Golden Triangle Digest: New Year Edition, January 7th, 2021
We said goodbye to 2020, but will 2021 will be more of the same? Will Thailand beat COVID19?
Who knows, we're not psychics and don't ask us for lucky lotto numbers either.
True Crime Thailand is not in the business of making predictions about things we don't know about. Unlike many of the social media commentariat, we didn't earn our PhD from the Facebook Institute of Virology.
We're going to stick to the things we know. Crime and related stories that inform and delight our readers.
There are plenty of other sources for COVID19 info. I won't feel put out that you go to them for that news. With that said, if there are crimes stories that are related to COVID19 - like PPE smuggling, crimes due to economic hardship, or gambling dens that certainly don't exist in Thailand, then I will cover them.
Here's to 2021, let's get to the newsletter. Oh, and if you haven't subscribed yet, do yourself a favor and put your email in here:
Dear expats and readers,
First, you might have been wondering where the newsletter went. It’s still here. I just took some time off for the holidays but I’m back and excited to get the newsletters and original articles going again.
It didn’t take me long to find the theme of this week’s newsletter. Once I started reviewing the most popular stories we shared and published over the past couple weeks, a clear trend became clear.
The power of social media.
As somebody who is very active on Facebook and Twitter:
I have been able to witness first hand the amazing things users of social media can accomplish when working together towards a goal.
This week, I’d like to highlight some of those social media themed stories. The good and bad, because it can play out both ways.
I’m confident that in 2021 we will see more stories that feature social media as an important part of how they play out, and I’m damn sure that the True Crime Thailand will take part in them too.
With that short introduction, let’s get to the stories that featured social media.
Farang Assaults Thai Woman at Ubon Ratchathani Mall
Within 24 hours of this story being published it became the most visited page on the True Crime Thailand website.
It was shared far and wide on Facebook, where everybody who read it chipped in with their opinion.
I’d estimate that about 80% of people were critical of his actions, and 20% supported them.
I was the first English language publication to publish his name.
The story actually got its start on Thai social media, when the victim of his kicks shared her story on a Thai Ubon Ratchathani Facebook page. It was then picked up by the Thai press and we got a hold of it from there.
I followed all the updates on the story and reported them as they came in.
No matter where you stand on this story, one thing stands out: it shows how social media can amplify a story that in the past would have probably just slipped under the radar of traditional media.
Kidnapper Caught After Social Media Shares his Photo in Bangkok
This story made us happy.
Not because two kids were kidnapped in Bangkok. Absolutely not - that’s horrible. But because when the father of the two kids shared CCTV footage of the kidnapper on Facbeook, thousands of Thai netizens got to work and shared location info on where they spotted him around Bangkok.
The info led to the swift arrest of the perpetrator.
The story was shared far and wide, even hitting some Thai expat Facebook groups in English.
I shared the story on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. A lot of commenters wondered why the two kids were allowed to go to a shopping mall unattended, especially in Bangkok. But from the Thai reports I read, the kids were well-known by local vendors and they often went alone to go shopping in that area.
In the past, this would have never been an issue. But our society has lost trust in itself and even innocent activity is now deemed dangerous - and there very well may be good reason for that.
The story ended on a positive note and again shows how social media can lead to a lot of good.
2 Shot, 1 Dead, in Phuket; Gunman Upset Over “Laughing Sticker” Sent on Messenger
If you’ve spent any time on social media, whether Facebook or Twitter or YouTube, you know first hand how many trolls there are out there.
They like to pick fights, cause conflict, and put people down. It’s impossible to stop trolls, but there is an effective way to deal with them.
I have an uncensored moderation policy on my Facebook group. You might be thinking, “but doesn’t that give trolls a blank check to cause havoc.” Absolutely not. Because I’m more than willing to get into the trenches and sling mud back at them - and I’m a lot better at it than they are. When you play games of “banning” trolls, it actually encourages them more. It’s always best to ignore them, or if you can, destroy them; I prefer the latter.
With all that said, sometimes Facebook gets out of hand. People take it too seriously. They forget that if it’s becoming upsetting for you, the easiest way to deal with it is to just unplug. Turn off your phone, your computer, or even delete your account. You can always block people that upset you if need be - although I never do.
The story out of Phuket of a man who sent “laughing stickers” to a foe on Facebook shows how serious Facebook spats can become. There are people out there who think the Internet is serious business and take things too far.
I share this story because this overreaction in real life to arguments on Facebook happen more often than you’d think.
A second story in Nakhon Pathom also resulted in a death from a Facebook argument.
It just goes to show that when you’re online, there are other people on the other end of the screen - and you never know what will set them off.
Ladyboy Arrested in Bangkok for Internet Crimes Against 14 Year Old Boy; Follow Up from Case of Aussie Pedophile in Chiang Mai
Be careful what you do online.
Everything is tracked and it’s all permanent. If you put it out there, a record of it is kept - either by your ISP, people watching you, or law enforcement.
When you directly advertise your sexual services, like the ladyboy down in Bangkok did, it’s easy for police to identify and track your activity.
It’s exactly what investigators did in a follow up to a case from May 2020 when an Australian pedophile was busted with child pornography in Chiang Mai.
One of the boys identified on the pornographic content was a 14 year old student who was coerced on Facebook by the ladyboy to share explicit videos and photos of himself. He was promised money in exchange for the content.
The ladyboy ran a Twitter account where she advertised her sexual services (sex in hotel rooms) and a Line group where pornographic content was shared for a subscription fee (1,000 baht per month).
When you make it that easy for authorities to track you down, then you deserve what comes to you. And we’re very happy that the agencies were able to follow up and nab her for the crimes.
Mekhong Water Level Drops in Chiang Saen
How about we wrap things up with an empowering story?
A few days ago, it was reported by a small Twitter account called the Mekong Dam Monitor's Twitter account that the Mekong River’s water level had dropped significantly in Chiang Saen.
The story was not being reported by major media outlets, of course.
I shared the story to the 1,500+ members of my Facebook group, the 14,000+ members of the Chiang Mai News in English Facebook group, the 50,000+ members of the /r/Thailand subreddit, and from there it was shared many more multiple times.
A couple days later, the story was picked up by Reuters, who reported on China’s actions.
I’d like to think that the visibility that everybody gave to this story helped get it the recognition it deserved.
This is exactly why we do what we do.
The fact is, my actions and the actions of the community of True Crime Thailand can’t save the world. But it’s also a fact that we can make a difference and damn well try where we can.
Hello, 2021
There’s a ton of exciting stuff we’re working on here at True Crime Thailand. We covered that in our last newsletter and our Facebook group in a very detailed post.
If you missed it, here’s a full overview from the Facebook group:
That should give you a very good taste of what to expect in 2021.
Look, True Crime Thailand is a very small operation. I do this project as a hobby. I’m not paid for my efforts. But I take the commitment that I’ve undertaken very seriously to fulfill True Crime Thailand’s mission: to be the #1 place for Thai crime. Period.
With that said, everything takes time. If you can extend a little patience as I work on these projects, it would be very appreciated. I will be putting together a full expose on the Banyin trial and murders this weekend. And you can expect weekly newsletters to resume, and I’m aiming to get them out once per week. You can expect the next one like this on Sunday January 17th, 2021.
Also, another cool thing that I’m getting this week: merchandise. Soon I’ll have True Crime Thailand t-shirts, mugs, hats, and stickers.
As always, thanks for your continued readership and support. If you need anything at all, feel free to get in touch at truecrimethailand@gmail.com
At your service,
True Crime Thailand