Phuket Gangs Shoot It Out In Patong

[george]

Phuket gangs shoot it out in Patong

An injured man is taken away by Phuket Police

after a shootout in Patong.

PATONG, PHUKET: -- Tourists ran for their lives when a gunfight erupted between two gangs on the Patong beachfront today. One man was killed and three injured in the Patong shootout.

Bystanders said two gangs of Thai men began shooting at each other on the site of the burned out Jintana shopping center on the Patong beach road in the early afternoon.

One witness said a gang of five Thai men started shooting at a gang of three men. The smaller gang returned fire.

The gunfight moved along the beach road to near the Clublime nightclub.

Police from a nearby checkpoint raced to the scene and organized ambulances to take the injured to hospitals.

One man was taken to Patong Hospital, where he later died.

The other three were taken to the Bangkok International Hospital in Wichit, where they are being treated in the intensive care unit.

Police chased a number of the gunmen down backstreet sois and arrested at least two men.

Police would only reveal the nick names of the men arrested as "Bank" and "Ood".

The dead man is believed to be linked to the dispute over the ownership rights to the Jintana Plaza Shopping Center opposite Loma Park, which has been damaged by fire at least five times in the past two years.

The center's heiress Komkai Kositkoon was murdered in July last year.

Police believe this latest outbreak of violence is linked to a dispute over the Jintana Plaza land. Police confirmed that one of the men arrested had ties to the plaza.

Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark said police recovered a number of bullets and spent cartridges from the scene.

Police were aware of the ongoing dispute and he was confident of arresting all of the men involved in the shootout very quickly, he said.

Tommy Somsanuk, marketing manager of the Clublime nightclub, said he heard a commotion just before the two gangs started shooting at each other.

“People were running for cover everywhere,” he said.

Mr Somsanuk said he saw police chase two men down a shopping soi.

“They caught them both and took them away on the back of a police truck,” he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-07-21

[IanForbes]

Lousy shots. Eight guys and they only hit four of each other. Somebody needs accuracy training.

[LeungKen]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

[AndersJensenThailand]

With all what is happening in Phuket why go there at all. Pattaya is starting to lok like paradise comperid to Phuket.

[AndersJensenThailand]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

Where can i buy ?

[Maverell]

Wait until this gets in the Western Press !!

[JetsetBkk]

Storm in a tea-cup, don't worry about it, it's all under control.

Just remember how nice Thepkassatri road looks with all those nice new trees and flowers now that the new governor is in charge.

[Dakhar]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

issued as you depart the plane, a mask for the flu, and vest for the bullets.... and heck have some condoms too

[JetsetBkk]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

issued as you depart the plane, a mask for the flu, and vest for the bullets.... and heck have some condoms too

Don't forget the free whistle for the ladies.

[kuffki]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

issued as you depart the plane, a mask for the flu, and vest for the bullets.... and heck have some condoms too

When one would think Thai's would come to their senses to bring back tourism, well this incident would surely be a great help!

Funny how this has happened after all the rules and laws for the summit. Really once again does not put much faith in Thai Police or authority.

Someone made comments about Pattaya being good, sorry i live in Patts and you need to watch news. Everyday a shooting or foreigner mugged or robbed and everyday there are more and more incidents.

May be a good idea to now not only offer free visa's but also free medical and personal bodyguard for every person.

[ExoticMatter]

Soon to be the hottest selling item in Patong

No self respecting tourist will be seen without one.

issued as you depart the plane, a mask for the flu, and vest for the bullets.... and heck have some condoms too

don't forget to have enough money to pay for any missing bar mats and please make sure you pop in our ever popular duty free shop at BKK on departure;)

[crazyswede]

Where can i buy ?

Any Indian Tailor in Patong i gues´! 555

[kuffki]

Where can i buy ?

Any Indian Tailor in Patong i gues´! 555

LOL LOL LOL

They could even put a label for you like "gucci" or "armani" LOL

[capt_canada42]

Lousy shots. Eight guys and they only hit four of each other. Somebody needs accuracy training.

How about I take a shot at you and then lets see how accurate you are when your being shot at eh, macho ass!

Edited July 21, 2009 by capt_canada42

[brahmburgers]

off-topic, but brought to mind:

way back in 1968, my brother and I were asked by my dad (then CIA) to show a couple Ghanian men (Ghanian secret service?) around Washington DC on their first day in the USA. We duly powered up our pink convertible day-glow spray painted VW bug, and met the two serious looking dudes in business suits. Not knowing where the heck to go, we rambled aimlessly, and found ourselves going down streets, with smoke coming out of buildings, people ransacking stores (carrying TVs, still in the box), and looking at us strangely. A couple guys walked menacingly toward us carrying baseball bats, we sped off. Turns out we timed our little escapade for the very day Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and blacks throughout American cities were rioting.

ok, I now know the connection to this thread: just when you think it's crazier than looney tunes in Phuket or Pattaya, you can just think back to a time and place where it was just as crazy.

[balo]

Another blow for the tourism industry ,

Right now a lot of Scandinavians start their vacation to Thailand , and most of them goto Phuket.

Maybe not for long.

Edited July 21, 2009 by balo

[kuffki]

Another blow for the tourism industry ,

Right now a lot of Scandinavians start their vacation to Thailand , and most of them goto Phuket.

Maybe not for long.

Australians already are very wary of Phuket, British wary because of the airport extortion case, then Danish just the other day.

It seems Thailand seems to make some kind of negative news on monthly basis where the main story is about either extortion of foreigners or how unsafe the country is.

Keep it up Thailand!

[capt_canada42]

Beautiful day to day in Phuket went for a nice walk at Cape Lam Promthep great wind not hot some people flying remote controlled gliders in the wind it was fun to watch. Sea had some nice surf today. Watched my granddaughters playing tonight at home and enjoyed the evening. Life is what you make it!

[Rhodiebkk]

I thought Phuket was under some sort extraordinary security lock down for

the ASEAN Meet.

I suppose a shoot-out on Patong beach sums up these measures after the

success of Pattaya.

[kuffki]

Beautiful day to day in Phuket went for a nice walk at Cape Lam Promthep great wind not hot some people flying remote controlled gliders in the wind it was fun to watch. Sea had some nice surf today. Watched my granddaughters playing tonight at home and enjoyed the evening. Life is what you make it!

Yes you right.

People in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel love their life and enjoy it, until one day they take a bus or go to the market or shopping center or just for a walk and get blown up or shot.

Life is what you make it, but when people go on holidays they go to sunny weather and warm water they do not go for holiday to end up in the middle of the gun fight-day time-in the city center.

[Benjie]

off-topic, but brought to mind:

way back in 1968, my brother and I were asked by my dad (then CIA) to show a couple Ghanian men (Ghanian secret service?) around Washington DC on their first day in the USA. We duly powered up our pink convertible day-glow spray painted VW bug, and met the two serious looking dudes in business suits. Not knowing where the heck to go, we rambled aimlessly, and found ourselves going down streets, with smoke coming out of buildings, people ransacking stores (carrying TVs, still in the box), and looking at us strangely. A couple guys walked menacingly toward us carrying baseball bats, we sped off. Turns out we timed our little escapade for the very day Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and blacks throughout American cities were rioting.

ok, I now know the connection to this thread: just when you think it's crazier than looney tunes in Phuket or Pattaya, you can just think back to a time and place where it was just as crazy.

Was this just after, or before joining the SAS

[shawndoc]

Sad news. My wife knows the person killed and was pretty good friends with one of those shot from when she owned a salon in Jintana. She isn't sure who the others are (Due to my horrible pronunciation of the transliterated Thai names) She closed up her shop a few years back due to all the problems there. According to her the people who got shot today were the "good guys".

I just saw this story on my way in to work, so she didn't have time to find a Thai language news source or call her friends to find out what happened.

[james24]

Interesting that because no farang is mentioned,its all a big laugh, someone died.

Edited July 21, 2009 by james24

[Benjie]

Interesting that because no farang is mentioned,its all a big laugh, someone died.

I don't see anyone laughing, it was a mafia dude, who came armed and with protection. we can't be blamed for Thai gangs wanting to shoot each other.

[d0om4gloom]

Another blow for the tourism industry ,

Right now a lot of Scandinavians start their vacation to Thailand , and most of them goto Phuket.

Maybe not for long.

Australians already are very wary of Phuket, British wary because of the airport extortion case, then Danish just the other day.

It seems Thailand seems to make some kind of negative news on monthly basis where the main story is about either extortion of foreigners or how unsafe the country is.

Keep it up Thailand!

Oh come on. Thailand is as safe as most places in the world if not safer. Wait a year or two until the depression has bitten into every urban centre in the world and then you'll see what trouble is ! Stop moaning about Thailand and enjoy the amusing posts earlier in this thread.

[animatic]

Interesting that because no farang is mentioned,its all a big laugh, someone died.

NOT hardly...

Sadly this is realestate gang territorial warfare in the streets.

Lots of valueble rents to be had. And in tough times not hard to find trigger men.

No doubt these weapons were in hand long before the security lock down,

and this was nowhere near any diplomats or VIPs.

Sadly this does go on periodically, not just here too,

but many tourist beaches around the world have the same issues.

I got caught in the middle of a similar thing near Cannes, for apparently similar reasons.

Dived behind a stone planter and prayed like hel_l.

[shawndoc]

Interesting that because no farang is mentioned,its all a big laugh, someone died.

I don't see anyone laughing, it was a mafia dude, who came armed and with protection. we can't be blamed for Thai gangs wanting to shoot each other.

It wasn't a mafia dude who came around. It was the nephew of the owner of Jintana (Who was murdered last year, probably by the same people), and he's been helping run the plaza since last year. One of the other men shot has been working for the Plaza for years as a security guard. For a better story with more background, check out some of the other English language websites that focus on Phuket.

Edited July 21, 2009 by shawndoc

[kuffki]

Another blow for the tourism industry ,

Right now a lot of Scandinavians start their vacation to Thailand , and most of them goto Phuket.

Maybe not for long.

Australians already are very wary of Phuket, British wary because of the airport extortion case, then Danish just the other day.

It seems Thailand seems to make some kind of negative news on monthly basis where the main story is about either extortion of foreigners or how unsafe the country is.

Keep it up Thailand!

Oh come on. Thailand is as safe as most places in the world if not safer. Wait a year or two until the depression has bitten into every urban centre in the world and then you'll see what trouble is ! Stop moaning about Thailand and enjoy the amusing posts earlier in this thread.

"Wait a year or two until the depression has bitten into every urban centre in the world"--- Have you been hiding in the cave? the rest of the world has been already in depression and recession for the past year if not more, it is Thailand that has not been hit at all(according to Thai government and BOT)

And looking at other country's how often do you hear of day time gun gang wars in the city center?

[Benjie]

Interesting that because no farang is mentioned,its all a big laugh, someone died.

I don't see anyone laughing, it was a mafia dude, who came armed and with protection. we can't be blamed for Thai gangs wanting to shoot each other.

It wasn't a mafia dude who came around. It was the nephew of the owner of Jintana (Who was murdered last year, probably by the same people). For a better story with more background, check out some of the other English language websites that focus on Phuket.

I've read the background it just sounds like two gangs fighting to me, regardless of whether one was a big Patong landlord or not.

[samesamebutdifferent]

I don't see what all the fuss is about; as long as I wear my bullet proof vest, don't leave the hotel room or go shopping / touch anything at the airport, things are the same as they ever were.