Two Tourists In Pai Shot By A Police Officer

[GetBackJoJo]

Well, Reisig's story above clears up a lot about the murder and shooting, but leaves a lot to be told about the motives.

Who knows? Perhaps this story is even worse than we suspected, with absolutely NO MOTIVE except for a drunk cop.

What exactly does her story clear up? I will tell you, it clears up nothing. It just means there are conflicting reports over what happened or are you taking her words to be the absolute authority over what went down?

The mind boggles.

Yes, I can definitely understand your astonishment, because you seem to have a penchant for missing basic information and intent. It's really tedious to have to explain the obvious. Her story clears up a lot about the MURDER and SHOOTING, from more than just a Thai cop's story: she and her ex were friends, there was no fight, she isn't pregnant, her Thai boyfriend was with them, and there was a struggle, but after the cop pulled a gun.

Of course there needs to be an investigation, which is why I mentioned both good forensics in the first place, and commented on doubt: "Who knows, Perhaps ..... and motive..."

Chloe, I don't want to respond to you again because quite frankly you are coming off as just an attention-seeker, and not a very interesting one at that because you are not even taking the time to read properly, never mind argue any interesting points.

Chloe, to be fair, you strike me as rather blinkered, and you seem to be missing Kats point. Consider, if you will, the two versions of events with a more objective (and less argumentative) point of view.

I wont reiterate with my own detailed bullet points, as i cant be arsed...... in brief though; the Thai cop states a unique, astonishingly bizzare version of events which is supported by the usual third party unfounded rumours; pregant to a local Thai guy; Love triangle; Fighting et al, et al. Reisig's version is way more palitable and believable...... Straight from her hospital bed where she lies with a bullet in her chest. While the copper is sitting in a cheesy kareoke bar with a bottle of 100 pipers.

Dont challenge me on that. He <deleted> is. Prolly on his second bottle and his fouth tilac. After all, he's the man. Now.

Anyway. Kat isnt advocating case closure. Clearly she is suggesting an investigation. Her initial thoughts on the subject are not intended as rock hard conclusion... just common sense and i agree with her logic.

I fully agree with her that the proceeding investigation is worthy of respect.

But... you know.... lets be honest. The copper fuc_ked up. End of. The murdering bastard just slaughtered a young Canadian dude for little, if any, reason.

[kat]

The biggest question mark for me right now besides how this all went down at the point of shooting, is why?

Why would a drunk, off-duty cop, suddenly intervene and slap a woman, for no apparent reason.

The Thai boyfriend is an odd piece in all of this, especially since it is somewhat rare for them to be friends with ex and current lovers, and then suddenly a random shooting occurs in a small town? Bizarre, but, it is all speculation right now.

It could be that outrageous. We won't know for awhile, if we ever know.

I'm very sorry for the poor guy's death. Completely senseless.

why do drunks do anything they do......coz they drunk! maybe he particularly doesnt like farangs or thinks she was going with 2 guys..or was she in his way as he drunkenly walked past with an attitude...if he wasnt drunk then is more worrying as to the why(if it was a planned hit then dont think he would have hit her first then got his gun from his bike!).....dont think we will ever hear the truth from him as there seems no rational explanation.as to the thai guy,i dont see what the problem is,why cant he drink with his girlfriend and her friend...he probably met him before anyway as the farang guy had been in thailand for 6 months before...if they were all thai then im sure more issues and wouldnt hang out together but he is with a farang and therefore has to understand farangs more than the average thai man....me thinks

i just hope said cop dont seem to be unavailable

Yes, you make some very good points, and in my experience the "Rasta" Thai guys who live in resort towns are far more sophisticated when it comes to farang youth culture than the average Thai, so you may be right.

It is only speculation and questions of a standard nature that are naturally raised in an incident that involves murder and a love triangle, however in this case the random cop is a strange piece. Perhaps it is chalked up to his drunkenness, and some kind of PERCEIVED loss of face before the struggle, such as seeing another Thai man walk behind his girlfriend with her farang ex-boyfriend. Who knows?

But as I said, it is only speculation into the motive of a senseless crime.

- We have the shooting victim in the hospital stating a very believable version (far more believable than "my gun went off accidentally THREE TIMES as stated by the police officer),

- We have the thai boyfriend sitting next to the shooting victim in the hospital, and

- We have a bar owner who says they weren't arguing in the bar or outside that bar (as the policeman claims).

The thing that really bothers me about this whole affair: the cop is out on bail. Up in that country it's going to be so easy for him to step across the border until a deal can be cut with minimum consequences to him.

What are the chances that justice will be served?

Well said Kat.

~WISteve

Thanks Steve; You, too.

[kat]

Well, Reisig's story above clears up a lot about the murder and shooting, but leaves a lot to be told about the motives.

Who knows? Perhaps this story is even worse than we suspected, with absolutely NO MOTIVE except for a drunk cop.

What exactly does her story clear up? I will tell you, it clears up nothing. It just means there are conflicting reports over what happened or are you taking her words to be the absolute authority over what went down?

The mind boggles.

Yes, I can definitely understand your astonishment, because you seem to have a penchant for missing basic information and intent. It's really tedious to have to explain the obvious. Her story clears up a lot about the MURDER and SHOOTING, from more than just a Thai cop's story: she and her ex were friends, there was no fight, she isn't pregnant, her Thai boyfriend was with them, and there was a struggle, but after the cop pulled a gun.

Of course there needs to be an investigation, which is why I mentioned both good forensics in the first place, and commented on doubt: "Who knows, Perhaps ..... and motive..."

Chloe, I don't want to respond to you again because quite frankly you are coming off as just an attention-seeker, and not a very interesting one at that because you are not even taking the time to read properly, never mind argue any interesting points.

Chloe, to be fair, you strike me as rather blinkered, and you seem to be missing Kats point. Consider, if you will, the two versions of events with a more objective (and less argumentative) point of view.

I wont reiterate with my own detailed bullet points, as i cant be arsed...... in brief though; the Thai cop states a unique, astonishingly bizzare version of events which is supported by the usual third party unfounded rumours; pregant to a local Thai guy; Love triangle; Fighting et al, et al. Reisig's version is way more palitable and believable...... Straight from her hospital bed where she lies with a bullet in her chest. While the copper is sitting in a cheesy kareoke bar with a bottle of 100 pipers.

Dont challenge me on that. He <deleted> is. Prolly on his second bottle and his fouth tilac. After all, he's the man. Now.

Anyway. Kat isnt advocating case closure. Clearly she is suggesting an investigation. Her initial thoughts on the subject are not intended as rock hard conclusion... just common sense and i agree with her logic.

I fully agree with her that the proceeding investigation is worthy of respect.

But... you know.... lets be honest. The copper fuc_ked up. End of. The murdering bastard just slaughtered a young Canadian dude for little, if any, reason.

Yeah, and jojo you make a good point about the pregnant rumor factor. The Thai cops probably manufactured that tid bit for the press, but it was fed to them from the rumor mill, which means of course that people were watching them, as they always are, and seems to be a bit sympathetic for the Thai guy.

Anyway, I don't know, because none of it makes sense right now except that another Thai cop fuc_ked up in outlandishly incompetent fashion, AGAIN!!!

[neverdie]

Chaps, I think alot of people here could benifit with frequent visits to a psychologist or perhaps some clinic that offers a bit of 'electronic treatment'. I was trying to decide which one of the above listed posts was most amusing and I think it comes down to a close one here, the one about the thai policeman putting down the rabid falang was a perla but I think the one where somebody here, i can't be bothered to go back through the posts, but somebody actually suggested we should wait for some 'proper reporting' before we start making judgement on this incident. Thanks for the entertainment

[pippomusic]

Somebody died, this is terrible, not for him, he is probably in a better place or in no place at all by now, but for the stream of pain and suffering left beyond...

BUT EXCUSE ME, What is this resentement and DISGUST? Send email of DISGUST to thai embassies? This sounds ABSURD...

Why we like to live and/or stay in thailand? (Put a cross where applies)

1 - With the price of an average meal in our country, we can afford a 5 stars day all included

2 - Women are as beautiful as angels

3 - For who is interested, 1000 baht are usually enough for a first class hooker

4 - Spirituality, superstition and beliefs make magic still exist here

5 - Tropical weather

6 - Fantastic nature

7 - First class services at the price of a snack

8 - People are still quite naiv and open heart

You may be interested in just a few of the above but...

ALL OF THESE, SORRY TO SAY SO, IS BECAUSE WE ARE MORE OR LESS IN THE THIRD WORLD (In case you forgot).

It is terrible to hear news of death and pain, but please keep your complaints for european or american institutions. If you enjoy life here, then accept the inevitable. Try to learn something from the buddhist culture around us, otherwise, GO HOME, enjoy political correctness, and pay a meal 1000 baht.

love

Pippo

[stevemiddie]

Somebody died, this is terrible, not for him, he is probably in a better place or in no place at all by now, but for the stream of pain and suffering left beyond...

BUT EXCUSE ME, What is this resentement and DISGUST? Send email of DISGUST to thai embassies? This sounds ABSURD...

Why we like to live and/or stay in thailand? (Put a cross where applies)

1 - With the price of an average meal in our country, we can afford a 5 stars day all included

2 - Women are as beautiful as angels

3 - For who is interested, 1000 baht are usually enough for a first class hooker

4 - Spirituality, superstition and beliefs make magic still exist here

5 - Tropical weather

6 - Fantastic nature

7 - First class services at the price of a snack

8 - People are still quite naiv and open heart

You may be interested in just a few of the above but...

ALL OF THESE, SORRY TO SAY SO, IS BECAUSE WE ARE MORE OR LESS IN THE THIRD WORLD (In case you forgot).

It is terrible to hear news of death and pain, but please keep your complaints for european or american institutions. If you enjoy life here, then accept the inevitable. Try to learn something from the buddhist culture around us, otherwise, GO HOME, enjoy political correctness, and pay a meal 1000 baht.

love

Pippo

Oh God. Another one.

Edited January 7, 2008 by stevemiddie

[aaaaaa]

check out the guardian story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/st...2236672,00.html

And my favorite quote from that, "The policeman, who is about 1.6m tall, was beaten to the ground by the man, a bodybuilder, and the hippy woman," said the local police chief, Wanchai Suwanririkate.

So Thai sympathizers, it seems like the 'other side' is just as racist as we are... at least that's the way I read it. Poor little innocent Thai man was defending himself against bodybuilders and hippies...

aha, right ! and don't forget to add those "evil backpackerzzzz" !!!!!!!!!!

here is the "bodybuilder":

Leo Del Pinto

(photo from The Vancouver Sun)

why ! he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime !

[bri1guy]

Was the canadian armed?? I hope the findings of the investigation are not covered up!! I don't think the same outcome would of occured if he was a thai man..

[kdvsn]

check out the guardian story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/st...2236672,00.html

And my favorite quote from that, "The policeman, who is about 1.6m tall, was beaten to the ground by the man, a bodybuilder, and the hippy woman," said the local police chief, Wanchai Suwanririkate.

So Thai sympathizers, it seems like the 'other side' is just as racist as we are... at least that's the way I read it. Poor little innocent Thai man was defending himself against bodybuilders and hippies...

aha, right ! and don't forget to add those "evil backpackerzzzz" !!!!!!!!!!

here is the "bodybuilder":

Leo Del Pinto

(photo from The Vancouver Sun)

why ! he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime !

More like Maynard G. Krebs.

[aaaaaa]

Call me what you like, but if the story is true that the Canadian got drunk and started pushing people around, then serves him right....

hmmmm

are you too naive to accept one side of story?

here is what Non-Thai media reports :

Families demand answers on Thailand shooting death

Sean Myers, CanWest News Service

Published: Monday, January 07, 2008

Reisig said a Thai man punched her as she and Delpinto were returning home from a bar.

When Delpinto defended her, Reisig said the man pulled out a gun and shot Delpinto in the head and chest.

"There was no reason for it," she said.....

There are conflicting reports about what took place Sunday....

An interview with Carly Reisig in the Thai newspaper The Nation quoted her as saying there was no fight and that they had not seen the man before he hit her for no apparent reason.

Reisig also told the paper that Delpinto was her ex-boyfriend from Canada and was still her best friend. She also said that she had never been pregnant, as some news sources had earlier reported.

Thai police officer charged in shooting death of Calgary man

Calgary Herald

Published: Monday, January 07, 2008

Reisig told the Herald today that a Thai man punched her as the pair were returning home from a bar. When Delpinto defended her, she said the man pulled out a gun and shot Delpinto in the head and chest.

Carly Reisig, 24, from Chilliwack B.C. Canada shows her bullet wound. Her best friend John Leo Del Pinto, 24, from Calgary was shot dead by a drunk off-duty Thai policeman in Pai, Northern Thailand. She was shot once in the chest.

Photograph by : Photo by Chiang Mai.

Woman says slain Calgary man saved her life

Jan 07, 2008 03:52 PM

The Canadian Press

A Canadian woman wounded in Thailand says she feels her life was saved by her Calgary friend who was shot to death in front of her. A Thai police officer has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of John Leo Del Pinto and the wounding of Carly Reisig.

Reisig spoke today in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press from her hospital bed in northern Thailand.

She said she was struck by a bullet that came within an inch of her heart and that she was near death last night.

“It punctured my lung and last night to save my life they inserted a plastic tube through my ribs and into my lungs and it’s still in there and the blood is getting taken out of there ... there’s constantly blood coming out of there.”

Reisig, 24, of Chilliwack, B.C., denied an earlier report that she was pregnant.

She also denied a report that she and Del Pinto had been in a fight near the restaurant in Pai, Thailand, where the shooting took place.

She says she was talking to Del Pinto when a man punched her in the forehead.

“And John, he just said, ’Nobody hits her,’ and he pushed the guy down on the ground and when the guy got up, he had a pistol in his hand.”

She said Del Pinto, 24, tried unsuccessfully to take the gun from the man, who then shot Del Pinto in the face and the stomach before turning the gun on her.

now, here is an article from local Thai newspaper The Nation, perhaps the most detailed so far :

SURVIVOR'S CLAIM

Cop 'executed my best friend'

Officer 'hit me, shot Leo twice, then fired at me'

Published on January 8, 2008

A young Canadian woman told yesterday how a Thai policeman shot dead her best friend in Pai in the North, then shot another bullet into his heart as he lay on the ground. {to make sure he stays down? }

Carly Reisig, 24, said the policeman had no grounds at all for the attack - and that after he shot fellow Canadian John Leo del Pinto, the officer turned his gun on her and shot her in the chest. {too eliminate the witness ? or she was also a violent abusive bully bodybuilder? interestingly - WHERE was Fuen at the time of shooting? why he wasn't shot or anything? }

Speaking from her bed in hospital in Chiang Mai, Reisig, from Chilliwack, British Columbia, rejected a police statement that suggested Sgt-Major Uthai Dechawiwat, 37, had intervened to break up a fight and his gun had discharged in a struggle.

She pointed to her chest where the bullet was lodged close to her own heart.

"There never was a fight. That is not true," she said. "John was my ex-boyfriend, but still my best friend. We had nothing to argue about. We had been drinking in the Be-Bop Bar in Pai and were heading for a last drink at the Bamboo Bar near the bridge.

"We were walking together. My Thai boyfriend Fuen was walking slightly behind. {oops! here comes up Fuen's part ?}

"A man came up to me on the road near Pee Dang's Restaurant and hit me for no reason.

"My face was painted with face paint, for fun, but I don't know why he hit me. We had never met him before, never seen him before. We were unarmed and walking down the road after a good night out.

"He was dressed in plain clothes, a white T-shirt. Leo shouted at him, 'You can't hit her!' and pushed him away from us. Then the man went to his motorbike and got his gun, and Leo tried to get it away from him.

"They had a struggle for the gun, then the man got control of the gun and stepped back and shot Leo directly in the face. {it completely reject the possibility of an accident - isn't it? unless of course cop stepped back by an accident too, stumbled on some stone and his finger on trigger accidentally jerked at that time ? oh yeah - TWO times stumbled and misfired !}

"Leo fell to the ground and the man pointed the gun at his heart and fired a second shot. Then he turned around to me and aimed for my heart and shot me in the chest.

"I blacked out and when I came to I saw Leo lying dead on the road beside me. My lungs filled up with blood and I couldn't breathe.

"I went to Pai Hospital and then to a hospital in Chiang Mai. They had to put a tube into my lungs to drain the blood so that I could breathe again.

"I can't believe that my best friend is dead and I've got a bullet right beside my heart.

"I have never been married, I am not pregnant. Leo was my ex-boyfriend from Canada. He had arrived in Pai a few days before to see me."

Sitting by her bed was her boyfriend Rattaporn Vara-wadee, an artist nicknamed Fuen. {wow ! Fuen is talking too? }

He said: "Nothing we did gave this man the right to take lives. We are angry now and we need help and a good lawyer. We are shocked to hear that the policeman is already out on bail."

Asked again if they had been fighting, she replied: "Not at all, he was my best friend." She had spoken to del Pinto's family and said: "They are not doing well."

Suchart Pantai, the owner of Be-Bop Bar, said he saw the couple and Fuen leave his bar at about 1am. "There was no fighting. But I heard from other sources that they were play-fighting as they walked."

Reisig has been in Thailand for a year, leaving occasionally on visa runs. She has worked in Canada with physically and mentally handicapped people.

John Leo del Pinto, also 24, from Calgary in Alberta in west Canada, was a former music student who earned a living as a promoter and concert organiser.

Uthai Dechawiwat has been charged with murder, manslaughter and attempted murder, but the version of events issued by police in Pai is at total variance with Miss Reisig's story.

Case investigator Pol Lt-Colonel Sombat Panya said the couple had been drinking in a local pub and had become involved in a drunken brawl after del Pinto, who recently arrived in Thailand, found that Reisig was pregnant to a Thai man known as Fuen.

The couple continued arguing after they left the pub when Uthai arrived at the scene, near a bridge, on personal business. Uthai approached them and asked them to be calm but both foreigners turned to attack him.

The officer said Uthai was beaten to the ground by the couple. After managing to get up, Uthai pointed his service pistol to threaten away both foreigners, but del Pinto tried to snatch the pistol from him. After a scuffle, shots were fired and the couple went down.

Last night Graham Arscott, the father of Vanessa Arscott, 23, who was gunned down in Kanchanaburi with her boyfriend Adam Lloyd, 24, by Police Sgt-Major Wisetsingh said: "So sad. I feel so terribly sorry for this young man's family."

In the River Kwai case, Wisetsingh shot the couple dead in a fit of rage after being beaten to the ground by Lloyd, who it is believed thought the policeman was trying to hit on his girlfriend.

Like the Kanchanaburi case, the killing in the idyllic tourist village of Pai has the semblance of another police "loss of face" execution.

Andrew Drummond

Special to The Nation

so, as you see, thaiexp (and others advocating "poor thai cop") - there are enough witnesses quoted by Thai newspaper too, who deny police's version of this story !

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

Edited January 7, 2008 by aaaaaa

[lioness]

Brandishing a gun to scare them off, obviously the safety was off and a bullet in the barrel ready for action.

The general rule as already stated, never pull a gun unless you are prepared to use it.

Thailand rule, always fire at least 2 shots, one to kill and one as a warning, but report it was the other way around. A dead man can't speak.

[kat]

If you google Leo del Pinto, there are a bunch of Canadian stories at the top, with the time the story was filed. One story quotes Reisig as saying she thinks her face paint provoked the cop to hit her for some reason.

And, after the pictures we have seen of Reisig and the bullet wound, this is an account of the Bangkok Post from 3 hours ago:

CRIME DEATH OF CANADIAN TOURIST (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/08Jan2008_news05.php)

Policeman faces murder charge

CHEEWIN SATTHA

Chiang Mai _ A policeman who shot dead a Canadian tourist and wounded his girlfriend in Mae Hong Son's Pai district was yesterday charged with premeditated murder and attempted murder. Pol Sgt-Maj Uthai Dechawiwat was released on bail, said the chief of the Provincial Police Region 5, Pol Lt-Gen Theerasak Chookitkhun.

The shooting occurred on Sunday when Pol Sgt-Maj Uthai tried to break up an argument between the couple, Leo John Del Pinto and Carly Reisig, outside a restaurant after the man accused his girlfriend of having an affair with a Thai man.

The off-duty police officer said he was asked by the restaurant owner to help stop the argument.

Pol Sgt-Maj Uthai fled into hiding before turning himself in yesterday to fight the charges in court. He maintained it was an accident, telling investigators he was attacked during the scuffle and drew his gun to fire a warning shot.

He claimed the tourists tried to snatch the weapon from him and it accidentally went off. Del Pinto was hit twice and his girlfriend once. She was rushed to a hospital in Chiang Mai and treated for a wound to the right hip. Pol Lt-Gen Theerasak said Ms Reisig was still in shock and not ready for questioning.

No order to suspend Pol Sgt-Maj Uthai from work has been issued so far

*link inserted

** Also, her account from Canadian press has the cop drawing the gun after being pushed on the ground, whereas the Thai account from the Nation has him getting up and walking to the motorbike to get a gun. Very different sequence of events.

Edited January 7, 2008 by kat

[kdvsn]

Call me what you like, but if the story is true that the Canadian got drunk and started pushing people around, then serves him right....

hmmmm

are you too naive to accept one side of story?

here is what Non-Thai media reports :

Families demand answers on Thailand shooting death

Sean Myers, CanWest News Service

Published: Monday, January 07, 2008

Reisig said a Thai man punched her as she and Delpinto were returning home from a bar.

When Delpinto defended her, Reisig said the man pulled out a gun and shot Delpinto in the head and chest.

"There was no reason for it," she said.....

There are conflicting reports about what took place Sunday....

An interview with Carly Reisig in the Thai newspaper The Nation quoted her as saying there was no fight and that they had not seen the man before he hit her for no apparent reason.

Reisig also told the paper that Delpinto was her ex-boyfriend from Canada and was still her best friend. She also said that she had never been pregnant, as some news sources had earlier reported.

Thai police officer charged in shooting death of Calgary man

Calgary Herald

Published: Monday, January 07, 2008

Reisig told the Herald today that a Thai man punched her as the pair were returning home from a bar. When Delpinto defended her, she said the man pulled out a gun and shot Delpinto in the head and chest.

Carly Reisig, 24, from Chilliwack B.C. Canada shows her bullet wound. Her best friend John Leo Del Pinto, 24, from Calgary was shot dead by a drunk off-duty Thai policeman in Pai, Northern Thailand. She was shot once in the chest.

Photograph by : Photo by Chiang Mai.

Woman says slain Calgary man saved her life

Jan 07, 2008 03:52 PM

The Canadian Press

A Canadian woman wounded in Thailand says she feels her life was saved by her Calgary friend who was shot to death in front of her. A Thai police officer has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of John Leo Del Pinto and the wounding of Carly Reisig.

Reisig spoke today in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press from her hospital bed in northern Thailand.

She said she was struck by a bullet that came within an inch of her heart and that she was near death last night.

“It punctured my lung and last night to save my life they inserted a plastic tube through my ribs and into my lungs and it’s still in there and the blood is getting taken out of there ... there’s constantly blood coming out of there.”

Reisig, 24, of Chilliwack, B.C., denied an earlier report that she was pregnant.

She also denied a report that she and Del Pinto had been in a fight near the restaurant in Pai, Thailand, where the shooting took place.

She says she was talking to Del Pinto when a man punched her in the forehead.

“And John, he just said, ’Nobody hits her,’ and he pushed the guy down on the ground and when the guy got up, he had a pistol in his hand.”

She said Del Pinto, 24, tried unsuccessfully to take the gun from the man, who then shot Del Pinto in the face and the stomach before turning the gun on her.

now, here is an article from local Thai newspaper The Nation, perhaps the most detailed so far :

SURVIVOR'S CLAIM

Cop 'executed my best friend'

Officer 'hit me, shot Leo twice, then fired at me'

Published on January 8, 2008

A young Canadian woman told yesterday how a Thai policeman shot dead her best friend in Pai in the North, then shot another bullet into his heart as he lay on the ground. {to make sure he stays down? }

Carly Reisig, 24, said the policeman had no grounds at all for the attack - and that after he shot fellow Canadian John Leo del Pinto, the officer turned his gun on her and shot her in the chest.

Speaking from her bed in hospital in Chiang Mai, Reisig, from Chilliwack, British Columbia, rejected a police statement that suggested Sgt-Major Uthai Dechawiwat, 37, had intervened to break up a fight and his gun had discharged in a struggle.

She pointed to her chest where the bullet was lodged close to her own heart.

"There never was a fight. That is not true," she said. "John was my ex-boyfriend, but still my best friend. We had nothing to argue about. We had been drinking in the Be-Bop Bar in Pai and were heading for a last drink at the Bamboo Bar near the bridge.

"We were walking together. My Thai boyfriend Fuen was walking slightly behind. {oops! here comes up Fuen's part ?}

"A man came up to me on the road near Pee Dang's Restaurant and hit me for no reason.

"My face was painted with face paint, for fun, but I don't know why he hit me. We had never met him before, never seen him before. We were unarmed and walking down the road after a good night out.

"He was dressed in plain clothes, a white T-shirt. Leo shouted at him, 'You can't hit her!' and pushed him away from us. Then the man went to his motorbike and got his gun, and Leo tried to get it away from him.

"They had a struggle for the gun, then the man got control of the gun and stepped back and shot Leo directly in the face.

"Leo fell to the ground and the man pointed the gun at his heart and fired a second shot. Then he turned around to me and aimed for my heart and shot me in the chest.

"I blacked out and when I came to I saw Leo lying dead on the road beside me. My lungs filled up with blood and I couldn't breathe.

"I went to Pai Hospital and then to a hospital in Chiang Mai. They had to put a tube into my lungs to drain the blood so that I could breathe again.

"I can't believe that my best friend is dead and I've got a bullet right beside my heart.

"I have never been married, I am not pregnant. Leo was my ex-boyfriend from Canada. He had arrived in Pai a few days before to see me."

Sitting by her bed was her boyfriend Rattaporn Vara-wadee, an artist nicknamed Fuen. {wow ! Fuen is talking too? }

He said: "Nothing we did gave this man the right to take lives. We are angry now and we need help and a good lawyer. We are shocked to hear that the policeman is already out on bail."

Asked again if they had been fighting, she replied: "Not at all, he was my best friend." She had spoken to del Pinto's family and said: "They are not doing well."

Suchart Pantai, the owner of Be-Bop Bar, said he saw the couple and Fuen leave his bar at about 1am. "There was no fighting. But I heard from other sources that they were play-fighting as they walked."

Reisig has been in Thailand for a year, leaving occasionally on visa runs. She has worked in Canada with physically and mentally handicapped people.

John Leo del Pinto, also 24, from Calgary in Alberta in west Canada, was a former music student who earned a living as a promoter and concert organiser.

Uthai Dechawiwat has been charged with murder, manslaughter and attempted murder, but the version of events issued by police in Pai is at total variance with Miss Reisig's story.

Case investigator Pol Lt-Colonel Sombat Panya said the couple had been drinking in a local pub and had become involved in a drunken brawl after del Pinto, who recently arrived in Thailand, found that Reisig was pregnant to a Thai man known as Fuen.

The couple continued arguing after they left the pub when Uthai arrived at the scene, near a bridge, on personal business. Uthai approached them and asked them to be calm but both foreigners turned to attack him.

The officer said Uthai was beaten to the ground by the couple. After managing to get up, Uthai pointed his service pistol to threaten away both foreigners, but del Pinto tried to snatch the pistol from him. After a scuffle, shots were fired and the couple went down.

Last night Graham Arscott, the father of Vanessa Arscott, 23, who was gunned down in Kanchanaburi with her boyfriend Adam Lloyd, 24, by Police Sgt-Major Wisetsingh said: "So sad. I feel so terribly sorry for this young man's family."

In the River Kwai case, Wisetsingh shot the couple dead in a fit of rage after being beaten to the ground by Lloyd, who it is believed thought the policeman was trying to hit on his girlfriend.

Like the Kanchanaburi case, the killing in the idyllic tourist village of Pai has the semblance of another police "loss of face" execution.

Andrew Drummond

Special to The Nation

so, as you see, thaiexp (and others advocating "poor thai cop") - there are enough witnesses quoted by Thai newspaper too, who deny police's version of this story !

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

The Pai police must have thought that the evidence was pretty stong too for them to have immediately charged one of their own with murder and attempted murder. If they had any doubt about whether the shooting was justifiable self-defense they could have investagted the case for a while before making the decision to file charges. It's strange that they let him out on bail though. Who determines whether bail will be granted in Thailand, is it the police or is it a judges decision?

[aaaaaa]

If you google Leo del Pinto, there are a bunch of Canadian stories at the top, with the time the story was filed.

.............

No order to suspend Pol Sgt-Maj Uthai from work has been issued so far

*link inserted

yes, here is one of those stories (well from Aussie paper, not Canadian), more exactly rather my favorite part from it, which closely relates to this last sentence in your post !

Tourist killed by cop breaking up lovers' quarrel

Uthai was charged with premeditated murder and a separate count of attempted murder, but was released pending a trial, he added.

Wanchai said charges were filed to avoid any appearance of favoritism towards a fellow policeman, saying Uthai would be able to clear himself in court.

so, that pretty much explains a lot WHY it is such police version of story, huh?

if the officer in charge of formal investigation ALREADY said such a thing: "no problems, poor abused by drunk farangs Uthai will surely be proved innocent"

why, but of course! just only 3 accidental shots ! much worse things happened more than once in Thailand.

last New Years' 6 (or 7?) bombings in Bangkok - does ANYBODY in Thai media or Police, or government even mention about them AT ALL anymore? not to say - ANYONE has been charged and punished.....

even with all Thaksin bashing going around, one of favorite topics the killings in "War on drugs" - was ANYONE been charged or found guilty or punished? or perhaps Thaksin did it all alone all those killings - went around with gun and executed all those people in cold blood? surely those who did the ACTUAL killing are still out there. and with all the talking and hysteria about "evil Thaksin" - at least "for face" the interim government must have exemplary punished 1 or 2 guys?

none as I know. correct me if I am wrong.

not to mention the "Old history" (but not too old for now still living people to forget): Thammasat mass slaughter in 73, then Oct 76, then 92 (soldiers shooting even nurses who provided care for wounded in nearby hotel). ANYONE was ever punished at all?

so, once again - worse things happened in Thailand more than once. and here - some "drunk bully bodybuilder parasite-style hippy farang" got "accidentally" shot (never mind 2 times) by innocent scrawny brave cop (never mind drunk and carrying gun while off-duty - it was also by accident !). ha! that's nothing !

[aaaaaa]

The Pai police must have thought that the evidence was pretty stong too for them to have immediately charged one of their own with murder and attempted murder. If they had any doubt about whether the shooting was justifiable self-defense they could have investagted the case for a while before making the decision to file charges. It's strange that they let him out on bail though. Who determines whether bail will be granted in Thailand, is it the police or is it a judges decision?

NO! I don't think they thought so - that evidence is pretty strong.

they simply were TOLD to do something under huge pressure. Canadian Embassy and families of both victims are already enough....

and as you can see from Aussie paper quote, officer confirmed that by saying that Wanchai they charged Uthai so because they didn't want it appears as favoritism toward fellow policeman. My interpretation: not TOO obvious favoritism.

as for why they let him go on bail - why! because they DO favor him and have ALREADY decided he is innocent and have full confidence that he'll surely be able to clear himself in court.

[tropo]

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

Another unique Thai trait no doubt.

[Prakanong]

Probably more than half of the posts here are offensive to Thailand.

Off duty Policemen who engage in drunken arguments then gun down unarmed people are offensive to Thailand.

Sticks and stones.

The offensive part is that you are making this assumption without any facts being known.

Of course you can be right, but you don't know that. This is called being biased, and in this case the bias, at least to me, seems to based on race, nationality or both.

I don't know, there are pretty good indications as to what happened.

- Official story clearly rubbish because completely unconvincing.

- Eyewitness accounts very clear on guilt of officer

- Two people hit by three bullets - not self defense

- Officer fleeing the scene initially

- Victim says shooting was unprovoked (see link w/ interview fragment)

We don't know the whole story, but by all likelihood, and if you have ever seen the behavior of off duty police officers in bars, I am willing to bet good money on the guilt of the officer here.

Bias would be to ignore all the information known so far and pretend that all things are equal when they clearly are not.

There are two facts we know indisputably: A young canadian man is dead and a young woman in hospital and that the Thai policeman pulled the trigger that put the bullets into their bodies. Nobody disputes that

The Thai policeman claims self-defence yet has no witnesses, whereas there are witnesses to the contrary.

So the only question is whether the young Canadian man and woman acted in a way that made the Thai policeman believe his only chance to save his life was to fire the gun.

If someone can provide any evidence to that then I'd be willing to look at both sides.

So far the only "evidence" is claims that he was drunk and that he didn't understand Thai customs.

All the apologists should really listen to themselves. You sound like the Thais who say a farang is automatically at fault in a traffic accident as if the farang hadn't come to Thailand he wouldn't have been on the road for the accident to happen so its the farangs fault.

Can I remind everyone a young man is DEAD and was killed by the bullets that came out of the gun fired by the Thai policeman. That is the whole story and until something else comes up don't tell keep telling us about how he should have had your superior knowledge of Thai customs so he deserved to die

Nah - it was not his life he believed he neded to save by firing his gun, he needed to save his "Face".

As someone above has pointed out you often see drunk Thai policeman behaving pretty badly in bar's in much of Thailand and there are plenty of famous incidents ie Kanchanaburi and the arm amputation.

[Prakanong]

Andrew Drummond is a famous sensationalist

He's probably the only reporter in Thailand whose not too scared to handle this sort of case and the case in Kanchanaburi

Yes, as much as some of Andrew Drummonds personal ethics are pretty low he is not scared to publish the truth about cases like this, Kanchanaburi and the Kirsty Jones case - the tour guide in the Jones case probably has a lot to thank him for.

He has also got himself into bother with the Chelsea Headhunters over world cup violence and with the Boiler Room guys.

I actually met him in Patpong my very first trip to Thailand many years ago.

[aaaaaa]

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

Another unique Thai trait no doubt.

no need for sarcasm!

I didn't say it is anything especially Thai or unique.

but I do have personal experience - of getting death threats from Thai b/f of one girl.

now, here is another subject:

it is interesting to see that somehow lately (last few days) there has been several cases reported by local media about brutality and other wrongs of Thai police. just look at the front page of The Nation website: 3 of their 4 big stories are about police !

is it junta (army) trying to screw their eternal rival (police) once again ?

[Prakanong]

Somebody died, this is terrible, not for him, he is probably in a better place or in no place at all by now, but for the stream of pain and suffering left beyond...

BUT EXCUSE ME, What is this resentement and DISGUST? Send email of DISGUST to thai embassies? This sounds ABSURD...

Why we like to live and/or stay in thailand? (Put a cross where applies)

1 - With the price of an average meal in our country, we can afford a 5 stars day all included

2 - Women are as beautiful as angels

3 - For who is interested, 1000 baht are usually enough for a first class hooker

4 - Spirituality, superstition and beliefs make magic still exist here

5 - Tropical weather

6 - Fantastic nature

7 - First class services at the price of a snack

8 - People are still quite naiv and open heart

You may be interested in just a few of the above but...

ALL OF THESE, SORRY TO SAY SO, IS BECAUSE WE ARE MORE OR LESS IN THE THIRD WORLD (In case you forgot).

It is terrible to hear news of death and pain, but please keep your complaints for european or american institutions. If you enjoy life here, then accept the inevitable. Try to learn something from the buddhist culture around us, otherwise, GO HOME, enjoy political correctness, and pay a meal 1000 baht.

love

Pippo

Oh God. Another one.

ROFL

It does bring the nutter's out from under their rock a thread like this.

From the rabid sociopaths fantasising that a rabid dog farang has been put down in the street to the airy fairy hippies who then fantasise over 1000 THB high class hookers - amazing Thailand

[Prakanong]

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

Another unique Thai trait no doubt.

Fuen is the interesting bit in this case.

He seems to be corroborating the Canadian girl.

He was an eye witness - or did he do the rational thing and get out of the way when the cop went back to his bike and got the gun before coming back? - if he did go to the bike then return in any country with a decent law and order system that would provide pretty damning evidence.

If she is not pregnant and the restaurant owner is saying they wer not arguing why did the police say she was and that the restaurant owner wanted help?

Supposition but they have made up a story quickly and got it out then the case has become too big for out in the sticks country cops and they are being shown up worldwide as caught up in their own idiotic lies - these are not exactly educated sophisticates we are talkling about here but undereducated country cops.

[ThaiItAgain]

It's not a good thing that anyone gets shot in Thailand be it Farang or Thai and I am sad that such a thing has happened. However, and (just for input sake), there are numerous holes in this story.

From an investigation point of view; Thai officials might do well look closely at the story and be asking:

Quote - "the law enforcement officer was off duty" why is an off duty cop (who incidentally is now a civilian) armed with a pistol?

why is this man (who is an official of the law) pissed in a public place? - we all know that when your a bit pissed your judgment is impaired.

If he wasn't off duty, but in plain clothes, still! why was he drinking in a hotel?

If he was concerned about an arguing Farang that was drunk, if he had a pistol then he had a phone and should have requested support....

a sober man can often handle a drunkard, even an aggravated drunkard... and of course all Thais know about the art of Thai boxing which can be pretty lethal.

Quote: "They were arguing over her (his wife???) was pregnant to another man" These people are supposedly tourists..... she is pregnant to a Thai guy??.... "would you be out in a hotel getting drunk with her if you knew that she was knocked up by another guy""...... I think not.

Having said that, It's all conjecture and all farangs need to keep in mind - this is Thailand! Most farangs in Thailand know/understand that if you are involved in any kind of trouble" Thai Law is really not on your-side".

.

[rafval]

random unmotivated acts of violence in thailand are not so far fetched really, its pretty well documented in other countries and its rife in thailand, its called yabba

[Tony Clifton]

my opinion - Fuen must speak up and provide ALL evidence against culprit.

unless of course it was him who's arrange all this - Thai men / b/fs can be extremely jealous !

Another unique Thai trait no doubt.

no need for sarcasm!

I didn't say it is anything especially Thai or unique.

but I do have personal experience - of getting death threats from Thai b/f of one girl.

now, here is another subject:

it is interesting to see that somehow lately (last few days) there has been several cases reported by local media about brutality and other wrongs of Thai police. just look at the front page of The Nation website: 3 of their 4 big stories are about police !

is it junta (army) trying to screw their eternal rival (police) once again ?

The police are doing a mighty fine job at screwing the people they are supposed to serve and protect ( they think self-serve and collect) and excel screwing up their reputation themselves thank you, reputation that has been tarnished ages ago, maybe has never even existed.

[scotwumman]

As are all drugs agreed the scourge of society anywhere. Again that is supposition that any of these three

were on drugs anyway and of course let he that is without sin cast the first stone e.g. I like to have a few

cigs and some wine some nights and beat myself up about it, but on the other hand I abhor violence of any

kind. I am sure no matter how harsh the comments might seem as this tragedy unfolds everyone who has

posted is thinking - there but for the grace of god or budha go I. At least I hope so, otherwise how are

things to change

[Galong]

Well, in an article in The Nation today titled "Cop executed my Best Friend", it seems like the cop is guilty of premeditated murder. From everything I have read so far, I cannot see any reason to let him out on bail. I would not be the least bit surprised if he disappears shortly.

<snip>

Edited January 8, 2008 by Jai Dee
Flame comment deleted

[geriatrickid]

A quick look at the Canadian newspapers on line and it is not shaping up to be the best day for tourism in Canada. All have been running the same Canadian press story.

However the Calgary paper is running a somewhat different version of the story;

Families demand answers on Thailand shooting death

Sean Myers , Calgary Herald Published: Monday, January 07, 2008 Two Canadian families are looking for answers after a shooting in Thailand left a Calgary man dead and his friend wounded. A Thai police officer has been charged in the death.

You can read the story here, http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/st...416&k=85067

and I suggest people do, as there may be additional circumstances here, i.e. that the shooter may be able to defend himself down to a manslaughter charge judging from the person involved. (Works both ways though, as the photo of the victim is certainly not that of a muscular heavyset fellow as has been stated by some sources.) And no, I am not justifying or defending this murder in any manner, just adding some additional info.

As for the question raised back on page 6 or so about embassy involvement, looks like the Canadian government is really going full out to defend its citizens abroad - NOT.

From same Candian Press article cited;

An official with Foreign Affairs in Ottawa said it was aware of the case and is taking steps to help the wounded woman and find out how the investigation is proceeding. "Our embassy in Bangkok has been notified and is providing consular assistance," Bernard Nguyen said in a telephone interview from Ottawa.

"The embassy, as well, has been in contact with local authorities."

Jeez, that's a big help, contacting local authorities. Local cop murders citizen, so what do you do? Why go to the good folks that were implicated. Brilliant strategy. Too much trouble to get one of the bon vivants to travel from the safety of Bangers it seems.

typo errors corrected. edit

Edited January 8, 2008 by geriatrickid

[beammeup]

I am sorry for the poor guy and his family. I just cant believe how badly the media can screw up a story . Even the Bangkok post said that she was shot in the hip when its pretty clear from the pictures that she was shot in the chest. Why would she be out drinking if she was pregnant. The coppers story stinks to high heaven. I really hope they get to the bottom of this.

[navajo]

It is highly unlikely that any policeman's story in this country is believable. It is well known that in the

Thailand that the cops change the facts to fit the horsepucky.

It wouldn't suprise me if someone snuck into the hospital where the wife is and snuffed her out to keep

her from testifying to the actual facts against the cop.

[Jai Dee]

Here is the full article from today's Nation, without comments...

SURVIVOR'S CLAIM

Cop 'executed my best friend'

Officer 'hit me, shot Leo twice, then fired at me'

A young Canadian woman told yesterday how a Thai policeman shot dead her best friend in Pai in the North, then shot another bullet into his heart as he lay on the ground.

Carly Reisig, 24, said the policeman had no grounds at all for the attack - and that after he shot fellow Canadian John Leo del Pinto, the officer turned his gun on her and shot her in the chest.

Speaking from her bed in hospital in Chiang Mai, Reisig, from Chilliwack, British Columbia, rejected a police statement that suggested Sgt-Major Uthai Dechawiwat, 37, had intervened to break up a fight and his gun had discharged in a struggle.

She pointed to her chest where the bullet was lodged close to her own heart.

"There never was a fight. That is not true," she said. "John was my ex-boyfriend, but still my best friend. We had nothing to argue about. We had been drinking in the Be-Bop Bar in Pai and were heading for a last drink at the Bamboo Bar near the bridge.

"We were walking together. My Thai boyfriend Fuen was walking slightly behind.

"A man came up to me on the road near Pee Dang's Restaurant and hit me for no reason.

"My face was painted with face paint, for fun, but I don't know why he hit me. We had never met him before, never seen him before. We were unarmed and walking down the road after a good night out.

"He was dressed in plain clothes, a white T-shirt. Leo shouted at him, 'You can't hit her!' and pushed him away from us. Then the man went to his motorbike and got his gun, and Leo tried to get it away from him.

"They had a struggle for the gun, then the man got control of the gun and stepped back and shot Leo directly in the face.

"Leo fell to the ground and the man pointed the gun at his heart and fired a second shot. Then he turned around to me and aimed for my heart and shot me in the chest.

"I blacked out and when I came to I saw Leo lying dead on the road beside me. My lungs filled up with blood and I couldn't breathe.

"I went to Pai Hospital and then to a hospital in Chiang Mai. They had to put a tube into my lungs to drain the blood so that I could breathe again.

"I can't believe that my best friend is dead and I've got a bullet right beside my heart.

"I have never been married, I am not pregnant. Leo was my ex-boyfriend from Canada. He had arrived in Pai a few days before to see me."

Sitting by her bed was her boyfriend Rattaporn Vara-wadee, an artist nicknamed Fuen.

He said: "Nothing we did gave this man the right to take lives. We are angry now and we need help and a good lawyer. We are shocked to hear that the policeman is already out on bail."

Asked again if they had been fighting, she replied: "Not at all, he was my best friend." She had spoken to del Pinto's family and said: "They are not doing well."

Suchart Pantai, the owner of Be-Bop Bar, said he saw the couple and Fuen leave his bar at about 1am. "There was no fighting. But I heard from other sources that they were play-fighting as they walked."

Reisig has been in Thailand for a year, leaving occasionally on visa runs. She has worked in Canada with physically and mentally handicapped people.

John Leo del Pinto, also 24, from Calgary in Alberta in west Canada, was a former music student who earned a living as a promoter and concert organiser.

Uthai Dechawiwat has been charged with murder, manslaughter and attempted murder, but the version of events issued by police in Pai is at total variance with Miss Reisig's story.

Case investigator Pol Lt-Colonel Sombat Panya said the couple had been drinking in a local pub and had become involved in a drunken brawl after del Pinto, who recently arrived in Thailand, found that Reisig was pregnant to a Thai man known as Fuen.

The couple continued arguing after they left the pub when Uthai arrived at the scene, near a bridge, on personal business. Uthai approached them and asked them to be calm but both foreigners turned to attack him.

The officer said Uthai was beaten to the ground by the couple. After managing to get up, Uthai pointed his service pistol to threaten away both foreigners, but del Pinto tried to snatch the pistol from him. After a scuffle, shots were fired and the couple went down.

Last night Graham Arscott, the father of Vanessa Arscott, 23, who was gunned down in Kanchanaburi with her boyfriend Adam Lloyd, 24, by Police Sgt-Major Wisetsingh said: "So sad. I feel so terribly sorry for this young man's family."

In the River Kwai case, Wisetsingh shot the couple dead in a fit of rage after being beaten to the ground by Lloyd, who it is believed thought the policeman was trying to hit on his girlfriend.

Like the Kanchanaburi case, the killing in the idyllic tourist village of Pai has the semblance of another police "loss of face" execution.

Andrew Drummond

Special to The Nation - 08 January 2008