MikeENZ

CSILA facebook page is suggesting (based on my attempt to decypher google translate) that they worked at AC2 bar.... is anyone surprised?

Generally its expected to kick back 30% or thereabouts to the guy above you.

Agreed, most of it likely goes up the food chain... kicked back to the chief of police in the region. I've heard figures of millions of dollars being paid for chief of police positions in areas such as phuket, pattaya, phangan etc... and they've gotta recoup their investment somehow.

One wonders how much of this is donated to certain places which I won't mention due to forum rules in order to make merit and gain barami.

Some quick maths.

There are 2000 migrant workers paying 500 baht a month in bribes to the local police. That works out to be 1 million baht a month, or 12 million baht a year.

Converted into US Dollars thats around $370,000 USD per year in bribes just from the burmese workers (not counting bribes from businesses who employ farang in the Dive or bar industry). There are anywhere from 5-7 permanent police officers. Assuming there are 5, these cops are pulling in $74,000 USD per year in bribes, just from Burmese workers.

A new police officers salary is 7200 baht per month (86,400 per year / $2662 USD) and can rise to a maximum of around 70,000 baht per month (840k baht per year or around $26,000 USD). This means that that the average cop is pulling anywhere from 3 to 27 times their annual salary in bribes.

That is absolutely INSANE !

Is this just a Malaysian newspaper trying to spread dirt about Thailand? Is there any Thai news report on this?

It was in Reuters as well.

So...who runs the local drug cartels supplying the various island parties? Seems to me that someone of that stature would have the power and cash to protect themselves. I cannot believe that some local Kamnan has that kind of money and power unless he has involvement in the trade too. Follow the money. Just speculation of course.

Police of course. It costs a lot of Baht to become the police officer in charge of tourist destination.

Though thats over on KP... Heck you can smell the weed growing as you go over the hill and around the corner from the lookout/temple thats being rebuilt on the hill down to haad rin if the air is still.

Meanwhile the locals are openly mocking this savage double murder / rape. It's all just a joke to them.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/401913/Holiday-Brit-murders-mocked-Thai-social-media-police-investigation

The guy holding the hoe in the photo (which was taken afterwards, I've seen it posted elsewhere) appears to be the same guy who is holding the no sex on the beach sign. Note the same brown wristbands, the same goatee, same nose and same necklace.

That sign is being held behind the bar in, you guessed it, AC bar. These guys have ZERO Tact.

The fact that locals, no less the locals who work in the bar right next to the killing are joking about it says it all.

As per the URGENT NOTICE TO MEMBERS, I couldn't possibly disagree with the result.

The more I read the press coverage on this, the more I realise that the tabloid press from the UK are incapable of any level of basic investigative journalism, and instead repeat the same old lines over and over again. Where is someone asking the hard questions?

http://mikeestravels.com/2014/09/25/the-dark-side-of-thailands-island-paradise/

Please excuse the spelling mistakes. Theres a few things I probably will add later on, but have work to do this morning. I'm sure I've annoyed mates by writing this - I'm sorry guys, but the wall of silence and deliberate misinformation regarding the local strongmen/families is offensive to everyone living outside the island.

As for the bloody guitar. You'd be amazed how many people have the "phangan" or "koh tao tattoo" that is motorbike related injuries involving booze. It's a rite of passage on the island, with poorly maintained bikes owned by long termers, crashes (and minor injuries) are common.

If he was playing his guitar in a bar and crashed, he'd have a legitmate excuse for blood being on it. I had the same thing when I drove home boozed up after DJing. Crashed my bike and grazed myself up - my bag had blood over it. One only has to count the number of bandages after full moon period on Khao San road in BKK to see this.

Let me get this straight, its illegal to stop a coin from rolling away with my foot due to 112, but perfectly ok to stick it in the mouth of a dog?

Thats one of the most powerful families on the Island. I'd say the situation has just become very dangerous right now. I was warned never to cross that family, or deal with that place when I lived there.

Probably just slapped a sticker on the Gt-2000s and called them an ebola detector... I hope they are wearing a lot of amulets..

Zudrangma records in Sukhumvit specialises in rare and hard to find vinyl, as well as lots of classic thai and house. Retails for 100-2000 baht a 12"

Theres another place in Saphan lek (blue building that has lots of old vinyl, mostly 100 baht a pop). There is also a second hand hifi store in there that had technics 1200 mk2 turntbales for 8000 baht each, unsure of condition.

Back in NZ now, just purchased 200 records for $1 each a few days ago...

Also lots of Japanese expats in Thonglor who buy up lots of vinyl...

Virtually anything on tap a mikeller in sukhumvit

The only place you should ever be dealing with for sound if its not imported in Thailand is NPE in Bangkok. Do you want active (powered PA) or passive (amp/crossover and seperate speakers)

Maybe this stinking mess is possibly on the junta's clean up list. Or is that just wishful thinking?

I very much doubt it considering how these boats get hold of their slaves, there is clear cut Naval involvement - all covered in the Channel 4 article that resulted in defamation charges against the lot from Phuketwan.

Rohinga come from Burma, Navy redirects to Ko Tarutao, sold onto boats, rinse, repeat. Everyone gets their cut.

Then you've only got to look at who the owners/directors are of the seafood companies that are profiting from this.

Yes, I'd say more but it would be illegal in Thailand.

One can assume that all the main social Media reps started laughing when the Generals got on the phone...

Somebody please explain to me how a gun that is being used correctly "goes off accidentally".

I'm assuming either

a) it was a dodgy home made contraption (which would make hitting two people unlikely as they are often single shot)

or

the silly fool was walking around with a round chambered and the safety off

or

c) other..