obviously so. the Italian mafia is said to exist because the local (legal) system of distributing punishment was ineffective/unfair. modern what we call "democratic systems" will paint a different story - they will tell you these people were unable to live in peace until they came along.

it's where the parallel ends though. my comment certainly was _not_ an endorsement or fetishization of crime, just an observation from my own experience living there. the alternative view point which is to call everyone who hasn't been integrated into a "civilized system" a crook (or backwards) is too imperialistic for my taste, especially since Thailand is also the home of many hill-tribes who have a natural difficult relationship with empire-building city folk.