I just got an email informing me that tpilk, ie. Troy Pilkington or 'Chip' as he was known to his friends had an altercation with a taxi driver near his home in Bangkok and the taxi driver took a sword out of the trunk and stabbed Chip in the heart. I met Chip on this forum and he had invited me to go fishing with him in Bangkok. Recently, I had some business to attend to in Thailand so we were able to get in a total of 5 days of fishing. It is hard to believe that just 3 weeks after saying goodbye that he was killed. I know that some of you have met Chip and would want to know. Keeping in mind that the media can't get 50% of its facts straight, you can learn more about the attack by Googling his name, Troy Pilkington.
Norm
So very sad. My his soul rest in peace.
My dad lives in Bangkok and he sent me a article about this, bummer!
I don't know him or what really occurred. Still don't like those kind of stories. It's just a waste.
$1.60!!
I am just kind of speechless. Does anyone know if he had family? My prayers to all who cared for him, including us.
Ron
Ron, I was absolutely stunned. I don't think the altercation was so much about the amount of money as the principle. In the brief time that I knew Chip, I could tell that he had a very strong conviction of what was right and what was wrong and he would not hesitate to become physically involved. Sometime during the dispute, the taxi driver apparently felt that he lost 'face' and escalated the dispute to deadly force.
Chip is survived by his Thai wife and her children from a previous marriage and his siblings and mother in Idaho. His brother notified me of Chip's death. Chip had no children of his own but was very supportive of his wife's family. Chip had a good job working for Catepiller and his brother assured me that his wife will be well taken care of financially.
Thanks for the prayers; I need them.
Norm
just sad to hear of this, may he rest in peace...
Quote from: Mel B on July 31, 2013, 06:36:39 PM
just sad to hear of this, may he rest in peace...
X2
chip has been over to the house a couple of times. this is so tragic. :-[
This is very sad! May god take care of his family. Bob
Never met him or talked to him but Wow! So sad.
Speechless.... :(
This is a very sad story... my deepest condolences to the family
Dom
Terrible. :-\
there was something that chip had written a while back. i pulled up some old e-mails and came across this.
Quote\
My recommendation is have a level-headed, but savvy Thai negotiate for you. You will need to decide your limit if you go ahead and pay the bribe. I'm sorry to say it's one of the many "realities" we face when we choose to live abroad. Being realistic about this country is the first step in accepting and subsequently being at peace with your new home. Many can't take it and become very negative towards Thais and this government and they eventually leave. I guess after 4 years I'm somewhere in the middle. I still want to be here but I struggle every day with the arrogance and aggression towards foreigners, as well as the blatant corruption. We can talk about safety in the future, but understand that foreigners are killed here on a regular basis. That said, most of those situations could have been avoided. A common example is a taxi driver will not start the meter and then throws a ridiculously high fare at the customer...the customer complains, then refuses and the taxi driver stabs or shoots him. Happens all the time. Life is incredibly cheap here - don't engage in a potentially fatal conflict over a few hundred baht. Unfortunately, some Thais will surely kill over such a small sum.
Don't mean to sound so negative, but as I said, accepting the reality is the first step in long-term happiness (and healthiness) here. It can be a wonderful place to live - it's by far my first choice in the region.
Take care
Chip
Wow! He was so aware of the cultural differences and was still a victim. I won't be visiting Thailand anytime soon so maybe he has saved someone else's life like mine... Thanks for the advice Troy!
Dom
Quote from: alantani on August 02, 2013, 11:15:16 AM
there was something that chip had written a while back. i pulled up some old e-mails and came across this.
Quote\
My recommendation is have a level-headed, but savvy Thai negotiate for you. You will need to decide your limit if you go ahead and pay the bribe. I'm sorry to say it's one of the many "realities" we face when we choose to live abroad. Being realistic about this country is the first step in accepting and subsequently being at peace with your new home. Many can't take it and become very negative towards Thais and this government and they eventually leave. I guess after 4 years I'm somewhere in the middle. I still want to be here but I struggle every day with the arrogance and aggression towards foreigners, as well as the blatant corruption. We can talk about safety in the future, but understand that foreigners are killed here on a regular basis. That said, most of those situations could have been avoided. A common example is a taxi driver will not start the meter and then throws a ridiculously high fare at the customer...the customer complains, then refuses and the taxi driver stabs or shoots him. Happens all the time. Life is incredibly cheap here - don't engage in a potentially fatal conflict over a few hundred baht. Unfortunately, some Thais will surely kill over such a small sum.
Don't mean to sound so negative, but as I said, accepting the reality is the first step in long-term happiness (and healthiness) here. It can be a wonderful place to live - it's by far my first choice in the region.
Take care
Chip
Wow!
Wow!
[/quote]
my initial reaction too, unbelievable!
That is a shame. I would suggest that they remove that video clip, can't be good for the family :-\
Wow is right. After reading that e-mail, it was almost prophetic that he lost his life in that fashion. RIP
That email, the video clip.....makes me reconsider my attitude while in Mexico
I might have suffered a similar fate myself a few times, just luck got me through. I used to get crazy angry over extortion, thievery etc....
I have a family now, less money than I ever had but so much more to lose .....
I wonder if Chip was just fed up at it all and snapped a little?
In Mexico they try to extort you at the border, at the gas stations, certain policia in certain towns try to supplement their meager earnings with my money....... I never gave in, I always stood my ground - heck I even slapped the mustache off a TJ cop who tried to take my wallet.... it can wear you down for sure. I hate feeling helpless, powerless....for me it is the worst feeling in the world.
This thread is a game-changer for me. Gives me a weird feeling in my gut. I did not know the man but his death has shaken me.
That email, the video clip.....makes me reconsider my attitude while in Mexico
I might have suffered a similar fate myself a few times, just luck got me through. I used to get crazy angry over extortion, thievery etc....
I have a family now, less money than I ever had but so much more to lose .....
I wonder if Chip was just fed up at it all and snapped a little?
In Mexico they try to extort you at the border, at the gas stations, certain policia in certain towns try to supplement their meager earnings with my money....... I never gave in, I always stood my ground - heck I even slapped the mustache off a TJ cop who tried to take my wallet.... it can wear you down for sure. I hate feeling helpless, powerless....for me it is the worst feeling in the world.
This thread is a game-changer for me. Gives me a weird feeling in my gut. I did not know the man but his death has shaken me. Joel.B
X2
I have a place in small town in Baja. I have been going to Baja every year for many years and I just don't like being in the big cities. If they need a taxi cab, it is probably too big a town for me. That being said some of the best fishing in Baja is out of the 2 Los Cabos, just too much chaos for me on a daily basis.
I remember the forum interaction between Chip & Gone Fishin, when GF was first moving. For him to write what he did and then end up with the same fate as he predicted as possible is amazing!! Wow again!!
TomT
Gosh. It is chilling just to read that and know it was exactly how he died. It gave me chicken skin just thinking that its like he could see in the future and wrote down exactly how things would end. Scary.
That's just plain terrible. Living in the good ol' USA one can forget the trials and tribulations people elsewhere go through in everyday life. Just plain sad....