Two Tourists In Pai Shot By A Police Officer

[sriracha john]

Carly Reisig, who was shot near the heart, in hospital yesterday.

The Nation

[GetBackJoJo]

Yeah sure,

but please do not say things like "THIS IS THAILAND".

I come from Italy, and in my country Plocie KILL people quite often, and then construct any kind of obviously made-up defense. And judges, legal dooctors, all of them most of the times collude with the police.

In UK, if I don't go wrong, a brazilian guy has been shot in the head in the tube not long ago. And the responsibles? Have they been punished?

And in USA? Awwwwww here I could write a novel about police and unjust violence!

Police is reflection of power, anywhere. And wherever men are legally endorsed to carry and USE guns, such kind of accidents happen. It is not Thailand. The guy is a farang, so maybe something will move. At least.

Carlo Giuliani, shot in the face by a police man in the G8 riots in north italy. The policeman has been released BECAUSE HE SHOT IN THE AIR, AND HIS BULLET BOUNCED ON A FLYING STONE!!! Not even in Thailand they would have such fantasy!

love

Pippo

Yep that's exactly right.

Why is it that once one idiot goes off the rails and commits murder under the cloak of authority does everyone brandish all Thais with the same brush.

Hey let's have a close look in our own glass houses before we start casting stones?!

Does the US invasion of Iraq not equate starkly by comparison when it is now almost universally agreed that they had no justification to do so? I put that in the murder basket! The poor Brazilian kid in the London tube was murdered etc and the list is quite long if you care too look.

All governments and institutions in authority and power cover up or "spin" the real story and facts to salvage the reputation of their own institutions regardless of what country you are in. This is not something found just in Thailand, it is perhaps that they are not quite as adroit at it as others. Gee the US government still have a large percentage of people believing that a Boeing 707 with a 44ft wingspan and 2 HUGE 9ft Pratt & Whitney engines made from Titanium could fit into the initial 16 ft hole in the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11! ..Ha!

Sadly though the Canadian guy is dead and there is nothing that will cure that now. If Thailand is such a dangerous place, someone name for me the last Thai mass/serial murderer, or one that blew up a building full of innocent people in a major city, or the last time a crazed kid(s) opened fire with automatic weapons in a school of any description. No this is generally a peaceful, non-confrontational society in comparison to our western catholic-based ones and the comparisons are stark and in most cases polar in comparison, but when the occasional exception sadly occurs here most foreigners want to kick all Thais in the same punching bag. I disagree strongly. They do have a long way to go in many areas of their justice system, but hey, 2-3 generations ago most of them were just farmers. If this was a Thai couple getting shot in New York by a drunk off duty cop it might make a small page 3 snippet and few people would even care less IMHO.

How about a bit of the "when in Rome" theorem here and not be to quick to criticize anything before they have their chance to step up to the plate. And even if they don't step up, they certainly aren't without good company in that field.

Thats twice in this thread that the Brazilian murder has been used as a comparison.

Please explain to me.... and i mean PLEASE explain to me how the following incidents are comparible;

1) Scotland Yard, with SAS (supposedly) supporting them, followed whom they thought was a terror suspect to a train station and shot him in the head several times when they wrongly assumed his back pack contained a bomb.

2) Off duty Thai copper shoots a Canadian tourist in the head, shoots his GF, for no immediate apparent reason, according to her statement.

Whatever reason the Thai copper had, i am SURE he did not suspect the Canadian dude as a terror supspect.

Its a stupid, narrow minded anology. Sure, the British Police made a fatal error. A huge mistake owing to confusion born out of miscommunicated inteligence. The British Security service's inteligence is amongst the best in the world however on this occasion, they fcuked up and got it wrong. They certainly did not mean to murder an innocent Brazilian tourist.

Did the Thai copper mean to murder the innocent Candian tourist? Well, yes. Unless the point blank head shot was intended as a warning shot.

Jeeeez. Give me a break man.

[TopDogger]

the plot thickens... This one is going to get interesting.

[seonai]

Andrew Drummond is a famous sensationalist

[kat]

It will be interesting to hear about the forensic reports - but wait a minute - they work for the cops, too, don't they,

I don't know where you get your information from or maybe we should call it misinformation as Central Institute of Forensic Science in Thailand are not under the control of the Royal Thai Police Force.

Chloe.

I get my information from years of living in the country, and not some Wkipedia reference or other shallow technicality. A centralized forensic center is only a few years old in Thailand, and is not at all supported by the police, and even Pornthip is contstantly harassed in her unbiased and scientific investigations. In many cases, she has been at odds with forensics that support and work for the police, and still is, despite her fame and international reputation.

Clear now?

[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.

[sriracha john]

Families demand answers on Thailand shooting death

Two Canadian families are looking for answers about what led to the shooting death of a Calgary man in Thailand and the wounding of his friend, a B.C. woman.

A Thai police officer has been charged in the death.

Leo Del Pinto, 25, of Calgary and Carly Reisig, originally from Chilliwack, B.C., and a Vancouver resident, were both hit with bullets on Sunday in a bar in the town of Pai.

Mr. Del Pinto was shot twice and died instantly and Ms. Reisig, who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, is now recovering from surgery and is in intensive care in hospital.

"They were innocent victims," said the woman's mother, Suzanne Reisig, from her home in Chilliwack. She said she had spoken with her daughter following her surgery.

"It's very upsetting," said Ms. Reisig with a shaky voice. "[Carly] was shot very close to the heart."

Ms. Reisig said they were waiting for information from the Canadian Embassy in Thailand.

There are conflicting reports about what took place on Sunday. According to the Associated Press, the police officer involved in the shooting says the couple attacked him and the shooting was an accident. According to his version of events, Mr. Del Pinto and Ms. Reisig got in an argument and when he tried to intervene, Mr. Del Pinto attempted to grab his gun and it discharged three times. But media reports also say that the officer has been charged with premeditated murder and has been released on bail.

Ms. Reisig said her daughter and her friend did not know their attacker and the shooting was unprovoked.

"Who was this person? It's so hard for us. We are so far away and it's all happened so fast," she said.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa said the federal government is aware that a Canadian citizen has died in Thailand.

"The Canadian Embassy in Bangkok has been notified and is offering consular assistance. The embassy is in contact with local authorities," spokesman Bernard Nguyen said. No more information could be released because of the Privacy Act, he said.

Ms. Reisig denied media reports that her daughter is pregnant. She said Mr. Del Pinto was just a friend.

The Del Pinto family is also struggling to understand what happened and said they are devastated by his death.

"He was their only son," said Ross Fortune, who is engaged to one of Mr. Del Pinto's sisters.

He said the family has been told very little about the incident. "They're also frustrated because we don't know what happened."

Mr. Fortune said the family was notified about Del Pinto's death by Canadian officials at about 9 p.m. Sunday night.

Media reports also say that Sgt. Uthai Dechawiwat, the officer accused of shooting Mr. Del Pinto, also faces charges in connection with Reisig's shooting on top of the murder charge.

"We haven't even confirmed that a policeman was involved," said Fortune. "Our biggest concern is to get Leo back here as soon as possible and find out what happened."

Mr. Del Pinto's parents are longtime Calgarians. Their son was planning to return in time for Fortune's wedding to his sister in August.

"He was part of the wedding party," said Fortune.

Mr. Del Pinto had previously visited Thailand for more than six months, returning in September, and he was eager to go back.

"His parents were nervous about him going the first time, but he came back with great stories," said Fortune. "He was really enchanted by Thailand."

Mr. Del Pinto flew to Vancouver on Boxing Day and then left for Thailand last week.

Mr. Fortune said he had a job at a tattoo parlour and was hoping to teach English as a second language.

Mr. Del Pinto had previously trained as a recording engineer in Vancouver and worked in the music industry there.

His family plans to pressure Canadian and Thai authorities to retrieve Del Pinto's body and get to the bottom of what happened.

- Calgary Herald

[DamianMavis]

So both the woman and her Thai boyfriend claim the thai cop murdered the Canadian man and tried to murder the woman in complete cold blood. And he's out free, is it just me that thinks she wont live much longer with a crazed maniac murderer on the loose who will most likely make a second attempt on her life, especially now to keep her quite?

Damian

[Chloe82]

It will be interesting to hear about the forensic reports - but wait a minute - they work for the cops, too, don't they,

I don't know where you get your information from or maybe we should call it misinformation as Central Institute of Forensic Science in Thailand are not under the control of the Royal Thai Police Force.

Chloe.

I get my information from years of living in the country, and not some Wkipedia reference or other shallow technicality. A centralized forensic center is only a few years old in Thailand, and is not at all supported by the police, and even Pornthip is contstantly harassed in her unbiased and scientific investigations. In many cases, she has been at odds with forensics that support and work for the police, and still is, despite her fame and international reputation.

Clear now?

No, your not clear at all. You start off claiming that the forensic team that turned up at the crime scene work directly for the police, then in your latest post (after i said they dont) you now say (agree LOL) they dont. Also you mention that the Central Institute of Forensic Science in Thailand was only established a few years ago, what bearing does that have on this case that is only a matter of hours old?

[Chloe82]

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.

[globerunner4]

My condolences to all. But for all their drunkenness, none of this would've happened.

Its believed they had been drinking.........according to reports. Drinking what? We KNOW they were drunk do we??

True but COME ON! How many fights have you seen in the streets of Thailand where someone is under the influence and how many sober? Were they at temple? And when reports say "drinking", in this context it is understood to mean alcohol(including the cop), not lemonade. My speculations are based on the general consensus of available information being reported and human nature. I don't know the facts but I guarantee you that if alcohol wasn't involved, there would be no story to report. Anyone agree/disagree?

[tattoodrob]

As someone said unnecessary violence. What is necessary violence?

i think if someone was trying to physically kill/harm you then im sure you could use necessary violence to stop them....or die!!!!!

Or just stop them.

i wasnt meaning in the instance of this case as what he did is unjustifiable by a long chalk and was totally unnecessary.......i thought you were actually querying what is necessary violence in general...ie if someone was trying to knife me then i would use any means possible to stop them which i would expect would mean i would have to use necessary violence .sorry if you thought i was on the side of what the cop did....totally the opposite

[samsara]

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.

umm...huh? we have 1 solid story being corroborated by 1) the woman 2) her bf 3) the bar owner...and we have a myriad stories being thrown out by the police which are just mindless drivel. case closed. like kat said, the motive remains unknown...

Edited January 7, 2008 by samsara

[tattoodrob]

As someone said unnecessary violence. What is necessary violence?

i think if someone was trying to physically kill/harm you then im sure you could use necessary violence to stop them....or die!!!!!

Or just stop them.

i wasnt meaning in the instance of this case as what he did is unjustifiable by a long chalk and was totally unnecessary.......i thought you were actually querying what is necessary violence in general...ie if someone was trying to knife me then i would use any means possible to stop them which i would expect would mean i would have to use necessary violence .sorry if you thought i was on the side of what the cop did....totally the opposite

[kat]

It will be interesting to hear about the forensic reports - but wait a minute - they work for the cops, too, don't they,

I don't know where you get your information from or maybe we should call it misinformation as Central Institute of Forensic Science in Thailand are not under the control of the Royal Thai Police Force.

Chloe.

I get my information from years of living in the country, and not some Wkipedia reference or other shallow technicality. A centralized forensic center is only a few years old in Thailand, and is not at all supported by the police, and even Pornthip is contstantly harassed in her unbiased and scientific investigations. In many cases, she has been at odds with forensics that support and work for the police, and still is, despite her fame and international reputation.

Clear now?

No, your not clear at all. You start off claiming that the forensic team that turned up at the crime scene work directly for the police, then in your latest post (after i said they dont) you now say (agree LOL) they dont. Also you mention that the Central Institute of Forensic Science in Thailand was only established a few years ago, what bearing does that have on this case that is only a matter of hours old?

Look Chloe, I'm not interested in a little cat-and-mouse game with you, especially when you quote out of context from the jump. I did not even talk about a forensic team showing up anywhere, that is just your little weave to try and turn this into something it's not.

I made an original passing comment about waiting to hear about a forensic report on the death of the young man to give us a clue as to how he was killed, while also acknowledging the corruption and bad science of forensics past, with the EXCEPTION of Pornthip, as I stated in my FIRST post. It was a passing comment on the general state of criminal investigations in Thailand, and wasn't meant as a blow-by-blow description of bureaucratic policy.

You are the one who brought up the Central Institute, which is a few years old, is I believe Pornthip's gig, and is no assurance of clear and free forensics in a criminal investigation in Thailand judging on the recent past.

What bearing does your original comment have on anything I've said? *And also, before you return another nonsense post, don't bother, because you cannot even understand points that are being made IN CONTEXT to your comment, such as the fact that the Central Institute still doesn't have influence over criminal investigations.

Edited January 7, 2008 by kat

[Claymore]

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

[joskydive]

So both the woman and her Thai boyfriend claim the thai cop murdered the Canadian man and tried to murder the woman in complete cold blood. And he's out free, is it just me that thinks she wont live much longer with a crazed maniac murderer on the loose who will most likely make a second attempt on her life, especially now to keep her quiet?

Damian

No, your not on your own thinking that. It crossed my mind too and maybe he'll go after the Thai boyfriend aswell since he's a witness too.

[Chloe82]

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.

umm...huh? we have 1 solid story being corroborated by 1) the woman 2) her bf 3) the bar owner...and we have a myriad stories being thrown out by the police which are just mindless drivel. case closed. like kat said, the motive remains unknown...

Case closed! are you for real? The bar owner said he did not see them fighting as they left the bar but could have been 'play fighting' walking up the road, the girl and her squeeze are in agreement about what happened (big deal) where was the Thai guy while the shooting was going on? maybe he did not attack the policeman, maybe he was not trying to steal the policemans gun from him.

But as you said, case closed, what was your charge and verdict by-the-way? and what penalty (if any) have you habded down to the guilty?

[tattoodrob]

well yes that does add a big twist in the story..........in this case i think as there could be a few witnesss the truth should come out uness they are too scared but it seems her boyfriend was there and is thai so i will be especially interested as to what he has to say.....hopefully the truth as his farang girlfriend was nearly killed.if what the shot young lady says is true then i hope they put the the stupid cop to his death.this is a complete tragedy.it was reported that it was pre meditated so looks like the farang story could be true as he went to get his gun after from his bike!!! if this is the case then do you think he is gonna turn up to court...no....thats why they are giving him a chance to run now before it really hits the fan................unbelievable and sad.

why are cops here allowed to carry there guns off duty.......would be better if they had to leave them locked in cop station when not workin,as we all know the thais like there booze and its obviously not a good combination anywhere.

[joskydive]

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.

umm...huh? we have 1 solid story being corroborated by 1) the woman 2) her bf 3) the bar owner...and we have a myriad stories being thrown out by the police which are just mindless drivel. case closed. like kat said, the motive remains unknown...

Case closed! are you for real? The bar owner said he did not see them fighting as they left the bar but could have been 'play fighting' walking up the road, the girl and her squeeze are in agreement about what happened (big deal) where was the Thai guy while the shooting was going on? maybe he did not attack the policeman, maybe he was not trying to steal the policemans gun from him.

But as you said, case closed, what was your charge and verdict by-the-way? and what penalty (if any) have you habded down to the guilty?

Your right there! None of the reports have actually stated what the boyfriend was physically doing while this was all going on. It only said he was a witness.

[samsara]

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.

umm...huh? we have 1 solid story being corroborated by 1) the woman 2) her bf 3) the bar owner...and we have a myriad stories being thrown out by the police which are just mindless drivel. case closed. like kat said, the motive remains unknown...

Case closed! are you for real? The bar owner said he did not see them fighting as they left the bar but could have been 'play fighting' walking up the road, the girl and her squeeze are in agreement about what happened (big deal) where was the Thai guy while the shooting was going on? maybe he did not attack the policeman, maybe he was not trying to steal the policemans gun from him.

But as you said, case closed, what was your charge and verdict by-the-way? and what penalty (if any) have you habded down to the guilty?

Your right there! None of the reports have actually stated what the boyfriend was physically doing while this was all going on. It only said he was a witness.

thought it said he was walking a short distance behind? all of this chaos could have taken place in less than 30 secs. depends how far away the bike was...

[tattoodrob]

So both the woman and her Thai boyfriend claim the thai cop murdered the Canadian man and tried to murder the woman in complete cold blood. And he's out free, is it just me that thinks she wont live much longer with a crazed maniac murderer on the loose who will most likely make a second attempt on her life, especially now to keep her quiet?

Damian

No, your not on your own thinking that. It crossed my mind too and maybe he'll go after the Thai boyfriend aswell since he's a witness too.

he would have to be a complete maniac to do that ...kill another 2 people after admitting he did kill 1 and nearly killed the other......too much press involved now,also who knows how many other witnesss were there........he will run and thats what is wrong,how the hel_l can they let him out on bail.....thats whats crazy!!

[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.

[Andiamo]

So both the woman and her Thai boyfriend claim the thai cop murdered the Canadian man and tried to murder the woman in complete cold blood. And he's out free, is it just me that thinks she wont live much longer with a crazed maniac murderer on the loose who will most likely make a second attempt on her life, especially now to keep her quiet?

Damian

No, your not on your own thinking that. It crossed my mind too and maybe he'll go after the Thai boyfriend aswell since he's a witness too.

Mmm just what I thought too! How on earth could they have let him out on Bail?!@! Unbelievable.....

[Pawpcorn]

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

and apparently reputable enough for The Nation newspaper.

He has his own web site: http://www.andrew-drummond.com/ , which contain details of previous stories he's covered, in addition to his mobile and office phone numbers.

Here's the story, as HE reports it, on his web page; there is slightly more detail than in "The Nation"'s story:

In a carbon copy murder similar to the police execution of two British backpackers in Thailand four years ago – a young Canadian tourist told yesterday how a Thai policeman executed her best friend.

Twenty-four-year-old Carly Reisig, from British Columbia, said the policeman who had no grounds at all for the attack – shot fellow Canadian John Leo del Pinto in the head.

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/wordpress/w...rly_Reisig2.jpgThen as he lay on the ground he put another bullet into his heart before the Police Sergeant Major turned his gun on her and shot her in the chest.

In both cases it seems policemen had been knocked to the ground by tourists and may have lost face. In both cases police claimed they had intervened to stop foreign couples quarrelling.

Speaking from her bed in hospital in Chiang Mai, Carly, from Chilliwack, British Columbia said that the policeman’s story that he intervened to break up a fight and that the gun discharged while they were fighting over it was totally untrue.

The shooting of the two backpackers had eerie similarities to the murder of Britons 23-yr-old Vanessa Ascott, and Adam Lloyd, 24, by the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi in 2004.

In that case Adam Lloyd was first shot then Vanessa was run over by Police Sergeant Somchai Wisetsingh in his car, before, as Vanessa clung to a pylon, he finished her off with bullets to her head, throat and chest.

Thai police have issued a statement saying that Police Sergeant Major Uthai Dechawiwat had intervened to break up a fight between Carly and John Leo del Pinto, in the picturesque Thai northern hill tribe village of Pai on Sunday.

Case investigator Pol Lt-Colonel Sombat Panya said the couple had been drinking in a local pub called and had became involved in a drunken brawl after Del Pinto, who recently arrived in Thailand, found out that Reisig had become pregnant with 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.

But said Miss Reisig:“There never was a fight. That is not true. 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 I could breathe again.

“I can’t believe that my best friend is dead and I 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 bedside her boyfriend Rattaporn Varawadee, an artist nicknamed Fuen 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 1 am. There was no fighting. But I heard from other sources that they were ‘play fighting’ as they walked.

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

John Leo Del Pinto, also 24, from Calgary, Alberta, was a former music student who earned a living as a promoter and concert organizer.

Pol Sgt-Major Uthai Dechawiwat has been charged with murder, manslaughter, and attempted murder but he obtained bail almost immediately after giving himself up.

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

Here's a snippet about him from his web page...

Andrew Drummond is a British independent journalist based out of Bangkok and covering Thailand and South East Asia.

He is currently accredited to ‘The Times’ but also serves a wide range of newspapers throughout the world.

He is a former Fleet Street, London, journalist having worked at the Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, News of the World and Observer.

Specialising in investigations he has also worked on assignments throughout Europe, and in the United States, South America, Africa, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Africa, the South Pacific and Central Asia.

From Thailand he has covered most of the major breaking stories in South East Asia, from the Asian Tsunami, to bird flu, the Bali bombings, to military coups and crime.

He is a holder of the Maurice Ludmer Memorial Prize into investigations into racism and fascism.

Andrew Drummond lives in a house by a lake in Bangkok near the international airport.

[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.

*It's also strange that initial reports in all of the Thai press reported her pregnant, even to the point that they said her foetus was unharmed. That doesn't seem like random information, so why and where would they get that information in the first place? Very strange, and many major pieces still missing.

Edited January 7, 2008 by kat

[tattoodrob]

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

[WISteve]

- 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

[Foggy Bottom]

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.

...snip....

*It's also strange that initial reports in all of the Thai press reported her pregnant, even to the point that they said her foetus was unharmed. That doesn't seem like random information, so why and where would they get that information in the first place? Very strange, and many major pieces still missing.

Kat, I suspect your thinking is going in the same direction as mine - right place, right perpetrator, wrong victims

Was the cop just the hired hand?

Wouldn't be the first time in Thailand - would it?

Oh - and don't forget the second biggest cash industry in Pai after visible tourist facilities and services

Edited January 7, 2008 by Gaz Chiangmai

[Tony Clifton]

There is another scumbag cop who's out of work after chopping off a waitress's arm off, maybe he could be rehired temporarily to make sure this scumbag can never fire a gun with either the left or right arm.

It`ll be interesting to see if any of his superiors are involved in covering up as is usually the case.

Yet more proof of a long needed police reform that would see hundreds and hundreds of unfit candidates sent to the nuthouse, employment office or the local Tesco parking lot.

Shame on authorities for never doing anything about the police force`s laughauble performance.

Edited January 7, 2008 by Tony Clifton