Father Maier also blames a society that appears unwilling to punish bad behavior. Look at the politician's son who ran over two policemen and dragged one 100 meters down the road. He simply says, 'I didn't see him - it was an accident,' and he gets away with it. Poonpol Asavahem, son of deputy interior minister Wattana Asavahem, was never prosecuted for that incident, which took place last October. Critics allege he escaped punishment because of his connections - which, they say, is a common occurrence in Thailand.
Most people agree that public attitudes to crime have to change.
But that is not enough. Underprivileged students also have to be made to believe they have a stake in the future. The troubled Buranapon Technical School fails comprehensively on that score. Set well down a nondescript sidestreet on the outskirts of Bangkok, the poorly equipped private college has long had a reputation for the viciousness of its charges. Many of its 300 students appear sullen and unmotivated, their days seemingly occupied only by thoughts of what they will do when class is over.