Police Hunt Rapist Of Israeli Visitor

[007]

Police hunt rapist of Israeli visitor

CHIANG RAI: -- Police in the North were searching Thursday for a man accused of raping an Israeli tourist in the northern province of Chiang Rai.

Police Lieutenant Suphot Suwan of Chiang Rai city said an Israeli tourist aged 22 had filed a rape charge against a young Thai man who had befriended her at a discotheque.

The tourist, who had stayed behind at the Chiang Rai disco after her seven friends left early Thursday morning, was approached by a Thai man who offered to drive her to her guest house.

"The man allegedly took the tourist outside the city and raped her in his car," said Suphot in a telephone interview. "The woman managed to get out of the car and run away, getting assistance from nearby villagers.

Police were hunting for a young Thai man in his twenties who was known to frequent the disco.

-- dpa 2007-11-22

Edited November 22, 2007 by george
Admin edit: Format, credit

[JetsetBkk]

The tourist, who had stayed behind at the Chiang Rai disco after her seven friends left early Thursday morning, was approached by a Thai man who offered to drive her to her guest house.

I wonder if she would have accepted a lift home from a stranger in her own country? She's learned a hard lesson.

Good to hear the villagers nearby helped her.

[jstumbo]

The tourist, who had stayed behind at the Chiang Rai disco after her seven friends left early Thursday morning, was approached by a Thai man who offered to drive her to her guest house.

I wonder if she would have accepted a lift home from a stranger in her own country? She's learned a hard lesson.

Good to hear the villagers nearby helped her.

Good to see that we are going to get the normal group of people blaming the victim and saying that she "deserved" it because she stayed behind and took a lift from a stranger.

[intumult]

C'mon Jstumbo. Even when I was a lad in the 60's we were warned about accepting lifts from strangers!!

A single female, maybe had a drink or two in a disco accepting a lift from a stranger? Shouldn't that set alarm bells ringing? Common sense does help here.

It is not good that she was allegedly raped after accepting the offer of a lift home but I have to agree with jetsetbkk and also good to hear nearby villagers helped her.

[LaoPo]

The tourist, who had stayed behind at the Chiang Rai disco after her seven friends left early Thursday morning, was approached by a Thai man who offered to drive her to her guest house.

There is NO excuse for rape.

However, it was not very clever of the 22 yr old girl to stay alone 'early Thursday morning' in a disco. She was with a group of 8......and 7 left.

Why she decided to stay on her own remains a mystery.

LaoPo

[Heng]

The tourist, who had stayed behind at the Chiang Rai disco after her seven friends left early Thursday morning, was approached by a Thai man who offered to drive her to her guest house.

I wonder if she would have accepted a lift home from a stranger in her own country? She's learned a hard lesson.

Good to hear the villagers nearby helped her.

Good to see that we are going to get the normal group of people blaming the victim and saying that she "deserved" it because she stayed behind and took a lift from a stranger.

The only person using "deserve" so far is you.

Just because there aren't warning signs up, it doesn't mean it's safe to feed the crocodiles here.

[george]

Moved to Main News section.

[Chris Lawrence]

A terrifying experience. Her seven friends left her behind? A bit strange.

[bina]

to all above posters: one, it hasnt made the news here yet.

and thai husband made nasty comment about her stupidity

but, typically stupid bahavior among younger israeli kids...

1. yes it is common , we hitchhike a lot in this country, even the girls, even if we can be kidnapped by 'others' for political reasons

2. it is common for groups to go out to discos and then one by one go off, leaving friends behind, to deal...we are a small country and there is always soeone u know that can help u out, or police, or soldiers, or friends

3. 22 is one year after army. all our kids, unfortunately, go off the wall afterwards and leave their brains in their backpacks

4. cultural misreading of situations. here, we recognize sleaze when we see it. but a charming thai guy, dark tan, white teeth, nice accent, exotic.... 22 yr old going off with him, its just too typical...

5. most nice israeli girls still dress quite 'slutty'-- my comment as a mother here. (shirts hanging off shoulder, bra totally exposed, belly shirts, etc.) here it is basic mode of dress. but the thai men here also read that as 'free sex come and get it..."....

6. she didnt take in to consideration that she was actually in a different country with different rules and reactions

bina

mother of 20 yr old israeli girl soldier who seems to like to do stupid things in spite of what her mother has warned her about, including taking rides with strangers

Edited November 22, 2007 by bina

[Scott]

As the story gets picked apart and the victim gets blamed, we all should remember that she is a victim of a very heinous crime.

I can understand some posters concern about taking a ride from a relative stranger--I believe they met in the disco. This was very unwise to do anywhere, especially in a foreign country where you wouldn't have any 'character references' from someone who knew him and could say he's a good guy or stay away from him.

Sad that her friends either left her or she decided not to go with them.

[MekongCombat]

Rape is a fact of life in Thailand, from my understanding 90% of them are never reported. Rape is a horrible crime! I have great sympathy for this young victim from Israel. Nobody ever deserves to be raped, to say anything of the sort is just offensive.

[ISPY]

to all above posters: one, it hasnt made the news here yet.

and thai husband made nasty comment about her stupidity

but, typically stupid bahavior among younger israeli kids...

1. yes it is common , we hitchhike a lot in this country, even the girls, even if we can be kidnapped by 'others' for political reasons

2. it is common for groups to go out to discos and then one by one go off, leaving friends behind, to deal...we are a small country and there is always soeone u know that can help u out, or police, or soldiers, or friends

3. 22 is one year after army. all our kids, unfortunately, go off the wall afterwards and leave their brains in their backpacks

4. cultural misreading of situations. here, we recognize sleaze when we see it. but a charming thai guy, dark tan, white teeth, nice accent, exotic.... 22 yr old going off with him, its just too typical...

5. most nice israeli girls still dress quite 'slutty'-- my comment as a mother here. (shirts hanging off shoulder, bra totally exposed, belly shirts, etc.) here it is basic mode of dress. but the thai men here also read that as 'free sex come and get it..."....

6. she didnt take in to consideration that she was actually in a different country with different rules and reactions

bina

mother of 20 yr old israeli girl soldier who seems to like to do stupid things in spite of what her mother has warned her about, including taking rides with strangers

So???? There is never a reason for rape or abuse!!!

[Jai Dee]

An offensive racist remark has been deleted from this thread.

Any more such comments will result in suspension from the forum.

[too true]

Rape is a fact of life in Thailand, from my understanding 90% of them are never reported. Rape is a horrible crime! I have great sympathy for this young victim from Israel. Nobody ever deserves to be raped, to say anything of the sort is just offensive.

Rape is a fact of life. Thailand has nothing to do with it.

[Payboy]

this article doesnt mention that the thai man was with another girl who left early as well (ref. bkk post)...

not knowing that his companion had already left may have led the the israeli girl to believe she wouldnt be alone in his car...?

[Thaising]

Mid-day News from TITV. The rape suspect has been arrested, the rape victim agree to settle the crime without pressing further charge against the suspect. The monetary offer to the victim will donate to charity.

Edited November 23, 2007 by Thaising

[sriracha john]

Thus allowing him to repeat his actions in the future as he learned absolutely nothing regarding being held accountable and responsible for his criminal act and reinforcing in his mind that what he did is acceptable to a wide degree.

Edited November 23, 2007 by sriracha john

[bina]

i didnt blame the victim, just pointed out the 'stupidity' factor and believe me, my daughter is the same age, and the same culture and the kids here 'push the envelope' when in other countries more so than they would here...

anyway, i cant find this in our news in any of the three newspapers.. i always look for thai related stuff ....

bina

[JimsKnight]

Can't say I've met this poor girl but the Israeli girls who've met in Koh Tao have a casual, unknowing, sexy 'mediterranean' style. However, this contrasts to them usually being completely un-streetwise to the ways.

It's not a bad thing in itself as they are typically friendly and honest enough, however it makes them a magnet for a**holes like that thai dude who will try and trick them.

[ISPY]

Rape is a fact of life in Thailand, from my understanding 90% of them are never reported. Rape is a horrible crime! I have great sympathy for this young victim from Israel. Nobody ever deserves to be raped, to say anything of the sort is just offensive.

Rape is a fact of life. Thailand has nothing to do with it.

I agree...this has nothing to do with Thailand! Rape and sexual obuse are very serious problems....

Edited November 23, 2007 by ISPY

[sbk]

I think the point was that rape occurs everywhere, not just in thailand, as Mekongcombat made it sound.

To say that rape is a fact of life in Thailand seems to deny that it is a fact of life everywhere.

And as a woman, I have to add my voice to Bina's here. Women should know better. Nobody deserves to be raped and rapists should be punished but women do know that they are targets and as such should know better than to place themselves in risky situations. Its a sad fact of every woman's life that if she doesn't want to be victimized then she has to be more careful.

[MekongCombat]

I think the point was that rape occurs everywhere, not just in thailand, as Mekongcombat made it sound.

To say that rape is a fact of life in Thailand seems to deny that it is a fact of life everywhere.

And as a woman, I have to add my voice to Bina's here. Women should know better. Nobody deserves to be raped and rapists should be punished but women do know that they are targets and as such should know better than to place themselves in risky situations. Its a sad fact of every woman's life that if she doesn't want to be victimized then she has to be more careful.

While rape may occur in western countries, more than likely the rape will be reported and it will be prosecuted. Thailand however is another story, rape is rarely reported much less prosecuted. If what one member posted is correct that a donation of money to a charity made the case go away every Thai and tourist should be outraged!

Something is definitely wrong if a rape actually occurred and a payment settled it, I will wait and see if this is truly the case before I further comment.

[Thaising]

Suspected rapist of Israeli tourist turned himself in

A young Thai man, accused of raping an Israeli tourist in Chiang Rai's Muang district, on Friday turned himself in to police. As the suspect agreed to pay Bt30,000 in compensation, the tourist withdrew the complaint.

Following a rape compliant filed at Tambon Bandu police station on Thursday against 23-year-old Ronnapi Nakham by a 22-year-old Israeli tourist, the suspect on Friday morning turned himself in to police.

Admitted that he had sex with the woman, he insisted that was a consensual sex, not a rape, after they met and befriended at a discotheque.

Both parties had negotiated and reached an agreement that Ronnapi would pay Bt30,000 in compensation and the tourist would drop the charge.

The tourist said she would give Bt20,000 to the Foundation for Life and Social Development which assisted her after the incident and keep the rest for her hotel and fare expenses.

Bandu police station chief Lt Col Somkid Man-ngan said that police investigation managed to identify the suspect and police then contacted him to turn himself in. The suspect then contacted the damaged person and they agreed to settle the matter, bringing an end to the case, the officer said.

The Nation

[nickynomates]

This is just not acceptable.

It makes a joke out of rape. Wonder what the boys in brown did to settle this and was he from a good family i think.

Keep 10,000 for the hotel what the hel_l. This makes me so angry.

He is stupid she is stupid.

[Thaising]

This is just not acceptable.

It makes a joke out of rape. Wonder what the boys in brown did to settle this and was he from a good family i think.

Keep 10,000 for the hotel what the hel_l. This makes me so angry.

He is stupid she is stupid.

Well this might be her first time in Thailand. If she will to report to her embassy and with media publicity, the police will definitely not request both parties for settlement. As this would damages Thailand images as tourist destination.

[sriracha john]

I'm sorry... I've never taken this viewpoint on any other occasion, but if this is how she's playing this out... it sends the woman's movement back a decade or so... as this was no rape... it was something not illegal in some parts of world and cost:

Thai Baht 30,000 = Israeli Shekel 3,714.71 = Euro 649

[LaoPo]

Suspected rapist of Israeli tourist turned himself in

A young Thai man, accused of raping an Israeli tourist in Chiang Rai's Muang district, on Friday turned himself in to police. As the suspect agreed to pay Bt30,000 in compensation, the tourist withdrew the complaint.

Following a rape compliant filed at Tambon Bandu police station on Thursday against 23-year-old Ronnapi Nakham by a 22-year-old Israeli tourist, the suspect on Friday morning turned himself in to police.

Admitted that he had sex with the woman, he insisted that was a consensual sex, not a rape, after they met and befriended at a discotheque.

Both parties had negotiated and reached an agreement that Ronnapi would pay Bt30,000 in compensation and the tourist would drop the charge.

The tourist said she would give Bt20,000 to the Foundation for Life and Social Development which assisted her after the incident and keep the rest for her hotel and fare expenses.

Bandu police station chief Lt Col Somkid Man-ngan said that police investigation managed to identify the suspect and police then contacted him to turn himself in. The suspect then contacted the damaged person and they agreed to settle the matter, bringing an end to the case, the officer said.

The Nation

Bizarre deal

I am MOST curious to hear the comments of 'our' well respected, educated and experienced TV members like 'Bina' - SBK and other Lady-members.

LaoPo

[Andiamo]

Suspected rapist of Israeli tourist turned himself in

A young Thai man, accused of raping an Israeli tourist in Chiang Rai's Muang district, on Friday turned himself in to police. As the suspect agreed to pay Bt30,000 in compensation, the tourist withdrew the complaint.

Following a rape compliant filed at Tambon Bandu police station on Thursday against 23-year-old Ronnapi Nakham by a 22-year-old Israeli tourist, the suspect on Friday morning turned himself in to police.

Admitted that he had sex with the woman, he insisted that was a consensual sex, not a rape, after they met and befriended at a discotheque.

Both parties had negotiated and reached an agreement that Ronnapi would pay Bt30,000 in compensation and the tourist would drop the charge.

The tourist said she would give Bt20,000 to the Foundation for Life and Social Development which assisted her after the incident and keep the rest for her hotel and fare expenses.

Bandu police station chief Lt Col Somkid Man-ngan said that police investigation managed to identify the suspect and police then contacted him to turn himself in. The suspect then contacted the damaged person and they agreed to settle the matter, bringing an end to the case, the officer said.

The Nation

Bizarre deal

I am MOST curious to hear the comments of 'our' well respected, educated and experienced TV members like 'Bina' - SBK and other Lady-members.

LaoPo

I had to reread the updated article... Extremely odd..... However, I think we do not know the full facts to ascertain if it was consensual or not, and therefore, I am not willing to pontificate and analyse why or what exactly happened. (She shoulda..., He coulda..., She shouldn't have...., He couldn't have.... etc etc)

We weren't there so we cannot judge. Except to say it seems extremely bizarre.

I hope this thread does not degenerate into a "Who cried Wolf" and Blame Flame. Unless someone is friends with the parties involved, it is unlikely the true facts will ever come to life IMO.

[Jingthing]

If she had chosen to pursue a prosecution, wouldn't that have meant her having to stay in Thailand a long time to testify at the trial? Realistically, that might not have been practical. In any case, by paying the money he is admitting guilt, and he is getting off very easy.

Edited November 23, 2007 by Jingthing

[Tony Clifton]

I think the point was that rape occurs everywhere, not just in thailand, as Mekongcombat made it sound.

To say that rape is a fact of life in Thailand seems to deny that it is a fact of life everywhere.

And as a woman, I have to add my voice to Bina's here. Women should know better. Nobody deserves to be raped and rapists should be punished but women do know that they are targets and as such should know better than to place themselves in risky situations. Its a sad fact of every woman's life that if she doesn't want to be victimized then she has to be more careful.

While rape may occur in western countries, more than likely the rape will be reported and it will be prosecuted. Thailand however is another story, rape is rarely reported much less prosecuted. If what one member posted is correct that a donation of money to a charity made the case go away every Thai and tourist should be outraged!

Something is definitely wrong if a rape actually occurred and a payment settled it, I will wait and see if this is truly the case before I further comment.

Well said.

Unfortunately money changing hands between perpetrator and victim in Thailand is commonplace allowing criminals to go free and not face proper justice or receive a more lenient sentence.

I would not be surprised if the Police encouraged the victim to accept a payment in order to facilitate the release of the suspect, and to quickly stop further prosecution.

I believe it's also the shortest avenue for them, quickly washing their hands from the case, normal procedure would just be such a burden.