I was first bemused when folks passing Buddhist shrines would turn their heads and wai with their hands clasped in respect to the dead. Then I would become alarmed when I realised that they were taking their hands off the wheel and for a couple of seconds were not looking where they were going.
It's not so easy for motorcyclists to take their hands off the handlebars to wai so nowadays it seems customary for hem to honk their horn a few times - lot safer yes? well not always.
A young man in East Pattaya was riding his bike near the railway lines in East Pattaya. His girlfriend was riding her bike a little distance behind. He came across a Buddhist Shrine at the side of the road and honked his horn 3 times. What he didn't notice and didn't even think about was that there was a few alive youths near the shrine who thought he was honking them. They took umpty and set off to follow him.
After stopping to put some gas in his bike he set off again and came up to a motorcycle and car driving slowly. As he overtook them a guy in the car pulled a gun and fired off a few rounds. He realised he had been shot in the shoulder and pulled over. Police and rescue workers arrived and he was transported to hospital for further emergency treatment. Doctors found that he had actually been shot twice in the right shoulder and in the left arm. His injuries were not however life threatening so no need for a shrine to be built in his honour.
