By Sarah Fowler
BBC News

A French serial killer portrayed in BBC drama The Serpent is to be freed from a Nepalese prison, after a court ruling.

 

Charles Sobhraj, who spent 19 years in jail for the murder of two tourists in Kathmandu in 1975, has been ordered to return to France within 15 days.

 

Sobhraj was linked to a string of other tourist murders in the 1970s, and spent 20 years in prison in India. His victims were mostly young Western backpackers on the hippie trail in India and Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64050714

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2022-12-22

Yes, I watched the TV documentary drama.

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by jacko45k

Only 19 years for two murders?

Considering his past misdeeds, he should go down with multiple life sentences

I wonder how much he'd get if the victims were Nepalis.

1 million years?

 

Why are people like this ever let back into society? It happens all the time all over the world and most of the time they end up killing again. Such nonsense.

The only fair and reasonable sentence for guys like this would be execution. No big deal. Just taken out with a bullet to the head. Everyone benefits. 

 

Does anyone think this insect will behave himself now? 

 

Was a good BBC series to watch...

2 minutes ago, Pmbkk said:

 

Was a good BBC series to watch...

It was, one of the very best productions I have ever seen. Superb acting too.

Make sure you fact check, the documentary did miss some things and a different ending in real life with all those tourists.  With that said, give him 10000000 years in prison.  I’m not defending this evil person.  Shame he can’t be prosecuted in Thailand, they should change the laws just because of him.   

Is this thread about the TV show or the release of a serial killer?

It would be interesting to see how he looks now, still lets hope his heart condition gets worse.

1 hour ago, VinnieK said:

Only 19 years for two murders?

Considering his past misdeeds, he should go down with multiple life sentences

I wonder how much he'd get if the victims were Nepalis.

1 million years?

 

Execute him DOG.

50 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

It was, one of the very best productions I have ever seen. Superb acting too.

And Jenna Coleman. Oooooooweeeeeee. ????

I have read most of the books about sobraj... I used to hang out at the pudding shop in istanbul same time he was there looking for victims...guess i was lucky as was with two hot  canadian gals and we were all young and starry eyed smoking hash and heading to Goa.  We would/could have been good targets for the snake.  Bit creepy to know we were likely in pudding shop with him one or more times.

 

I think the best of the books is/was

 

Serpentine by Thomas Thompson 

https://www.amazon.com/Serpentine-Thomas-Thompson/dp/0786707496

He was able to make a living by selling his story to journalists, so I won’t watch the series or read any books about the guy.  

9 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

He was able to make a living by selling his story to journalists, so I won’t watch the series or read any books about the guy.  

Not sure how many journalists actually paid him to write stories but i doubt that all of then did.  He was a very unique/dangerous/weird person with a strange bizarre life and that made for an interesting read.  Sort of a charles manson type that was able to control people to do his bidding.

 

In my opinion he should never be released no matter what his age or health situation...he sure never showed any mercy for his victims.

3 minutes ago, pomchop said:

In my opinion he should never be released no matter what his age or health situation...he sure never showed any mercy for his victims.

Well it is the Nepalese authorities who are releasing him under their rules, 

A provision in Nepalese law allows inmates who have shown good character and completed 75% of their jail term to be released.

"Keeping him in the prison continuously is not in line with the prisoner's human rights," the verdict read, 

It might be expensive for the Nepalese to provide him with health care and their beliefs may not align with a Western 'let him rot' attitude!

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Well it is the Nepalese authorities who are releasing him under their rules, 

A provision in Nepalese law allows inmates who have shown good character and completed 75% of their jail term to be released.

"Keeping him in the prison continuously is not in line with the prisoner's human rights," the verdict read, 

It might be expensive for the Nepalese to provide him with health care and their beliefs may not align with a Western 'let him rot' attitude!

"good character".... a guy that killed people across the world with no remorse, escaped prison/jail over and over and was an amazing conman, crook, and murderer.....not my idea of good character but i do understand that nepal gets to decide.

Serial killer.

Interesting to note what constitutes this classification these days. 

1 hour ago, Real Name Hidden said:

He was able to make a living by selling his story to journalists, so I won’t watch the series or read any books about the guy.  

That'll teach him not to kill again.

 

2 hours ago, pomchop said:

I have read most of the books about sobraj... I used to hang out at the pudding shop in istanbul same time he was there looking for victims...guess i was lucky as was with two hot  canadian gals and we were all young and starry eyed smoking hash and heading to Goa.  We would/could have been good targets for the snake.  Bit creepy to know we were likely in pudding shop with him one or more times.

 

I think the best of the books is/was

 

Serpentine by Thomas Thompson 

https://www.amazon.com/Serpentine-Thomas-Thompson/dp/0786707496

I was loaned this book by Aussie postman whilst on Koh Samuii in '84, at start of 1 year trip around Asia... Thanks Frank, good prep.

I could only watch the first episode of the series: it was too real, right down to table cloths at restaurants. A true evil person, "the Manson of Asia" I'd call him. On that 84 trip went by Kannit house (spell wrong i bet) just for a look

This link take you to "The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobraj".... many photos of all the original people involved, etc. He should never be let out imo.Link:  Life and Crimes of Charles Sobraj

 

Life is cheap in the third world.  What I am referring to is his victims.  

Paris can have their dingbat back.  

I just missed this guy's killing era in and around the Malaysia Hotel in Soi Ngam Duplee. And I'm glad I never got anywhere near him. A real danger to people he befriended, drugged and murdered on the hippie trail. If he ever came back to Thailand he'd be held on a double murder charge. He slipped out of RTP fingers before and would not be allowed to do so again. He wouldn't dare come to Thailand. 

 

Beware elsewhere though no matter how advanced his age.

 

Rooster

26 minutes ago, BostonRob2 said:

I just missed this guy's killing era in and around the Malaysia Hotel in Soi Ngam Duplee. And I'm glad I never got anywhere near him. A real danger to people he befriended, drugged and murdered on the hippie trail. If he ever came back to Thailand he'd be held on a double murder charge. He slipped out of RTP fingers before and would not be allowed to do so again. He wouldn't dare come to Thailand. 

 

Beware elsewhere though no matter how advanced his age.

 

Rooster

Wasn't he arrested in 1976? several years later is hardly just missed.

Does anyone know where he lived in Bangkok?

I first became aware of Sobrajh and his crimes after reading a Time Magazine (I think) article about him in Bangkok on my first visit there in 1985.

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by Andrew65

Has he been banned from Thailand.  I believe he is a French Citizens so he can go back there.  

Ready to kill again.  What will his next victims families say to the Nepalese govt?

51 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Ready to kill again.  What will his next victims families say to the Nepalese govt?

He is 78 and has spent the last 19 years in jail. He's lucky if the can get off the bed unassisted...

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Does anyone know where he lived in Bangkok?

I first became aware of Sobrajh and his crimes after reading a Time Magazine (I think) article about him in Bangkok on my first visit there in 1985.

Charles Sobhraj and Marie LeClerk's move into Kanit House 504 in 1975 and make that their base to screen and entrap their victims..it was near patpong

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sobhraj

 

I was also in the Pudding Shop in Istanbul in 1969, at one end of the hippie trail, on my way to Kathmandu same year. In 1986, I stayed in Soi Ngam Duplee for a month or so, in Bangkok, hanging out around the Malaysia Hotel. There were a lot of Europeans there, many skint, a lot in prison, a lot of smack, a lot of casualties. Easy pickings for a guy like Sobhraj. Fear was your best friend.

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by bradiston

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The only fair and reasonable sentence for guys like this would be execution. No big deal. Just taken out with a bullet to the head. Everyone benefits. 

 

Does anyone think this insect will behave himself now? 

He's 84 for goodness sake.

Only being released so he can die