Kidnappers In Roi-et Area

[chevykanteve]

Children have been kidnapped in areas in or near to Phontong and NongPoch in Roi-et province. The last kidnapping was apparently in NongPoch (Pok? Not sure of the transliteration) two days ago. I know for a fact that police contacted schools in Phontong and told them to be watchful of who comes to pick up children after classes, suggesting that the children should be released only to parents and not to others claiming to be neighbours, friends or whatever.

Finally, a photocopied picture of one of the kidnappers was distributed to houses (at least in the the Phontong area) today. It's in the form of a poster-handout, and states that the kidnappers are driving a white van with no license visibly displayed.

I'm posting this FYI for those with kids in this area. I have three kids myself, and feel extreme sorrow for those families that have been victimized by this foul human garbage.

[Farma]

A couple of these scum were caught with a couple of kidnapped children aged around 5 in a village between Phayu and Khantaralak about a month or so ago. They were using the back roads to transport the kids away from their homes.

The speculation is the kids were to be used as beggars.

[chevykanteve]

A couple of these scum were caught with a couple of kidnapped children aged around 5 in a village between Phayu and Khantaralak about a month or so ago. They were using the back roads to transport the kids away from their homes.

The speculation is the kids were to be used as beggars.

The speculation I've been hearing is that they either end up as beggars or are sold to childless couples in Malaysia.

[llso]

I was told by my wife today that 3 children were kidnapped in a village near our home in Buriram. They were youg around 4 or 5, they were snatched during a lunch break and didn't return to the class. Some people seen them being taken in a Van. I also heard of the same thing happening in Cha Am area while ago. This is particularly scary for me as I have a 4 year old daughter.

LL

[citizen33]

I was told by my wife today that 3 children were kidnapped in a village near our home in Buriram. They were youg around 4 or 5, they were snatched during a lunch break and didn't return to the class. Some people seen them being taken in a Van. I also heard of the same thing happening in Cha Am area while ago. This is particularly scary for me as I have a 4 year old daughter.

LL

My wife was told a similar story by her mother last week concerning some children and a granny kidnapped from a village near the Mahasarakham/Kalasin border. There were said to be a number of men in a big white van, with black windows and no registration plates. The men are said to have administered an injection to the old woman. The villagers believe that the chidren were taken to be sold to childless couples and the grown-ups for their eyes (i.e.organ transplants) I don't know what to make of this. I don't doubt that some of the stories about kidnapping are true, but I wonder if there are elements of moral panic or urban myth.

[Ken]

....... I don't know what to make of this. I don't doubt that some of the stories about kidnapping are true, but I wonder if there are elements of moral panic or urban myth.

I just heard a similar story...a village headman in a nearby village was proclaiming in his daily "loudspeaker" village news that children are being abducted and their body parts being sold for use in the medical field. I gotta tend to agree with citizen 33 above about the validity of some of these stories. Reminds me a little about another one that circulates every few years where some robbers touch you and put you in some kind of trance, rob you or lead you to an ATM where you withdraw your money and give it to them. You "wake up" later not knowing anything happened but minus your gold or your money.

[Wash]

These stories are alarming by themselves and for sure some major news organization needs to get involved in dealing with the truth of them. Our area North of Sakonakorn is rampant with the rumors and the panic in family is a daily topic of discussion. The radio carries the stories regularly that are similar to the several instances in previous posts.

I have been chalking it up to publicity seeking on the part of the radio station since this is the first report I have seen on TV about the purported misdeeds and was sure that if there was any validity to them that one of the BKK papers or news channels would pick them up.

For sure something needs to happen to relieve the panic these reports are creating but I am at a loss as a guest of the country to know if there is anything we can do about it. Where is CNN and BBC when you need them? How does one go about getting them involved? Why is there not something in the Bangkok Post or The Nation? If true these are hideous people and deserve harsh treatment. If false the people deserve a decent report from the press for starters, and for sure from the Government.

[Tarragona]

I first heard of something like this more than 10 years ago when children were supposedly being taken from around our local market in Samutprakan. At that time, I couldn't help noticing that we didn't actually know anyone who'd had a child taken - it was always someone that knew someone etc.

A bit later I heard the story in Ubon (I seem to remember the vans were black then though). Kidnappings seemed to have occurred in other districts and again we never knew anyone or heard of anyone we know having a child taken.

It does seem to be one of those stories that does the rounds. That doesn't mean there's nothing to it. As a father myself, I know it's something you can't just discount. But I would be interested to hear if anyone knows personally a family that has lost a child.

[Farma]

I can vouch for the report I mentioned near Phayu. My brother in Law is a cop in the village where the arrests took place late one evening just over a month ago.

Roadblocks had been set up and the kidnappers were caught. I believe there were 3 kidnapped children in the van.

There have been a number of other kidnappings down near the Cambodian border in the past year or so that have also made the local Thai news.

[macb]

I also heard from my mate in Praakhon Chai area, his village is about 30 k Surin side of Prakon Chai :

Children ahd been abducted from the village in a white van (2 vans I think) 1 was stopped in Praokhon Chai with Children on board.

YES SO BE CAREFUL

[wrecker]

This is going on for many years, certain hot shots must be in on it. Sometimes one or two do escape tell their story and give particulars. Just like the arsonist in the South who are obviously close to the army, it is strange that they never get caught. There is a ton of evidence, kidnappings take place on an industrial scale. Do not believe the stories that the children go to Malaysia, Malay people take babies not people of 9-15 years old. We can only guess what is happening with them and it is not bad. The same is happening in Borth and North Eastern Burma and on the Cambodian side of the border. It shows again that the police do have their prioritiees wrong!

[Totster]

This is a serious issue. It has all the parents around here worried. Apparently the police foiled an attempted abduction in a village about 5km from us just the other day. And a short time before that three people were killed near the Lam Pao Dam and had some organs removed !

Take care

Totster

[citizen33]

I have no idea how much of the stories we hear are true and how much false, but I thought people mght be interested in a couple of recent details added by my mother-in-law today. Near one village where older children were taken, the bodies were found with the internal organs stripped out. One body contained 2000 baht in cash and a note. The note said the children had not been stolen, but rather paid for. The latest incident was that the white van tried to get a man and some children in a village between Kantarawichai and Chiang Yuen. The man (and children) ran as the strangers approached and got away. I should think Isaan is awash with stories of this kind.

[Acquiesce]

(I-Newswire) - IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE

Khon Kaen, Thailand

Child abductions

March 7, 2007

Khon Kaen and surrounding village areas of North East Thailand have reported numerous abductions of children and some adults.

There is an active participation of over 100 persons involved in these abductions spread out over a large area as if filling a quota. The abductors work in groups of two to five or more persons and are generally seen driving newer vehicles. They are abducting people all over North East Thailand and so it seems there is little or nothing being done to investigate or stop these abductions. Just about every village has accounts of abductions.

The reasoning behind these abductions no one is really sure because there have been only a few bodies found and some of those were missing body parts such as eyes, heart, kidney and or liver.

Two twins were taken on their way to school with witnesses observing the abduction.

Husband and wife abducted, man was drugged by substance being sprayed into his face and he later awoke to see his wife lying next to him with her two eyes removed.

10 year old boy taken and later found covered in field with eyes and heart removed.

The strange part of all this is that this is not the first time abductions have happened. Crop planting or harvesting time is the preferred time of these abductions and they have happened a number of years past but never like this current organized high numbers of abductions.

CONTACT;

Tom Smith, [email protected]

Bangkok, Thailand

Abductions

[Acquiesce]

Child Safety Kit

[sutnyod]

Heard the same a few days ago from the Surin area and had wanted to ask. But then I thought maybe it's just rumours... So there seems to be a bit of truth in it.

[thedi]

Reminds me a little about another one that circulates every few years where some robbers touch you and put you in some kind of trance, rob you or lead you to an ATM where you withdraw your money and give it to them. You "wake up" later not knowing anything happened but minus your gold or your money.

I heard of this before and was myself very skeptical. It happened 3 years ago to a mia farang in our village. At that time I rather thought of a new sick water buffalo story.

But:

This is NOT a urban legend. It happened again on 8 March 2007 in Kalasin (Amphor Na Mon) to the mother of Kit. Kit is in Switzerland, she is the wife of one of my friends. I know Kit and I know her family. They didn't invent this storry.

Under the influence of a gang, Kit's mother gave them 50'000 Baht from her bank account and 3 baht of gold. She was found in Na Mon babbling without making sence. When relatives came to pick her up she refused to go home and wanted to wait for her new friends. She begged not to inform the police. She came down from this drogs after some hours in the hospital. The police where informed and they have a video of the gang from a security camara in the bank.

She seams to have accepted a cookie from the gang, but initially she was just touched by them. It seams that the drogs can be applied through the skin.

Regards

Thedi

[ronw]

There are very recent reports from nearby villages ( I live in Pai) of four children missing....two were apparently seen being taken away in a minibus....one seven year old is missing...but I am told that the body of a four year old girl has been found nearby, with major organs missing....

the four year old is from the next village to where we live....I am extremely concerned, as I too have a young child....

Where would one go to ascertain the truth of this.....?who would I ask?

[Tony Clifton]

....... I don't know what to make of this. I don't doubt that some of the stories about kidnapping are true, but I wonder if there are elements of moral panic or urban myth.

I just heard a similar story...a village headman in a nearby village was proclaiming in his daily "loudspeaker" village news that children are being abducted and their body parts being sold for use in the medical field. I gotta tend to agree with citizen 33 above about the validity of some of these stories. Reminds me a little about another one that circulates every few years where some robbers touch you and put you in some kind of trance, rob you or lead you to an ATM where you withdraw your money and give it to them. You "wake up" later not knowing anything happened but minus your gold or your money.

Ah yes, I remember that one, , the gambling wife's perfect urban legend alibi.

[thedi]

Reminds me a little about another one that circulates every few years where some robbers touch you and put you in some kind of trance, rob you or lead you to an ATM where you withdraw your money and give it to them. You "wake up" later not knowing anything happened but minus your gold or your money.

...

Ah yes, I remember that one, , the gambling wife's perfect urban legend alibi.

It is not always an urban legend. See this threed:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=110616

Regards

Thedi

[leisurely]

Look, while I am not doubting the veracity of these kidnappings, it puzzles me why they haven't been reported in the newspapers. Maybe they have been covered in the thai language press, but I haven't seen anything in the Bangkok post and I read it virtually every day

[sutnyod]

Regarding the Kit's mother incident, I have found some interesting websites:

about forensic hypnosis: http://lifeloom.com/II1Ritzel.htm

can crime and hypnosis be related? : http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-Crime-and-Hy...?&id=474072

an article about "gypsy-thefts": http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nati...hypnotic01.html

and finally something on susceptibility to hypnosis:

quote:

There are 12 standard tests in the SHSS (Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale) which measure how well a subject conforms to the behavior of a classically hypnotized person. By these scales, about 5% of people are classically unhypnotizable, most people show moderate scores, and about 10% are hypnotizable to extreme depths and show the classical deep trance phenomena such as somnambulism, visual and auditory hallucinations, and ability to remain deeply in hypnosis with eyes open.

unquote

quoted from: http://www.skepdic.com/hypnosis.html

[Tony Clifton]

Reminds me a little about another one that circulates every few years where some robbers touch you and put you in some kind of trance, rob you or lead you to an ATM where you withdraw your money and give it to them. You "wake up" later not knowing anything happened but minus your gold or your money.

...

Ah yes, I remember that one, , the gambling wife's perfect urban legend alibi.

It is not always an urban legend. See this threed:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=110616

Regards

Thedi

I remember that thread too. I still stand by my first statement.

[ray23]

Our housekeeper today out of the clear blue told us that a four year old child was abducted yestereday in Udon, by people driving a van.

True not true got me

[chevykanteve]

Since starting this thread I've been astonished at the responses, especially in terms of how wide-spread these kidnappings would appear to be, as they (apparently) encompass a large section of Eissan. Repeated references to organ removal give me a grizzly thought: Not just anyone can cut out organs for resale purposes. Not just anyone would know how to preserve those organs prior to resale. The person(s) actually doing the cutting would have to have had medical training. A doctor????

Next, and in direct reference to my original post, I have a copy of a local police wanted poster of one of the kidnappers. That poster includes a description of the van. Mr. MODERATOR, WHOEVER YOU ARE, MAY I UPLOAD IT AS AN ATTACHMENT FOR ALL TO SEE? The Phontong police handed it out to many people, so I assume it's in the public domain.

As a final thought, I too wonder why major (international) news organizations haven't picked up on this story. The fact that the two Bangkok English dailies haven't talked about it doesn't surprise me. How often are Eissan-related problems discussed in those papers, apart from politically sensitive issues or stories related to rice or the weather? And of course there's the tourism industry ($$$) to consider.....

[Tarragona]

The fact that the two Bangkok English dailies haven't talked about it doesn't surprise me. How often are Eissan-related problems discussed in those papers, apart from politically sensitive issues or stories related to rice or the weather? And of course there's the tourism industry ($$$) to consider.....

If this was happening on the scale suggested here, then it would be covered. As I said before, I wouldn't dismiss the whole thing but I don't believe there is anything going on as widespread as the rumours would have you believe - and I'm not as yet convinced by the bodies with organs missing.

Apart from Farma's BIL, who can confirm some kidnappings, no-one has actually got anything firsthand, have they?

[chevykanteve]

The fact that the two Bangkok English dailies haven't talked about it doesn't surprise me. How often are Eissan-related problems discussed in those papers, apart from politically sensitive issues or stories related to rice or the weather? And of course there's the tourism industry ($$$) to consider.....

If this was happening on the scale suggested here, then it would be covered. As I said before, I wouldn't dismiss the whole thing but I don't believe there is anything going on as widespread as the rumours would have you believe - and I'm not as yet convinced by the bodies with organs missing.

Apart from Farma's BIL, who can confirm some kidnappings, no-one has actually got anything firsthand, have they?

"..as the rumours would have you (=me) believe..." Did you note the "would appear", "apparently", etc., words in my post? You are not "yet convinced by the bodies with organs missing." Neither did I say I was. We are in effect in agreement. Now let me ask you something: WHY "would it be covered" if it "was happening on the scale suggested here?" I mean, covered by the local press. If in fact you meant why would it not be covered by the international press, the answer might be because it wasn't (initially) covered by the local English-language press. I've personally known several "foreign correspondents" who gain their inspirations mostly while sitting around in the FCCT without actually going into the field. This is why so many Western news stories regarding Thailand tend so often to be ..... shall we say re-written?....versions of stories published previously in Bangkok English-language newspapers (both of them).

Again, to Mr. Moderator, wherever you are: may I please upload the wanted poster?

[thedi]

Apart from Farma's BIL, who can confirm some kidnappings, no-one has actually got anything firsthand, have they?

Last weekend at least 20 people got killed in road accidents. And nobody in this forum got first hand evidence.

I too mistrust rumors. But this is more than a rumor. The Police in Manchakiri (Khon Kaen) warned all schools to check who gets the kids after school and to warn all childeren to not go with anybody they do not know.

It may not be in Bangkok Post. But many things are not in Bangkok Post.

Regards

Thedi

[chevykanteve]

Apart from Farma's BIL, who can confirm some kidnappings, no-one has actually got anything firsthand, have they?

Last weekend at least 20 people got killed in road accidents. And nobody in this forum got first hand evidence.

I too mistrust rumors. But this is more than a rumor. The Police in Manchakiri (Khon Kaen) warned all schools to check who gets the kids after school and to warn all childeren to not go with anybody they do not know.

It may not be in Bangkok Post. But many things are not in Bangkok Post.

Regards

Thedi

Thanks for your input, Thedi. My wife's school (she is a teacher in Phontong District here in Roi-et) received the same warnings, as did all the other schools in this area. Those warnings were disseminated the same time the aforementioned police wanted poster was handed out.

And yes, many things are not in the Bangkok Post; I suspect that will continue to be the case for some years to come.

[ray23]

You know I really noticed a very amazing thing today, I had pretty much stopped posting on the Udon local forum simply because it had become to cynical. When the housekeeper came in to day that I had not spoken one word about this to or for that matter to my wife. With her story of a child abduction in Udon on local Thai TV last night. It was attacked immediatley lot faster then here. I would not have posted it if I didn't think it was serious, as I knew it would be attacked.

I know rumors abound here, take the bombings here in Issan as an example, after the Bangkok Bombings. It does happen.

I felt the original poster of this topic was showing a genuine concern, for the children in his area. Seems to me that would be worth celebrating, that there are people in the community that care enough to try.

I hope the entire thing is bogus that would be wonderful. But I would hate to think that someone in our community knew of this and said nothing for fear of being rediculed.

At worse case folks maybe someone is just watching thier children a little more cloesly is that a bad thing?

Fact is in the world we live on today no matter what part of it we are in children are abducted everyday. Not news that chidren are still sold into slavery in our poiltically correct modern world.

So applaud the original poster.