A clash in a Bangkok skytrain station involving an Irish international school teacher has caused uproar in cyberspace, with some bloggers expressing concern that the incident might add to anti-foreigner sentiment in Bangkok.
The foreign passenger, John Behan, claimed he was attacked by a Thai security guard on March 16 for breaching a rule banning gas-filled balloons on the rail system.
The Thai security who works at the station is employed by the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), the operator of the skytrain.
Half of Thai bloggers who responded to the incident were sympathetic while the other half questioned the Irish man's actions.
Mr Behan had allegedly attempted to take a bunch of balloons onto the skytrain at Prompong Station when he was stopped by a security guard. He claims he was told to dump the balloons into a garbage bin before he could proceed.
The balloons were given to his seven-year-old daughter earlier in the day for graduating from kindergarten. His daughter was also present during the incident.
Due to conflicting statements from witnesses, the facts of the incident are still not clear but a video uploaded onto YouTube coupled with a blog post from the Irish man's wife have shed some light on the incident.
Refusing to dump the balloons, the passenger kicked the garbage can and tried to board the train, saying he had boarded the skytrain several times that day with the balloons.
When the security guard physically tried to stop him, the pair got into a scuffle.
According to BTS executive Anat Arbhabhirama, Mr Behan argued heatedly with the security guards, pushing one in the chest and kicking the chief of the station.
In a video uploaded onto YouTube, the passenger allegedly grabbed the security guard's neck.
In self-defence, the guard hit the passenger with a scanner, said Mr Anat.
Netizen Gee Gee who says she saw the incident said, "There was a lot of blood on the floor. The foreigner returned with his friend and family and managed to force his way through.
"He was bleeding and very angry and his friend held him back from the security guard. They managed to go up the stairs and board a train heading towards Morchit."
ORIGINAL SOURCE
Content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
No comments:
Post a Comment