Brit Shot And Robbed In Chalong, Phuket

[JetsetBkk]

Apologies if this is already posted somewhere - couldn't see it:

Brit shot, robbed in Chalong

CHALONG: Police are hunting two suspects who shot and robbed a British man while he was riding home on Patak Rd before dawn yesterday.

Chalong Police Superintendent Col Samarn Chainarong today confirmed that UK national Richard Hendren, 50, who runs the September beer bar on Soi One Man in Karon, was riding home to Chalong around 5 am when he was attacked.

After closing the bar, he stayed on to watch the UEFA Champion’s League final, set off on his Honda motorbike to his home on Soi Yodsane, Chalong, where he lives with his Thai wife of three years.

Riding pillion with him was 13-year-old Phraewnapa Laohongse, the daughter of one of the bar staff. She was riding with Hendren so that she could return the bike to the bar.

As the pair were rounding the final bend coming down Kata Hill and into Chalong, two men wearing full-face helmets on a black Honda Wave pulled alongside. The man on the back kicked the bike, causing it to crash.

As Hendren and Phraewnapa lay on the road, the man who had been riding pillion approached them and demanded their valuables.

When Mr Hendren said he didn’t have any, he was shot in the left leg. The force of the blast caused a compound bone fracture to add to the extensive injuries he had sustained in the crash.

Still at gunpoint and lying in a wet roadside ditch after trying to crawl to safety, Mr Hendren was forced to hand over his waist pouch, which contained cash and ATM and bank cards.

The bandits then robbed the girl of 200 baht and her mobile phone before riding off toward Karon. The man riding pillion allegedly fired a shot into the sky as they sped off.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=6499

(link may expire)

[Boater]

Not heared this one yet, but easily can believe...

But one question pops to mind

Riding pillion with him was 13-year-old Phraewnapa Laohongse, the daughter of one of the bar staff. She was riding with Hendren so that she could return the bike to the bar.

What was a 13 year old doing out at 5am working or assiting the Bar???????????????

These crimes need to stop in Phuket! , the police need to wake up and smell the coffee, or in most cases drink it!,

[scotwumman]

A brit was shot in the low season?

[bangkokrick]

Bloody hel_l Jetset it's like the wild west on Phuket right now. My sympathy to the guy and especially the young girl. There robbers obviously have no compassion at all even for a 13 year old girl.

Shame,

Cheers, Rick

Edited May 24, 2008 by bangkokrick

[onnut]

this is happening often! are any of the crooks caught? or is it the same guys doing all the robbing and shooting.

scumbags, I hope they are caught soon.

[MellowYellow]

this is happening often! are any of the crooks caught? or is it the same guys doing all the robbing and shooting.

scumbags, I hope they are caught soon.

The police are either incapable of apprehending or preventing these crimes or just plain not interested.

I wonder how they would respond to a roving group of farangs on MBs in the wee hours conducting a neighborhood patrol?

[JetsetBkk]

The police are either incapable of apprehending or preventing these crimes or just plain not interested.

I get the impression that the police do not believe their job involves crime prevention - it is merely to investigate and adjudicate in favour of whoever pays the most tea money.

[womble]

This is happening so frequently and i've never heard of any of the perpertrators being caught, just what are the police doing to solve this???

It seems there are a few hotspots where this keeps happening. It's posible the same people are involved in the attacks, this did happen fairly regulary in samui a while back but hasn't happened for a while. Eigher that or it's a common modus operandi for many gangs.... Has anyone heard this happening elsewhere? I guess it's also possible that it's the same gang that worked samui as these attacks have stopped and it seemed the first attack I heard of in phuket happened shortly after the last attack here.

Something needs to be done about this, pressure must be put on the police. This is happening so frequently it could have an effect on tourism. I think it's time local residents put their foot down and demand action.

As for farang patrols, I think this is a fantastic idea, it will cause start loss of face for the police and maybe force them into action.

Letters should also be written to the embassey, perhaps an online petition to to show wide support from the farang community. The petition should say that if the police do nothing to solve this farangs will take it into their own hands and start their own patrols. Signs should be put up in Thai saying it's a neighbourhood watch area and perhaps even a uniform made up so people can see the people patroling, this could be a good deterent.

I think people should contact their local embassey officials and demand support. Perhaps threatening travel warnings should the police fail to act.

[womble]

have these attacks ever happened to people in cars?

[jing jing]

True, ignoring the rights and wrongs of having the young girl along, it is a heinous crime and does not bode well for the security of foreigners motoring about the highways and byways of Phuket. Foolish though he may have been, the victim didn't deserve being run off the road and shot. He certainly has my sympathy in that regard.

[ClaytonSeymour]

Ignoring the rights and wrongs of the thirteen year old and sticking to the topic of violent muggings in Phuket. Go to the Phuket thread this conversation has been going on for a while.

Things here especially in the south of the Island are getting quite scary, it is mainly people on bikes that get targetted but they even try it on 4x4's, they pull alongside and point at your tyres as if to suggest you have a flat. No one in their right minds stops, bikes though, just come from behind and a nudge is enough. If someone tried that with me I'd run them off the road.

The attitude here from the police seems to be, you falang in tourist area, not my ploblem, I get no falang money for doing my real job.

The Consulates here are a joke, they like the title bit don't want to actually do any work. You can see the British Consul on a Friday afternoon, if you go to his store, if your lucky.

[stuandchris]

Sorry Jing Jing but knowing the South of Phuket as I do, it is a random event that happens most nights no matter what we may think from the rest of the country

[lazeeboy]

The police are either incapable of apprehending or preventing these crimes or just plain not interested.

I get the impression that the police do not believe their job involves crime prevention - it is merely to investigate and adjudicate in favour of whoever pays the most tea money.

i second that

[YaiJung]

The amount of extreme violence towards foreigners on Phuket is mind-boggling considering the amount of tourist money that comes in. Still blows me away when people I meet say the Philippines are too dangerous to travel to, yet they live on Phuket where tourists/expats are stabbed, shot, mugged, killed weekly.

To all the folks who still don't get it:

For Christ's Sake, don't go riding motorbikes around Thailand late at night, especially in tourist zones. Go in a car with locked doors or stay put until its light out and busy on the roads again. The police don't now, nor will they ever, give a rat's ass about safety. Thailand is a THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY with THIRD-WORLD COPS and THIRD-WORLD POVERTY/CRIME. Treat it as such.

[Briggsy]

Having lived in Thailand for over 10 years, I can safely say that my last trip to Phuket 7 years ago will be my last for a long time. Whether it's double pricing, nasty, violent tuk-tuk drivers or armed robberies, they all add to the feeling that it is only your money that is wanted.

I much prefer Jantaburi, but that's just my own personal opinion.

[jonniebkk]

The amount of extreme violence towards foreigners on Phuket is mind-boggling...where tourists/expats are stabbed, shot, mugged, killed weekly.

I don't suppose the "quality" of those tourists and expats has anything to do with it? IMO, those sexpats and over-sexed tourists and the low-life Thai hoodlums deserve each other

[kmart]

The amount of extreme violence towards foreigners on Phuket is mind-boggling...where tourists/expats are stabbed, shot, mugged, killed weekly.

I don't suppose the "quality" of those tourists and expats has anything to do with it? IMO, those sexpats and over-sexed tourists and the low-life Thai hoodlums deserve each other

You could question the "quality" of anyone residing in a tourist town, or indeed anywhere else in Thailand. Are you inferring that the victims being robbed, assaulted, shot, etc, somehow deserve it? How would you define your own "quality" here, btw? Apart from your apparent humanitarian traits, obviously...

[jonniebkk]

The amount of extreme Are you inferring that the victims being robbed, assaulted, shot, etc, somehow deserve it?

Yep...basically I would. Just about every case I hear or read about of a "tourist" or "expat" who gets assaulted, robbed, or killed basically was putting his nose where it didn't belong or involved in some type criminal activity. Myself, and all my acquaintances, who have lived in Thailand for years, have never been the victim of any such incidents...of course, we also don't drive around at 5 in the morning with 13 year old girls in our company

Edited May 25, 2008 by jonniebkk

[burman]

How long did you live in Phuket for Jonnie?

[bobbin]

The amount of extreme violence towards foreigners on Phuket is mind-boggling...where tourists/expats are stabbed, shot, mugged, killed weekly.

I don't suppose the "quality" of those tourists and expats has anything to do with it? IMO, those sexpats and over-sexed tourists and the low-life Thai hoodlums deserve each other

So what have YOU been doing here since 2003, jonniepattaya late of Bangkok?

[taxexile]

Just about every case I hear or read about of a "tourist" or "expat" who gets assaulted, robbed, or killed basicallywas putting his nose where it didn't belong or involved in some type criminal activity

what utter nonsense.

the man was riding home along a public road , and until we know better , was in the company of the child of one of his employees and was not drunk.

unless there was a curfew in effect then he had every right to be out at 5am , probably other people were riding to work at that time too.

the only thing you can say about him is that in view of other similar events in phuket , he was poorly informed.

the rights and wrongs of a 13y.o. driving the bike have nothing to do with this.

[TheDon]

Bad luck, but there is so many bad crime all over the world that happens everyday. But I wish there family well.

[cali4995]

Often theses kids are out with their working moms at crazy hours because it's not safe for them

to stay home alone. Kind of sad when you can't trust the neighbors in this regard but I believe

that may be the reason. Should not have been chauffering farang around at 5am however.

[jonniebkk]

So what have YOU been doing here since 2003, jonniepattaya late of Bangkok?

That's 1999...since I was 33 and been having a great time thank you. Don't see the relevance of your inquiry to my reply, however.

What have you been doing the past decade...working for "the man"?

Edited May 25, 2008 by jonniebkk

[TheDon]

I have no idea to think, seems abit fishy. Does seem odd.

[burman]

Well as long as no one is blaming the Thai guys for doing anything wrong, I guess we are alright. Thailand's face is saved once again!

[teacup]

The trouble I have with this story is

Where’s her parents and their responsibility of supervision for their own child safety and whereabouts at that time of the day. I would never let my child going anywhere at that time of the night, especially when is a “she”.

[PrBkkPr]

Its good that the Southern Thai criminals are targetting Farang Trash who run beer bars or a go-go bars!. I suggest that the police , locals and decent expats just stay out of it and finally we might get places like Phuket and Pattay cleaned up by letting the trash on each side eliminate themselves altogther.

[Prakanong]

Its good that the Southern Thai criminals are targetting Farang Trash who run beer bars or a go-go bars!. I suggest that the police , locals and decent expats just stay out of it and finally we might get places like Phuket and Pattay cleaned up by letting the trash on each side eliminate themselves altogther.

Fat lass - are you for real?

I know you want to lose weight and brag about shopping on cards but humanity it also allowed.

No wonder we expats in Singapore look down on trash in Thailand with their hardship postings

Edited May 25, 2008 by Prakanong

[Mosha]

13year olds driving motorbikes. Heck they'll be using 'em to go to school on next. Oh wait round here they already do.