Expat Developer Shot Dead In Patong

[Erich]

I know this has been said many times before.thailand is a place for a holiday,for retirement,or working for a farang based company only.

the minute you get invoved in property dealings/thai owned company you run the risks associated with it.many farang business people are just plain crooks and scammers too.

remember too there is very little justice for westerners here,most everything is settled with tea money or in this posters case the gun.

If you want to be safe in thailand and not lose money keep your head down and your hand in your pocket.

I agree 100 % with your advice.

We have no chance to open a big business here or to open out mouth too big. I build a house uphill Hua Hin and the construction was very lousy. The woman that took the contract cheated me a lot and I have now a lot of problems. But I was warned already not to bring this case to the court, because it would not be good for my health.

So I keep my head down and my hands for the future in my pocket.

[neverdie]

Something fishy..

34 yrs old.. Been selling property there for 5 yrs... Had developed a 7 story condo.. Had lost 20 million Baht....

Was he a lottery winner, Internet millionaire, Trust fund kid or was his Thai wife rich ?

Seems a awful lot of money made in a very short period of time

Its not alot of money on the grand scale of things....you don't think people get in the property market to make a few thousand baht a year do you?

[Amy1029]

And Thailand's answer to its declining image and lawlessness is to have the Ministry of Tourism promote a national drink.

Yeah, because that'll solve everything. Wipe out foreigners after they've spent 'X' amount of baht in this country already and then replace them with 5 star hotel dwellers to make up for lost funds.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Seven .38 caliber slugs huh? Hmm, that means there were two shooters. I do not think they would take the trouble to reload for one more shot.

And do you know who uses .38 revolvers? They tend wear tight brown clothing.

[Dap]

my guess is it has to do with the 20 mil baht. "businessmen" in this country just shoot you, start a fire, or blow something up if they don't get the deal they want. 20 mil baht is enough of a reason to kill a farang in this country.

That much? Mostly much less

[andrew rohan]

My condolences to the guy’s family, and killed on his birthday, there is some real evil going on here.

More bad PR for Thailand and more negative international news coverage, welcome to Thailand, another black eye for LOS…

Wonder how close the real estate fraud case was to being concluded?

Wonder what the disposition of the case will be now?

Will the wife benefit if it is settle in the victim’s favor?

Wonder who the other party in the case is Thai or farang?

Wonder who the prime suspect is, humm?

Hope the people responsible are brought to justice soon .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"JUSTICE" your having a laugh mate .There is NO JUSTICE farang's in thailand , good contributions to society and economical growth the we give does not matter to the Thai's mate.I wount trust them as far as I can SHITTTTTTTTTTTT.

Take care GUYS.

[Syl]

Seven .38 caliber slugs huh? Hmm, that means there were two shooters. I do not think they would take the trouble to reload for one more shot.

And do you know who uses .38 revolvers? They tend wear tight brown clothing.

Who knows.

[jjmax]

So much bitterness in this thread.

There are greedy people everywhere who'll screw you for whatever they can anyway they can.

[manarak]

There are too many people talking out of their ass in this thread.

A lot - too much - speculation.

Killed on his birthday - sounds like something personal.

I too noticed: "married to a Thai national" and "waiting on his girlfriend"...

[orpheus454]

Scarey, life is cheap in Thailand.

Yep, indeed.

We're so lucky that this type of shooting would never happen in the U.S., where life is valued so much more.

[dougieboy]

It's amazing the jealousy of some of the paupers who post....the guy was shot running and probably minding his own business! His greed was most likely is that he would not lie down and and let greedy people of "whatever" nationality greedily rob him of 20 m THB...Since when was running a business "greedy"?

Ere ere, couldn't have put it better myself. Many people don't realise how hard it is to run a successful business, they think profitability is rude, wrong, illegal and greedy amongst others, WRONG! Profitability is the life blood of any business (ask the insolvency practitioners).

I hope the perpetrators are swiftly and securely brought to justice and then dealt with severely as they deserve to be, maybe just maybe many people (me included) who are planning to retire in Thailand might stop having second thoughts, although I doubt that.

Greedy my arse!

[Syl]

Scarey, life is cheap in Thailand.

Yep, indeed.

We're so lucky that this type of shooting would never happen in the U.S., where life is valued so much more.

[frambo]

It never ceases to amaze me how these internet farang forums resort to being platforms for whinging about everything that is bad about Thailand. I agree that many posters on this thread that speculating way too much about the shooter until the facts are in. But hey, what the hel_l, let's slam the Thai people. If life here is so onerous then no-one is pointing a gun at your head forcing you to stay here. As a foreigner if you want respect from Thais then behave in a way that is worthy of respect.

[meelousee]

This is not new, happens to many more than you know about.

Big story when a rich farang gets wacked!

Cops? Solve this fast?

PS: He bought the gun from the cops, 50k ++ no permit but was registered to his Thai wife.

Anyway, ...

RIP my friend

[Mario2008]

This has gone more then far enough with nonsense and and other posts which I hope the relatives and people who knew the man will never see.

[Otis]

Scarey, life is cheap in Thailand.

Yep, indeed.

We're so lucky that this type of shooting would never happen in the U.S., where life is valued so much more.

That does bring up an interesting off topic question. I have wondered why Bernie Madoff is still alive. Just seems to me he must have screwed someone who could justify the deed. And many Americans are the descendants of horse thieves and highwaymen so, the gene is there. Gossip on, Otis

[SamuiJens]

So much bitterness in this thread.

There are greedy people everywhere who'll screw you for whatever they can anyway they can.

Sure, and that might be why this guy is dead.

RIP

[LtCol]

This type of crime is becoming more prevalent in LOS.

They only succeed , because the 'right' have no 'might'

Society fails when good men do Nothing..........................!!!

Fear Rules in big business in LOS from an observation................even criticism is forbidden & the local Media (should that read Volunteers Chiefs) skirt the issues

An observation of a few months with Major Crime Investigative Analysis Training.

As they say in the Movies , "Interesting , but not my business"..............................!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sriracha john]

The bullet count is up to 8 now...

Canadian gunned down in Thailand

Bangkok — Police in Thailand are investigating the murder of a wealthy Canadian property developer who was gunned down on his birthday outside his luxury condominium.

Police said Francis Alex Degioanni, 34, was shot eight times by gunmen who waited for him to drive out of his condo on Patong Beach on the island of Phuket, one of Thailand's top tourist destinations.

Minutes earlier Mr. Degioanni had received a call and told his 22-year-old Thai wife that he had to do some urgent business, but that he would be back to celebrate his birthday.

As he drove out of his condo in his Toyota Regal, witnesses said he was approached by the gunmen, one wearing a long-sleeved red shirt and trousers, the other wearing jeans, jacket and a peaked cap. Both are said to have had short, military-style haircuts.

Mr. Degioanni was shot at with .38 calibre pistols and had wounds to his head, neck, chest, and one arm.

“My husband left in a hurry saying he had some business to attend to, after taking the telephone call,” his wife Tawadee Pencharoenwattana said. “When I heard the shots I rushed down.

“He was still alive and I dragged him across to the passenger seat and drove him to the hospital, but he died before I reached it. We have only been living here six months.”

Police at the crime scene said they believe the shooting was business-related.

“The Canadian was very wealthy and had been involved in property development in Phuket for over five years,” Police Superintendent Krissak Songmoonmak said.

“We know he was in dispute with his Thai business partner and had claimed he had been cheated out of 20 million baht ($704,584 Canadian). That matter is already in the courts.”

Police did not say where in Canada Mr. Degioanni was from.

- Andrew Drummond for Globe and Mail (Canada) / February 20, 2009

[brahmburgers]

Too bad he didn't have more of a scenario that I had.

Though the stakes of my real estate deal (that went bad) were a whole lot lower (I lost Bt.200k vs Bt.20 mil). I got a warrant out for the culprit's arrest. She wound up fleeing to Korat and couldn't be found by authorities (not for the small bounty I was willing to pay, anyway).

As for the guy in the OP; I hope authorities catch and convict the scoundrels - and show no more mercy than they showed the victim.

[sassienie]

I wonder if the Thai wife is involved with this?

That`s quite common here in Thailand, when the Farang husband has money.

[mickba]

OK so obviously it's the business deal etc., but...........

He was married to a Thai national.

He was about to go celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend.

He gets the call and has to go sort some "business".

Isn't there another, more familar tale that springs to mind - and the police are also looking into the romantic jealosy possibility?

[mickba]

OK so obviously it's the business deal etc., but...........

He was married to a Thai national.

He was about to go celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend.

He gets the call and has to go sort some "business".

Isn't there another, more familar tale that springs to mind - and the police are also looking into the romantic jealosy possibility?

Sorry, I missed that this point had been made already (and sorry - jealousy).

Also, I note that the Canadian press have the 22yo gf as his wife, but the first report seemed quite clearly to the contrary.

Edited February 20, 2009 by mickba

[Paulab]

I know this has been said many times before.thailand is a place for a holiday,for retirement,or working for a farang based company only.

the minute you get invoved in property dealings/thai owned company you run the risks associated with it.many farang business people are just plain crooks and scammers too.

remember too there is very little justice for westerners here,most everything is settled with tea money or in this posters case the gun.

If you want to be safe in thailand and not lose money keep your head down and your hand in your pocket.

I agree 100 % with your advice.

We have no chance to open a big business here or to open out mouth too big. I build a house uphill Hua Hin and the construction was very lousy. The woman that took the contract cheated me a lot and I have now a lot of problems. But I was warned already not to bring this case to the court, because it would not be good for my health.

So I keep my head down and my hands for the future in my pocket.

[Paulab]

I know this has been said many times before.thailand is a place for a holiday,for retirement,or working for a farang based company only.

the minute you get invoved in property dealings/thai owned company you run the risks associated with it.many farang business people are just plain crooks and scammers too.

remember too there is very little justice for westerners here,most everything is settled with tea money or in this posters case the gun.

If you want to be safe in thailand and not lose money keep your head down and your hand in your pocket.

I agree 100 % with your advice.

We have no chance to open a big business here or to open out mouth too big. I build a house uphill Hua Hin and the construction was very lousy. The woman that took the contract cheated me a lot and I have now a lot of problems. But I was warned already not to bring this case to the court, because it would not be good for my health.

So I keep my head down and my hands for the future in my pocket.

IN ANSWER TO ABOVE........ Hua Hin cheater!! A clean living, hard working pair who put all their money into a proposed project in Hua Hin via 1st Choice Homes based in Pattaya (who purportedly had an office in HH) who, in brief, breqchof contract, stole money/materials and embezzled over 8mil baht was reported to the Chief of Police HH and a BKK solicitor recommended by 1/2 Thai 1/2 Swiss resident. Despite "tea" money nothing has been done by either, as no loyalty in handshakes if the other side guzzump it! (ie naturally a payment both ways - such greed). You just need to look at the Thai police or Immigration officials dripping with gold chains and medallions to assess who does what, their salaries do not command such purchases.

Edit:

Part of post deleted per forum rules: as naming and shaming is not allowed

Mario2008

Edited February 20, 2009 by Mario2008

[cognos]

Something fishy..

34 yrs old.. Been selling property there for 5 yrs... Had developed a 7 story condo.. Had lost 20 million Baht....

Was he a lottery winner, Internet millionaire, Trust fund kid or was his Thai wife rich ?

Seems a awful lot of money made in a very short period of time

Its not alot of money on the grand scale of things....you don't think people get in the property market to make a few thousand baht a year do you?

My condolances to his family.In Vancouver there is a recent "epidemic" of gang shootings,so it ain't much safer here.My wife and I recently received 3.5 acres of land from her Dad in a quiet area of Phuket,however I am cognizant that it is not my property in any way shape or form.

[cognos]

Scarey, life is cheap in Thailand.

Yep, indeed.

We're so lucky that this type of shooting would never happen in the U.S., where life is valued so much more.

My condolances to his family.In Vancouver there has been a lot of gang killings recently.You need to keep your head down here as well.My wife and I just recently received 3.5 acres from her Dad in a quiet area of Phuket.I am cognizant that this is not my land in any way shape or form.

[LTGTR]

My condolences to the guy's family, and killed on his birthday, there is some real evil going on here.

More bad PR for Thailand and more negative international news coverage, welcome to Thailand, another black eye for LOS…

Wonder how close the real estate fraud case was to being concluded?

Wonder what the disposition of the case will be now?

Will the wife benefit if it is settle in the victim's favor?

Wonder who the other party in the case is Thai or farang?

Wonder who the prime suspect is, humm?

Hope the people responsible are brought to justice soon .

Wife of TGF?1st account says wife,2nd says TGF.

[saneroad]

Andrew Drummond's got a story up at the Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tory/Front/home

[warmwater7]

Seven .38 caliber slugs huh? Hmm, that means there were two shooters. I do not think they would take the trouble to reload for one more shot.

And do you know who uses .38 revolvers? They tend wear tight brown clothing.

also pretty good aim. those things can miss their target quite easily in untrained hands.

rip young friend.

as things tighten up the local dance will be " the desperation samba"

we ( westerners) tend to project the wrong idea on to the land of smiles.