Paradise lost as evil rears its ugly head

COMMENTARY

Paradise lost as evil rears its ugly head

Published: 5 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

In my heyday, I was at the fabled Koh Phangan's full moon parties - three times - where I practised English, Swedish, Spanish, German and Hebrew, then walked the moonlit, vomit-strewn beach, enjoyed (meaning eating) local mushrooms, lit a bonfire of international camaraderie and watched the psychochemical clouds drift like memories into the dark Gulf of Thailand.

Dear, sweet youth. When it was easy to confuse a smile with love and a lot of things with happiness.

Stephen Ashton might have felt the same amid the New Year's revelry on Koh Phangan. The young Briton was dancing on the beach when he was hit by a stray bullet from a violent fight among Thai men who were reportedly chasing after the same women. Mr Ashton was pronounced dead at Ban Don hospital. It was tragic news to his family and friends - and dealt a blow to Thai tourism that has benefited so much from this gap-year paradise island and darling destination to The Beach and post-The Hangover generations of party-goers.

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O000o
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Discussion 5 : 05 Jan 2013 at 21.405
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has anyone seen the tickets to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai? an 800 years old Buddhist temple sells entrance tickets showing 4 very childish clay dolls doing a Wai on a Dutch pink tulips field. the first thing you see at the entrance is 4 ATM machines. Its not a land of fantasy vs reality , violence, or whatever political stupidity is being discussed. Thailand totally lost it. it's gone.
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epictitus
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Discussion 4 : 05 Jan 2013 at 19.104
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This comments to you, Mr Rithdee.
I think I know what you're trying to say here and of course there are within your article some undeniable truths very well-said and well- meant. It all started to go very wrong for me reading the third from last paragraph. '.....it's also a clash between two realities, one merry and relatively more well-off, the other struggling and insecure.' This was in the same paragraph referring to the victims of a vicious rape and a murder. 'Merry'. 'More well-off'. 'Struggling and insecure'. Very badly chosen words and pure Thai logic at work. How about 'Evil' ? How about the real 'reality' ?
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Ian
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Discussion 3 : 05 Jan 2013 at 10.073
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When a tourist seeks a location where he is free to exercise his individuality, whether it be drugs, alcohol or sex. He has to accept that this means there will be many others there exercising their versions of individuality including violence.
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen, is a well known saying. The things which make Thailand dangerous to the tourist are often the things that attract him.
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upena
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Discussion 2 : 05 Jan 2013 at 08.212
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Why does the Tourism Authority of Thailand promote drunken debauchery on full moon nights in a Buddhist country?
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commonman
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Discussion 1 : 05 Jan 2013 at 03.301
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That about sums it up, objectively, honestly. But the fantasy and the tragedies will persist.
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Paradise lost as evil rears its ugly head | Bangkok Post: opinion