Chalerm’s friend the body snatcher has been here several times. He is a handsome guy in his early 20ies. He looks smart in his blue overall. The logos on it reminds me of race car garage men. But I feel uneasy around the snatcher. Am I am imagining things or is he measuring me for my organs?
I played with the idea of asking him about the money in his trade, but I don’t think Chalerm would approve. I would like to hear that the snatchers never get any kickback for accident victims they bring in, dead or alive. I would like to know there is no bonus for a good heart. I would also like to hear that wallets, phones and jewelry never are lost in transport.
Excuse me if I speak about this body snatcher as if he is hardly better than a grave robber. He might be, for all I know, a fine volunteer doing society a great service.
But maybe I have been in Thailand for too long already. I have learned that if you see a Thai eagerly doing something there must be money in it. Not even the prospect of getting laid make them as energetic as hard cash. For example, if I want to shake a taxi driver out of his usual sleep-walker state all I need to do is mention that I am going out to “have fun”. Fun? Massage? Kickbacks from bars? 500 baht to the driver out of a rip-off 3,000 baht fee? Suddenly the taxi driver is alert and willing, even desperate, to help me.
I know of one farang who had a transplant in Bangkok. He didn’t have to wait long for the body snatchers to bring in a suitable accident victim. He got a heart and a lung from a Thai motorbike driver half his age. The operation took place at a supposedly top hospital in Bangkok, and the patient had paid five million baht in advance.
The patient was in intensive care and struggled with the donor organs. A friend of the patient discovered that while the supposedly top hospital took samples to determine the patient’s immune response they didn’t have the equipment to analyse them. The doctors were flying blind, medicating the patient what they hoped were suitable immune suppression drugs. This didn’t work. His body rejected the new organs and they could hardly put the old ones back in, could they?
There was no refund.
Tag: bangkok body snatcher
December 31st, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Proper way to have organ transplant is via LEGAL organ donor - you sign up (to donate your organ)before you die. Organ transplant patient will have to wait for a suitable donor’s organ - not all organs can be fixed into patients like car engine does. If youre not registered as organ donor (before you die), family members can donate the organ on behalf but through proper chanel. I doubt this is happening here in BKK - especially the body snatcher.
December 31st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
In 2000 doctors at Vachiraprakarn hospital were charged with murder over the illegal procurement of around 100 organs for transplant:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0YUG/is_9_10/ai_n18610072
December 31st, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Hope you don’t have any “accidents”! I’d throw the bugger off the balcony and be done with him.
December 31st, 2007 at 10:06 pm
From what I read, you always leave your heart in Bangkok anyway !
January 1st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Well SF, perhaps your cute body snatcher is trying to measure up that most important or organs…the one between your legs. If you don’t show him a sample, he might just want it for transplant purposes.
January 1st, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Hey Gmac what are you saying here???
If Silom DOESN’T show him the ‘important’ organ the body snatcher might want it but if he DOES show him he WON’T want it ???
What do you know that the rest of us don’t Gmac ?
hehe
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:05 am
I finally understand what Thai’s are thinking when they say “you have good heart”.