Chalerm has a new friend, a body snatcher. The body snatcher wears an overall with many signs and symbols on it, and he patrols the street at night looking for traffic accidents.
Over the Christmas and New Year period in Bangkok there should be plenty to do. I asked Chalerm if this work was paid? No, it wasn’t. So why did they do it? Chalerm didn’t know. He thought I asked too many questions.
The body snatchers in Thailand are the nearest thing to ambulances. If they are short on medical expertise they make up for it by enthusiasm. Sometimes competing teams of snatchers fight over accident victims. The snatchers throw the accident victims on the back of their pick-ups as if they were logs and drive off with them.
I have a dark, terrible suspicion about the body snatchers. Why are they so eager? Why do they patrol the streets all night? Why do they race to the hospitals at death-defying speed?
Could it be that the hospitals pay them a kickback when accident victims are brought in, dead or alive? If the patient can be put back together again the hospital can make money from him. If he can’t there is the organ trade. People come from all over the world to get new lungs, hearts or kidneys in Bangkok. Young and otherwise healthy motorbike drivers who crash at 2 am make good donors.
Please tell me my suspicions are wrong. Please let there be one charity left in Thailand that doesn’t have a hidden, corrupt agenda. It would be nice to know there is hope for idealism in this country.
Tag: body snatcher
December 30th, 2007 at 11:40 am
id say keep all your eyes open….if dont want to become the next donation
December 30th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
;)
A little tongue-in-cheek here folks. Esp. for the gullible. The “Bangkok Body Snatchers” are a pretty well respected volunteer organisation.
Read here :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1973600.stm
Or do a Google search for “BBS”.
A wonderful New Year 2008 to everyone.
December 31st, 2007 at 2:09 am
It is a sort of scam - they have a group of ppl to run you over and then, here comes the hero - the body snacther. They will bring you to ‘dedicated’ hospital and get paid. Plus, nobody will patrol the street at night for free.
December 31st, 2007 at 2:30 am
If they are so well-respected, why is it that different groups of “volunteers” wind up in street fights together, as recent news articles have reported?
December 31st, 2007 at 8:31 am
It’s advisable when in Thailand to have a plan for how you will get to a hospital if necessary, and which hospital that should be. Most of the private hospitals have their own ambulance services. They will even dispatch a doctor if necessary. You can find their numbers online.
Decent hotels may be able to provide this service, but not everyone stays in decent hotels. Thai notions of what is acceptable medical treatment are somewhat different to western ideas.
Of course if you’re in a car smash you may not be in a position to discuss your medical transportation options. But there are plenty of more benign medical situations where you just want to put your plan into action without having to think too much.
Yet another reason to have good medical insurance.
December 31st, 2007 at 9:52 am
Like the others said: They get money for bringing you to their “partner”-hospital, maybe the vash you carry with you and your Rolex and then a lot of merrit for the afterlife. Thats enough. No livers, hearts or lungs.
December 31st, 2007 at 1:41 pm
:)
With many well-respected volunteer organisations, often there are imitators.
Like watches, DVDs, belts, clothing and the like, the imitation is often less than the original.
Given there are no government-sponsored or even commercial ambulance services available, would you welcome the “Body Snatchers” or would you rather lie in the gutter until you kark it?
The best thing that could happen, IMO, is for the government to give official recognition to the originals — given they already get much de facto recognition.