Two Tourists In Pai Shot By A Police Officer

[selftaopath]

Nice !

RIP to another victim of useless violence .

I wonder if we will see something on the news ,

it should be . If not perhaps the police over there

wants to cover something and it will be difficult for the family

of the foreigner to bring the guilty to justice .

The embassy of the foreigner should be informed rapidly ,

and for his family to pressure the police , so there will be justice .

Anyway my thoughts go to the family of the victim and also the people

who have witnessed this awful event . RIP .

JUSTICE??? In Thailand?? Humn????? Think I must ponder this thought?

[LoveDaBlues]

I won't comment on the shots being fired as I wasn't there and it seems murky to me who had possession of the gun and who actually pulled the trigger BUT there is no excuse for the dead guy's behavior.

Not in the West and not in Thailand.

As you said you weren't there; so how do you know the dead guy's behavior was out of line?

hmmm...let's see......who had possession of the gun and who actually pulled the trigger? I'll take a wild guess and say the guy living had possession of the gun and pulled the trigger. The guy who was shot did not have possession of the gun and shoot himself twice. I really don't think this is a suicide.

Don't quit yer day job Sherlock.

The fact that he was drunk and aggressive and attacking people is undisputed. The focus for me is not on the outcome but how everything started.

I'm not sure what your point is. It's ok to to start drunken brawls in Thailand (or anywhere else for that matter) and start beating people up?

Oh really; drunk and aggessive and attacking people is undisputed? It seems the people WHO WERE THERE are disputing this.

My point is this: why are there always muppets who defend the Thai side at every turn; even when the results are an unwarranted death?

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

[cali4995]

More of you people need to realize that when the police issue a press release it almost always

follows a particular outline. This is not to be confused with actual reporting being done. The

outline, I should say, in the event the actual truth would rather not be known begins with

myriad attempts to discredit the victim. If you re-read the initial reports you can rattle off

half a dozen foreigner stereotypes which are pure fiction and I continue to be amazed that

more people don't immediately pick-up on how completely bogus this is.

The concept of "face" was never intended to be a guise behind which atrocities could be

committed, or an excuse for unstable people who shouldn't be in possession of firearms.

So this one man can attempt to save his "face", the entire county is now going to have to

undergo a period of national embarrassment. How well is the concept of "face" working now?

As far as the posters who recommend you walk around with your hands around your ankles,

I can assure you, this is not the answer, it only encourages the bullying personalities.

[ludosiam]

If questions to be asked they are: why is an off duty police officer, allegedly drunk, wearing a gun? This is by law not allowed. Any why, after being charged with murder can he be out on bail? The circumstances how it came to the murder might never become totally clear but as a matter of fact, if that police guy did not have a gun there would not have been a murder!

But just as in the Kanchanaburi case, it was "only" another farang that did not play by the rules whereas the poor police guy has lost face. For that the police department has to protect their own, right now working on evidence production.

[LoveDaBlues]

I've had 2 encounters with Thai cops.

#1. Walking back to my hotel in BKK, alone. Had not been drinking, roughly 11 pm. About to cross the street where my hotel was located. Single BKK cop talking on phone (with GF or friend I assume; laughing and joking around). He see's me and shouts, "Sir STOP". So I freeze in my tracks; smart enough not to challenge him or say anything. He continues to talk/joke on the phone, many times turning his back to me, walking around, etc. After about 5 minutes with a wave of his hand he says, "you can go now". I did. My perception of what happened: typical cop on his little "power trip" of control over the peons.

#2. I had to hire a cop to help escort my wife's Uncle (mentally unstable) to the mental hospital in Khoen Kaen. No uniform, .38 S&W tucked in his belt. I liked him, a nice enough guy. When we stopped for lunch he starts drinking beer! Oh well all came out okay. I just thought it extremely unprofessional to be drinking in that situation.

My wife and most Thai people I know DO NOT trust the Thai police. My perception: a larger percentage of Thai cops are corrupt when compared with cops from the States.

[selftaopath]

Anyway a big mess.

I think it's called a "murder". Anyway we're speculating which we shouldn't do.

Perhaps speculation would be minimized by transparency, i.e. honesty, and consequences for illegal actions. Oh, but perhaps not if saving face is foremost both on an individual and institutional level.

[LoveDaBlues]

Anyone else find it ironic the dead man's name is "Leo".

drinking......Leo.......get it?

[Scott]

A very basic problem here in Thailand is the lack of independent review of shootings. There should be some method by which there are internal and external reviews of these situations to bring some sense of clarity to the events.

As some earlier posts had noted, this stuff happens in other countries and the thing that differs is that the events and forensics are reviewed by independent bodies. This is not only good for civilians, but in the long run it's good for the police. If, and when, they have good reasons for shooting, it can be verified.

Unfortunately, this is cop, who sounds quite guilty of a number of things, may not be truly brought to justice and others may not learn from his case. At a minimum, blood alcohol levels should have been established, if he was driving while intoxicated, that needs to be dealt with as well.

Lots of things to consider.

Here's hoping the survivor has a speedy and unhindered recovery. Best to her and her boyfriend, Fuen.

[tmd5855]

Two years ago I witnessed a falang (English thug) beating up a random Thai girl outside the Q bar in Bangkok, for absolutely no reason. Everyone including the staff just stood back and watched. I intervened and got punched to the floor then the guy fled. I managed to get the Taxi drivers to locate him over the radio and hand him over to the Police. Hopefully he's still in Jail!

thats strange, I have seen numerous farang start fights with thais and every time about ten thais leap in and leave him in a mess, I would say he was very lucky

Agree completely he was lucky. March 2005, Patong, Phuket. Inside the 'Moon Bar' and just across the road 30yards up from the 'Aussie Bar' a Brit (union flag shorts) knocked a tiny thai girl out with one punch. Within seconds Thais doing Tsunami repairs, T-shirt vendors from next door etc, etc were all over him like hounds on a fox. After approx 30 seconds the Thais walked away leaving him bruised, he got up and staggered away.

Me, he got what he deserved, not one farang went to his aid since he had crossed the "line in the sand". Been living Far East a long time, started visiting 1979-1991 (Navy)

Most old farts like me can see if a place is "dodgy" a six sense keeps you clear or it should if your aware and sensible. Would not go into certain bars and areas in Glasgow, so cerainly will not do it in a foreign land.

Sense of adventure.......a time and place for all things

[Bluelotus]

By now the greater portion of Canadians are aware of this incident . If you listen closely you can hear the sound of thousands of hotel nights and airfares being canceled.

[RasiMike]

"As someone said unnecessary violence. What is necessary violence?"

Two such events here in Thailand, for me. Or at least I thought/think them nessassary.

.1. Two years ago I was invited to sit, eat and drink with some of my family members in a village not far from home. One of the guests took an instant dislike to me. This dislike intensified with each 'peck' of lao khao he felt he needed, until finally he attempted to hit me. It ended badly for him.

.2. Three weeks ago at my wifes corner store (at the front of our home). A delightful young gentleman became upset that my wife wouldn't give him credit. He was drunk and abused her in front of our two young sons aged 2.5 years and 8 months. The three of them were very upset. I was in our house when I heard it and our neighbour (a GOOD policeman) was home too. I pushed the delightful man out onto the road on his a_s and my wife went to call our neighbour. Not too long later a nice new two tone vigo carried the little man away.

Violence isn't pretty but sometimes it can stop worse things happening.

[Burninhell]

I have been in this country for several years and along with my Thai wife have noticed that it's slowly turning to <deleted>.

I don't give a toss what people think, this crime should be punished.

If the justice system (what a contradiction in terms) doesn't have the balls to do something, then why don't some of the the senior cops who are losing trucks loads of face over this, just give a shoot to kill order over this pathetic excuse for a human being, and nail the Thai cops arse with a few round to the head.

As for all the 'if ya don't like it them leave gang', don't break into a sweat, we ARE leaving.

Thailand for us has lost it's gloss and to many others we would imagine too. Their 6% of GDP from tourism may start heading south.

People are trying to promote this place as being safe, wonderful...bla bla bla and attract families.

Are they for real when a crazed plain clothed cop executes people, admits it, then is out on bail, never to see the light of justice.

This in itself is a crime.

Nothing of the above should be construed as applying to the entirety of Thailand as this place is filled with wonderful people and places.

But my wife and I have made up our minds now. We are going home and will simply use this place for cheap holidays.

My wife and her family are astounded and appalled with this story as are others and just shake their heads in disbelief around the village. They are saddened that we have decided to leave, but understanding at the same time and from what I can tell, several would love to come with us, as they too have noticed a sharp erosion of cultural norms. For them it's more alarming than ever, as they really have no say.

May the busturd rot in hel_l for all of eternity and for the love of God, all you do gooders, conspiracy theorists etc...don't bore me with your comments.

I just know one thing. A guy is dead, people directly involved have stated it was unprovoked and hence there was ZERO motive.

You don't need journo's to consolidate and confirm their stories...these people were THERE and one has a slug lodged near her heart.

What complete and utter cr_ap this situation is.

We are out of here as fast as we can organize it.

Good luck to you all........this is the 'straw that broke the camels back'...I suppose.

Over and out.

Burnie.

[Prakanong]

I really think the thai boyfriend might have some infos.

No reason for the freaking cop.

There is only this reason.

Would you like to walk behind your gf and his ex.

Playfight, maybe he tried in a playfull way to get her back.....

OK, iam speculating....

Well from one report Yuen was just behind and he has corroborated the girls story. He is probably shitting a brick now if his life is conected to Pai and that is why he was asking for a good lawyer.

Walking behind etc I have seen similar when I was with me ex on a night out before she was going off to England to marry - Thai's and exe's are strange to us. This one invited me to her wedding, another who is now in America is bringing her baby to see me in January on her first trip back in 3 years ????

[Ozziepaul]

I must agree with Burnie and Damian and so many others.

Will this guy REALLY be brought to 'justice', or should Thai 'justice' be allowed to iron out the crinkles.

I was VERY saddened to see the footage of Leo's ex-girlfriend and his father.

How awful is this, in which every country at what ever time, by whom ever, for simply no other apparent motive, other than insanity.

Jesus...!!

Big P.

[LoveDaBlues]

I have been in this country for several years and along with my Thai wife have noticed that it's slowly turning to <deleted>.

I don't give a toss what people think, this crime should be punished.

If the justice system (what a contradiction in terms) doesn't have the balls to do something, then why don't some of the the senior cops who are losing trucks loads of face over this, just give a shoot to kill order over this pathetic excuse for a human being, and nail the Thai cops arse with a few round to the head.

As for all the 'if ya don't like it them leave gang', don't break into a sweat, we ARE leaving.

Thailand for us has lost it's gloss and to many others we would imagine too. Their 6% of GDP from tourism may start heading south.

People are trying to promote this place as being safe, wonderful...bla bla bla and attract families.

Are they for real when a crazed plain clothed cop executes people, admits it, then is out on bail, never to see the light of justice.

This in itself is a crime.

Nothing of the above should be construed as applying to the entirety of Thailand as this place is filled with wonderful people and places.

But my wife and I have made up our minds now. We are going home and will simply use this place for cheap holidays.

My wife and her family are astounded and appalled with this story as are others and just shake their heads in disbelief around the village. They are saddened that we have decided to leave, but understanding at the same time and from what I can tell, several would love to come with us, as they too have noticed a sharp erosion of cultural norms. For them it's more alarming than ever, as they really have no say.

May the busturd rot in hel_l for all of eternity and for the love of God, all you do gooders, conspiracy theorists etc...don't bore me with your comments.

I just know one thing. A guy is dead, people directly involved have stated it was unprovoked and hence there was ZERO motive.

You don't need journo's to consolidate and confirm their stories...these people were THERE and one has a slug lodged near her heart.

What complete and utter cr_ap this situation is.

We are out of here as fast as we can organize it.

Good luck to you all........this is the 'straw that broke the camels back'...I suppose.

Over and out.

Burnie.

Agree with everything you said. I avoid the tourist areas and keep a low profile. Still, if things get too crazy in my Northeast location I'll leave too.

[mikethevigoman]

I won't comment on the shots being fired as I wasn't there and it seems murky to me who had possession of the gun and who actually pulled the trigger BUT there is no excuse for the dead guy's behavior.

Not in the West and not in Thailand.

As you said you weren't there; so how do you know the dead guy's behavior was out of line?

hmmm...let's see......who had possession of the gun and who actually pulled the trigger? I'll take a wild guess and say the guy living had possession of the gun and pulled the trigger. The guy who was shot did not have possession of the gun and shoot himself twice. I really don't think this is a suicide.

Don't quit yer day job Sherlock.

The fact that he was drunk and aggressive and attacking people is undisputed. The focus for me is not on the outcome but how everything started.

I'm not sure what your point is. It's ok to to start drunken brawls in Thailand (or anywhere else for that matter) and start beating people up?

Oh really; drunk and aggessive and attacking people is undisputed? It seems the people WHO WERE THERE are disputing this.

My point is this: why are there always muppets who defend the Thai side at every turn; even when the results are an unwarranted death?

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

"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.UNQUOTE,.... This was a fatal mistake, when a gun in any situation appears it has command, to try to snatch it will as often as not will end like this, the movies it is not,. hands in the air and an aplolagy is the only possible chance you may have,

[Prakanong]

"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.UNQUOTE,.... This was a fatal mistake, when a gun in any situation appears it has command, to try to snatch it will as often as not will end like this, the movies it is not,. hands in the air and an aplolagy is the only possible chance you may have,

Totally agree its 99.99999999999999% a bad idea to try and wrestle a gun from somebody but in this case I reckon its 99.999999999999999999999% probably he wold have been shot anyway.

The cop ran back to his bike to get his gun shouting i am going to kill you - often and empty threat in the west but when it involves a boozed up Thai cop with bruised ego.........

[LoveDaBlues]

Running like hel_l is your best bet. It's very hard for a drunk (or anyone) with a pistol to hit a fleeing target at any distance. I would have dragged the girl away and told her to haul arse!

The cop would have saved face as he chased away the "criminals"!

edit - I agree in this case to just be passive the guy probably would have been shot anyway. He choose to fight not flee and lost.

Edited January 8, 2008 by LoveDaBlues

[RasiMike]

I have been in this country for several years and along with my Thai wife have noticed that it's slowly turning to <deleted>.

I don't give a toss what people think, this crime should be punished.

If the justice system (what a contradiction in terms) doesn't have the balls to do something, then why don't some of the the senior cops who are losing trucks loads of face over this, just give a shoot to kill order over this pathetic excuse for a human being, and nail the Thai cops arse with a few round to the head.

As for all the 'if ya don't like it them leave gang', don't break into a sweat, we ARE leaving.

Thailand for us has lost it's gloss and to many others we would imagine too. Their 6% of GDP from tourism may start heading south.

People are trying to promote this place as being safe, wonderful...bla bla bla and attract families.

Are they for real when a crazed plain clothed cop executes people, admits it, then is out on bail, never to see the light of justice.

This in itself is a crime.

Nothing of the above should be construed as applying to the entirety of Thailand as this place is filled with wonderful people and places.

But my wife and I have made up our minds now. We are going home and will simply use this place for cheap holidays.

My wife and her family are astounded and appalled with this story as are others and just shake their heads in disbelief around the village. They are saddened that we have decided to leave, but understanding at the same time and from what I can tell, several would love to come with us, as they too have noticed a sharp erosion of cultural norms. For them it's more alarming than ever, as they really have no say.

May the busturd rot in hel_l for all of eternity and for the love of God, all you do gooders, conspiracy theorists etc...don't bore me with your comments.

I just know one thing. A guy is dead, people directly involved have stated it was unprovoked and hence there was ZERO motive.

You don't need journo's to consolidate and confirm their stories...these people were THERE and one has a slug lodged near her heart.

What complete and utter cr_ap this situation is.

We are out of here as fast as we can organize it.

Good luck to you all........this is the 'straw that broke the camels back'...I suppose.

Over and out.

Burnie.

Have to say Burnie that I concur fully and my family and I are doing the same.

I like it here (used to love it) but many, many small incidents, as well as a few larger ones, have made us decide this place isn't what it used to be. Before our boys were born I couldn't have cared less about what was going on outside our gate. But soon our eldest must go out into it and it isn't fair on him or his younger brother.

The plan to go has been in the back of our minds for months now, but personal experiences of late have brought it into perspective for us. This incident in Pai proves to us that we are making the right decision about Living in Thailand - we don't want our boys to grow up here.

Choc Dee to all.

[Johpa]

By now the greater portion of Canadians are aware of this incident . If you listen closely you can hear the sound of thousands of hotel nights and airfares being canceled.

Poppycock! All I hear are a bunch of hosers ordering up another round of "Blue", or up in BC the inhalation continues. As tragic as this story appears to be, it is a relatively isolated incident and will have little impact on tourism.

[Canadianvisitor]

By now the greater portion of Canadians are aware of this incident . If you listen closely you can hear the sound of thousands of hotel nights and airfares being canceled.

Poppycock! All I hear are a bunch of hosers ordering up another round of "Blue", or up in BC the inhalation continues. As tragic as this story appears to be, it is a relatively isolated incident and will have little impact on tourism.

I am sure thinking twice, it is a big big world.

[Thai at Heart]

As a long term stayer, I have learnt to live with the smaller vagaries of face, fights and arguements. Namely avoid it all costs since the reaction is almost always in complete disproportion to the slight. What ends in a punch elsewhere, ends with a baseball bat or pistol in Thailand.

However, when coppers (the supposed keepers of the peace) are the perpetrators of such random (and possibly unpunished) acts of violence it simply shows that Thailand is not as safe as anyone believes. There are enough bad guys out there, without the cops adding to the problem. If the Thai authorities are making the effort to encourage tourism, the least that an innocent tourist can expect is that they should not fall victim to a bullet from a policeman.

I believe that we have all sat in bars and had a few too many over the years in Thailand, and are we to expect that we could be the next to meet such a grizzly fate as the poor victims in this case. To watch the amount of disinformation available on the internet about this story shows how desperately the police are trying to cover this story up.

I have sat next to many drunk policemen and they all carry their guns whereever they go and this has to stop.

[Journalist]

Right, and as a poster above *(#53) mentioned it's not a capital offense to argue with your wife,

In my house it is.

[Galong]

I have been in this country for several years and along with my Thai wife have noticed that it's slowly turning to <deleted>.

I don't give a toss what people think, this crime should be punished.

If the justice system (what a contradiction in terms) doesn't have the balls to do something, then why don't some of the the senior cops who are losing trucks loads of face over this, just give a shoot to kill order over this pathetic excuse for a human being, and nail the Thai cops arse with a few round to the head.

As for all the 'if ya don't like it them leave gang', don't break into a sweat, we ARE leaving.

What complete and utter cr_ap this situation is.

We are out of here as fast as we can organize it.

Burnie.

I hear ya Burnie. I feel stuck here. I've invested 15 years of my life and all of my money in a country that apparently doesn't want honestly want me here. In spite of running a very successful tour business and paying my staff several times what they would make elsewhere, I'm constantly reminded that I'm a 'farang', a term which I hate be called. I pay a ton of taxes, yet the tax folks still want more from time to time. I do everything 'by the book', so why am I targeted? Hmm, let me guess.

I would leave tomorrow if I could, but alas, until I can recoup my life's savings, I'm stuck.

I do hope that this latest episode of outright murder at the hands of a cop affects tourism. Thailand isn't the Land of Smiles in my eyes. It's dangerous and the future doesn't look very bright.

[Canadianvisitor]

It is all over the National News here in Canada, fodder for the morning rag papers I presume.

Big maps of Thailand and google maps pinpointing Chiang Mai.

The Thai people, (the real ones), influenced me and changed my life.

And for that I am truly thankful.

I am ashamed for the whole incident, it is a sad world and getting worse.

I strangely enough somehow feel bad it was Canadians involved,

even though it was an unprovoked attack.

I am sure those 24 year old girls that dedicate themselves to caring for the

mentally and physically handicapped get real violent all the time.

[TAWP]

Thai police are obliged to interfere if there is trouble brewing, even if they are off duty.

I call BS. They aren't even obliged to interfere when crimes are committed when they are on duty.

Or perhaps no-one told them when they went to the academy...

[thaigene2]

If he is Canadian I hope his Embassy pushes things.

Embassies are there to promote trade, not to help their citizens; that is a very minor function. They will help the victims relatives, a bit, but as far as make waves that is not their remit.

What a stupid idiotic thing to say mr yorkman -- just remember that the next time your in trouble or need help from your old homeland -- embassies here to promote trade not help citizens - really -- hey wake up ole fell - you have been living in the wilderness for too long and its stupid comments like this that make the rest of us - just wonder -

As offensive as you find his comments aussimike, I'm afraid he's closer to the truth than you realize. PM me if you want another first-hand similar story..

Regarding the witnesses, the woman has little to worry about now however given some pip-squeek local cop was involved, but I tell you, the most dangerous person to be today in Chiang Mai is probably that Thai boyfriend. You think he'll be telling the same story at the trial (if there ever is a trial that is)?

[thaiman]

Moral of story here: If you're with a girlfriend/wife walking down a street at night, and a Thai man approaches, do whatever he says, even if he's offensive and belligerent. Even if he threatens your lady with harm, don't put up any resistance, because he may be an off-duty cop with a gun. And we know all Thais, expecially cops - get offended very quickly and vehemently

Just try to act friendly showing that you don't want trouble and leave the scene as quickly as possible. But if it gets to a point where you can take no more, assess the situation and attack the bloody bastard all of a sudden until he no longer knows where himself is and flee. That's the way to deal with wild lives.

This is good advice.

I will add: If you do engage in a battle in the 3rd world , make sure you can crush the enemy! It seems like the victim was still thinking the way he did at home.

Thais fight to kill, not win.

[advice]

I have been in this country for several years and along with my Thai wife have noticed that it's slowly turning to <deleted>.

It is certainly getting worse, but the longer you remain here the more you see and the more you understand the way it works, and it ain't pretty.

Thailand has some very real and dangerous social problems it has to face in the near future. Forget the fantasies about "Buddhist social fabric" and other such nonsense, if you can't read the signs the way Thailand is going, you're in for a real shock.

I totally agree with you.

Phuket is over run with gun and machete weilding thugs who would be classed as parasites in any country. Samui and Pattaya is also much the same. Most country areas you have to bow to the local thug or "creep around" so not to offend the un eductated lazy bums that sit most of the day and achieve nothing.

I get sick of hearing about "the poor underprivelaged Thai" who has nothing. I was a street kid from the age of 10 years old and had no money to eat or a place to call home. In any society you are what you make of yourself.

To the people who say if you dont like it, go home etc or the others, that say we are guests in Thailand, well I have family, businesses and as someone else said, we are world citizens and we should fight for what is right in any country we are in. If not, we are just as bad as the people who commit the crimes..

These types of gun weilding idiots who have no regard to life, should be hung or shot and it should be televised on TV for the country to see what happens. It is just to easy in this country to walk out of jail after you have taken someone elses life.. Its sickening and no good for Thailand in any form of business also.

I hope this cop gets the death penalty!

[Prakanong]

"I am sure those 24 year old girls that dedicate themselves to caring for the

mentally and physically handicapped get real violent all the time. "

Did you read the quote from Sombat in the first cover up news reports - They did not know what they were going to charge her with???

<deleted>: - they let a murdering small ego'ed nowt of a man go after h admitted he shot two people and they were now trying to decide if they were going to charge the living victim?

This os one F%^&ed up country - we all know that but still when its laid out and you think abuot what these uneducated peasants actualy say it makes you realise that the place is a basket case - sliding down to meet the other basket cases next door on the way up.

Thailand competative advantages are slowly being eroded!