Thai police charge local man with murder of Swiss tourist on Phuket

[chang1]

6 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Very little and slim guy, no strength. Only way he could have killed her is by a surprise blow to the back of the head with a blunt object. A little <deleted> like that could never wrestle anything up front.

It was reported he had been a kick boxer. It also sounds like she did put up a good fight hence his injuries. 

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

if your a white female tourist in Thailand, assimilate resistance is futile.

And with that you want to say.....???

[chang1]

9 minutes ago, Mansell said:

Where do you get this nonsense from? There is no forest there….you are about a 100 feet from the road…..and when I was there all times of year nowhere to swim because there wasn’t much water. It is a dead end road. It isn’t much of a tourist attraction. I don’t believe she found her way there on her own, she had either been there before or somebody took her there. Much more interesting places close to Ao Yon than that place. Lived there for three years and pretty much hiked the whole area. The whole story sounds like <deleted> made up by the police to me……300 baht…..what woman would lose her life for that pathetic amount? She wasn’t a youngster, and she would have just given him the money. Story has huge holes in it.

Rape and possibly drugged up sounds plausible and money just a bonus for him. 

Were you led there or did you find it yourself? Is the area mentioned in guide books?

[bobandyson]

55 minutes ago, chang1 said:

Remember the "Thais would never do this" about Ko Tao murders? 

Then recall some time later when 2 Thais in Issan tried to copy the Koh Tao murders by trying to bash in the head of a German guy with mattocks.

[ronster]

26 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Unmasked..

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/confession-and-evidence-not-a-scapegoat-in-phuket-murder

So he confessed to save some innocent person getting charged possibly and to save the image of Phuket ! ???? Highly doubtful 

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

if your a white female tourist in Thailand, assimilate resistance is futile.

And let's not forget when another tourist was raped the PM responded by saying that only ugly women should wear a bikini. The same PM who, after a family lost their child (I forget in what circumstances) that they should just make another one. That's the kind of leader that Thailand has, the example he sets for the nation.

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Poor woman killed for 300 baht ! Can but hope that this piece of detritus never sees the light of day again - and judging by the effect it will have on tourism I'm pretty sure the TAT will push for it

 

 

Anyone who has been in Thailand for more than five minutes knows that life is worth nothing here. It wasn't long ago that an American, a good soul who had taken responsibility in helping a young and destitute Thai family, was killed by a taxi driver in Bangkok in a dispute over 100 baht. Sometimes even money isn't involved, just loss of face. Like the security guard who was shot because he told a soldier he shouldn't double-park. My wife feels a need to carry a bat in the car with her in case of road rage and someone coming at her with a sword or worse. There's danger everywhere in the self-styled Land of Smiles.

[nausea]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

so it must have been someone else that beat her, striped her naked, raped her and murdered her, great public message to be sending out

His apparent lack of knowledge of the crime scene is a bit worrying,

[Sydebolle]

Irrelevant on the subject but the reporting in this country is more than mind-boggling. 

Today's contribution in above article reads "deputy protocol chief of the Federal Assembly of Germany". Well, I did not know that the German parliament employs Swiss staff. 

[farangroby]

Considering the brutality of the crime but above all the place and time in which it was consumed (sandbox-Phuket = loss of money), it could end up hanging... no matter the tourist, but losing money is unacceptable

[newnative]

29 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Very little and slim guy, no strength. Only way he could have killed her is by a surprise blow to the back of the head with a blunt object. A little <deleted> like that could never wrestle anything up front.

     You must have very little familiarity with Thai workers.   Next time you're in a 7-11 while it's being supplied with new product observe the 5' 6" 130 lb. Thai guy carrying 3 large containers on his back into the store from the truck.   Or, take a look at similar-size construction workers carrying big bags of cement and other heavy materials.  Many are the definition of 'wiry'.  

[Chris747]

the story is not very well covered in the Swiss newspapers, reason why i do not understand. Also, the Swiss department  of foreign affairs till current point in time do not officially confirm who is the victim out of privacy protection.

[bougnat]

If he had 100 baths left, I'm sure he has already found a monk to give him absolution ...

[robbioff]

4 hours ago, ronster said:

For 300 bht ?? ????

Phuket must be getting cheaper...how do I get in?

[chang1]

12 minutes ago, robbioff said:

Phuket must be getting cheaper...how do I get in?

I would like to know how the amount is known? A small point but could be important. 

[chang1]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Anyone who has been in Thailand for more than five minutes knows that life is worth nothing here. It wasn't long ago that an American, a good soul who had taken responsibility in helping a young and destitute Thai family, was killed by a taxi driver in Bangkok in a dispute over 100 baht. Sometimes even money isn't involved, just loss of face. Like the security guard who was shot because he told a soldier he shouldn't double-park. My wife feels a need to carry a bat in the car with her in case of road rage and someone coming at her with a sword or worse. There's danger everywhere in the self-styled Land of Smiles.

Similar to what I was saying in one of my previous posts. There needs to be a big drive to change the culture but as in the US with their idiotic gun culture, until it is a personal problem few will be bothered to stand up and be counted. 

Probably the best thing my wife says about living in the UK is that she feels safe. 

Now here in the sandbox she says she wouldn't even dare to confront a taxi driver who rips her off. This means it only gets worse. That taxi driver gets used to being untouchable and much more likely to do something like this. 

[Marco100]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Poor woman killed for 300 baht ! Can but hope that this piece of detritus never sees the light of day again - and judging by the effect it will have on tourism I'm pretty sure the TAT will push for it

 

 

If he would have threaten her for robbery , shure she would have given him her belongings .... just saying .

RIP .

[digger70]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

denies intent to murder, rape .  

That doesn't make any difference he still Did. 

[Bangkok Barry]

32 minutes ago, chang1 said:

Probably the best thing my wife says about living in the UK is that she feels safe.

And that cars stop at pedestrian crossings ???? . However, there will be others on this site who will argue that they feel safer in Bangkok than London, where they are unlikely to get stabbed on the street. But I prefer to side with your comments.

[rudi49jr]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

that he only intended to steal her money and only assaulted her when she resisted.

That makes it perfectly okay then, doesn’t it? The woman should have just handed over her money.

Hope they throw the book at this POS.

[joecoolfrog]

Does anybody here seriously believe that the statement from the accused was anything other than a reading of a prepared script.

It smacks of official damage limitation and that absolutely sickens me.

[WingFat]

"He found 300 baht ($9) in her bag and used it to buy drugs, drinks and phone repairs, he said"....Hmm, would it be possible to learn where this guy went to get all of this for 9 bucks ??? He must have also had some real good discount coupons.

[Rimmer]

A misleading conspiracy troll post has been removed

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, chang1 said:

living in the UK is that she feels safe. 

She  has a stab vest then?

[Megasin1]

If you start with the solid premise that all Thais are liars then you add varying degrees that apply to different levels of society for criminals, TAT, the police and politicians, then things become so obscure that you can go round and round in ever decreasing circles until you disappear up your own bum hole. The only truth that will ever come out of this is that a female tourist trying to enjoy a holiday was brutally murdered. You can blame the economy, drugs, education, society, some sad sacks will even blame the woman, but I have daughters and  I find it incredibly offensive that so often it is women who are targeted and women who can't travel safely on their own anywhere. Its not just in Thailand, its everywhere, but at least in some other countries you are more likely to get to the truth.

[RobU]

6 hours ago, chang1 said:

Someone was saying drugs should be decriminalised, on the "Robin Hood" drug dealer thread, which I can sympathise with if users only ruined their own lives. This is an extreme case of how drugs affect those around the user. 

Assuming money and not rape was the motive here would cheap freely available drugs have saved her life? I doubt it but it is certainly a debate that needs investigating. 

To me drug taking is not a problem as it is their choice and only affects the them. If he/she overdoses it's their fault. 

The problem is how it affects others - partners, children, parents, colleagues and those harmed by the violence and crimes committed and things like drug driving. 

If laws around drug use are relaxed it may reduce the crimes committed to help obtain the drugs but all the other problems will still be their. 

Did this <deleted> kill her to fund his habit or because he was already under the influence? 

There are still crimes committed connected to tobacco and alcohol but you don't hear much about robberies and murders committed by people having a joint or two. 

I can't say I  have a solution but do think crimes committed to feed a drug habit should be treated differently. Stealing a PlayStation to help feed your family is way different to stealing it to feed your habit. One is desperation and the other is desperation but the second is desperation caused by choice. 

Even the risk of a death sentence does little to deter some people so another strategy needs to be found - not because we should care about low life's like this <deleted> but because we care about our wife's, mothers, sisters and daughters!

Sorry I don't agree with your assessment of Cannabis. The major side effect of cannabis is Paranoia and schizophrenia especially in those people who smoke a lot of it. Cannabis addicts are known for their anti social behaviour especially with regards to noise because cannabis suppresses the perception of sound.

[Espanol]

6 hours ago, chang1 said:

Do you not think there is a desire to make things look better and less newsworthy? 

 

Of course, the defendant is trying to acknowledge only attempted robbery and assault, and not rape and murder, in order to obtain a lesser conviction.
But that is normal everywhere and is the first thing his lawyer will have advised him.

 

[Dogmatix]

Hopefully they have got the right man this time. It seems coincidental that it could all be wrapped up so quickly while the police cheif is still in Phuket after the Post reported that he had assigned the same dream team that 'solved' the Koh Tao double murder in 2014, although there has been no further confirmation of this.  Initial reports said the accused felt aroused when he spotted the victim, which was the same wording used in the confessions of the 2B in Koh Tao. Now the arousal aspect seems to have been dropped out of the narrative since then, although the initial reports may have been inaccurate as they have not been repeated.  Things that would be interesting to have further clarification about to my mind are as follows.

 

1. "...saw the foreigner, who was naked from the waist down, sitting beside the waterfall..."  It is not in the least bit credible that she was sitting naked from the waist down admiring a waterfall, unless she was answering a call of nature but that seems unlikely. It was only about 100 metres from the road. She wouldn't relieve herself in the open next to the waterfall and women doing this in the open will normally not remove their shorts and underwear completely. But the police said they found her body naked from the waist down and there was no mention of finding her underwear at the scene.  Could she have been assaulted elesewhere first and the underwear lost at that time?

 

2. He said he spotted her sitting naked from the waist down and was able to get her in a choke hold from behind, which suggested he approached from behind and she might not even have seen him. He said he saw a backpck near her which he assumed had things of significant value to him in it and implied that was his sole objective.  So why didn't he just creep up to her, grab the backpack and run? Did he fear that she would run after him naked from the waist down and overpower him, a former kick boxer. Why did he have to assault her at all?

 

3. He said he held her in a choke hold until she fell unconscious and didn't intend to murder her.  So why didn't he just leave it at that and run off.  Why did he have to drag her to the water and leave her face down in the water, if that is what he says happened, and then cover her with a tarpaulin and rocks?

 

4. It seems remarkable that a tarpaulin had been left so conveniently near by.  In the photograph I saw somewhere it looked new and in good condition.  Why would someone leave a tarpaulin in good condition there?  Why would they bring it there in the first place?  If it was used for a picnic or something, the owners would have taken it away with them. Similar tarpaulins have been used for removing and dumping bodies in other crimes. 

 

We all know that confessions and DNA tests, which police are allowed to do for themselves without an independent pathologist, are unreliable in Thailand. But given the quick confession and the DNA results to follow, we will probably never get any clarification on the above. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ginner]

8 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

With 300 baht in her bag why would she resist a man when she was alone in a forest? Unfortunately she is deceased and without witnesses the attacker can make up any scenario he likes. If he is indeed the person who killed her he should be hanging from the yard arm already. That would send a crystal clear message to anyone else considering doing the same but of course that won’t happen. Very sad indeed her family must be absolutely devasted.

Cant you see where this is going? Give it a week or two. he wasn't in a normal state of mind, he was only asking for money. the victim over reacted , she panicked and screamed, he was frightened , he snatched her money and ran. 

[Dogmatix]

8 minutes ago, Ginner said:

Cant you see where this is going? Give it a week or two. he wasn't in a normal state of mind, he was only asking for money. the victim over reacted , she panicked and screamed, he was frightened , he snatched her money and ran. 

Not surprising that she resisted and may have panicked. He said she was sitting naked from the waist down and grabbed her in a choke hold from behind. But his confession confirms he was in the presence of his girlfriend and his lawyer, not that an unemployed lawn mower would have a regular lawyer, so the police must have called one in for him to avoid the accusation that he wasn't represented when he confessed. I wonder what the girlfriend was thinking.  If there are too many inconsistencies he might be overcome with remorse and take his own life in the cells.