, since 17 year olds are just as keen to make money as 22 year olds.

More importantly, the farang should have the sense to stick to adults & go nowhere near this lad.

[Alex]

In cases of the victim being between 15 and 17 years old, we probably don't hear about many of them, because it's only a crime if the parents want it to be one. In other words, it's likely that many perps are given an opportunity to "settle" instead of going to court. Sometimes that might be a well laid out extortion trap, in other cases an afterthought. Police often seem willing to facilitate such a settlement, because it means less work and a sweetener for them.

Some Thai on Thai cases involving female victims that did hit the news might be an indication for that. In extreme cases, a rapist who made his underage victim pregnant was given the "choice" to marry her. And I'm not talking about Muslim communities; the idea that "taking care" by legalizing the relationship doesn't seem alien to conservative Buddhist Thais as well!

[fountainhall]

In cases of the victim being between 15 and 17 years old, we probably don't hear about many of them, because it's only a crime if the parents want it to be one. In other words, it's likely that many perps are given an opportunity to "settle" instead of going to court. Sometimes that might be a well laid out extortion trap, in other cases an afterthought. Police often seem willing to facilitate such a settlement, because it means less work and a sweetener for them.

That all makes a great deal of sense. However, surely if a perp is going to be given the opportunity to 'settle' there is a only a very short window of opportunity. It is well-known that the police parade their alleged perps in front of the media - as happened again in this case. From that point on, guilty or innocent and like it or not, the perp effectively has "pedophile" written over his back for years to come.

If the police have an arrest warrant after a formal complaint from the child protection authorities, how then can the perp 'come to an agreement' that makes the case go away without publicity? After all, three official bodies are involved by then - child protection, police, courts. By that stage the window of opportunity would seem to have closed.

[Gaybutton]

that might be a well laid out extortion trap

In this case no mention of the parents trying to get money out of it was included in the article. There also was no mention of the farang trying to offer money to the parents or trying to bribe the police to get himself out of trouble. Assuming the article is correctly reporting this case and isn't leaving out part of the story, it appears that somehow the parents found out what was going on, reported it to the police, and there was enough supporting evidence to arrest the farang. This case does not come across, at least to me, as the parents being involved in some sort of set up.

I wish the article included how the parents found out. I also wish the article included how the farang met this boy. Was it a chance encounter? Was it a neighborhood boy? Was the boy advertising himself on one of the hookup sites this farang was frequenting?

I'm guessing this boy was not this farang's only victim. I won't be surprised if it turns out there were many more before he was caught. The article says there is evidence this farang was actively seeking out under-age boys online. I wonder how many he found. Many past articles have said the police had a farang under surveillance, often for months, before an arrest was made.

Why do these pedophiles do it? With the consequences of getting caught virtually destroying one's life, the risk doesn't make any sense, especially when so many boys of legal age, but look far younger, are readily willing, available, and easy to find.

[fountainhall]

This case does not come across, at least to me, as the parents being involved in some sort of set up.

Using your caveat, assuming the media report is accurate, I agree. A set up would surely have involved some confrontation with the farang in order to try and obtain a pay off before they went to the child protection agency.

I'm guessing this boy was not this farang's only victim. I won't be surprised if it turns out there were many more before he was caught.

Again I agree. I suspect that this is the tip of an iceberg, that the relevant authorities have been on this farang's case for some time and that other charges may be brought eventually. The child protection agency in Pattaya is also not known to be an easy target for 'pay offs'. If it was just a case between the police and the perp, perhaps a 'pay off' could be 'negotiated'. But too many agencies were involved.

[Gaybutton]

If it was just a case between the police and the perp, perhaps a 'pay off' could be 'negotiated'.

Once these stories appear in the news media, the farang is not only "Up Shit Creek without a paddle," now he doesn't even have the boat.

After they're caught, I wonder how many of these people still think the risk was worth it. Well, maybe they'll find sex in prison - probably getting a lot of conjugal visits from some huge, filthy Mongo they don't want one from. GOOD!

[Undaunted]

At breakfast today a knowledgeable Sunee source said in fact the family demanded 30,000 baht, at which time the falang did not have the requested amount readily available or refused to pay. The family then called the police.

[Gaybutton]

At breakfast today a knowledgeable Sunee source said . . .

That is certainly believable, but how does your source know?

Also, does he know why the article somehow "forgot" to include that part?

[Undaunted]

At breakfast today a knowledgeable Sunee source said . . .

That is certainly believable, but how does your source know?

Also, does he know why the article somehow "forgot" to include that part?

Are you really surprised this was not included