We've spent a couple of days following the story of Melbourne mother of four Annice Smoel, who had been facing a jail term in Thailand after being charged with stealing a bar mat. We've seen the heartbreak of her kids on TV. Tearful pleas are there to be viewed on the web pages of local news papers. We can't believe what that this poor woman...no wait, the thief who pleaded guilty...was put through. She might have been jailed for merely stealing a bar mat. It is just SO ridiculous!
Actually it isn't ridiculous at all. Believe it or not, Thailand has laws. There are penalties for breaking those laws. For theft you can be jailed for a year. For being abusive to an official you may have more time to serve. Offering a bribe? That might not help your case. Ignorance is no defence and this woman is just plain ignorant. She went overseas, acted like a fucking moron and was faced with the consequences. She acted in a way that may have left her children without a mother at home for several years. Twat. That's the story.
But our local Australian media does not care about that story.
She is an Aussie and probably a "battler"; We love the Aussie battler. And she is a mother. Therefore she should not be expected to know about local customs and those other things; what are they called? Oh yes, laws. When she transgresses - breaks the law - she should not be punished. Why not? Because she, the massed ranks of the Australian media, and the great Australian public think the crime (yes, crime) is only a little one. The local media are playing down the running away, abusive behaviour and attempted bribery. Mere details. No, the real story is those fucking stupid Thai laws; load of bollocks. And of course, she's Australian. Aussie, Aussie,Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!
Presented with a golden opportunity to educate people on the dangers of acting like a twat while overseas the media has decided to take the other path. Reinforce the rights of Australians to do whatever they like, wherever they like. Make it clear that our laws are better than theirs, and by extension our people are better than yours. It is all terribly sad but utterly predictable.
If you're interested, there is a good article that explains the pitfalls of being a prick in Phuket. The website is an English languge site, dedicated to tourism and run from Phuket Unlikely to be read by many.
3 comments:
Coming from an Aussie I am going to say, here, here. I agree with what you say. Ignorance is no excuse. Travelling to another country is to be enjoyed, along with being mindful and respectful of local customs and laws. Again ignorance is not an excuse. Do something wrong, get caught, take ownership of your responsibility, you did wrong and wear the consequences.
Next I will be accused of not being Australian for voicing those thoughts. If being a yobbo in another country is being Australian then let me move to another country.
The Brits - mainly the English - have a long and dark hisory of being twats while overseas; a hangover from the dark days of Empire. I'm not talking about the hooligans; for decades we were, and to an extent continue to be shocking throughout the holiday hotspots of Meditteranean Europe. Where the British model now differs is in the media. The British media is not as forgiving or, dare I say, willfully ignorant. If someone acts like a twat overseas you'll often find their twatishness is the story. The British attitude of entitlement has diminished. But in some far flung corners of the globe there will always be a little bit of England :-)
Bloody Johhny foreigners with their quaint and funny customs.
W.
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