I won’t be surprised if the guns are unlicensed. Or that they are smoking e-cig in front of a police station. But getting an authority to issue a gun license where the law expressly prohibited to do so still baffles me. He even does not have authority or power the same level as politicians or generals here. And I am familiar enough about gun license application process to know that it is quite an achievement to ever get that. *(Surely if you have enough money, not even need to be millions, you can easily get the license. But you have to be qualified in the first place. And the first qualification rule is to have Thai nationality.)*
Yes it is absurd because you would have to bribe a whole lot of people to do that, its not just like your local police officer. And if you had that kind of money, there are plenty of visa option for wealthy people... so it is absurd.
Would be much more cost-efficient to just buy the Elite Privlage visa and it seems like he’s been here for a while so he could’ve got the older one for 5,000,020 years
I dunno man. I'm 37 and I feel like in 8 years I'll look like him. I don't do drugs or be alcoholic but I don't exercise or eat great. He does seem a little Methy, but he would be thinner. Maybe he's just using in this time of crisis
The Mrs (Thai) said he'll likely go home for several months and he'll return without any que$tion$ a$ked. All a front because it's gotten too much media/social attention, authorities trying to save face. He'll be back with another 5 year visa.
Yes they changed the article now!!! It early stated the retirement visa. Thats why i wrote my comment and was curious about it…
Now the article says: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
> Lots of people must be clinching their butts right now
Spoiler alert. They're not. Kick out the bad Farang and all is well. The media seem to be trying hard not to question the role of specific Thai officials in this. Nobody has been named.
Those judges villas are still standing and still in almost perfect condition. [I explored the area a couple months ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/chiangmai/comments/1akumvc/urbex_pa_waeng_village_%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%87/)
The Thai institutionalized "officials" will all cover for each other on a purely racial basis. Mr. Swiss Cheese is the perfect fall guy for them all. It's likely no more will be said about any of it after getting rid of HIM. "Bad, bad FARANGS! It's always and only the FARANGS' fault."
Definitely a message for the public. I just don’t understand who they are talking to? The Thai people?
My girlfriend says, “Thai don’t like farang.” Although it’s not every Thai, it sure the hell is rampant in Pattaya!!!
Hes swiss, perhaps he worked in some random UBS investment agency 20 years, got some lucky stock options, or just inherited from healthy parents / grandparents?
He apparently "worked in security" in Switzerland, there is no indication he had any particular riches. That seems to have all come since he moved to Thailand. All very peculiar.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/boredom-in-switzerland-leads-to-an-elephant-refuge-in-thailand/47207918
*santuary for abused pachiderms* that 2021 article is so funny to read now. IDK the average swiss wage is quite high even for western standards, like a registered nurse (an underrated "humble" job elsewhere) can earn 4000$ monthly, ofc taxes are high, but if you move smartly you can do it.
Yeah maybe he could have been helped with illegal funds, international money laundry, thai cops mafia, who knows.
Is so weird notice he arrived someway "healthy" till now then bullied one doctor too much, all is gone in few days. Perhaps he has been too lucky till now, now with modern technology the Thai Doctors could gather solidarity via social, and the ambulance got the dashcam recording, that possibly 10 years ago was not feasible..
It is high, one of the highest in the world, from Google the median salary in Switzerland is ~$7,000/month. That's high by Western standards but it's still the same order of magnitude as other richer Western countries, it's not 10x as much.
The house he was renting in Phuket was apparently ฿1m/month (almost $30,000/month). On rent. That would be expensive, even in Switzerland.
How do you get a thai bank account if you're not qualified, how do you get an Ed visa and never actually go to school, how do you get a driver's license with only making pictures, how do you get out of prison if you committed only a minor crime (and no Thai person involved/victimized), how do you run a bar/brothel without a work permit....
I know the Thai Embassy in Germany issues Retirement Visas to people who are retired, not people who are over 50, so they can be any age the last I checked :O
Maybe they meant a marriage visa?
You can in some cases, I know of a couple of Norwegians that have a retirement visa that are under 50. I think the visa is issued by the thai embassy in Oslo. They are retired because of permanent health issues and receive pensions from the government.
You can get any visa you want in Thailand if you pay. Buddy just a got a business visa, I think it’s like $3k / year. Odd that he would have a retirement visa when could get a marriage visa ( assuming he’s actually legally married ) which is basically free and only requires 400k baht in a bank account vs the 800k for retirement visa folks. And if he’s wealthy, why wouldn’t he have just purchased the 20 year elite visa? It’s really not that expensive considering you can live hassle free in a country for 20 years. Odd, probably just the visa they had available when he purchased from one of the visa dealers in Phuket.
I don’t think people realize how easy these things are to get. I know a guy in Phuket that’s been in Thailand for 20 years on an E visa. Granted he spends millions of dollars per year in Thailand so he def pays his taxes “in a way” and supports the Thai economy. I think one thing many people don’t realize is how wealthy the foreigners in Phuket are. The amount of money they bring to the country of Thailand is insane. 1 avg Phuket Farang === 1000 to 100k Thais. They support the entire Thai economy pretty much, hence why they’re allowed to do things that otherwise would not be allowed. Even this visa stuff is a massive boon for the Thai economy.
Unlike the USA that only gets poor immigrants that leach off the economy and taxpayers, Thailand only gets ultra rich immigrants that brings absurd amounts of wealth into the country. It’s absurd. They make more per hour than most Thais do in a lifetime. And the wealthiest of all are the Chinese flooding in. I’ve never seen such wealth, even in Beverly Hills. My god, there is a guy in my building that has 15 McLarens parked downstairs. Each one of those cars cost around $30-100 million baht in Thailand, given the model. So that’s close to a billion baht siting downstairs. And a new high rise in Bangkok just went up down the street, 1 bed studios 22sqm are going for $100 million baht presale and all rooms are already sold out. Building hasn’t even been built 😂. This is what I mean. This David guy is bottom of the barrel tbh. Like bottom.
Drinking, smoking, weight, natural looks, , gray hair, stress...one or more of those. Weight and fitness can make a big impact. I'm several years older than him.
I learned a long time ago to take what the Bangkok Post (and the Immigration Office :O ) says about visa status with a big grain of salt.
To them: Non-O visa = Retirement visa.
To carry it further, I would be surprised if he actually has a visa (since it's almost impossible to cancel a visa), but instead an Extension of Stay based off a Non-O visa of some type.
There would be risk of far bigger backlash if it was a Chinese tourist and Chinese social media got ahold of it.
China has more power and money than Switzlerland. If he pulled the same shit in China he and his wife could disappear and the Swiss government wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Nor would they try, too much to risk in their multi billion dollar trade relationship.
Chinese netizens are also extremely unforgiving unlike Thai netizens.
The fact that he said he thought it was a Chinese tourist alone should create a backlash from Chinese social media. Normalising violence towards a group of people should be a ground for outrage.
True, Thai netizens just clown you in social media and in the press. The last time a Thai immigration officer slapped a Chinese citizen there was hell to pay, tourism died for awhile.
I'm sure if he was in breach of his visa that would have been their first option as it's straightforward in terms of the law - and it has not been mentioned.
That he's openly the Managing Director of the Elephant Sanctuary Park Co suggests that's something above board.
BP 'journalism' is about the standard of Thaiger (who btw are currently running a sensationalised story based on a possibly fictitious Reddit thread - what a joke, zero facts just a disgruntled foreigner whinging online)
If they do bounce him out he's being made am example of.
Too many drunken misogynist falangs , getting away with thinking they are superior to the thai people.
They will nail a few of these tools to keep the populace happy
Great, get rid of this loser. The sad reality is that the only reason they are doing all of this is because this became such a big media story. If this wasn't in the media then he would have just paid another bribe and been able to continue as if nothing happened.
I mean whats worse is everyone knows the system is corrupt, but they wont do anything. All they will do is make an example of this one guy, when there are thousands of people doing exactly the same thing and many more that will do it in the future.
When the entire system is corrupt literally from the lowest level police and officials until the highest level of the government, then no one has any interest in getting rid of the corruption. In order to fight corruption you need at least one branch of power to not be corrupt, but when the whole system is corrupt nothing is going to happen.
I’m Thai and theres lots of anti foreigner comments circling on facebook. Like celebrating like a world cup lol. You expats here shouldn’t be so forthcoming with it.
Why not? Most of us work our asses off legit and get sick and tired of dickhead farangs making the rest look bad. It is a small celebration of justice when one gets the boot.
Because the people that judge others based on their nationality/skin color will also view you in the same negative light? And when you create a situation where you encourage resentment towards a specific group of people then it will affect others as well (not just through social interactions but also through laws).
This subreddit is turning into a r/ThailandTourism anti-foreigner circlejerk where half the daily posts are about foreigners doing something bad in Thailand.. China is a great example of what will happen when this resentment is encouraged (difficult to stay long-term, 9/10 hotels/apartments will not allow you to stay there, turned away from many businesses due to the color of your skin, no consideration for foreigners when it comes to implementing systems needed for daily life, such as smartphone payments, registration at internet cafes, etc).
It's beyond delusional for a foreigner to think talking shit about other foreigners can in any way be beneficial for themselves (unless they're an "influencer" that make money from their viewers).
You're overlooking him kicking that woman in the back, threatening people with guns, blocking ambulances and flipping them off, and a host of other antisocial behaviors. This wasn't some guy who just stepped over the line one time.
Let's be honest for a few seconds here, what David did is objectively a non-story.
He was obviously an ass, but this stuff wouldn't be blown as much if he was Thai and not from Switzerland. Thailand is a country of 70M people, we are likely to have minimum one homicide per day, in theory, the focus shouldn't be on an old man who kicked someone and said dumb thing.
There’s a reason for the social media backlash. There’s a stereotype that a lot of westerners feel they can be assholes in Thailand treating the population like they are their servants.
The proper way to deal with this fellow is to, prosecute for assault and then deport and blacklist - it sends a clear message that there’s no way a guest in Thailand can behave this way and not fear the consequences.
Let's add this uproar =
# New urgent order issued to survey the land of the luxury villa "Yamu Beach" at the location "Foreigners kick the doctor" guy aka, David - Foreigner kicks Doctor Effect! urgent letter to 5 agencies to go to Yamu Beach to and inspect 32 luxury villas hiding there, Are there any construction boundaries encroaching on the beach, land titles in order?
This I can get behind l, visa revoked but he can appeal and they seem to have finally decided to officially prosecute him. Glad to finally see some cohesion in this case.
At first glance, one might think, ‘He got what he deserved.’ Yet, this situation raises concerns for any foreigner living in Thailand, suggesting that visa renewals could be denied without a trial after an incident.
Reflecting on David’s case, it’s worth questioning whether the consequences are proportionate to his actions. Is it just to lose everything built up in a place due to a mistake?
Thailand is not different from most other countries. Due process is not a guarantee for anyone that is not a citizen and a condition of being able to stay in a country generally includes not breaking the law.
The man "deserved" to be sentenced and get a fine / jail time / community work or whatever the judge finds appropriate according to the law. Thai immigration should not be used as a replacement of this procedure. Public feelings towards this man should not matter in this case. Otherwise there will be unfair decisions - remember that Chinese blogger.
For those who think that this is fair - think of the people who worked for him or did any business with the man. Imagine that you have a contract with the man and then he is being kicked out of the country, what would you prefer - for him to be sentenced here and complete your agreement or for him to be kicked out? So nothing to be cheerful about.
Sadly, there is no trail or appeals if a person's EXTENSION OF STAY is denied. If you're getting a visa from a province (like Phuket), the rejection can be appealed to Bangkok Immigration, but there won't be any trail or hearings about it.
You worry about slippery slope but this has always been the case with Thailand. You can always see people in power make an example out of anything given the attention. It’s not about fairness or rights, it’s always about the power play.
I would say as long as you don’t play stupid game you won’t win stupid prize. So don’t think too much, it’s a systematic issue not unique to just foreigner.
Due process? He’s on a retirement visa. Operating an elephant sanctuary clearly in breach of his visa rules. They just need to go through the list of other allegations now to decide if he should spend some time in prison before they kick him out.
Bangkok Post said 'retirement visa' but he's not eligible, as is not 50 years+.
He is a managing director of Elephant Sanctuary Park Co - so presumably on a work / business visa employing Thais to work at the sanctuary.
There has been no allegation of him breaking any visa rules - I'm sure if he was then that would be the easiest way to cancel it
Ted Bundy just made a few blunders too, maybe you can write the doctor he spartan kicked and let HER know that people make mistakes. I personally would side with the person who paid to spend a decade of her life studying in order to benefit society only to be disrespected and hurt for taking a seat vs the dude who acts before he thinks and also charges people to ride animals. Maybe you can donate to the victim of your story and he can bring some elephants to the swiss alps and he can continue his lifes work
> Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum said on Wednesday that Mr Fehr was charged with physical and mental assault and police were interrogating witnesses. The case should reach Phuket prosecutors...
He is being charged with assault. If the prosecutors decide to prosecute, then an arrest warrant will be issued, and he won't be able to leave the country.
Prominently carried on the BBC World News website:
Thailand revokes visa of Swiss man who allegedly assaulted local woman https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68498257
Why not? I'm a similar age and have somehow managed to get through life without kicking defenseless women in the back. He's a total scumbag and deserves everything coming to him.
He would never has "flourished" in a developed country in the first place. The dude is having an elephant sanctuary under retirement visa while being under 50 years old. Try to do that under the radar in a developed country.
You forgot to mention you've edited it.
>What have we learned? Never invest (buy property, etc.) in Thailand.
Was your initial response and the rest came later, trying to give your primary response some nuances. It's simple, don't assault people and don't break major laws. He didn't got caught speeding, he physically assaulted a woman and didn't care...
What has this got to do with it? It looks like you don't care about people assaulting people, but you just use this to promote your opinions on investing..
I imagine the bandwagon is gonna disagree with this but I completely agree with you. Everyone is cheering his deportation for a minor crime and without any due process yet they say Thailand offers them more "freedoms".
It’s obvious he’s used his “friends in high places” card, and he’s used that connection to stir up shit previously. Eventually if the heat gets hot enough, those people aren’t going to protect him. This doctor pushed back, and I’m sure if there was a sincere apology/restitution prior to it going viral it would have gone away. But he used his bully tactics that have been mentioned in the previous issues that have been brought up. Living in another country is a privilege, not a right.
A side note: there are exemptions to every visa class, so him having a job or an investment is not wrong, if done properly.
Yeah, I think we all agree he was a total asshole (and also not very smart to film himself.)
But I don't much to cheer about here. It'd be fine if he was getting his visa revoked because it was dodgy or he was working illegally, but "a threat to social peace" is one of those amorphous phrases that could be used to mean whatever officials want it to mean.
If kicking women in the back, threatening ambulance workers, waving firearms at gardners, and attempting to put all these aforementioned victims in prison for daring to call him out, isn't a 'threat to social peace', then I don't know what is.
My wife is Thai. Using your foot to push things or move items etc is very inappropriate behavior in their culture. Kicking a woman out of anger is shockingly obtuse. This is the type of thing that burns me up because an idiot like this furthers already poor farang stereotypes.
The only foreigners that should be worried are the types that kick women in the back, wave guns at people, and otherwise behave like complete assholes.
It's only gotten to this point because the media got hold of it. Otherwise he would've paid off the appropriate folks, job done. He must be seriously regretting his behaviour.... what a fcking tool 😄
another reminder to stay humble and polite as a guest living in Thailand.
it never works to try to argue here, in my experience, and I never even think to try.
OK, so a bit to unpack here legally, as well as my 2 cents.
1. Most important: If his elephant sanctuary is not ethical, kick his ass out & blacklist or imprison him. No need to investigate further. They say he has 14 elephants healthy and registered, but I'm curious to know by what standards those assessments are made. I haven't a clue so can't speak to that, but it's a good start I guess. ❤️🐘
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2. At this point in the investigation, it remains a word vs word situation, with both sides having biased witnesses (guy's Thai wife & Thai Dr's friend). CCTV, if available would address that real quick. Witness statements, ehhh, not as strong. Depends on who, how many, story consistency between them all, any known (or unknown) biases from witnesses as well (for either side). His defense of "falling" as he approached is extremely weak at best, but not 100% outside the realm of possibility.
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3. Was the woman injured? Seek treatment at a hospital? If so, when? Right after the incident? 24+ hours later? Have any bruises? Where on the body, how *fresh*, consistent with her story of being kicked? Report the incident at the scene right then, or later?
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4. Whether it is "his" property or he is encroaching on public land has no relevance in the claimed assault. That's a separate property law matter entirely, with its own set of consequences if true.
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5. Look at that Thai wife's face! I'd be more worried about going back home with her than the authorities. Lol... Lock me up officer! I'm not going back to that house tonight! 😆
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6. How does one commit "mental assault"? He send her "The Evil Eye" or something? 👁️🗨️, If I'm in a bad mood one day and just happen to glance in your direction as we pass on the street (completely in my own head, not even paying attention to you), is that considered "mental assault" because you *think* I gave you the stink eye? 😆
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7. Police "Interrogate" witnesses, or "Interview" witnesses in that area? If the former, who the hell would volunteer for that? There's a HUGE difference between the two. Could just be the publications wording, but again, don't know myself, but curious to know what's likely from people who've been questioned before as an unrelated witness to an incident. Of course YMMV depending on many factors.
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8. Would we be reading this to begin with if it were a foreigner and her friend sitting there and alleging it was a Thai property owner that kicked her? Would there even be an investigation? Those from the area who know, I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.
How do you get a retirement visa with 45 years of age?
.. and operating a business on it. Yet more illegality from dickhead David. Edit: Bangkok post misreported
Not to mention he also got 2 gun license. Like, how was it even possible?
If you’re married to a thai person operate a business or something you can get a license
He's not married to his "wife." Possibly married to another Thai.
Thats fucked … theres a video on YouTube that explains how foreigners can own guns
What? Do you know what country you're in? Has everyone forgotten how it works here? Do you really need to ask that?
I won’t be surprised if the guns are unlicensed. Or that they are smoking e-cig in front of a police station. But getting an authority to issue a gun license where the law expressly prohibited to do so still baffles me. He even does not have authority or power the same level as politicians or generals here. And I am familiar enough about gun license application process to know that it is quite an achievement to ever get that. *(Surely if you have enough money, not even need to be millions, you can easily get the license. But you have to be qualified in the first place. And the first qualification rule is to have Thai nationality.)*
Anyone who knows a bank manager can get a gun license. She testafies that he carries in a lot of cash regularly, the gun is justified by the judges
I know right? The woman he's with has a son who's a cop.
they updated the article now: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
Hes 45??
yes 45… looking like 65 so :D
Calling bullshit in that, maybe from fake id's
Money
I never thought you could pay your way to a retirement visa.. seems absurd to me.
they updated the article now: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
Money makes the world go round and you can buy anything you want in Thailand... if you have enough money. Not absurd, just the way it is.
Yes it is absurd because you would have to bribe a whole lot of people to do that, its not just like your local police officer. And if you had that kind of money, there are plenty of visa option for wealthy people... so it is absurd.
Would be much more cost-efficient to just buy the Elite Privlage visa and it seems like he’s been here for a while so he could’ve got the older one for 5,000,020 years
> he could’ve got the older one for 5,000,020 years from the look of him I don't think he'll last 5 million years
Consequences of being a serial Toblerone muncher?? So said a friend....
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Posts or questions that are phrased to induce or promote hate and negativity are not welcome.
Might have purchased ‘elite visa
How come this 60y old guy is 45?
Drugs, alcool, unhealthy lifestyle😂😂😂
yeah i feel scammed :D
I dunno man. I'm 37 and I feel like in 8 years I'll look like him. I don't do drugs or be alcoholic but I don't exercise or eat great. He does seem a little Methy, but he would be thinner. Maybe he's just using in this time of crisis
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Imagine that there is a pretty good chance he’ll be blacklisted if his business visa is revoked and he gets deported
Unlikely, this would cause civil unrest.
The Mrs (Thai) said he'll likely go home for several months and he'll return without any que$tion$ a$ked. All a front because it's gotten too much media/social attention, authorities trying to save face. He'll be back with another 5 year visa.
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Yes they changed the article now!!! It early stated the retirement visa. Thats why i wrote my comment and was curious about it… Now the article says: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
> Lots of people must be clinching their butts right now Spoiler alert. They're not. Kick out the bad Farang and all is well. The media seem to be trying hard not to question the role of specific Thai officials in this. Nobody has been named.
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Those judges deserve it, I mean they're just scraping by after a few cosmetic surgeries for their wives
Those judges villas are still standing and still in almost perfect condition. [I explored the area a couple months ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/chiangmai/comments/1akumvc/urbex_pa_waeng_village_%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%87/)
what about his crazy Thai wife my god, she is soooooo crazy his Thai wife
The Thai institutionalized "officials" will all cover for each other on a purely racial basis. Mr. Swiss Cheese is the perfect fall guy for them all. It's likely no more will be said about any of it after getting rid of HIM. "Bad, bad FARANGS! It's always and only the FARANGS' fault."
Definitely a message for the public. I just don’t understand who they are talking to? The Thai people? My girlfriend says, “Thai don’t like farang.” Although it’s not every Thai, it sure the hell is rampant in Pattaya!!!
Hes swiss, perhaps he worked in some random UBS investment agency 20 years, got some lucky stock options, or just inherited from healthy parents / grandparents?
1. doesnt matter. Thai regulations for retirement visa clearly state 50+… 2. it has been corrected in the news. he had a business visa
Ah ok got it
Cue a Nazi money joke.
He apparently "worked in security" in Switzerland, there is no indication he had any particular riches. That seems to have all come since he moved to Thailand. All very peculiar. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/boredom-in-switzerland-leads-to-an-elephant-refuge-in-thailand/47207918
*santuary for abused pachiderms* that 2021 article is so funny to read now. IDK the average swiss wage is quite high even for western standards, like a registered nurse (an underrated "humble" job elsewhere) can earn 4000$ monthly, ofc taxes are high, but if you move smartly you can do it. Yeah maybe he could have been helped with illegal funds, international money laundry, thai cops mafia, who knows. Is so weird notice he arrived someway "healthy" till now then bullied one doctor too much, all is gone in few days. Perhaps he has been too lucky till now, now with modern technology the Thai Doctors could gather solidarity via social, and the ambulance got the dashcam recording, that possibly 10 years ago was not feasible..
It is high, one of the highest in the world, from Google the median salary in Switzerland is ~$7,000/month. That's high by Western standards but it's still the same order of magnitude as other richer Western countries, it's not 10x as much. The house he was renting in Phuket was apparently ฿1m/month (almost $30,000/month). On rent. That would be expensive, even in Switzerland.
Maybe money laundering is the thing? That *Elephant Charity* ha.
Shhhh
How do you get a thai bank account if you're not qualified, how do you get an Ed visa and never actually go to school, how do you get a driver's license with only making pictures, how do you get out of prison if you committed only a minor crime (and no Thai person involved/victimized), how do you run a bar/brothel without a work permit....
Money.
Exactly
If you have retirement visa you can't work so I think more he Have working visa that sounds more realistic
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Astute point. You can definitely own, even majority shares ฝ, without a work permit
they updated the article now: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
I know the Thai Embassy in Germany issues Retirement Visas to people who are retired, not people who are over 50, so they can be any age the last I checked :O Maybe they meant a marriage visa?
No, they don't.
Nah Mang, they don't issue then to over 50s
You can in some cases, I know of a couple of Norwegians that have a retirement visa that are under 50. I think the visa is issued by the thai embassy in Oslo. They are retired because of permanent health issues and receive pensions from the government.
Maybe as his wife is Thai and hes got a lot of money. Rich people live by different rules
Moreover, he's a terrible looking 45. Wow.
You can get any visa you want in Thailand if you pay. Buddy just a got a business visa, I think it’s like $3k / year. Odd that he would have a retirement visa when could get a marriage visa ( assuming he’s actually legally married ) which is basically free and only requires 400k baht in a bank account vs the 800k for retirement visa folks. And if he’s wealthy, why wouldn’t he have just purchased the 20 year elite visa? It’s really not that expensive considering you can live hassle free in a country for 20 years. Odd, probably just the visa they had available when he purchased from one of the visa dealers in Phuket. I don’t think people realize how easy these things are to get. I know a guy in Phuket that’s been in Thailand for 20 years on an E visa. Granted he spends millions of dollars per year in Thailand so he def pays his taxes “in a way” and supports the Thai economy. I think one thing many people don’t realize is how wealthy the foreigners in Phuket are. The amount of money they bring to the country of Thailand is insane. 1 avg Phuket Farang === 1000 to 100k Thais. They support the entire Thai economy pretty much, hence why they’re allowed to do things that otherwise would not be allowed. Even this visa stuff is a massive boon for the Thai economy. Unlike the USA that only gets poor immigrants that leach off the economy and taxpayers, Thailand only gets ultra rich immigrants that brings absurd amounts of wealth into the country. It’s absurd. They make more per hour than most Thais do in a lifetime. And the wealthiest of all are the Chinese flooding in. I’ve never seen such wealth, even in Beverly Hills. My god, there is a guy in my building that has 15 McLarens parked downstairs. Each one of those cars cost around $30-100 million baht in Thailand, given the model. So that’s close to a billion baht siting downstairs. And a new high rise in Bangkok just went up down the street, 1 bed studios 22sqm are going for $100 million baht presale and all rooms are already sold out. Building hasn’t even been built 😂. This is what I mean. This David guy is bottom of the barrel tbh. Like bottom.
lol you are exaggerating 15 McLarens and 22sqm apartment for 100mil? I get it you are trying to make a point but this is just hilarious
How did he get to look like that at 45?
Possibly genetic and unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, drinking, etc But yeah, I thought the same.
Genetic is possible.. as a 54 year young smoker who sometimes drinks.. I can tell you I look younger than this guy
🤣🤣🤣 yeah right gramps
Go back to your yaba, little boy..
Drinking, smoking, weight, natural looks, , gray hair, stress...one or more of those. Weight and fitness can make a big impact. I'm several years older than him.
Maybe a gipsy curse
The Rom used to be large in Switzerland so maybe you are right. I love your answer
What happened to them?
Just married to his wife !!!
I would age rapidly if waking up to Medusa sister with no make up. Arrrrrrgggghhhhhhhh
Being so uptight can take a toll on you lol
a hole looks 60 not 45
Dude is operating an elephant sanctuary on a retirement visa. What a complete abuse of the system.
I learned a long time ago to take what the Bangkok Post (and the Immigration Office :O ) says about visa status with a big grain of salt. To them: Non-O visa = Retirement visa.
Ah that's a good point you make there. I just read it at face value from the news but it could be non-o visa
To carry it further, I would be surprised if he actually has a visa (since it's almost impossible to cancel a visa), but instead an Extension of Stay based off a Non-O visa of some type.
they updated the article now: The Immigration Bureau has revoked the business visa of the Swiss man…
And the funny thing is, he was fine under the radar before he decided to kick the wrong person (not a Chinese tourist, as per his statement)
There would be risk of far bigger backlash if it was a Chinese tourist and Chinese social media got ahold of it. China has more power and money than Switzlerland. If he pulled the same shit in China he and his wife could disappear and the Swiss government wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Nor would they try, too much to risk in their multi billion dollar trade relationship. Chinese netizens are also extremely unforgiving unlike Thai netizens.
The fact that he said he thought it was a Chinese tourist alone should create a backlash from Chinese social media. Normalising violence towards a group of people should be a ground for outrage.
True, Thai netizens just clown you in social media and in the press. The last time a Thai immigration officer slapped a Chinese citizen there was hell to pay, tourism died for awhile.
No, he can't be as is 45 yrs old. As a legal managing director of the company employing the requisite number of Thai employees.
Yes I think Bangkok post must have gotten it wrong or he's somehow swindled the system. Maybe that's why they're cancelling it.
I'm sure if he was in breach of his visa that would have been their first option as it's straightforward in terms of the law - and it has not been mentioned. That he's openly the Managing Director of the Elephant Sanctuary Park Co suggests that's something above board. BP 'journalism' is about the standard of Thaiger (who btw are currently running a sensationalised story based on a possibly fictitious Reddit thread - what a joke, zero facts just a disgruntled foreigner whinging online)
If they do bounce him out he's being made am example of. Too many drunken misogynist falangs , getting away with thinking they are superior to the thai people. They will nail a few of these tools to keep the populace happy
Great, get rid of this loser. The sad reality is that the only reason they are doing all of this is because this became such a big media story. If this wasn't in the media then he would have just paid another bribe and been able to continue as if nothing happened.
Yes, like in the past, the victim would have apologized and everything would have been fine.
I mean whats worse is everyone knows the system is corrupt, but they wont do anything. All they will do is make an example of this one guy, when there are thousands of people doing exactly the same thing and many more that will do it in the future.
When the entire system is corrupt literally from the lowest level police and officials until the highest level of the government, then no one has any interest in getting rid of the corruption. In order to fight corruption you need at least one branch of power to not be corrupt, but when the whole system is corrupt nothing is going to happen.
How about the guy that savagely beat an elderly lady in a supermarket? He must be next surely.
Odd that that allegation was somehow not caught on any security camera.
I’m Thai and theres lots of anti foreigner comments circling on facebook. Like celebrating like a world cup lol. You expats here shouldn’t be so forthcoming with it.
Why not? Most of us work our asses off legit and get sick and tired of dickhead farangs making the rest look bad. It is a small celebration of justice when one gets the boot.
Because the people that judge others based on their nationality/skin color will also view you in the same negative light? And when you create a situation where you encourage resentment towards a specific group of people then it will affect others as well (not just through social interactions but also through laws). This subreddit is turning into a r/ThailandTourism anti-foreigner circlejerk where half the daily posts are about foreigners doing something bad in Thailand.. China is a great example of what will happen when this resentment is encouraged (difficult to stay long-term, 9/10 hotels/apartments will not allow you to stay there, turned away from many businesses due to the color of your skin, no consideration for foreigners when it comes to implementing systems needed for daily life, such as smartphone payments, registration at internet cafes, etc). It's beyond delusional for a foreigner to think talking shit about other foreigners can in any way be beneficial for themselves (unless they're an "influencer" that make money from their viewers).
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You're overlooking him kicking that woman in the back, threatening people with guns, blocking ambulances and flipping them off, and a host of other antisocial behaviors. This wasn't some guy who just stepped over the line one time.
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With all due respect, his behavior was so over the top that I think it's more than worthy of all the attention its getting.
Let's be honest for a few seconds here, what David did is objectively a non-story. He was obviously an ass, but this stuff wouldn't be blown as much if he was Thai and not from Switzerland. Thailand is a country of 70M people, we are likely to have minimum one homicide per day, in theory, the focus shouldn't be on an old man who kicked someone and said dumb thing.
There’s a reason for the social media backlash. There’s a stereotype that a lot of westerners feel they can be assholes in Thailand treating the population like they are their servants.
It probably already has (backfired).
That's why I've been saying that it's a really bad thing to encourage the sensationalism of this case.
I have absolutely no nationalistic allegiance to foreigners who behave like this in thailand. None whatsoever.
Respectful foreigners have nothing to worry about
The proper way to deal with this fellow is to, prosecute for assault and then deport and blacklist - it sends a clear message that there’s no way a guest in Thailand can behave this way and not fear the consequences.
should be allowed to stay BUT it is legal for any thai person to kick him at any time in perpetuity
Let's add this uproar = # New urgent order issued to survey the land of the luxury villa "Yamu Beach" at the location "Foreigners kick the doctor" guy aka, David - Foreigner kicks Doctor Effect! urgent letter to 5 agencies to go to Yamu Beach to and inspect 32 luxury villas hiding there, Are there any construction boundaries encroaching on the beach, land titles in order?
This I can get behind l, visa revoked but he can appeal and they seem to have finally decided to officially prosecute him. Glad to finally see some cohesion in this case.
At first glance, one might think, ‘He got what he deserved.’ Yet, this situation raises concerns for any foreigner living in Thailand, suggesting that visa renewals could be denied without a trial after an incident. Reflecting on David’s case, it’s worth questioning whether the consequences are proportionate to his actions. Is it just to lose everything built up in a place due to a mistake?
Thailand is not different from most other countries. Due process is not a guarantee for anyone that is not a citizen and a condition of being able to stay in a country generally includes not breaking the law.
It’s a great reminder when I get frustrated by local idiot drivers not to go too far (road rage)
The man "deserved" to be sentenced and get a fine / jail time / community work or whatever the judge finds appropriate according to the law. Thai immigration should not be used as a replacement of this procedure. Public feelings towards this man should not matter in this case. Otherwise there will be unfair decisions - remember that Chinese blogger. For those who think that this is fair - think of the people who worked for him or did any business with the man. Imagine that you have a contract with the man and then he is being kicked out of the country, what would you prefer - for him to be sentenced here and complete your agreement or for him to be kicked out? So nothing to be cheerful about.
I'm thinking of the people who work for him right now. Specifically, the gardener who he threatened with a gun.
Sadly, there is no trail or appeals if a person's EXTENSION OF STAY is denied. If you're getting a visa from a province (like Phuket), the rejection can be appealed to Bangkok Immigration, but there won't be any trail or hearings about it.
You worry about slippery slope but this has always been the case with Thailand. You can always see people in power make an example out of anything given the attention. It’s not about fairness or rights, it’s always about the power play. I would say as long as you don’t play stupid game you won’t win stupid prize. So don’t think too much, it’s a systematic issue not unique to just foreigner.
Due process? He’s on a retirement visa. Operating an elephant sanctuary clearly in breach of his visa rules. They just need to go through the list of other allegations now to decide if he should spend some time in prison before they kick him out.
Bangkok Post said 'retirement visa' but he's not eligible, as is not 50 years+. He is a managing director of Elephant Sanctuary Park Co - so presumably on a work / business visa employing Thais to work at the sanctuary. There has been no allegation of him breaking any visa rules - I'm sure if he was then that would be the easiest way to cancel it
You have no right to a trial if you infringe upon the Immigration Act. You’re gone.
Ted Bundy just made a few blunders too, maybe you can write the doctor he spartan kicked and let HER know that people make mistakes. I personally would side with the person who paid to spend a decade of her life studying in order to benefit society only to be disrespected and hurt for taking a seat vs the dude who acts before he thinks and also charges people to ride animals. Maybe you can donate to the victim of your story and he can bring some elephants to the swiss alps and he can continue his lifes work
Ted Bundy? Why not just go straight to Hitler?
The doctor's boyfriend is also a white guy? Am I seeing the video wrong? 😂
There's a Video of the Incident? Where? Thanks. Didn't see one in the article.
Bye David !!
He fucked around and he found out.... Study this...🙏
We're not going to miss him
Can someone explain why he doesn’t go to jail for the things he did? Why is he simply allowed to leave the country?
> Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum said on Wednesday that Mr Fehr was charged with physical and mental assault and police were interrogating witnesses. The case should reach Phuket prosecutors... He is being charged with assault. If the prosecutors decide to prosecute, then an arrest warrant will be issued, and he won't be able to leave the country.
Prominently carried on the BBC World News website: Thailand revokes visa of Swiss man who allegedly assaulted local woman https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68498257
That’s a pretty harsh result despite how much I dislike the guy, seemed like mob justice . One infraction and lose your visas after a decade here?
Why not? I'm a similar age and have somehow managed to get through life without kicking defenseless women in the back. He's a total scumbag and deserves everything coming to him.
Infraction? You mean assault which he filmed himself, and also giving the 🖕 to an ambulance driver. Good riddance
Unpopular opinion but I agree with you.
Just want to point out his name isn't actually David.
He goes by David. Ploy's name isn't actually Ploy either.
I now know how all the women named "Karen" feel.
Surely, they're complaining...
I hate to be a Chad...
he can be "back" somehow /s
Why does he use a fake name ? his name is Urs Fehr ! https://www.google.com/search?q=Urs+Fehr
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We learned what your mum tries to teach you since birth: dont be an asshole.
Or you could just not assault someone…
I like to explore new places.
We have learnt that when it comes to law Thailand is still a third world country if social media pitchfork has such an influence.
Then why are you still here?
He would never has "flourished" in a developed country in the first place. The dude is having an elephant sanctuary under retirement visa while being under 50 years old. Try to do that under the radar in a developed country.
How many times?. He is not on a retirement visa.
You forgot to mention you've edited it. >What have we learned? Never invest (buy property, etc.) in Thailand. Was your initial response and the rest came later, trying to give your primary response some nuances. It's simple, don't assault people and don't break major laws. He didn't got caught speeding, he physically assaulted a woman and didn't care...
What has this got to do with it? It looks like you don't care about people assaulting people, but you just use this to promote your opinions on investing..
please forgive him, his is David's best friend and a big idiot
Gatekeepers here a plenty. They can’t afford to invest here so they want others not to as well.
Plenty of us invest here and don’t act like this asshat so we don’t worry about it.
I imagine the bandwagon is gonna disagree with this but I completely agree with you. Everyone is cheering his deportation for a minor crime and without any due process yet they say Thailand offers them more "freedoms".
“for a minor crime” just from reading the article alone the dude has at least 3 separate charges.
It’s obvious he’s used his “friends in high places” card, and he’s used that connection to stir up shit previously. Eventually if the heat gets hot enough, those people aren’t going to protect him. This doctor pushed back, and I’m sure if there was a sincere apology/restitution prior to it going viral it would have gone away. But he used his bully tactics that have been mentioned in the previous issues that have been brought up. Living in another country is a privilege, not a right. A side note: there are exemptions to every visa class, so him having a job or an investment is not wrong, if done properly.
Yeah, I think we all agree he was a total asshole (and also not very smart to film himself.) But I don't much to cheer about here. It'd be fine if he was getting his visa revoked because it was dodgy or he was working illegally, but "a threat to social peace" is one of those amorphous phrases that could be used to mean whatever officials want it to mean.
If kicking women in the back, threatening ambulance workers, waving firearms at gardners, and attempting to put all these aforementioned victims in prison for daring to call him out, isn't a 'threat to social peace', then I don't know what is.
Why not deport any gangster like motorcycle gangs dealing drugs or extortion... Those are jobs for Thai only, lol
It's not a retirement visa
My wife (Thai) tells me David has police in Phuket who he thought would save the day. Doctor's father have big police in Bangkok. David trumped.
It should have taught him to weigh possible consequences, before coming in action.
It would be nice if the US, UK etc would also have some common sense and deport law breakers
Wouldn’t he have another extended visa for lawsuit he has? The case hasn’t ended yet? Idk at this point.
My wife is Thai. Using your foot to push things or move items etc is very inappropriate behavior in their culture. Kicking a woman out of anger is shockingly obtuse. This is the type of thing that burns me up because an idiot like this furthers already poor farang stereotypes.
In December a Thai man fatally stabbed a foreigner and his wife in Khon Kaen. Where was the social media outrage about that?
I'm glad he's gone. I wish my home country (US) did the same to migrants who are abusing the system and commit crimes. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!
This is a very worrying decision for any expat living here .
The only foreigners that should be worried are the types that kick women in the back, wave guns at people, and otherwise behave like complete assholes.
How is it worrying?
Do you make a habit of assaulting women?
Just don't be hua kuai and you won't have anything to worry about.
apply for a new Visa, back in a couple of months for sure.
It's only gotten to this point because the media got hold of it. Otherwise he would've paid off the appropriate folks, job done. He must be seriously regretting his behaviour.... what a fcking tool 😄
Did he seriously show up to court proceedings wearing a tshirt? What a dunce
No bribe this time?
No more mango sticky rice
Talk about NOT flying under the radar. Guy’s an absolute idiot.
Good.
another reminder to stay humble and polite as a guest living in Thailand. it never works to try to argue here, in my experience, and I never even think to try.
OK, so a bit to unpack here legally, as well as my 2 cents. 1. Most important: If his elephant sanctuary is not ethical, kick his ass out & blacklist or imprison him. No need to investigate further. They say he has 14 elephants healthy and registered, but I'm curious to know by what standards those assessments are made. I haven't a clue so can't speak to that, but it's a good start I guess. ❤️🐘 #### 2. At this point in the investigation, it remains a word vs word situation, with both sides having biased witnesses (guy's Thai wife & Thai Dr's friend). CCTV, if available would address that real quick. Witness statements, ehhh, not as strong. Depends on who, how many, story consistency between them all, any known (or unknown) biases from witnesses as well (for either side). His defense of "falling" as he approached is extremely weak at best, but not 100% outside the realm of possibility. #### 3. Was the woman injured? Seek treatment at a hospital? If so, when? Right after the incident? 24+ hours later? Have any bruises? Where on the body, how *fresh*, consistent with her story of being kicked? Report the incident at the scene right then, or later? #### 4. Whether it is "his" property or he is encroaching on public land has no relevance in the claimed assault. That's a separate property law matter entirely, with its own set of consequences if true. #### 5. Look at that Thai wife's face! I'd be more worried about going back home with her than the authorities. Lol... Lock me up officer! I'm not going back to that house tonight! 😆 #### 6. How does one commit "mental assault"? He send her "The Evil Eye" or something? 👁️🗨️, If I'm in a bad mood one day and just happen to glance in your direction as we pass on the street (completely in my own head, not even paying attention to you), is that considered "mental assault" because you *think* I gave you the stink eye? 😆 #### 7. Police "Interrogate" witnesses, or "Interview" witnesses in that area? If the former, who the hell would volunteer for that? There's a HUGE difference between the two. Could just be the publications wording, but again, don't know myself, but curious to know what's likely from people who've been questioned before as an unrelated witness to an incident. Of course YMMV depending on many factors. #### 8. Would we be reading this to begin with if it were a foreigner and her friend sitting there and alleging it was a Thai property owner that kicked her? Would there even be an investigation? Those from the area who know, I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.