Mob Closes Road In Surin Beach

[LivinginKata]

The protest site late yesterday afternoon and a photo of the late Gaga (inset).

CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: An adamant group of protesters continued to block a 300-meter stretch of Srisoonthorn Road in Baan Bang Tao most of today, demanding police catch the man responsible for the shooting murder of 12-year-old Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul.

The group finally disbanded late this afternoon following unconfirmed reports that the shooter was about to turn himself in to authorities.

Several witnesses – mostly children – said Gaga was shot point blank in the left temple as he was playing video games at the Dr Com Electronic Center in Baan Bang Tao.

The shooter, who remains at large, was identified as 34-year-old Ekawood Pipatratana.

For the original report of the shooting and how Mr Ekawood made his escape with the victim’s body, click here.

The street protest, which has greatly inconvenienced local residents and tourists, began at about 3pm yesterday.

It continued even after Gaga’s body was found by police, dumped in a marshy area near Sala Daeng Junction in the Nai Yang area at about 5:30pm yesterday.

Before police found the body, there were about 500 protesters.

The number dwindled following a visit to the boy’s home and the protest site by Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop at about 9:30pm yesterday.

Gov Wichai, who also visited the Cherng Talay Police Station, assured the family that Mr Ekawood would be in custody within three days.

Most of the protesters seemed to accept the governor’s reassurances and disbanded, but about 30 of them continued their blockade of a 300-meter section of road in front to the Baan Bang Tao School through the night.

The family of the slain child were not among the protesters.

Sompong Prachai, who lives next door to the murdered child, told the Gazette this morning, “Gaga’s parents and relatives don’t want to inconvenience people who need to use the road. They left the protest after talking with the governor, but there are a few villagers from the Surin Beach area who are continuing the protest,” he said.

Cherng Talay has been the site of numerous street demonstrations and protests over the years, many of them directed against police by local residents.

– Atchaa

[LivinginKata]

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Gaga's mom talks to the Gazette, issues ultimatum to police

CHERNG TALAY: The mother of slain schoolboy Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul is giving police five days to bring to justice the man who took her son’s life by shooting him in the head inside a computer game center yesterday afternoon.

Gaga’s mother, Mrs Somjai Sudjit, told the Gazette today she took the boy's remains home at 11am today after identifying Gaga at the Vachira Phuket Hospital morgue.

She is now preparing for his funeral services to take place on Monday.

Numerous witnesses have told police that Gaga was shot in the head by 34-year-old Ekawood Pipatratana, owner of the Dr Com Electronic Center in Baan Bang Tao.

For our previous report click here.

Holding back tears, Mrs Somjai told the Gazette that Amornthep was her only son. A student at the Anuban Phuket School in Phuket City, he was well loved by family and friends, she said.

“I have lost everything. My future has been ruined by that terrible gunman. I can never forgive him,” she said.

Mrs Somjai owns a florist shop located about 200 meters from the internet café where her son lost his life.

“Amornthep’s friends ran to tell me that my son was shot and that Ekawood had taken him to Bangkok Hospital. I rushed there, but couldn’t find either my son or Ekawood. The police advised me to mobilize my relatives to help in the search for his car,” she said.

Eventually an old Mitsubishi Champ matching the description of Ekawood’s vehicle was reported by police at Phuket International Airport, she said.

Later, she was informed by Thalang Police that her son’s body had been found in marshland by the side of the road near Sala Daeng Junction in the Nai Yang area at about 5:30pm.

“Amornthep’s body was thrown out as if it were a piece of useless garbage. It hurt me so much to see his lifeless body, his eyes still open and being bitten by ants,” she said.

“If there is no progress and the police cannot arrest Ekawood, I will lead a procession carrying Amornthep’s coffin to Cherng Talay Police Station, where we will protest until every member of the force has been transferred,” she said.

Cherng Talay Police Superintendent Witoon Kongsudjai said the court had issued a warrant for Ekawood’s arrest last night.

“Ekawood has already contacted police saying he intends to surrender himself, but he has yet to give us a date,” he said.

Cherng Talay Police believe Ekawood is hiding out somewhere in Phuket with his six-year-old son and will be forced to turn himself in soon.

Mr Ekawood, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima, has been married for three years to a computer science teacher, named "Duan", at the Baan Bang Tao School. At the time of the tragedy his wife was in Bangkok with a group of students competing in a computer competition. She is scheduled to return on Saturday.

– Kamol Pirat

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-04-23

[Kitsch22]

It seems highly likely that the perpetrator killed the lad in an act of reckless idiocy and that we can be confident that he will be going to prison for a long time. But nobody seems to be suggesting that this was a deliberate murder. Having no knowledge of this community I find it extremely hard to understand exactly what it is that the people are protesting about. Do they protest similarly when there is an assassination carried out by a paid hitman? Is it all just an open expression of community grief sparked by the victim's tender years or do they actually expect to achieve some positive outcome?

[ALFREDO]

The Thai police seems to work a lot faster and determined under pressure!

Under pressure from a high ranking source and/or from a road block.

As the people know that, they do what they are doing.

[thaiwanderer]

they want the perpetrator caught - nothing hard to understand there and nitpicking as to why they don't do the same in other instances is in bad taste, the blocking of the road will yield results, good luck to them

[NBT TV Phuket]

item---3-- on VDO at

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1079

or

Villagers in Cherng Thale agreed to stop a road blockade after an accidental shooting of a boy, but gave police three days to bring the shooter to justice.

Some villagers in Cherng Thale finally agreed to stop a road blockade after they reached agreement with police that the latter must bring the shooter of a 12 year old boy for conviction within three days. This followed the gun-playing accident by an internet shop owner which killed the boy, Amornthep, on Wednesday afternoon. The shooter, Eakkawut Pipatratana, told witnesses that he would take the boy to hospital, but ended up dumping his body in a tall grass area, after the boy died. The incident angered local residents who afterwards put up a blockade on the road in front of Ban Bangtao School on Wednesday evening pressuring police to take swift action against Ekkawut. Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob then intervened and requested villagers to open the road for traffic at night. But yesterday the villagers gathered again and blocked the road at Surin beach junction. Later on the leaders negotiated with provincial police Deputy Commander Pol. Col. Paveen Pongsirin and agreed to allow traffic access, but demanded that police must bring the wrong doer for conviction within three days. It was reported that the man wanted to turn himself in to police, but was worried about his security. Governor Wichai said the man can turn himself in to the Governor if he wants.

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm & 1am, a new channel on KPP cable TV, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Friday 24 April 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews.com

[LivinginKata]

Friday, April 24, 2009

Mob leader slams Cherng Talay Police

CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: A member of the mob protesting alleged police inaction in the murder of a 12-year-old boy by an Internet cafe owner spoke with the Gazette late yesterday afternoon about why the group continued to block a stretch of Srisoonthorn Road through the night – even after the victim’s family had disbanded after meeting with the governor.

Identifying himself not as a leader of the the mob, but as a “big brother” who had their respect, the man said the protest is their way of venting pent-up anger against the Cherng Talay Police for failing to solve any in a string of five recent murders in the Bang Tao area.

One of the victims, killed in a hail of machine gun fire, was his nephew.

Police failed to inform him of any progress into the investigation, he claimed.

The group was particularly incensed by the alleged police reaction to a child who called from the internet café after 12-year-old Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul was shot in the head on Wednesday afternoon.

They allege the youth asked for assistance – only to be hung up on by police who didn’t believe him.

The man went on to say that he felt sorry for the public inconvenience caused, but that the group could think of no other way to force the police to work faster.

“We don’t want to make any more trouble for our country, which is already suffering enough from mob action, but what else can we do? Many times we cry out for help and all they do is 'transfer' the officer in charge. Then what? The transferred man goes to work somewhere else, but the problems here remain the same.

“The police just hope that people will forget about it [the crimes] someday, so they can get away with it [their inaction]. I just want to ask tourists and other people out there what they would do if they were in our shoes... if something like this happened to someone in their family. We have had enough of it,” he said.

A promise by Gov Wichai yesterday to seek his own transfer out of the province if the alleged shooter of the boy is not apprehended was not enough, he said.

“Think about it. If he is transferred he’ll just go and be governor somewhere else. What difference will it make?” he said.

“Why didn’t they do something immediately after the phone call? Can you tell me what kind of car can outrace police radio signals? Even if the kid had been lying, they could still have responded in a positive way, perhaps using it as an excuse to get out of the office and get some exercise… What would that cost them? All of their expenses are covered: the car, the gasoline. They should work for us, as we pay for all their costs [with our taxes],” he said.

Meanwhile, the boys mother, also incensed with the police response in the case, has told the Gazette that if the police cannot arrest the suspect within five days, she will lead a procession carrying her son's coffin to the Cherng Talay Police. "We will protest until every member of the force has been transferred,” she said. More details of that story here..

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-04-24

– Tipwarintron Tanaakarachod

[LivinginKata]

Friday, April 24, 2009

Game shop killer surrenders

Mr Ekawood turned himself in to Phuket City Police for fear of being lynched at the Cherng Talay Police Station.

PHUKET CITY: Ekawood Pipatratana, the video game center owner who accidentally shot and killed a 12-year-old boy in his shop on Wednesday, handed himself in to police today.

Mr Ekawood, 43, dumped Amornthep "Gaga" Panya-sirikul's body in marshland near Phuket International Airport before fleeing in his car to his wife in Bangkok.

At a press conference at Phuket City Police Station at noon today, Mr Ekawood appeared full of remorse for the accident.

"I feel very sorry about what happened. I knew the boy very well and I didn't mean to take his life," he said.

He bought the .38 caliber pistol used in the shooting from a Burmese laborer, he said.

The reason he drove off with Amornthep's body and dumped it was that he was in a state of shock, he explained.

He declined to elaborate further on the events of that day, saying he would wait for his day in court to explain himself.

Mr Ekawood, accompanied by his wife, handed himself in to Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) member Sommit Suepsin earlier this morning.

Mr Sommit brought the couple to Phuket Provincial Police Station at around 11am, fearing that they would be met by a lynch mob if delivered to Cherng Talay Police Station.

Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop said that the case shed light on a number of important issues, including the dangers posed by foreign laborers who smuggle weapons into Phuket.

Gov Wichai also questioned how Mr Ekawood was able to drive off the island without being stopped by police.

"There's only one way to drive out of Phuket, and that's through Tah Chat Chai checkpoint. We really need to fix this problem," he said.

This is not the first time Mr Sommit has been involved in a controversial police investigation in Cherng Talay.

On March 17 he accompanied his nephew, Lunglode Suepsin, when he turned himself in to Cherng Talay police on an assault charge.

The police handling of that case provoked a 20-hour blockade of the Kamala-Patong Road.

For the original report of that case click here.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-04-24

– Tipwarintron Tanaakarachod

[JetsetBkk]

I spoke with a Thai lady I have known for several months who exercises at the same place as me. She pointed out the boy's teacher who was also there. She told me that the shop owner was often "moody" (ลมเสีย "lom sia" in Thai was the phrase she used) and didn't like the noise from the games that the kids would play. She also said he often had the gun out and would pretend to shoot anyone who had a problem with their PC.

She was told that the boy had a problem - the game crashed or something - so he called the owner over to help. The owner was moody again and pointed the gun at him and said something like "Do you want me to kill you?" She also said that he pulled the trigger three times.

None of this I can confirm, it is purely what she learned from others and told me. I have known her and her husband for several months and I don't believe she's making anything up.

RIP "Gaga".

[geriatrickid]

I read the reasons given for the protest and I actually do understand and sympathize. Incredibly frustrating for these powerless people.

The killer claims to purchased it from a "Burmese laborer" and Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop said that the case shed light on a number of important issues, including the dangers posed by foreign laborers who smuggle weapons into Phuket.

Ahh the good old "the Burmese are responsible excuse" Getting a bit over used though. If indeed the gun was purchased from a Burmese, which I doubt, why not hold the gun user responsible for his actions? No mention of the over abundance of fire arms and the complete lack of proper care or responsibility on the part of gun owners that leave weapons out in the open or brandish them..

Is this man really as stupid as he sounds? He already demonstrated his lack of basic manners when he was rude to the German ambassador, but this really seals the deal doesn't it? Great demonstration of leadership.

Gov Wichai also questioned how Mr Ekawood was able to drive off the island without being stopped by police."There's only one way to drive out of Phuket, and that's through Tah Chat Chai checkpoint. We really need to fix this problem," he said.

You think? Then do something now Mr. Governor or does that require too much of an effort? You've known about the problems for some time. Go after the police leadership. Shake it up or else stop with the verbal diarhea.

Maybe now people will understand why Thais will take to the streets in frustration.

[Boater]

Gov Wichai also questioned how Mr Ekawood was able to drive off the island without being stopped by police."There's only one way to drive out of Phuket, and that's through Tah Chat Chai checkpoint. We really need to fix this problem," he said.

well maybe the people at the checkpoint actually checked then maybe yes, but everytime i have been through that checkpoint there is 10 officers sitting around watching TV

[Boater]

but it talks of muder, wouldnt it be a case of Manslaughter?

[thaiwanderer]

depends if you belive the boy killer

[JetsetBkk]

but it talks of muder, wouldnt it be a case of Manslaughter?

Maybe something "lost in translation"?

[Devil]

I just had a call to tell me new road block in Bang Tao...

[Devil]

I just had a call to tell me new road block in Bang Tao...

Seems they were wrong. There is no road block I just went past about 7:30pm , however near Surin school there was a big crowd gathered roadside.

[83110pkt]

This boy was the only son of a lady who owns the flower shop next to the car care (opposite the temple) in bangtao I used to go to buy flowers there he always used to smile and his mother is a very nice lady.. so so sad may he R.I.P

My friend saw the shooter carrying the body to his tuck, he seemed like he was already dead, the police havent yet brung the shooter to make the reactment and the local people are talking about protesting again soon! it seems the only way they get the police to listen.