iko

It is my understanding that;

- In September 1999, LTJG Ronald Fanelli at the age of 26 qualified for duty aboard the USS Nevada, a trident class submarine.(Blue Crew in case anyone wants to doublecheck)

- He remained with the vessel until June 2000, age 27.

- Given command of a Destroyer (2 Squadron) and served in the Gulf from June 2000 until August 2001. Age 28

- Reassigned to shore duty in London, England and was Commander of Naval Activities from September 2001 to August 2004, at which time he "left" the USN. Age 31. He was apparently still a Lt.

- Apparently he never made it to the next rank.

Well, let's clarify a bit.

His blog indicates that he is a nuclear engineer, which in Navy terms given his boomer service, implies that he completed thorough pre-screening and background investigation for becoming a nuclear officer, officer candidate training, Naval Nuclear Power School (NPS) as well as Prototype training for the specific reactor type used on SSBN's, and submarine training. (I'm a NPS graduate so I know a little about it.) Nuclear officer candidates generally begin training as an O-1 (Ensign) and go to the fleet as an O-2 (LtJG) after completing training. This means the Navy sent him to about 16 months of highly specialized training valued at somehwere between $500k-$1M, to specifically prepare him for a submarine officer career path.

The Navy doesn't pull highly specialized, highly trained submarine officers from trained duties and put them aboard surface warfare vessels as typical practice. If they did, it would be to another nuke such as an aircraft carrier. If he was moved from submarine to non-nuke surface duty, it would clearly be indicative of something seriously wrong. Further, a destroyer command is typically an O-4 (LtCDR) or O-5 (CDR) rank. There is no way an O-2 (LtJG) or O-3 (Lt) rank would have command or even XO (executive officer) duties on a destroyer crew more than twice the size of a submarine crew.

Same goes for anything in London, which at the time it was open, the (now long since closed) North Audley Street location was prized duty (been there also), given the choice location in Mayfair directly across from the US Embassy. Given the previous track record, it would seem unlikely that he would have had any commmand responsibility there either. For senior officers, their career is more or less finished when they have been "passed over" for promotion for the second time. For junior officers, their career is more or less finished at the first pass over.

None of this is going to bring back the murder victim, or absolve this person of this misdeed. But I think it goes a long way to indicating this person has had problems in the past, and is an intelligent calculating individual, who is capable of cold cruel despicable acts (note the post-mortem disfigurement of the victim). As someone else suggested earlier, it would not seem to be beyond reason for authorities in other countries to trace his past footsteps to look for similar MO.

I think his blog indicates he's a liar. About the "intelligent calculating individual", are you sure? He killed a girl picked up in a bar (bar-fined too). so; plenty of witnesses (ok, maybe not premeditated, so it could fit). but then, after stabbing her, he drove with a corpse for miles on a scooter, kept the knife (!!!) and left the current house without telling anything or taking his money back (this thing would ring a bell to anyone), instead of (if not premeditated):

1) put the corpse in suitcase and say the landlord he had problems back at home and need to fly immediately (taking his upfront money back)

2) rent a car and dig a big hole where to hide the body forever.

3) give the car back, go straight to BKK and take the first flight to the u.s. before the girls were even considered "missing" (2 days job).

I don't see any intelligence in this guy, just a wannabe professional poker player confused about his sexual taste and mean enough to send to hel_l the first poor human being defenseless enough to be the victim of his rotten brain.

Watched the video. I had always the suspicion that for playing poker at high levels you don't need to be a genius. Looks like to be a nutter helps a lot too.

A lot of people are saying that losing your internet connection is a poor defence. It is.

But think about when you lose your internet connection and how it makes you react. It shouldn't upset you as much as it does, should it?

I have dealt with many thousands of people who have internet problems (for a job), and while most of them would never dream of harming a person over something so trivial, when it happens to them, they change in ways you wouldn't believe possible.

I've had people break down in tears several times, call me a "fuc_king asshol_e, (insert my name here and repeat 5-10 times over one minute)", smash their computers, put holes in the wall, set their dogs on techs who came out to fix faulty wiring, belt their kids or partners, call the cops on us, turn up at the door of the office threatening us, multiple threats to go to the media or to sue us, and many many other things you just wouldn't believe a rational human being to be capable of.

People get the sum of the world's information and entertainment at their fingertips almost instantly, and they become addicted to it.

What happens when you withhold something addictive? Violent withdrawals.

I'm not saying what this guy did was right, but I can certainly believe it. You take a person who's had a string of bad luck and high stress, liquor him up, take away his addictive source of instant gratification and add another stressful failure to his life, and it's easy to see how he could snap. Everyone has a breaking point. This seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'm just glad they got him off the streets and I feel very sorry for his victim, her family, and his own family who will have to live with this in their family history.

EDIT: wow I should have read all three pages of posts before replying. It looks like a lot of people have already said what I just did

Everyone has a breaking point? Well, I'm not sure, anyway it's not about the breaking point. A guy can commit suicide if he gets to that "breaking point", but to stab a 40 kgs poor girl it takes a meany bastard. Also booze and military service (let alone the internet connection thing) have nothing to do with stabbing defensless ladybars and breaking their bones into a suitcase. The thing is: there are good people and bad people, this individual is a bad person. Period. The fact that at this poor girl funeral attended just "about ten of her friends" it's one of the saddest things in the story.

Killing a 40 kg poor girl, maybe just because she asked for the 1000 baht he had promised her. What a HERO. And poker players are professional liars, so no point in listening what excuses he's pulling to justify is act. And yes, he'll probably be back in the U.s. after 8 years. No need to say that 8 years in a thai prison equal 80 in a western one. He'll have plenty of time to play poker in the next years...

Can someone speak to the nature of the charges in this case? I wonder about the use of the word rape. Are rape charges always pursued in Thailand when an adult molests such a young child, or is this a more severe category of charge that implies a violent "forced sex" assault? Of course child molest charges are serious enough, but the word rape really kicks it up a level. In the US, a 19 year having consensual sex with a 17 year old would in many cases be charged with (statutory) rape (the offense being sex with underaged). So that is why I am asking, to get to the root of the legal definition of rape in this case.

If i'm not wrong, by the thai law, rape is any sexual act with a minor who is 14 yo or younger. but i'm not positive on this.

He had no choice - if he did not return, his career as a concert pianist would be over. No promoter in the world could sell the "Come see the fugitive pedo" in concert. He has to clear him name or try at the very least.

well Polanski (who raped a 12 years old girl in the u.s.) had no major problems in presenting himself as a great director and artist. Still, he raped a pre-teen. So, the "fugitive" pedo thing doesnt seem to be a so big problem.

wow I lived near Chalong in Rawai beach for 1 month, in 2009, so bad, and so scary!!!!!!

I also lived in Chalong for 1 year and seen many Italians with Lady Boys, I use to see groups on motor bikes, this I could not understand but each to there own, I can confirm it seems to be the Italians that do this the most!

I cannot confirm if it is the right man or not, but it is an Italian thing to be with lady boys!

ahahahaha. you're funny (and yes, I'm Italian).

Thank you I wanted peaple to know this is not a joke, It a monster crime, he was a very happy man. wanted to be a good farther, was not drunker or bar fly or any thing, a family man, ex-pact family man, like many of us. he respected peaple and love life.

Thanks for posting, hopefully it will put an end to some of the hateful theories flying around as your friend is no longer around to defend himself.

What time of the day did the attack occur as that hasn't been reported yet.

Well, I'm a barfly and not a family man at all. Nor I have a project or something. So, do I deserve to be macheted by some thai dogs? I do suppose drunks and family men both deserve to live. No?

Hi all. I got a work permit and I need a Visa multientry for this year. My lawyer suggested me to go to KL. I did the same 4 years ago but I do not remember well. If - for example - I submit the documents on wednesday morning I'll be able to collect them in the afternoon of the next day (thursday, then)? I need also a good advice about the accomodation. The 2 times i was in KL i was at the Crown Princess Hotel (near to the ambassy and quite decent), but I've been told they're renovating it or something. Do you have any suggestions for a Hotel (not too fancy) near the ambassy?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help!

IKO

Tiger Woods acted naturally (in shagging birds around). He apologized for being human. Understandable and all (sponsor and stuff), but quite sad.

This guy (the customer) is an idiot. Period. If you agree to a price, you pay that price.

Good luck.

Getting a book printed here is easy and fairly cheap, it's getting distributed that is the real trick. Asia Books is the only distibutor left as they've bought up DistriThai, altough they themselves got cleaned out and bought up a couple of years ago.

The problem is that Asia Books aren't very nice people to do business with. I've heard of cases where they've taken books on consignment and then left them in a warehouse. The problem for most authors is that they're not selling books that are going to move fast. If you got into an Asia Books shop you'll see most of the shelf space is occupied by business books, kids' books, design, cooking, coffee table, etc, etc. If your book is funny or crude it may move but you've got plenty of competition in that department.

However I know lots of authors who've walked around and placed their books in the shops themselves, and gone on to sell up to 30 copies.

Thanks for the advice. About the "walking around", I did think about it my self (not as the first choice, naturally), but I'm not sure how it works. I thought bookstores buy books only from wholesalers or through 'standard' channels. You think I can show up, give a bookstore let's say 10 copies of the book in a "sell or return' mode, and then see what happens? Is this a 'possible' way of distributing my book? I know this won't sell thousands of copies, but I'd really like to see if the book, when on the shelves, attracts people attention or not.

Asia Books answered this way:

Dear Mr. Riva,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Please allow us some time to review the books content and we will let you know our interest ASAP.

Best regards,

For your experience, how long could be this ASAP?

Thank you all guys.

I've just wrote an email to Asia Books.

I'm not sure if they will consider me as a publisher, since I've published just my own book so far and the book is a collection of (i hope funny) misogynistc quotes (and the manager i wrote to is a woman). but it's worth a try and since the book

Please let me know if you have some other moves to suggest to me.

Thanks again

IKO

Hi all,

I’d like to have some information about printing and distributing books here in Thailand.

I live in Phuket (Patong). I have recently published a book with Booksurge,

A subsidiary of Amazon.com that allows writers to publish book “on demand”. So, if

Somebody buys my book on Amazon.com (or on other websites of their network) they

Print the book and send it to the customer. In short, there’s no stock.

All that being said, I’d like to try also the traditional ‘brick and mortar’ market.

I’d like to print some books and try to distribute them here in Thailand through normal bookstores (in

Shops, into the airports etc.).

Now, my question is:

1) Does anybody know a good, realiable and fair printing facility in Phuket island?

2) Does anybody know how the distribution channels work or what should I do in order to offer my books to bookstore chains or shop and see my book on their shelves?

FYI, my book is actually ‘published by’ my thai company and I am a regular here with work permit etc. and the company is entitled to sell, distribute books and magazines (it’s a web solutions company too).

Please, let me know if you have some useful – and possibly first-hand – information about how this business works here in thailand.

Many thanks in advance,

IKO

((link to promotional URL of poster removed - lopburi3))

Just to say that in the Milan consulòate is business as usual. No crackdowns on anything. And I stayed the last year just on tourist visa in thailand.

so, good news from Italy (milan).

as for me, this will be the last tourist visa i applied for; the next will be a 1 year visa with work permit. Staying for long periods on a touristic visa looks

too 'risky' lately, despite the fact that no crackdow is currently enforced.

IKO

Excellent news.

Just one more info.

If I want to apply for a double entry (2+1 / 2+1) worth 6 moths, from a EU country, what kind of flight ticket do I have to show?

2 months?

3 months?

6 months?

thanks in advance

IKO

hello guys.

here I go.

During the year 2009 I've been in thai on various tourist visas (from malaysia and laos ambassys).

Now I'm back in italy (for 3 weeks) but i have a flight back to thailand scheduled for september the 26th.

Is there somebody on thaivisa (italian or not) who can tell me if I can have a 3 months

(2+1) visa at thai consulate of Milan or, since i did stay many months on a tourist visa in thailand

this year, they could decide to not give me a visa?

I'm a bit worried.

Thanks in advance

IKO

Phuket Arcadia/Hilton just over the hill in Karon has two nice A/C courts. Last I remember an hour rental of the court was around 300 baht. I think the one in Patong doesn't have A/C.

excellent. do they do monthly mebmbership, as of your knowledge?

Hello everybody

Squash courts in patong? Where can I find a good one (also embedded in a hotel, but available for outsiders)?

Tks in advance

IKO

What have tattoos to do with this stuff? Please let's not talk shit. Tattoos if done by professionals are totally safe. The problem here - i suppose - is that the 'doctor' was not a doctor. BTW, those things happen every day also inside hospitals and clinics. Sometimes it happens, just that. That said, it's really sad to die for a stupid thing like that.

contact me.

I live in patong and can teach italian (I'm italian too ).

IKO

The best investment? birds & booze. Not kidding.

Thai legal system (and thai prisons) can be considered very tough etc. But I'm not sure I'd prefer a u.s.a. jail to a thai one. For sure in thai jail there's no forced sex (by inmates, wardens or guards) and the yard is not a hel_l like in many other civilized countries. The life conditions are scary (50 inmates in a 6 x7 meters cell) and the food is sh**t, but, as I said, I'm not sure U.s.a. jail are better and FOR SURE southamerican and african jails are long way worse than the thai one. The books mentioned above (which I read) do not talk about torture or harassment; also the irish guy talk about torture 'before' to force him to confess. As a matter of fact he was guilty of murder and he spent, if I'm not mistake, some 8 years in Jail. In the U.s. you get life or death penalty very esily if convicted for murder (any kind of).

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.