November 12th, 2012, 18:24
So, on reading an article posted below from a link by A447 as written by a doorman at a club in Bkk, he was asked what annoyed his night etc to which he said drunk people and "the mafia" which lead me to wonder what exactly is meant by that phrase in Thailand?
http://bk.asia-city.com/nightlife/article/bouncer-pong
Obviously there's the old famous italian idea of the Mafia where it's a definite organisation, with leaders and formal up the line reporting structures plus their junior hench men out enforcing the bosses wishes and the like but i've also found in other places that the term mafia is a very general term bandied about just to mean general "bad guys" whether that just be a group of bad guys or perhaps 10 or 20 "hoods" who are continually working / torturing an area and annoying the locals but aren't in any way "organised" outside of their own small group, or it's maybe even several groups of hoods and thugs perhaps just out throwing their weight about in general who may "look" like an organised group and so may sometimes get referred to as "mafia" as if you cross one they'll come back with their mates the next night and cause trouble etc - thus perhaps leading people to believe they are actually more organised or "connected" then they really are - so which is it do we think ? - a formal top to bottom, structured organisation that has branches and contacts stretching right across Thailand absolutely exists and pervades every level of Thai society OR is it just bands of loosely organised thugs / criminals who by their nature tend to know each other in different cities etc who stick together and so pass their money making rackets and ideas around each other.
And I DO realise before anyone points it out that the two examples above are almost identical but my point was as to the structure of the organisation and is it as big and as organised as us mere mortals sometimes assume and give then credit for ( if credit is the right word !) perhaps OR just a lose group of unorganised local thugs in each town ?
PS if I wake up with a horses head on the pillow beside me tomorrow morning I guess we'll have our answer ! lol
http://bk.asia-city.com/nightlife/article/bouncer-pong
Obviously there's the old famous italian idea of the Mafia where it's a definite organisation, with leaders and formal up the line reporting structures plus their junior hench men out enforcing the bosses wishes and the like but i've also found in other places that the term mafia is a very general term bandied about just to mean general "bad guys" whether that just be a group of bad guys or perhaps 10 or 20 "hoods" who are continually working / torturing an area and annoying the locals but aren't in any way "organised" outside of their own small group, or it's maybe even several groups of hoods and thugs perhaps just out throwing their weight about in general who may "look" like an organised group and so may sometimes get referred to as "mafia" as if you cross one they'll come back with their mates the next night and cause trouble etc - thus perhaps leading people to believe they are actually more organised or "connected" then they really are - so which is it do we think ? - a formal top to bottom, structured organisation that has branches and contacts stretching right across Thailand absolutely exists and pervades every level of Thai society OR is it just bands of loosely organised thugs / criminals who by their nature tend to know each other in different cities etc who stick together and so pass their money making rackets and ideas around each other.
And I DO realise before anyone points it out that the two examples above are almost identical but my point was as to the structure of the organisation and is it as big and as organised as us mere mortals sometimes assume and give then credit for ( if credit is the right word !) perhaps OR just a lose group of unorganised local thugs in each town ?
PS if I wake up with a horses head on the pillow beside me tomorrow morning I guess we'll have our answer ! lol