British Man Murdered In Kathu;

[carlthailand]

Is this another case of...

a farang losing his head over a girl?

a farang not thinking with his head on straight?

a farang trying to think with his smaller head and losing himself in the process?

Some say he lost his head because he separated from the reality of his problems.

He was torn apart by matters of the head and heart, his head no longer wanted to go where his heart took him.

ONE THING FOR SURE, WE KNOW THAT CAUSE OF DEATH WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT HIS HEAD SCREWED ON STRAIGHT!!!

Who said you can't get "a head" in Bangkok? We HAVE TWO!!!

Hopefully, this will not become the normal method of homicide in Bangkok. That will definitely have an effect on tourism and the Thai economy.

The Southern borders of Thailand have used machete' even on Buddhist monks on drive by motorcycle killings over the last few years.

While there is the 'possibility' of suicide and the body separating from the body because of weak neck muscles, the type of rope used, a fat body... it is unlikely.

Suicide came in the form of knowingly continuing to tick someone off by not giving them what they wanted and taking the chance of calling their bluff.

The upside is this man no longer has to pay taxes, be lied to, have his heart broken and all his suffering in this life is over.

Unfortunately, it will be his family if he has any that will now carry the burden of his suffering.

Nothing in this life is permanent, even this life.

And this makes your post on this thread wrong.

2 posts out of two replied wrong. Both to do with the murder and the suicide.

My condolences to both the murdered victim on this thread and to the family of the "suicide victim" on the other thread

[Africanteacher]

Such a trgic loss once again. My excitement keeps dwindling as my days to move to Phuket come closer.

[jasperguy]

I believe that this murder is targeted, because the items left behind on body was not ransacked also. i do agree that Phuket is getting too dodgy to live.

[Beacher]

Police initially suspect that business, and personal affairs may be the killing motives.

No sh-t, boys!

What else is there besides the personal and business aspects of our lives? I can see this investigation is off to a roaring start. Their statement may as well have read, "Well, we have it narrowed down to a situation where he was killed by someone with something for some reason. But we'll probably close the case as a suicide because that's what we do best when foreigners are involved."

Edited February 24, 2009 by Beacher

[NBT TV Phuket]

VDO: A British national was found killed in Phuket

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...php?news_id=979

VDO: A British national was found killed in Phuket

Thungthong police on Monday examined the scene where a British national, 60 year old Mr Ian Kenneth Stuart, was lying dead at a room in a shop-house in the Kathu area. The man’s head was hit with a thick piece of wood found left in the room. According to a police report, Mr. Stuart ran a broker business under St. James Properties Company, near the Tesco Lotus junction, serving mostly foreign clients in Phuket. The Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Apirak Hongthong said most valuable belongings such as a Rolex watch, gold ring and cash were still with the body, only a cell phone and computer notebook went missing. Four panes of glass windows were taken out and police suspected that the killer got through that window. Police initially suspect that business, and/or personal affairs may be the motives for the killing. The provincial police commander stressed that he would accelerate the investigation to lead to the killer, as this is the second case of a foreigner murdered in one week. The British Honorary Consul in Phuket, and British Embassy in Bangkok are in the process of informing the next of kin of Mr Stuart’s death. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm & 1am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Tuesday 24th February 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews Send comments to [email protected]

[imaneggspurt]

Well you have seen nothing YET. With the onset of large scale unemployment its going to get worse. Don't forget for Thais no money = starvation.

Farang property brokers turning up dead has nothing to do with unemployment, and everything to do with the Democrats being back in power in Bangkok. The local warlords are once again untouchable.

No money, yet a Rolex, cash, and gold left at the scene? More like somebody's mia noi needs a new Mercedes after a tough shopping trip to Hong Kong and a few days in the casinos at Macau. What better way to fund that than with a few quick property turns.

Dollars to donuts, this is another one where the investigation goes nowhere, as the local constabulary will be monetarily encouraged to pursue another "domestic dispute" possibility. If the investigator doesn't cooperate, the folks in parliament and their yellow-shirted supporters in Phuket can make sure the unlucky policeman is transferred to an 'inactive' post escorting teachers in Yala.

Perhaps the rolex was a copy !,. actually my wife has seen in the thai press that the KGB did it , i feel a book coming on,. Edited February 24, 2009 by imaneggspurt

[steelepulse]

Condolences to the 2nd family of someone murdered in the Phuket property business.  Definitely not a healthy business to be into these days it appears, and with just phone and computer taken, sounds like a business dispute as personal disputes usually end up with personal items of value taken.

[vicco]

Phuket is just loaded with laundered money, dope and shady real estate deals.

Keep you heads down for a while.

1st post since joining in Nov 2007. WOW

He's been keeping his head down for a while!

[janjirabutsaen]

If you think Thailand is similar to European countries, concarning murder, corruption, violence, think again.

Statistics are not always reliable but i would say CIA and WHO are a bit more reliable than our spurious chit chat.

Why don't you look at muder stats for Thailand, easy to find, Google it. Have a look at murder with firearm stats. Nationmaster collects stats from WHO and CIA.

Look at Amnesty international reports on murder/torture of migrants. Look at Kalasin. Look at the recent boat people murders. Look at scape goat crimes.

I have been here 8 years and would say this is without douby one of the most dangerous places i've visited . . . i've been around . . . LA, New York has nothing on thailand and don't even mention London. You get on the wrong side of someone here you have to expect the worse, i've seen it happen. Many cases do not get reported at all.

[nickh]

percent homicides committed with firearms Thailand is Number 1 in the world.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_gun_...icides-firearms

And murders with firearms per capita thailand is number 3 in the world compared to U.S. at number 8. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_gun_...per-100-000-pop

But this 3 vs 8 is highly misleading because: Thailand has 33 per 100,000 and the U.S. has a mere 3.6 So Thailand has about TEN TIMES more murders with firearms per capita than the U.S.

Non firearm homicide rate per 100,000, Thailand again wins handily over U.S.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_gun_...per-100-000-pop

Couple all that with Thailand's murder per capita rate being TWICE as high as the U.S.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_...ders-per-capita

The statistics of Nationmaster have been proved faulty in the past. I don't see why we should start believing them now.

Look at the figures in your last link: "Murders (per capita) (most recent)": #14 Thailand: 0.0800798 per 1,000 people

Now look at the figures in your second link: "Firearm homicide rate > per 100,000 pop. (most recent)": #3 Thailand: 33.0016

So, according to the first link there are 8 murders per 100,000 people and yet the second link states there are 33 murders per 100,000 people solely by firearms.

Conclusion: Nationmaster is crap.

Conclusion: THAILAND is a dangerous place,

Be it 1st 3rd or 14th in the WORLD For Firearm Homicides,

Seriously very dangerous,

Be carefull Phuket

[patklang]

Sounds to me that the mobile and notebook were taken due to information on them.This is not a murder for money.No doubt the brilliant b.i.b will solve this crime

[rdog]

My condolences to the guy and his family, crazy times.

RIP

[patklang]

If you think Thailand is similar to European countries, concarning murder, corruption, violence, think again.

Statistics are not always reliable but i would say CIA and WHO are a bit more reliable than our spurious chit chat.

Why don't you look at muder stats for Thailand, easy to find, Google it. Have a look at murder with firearm stats. Nationmaster collects stats from WHO and CIA.

Look at Amnesty international reports on murder/torture of migrants. Look at Kalasin. Look at the recent boat people murders. Look at scape goat crimes.

I have been here 8 years and would say this is without douby one of the most dangerous places i've visited . . . i've been around . . . LA, New York has nothing on thailand and don't even mention London. You get on the wrong side of someone here you have to expect the worse, i've seen it happen. Many cases do not get reported at all.

Is a scape goat similar to a mountain goat??????

why would you do a crime against an innocent goat???

[patklang]

My friend does work in Phuket and he says its the most corrupt place in Thailand by far.Rotten from the top to the bottom.He lives in Pattaya and he said that its far less violent than Phuket.

[janjirabutsaen]

Murder with firearm and murder without a firearm. Simple.

Why don't you scan the CIA factbook or read WHO reports? I did ask you to do that. I have already. Nationmaster has done the same. Read the Thai dailys. Read AI ,ARHC reports. You choose to live in the bubble that's fine, when in Rome get in the bubble. I don't choose to live that way, i cannot, a work hazard.

If you dig deep enough you will be sufficiently more stricken than you are now after a few reports on Thaivisa.

And yes, a scapegoat is a mountain goat.

[hansnl]

Well you have seen nothing YET. With the onset of large scale unemployment its going to get worse. Don't forget for Thais no money = starvation.

Farang property brokers turning up dead has nothing to do with unemployment, and everything to do with the Democrats being back in power in Bangkok. The local warlords are once again untouchable.

No money, yet a Rolex, cash, and gold left at the scene? More like somebody's mia noi needs a new Mercedes after a tough shopping trip to Hong Kong and a few days in the casinos at Macau. What better way to fund that than with a few quick property turns.

Dollars to donuts, this is another one where the investigation goes nowhere, as the local constabulary will be monetarily encouraged to pursue another "domestic dispute" possibility. If the investigator doesn't cooperate, the folks in parliament and their yellow-shirted supporters in Phuket can make sure the unlucky policeman is transferred to an 'inactive' post escorting teachers in Yala.

Oh come on!

The democrats/yellow shirts are in your eyes the reason of all ills in Thailand?

Really?

[abracadabra]

Sounds to me that the mobile and notebook were taken due to information on them.This is not a murder for money.No doubt the brilliant b.i.b will solve this crime

Which makes me wonder if this is more likely farang v farang or a contract killing ordered by a farang.

Otherwise it seems more likely cash and other valuables would have gone too.

[gary and kids]

Safer than any big city in the States. Moral is: Don't get into anything bigger than you.

I could not agree more.......

I live in Seattle in the U.S and things like this (killings, rape,robbery,ect..)happen daily around here,every morning we watch the death count go on. When my daughters and I were in Bangkok last year we were very surprised to see a young teen girl selling marigolds flowers to taxi drivers at 4:00AM safe as could be.She wouldn't last an hour downtown here. we droped or left sunglasses,money,bags of clothes ect.. and time and time again a Thai came running up to us saying mister mister you dropped something, a rare thing here even with people that have money.

Now I know that I haven't posted a million plus times but Most if not every story I've read about people having problems in Thailand is they got either over their heads in some deal, got too drunk or just stupid and leave it up to Darwin.

God rest their souls

[stevenl]

if you do like most farang do and come and drink and booze and hang out with hookers and do all that sorta stuff, your chances of this kinda stuff happening skyrockets...mix in some drugs and/or owning real estate and now you are playing russian roullette.

Do that back home and you won't survive very long as well. But in Thailand you think one can behave like this and live a long and happy life?

[dasy]

totally agree Lukey; assumption is the mother of all screw ups.

David

I see It a hel_l of alot on Thai visa and i'm not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, But every time a farang is murdered such ignorant smart ars3 comments of non substantial allegations appear suggesting Shady deals and other criminal activity on the victims behalf. Such patronizing cliches pop up like '' Don't get into anything bigger than you'' and statistics get dragged out giving folk the belief that because they are themselves a good egg it couldn't possibly happen to them. I often wonder where such posters hail from.. the Falklands Islands?? Some people on here seriously need to get their heads out of the sand and realize that there are on occasion some poor unfortunate souls who get murdered for no reason whatsoever, No motive, they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Such smug comments on an open forum that maybe read by family and friends is utterly disrespectful.

Theres an abundance of washer women on this forum who i suggest get out a bit more.

[siam2007]

My friend does work in Phuket and he says its the most corrupt place in Thailand by far.Rotten from the top to the bottom.He lives in Pattaya and he said that its far less violent than Phuket.

and I assume one reason for this fact is that the BIB are a BIG part of the rotten meat.

it was stunning me to learn that TV-members are eager to be part of the voluntary police in Phuket.

[topsecret]

but seems Phuket is moving up on the danger scale

Just left Patong beach in Phuket.. it's definitely going irrational: one midnight motorcycle taxi gave me a lift for 32 baht ( all I had on me) the next night same idea a guy wanted 150baht. I refused to pay but he got so angry I offered him 100baht then he actually attacked me...hit me with his helmet n( sounds like a bad joke hehum)..

So lets see. Firstly you conned the motorbike driver by taking a lift knowing you did not have enough money and subsequently did not give him the correct fare. Then you insulted another (or was it the same) driver by offering him much less than he expected.

I'm surprised you're still alive!

Next time ask for the price before you accept the lift and pay the buggers what you agreed. You'll find that they'll stop attacking you.

What a plonker

[slackula]

From our friends at Wikipedia:

Country   	Non-firearm	 Firearm		% homicides		Overall homicide
		homicide rate  homicide rate	 with firearms		 per 100,000 pop.
		per 100,000	  per 100,000  

Australia 		 1.26 		0.31 			  16.3435 				1.57
Azerbaijan	2.8078 			  0.2236 				7.3770		   3.0314
Barbados 		7.4906		2.9963 			   28.5714 			 10.4869
Belarus 	   10.1300	   	  3.3100 				24.6280 			13.4400
Bulgaria 		4.0652 		0.7714 			15.9494 			 4.8366
Canada 		 1.04 		0.54 				   25 					 1.58
Chile 	   1.5461 			0.1776 			   10.3053				  1.7237
Colombia 	   62.7400   		51.7683 	   45.2092 				   114.5083
Costa Rica	  6.57				 3.38			34					   9.95
Czech Republic 1.69			   2.07				55					   3.76
Denmark		 1.09				0.26				19					   1.35
England & Wales 1.33			  0.12				8						1.57
Estonia		  10.4456			1.5340			 12.8049			   11.9795
Finland			 2.19				0.43			   16						2.62
Germany		  1.1679			0.4672			 28.5714				 1.6350
Guatemala		25.4737		18.5000			 42.0706				 43.9737
Hungary		   2.0500		   0.4400			 17.6707				 2.4900
India				  3.72			  0.93		   20					   4.65
Ireland			  1.01			   0.32		   24						1.33
Latvia			   10.0337		   1.2648		11.1940			   11.2985
Lithuania			 10.0135		2.2463		 18.3223			  12.2598
Macedonia, FYR 2.3141			  1.2802		  35.6164				3.5943
Mexico		   14.1112				3.6622	  20.6051			  17.7735
Moldova, Republic of 8.1270	   0.4671		   5.4348				 8.5941
New Zealand	 1.1747			   0.1827		   13.4615			  1.3574
Paraguay		  12.0451			 7.3508		 37.8987		   19.3959
Poland		5.6072			  0.4289			 7.1062			 6.0362
Portugal		 2.4788			   0.8488		   25.3776			 3.3100
Qatar			  0.53		0.18				25				   0.71
Singapore		 0.9209			 0.0249			2.6316			  0.9457
Slovakia		 2.6473				  2.1659		 45.0000			4.8132
Slovenia		1.8109				  0.6036			25.0000		  2.4145
South Africa		51.3901			   74.5748		  59.2028		 125.9650
Spain		  1.2506				  0.2456		   16.4129		  1.4962
Switzerland	  0.96			  0.56				37				 1.52
Thailand		   8.4679			 33.0016		 79.5805		 41.4695
Ukraine		   8.9253				  0.3495		   3.7682			9.2747
United States	 4.55					  2.97			  39				  7.52
Uruguay		   4.6149				 2.5172		  35.2941			7.1321
Zimbabwe		 7.2381				 4.7460		  39.6026		  11.9841

Thailand is pretty high on the list here in murders per 100,000 with almost 6 times more than the USA, and is easily the winner in % of murders committed with firearms. Scary stuff.

(I apologise for the messed up formatting)

Edited February 24, 2009 by slackula

[siam2007]

this says more than words, but then there will still be many TV members who wont stop sobbing and pretend how SAFE this place is.

having said that, for sure Ubon Ratchathani or Phitsanulok are much safer FOR FARANG than any places that attract a lot of tourists (= walking ATM, walking wallet), and therefore, attract scumbags as well

[dageshi]

Here down in Sihanoukville, I was chatting with a local bar owner, Belgian fellow, he'd been out the night before to a bar downtown, left at 2 in the morning, on his bike, as he left the place, 4 khmer guys kicked his bike down one of them had a meat cleaver, luckily he had a german mate with him rammed half of them with his bike while he got up and made a run for it.

So I think it's pretty simple gents, I travel around asia quite a bit, and basically speaking if you don't go looking for trouble then it probably won't come looking for you. There is a small percentage of random violence everywhere, but as long as your not coming out of some dodgy club at 4 in the morning pissed out of your skull your probably not going to get in trouble.

[dreamchaser]

I've heard from many friends that phuket in getting more and more violent a place to visit

[samuibeachcomber]

nice post sweetbling.

[WOWAsia]

Very sad for his families I wish, he is now in peace. As a Thais live in Phuket. I realize that the economic is going down now and the crime rate would be more. It is not Thai or Farang. We all love each other but there are also many bad people out there. They don't want to work for clean money. They just steal and kill basicly. Thai Police!! Well, it is sad to say that I don't think that they can't help you much, unlike the FBI and CIA program I watch from the television. You need to take care of yourself and your belonging now. I can think about somethings like......

- Make sure your car is locked and safely park. If you park in mall, park your car where it can be seen by the camera.

- If you have a housekeeper or gardener, pls, don't show them your jewelry box. I believe that they are nice people but when the economic is going down like this, it is hard to predict what they have in mind.

- Please, don't talk on the phone alone on the street at night, some bad people might come on the bike or behind you cause they know that your attention is on the phone.

- When you are riding the motorbike, don't put your valuable stuffs in the front basket or bag around your shoulder. I heard that bad people will come on the bike and grab it or pull your handbag out of your shoulder.

- Make sure that your lock at the house isn't kind of the lock that can cut through. How I can say...I know that some locks can be opened by just a card. Get double lock if you can.

- Ohh! and this is for Farang gentlemen,......If you're in the relationship with Thai ladies, you really don't need to buy the property or cars and put on their name if you're still not sure about your relationship with her. You can let her sign the paper before marriage, and you can cancel that later, right!. It is sad to me when I heard of Thai ladies rib off Farang. As you know, there are many nice ladies and not so nice, I hope you have a great one.

That's all I can think about now...... I wish, all of you have a good time, living in Phuket. Thai people love you (if you're a nice farang) :-) . We are friend on the planet. I hope that there will be no more sad news. Try to do meditation, do the sport you like ===> get the stress out everyone!!

Seems I have almost no problems in Thailand:

- I do not have a car

- I have no housekeeper or gardener

- I do not have a cellphone

- I do not have a motorbike, but yes, sometimes riding WIHOUT valuble stuff only

- I do not have a house

- Thai woman? - not sure

[dynabob]

We live in a country where parents carry infants under one arm as they drive a scooter,then when child can stand on their own they put them up front with chin on handelbar's hence the expression a thai "AIR BAG"sick humour.The police can't lie straight in bed and you can have a person murdered for 100 pipers.KILL OR BE KILLED.REMEMBER A DEAD MAN CAN'T BUY POLICE.L.O.S=LAND OF SAVAGES.

[balo]

My parents are now afraid of going to Phuket . They were planning a holiday to Thailand for the first time but they read the news every day and believe every word of it.

I try to calm them down since I've been a regular visitor to Thailand the last 6 years and never had any problems there.

But when you read about all the murders the last weeks, its just makes people worried.