Wanphen Pienjai Murder: American Expat Arrested In Phuket

[stepenwolf1958]

wow I lived near Chalong in Rawai beach for 1 month, in 2009, so bad, and so scary!!!!!!

Huh? I don't understand your comment. I've lived in Rawai for over four years. So what?

What about the Norwegian man with a Thai wife and two kids that was killed in a robbery just up the road from Icon a couple of years ago, no one was ever caught for that. Nor was there any reward offered by the police to help catch the killer like this case. But if this man, an American is really the one that did it, then it is good he was caught. But there seems to be something that doesn't fit. The article states: "Mr Fanelli, described as a long-term tourist, had lived at a home in Chalong with a Thai woman until the woman and her son returned to her home in the northeastern province of Mahasarakham, Col Wanchai said." If he had a preference for katoeys, why was he living with a women and her son until recently?

I agree, i've lived in Chalong for 5,5 years, and i never feeled that it was a dangerous area at all...Of course, all over Thailand, if you are looking for trouble, you will finally get one...And i also agree that something does not the story about the thai woman and the preference for ladyboys..I hope that tomorrow morning, Col Wanchai will give more details of the arrest and of the story...

Lots of lady boy lovers do have a girl friend to show others that they're 'normal'. I've met some strange guys in this country, would somebody live with a kathoey, wouldn't people start talking about him?

This was right in the bulls eye man. The problem is STERETYPE about farangs(foreigners)here. Thais think it is common thing farangs are interested for sex with Thai ladyboys and that is the problem. When you say you are not interested, they will look at you like something is wrong with you or they will not believe you at all.

Here, it is NOT abnormal thing at all. All is used to see. I saw a lesbian couple in Lotus kissing. Farang woman is almost a teenager but Thai woman was definetely under age. I was shocked i saw it but after that i saw around me Thai faces and all of them saw but were cold blood. No reaction at all. That is expected, right? They think all of us are freaks and we are in Thailand just about sex or pervert sex. makes me so sick but it is like it is.

[dasy]

wow I lived near Chalong in Rawai beach for 1 month, in 2009, so bad, and so scary!!!!!!

Huh? I don't understand your comment. I've lived in Rawai for over four years. So what?

What about the Norwegian man with a Thai wife and two kids that was killed in a robbery just up the road from Icon a couple of years ago, no one was ever caught for that. Nor was there any reward offered by the police to help catch the killer like this case. But if this man, an American is really the one that did it, then it is good he was caught. But there seems to be something that doesn't fit. The article states: "Mr Fanelli, described as a long-term tourist, had lived at a home in Chalong with a Thai woman until the woman and her son returned to her home in the northeastern province of Mahasarakham, Col Wanchai said." If he had a preference for katoeys, why was he living with a women and her son until recently?

a zillion people live with a wife and kids and have preferences for something else

[swallowtail1]

Seems to be alot of Americans involved in these sordid perverted crimes recently .

So he has served in Iraq? well so have i and i never went around killing innocent people and chasing ladyboys.

Sounds like he has typical mental problems maybe from possible war crimes?

Hopefully the firing squad will sort his sick problems out..

THIS IS THAILAND

[Jingthing]

Seems to be alot of Americans involved in these sordid perverted crimes recently .

So he has served in Iraq? well so have i and i never went around killing innocent people and chasing ladyboys.

Sounds like he has typical mental problems maybe from possible war crimes?

Hopefully the firing squad will sort his sick problems out..

THIS IS THAILAND

Like I said, RATIONAL people won't see this story as being about Americans.

Next ...

[Jimi007]

wow I lived near Chalong in Rawai beach for 1 month, in 2009, so bad, and so scary!!!!!!

Huh? I don't understand your comment. I've lived in Rawai for over four years. So what?

What about the Norwegian man with a Thai wife and two kids that was killed in a robbery just up the road from Icon a couple of years ago, no one was ever caught for that. Nor was there any reward offered by the police to help catch the killer like this case. But if this man, an American is really the one that did it, then it is good he was caught. But there seems to be something that doesn't fit. The article states: "Mr Fanelli, described as a long-term tourist, had lived at a home in Chalong with a Thai woman until the woman and her son returned to her home in the northeastern province of Mahasarakham, Col Wanchai said." If he had a preference for katoeys, why was he living with a women and her son until recently?

a zillion people live with a wife and kids and have preferences for something else

I suppose that is true of some people. As the saying goes "it takes all types." But I had my GF read the Thai version of this story on another website and it did not mention anything about katoeys. It did say he admitted to killing the woman and that he was angry over his ex leaving him... Something was lost in translation with the Phuket Gazette article as usual...

Edited July 18, 2010 by Jimi007

[atyclb]

He certainly chose the right country. <br><br><br><font color="#ff0000" size="3">" Some mental health issues. "</font><br>

Edited July 18, 2010 by atyclb

[webfact]

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Be aware the person mentioned in this article has not yet been tried

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[bifftastic]

I just want to remind everybody from the states that every time an american does something in this country or any other country it will be scrutinized and added to the already infamous rep we have as a nation. We are already disliked by the majority of euro's I dont want to start being disliked by thais.

I hear sentiments like this a lot across a lot of expat groups but it always seems curious to me. I mean, the type of person who would read that reminder and think to themselves "I must really remember I am representing myself, my family, my profession and my country whilst I'm here"....they're not the guys that stab or kill or fight or steal, right? The guys that would do any of those...are so not thinking about the fact that their actions could impact negatively on others. They're trying to stab / kill / fight / steal or whatever....

I dunno. I might be being retarded. But whenever I hear that sentiment, I am always bemused.

Me too, it's not like they're likely to say 'wow that was close, I nearly tarnished my nations reputation there! Thankfully someone on TV warned me not to go crazy and kill someone whilst a guest in another country'

Also, people are able to distinguish between acts of individuals, the fact that a person may be from the US and that person commits a crime, generally, doesn't generate negative feeling towards other US citizens. OK maybe if you walked down Tehran High Street shouting 'USA USA' that might not go down to well. But by and large, I doubt people are now thinking you lot are any more (or less) nutty than they did before this arrest.

As for 'the majority of Euros' I think your government may get a bit of stick but mainly, we admire the US as a nation. Personally I get a bit freaked out when I hear all the 'mighty hand of god fall down upon the miserable sinners...' kind of stuff but hey, religion scares me.

[george]

Update:

American confesses to murder of Phuket bar hostess

Mr Fanelli shows police the Suzuki Step

motorbike he used to dispose of Ms Wanphen's

body in a remote part of Wichit.

PHUKET: -- The American man arrested for the murder of bar hostess Wanphen Pianjai has confessed to charges, police say.

Donald Fanelli, 36, was arrested by a team of officers led by Police Region 8 Commander Weerasak Meenawanich early yesterday evening at his newly-rented home in Karon.

The successful manhunt was one of the most intense in Phuket in recent years, harking back to the successful search in 2008 for the murderer of Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund in Mai Khao in March of that year.

At least six top-ranking Region 8 police officers were present for the arrest, which followed the issuance of a court warrant earlier the same day.

The Gazette has as yet been unable to independently confirm that the suspect also goes by the name of Ronald “MadYank” Fanelli and is a poker player with a blogsite containing several posts about his life in Phuket.

However, posters who expressed shock at the arrest on one online discussion forum dedicated to poker have confirmed that the man pictured was a regular contributor who went by the user name “NewTeaBag”.

Mr Fanelli told police upon his arrest that he carried out the murder while under work-related stress.

After the murder, at his home in Wichit Village 1, he rented the new home in Karon, police said.

More details about the arrest are expected at a police press conference scheduled for 10am tomorrow.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-07-18

[Tokay]

Curious, as I was told by a mod in another thread I could not name and shame a violent Thai contractor (attacked me with a shovel with a few other Thai guys) because he was innocent until proven guilty. Was tolf a police report does not prove anything, even though he admitted to attacking me.

Yet this guy, along with everyone else arrested or accused in Thailand, are also innocent until proven guilty. Why can these stories be posted time and time again for people are are also innocent until proven guilty, if we can not name and shame the locals in the same manner?

Edited July 18, 2010 by Tokay

[bob4you]

Curious, as I was told by a mod in another thread I could not name and shame a violent Thai contractor (attacked me with a shovel with a few other Thai guys) because he was innocent until proven guilty. Was tolf a police report does not prove anything, even though he admitted to attacking me.

Yet this guy, along with everyone else arrested or accused in Thailand, are also innocent until proven guilty. Why can these stories be posted time and time again for people are are also innocent until proven guilty, if we can not name and shame the locals in the same manner?

If someone pleads guilty to a crime they no longer are innocent until proven guilty, they admit the guilt, so they are guilty. End of argument.

[captnhoy]

I was in Chumphon a few months ago and heard about another american that stabbed this expat over a dispute about the king.... we'll actually the american was talking really bad about the king and some brit expat punches him in the face. The american comes back and stabs this guy up (he did not die from the stab wounds), and is release after a few weeks. I just want to remind everybody from the states that every time an american does something in this country or any other country it will be scrutinized and added to the already infamous rep we have as a nation.

Heyyy, what a just-in-time reminder! I was juuust getting ready to whack some jerk with a pool cue. But now I won't. We "americans" aren't all bad.

We are already disliked by the majority of euro's I dont want to start being disliked by thais.

what if you were disliked by other "americans"? would that be ok?

And as for Thai people - mmm, maybe too late for many of them

[MisterMan]

I'm not familiar with this story. How did they know he killed her? Or did he just go crazy in a bar and stab her to death?

Or was he defending himself from a crazed, drugged up, drunken bar girl and things got out of hand?

Where have you been? Nevermind. But click on the THREElinks below the story in the first post.

[dighambara]

very good hopefully they have the correct man. He behaved like a beast so treat him like one

WHAT..!!

As poor at this as the Thai Police have proven again and again to be, you say "HOPEFULLY" - "Treat him like a beast"...

SO very uncivilized of you.

[nevets]

Confessions are helped along in Thailand with the help of a battery.

[dighambara]

Tokay, the story has been all over the news in the Phuket Gazette and other local papers. I suggest you check the PG site for details.

It's gratifying to find that the BiB finally caught this individual - he has been the hot topic of conversation amongst Phuket expats and Thais alike for weeks. He has apparently confessed to the killing, so if he is indeed the killer, I hope he suffers the full force of Thai law.

Braindead - Thai Police torture until you confess or didn't you know that already.

Somethings that don't add up:

He had a Girlfriend but was looking ofr ladyboys - no comparison here - either one way or the other.

He had the opportunity to leave and didn't...

Everyone expects a confession to be the end of it, when that was just the beginning, or don't any of you read about these things...

[Jingthing]

He had a Girlfriend but was looking ofr ladyboys - no comparison here - either one way or the other.

That is absurd and absurdly wrong. Most men who like kathoeys are hetero in orientation. If they were typically gay, they would go for males who look like males. Then there are also real bisexuals, yes, they exist.

[bob6023]

Confessions are helped along in Thailand with the help of a battery.

I always wonder how all these confessions are obtained.You must be on to some thing here.

[Jingthing]

Confessions are helped along in Thailand with the help of a battery.

I always wonder how all these confessions are obtained.You must be on to some thing here.

They do have a shockingly high rate of confessions here in Thailand. Sorry about the pun.

[bob4you]

Confessions are helped along in Thailand with the help of a battery.

I always wonder how all these confessions are obtained.You must be on to some thing here.

Actually they are enticed by offering to cut the sentence in 1/2 if you confess and the judge goes along with it 90% of the time.

[meelousee]

I dont know if he is guilty and nor does anyone else and seems the police don't know either. To many if's and may haves in the story. Guess when they do a press conference more will come to light or it will get even foggier. I am kind of leaning towards Tokay's satement

"Or was he defending himself from a crazed, drugged up, drunken bar girl and things got out of hand? "

[DP25]

He had a Girlfriend but was looking ofr ladyboys - no comparison here - either one way or the other.

lol wut?

He had the opportunity to leave and didn't...

Hey, he moved to another house on the same island. I guess he thought that was good enough

[gemini81]

Tokay, the story has been all over the news in the Phuket Gazette and other local papers. I suggest you check the PG site for details.

It's gratifying to find that the BiB finally caught this individual - he has been the hot topic of conversation amongst Phuket expats and Thais alike for weeks. He has apparently confessed to the killing, so if he is indeed the killer, I hope he suffers the full force of Thai law.

Braindead - Thai Police torture until you confess or didn't you know that already.

Somethings that don't add up:

He had a Girlfriend but was looking ofr ladyboys - no comparison here - either one way or the other.

He had the opportunity to leave and didn't...

Everyone expects a confession to be the end of it, when that was just the beginning, or don't any of you read about these things...

Exactly. When they are electrocuting your genitals, you'll confess to about anything to make it stop,

Shame on all of the people who sit in front of a computer and accuse him without confirmation or proof, and wish tons of misfortune upon someone. Ever heard of karma?

[moskito]

"Col Wanchai declined to go into detail about the motive, but said it appeared to have been related to the fact that Mr Fanelli's sexual preference was for ladyboys and that Ms Wanphen may have been ‘tracking’ his efforts to find partners."

Don't quite understand this comment. From the coverage of the murder in the Phuket Gazette it seems that the victim was last seen leaving the Sweethearts Bar in Kata with a bearded farang on a motorbike, who had asked for a katoy but barfined the victim instead on being told that no katoys were available. This seems to suggest the bearded man didn't know the victim. So, assuming Fanelli and the bearded man are one and the same why would she have been tracking his efforts to find katoy partners?

It also sounds odd that an afficionado of the katoy bar scene would have to ask the staff, if there were any katoys. I would think it would be pretty obvious to him within a few seconds whether any of them were katoys or not. It is also odd to take a woman instead, rather than going to another bar, if that's what he wanted. I suspect these details will turn out not to be correct. Perhaps the policeman just wanted to spice up the story a bit to get his name into the Thai media.

Agree totally Arkady, I am living in Rawai since ten years and know Kata very well. About 50meters from the bar where he picked this lady is a huge Katoy bar and there are plenty of Katoys working everywhere around, many of them walking the streets until morning, I often see that on my way home. IF this guy was going to find a Katoy he sure would find one.

I had a bad experience when I was young. Police took me from my apartment because I looked similar to a bank robber, next day my name was in the newspaper. Fortunately only my first name but it was enough for some ppl to remember me. A week later they catched the real Bankrobber, lucky me. Thats why I am still hating it when massmedia print full name, photo and if possible adress, even if there is no 100% proof yet. Remember guys, everybody has somebody he lookes similar too and specially in Thailand I am sure YOU won`t accept if your name is in the news!

sorry for my english but I hope u get my point.

[thaibreaker]

I dont know if he is guilty and nor does anyone else and seems the police don't know either. To many if's and may haves in the story. Guess when they do a press conference more will come to light or it will get even foggier. I am kind of leaning towards Tokay's satement

"Or was he defending himself from a crazed, drugged up, drunken bar girl and things got out of hand? "

I guess you haven`t gotten to the confession part yet..

As for the ladys family concerned, my condolances are hereby given. By the way, Wanphen, you were most certainly beautiful in my eyes, and in many others, I am sure. RIP.

[moskito]

NEWS from Phuket Gazette

American confesses to murder of Phuket bar hostess

At least six top-ranking Region 8 police officers were present for the arrest, which followed the issuance of a court warrant earlier the same day.

The Gazette has as yet been unable to independently confirm that the suspect also goes by the name of Ronald “MadYank” Fanelli and is a poker player with a blogsite containing several posts about his life in Phuket.

However, posters who expressed shock at the arrest on one online discussion forum dedicated to poker have confirmed that the man pictured was a regular contributor who went by the user name “NewTeaBag”.

Mr Fanelli told police upon his arrest that he carried out the murder while under work-related stress.

After the murder, at his home in Wichit Village 1, he rented the new home in Karon, police said.

More details about the arrest are expected at a police press conference scheduled for 10am tomorrow.

link here http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8966

[balo]

Ron MadYank Farelli tried his luck as a professional pokerplayer for many years , before he fell in love with Thailand.

He won some big prizes in tournaments back in 2004-2005. He moved to Phuket in 2007.

This picture is from 2005 Monte Carlo Millions

[TheyCallmeScooter]

His friends posting on the poker forum seemed quite confident there was no coercion involved.

I believe the police have a confession, and that it is unlikely to have been coerced. I'd like for this post to be as factual as possible with no speculation or rumors, but it seemed important to clear that up.

I added that i thought his confession was not coerced, because I have a lot of information about it, and thought that was relevant information to everyone, as my first thought when i found out that he was confessing to police was that he was being railroaded into a confession... and i've gotten sufficient evidence to the contrary.

Edited July 18, 2010 by TheyCallmeScooter

[george]

Several off topic and inappropriate posts have been removed.

/Admin

[Benjie]

Ron MadYank Farelli tried his luck as a professional pokerplayer for many years , before he fell in love with Thailand.

He won some big prizes in tournaments back in 2004-2005. He moved to Phuket in 2007.

This picture is from 2005 Monte Carlo Millions

Doesn't look like the guy arrested in the Newspaper, unless he suddenly got younger.