catweazle

I bet she has a great personality.

Just by the looks, certainly YES! Who wouldn't fall for her?

Nice avalanche of accusations, theories and bitch-fighting about religious believes and ethnicities, Farce Book also involved and sentenced - nice!!!

Here's more food for thought: All thee involved had moustaches! Perhaps the answer to everything lays there?

Shouldn't the approach have been to educate Starbucks staff on how to detect freeloaders and - in a nice and mannered way - tell them that seats are only for guests who create income?

Free WiFi at a Starbucks? So far I have been in only ONE Starbucks branch, where WiFi was free and that was in a huge shopping center on Orchard Road in Singapore. I'm a Starbucks fan and have never been in a Thai STarbucks with free WiFi. I guess that the translation was incorrect, as otherwise Starbucks Thailand - with that letter - did not shoot itself in the knee just once, but twice

In any case I find it a rather drastic and unprofessional way of dealing with such a trivial matter.

Perhaps in the future there will be a police crackdown on freeloaders in Starbucks branches all over Thailand with some freeload students being escorted out of a Starbucks at gunpoint? I would not be surprised since they are suckers here for crackdowns and for putting up a show...

Have an idea for a cool Starbucks coffee cup design featuring these stupid bulletholes people like to stick onto their cars along with the sentence "Order a coffee or face the consequences!"

Yeah, finally - another crackdown on us bad, bad, bad, bad foreigners who dare to invest money in this country. I really was missing something in the past weeks, and here it is: another crackdown in the name of this Nazi-alike law that prevents us foreigners from legally owning anything here but a bike, car, or condo in a 51% Thai owned concrete block.

As I mentioned in some earlier post, I hope - deep from my heart - that Burma will get it's s#&! together in the coming five or ten years to provide a better legal basis for foreign investments than Thailand does. Burmese people are willing to work hard and adapt quickly to new situations; the nature is beautiful, dive sites there are better, islands available in abundance, etc... So if on top of all that, if in Burma no foreigners are poisoned, shot in plain daylight by policemen who will not get sentenced, stabbed, mobbed, discriminated, k.o.-nipple-fed, reduced to a bloody pulp by drunk and drugged fish truck and bus drivers, robbed, and cheated out of their investments and treated like third class people by the locals and officials there, then I guess we all know where to move to in the future.

While almost anyone, jews, muslims, african americans (to be politically correct here), etc. have the right to play the racist card at any given moment, what do we "whities" have to defend ourselves here in Thailand? Nothing! Why not say it plainly as it is: Most Thais hate us foreigners and just play "nice" to be able to pocket our cash. Sorry to say that, but we either have to accept that or go. I am a dreamer, and in my beginning years here had thoughts like "why not do something about it and go public, worldwide, do a campaign, etc." But the truth is that if any foreigner would ever dare and try to do some "Martin Luther King" stuff here in Thailand and fight for foreign rights, for being treated equal, etc. quite sure he would be shot on the spot - of course police would conclude it was a suicide... This is one of the days where I am really fed up with this country. These days tend to increase during the past years...

Good job, Thailand! On always letting us know that you really don't want any of us here. When and where will we get our yellow star patches - or will they be red??? Luckily most of the crackdown babble is mainly hot air, but it is just enough to make expats here fel uneasy. Why can' you just leave us alone and provide a lega basis, so that no one needs to bend rules to become "legal" here? Where is the f#!&^ng problem????

RIP to the victims and sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who perished in this tragedy. Quick recovery to all injured. Sadly these kind of accidents happen all too often on Thailand's roads...

By experience I know that especially 6 (and above) wheeler truck drivers here use to ride the rear tyres until they blow. Have seen several of those explosions life and one time drove right behind one - luckily I was sitting in a car since the debris was flying around all over the place... The bang was loud like a grenade going off. The driver just slowed down a little and then continued without stopping. He still had 9 tyres left, so what?

In general I always advise friends and relatives to NOT take buses whenever they can avoid it and rather take a plane for longer distances and opt for a proper taxi or limousine for shorter trips. In any case, you are never a 100% safe anywhere and disaster can strike even if you are sitting in your living room watching a movie (remember that there were several stories of airplanes crashing into apartment complexes).

And of course it is not only Thailand where things like this happen. Maintenance of public transportation (may it be ship, bus or train) is a big problem in most parts of the world.

Even though I am not a Tuk-Tuk driver's best friend, I see this as a fair outcome of a stupid and unnecessary brawl. Both parties guilty as charged! Should have been ten stitches though

This all is very sad, but to be honest, I did not expect anything else than inconclusive results, since the whole event was a big investigative mess from the very start. I.e. the portuguese guys should have been on a black list immediately and banned from leaving the country, then the delay from death until discovery, embalming, etc... The similarity to the Chiangmai based hotel death cases is striking.

If one looks at the amounts of dangerous substances dealt over the counter here in Thailand and how they are handled, I just wonder that relatively "few" incidents happen. Given the intense level of carelessness locals show when dealing with poisons, fertilizers, insecticides, etc. people should be dropping dead like flies on a daily basis all over Thailand. Instead of cutting grass, most use a kind of Agent Orange solution that is sprayed onto the plants with a cheap plastic backpack pump of course while NOT wearing a gas mask... If you see huge areas of brown, burned grass, then you are looking at a field that just has been sprayed, because the owner was just to lazy to mow it with a machine. Great for the ground water quality! Congratulations!!!

I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the parents of these beautiful girls and hope that they will find closure. The biggest gift they have received was certainly the nice letter Noemi and Audrey did send their parents just shortly before that tragedy, thanking them for being great parents and bringing them up in love and with great care, teaching them proper values and for letting them follow up on their passion which was travelling.

I experienced something very similar but vice/versa when I lost both of my parents in the 2004 Tsunami while I almost died as well. One of my greatest comforts in that tragedy was the fact that a few years before I had sent a letter of similar content to my parents, thanking them for everything and telling them that I could not have wished for a better mom or a better dad. In addition, we had said it all before they died. There were no things left unsaid and we hugged and kissed that very morning, just two hours before the Tsunami struck. Little things make a huge difference! Thus I hope that Mr. Belanger and his wife will find closure and comfort in those BIG "little things" in case the cause of death of Noemi and Audrey will never be solved. Wish I could give them a hug right now and exchange stories in person. It might help...

"Mr. and Mrs. Belanger, I am very sorry for your loss and hope that you all will be reunited in heaven, finding out that the physical death is not the end of our existance. There is more to life than what we can see, feel and hear. I know it, since I already have been there - half way - and back!"

Yours,

Catweazle

Where the hell is Dexter when you need him???

Where are all the real estate pimps from this forum , when you need them ?

They are throwing up and packing because they are afraid of jail. We all known they have no work permit to rent etc.

I pray for their criminal souls

seldomly heard a more idiotic comment...

How about a new advertisment campaign to support the ongoing efforts of Thai nationalists and take all of this to new heights: "Fly and bye!" - Foreign visitors will arrive by airplane in Bangkok or one of the bigger provinces of Thailand and enjoy a breathtaking bird's eye view from above whilst landing. Visitors will remain in the airplane and enjoy the breathtaking panorama view of the airport field while watching the efforts of the experienced airport staff. as highlight of the "Flye and bye!" trip to Thailand, visitors are called in by name to appear at one of the three airplane exits. Standing just there, of our attractive flight attendants, visitors are invited to throw cash, credit cards and valuables into one of the "Fly and bye!" collection baskets provided, while catching a glimpse of the airplane exterior and inhaling a few breaths of Thailand's wonderfully warm and humid air. If lucky, visitors will be able to catch a few rays of sunlight (tanning lotion provided) before returning to their seat. Conveniantly, no check-in, visa, nor immigration procedures are required, since visitors will be leaving shortly after the "money in the basket" ceremony is completed. After a few hours of flight, whilst enjoying a movie and the care of our beautiful flight attendants, you will be back in your home country to be welcomed by your loving family and friends...

Aaaahhh, nice one! Let's hammer a few more nails into the coffin!!! I doubt that any other tourist destination in this world except Thailand is more agile, versatile, and determined in the area of shooting itself in the knee by coming up with frequent crackdowns and new laws to prevent foreign investment. As far as I can see, it is only Thailand that manages to be named "the Land of Smiles" while the majority of its people hold an aggressive anti-foreign / nationalistic sentiment.

Instead of granting foreigners the rights which Thai people are able to enjoy in most parts of the western world (such as being able to legally buy and own land, house and business there by a 100%), they reject and scare away not only potential foreign investors on a frequent basis but also the foreigners who love Thailand so much, that they would like to either live and work or retire here (and of course would spend most of their money here as well). Why - for Christ's sake - can you people not grant private foreigners their half or full Rai of land to live here legally and in peace? Why can't this nation come up with a proper legal basis for foreigners to invest without the need of 51% Thai co-ownership? Where is the problem? One can't physically take the land away from Thailand anyway, since it always was here and it always will remain here!

But no - especially in times where everything (including tourism in Thailand) already is on a drastic (or should I say "frightening") decline, officials here need to push it even farther. If anyone in Germany's parliament would come up in the open with such drastic measures against foreigners, he would be flamed and branded a "Nazi" by international media. A politician here in Thailand does it and is hailed a national hero... How weird is that?

I just hope that Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Burma (if the latter one ever rises up as a free country and free tourist destination, then behold Thailand!!!!) manage to get their act together and create on top of a functioning infra-structure a legal foreign-friendly "Welcome in our country" immigration policy like Malaysia. Perhaps then, when foreign visitor and investment numbers drop by over 50%, Thailand will finally wake up and implement more rights to foreigners when it already is too late. Until then, they just do with us what they want. Why? Because they can!

I wonder how many complaining often break western values or laws whilst residing here?

Drink driving, enjoying the women, dodging taxes,lieing for there visas,cheating on partner, owning property on dodgy companies etc etc.

Don't know if owning property on dodgy companies is breaking a western value? In most western countries any foreigner (also Thais) may own the land, house and business they invest in. Just think about that! If westerners were treated as equal in this country, there would be no need for "dodgy" companies to hold land and house for foreigners in the country they love and invest in!!!

All other points: Westerners are quick learners and - according to your findings - have learned well from the Thais...

AGAIN the gangsters are from Nakhon Sri Thammarat ... is it only me or is it obviously very very often that many scumbags came from this area?

Whenever I read about a crime, its 80% ppl from Nakhon Sri Thammarat involved....

I think it is only you but sounds like you maybe had a girl burn you from Nakhon Si Thammarat and it is clouding your thinking. I am very familiar with the Nakhon and notice it when it comes up in the news.

You should try to visit. It is one of my favorite places in Thailand. Great people, easy to get to, inexpensive, relaxed, beautiful beaches, mountains, parks, water falls and lots of history.

Not true! I strongly agree with Moskito and said the same thing myself independently before and also in this thread! I never had any girl from NST, perhaps this is why I am still alive... You can easily do some research yourself in old Gazette articles. NST pops up in many cases as birth place of crooks spreading violence all over this country. Ask any Thai person (who is not from Nakhon) and they will tell you that residents there are well-known for being hot-tempered, violent and out of control. That stabbing mother#%&*r sure made his home town proud...

AGAIN the gangsters are from Nakhon Sri Thammarat ... is it only me or is it obviously very very often that many scumbags came from this area?

Whenever I read about a crime, its 80% ppl from Nakhon Sri Thammarat involved....

Wow - Moskito - that was mind reading... Typed my Nakhon Sri Thammarat thoughts while you posted it... Did not research that much to come up with an exact percentage, but if your numbers are correct, then 80% is aome pretty F&*%$d messy $#it! Looks like they got a special breeding ground for low lifes in NST... Very disturbing, indeed!

Well, looks like they really got them. Hope they do life in the slammer and will not get away with manslaughter on half a sentence.

Just my few cents to some comments and questions:

RIP and sincerest condolences to the victim and family have been given in high numbers in previous posts. This was a follow up thread on the story with members who have been discussing the issue from the very start. However, thanks to the kind person who asked why nobody mentions RIP to the victim.

How the police got them so fast? Just look around and open your eyes and ears. Thais always are on the alert and are very curious or better let's say nosy about what is going on around them. You are always asked, "pai nai?" "tam arai?" "pai nai maa?" wherever you go. They actually talk together 24/7 and info and rumours spread fast, almost at lightning speed. Very difficult to get away with murder here unless you wore an invisibility cloak. My guess is that the blue bike that was left behind some time later led them to the culprits. In any case - congratulations to a job well done! Whatever happens with reward monies, etc... Most important for the victim's family is closure.

What really worries me is that in many of the extremely violent cases of theft, manslaughter, and murder here in Thailand, the bad guys origin from Nakhon Sri Thammarat!!! I am observing this now for over 20 years and really wonder - how comes that one particular province produces the majority of criminals in this country??? If any preemptive measures seriously are considered, perhaps investigators should start at the root of the problem, what obviously seems to be Nakhon Sri Thammarat itself ?

To be honest, as a falang woman considering visiting Phuket in November, I did watch it. Not to be disrespectful of the women or their families, but to see what I need to be watching out for. I couldn't quite tell how she was wearing her purse strap from that clip. Was it slung over one shoulder, or did she have it slung across her chest? Does that make a difference for these purse snatchers?

I don't think you're being disrespectful. It was aired on Austrailian TV, someone mentioned in this thread (perhaps in an edited form, I don't know.) Also another person mentioned that if leads came from the CCTV and from a member of the public, the fact it was publicly aired could have led to the arrests.

If you're genuinely worried and you did say considering, perhaps look to Krabi - Ao Nang and Koh Lanta specifically - instead. It's my second home away from Surat Thani and it's so pretty and calm. They have the full range of budget, mid and high-end resorts and there's an never ending array of things to do there. A lot of the day tours out of Phuket are also visitied by tourists in the Krabi area too. Phi Phi being a great example of that.

Krabi does have its very isolated criminal incidents, but attacks of this nature are incredibly rare.

Plus you can get there easily from Phuket airport. It's the same coast and sea. It's culturally identical and plus you'd get to see the old indegenous Chao Lae (or Sea Gypsy) in the Krabi and Lanta areas, not to mention the lovely Muslim community there.

Maybe look to the areas of Phuket away from Patong and Phuket City, somewhere like Kata or Karon if you have your heart set on Phuket.

Just a suggestion.

KaiserSoze's advice is spot on though, if you do decide to go.

Please don't get me started on Krabi... A good friend of mine was badly injured and could have been killed by a motorbike bag snatch attempt in Ao Nang about a year ago. Since the bag strap did not rupture, these f$#%ers first pulled her off the bike and then dragged her along for several meters. I could also tell you what religious orientation the majority of locals there have and what kind of mindset they run, but in times where everything and anything one says could be flamed for not being politically correct, I leave it to your imagination / research abilities...

It boils down to the fact that as a foreigner in Krabi, to the locals you basically are a kind of hybrid; half pig, half ATM machine. If you want with maximum effort achieve as little as possible, then go to Krabi or Lanta (same, same, but different...).

But WHO is taking footage (at night) with a had-held camera of an empty alley and by pure coincidence films a murder in front of his eyes... Strange. I cannot believe this. What was this guy's intention when he started filming this empty alley?

Are you just not following anything here? It's a hand held video of the CCTV video being shown on a monitor. Jeeze.. It's been said at least a dozen times already.

...unbelievable, isn't it? Why don't you read the previous posts first before typing something?

I believe the isue is far too delicate for the Thai police to come up with just some Patsies. Death penalty would be too easy on them. Far better if they rot in a $#ithole like Bangkok Hilton, getting &$s-raped and beaten on a regular basis.

Hope that the culprits being caught will give some closure to Michelle's family and anyone else who were negatively affected by this unnecessary and hideous murder.

My two cents to the (partially) brainless inquiries:

The shown footage has been copied off a screen with a phone or handheld cam - a 30 year camera professional should be able to figure that one out easily, especially since a part of a blue frame pops up as the camera went up to high for a second at the beginning. There you can see how idiotic rumours and conspiracy theories are born - a "pro in the field" states that due to his 30 year experience he can clearly see that this is not a video taken by a steady surveillance cam and suggests that a "bystander" has watched and recorded the robbery, thus there must be a direct eye witness... And many in the forum jump at this misinformation and take it for granted without double checking themselves... Sometimes I just sit and wonder...

Regarding the misinformation from several news sources. Grow up and understand that most (most means NOT ALL, before I am getting flamed here) newspapers and news agencies nowadays just work "word by mouth" without even thinking about researching and validating anything they print or post! It was the same with that jewelry robbery a few weeks ago. The thieves have been caught all over Thailand, moved into several provinces and had at least 20 different nationalities...

And.. who is this Alain Morrison?

Sadly, to me this also sounds like they got no clue who or where they are... What a bloody mess

Well... Good luck then! What makes me wonder is that he vows to "only" get rid of Mafia in tourism businesses, Mafia in all other areas is ok then, huh???

At first RIP to the unfortunate person who had to die in such a senseless and cruel way. As a strong believer of what goes around comes around, I am sure that the culprit will receive his fair punishment. Sincerest condolences to the family.

Well, this is exactly what Thailand needs right now - more bad publicity! Just as a sea gypsie or fisherman on the edge can't fathom the impact it has not only on a reef, but the world as a whole, these (most likley Yah Baa addicted) idiots won't understand that at some point there might be no tourists at all coming anymore to Thailand to be robbed. The Phi Phi story with the two girls was another hit in the face for tourism in Thailand. God knows what happened there... While such stories are just "another day at the office in western countries", they have more weight, when the origin of the crime is a tourist hot spot. Thus one should not underestimate the negative impact if such stories pile up on a weekly - or worse - daily basis. I just remember the time when Railey Beach was called the "Beach of the Dead Girls" many years ago after a series of murders of young foreign girls rocked Krabi. Tourist numbers were declining at an alarming rate back then.

I believe these two sentences say it all and show what a massive negative impact this one, single incident already has made: Quote Gazette - Meanwhile, attack survivor Ms Lynn and the delegation of other travel agents she and Ms Smith were travelling with flew back to Australia today. The 10 delegates were on a familiarization trip, so that they could accurately assess how to recommend Phuket as a travel destination to potential tourists looking to book a holiday. - End of Gazette quote

Talking about declining... Is anyone out there with me when I say (please note that I am not a big Thaksin fan, but...) that Thailand is on a slow, permanent decline as a whole since Thaksin was ousted?

I'm really sick and tired of this Thai hypocrisy. I see much more shocking things happening in this "ethical" country everyday. Let's name a few: It is normal for Thai men to have several Mia Nois (secondary wifes) in addition to his Mia Luang (main wife) and it is supposed, even chic or let's say mandatory to have several Mia Nois for so-called "Hi-Sos" (Thai high society members) and locals with influence. I see Thai teenagers, even in pre-teen years made pregnant by some brainless Ya Baa (metamphetamine pills) addicted 15 year old mopes who can't achieve anything but doing wheelies on their illegally tuned up racing bikes, while parents turn two blind eyes, respectively are giving a toss about their children, with the mope running off to another district when his "girlfriend" gets pregnant. And on and on it goes...

I see millions of grandparents bringing up their grandchildren under horrendous conditions, because the children's mothers are more or less forced to work in bars, strip joints or massage parlours, because they all fell for such useless mopes earlier and receive no help from the government to bring up their abandoned children in dignity. I see millions of Thai parents (mostly mothers, since dad usually runs off with a new, younger Mia Noi when things tend to get difficult at home), so let's say millions of moms being in denial about their girls working in the sex industry, because it all is so convenient and the neighbor's daughters are doing it too, so what the heck?

I see Thai government members achieiving nothing but more confusion and violence since Thaksin has been outed, just at the point when Thailand as a whole was progressing like crazy. I see Thai government members doing a Hitler salute in parliament. I see Thai English teachers who can't even spell the word "education" properly. I see terrible accidents because not road safety and vehicle roadworthyness is being cracked down on, but instead tax stickers and the use of useless Calimero helmets are checked and fined. I see well-educated doctors wandering off to other countries and "Hi So" hospitals that average Thai people can't afford because the government pays them a pittance for working in government hospitals. Thus I see thousands of Thai adults and children basically left to die in the government hospitals at the 30 Baht live or die scheme... I see the oh, so ethically correct Thais treating Burmese workers and unfortunate no-Hi-So Thai employees and waitresses like $#it, I see the oh, so glorious and proud Thai people gambling, cheating, copying, fighting, behaving rude if it does not go their way, breaking laws and doing all the wrong things people of most other nations do as well. What makes Thai people or the Thai society so much better and above everything so that a girl doing a bodypaint thing on TV becomes the focus of public outrage??? You should start with the man in the mirror instead, my friends. I'm tired...

Good night!

Wow! I just wonder if there will be public outrage if Lady Gaga comes to Germany and twitters that now she is looking forward to 80.000 screaming monsters and wants to - dressed in a "Lederhosn"- get lost in an Oktoberfest to have some beer and Bratwurst... The so called public outrage is nothing but a grim reminder of how narrow-minded and how hypocritical most locals here are. But closing eyes to the truth and just smiling potential problems away and getting angry when the problems won't disappear by just smiling or waiting them out is very typical behaviour here. And there Lady Gaga goes and has all the attention she deserves and most likely was looking for in the first place when posting her tweet

I can't understand why these people can't just have fun and enjoy the concert, even if she decides to also buy a fake Louis Vouitton bag and a pair of sunglasses... Anyone who doesn't like her comment should just go home and have a warm milk to calm down... Isn't that what we, the "Farangs" always get to hear whenever we dare to critisize anything in this country? "Just go home if you don't like it!"

RT @RichardBarrow: 11:30am Panorama photo looking towards Ratchaprasong intersection during Red Shirt Rally http://bit.ly/JDGQuD

RT @RichardBarrow: 11:36am This photo is looking away from the stage towards Pratunam http://bit.ly/JDHcSc

Isn't this how it started last time?

Perhaps Bkk is up for another 'Big One' - good timing, since the flood thing by now is over and forgotten, so why give the people in the city of angels a chance to breathe and go on with business as usual if one - as a farmer with obviously too much time on his hands - gets the chance to burn down a few shopping complexes and noodle shops instead and even getting paid for it?