absolutelyBangkok archive · Being farang
Originally published March 9, 2009
Thailand’s no longer the exclusive domain of good honest tourists who politely leave the kingdom after they dutifully spent their money over here. Now and then you see a farang homeless on Bangkok’s streets. He may have arrived with big hopes and great dreams and enjoyed the real-time Disneyland to the fullest. Some though met a Thai woman who left them financially destitute. Such has happened to German Mr. Becker, 64.
Mr. Becker was cheated by his Thai lover and, gone broke, joined the ranks of local homeless who wouldn’t accept the farang who was recently arrested by Thai police on charges of setting fire to eleven public phone booths and advertising signs at three bus stops in Bangkok’s Thonglor area where Mr. Becker lived a broken life ever since that Thai woman had taken all of his money.
Mr. Becker confessed he had to steal coins from phone booths and take food from local shrines to stay alive.
Another report added that Mr. Becker had set fire to the three bus stops after other homeless people would not allow him to sleep there. Talk about Thai solidarity in the highest and lowest ranks — but Metropolitan Police commissioner Vorapong Chiewpreecha confirmed that Mr. Becker “was not involved with any foreign terrorist network.”
The arrest of the German was made possible by security cameras along Thonglor. Footages from security cameras of the city administration and Krung Thai Bank showed the suspect in full light. Not much else to add. He had arrived last October and lost everything in a few months. My condolences to such tragic misfortune. At least it’s warmer to be a clochard in sunny Bangkok than cold Berlin.
Or maybe police got it all wrong and he is a terrorist. Trying to sabotage Thailand’s communication network.
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