Briton Found Dead In Thai Border Town

[george]

Briton found dead in South Thailand

"We believe villains dumped his body

in the rubber plantation after they had

mugged and killed him somewhere else"

- Police Major Colonel Chalerm Yingkong

BANGKOK: -- A British man has been found dead in a rubber plantation in southern Thailand where a spate a violence has killed more than 300 people in the Muslim-dominated region since January, police say.

The body of Mark Roland Lemetti, 25, was found early Friday morning near Sungai Kolok, about 1,200 km south of Bangkok near the Thai-Malaysian border, a police investigator said.

"We believe villains dumped his body in the rubber plantation after they had mugged and killed him somewhere else," Police Major Colonel Chalerm Yingkong told Reuters by telephone.

"His face was smashed and we found no documents on him," said Chalerm, adding that police were treating the case as a robbery.

Sungai Kolok, a border town known for its sex industry and popular among Malaysian male tourists, has been hit twice by bomb attacks since January. No one was killed in the blasts.

Some Western governments, including Britain, have warned their citizens against non-essential travel to Thailand's far southern provinces where there have daily attacks since January.

Lemetti is believed to be the first Westerner killed in the region since the unrest began.

The region was home to a low-key separatist insurgency fought in the 1970s and 1980s, but Bangkok says it cannot pinpoint precisely what or who is behind the current unrest in the mainly Malay-speaking region.

"Thailand shares with the rest of Southeast Asia a threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners," the British Foreign Office has said in a travel warning on its website.

Chalerm said police had not been able to identify the body, but later found Lemetti's passport at his hotel in Sungai Kolok.

He said a tour operator had reported that Lemetti did not show up for a trip he had organised for Friday.

--Reuters 2004-08-20

[rossigee]

"His face was smashed and we found no documents on him," said Chalerm, adding that police were treating the case as a robbery.

No chance of them treating it as murder, then?

[xcentrix]

What was he doing there ?

been around a long time .

[solero]

I hope it gets widely publicized, it should keep prices down even more than all those godamn Malaysian tourists..

[rollo tomasi]

He should have been carrying his passport on him, the naughty lad!

[joefromdc]

He should have been carrying his passport on him, the naughty lad!

Ah-hem, could it be possible that the people who killed him took his paper? If I had killed him, I think I would take his papers.

Not a sermon. Just a thought.

j.

[qwertyuiop]

He should have been carrying his passport on him, the naughty lad!

Ah-hem, could it be possible that the people who killed him took his paper? If I had killed him, I think I would take his papers.

Not a sermon. Just a thought.

j.

However should you read the origianl post his passport was found at his hotel.

Methinks the poster you were quoting was attempting humour

[maerim]

Rollo Thomasi?

The ###### thats gets away with it in LA confidential?

I will tell you as I tell other morons who try to be clever and smart when someone gets killed or injured, you are not.

He should have been carrying his passport, you are beneath contempt, next time you get stabbed, shot or mugged do let us know so we can take the piss.

Thanking you in advance

[Begs]

Sorry for this guy, and any of his Family that he left behind.

Listen up lads, try to be a bit more tactful in your responses, taking the piss in some threads is perfectly acceptable, but this guy has been brutally murdered at 25 years of Age.

Nothing much to find humour in i think.

[igotworms]

That's some scary stuff. I've passed through that area so many times. It can happen anywhere though...and I wouldn't automatically write this one off as murder by the hands of Islam. Could have been any average Joe Mugger...perhaps the guy fought back...man it gives me the chills.

Definitely not a laughing matter either. It could have easily been one of us on a visa run.

The next time I go to Malaysia will be in a plane.

[usatrader]

Murder by terror, Murder by hooliganism, Murder for passion, murder from or by ignorance, Murder from hatred or love, is absolute bloody murder nonetheless. What does it matter? Empty words form empty thoughts I would say.

Whether, Islamists beheading Yanks or blowing up Spaniards, 5 drunken teens celebrating a Thai woman's gold medal or this poor young adventurous lad from the UK, it is senseless, its reality and we must, above all, acknowledge that there is more out there than these coffee shop, second guessing, rationalizing intellectuals who endlessly pontificate utopian, not in this life time, ideologies seem to grasp!

A lesson for all expats I would think. While in any place on earth, as a foreigner, one can never let themselves get to complacent or let down their self-defense as to their surroundings, positioning and local.

It, for the most part, is about “realistic” knowledge of the culture, country and people where you habitat, awareness and having an instinct for danger that can and does make a difference for the well traveled and experienced wayfarers.

Death or harm, no matter our denial or un-acceptance, is an unlucky and improbable step away for many expats whether in the west, Middle East and the east.

It is always an odds game, which is in our favor, at least most of the time, that is until we become that rare and improbable stat that is this unlucky lad, has become..

Place is not as important as the opportunity as in this case. Give opportunity enough chances and it will knock I assure you.

It is a sad state of affairs this lad ended his days this way. We can be flippant, ignorant and or have mocho bravado and or even anger like Maerim there, but its all a front for the reality that any expat can cross this lad's bridge with just a little bad luck or timing.

Rationalize Utopia all you want, more power to you. But mindlessly diddy bop around, in 98% of the world, as if in Soho, Venice Beach, Times Square or the Left bank or back in the good old neighborhood back home and Dante’s wicked infernal will come a knocking, like a shark on schooling fish, on your utopian thinking butt that I assure you!

Yeah I know chances are! But, If your that one fish, like this poor lad, then there is ###### to pay huh?

PS. Maerim, dude or dudette, I am not sure what you are. Weren't you the one bashing the yanks for having 2 million people in prison in the discussion about Perverted child molesters? I think you were!

I don't suppose your anti-American mentality would stimulate a few of your propagandized brain cells into consider that just maybe this UK lad, a countryman of yours I suppose, was or maybe could have been just one prison sentence way from not meeting his fate at the hands of these murderous thugs that killed him do you?

Nah, how foolish of me...! Prisons, my god, how could that solely American concept, as you seem to propagandize, possibly take opportunity away from murders, rapists and thugs?

In your fervor to brow beat the yanks, it’s not probable, possible or logical that a criminal in prison would never have opportunity to affect or meet a victim if they were not incarcerated? The Utopian alternative is? That’s right you had none?

Utopian logical I suppose. Just like Iraq and Afghanistan is absolutely and unyieldingly ALL about Yank imperialism and world dominance, lies, oil and WMD but not in any way substantially, morally and or logically about a War on hooligans and demigods supporting defenseless victims, terror and oppression and god forbid, giving freedom to those whom need it the most. Nay, not utopian enough I suppose?

Sorry Dude or dudette, forgive my ignorance, self-serving cowboy logic and viewpoint.

But honestly, your viewpoint on these issues as I have read them thus far seem to reflect such a brainwashed, prudish and prickish opinion that they deserved at least some sort of retort and opinion in rebuttal. (please read my credo on Opinions.)

[stefano lucio]

Funny for to see Maerim take High Moral Ground. Having watched around here for little while, it would surprising to see him doing much of substance. As our American friend was point out, always the bash, never the ideas, but that is all he can do may be?

My apology for not being good with my English but hoping you can understand OK.

Thank you and have nice day

[bonello]

yes or no should he carried his passport,

can anybody follow up and let us know is it really law that we have to carry our passport at all time ?

not a good idea I think but than if they really can fine you over it, so what is our stand ????

[astral]

"His face was smashed and we found no documents on him," said Chalerm, adding that police were treating the case as a robbery.

No chance of them treating it as murder, then?

No!

Bound to be another suicide.

[stefano lucio]

Maybe should ask Mr Mearim to add his more perceptive thought. I am sure he will know as he know everything.

[IamMaiC]

Sorry for this guy, and any of his Family that he left behind.

Listen up lads, try to be a bit more tactful in your responses, taking the piss in some threads is perfectly acceptable, but this guy has been brutally murdered at 25 years of Age.

Nothing much to find humour in i think.

I agree with you Begs nothing funny in someone being murdered Young man also

[quiddity]

It can happen anywhere though...

"It can happen anywhere". Perfect sentiment. To tell the truth, there have been times when I've visited Sukhumvit Soi 3 in the Nana district where I felt the eyes of doom upon me.

Simply put, nothing happened. However, just the raw energy emanated from sheer spitefulness. I kind of felt that I was imagining some of this and exaggerating the situation in my mind. Reading in the Bangkok Post some time within the last two weeks that at least 2 of the 9/11 terrorists were housed in a hotel on that strip makes me think maybe I wasn't so paranoid after all.

I don't think anything is as likely to happen there as in Narathiwat, Yala or Pattani. However, while dining at one of the Bangladeshi/Pakistani restaurants, many eyes were on me (white American) and they were far from friendly gazes. Maybe they'd not act on their feelings but I can't help but feel that there are strong sympathies for beheaders, face smashers and the like.

I've traveled in the Middle East and suspend hasty judgements. I have many Muslim friends back in the States who hail from all over the world. My travels in that region were pre-9/11. My, how things have changed. I found some tension before but now so many today seem quite plainly to want us dead.

Like the other poster said, it can happen anywhere. By the way, has anybody been to the website related to the Muslim extremist group in the South? The Bangkok Post said it was inaccessible from within Thailand. I haven't tried, I've forgotten the URL. Take Care, no joke.

[MadFrankie]

yes or no should he carried his passport,

can anybody follow up and let us know is it really law that we have to carry our passport at all time ?

not a good idea I think but than if they really can fine you over it, so what is our stand ????

yes it is the law to carry your passport @ all times, you can be detained/arrested for not having it. A photocopy of the page with a valid visa and your entry form + a copy of the photo page should suffice tho

[bonello]

thanks to enlighted me, I will start taking a xerox of my passport with me at all times , I am have been here for 12 years now, but have to this day never been ask to show it.

cheers again

[george]

This topic continues here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15423