Female Russian tourist claims assault at Koh Samui viewpoint - Thai manager cites self defence

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

A Russian tourist claims she was attacked by a Thai man as he tried to charge her for going to a scenic viewpoint on private land at Khao Lamai, Maret, Koh Samui.

 

Ekaterina K., 33, said this is the first and last time she'll be going to Samui - she's scared.

 

She said that she was with her boyfriend and after she walked to the area known as Overlap Stone via a bridge the manager there pulled a valuable necklace reported Daily News.

 

In the scuffle she claimed she was kicked in the ribs and suffered a cheek injury.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Meanwhile the manager Mankorn said he acted in self-defence after the incident on January 1st around 3.45 pm.

 

Bo Phut police look set to charge him with assault.

 

The Russian tourist presented a bill of 5,920 baht from an island hospital. She said she arrived in Thailand on December 18th and had been to Krabi, Phuket and Samui.

 

In a later story forestry officials went to the area and met Mankorn. 

 

They saw a bridge leading to two naturally overlapping stones on apparently private land. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

They asked to see evidence of the land ownership but Mankorn said that the chanote or title deed was with the owner.

 

He said that he used the 50 baht entrance fee mentioned in several languages on a makeshift cardboard sign to pay for the upkeep of the area including the bridge. 

 

At the time of the incident there were 30 others there who paid the fee but two did not creating trouble.

 

The owner of the land told Daily News that they did not know what was going on on their land.

 

They planned to tear down the bridge and seal off the area to tourists. 

 

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[roo860]

Well done Olga! 

????????

[Daithi85]

The video tells a whole different story, the little nice tourist was out of control. 

[VocalNeal]

Yet another instance of people getting bent out of shape over 50 Baht. A toll bridge is exactly that. 

 

Get over the small money thing. Life is too short.

[seajae]

so he had built a bridge without the land owners permission and was charging people to go onto their private land that the owners knew nothing about then attacked a female when she refused to pay  him, doesnt matter what the female did, this man was doing something totally illegal in the first place by charging people to access someone elses land, he should have to pay all her costs as well as restitutuion and also give all the money he had charged everyone to go onto the land to the land owners seeing he did not have their permission to do so

[mtls2005]

I just knew that metal folding seat was going to be wielded.

 

 

[VocalNeal]

7 minutes ago, seajae said:

doesnt matter what the female did, this man was doing something totally illegal in the first place by charging people to access someone elses land,

The owner told the police he didn't know what was going on. It doesn't mean he didn't. That is simply what he told officialdom.

 

 

[RandiRona]

LOS ....land of snacks and hospital bills... 

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

The video tells a whole different story, the little nice tourist was out of control. 

Wonder whether cute Ekatharina is so easily excited in other situations.

Sure not boring to live with her ????

[khunPer]

When there's an entrance fee you either pay or stay out, it's as simpel as that.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The owner of the land told Daily News that they did not know what was going on on their land.

 

They planned to tear down the bridge and seal off the area to tourists. 

That is however sad, as the overlapping stone for ages has been an attraction for a number of tourists to visit...

 

 

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

so he had built a bridge without the land owners permission and was charging people to go onto their private land that the owners knew nothing about then attacked a female when she refused to pay  him, doesnt matter what the female did, this man was doing something totally illegal in the first place by charging people to access someone elses land, he should have to pay all her costs as well as restitutuion and also give all the money he had charged everyone to go onto the land to the land owners seeing he did not have their permission to do so

He must be old then, the bridge to the stone has been there for ages, and originally also a small restaurant serving refreshings next to the bridge...

[bbko]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

this man was doing something totally illegal in the first place by charging people to access someone elses land,

The using of someone else's land is between the land owner and this guy.  The ruckus between the lady and the "gatekeeper" is a separate issue.  The lady refused to pay the entrance fee without knowing who owned the land, self entitled Russian thought she could go where-ever she wanted.

[mancub]

Shame....a harmless piece of enterprise, which it seems, many have previously benefitted from. 

A proper or "official looking" sign would have helped though !

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, mancub said:

Shame....a harmless piece of enterprise, which it seems, many have previously benefitted from. 

A proper or "official looking" sign would have helped though !

 

IF it is an official ’tourist attraction’ does it then come with the required safety measures etc (of course not). 

 

This was a home made bridge made by someone trying to profit from someone else’s land. 

I very much doubt the owner did not know about it though.

 

Was this guy charging Thai’s 50 baht ????

 

 

When I see a handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard I too become very sceptical that someone is trying to rip me off..... 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

When there's an entrance fee you either pay or stay out, it's as simpel as that.

That is however sad, as the overlapping stone for ages has been an attraction for a number of tourists to visit...

 

 

 

What happens when / if the bridge collapses and injures a tourist ????

 

Who pays the hospital bills ?? Go-fund me ??? (yes we should all have our own insurance). 

 

The point I want to make is - IF tourists are being charged to enter a business, that business needs to be offering a level of protection and assurance that its ‘attraction’ is safe. 

 

 

These sort of people want to take the money without any of the responsibility. 

[Tropicalevo]

5 minutes ago, mancub said:

A proper or "official looking" sign would have helped though !

There are quite a few places on Samui where there is a charge for parking or for access whilst the 'ownership' of the land is a tad flaky to say the least.

 

[MrJ2U]

Stupid lady.

 

Its private property.

 

Thats the entrance fee.

 

100 Meters down the road you can have a nice view from the shoulder of the road for free.

 

In any case its worth getting bashed about for 50 baht.

You need to pick your fights not the other way around.

 

[AndyFoxy]

She said she was with her BF. Did he try to do anything?

[mancub]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

IF it is an official ’tourist attraction’ does it then come with the required safety measures etc (of course not). 

 

This was a home made bridge made by someone trying to profit from someone else’s land. 

I very much doubt the owner did not know about it though.

 

Was this guy charging Thai’s 50 baht ????

 

 

When I see a handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard I too become very sceptical that someone is trying to rip me off..... 

 

 

I thought the same when I saw the "wiring" on the bridge, and the sign reminded me of some of the un-official parking spots where locals try to charge you essentially for "protecting" your vehicle !  

[MrJ2U]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

What happens when / if the bridge collapses and injures a tourist ????

 

Who pays the hospital bills ?? Go-fund me ??? (yes we should all have our own insurance). 

 

The point I want to make is - IF tourists are being charged to enter a business, that business needs to be offering a level of protection and assurance that its ‘attraction’ is safe. 

 

 

These sort of people want to take the money without any of the responsibility. 

It's private property.

 

I wouldn't want people traipsing about.

 

 But I get your drift.

 

Maybe throw in a bottle of water to ease the pain of the 50 baht fee.

 

 

[MrJ2U]

3 minutes ago, AndyFoxy said:

She said she was with her BF. Did he try to do anything?

No hes probably got half a brain.

 

It's usually the guys doing the wrong thing.

Nice to see it the other way around.

[Ohyesuare]

I remember there used to be random Thais charging for parking your motorbike in Pattaya beside the Walking Street sign. Just random people who didn't own the land. Don't pay and might come back to see your tires slashed or worse.

[equalizer1970]

3 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

The video tells a whole different story, the little nice tourist was out of control. 

It will do, 70% of it is missing. 

[BostonRob2]

11 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

I remember there used to be random Thais charging for parking your motorbike in Pattaya beside the Walking Street sign. Just random people who didn't own the land. Don't pay and might come back to see your tires slashed or worse.

Sounds like Liverpool on matchdays.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

The video tells a whole different story, the little nice tourist was out of control. 

The story I see is her screeching, and him throwing a chair at her.

[JustAnotherHun]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

and him throwing a chair at her.

that is not on the video.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

doesnt matter what the female did, this man was doing something totally illegal in the first place by charging people to access someone elses land,

He is the manager of the property, presumably employed by the owners, how is charging an entry fee illegal?  

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

The video tells a whole different story, the little nice tourist was out of control. 

Where's the video?

[Sunderland]

27 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

I remember there used to be random Thais charging for parking your motorbike in Pattaya beside the Walking Street sign. Just random people who didn't own the land. Don't pay and might come back to see your tires slashed or worse.

To be fair that happens in the UK in some rough neighbourhoods.

[Sunderland]

15 minutes ago, BostonRob2 said:

Sounds like Liverpool on matchdays.

Exactly. Quite a lot of the older football grounds in England were like that when I was a young 'un.