Truth and justice drowned out by media ‘soap opera’ surrounding death of Tangmo

[webfact]

Pattaratida “Tangmo” Patcharawirapong

 

Thailand’s media spotlight has been firmly fixed on actress Pattaratida “Tangmo” Patcharawirapong since February 24 – the day she reportedly fell into the Chao Phraya River from a private speedboat with fatal consequences. Media coverage of her death in murky circumstances has gone into overdrive, even as more important issues like the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic dominate world headlines.

 

Hashtags related to Tangmo’s death have been trending on social media for the past week. Millions of these tweets are pumped into the Twittersphere every day, spreading the latest news as well as dark rumors.

 

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The blanket media coverage undeniably reflects a public fascination with the ongoing police investigation into the actress’s death. Yet while there are many reasons why Tangmo’s story is interesting, some observers are concerned it has become a media soap opera.

 

Concerns with ongoing drama

 

Among them is Assoc Prof Dr Yukti Mukdawijitra, who teaches at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology. He cautioned media outlets against sensationalizing the news.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/truth-and-justice-drowned-out-by-media-soap-opera-surrounding-death-of-tangmo/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-09

 

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[Bluespunk]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

He cautioned media outlets against sensationalizing the news.

Yeah, that horse has bolted and taken the stable door with them...

[sammieuk1]

Get the national anti corruption force involved they will get to the bottom of it for the right price ????

[internationalism]

because of media pressure police started an investigation and interrogated 60 people.

Some journalists are doing their own investigative work.

That's the good outcome for journalism and for reliable forensic research.

They are closer to finding truth, as police are under media spotlight and public scrutiny.

Police will have to think twice if they still insist on treating her death as an accident and not homicide.

War is a different topic. Some people are completely not interested, as very remote to thailand. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by internationalism

[arithai12]

14 minutes ago, internationalism said:

because of media pressure police started an investigation and interrogated 60 people.

Some journalists are doing their own investigative work.

That's the good outcome for journalism and for reliable forensic research.

They are closer to finding truth, as police are under media spotlight and public scrutiny.

Police will have to think twice if they still insist on treating her death as an accident and not homicide.

War is a different topic. Some people are completely not interested, as very remote to thailand. 

Sorry, but it was an accident. One of them just admitted to swerving the boat accidentally, causing the unfortunate lady to fall and probably be injured by the propeller. Nothing to do with investigative journalism.

The fact that they tried to cover it up initially was pathetic and should be prosecuted.

 

[Eric Loh]

This soap drama is being dragged on by her mum who has a financial agenda. Lots of criticism levied at her for asking for 30 million Baht to forgive companions of the boat accident. 

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

This soap drama is being dragged on by her mum who has a financial agenda. Lots of criticism levied at her for asking for 30 million Baht to forgive companions of the boat accident. 

Give her a break, she's just lost her daughter. 

[onthedarkside]

A trolling post and several ensuing off-topic replies have been removed.

 

[Sheryl]

I am not so sure this is a "soap opera" fascination. For some people, maybe. But for many it has to do with being fed up with police corruption.

 

What is fueling this (aside from people's experiences living here) are:

- photos circulated on social media of what is claimed to be her dead body clearly show a victim of strangulation. (I have no idea if these are in fact photos of her, impossible to tell)

-reports circulating on social media of a 20 million baht bribe having been paid to the police to come back with a finding of accidental death. Again, no way of knowing if true.

 

The obviously false original explanation from the boat companions doesn't help matters.

 

[Eric Loh]

7 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Give her a break, she's just lost her daughter. 

True she lost a daughter and wanted some kind of financial compensation. 

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

True she lost a daughter and wanted some kind of financial compensation. 

That's the way it works here.  

[trainman34014]

Errrrrr; this is Thailand where Truth and Justice are of little importance......along with Responsibility and Accountability !!

[internationalism]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

Sorry, but it was an accident. One of them just admitted to swerving the boat accidentally, causing the unfortunate lady to fall and probably be injured by the propeller. Nothing to do with investigative journalism.

The fact that they tried to cover it up initially was pathetic and should be prosecuted.

 

there were contradicting statements from those on the boat, some people even changed their stories as investigation developed.

admitting to swerving accidentally will let him off from the very beginning.

but why he is saying it only well into investigation? why he changed his story?

And if he caused an accident why he did not try to help his victim? Was he drunk or drugged making such accident and speeding away from the place?

Why they called police long after an accident?

Why initial sloppy police action, letting all from the boat to go home, instead of taking detailed testimony? 

That's why public is suspicious, with many details circulating in press and even more in social media. They won't settle easily for "accident" story. 

Also, when an investigation was already concluded several days ago, why waiting for public disclosure only on coming Friday? why not immediately to tell their findings?

Edited March 9, 2022 by internationalism

[Mr Meeseeks]

53 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

True she lost a daughter and wanted some kind of financial compensation. 

The more hi-so the daughter can get, the more money they earn for 'services' and the more the parents want.

 

Compensation works no different.

 

You have to pay to play here, even if you kill someone. 

[CharlieH]

Why would one of the guys agree to pay the Mother 30 million baht if it was an accident? (Apparently,)

[Nsp64]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Give her a break, she's just lost her daughter. 

Exactly, and to deal with her grief she demands 30 million. Horrible woman.

Typical thai person, always money.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s media spotlight has been firmly fixed on actress Pattaratida “Tangmo” Patcharawirapong since February 24 – the day she reportedly fell into the Chao Phraya River from a private speedboat with fatal consequences. Media coverage of her death in murky circumstances has gone into overdrive, even as more important issues like the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic dominate world headlines.

RTP could have stopped the media frenzy from day one, by not allowing them near the crime scene or to have access to any potential witnesses.

Or even allow them into the police station.

They could of [in this instance] got a court order to gag the press, stating that in this case the pres were interfering with an ongoing investigation.

I understand it's a fine line but in some cases the press need to be told to hold-off.

 

[Neeranam]

13 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

Exactly, and to deal with her grief she demands 30 million. Horrible woman.

Typical thai person, always money.

I feel sorry for any Thai person you know, that have to put up with this racism. 

 

 

[lordblackader]

What an unfortunate headline - or was the pun intended? 

[spidermike007]

1. It is both foolish and naive for Associate Professor Dr. Yukti Mukdawijitra (who teaches at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology) to ask the public not to turn this into a media circus. Not sure if he realizes it, but social media is here to stay. Does his background in anthropology give him some special insight into this? How old is he? How familiar with social media is he, has he ever published any internationally peer reviewed reports on social media, and why is he qualified to speak out about this? Who is this guy?

 

2. The fact that it is taking so long to find answers arouses suspicion. The RTP does not have much credibility with anyone. After the severe bungling of the Red Bull case, the Dark Tao case, and so many others, nobody believes in them anymore, much less their forensic talents, and their desire and ability to come up with a fair, objective, truthful and unbiased outcome. 

 

3. So, why blame the public? Is this just a convenient distraction, or is this guy lost in space? Why not publicly out the RTP for what may be a case of extreme incompetence? 

 

4. Even if it is true that she fell off the boat, it is likely someone's fault. Why did she fall off the boat? Was the captain going to fast, was he spinning donuts in the river, did he swerve to miss another boat, due to not paying attention?

 

We need facts, and answers, which the RTP is famous for avoiding. The public deserves some answers, and the truth. 

 

 

 

 

[prakhonchai nick]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Sorry, but it was an accident. One of them just admitted to swerving the boat accidentally, causing the unfortunate lady to fall and probably be injured by the propeller. Nothing to do with investigative journalism.

The fact that they tried to cover it up initially was pathetic and should be prosecuted.

 

One of them just admitted to swerving the boat accidentally, ,,,,,A suggested afterthought - perhaps?

[prakhonchai nick]

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

The more hi-so the daughter can get, the more money they earn for 'services' and the more the parents want.

 

Compensation works no different.

 

You have to pay to play here, even if you kill someone. 

Can hardly call her a "Mother"  deserted her when she was small!

[IAMHERE]

1 hour ago, Nsp64 said:

Exactly, and to deal with her grief she demands 30 million. Horrible woman.

Typical thai person, always money.

When in Rome etc...

It isn't the western way but it is the Thai way. 

She already get sinsot though? 

[internationalism]

1 hour ago, Nsp64 said:

Exactly, and to deal with her grief she demands 30 million. Horrible woman.

Typical thai person, always money.

if justice can't be served (and it won't be, if  the perpetrator was some high ranking general), at least she will have satisfaction from money. That is common in thailand in all accidents, to stop prosecution, long and expensive legal proceedings.

She can also use some of this money to conduct an independent private investigation. She said she has received a message from one of those on the boat, which prove not to be an accident at all. I don't know, if she has passed it to police or what police did with this message

 

 

[DrMJA]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Sorry, but it was an accident. One of them just admitted to swerving the boat accidentally, causing the unfortunate lady to fall and probably be injured by the propeller. Nothing to do with investigative journalism.

The fact that they tried to cover it up initially was pathetic and should be prosecuted.

 

How much was he paid to take the fall… just like Red Bull “Boss” making the servant say he was driving the hit & run Ferrari, killing the police officer! By the way that’s another clown that will never see justice! 

[johncat1]

She based  the 30 million on lost earnings from Tangmo. She was expecting Tangmo to be at the top of her profession and earning a good salary for the next 30 years. That would be highly unlikely where looks were her meal ticket. Her income would have dropped drastically as she got older and lost her looks. Maybe 3 million would be a fairer figure. 

[arithai12]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I am not so sure this is a "soap opera" fascination. For some people, maybe. But for many it has to do with being fed up with police corruption.

 

What is fueling this (aside from people's experiences living here) are:

- photos circulated on social media of what is claimed to be her dead body clearly show a victim of strangulation. (I have no idea if these are in fact photos of her, impossible to tell)

-reports circulating on social media of a 20 million baht bribe having been paid to the police to come back with a finding of accidental death. Again, no way of knowing if true.

 

The obviously false original explanation from the boat companions doesn't help matters.

 

Social media also explain how Bill Gates is controlling us using 5G via microchips in the vaccines. And many other things.

 

The mother had access to her daughter's body, I assume. I find it hard to beleive that she would not have mentioned the strangulation marks. Many things were fishy in the original verson of the events, so the mother was right to push for more investigations. And police corruption is of course real and makes it possible to fuel such theories. But one fact is that Mr Robert, the guy who now admitted causing the boat swerve that made her fall in the water, insisted in apologizing to the mother (the only one), in the end he got forgiven 30 million times. Perhaps that should mean something.

[arithai12]

4 minutes ago, DrMJA said:

How much was he paid to take the fall… just like Red Bull “Boss” making the servant say he was driving the hit & run Ferrari, killing the police officer! By the way that’s another clown that will never see justice! 

A lot, if he himself gave 30m to the mother. Really, I don't know, but unless some new facts emerge the current explanation stands, in my opinion.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

If The Thai Media instead of postin g little bits of information, actually learnt to report a story correctly and as factually as they can, then this would not happen. Sadly too often the Media report almost what they like and NO-ONE checks the source or even the story. 

In other words basically POOR reporting is something we all see and read here`. 

[koele2]

How many people were on the boat at the time?  If there were 3, 4 or more people, it was probably an accident.  If it was just two people…we’ll then things get interesting.