I was Attacked, Robbed, and Now the Hospital/Police are Holding my Passport for Ransom. Please HELP!
Hey my fellow Steemians,
It's been radio silence on my end for about a week now.
On the 4th of July, I was attacked and mugged by 3 men dressed in military uniforms on the east side of town.
My good friend @AdamTilsley shared a glimpse of my story earlier, trying to raise support for my cause.
PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAUSE HERE SO I CAN RECOVER MY PASSPORT AND LEAVE THAILAND ASAP:
https://www.youcaring.com/benjaminschwartz-872547
I was heading to the local Starbucks to grab some internet and hang out for a bit. I got out of my "Grab" (similar to Uber for Asia) and was immediately grabbed by 3 men dressed in military uniforms.
All I recall was being dragged over to their makeshift checkpoint tent (Thailand is under Military control currently, so the military/police have a heavy presence around most parts).
I was hit in the head and blacked out.
Next thing I remember, I regained consciousness when it was dark out - not sure if it was later in the evening or very early in the morning. I was laying down on the ground inside their gated "checkpoint" area on the sidewalk.
One of the men saw me move, grabbed me, and all I remember was being struck on the right side of my head and blacking out again.
When I regained consciousness, it was around 1PM on JULY 5th - 22 hours AFTER I ARRIVED on that side of town.
I had been dragged about 100 feet away from the military tent over to the "wall", aka Tae Phae Gate - to make it look like I was just a homeless bum without a place to sleep (I have a condo in Thailand, or rather, "had").
I tried to stand up, and when I did my left ankle twisted and I instantly fell. I tried to stand again and realized that I couldn't put pressure on either legs - they had beaten the absolute shit out of my legs. With what, i'm not sure...
I tried to find my phone - gone. Looked for my cash - gone. Debit cards - only 1 remained - the 1 had hid. My passport was still in my wallet.
I had taken cash out to pay for my rent, and for my skydive/action cam, and it was all gone.
I also had transferred $1400 to my bank the day before, and I would later come to find out that my bank only had $198 left in it after 2 "mysterious" adjustments were made, for which my bank is still scratching their heads over. I've called and they can't figure it out nor will they refund me.
I was taken to Chiang Mai Ram hospital, where for 5 hours I was ignored, not fed, not given water, and only finally given a painkiller after literally begging for 5 hours. I could not stand or walk on my own - I couldn't even lay in bed without so much pain.
It felt like they had kick me right in the thighs/ass cheeks with steel toe boots as hard as they could, and I had a big old contusion on the right side of my head.
https://www.youcaring.com/benjaminschwartz-872547
Fast forward to when they tell me how much they want to charge in cash per night - over $700USD - I don't have travel insurance (a mistake I'll never make again) so I immediately told them to transfer me to another hospital.
I told them that I was mugged and that I could not afford to pay for their medical services on the spot - so they decided to call Tourist police on me. I was not given an option of being taken to a different hospital - I didn't realize there was Chiang Mai Ram, a private, for profit hospital, and the government hospital, Maharaj Nakorn.
They called the cops and I was basically told that if I didn't pay, I would be arrested. I finally got them to agree to hold my passport in exchange to transport me to the other hospital that would actually treat me - I still had not been fed, given water, treatement, anything, for hours since arriving.
So now they're holding my passport ransom. They want 21000 baht approximately (a little over $600 as of today's exchange rate) - I spent 5 days at the government hospital, with full care, medicine, inpatient services, X-rays, CT-scan, meals, etc - for a grand total of 21000 baht also.
They also did not force me to pay on the spot - I have to return in 2 days, but they allowed me to leave after I called the embassy.
I called the embassy to see what they could do about the passport situation, and all they told me to do was take out a loan or borrow money from family.
I have about 18 days or so left on my stamp left in Thailand if I'm not mistaken. My original plan was to go Skydiving in 2 days (which is now completely shot - I can't even properly walk, and am completely broke thanks to being mugged).
I also don't have my passport thanks to Chiang Mai Ram holding it for ransom, and using the tourist police as their enforcers - they required me to register my address (and yes, they have my real address on file here in Thailand, when you sign a lease your landlord has to register with the ministry).
So I humbly come to the community asking for any help that you might be able to spare. The more I am able to raise, the greater chance I have of negotiating down the price. I have a few days to raise the funds.
Steem won't help me much here - so if you want to upvote here and donate on the donation page I set up through YouCaring.com, I will send you the SBD I receive once it's paid out in return - I just don't know what else to do at this point.
People have suggested just saying I "lost my passport" and pulling scams like that - but I'm trying to live an honest life. And I believe by doing this, I set a personal precedent for myself to continue to do the right thing, no matter how hard it may be.
This is a direct copy and paste from my "YouCaring.com" posting:
"I was attacked by 3 Thai "military members" (I'm not sure if they were actually a part of the Thai military or simply dressed in Thai military uniforms.
They had a military checkpoint set up at Tae Phae gate (it's the eastern gate of Old Town in Chiang Mai, Thailand).
I was knocked unconscious for several hours and dragged to their checkpoint they had set up.
When I regained consciousness, it was dark out. One of the "military members" noticed and grabbed me - I was struck in the head and knocked unconscious again.
After waking up the 2nd time, It was around 1PM on July 5, 2017. Almost 22 hours after arriving at my destination. (I arrived around 3:30PM on July 4th)
They stole my rent money, the money I had taken out for skydiving (something I had been dreaming of and planning for almost 2 years now).
When I woke up, I was dazed, in a lot of pain, and completely confused. I tried to stand up and immediately fell and twisted my ankle - I could not stand at all.
My phone was also stolen, along with a pretty expensive pair of sunglasses.
I was admitted to Chiang Mai Ram hospital. I could not stand up or walk as I was in so much pain.
For 5 hours, I begged for food and water, as I had not eaten in nearly 30 hours at that point. I was ignored repeatedly. I was also in severe pain and only received 1 shot of morphine after 5 hours.
I was also mocked, flicked off, called a bi**h, and laughed at by several nurses and even the charge nurse at Chiang Mai Ram hospital.
They failed to tell me that it was a private hospital - they charged my nearly 21,000 baht (a little over $600) for a 5 hour stay - when they told me how much it would be per night, I immediately told them to discharge me and send me elsewhere - I did not have traveler's insurance and I could not afford such an amount.
They called Tourist police. I explained the situation and was told: pay, be arrested and taken to the station, or hand over my passport as "collateral" and given a few days to pay, also being forced to provide my address of residence so that at any time they could come to arrest me if I did not pay.
I was transferred to the local government hospital, and given adequate care - for a 5 day stay with full treatment (I was charged a total of roughly 21,000 baht. Also a little over $600 as of today's exchange rate.
However, I still need to raise a total of 42,000 baht - my passport is being held illegally - and If I am stopped by a police officer for any reason, if I do not have my passport on me, I can be arrested immediately
While at the hospital, I was diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis - a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly. This was from being beaten so badly that I could not walk for 5 days.
I am now able to walk, but my feet are about 75% numb - I can barely feel them when I walk.
Please, if you could help me out by sparing anything so that I can get my passport back and pay off these medical bills, I would be forever grateful - I just want to get my passport back and leave Thailand immediately. Anything extra will support my travel out of Thailand. (plane, bus ticket, food, etc)."
Please, consider donating anything - even a few dollars could help me towards getting my passport back.
I intend on getting the HELL out of Thailand once I get my passport back and pay off my medical debt.
Thank you community - I also have to give up my apartment tomorrow to try and get back some of my deposit so that I can use that towards paying for my medical bills. I'll be back to living out of hostels for the time being...
https://www.youcaring.com/benjaminschwartz-872547
Much love,
-Ben, aka Panda
Sources: CM Ram Hospital, Tha Phae Gate
I m not sure u r telling true or false but anyhow i doing upvote
Yeah, I think even if there is no photo proof, it's an interesting story and worth an upvote.
People don't like feeling tricked, but how many false introductions on Steemit with a pretty face have earned hundreds of dollars per post? I've been here since October and I can say positively that the weak knees of the whales for an attractive girl has cost this community in the tens of thousands in reward money, maybe more.
Sad but true @joanaltres
Well said , I agree
Not try'n to be a dickhead here...just the way my brain works...probably should just stfu right now. But that's not the way my brain works either.
you said in this post you can't see the gash that was on the side of my head. ...well we could if you just parted the fur surrounding it and getting a pic of that on this post.
I love ya Ben, and you've been a source of fun and advice to me since joining...and you know I speak my mind. Anyway...most people are 1st and foremost good hearted and will help other people...yes even strangers...and other furry creatures great and small...when they can. Still they're programmed to suspicion..."pics or it didn't happen" we hear that a lot these days.
Anyway Ben, I honestly think you'd be doing yourself a huge favor...and easing a lot of minds that read this...if you would just send a pic of that gash. Better yet find someone to video it..showing you...we know your face right?...then zooming in to the parting of the fur and showing the evidence.
It's also an opportunity to thank those who've already helped you and to show everyone this hasn't got you licked and you're still the same panda bear that people have come to know and love..on whatever platform.
Again...I mean no offense and if you ask I will take this out...but I have some folding cash stashed for emergency purposes that I'm willing to send to you...but my brain says wait...
My upvote ain't worth shit dude...and neither are my resteems...but I will resteem this when I see evidence...real evidence of physical trauma.
I hope this doesn't strain our relationship going forward...but I just gotta be me and call them as I see them...even if my eyes are deceiving me. I just won't allow my heart to deceive me...anymore...and that's my opened wound.
much love and healing energy sent your way Ben...and not just from me <3
Fair enough man you raise some valid points and I'm definitely open-minded enough to listen and respect your ideas. I live alone and it's already been 9 days, but when I move out tomorrow I'll see if my landlady will take a picture of me in my current state.
There was a pretty gnarly bruise on my...right ass-cheek, so I could barely sit straight for a while, and it still hurts, but I looked and it's pretty much healed up now too. :/ I should have gotten pictures the day everything happened, but not having my phone and being in a lot of pain, it was the last thing to cross my mind.
I have no problem showing the world who I am, but I think people will be disappointed when they don't see the battle wounds they're expecting to see. It still hurts to walk, it hurts to sit in a chair unless I lean forward, and I definitely am still walking with a slight limp - improving day by day,
I stil also slightly feel the lump on the side of my head, although I don't know if a picture will capture much of anything - but I will give it a shot when I pack my things and leave at noon.
Thank you bro for being honest with my and telling me how you feel / what you think the rest of the community may also be feeling. I hadn't really considered things this way, so it allows me to see things from a different angle.
Love you bro <3
Glad you see it from other's point of view. The gash doesn't need to be on a bump...bruises and bumps go away...usually with quite the colorful display for us of a lighter complexion...man I have had some beautiful bruises in my time ~smiles~ just show the gash...don't wanna see yer butt man...and get someone to video it...gotta be someone you know there that's got a few minutes to spare...or why bother travelling at all? How about one of the baristas at the Starbucks you frequented?
Just try'n to help Ben...checked out the link to your fund...wish I had a credit card...cause if I did...I'd definitely "kick a buck" your way and challenge others to do the same.
Know this my friend...yer still alive so you're just getting stronger...this'll be a non-memory/event in 5 years. <3
Kind of in disbelief at the lengths of skepticism people are going to in the comments. Wish I was able to be of more support, but I see @joanaltres gave you a resteem, so I'm sure this will find the eyes of people willing and able to help sooner than later.
Honestly I'm not surprised - I've received a lot of negative comments over this. But I can't let it get me down; it does nothin to improve my situation.
Thank you for your kind words. That resteem seems to have helped a bit despite some extra negative vibes - it is what it is. Take the good with the bad, you know?
Cheers 💙
Bad news! Can you get into Discord? You helped a lot of people there but msgs bounce and chatroom shut down. As you know, upvotes only worth something if from big accounts. I'd go get a new passport and leave the country. Sad.
I'm on Discord. Tons of people are telling me to just abandon ship and ditch the bill and my passport - but honestly I'm not going to do that. I'm trying to change how I operate my life and part of that is paying my debts - the hospital didn't force me to go there, I may not agree with how they operate but I'll pay my bills, collect my passport and leave Thailand.
That's just me though. Before, I would have said fuck it and instantly pulled that stunt to avoid paying/get out for free - but that's bad karma. I don't need that :/ But i've mentioned my story already in MSP and people know about it, most just think I'm lying though so, it's okay. I don't expect anyone from here to really donate or upvote huge - people from my FB have really been coming through for me and donating on my fundraising page I started, so I'm really grateful for that aready <3
Have you got an ATM card? Do you have enough to live till then? I don't have much but can send you some THB.
I've got a card with no money on it - was one i stashed in my bag instead of my wallet. I got some money back today from my security deposit but that's all going towards my hospital bill - i have a budget of about 150 baht a day :/ I'm running a fundraiser that ends in a few days, i don't know if it will pay out to my bank account right away though.
ATM withdrawals also cost 220 baht out here (like $6.50) plus US bank fee. Some places accept card for payment for small transactions, but most don't. You don't have to send me anything though bro, honestly a resteem or an upvote would be more than enough.
I'm grateful that you even offered brother.
Ouch! Was hoping for a Thai bank. See if you can find any locals on sites like thaivisa.com. I lost contact with ppl I knew in CM - was 8-9 years ago. Good luck! Go chill out in Laos and forget Thailand.
Locals? What do you mean - local banks? ATM's? I'm trying to get out of Thailand ASAP -I'm just staying to myself and focusing on doing whatever I gotta do to raise the money I need to pay these bills and get my passport back and leave.
I think the bad kArMa is on them for how they treated you...
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I'm still sorry to hear about your ordeal. this is a well written post though, and i feel others should read it. Please reply and I'll nominate it to the team! Get well soon
Thank you, I would be honored to have my post shared on one of your compilation posts if you guys end up choosing it. I took a quick peek at your channel and it seems that the posts that you resteem/share for your OCD series do quite well. Count me in!
Thanks again for your well wishes.
Such a very horrible position to be into. Hope you get sorted out with you passport problem asap. Not to mention the trauma the experience has brought upon to you.
God bless you
Thank you - shit happens sometimes - maybe it's karma catching up to me for my past, or maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, I was still able to learn a lesson while I laid in the hospital bed for 5 days and had the chance to really think about what mattered most in my list and what I was really doing to improve the quality of it, as well as how I treated others.
In a way, I feel like this was perhaps a mini blessing in disguise.
I think it is just a matter of perspective. Shit really does happen and it will become shittier if we dwell too much on it and dont do anything to fix it. we need to try to look at it in a positive manner so we will also attract positive energy and feel better eventually.
Anyway, hope you already got yourself sorted out. God bless you
Absolutely true. That's why I'm trying to remain focused on any positives that may come from this.
I am still trying to sort out the money situation, I have a ways to go still so I'm still without a passport but, I have 2 weeks left on my Stamp. The hospital/police want the money ASAP though so I gotta hustle my ass off and figure something out.
I'll resteem this for you to 12,000+ followers if you can get some pics or a video together as @cryptologyx recommended. It's not a guarantee to get you a lot more money, but I have no doubt some will help.
Don't need to see "blood and guts", just a little visual proof of your contusion/bruises/scrapes can go a long way.
It's been 8.5 days since I was hospitalized - most of my cuts/scrapes have healed. I have a few pictures but most of them are gone - the contusion on my head also swelled down considerably - i can feel the cut, but i tried taking a picture, i just have too much hair.
It's fine - I know most people don't believe me/people want detailed records on my facebook of why I had cash on me, etc - being a former addict, I'm used to people not believing me.
The only thing that's somewhat visible still is on my right buttock - but I'm sure the world doesn't want to see my ass.
It's still painful to walk, they discharged me with morphine and a load of codeine and I haven't taken any of it, because that shit will just start the cycle all over again - so I'm still limping around/still hurts to sit normally/etc - but it's fine if people don't believe me. If I had my phone the day I was taken to the hospital I would have taken detailed pictures - but since it was stolen, that was kinda hard to do.
Thank you for your offer, I know you guys are trying to help but it's literally been almost 9 days - there aren't really many remaining marks of the assault. They didn't break my legs (although it fucking felt like it) or any other body part, and they made sure not to hit me in the face - i had a few small scrapes from hitting the ground for the first few days but they healed quickly.
At this point it's just bruising on my butt, some scabbed minor wounds on my knees from when i tried walking and fell, and very very mnor swelling on my head (which i'll share a picture of me so you can see just how much hair I have.
Thanks again for the kind gesture - I've had people ridicule me on FB for having cash on me (I had taken money out to pay my rent and the money for my upcoming skydive) and I politely explained that to them, and left it at that.
With all the "help me fix my car" posts I've seen recently getting attention and money, it would be a shame for me not to resteem this, even without photo proof. It's a bit of a wild story, but crazy things like this have happened here in the Philippines also.
I'll resteem this to 12,000+ followers. Hard to say what the outcome will be, but I hope it helps a little. :)
Thank you for the resteem. I know a lot of people are having a hard time even thinking that shit like this could happen, especially without provocation.
The thing is most of these skeptics are probably people that have never, or rarely have, left their safe bubbles of the community they've lived in forever.
The world changes into a much different place with each new destination. And with the good, also comes the bad.
Thank you again. It looks like your resteem helped me gain a little traction although a lot of it is negative/skeptical people calling me out, your intention was well received and I still am extremely grateful.
Take care and I'll be sure to check out some of your blog posts - just catchin ho
Yeah, I was thinking when I resteemed it that you're probably going to get a lot of mixed comments coming in, but at least a lot of them hit the upvote button for you, though it wasn't much money (plus the price feeds are reflecting the drop in the price of Steem - going to go lower soon too). But have you received more in your YouCaring.com post? Probably some "Anonymous" might be from here, hard to say.
May God help! Amen
I dunno man... I'll be honest! Whenever I see posts like this I am ÜBER suspicious...
have an upvote of sympathy though...
if this story is real, then I really really hope you'll manage to pull through without too much more troubles!
Thanks man - definitely a real story, but like I mentioned below, unfortunately I have no pictures of blood and guts to share with everyone :[ just proof that I actually was there and how much this shit actually cost me...:/
Man, I hope everything will work out fine!
If you want this post to get traction you have to add a picture of yourself showing what state you are in.
Most of the bruising (especially on my butt-cheeks) has healed up already - it's been a week now and i spent 6 of them laying in bed :/
At this point it's mostly nerve as my feet are numb and i walk with a limp. And you can't see the gash that was on the side of my head.
I have copies of the CT scan - i visited the hospital to pick them up earlier...
I mean, I know people want to see gore and blood and shit but, I was in the hospital for nearly a week. I wasn't stabbed with a knife or anything so there's not like scar tissue or giant open wounds - just tons of scrapes and small bruises now.
If it doesn't pick up traction, it's fine - I understand. People on my Facebook know this isn't bullshit and i've uploaded all the documentation from the 2nd hospital - I now have copies of the documents from the first hospital that I can put up.
My YouCaring post is 25% completed already thanks to the support of my Facebook friends and people that know I'm not lying. I don't know what else to say or do - I mean if people don't believe me, then they don't believe me. I'm not trying to sway public opinion - I just wanted to get my passport so I could leave this place. i just got my ass kicked and robbed and I've had a few people doubt me today but I understand - i Know people take advantage of situations like this for pity charity.
Tha'ts not my intention, I'm more than happy to take a picture but when I walked in to get copies of my documents today even the doctor said I looked 10x healthier than I did when I first came in on the gurney.
So I don't know what else to say - sorry I can't post pictures of blood and guts hanging out LOL i literally just got my ass kicked and my head kicked in but after a week and a lot of treatment most of it has healed up - that's why they let me go home. I just simply can't afford to pay for it now thanks to being robbed.
I never meant myself that I didn't trust you. Setting up the verified youcare campaign and arranging all that paperwork would blow my mind if it was all fake.
I was just saying it to help you maximise to profit from Steemit. Seeing other campaigns this would definitely have more potential, not in the same category as the darthnarva story, but for sure better than a broken car.
Take care! I have got your back!
I know you didn't mean any harm or foul buddy. I just honestly dunno other than sharing a picture of me what else I could do - unless you have some tips/pointers? I'm definitely open to learning and changing what I'm doing if it's not effective bro.
One thing laying in that bed for 5 days taught me to do was to check my ego at the door - so, if I came off as rude or acting like I knew it all, I apologize. I'm all ears if you have suggestions for things i should do differently here. Thank you.
What the heck that people!!! I hate abusers!!!
@fatpandadesign pray is the only thing i can help in this situation. I am very far to help or to be with you man... Please becareful next time with that area...