Thai Policeman Gets 25 Years For Pai Murder

[baldrick13]

An animal that needs caging up or putting out his misery.A wrong un by far.

[appropriate]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

[appropriate]

Do you seriously think that rank and file Thai people would have any more success against the police in a situation like this than a foreigner - in fact they would probably have LESS of a chance as they have no money and live here

Thai victim:

A Thai policeman who murdered his 18-yr-old bride two weeks after their wedding has been sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty at Pai Provincial Court.

Foreign victims:

Dechachiwat has still to face trial on charges of murdering Canadian backpacker Leo Del Pinto and the attempted murder of his friend Carly Reisig three years ago.

The trial process has been fraught with technical and legal hitches and the failure of witnesses to turn up including the Chief of Police in Pai Colonel Sombat Panya.

Edited January 28, 2011 by appropriate

[Deeral]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

Utter nonsense - this is the result of a police force that has been living of the backs of honest Thai people for years.

Why do people persist in trying to make out that "THAIS" are some kind of lesser beings to themselves and then try to put a spin on everything they see to bolster up their own prejudiced views????

Edited January 28, 2011 by Deeral

[MJP]

Yet again some blithering idiots see this as an "anti'farang" thing and once again they fail to view the situation logically.

What is happening is not anti farang it is PRO-POLICE.

Do you seriously think that rank and file Thai people would have any more success against the police in a situation like this than a foreigner - in fact they would probably have LESS of a chance as they have no money and live here - so are totally at the mercy of an institution that quite obviously will stop at nothing to protect their own.

Fair comment. Either way though, where's the Thai government in all this? Remember when that girl was raped and murdered on Samui a few years back, Thaksin went potty about it.

[Deeral]

Do you seriously think that rank and file Thai people would have any more success against the police in a situation like this than a foreigner - in fact they would probably have LESS of a chance as they have no money and live here

Thai victim:

A Thai policeman who murdered his 18-yr-old bride two weeks after their wedding has been sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty at Pai Provincial Court.

Foreign victims:

Dechachiwat has still to face trial on charges of murdering Canadian backpacker Leo Del Pinto and the attempted murder of his friend Carly Reisig three years ago.

The trial process has been fraught with technical and legal hitches and the failure of witnesses to turn up including the Chief of Police in Pai Colonel Sombat Panya.

You seriously think that that is a valid appraisal for all the crimes committed in Thailand? - Then you are .....well I'm sure you've been told a millions times before.

[Deeral]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

[MJP]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

[Deeral]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

what do you mean by Thailand - a geographical entity? How are you separating this from Thai people? - citizens (or rather subjects )?

I think you'd have a problem there in defining Thailand any other way but as that it would be an inanimate object.

however if you look up the thread, you'll see that most mosts use the word "Thais" or "they"

[MJP]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

what do you mean by Thailand - a geographical entity? How are you separating this from Thai people? - citizens (or rather subjects )?

I think you'd have a problem there in defining Thailand any other way but as that it would be an inanimate object.

however if you look up the thread, you'll see that most mosts use the word "Thais" or "they"

No problem. If we take it back to basics, Thailand doesn't actually exist. Nor any other 'country'. Soil and rock exists. Borders don't actually exist, they are imaginary lines.

Men with guns do exist.

[Deeral]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

what do you mean by Thailand - a geographical entity? How are you separating this from Thai people? - citizens (or rather subjects )?

I think you'd have a problem there in defining Thailand any other way but as that it would be an inanimate object.

however if you look up the thread, you'll see that most mosts use the word "Thais" or "they"

No problem. If we take it back to basics, Thailand doesn't actually exist. Nor any other 'country'. Soil and rock exists. Borders don't actually exist, they are imaginary lines.

Men with guns do exist.

"it's not Thais, it's Thailand"

so you're blaming something you believe doesn't exist?

Have you been drinking?

[MJP]

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

what do you mean by Thailand - a geographical entity? How are you separating this from Thai people? - citizens (or rather subjects )?

I think you'd have a problem there in defining Thailand any other way but as that it would be an inanimate object.

however if you look up the thread, you'll see that most mosts use the word "Thais" or "they"

No problem. If we take it back to basics, Thailand doesn't actually exist. Nor any other 'country'. Soil and rock exists. Borders don't actually exist, they are imaginary lines.

Men with guns do exist.

"it's not Thais, it's Thailand"

so you're blaming something you believe doesn't exist?

Have you been drinking?

Okay it's Thai's and their messed up country. That's what you want to hear isn't it?

So you can feel, somehow superior with your faux outrage.

[farmerapache]

i hate his corrupt face,hope he's done forever!

[MJP]

i hate his corrupt face,hope he's done forever!

But there's the problem. The men with guns (police, government) that determine the 'country' won't even sort out their own, even lowly scummers like this. It's the regime.

[notime]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

Utter nonsense - this is the result of a police force that has been living of the backs of honest Thai people for years.

Why do people persist in trying to make out that "THAIS" are some kind of lesser beings to themselves and then try to put a spin on everything they see to bolster up their own prejudiced views????

Oh really? Like the "police force" doesn't come from "honest Thai people"? Where do they come from then? Mars? A lot of "honest Thai people" only dream about becoming a VIP police and being able to screw everybody up from the position of power that they are denied in their life. And where does your theory that "people persist in trying to make out that Thais are some kind of lesser beings to themselves" come from? Cannot just make a true observation? You haven't been beaten up well in this country yet, have you farang? Or maybe .. you are not farang? Thai at heart perhaps? All those bad, prejudiced and "too rich" farang should go home to "their country" right?

[notime]

We all know Thailand's faults and the poor and corrupt army, police and government, but that is no excuse for people to start slagging off Thais as if they are inferior to Westerners -Apart from being incorrect, it shows how limited in their understanding so many of these poster must be.

It's not Thai's . . . it's Thailand.

Distinct difference. As Westerners we also feel very badly for those that have to live in this carnage. See they can't just get on a plane and go.

what do you mean by Thailand - a geographical entity? How are you separating this from Thai people? - citizens (or rather subjects )?

I think you'd have a problem there in defining Thailand any other way but as that it would be an inanimate object.

however if you look up the thread, you'll see that most mosts use the word "Thais" or "they"

No problem. If we take it back to basics, Thailand doesn't actually exist. Nor any other 'country'. Soil and rock exists. Borders don't actually exist, they are imaginary lines.

Men with guns do exist.

Excellent observation. This Earth is few billion years old and how old is "Thailand"? And they want us to believe "this is Thai land" and should not belong to anybody else, farang explicitly. It applies to any country of course but Thai thinking is one of the more extreme example of chauvinistic, racist and xenophobic altitude.

[katana]

AS has being noted in this thread this case is not even newsworthy in the Thai media. The only thing that would get it into Thai newspapers is if the Canadian embassy did something (such as a press conference) that looked like it could embarrass Thailand internationally.

Thai Policeman Gets 25 Years For Pai Murder

Anyone find anything in the Thai press on this?

[JWJ]

If this cop has access to money, he probably won't be incarcerated very long.Thai Prison Wardens run the place like a business.

I remember a story in the Bangkok Post where the warden was loaning the guards motorbikes to the prisoners so they could go out each morning and earn.

[Deeral]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

Utter nonsense - this is the result of a police force that has been living of the backs of honest Thai people for years.

Why do people persist in trying to make out that "THAIS" are some kind of lesser beings to themselves and then try to put a spin on everything they see to bolster up their own prejudiced views????

Oh really? Like the "police force" doesn't come from "honest Thai people"? Where do they come from then? Mars? A lot of "honest Thai people" only dream about becoming a VIP police and being able to screw everybody up from the position of power that they are denied in their life. And where does your theory that "people persist in trying to make out that Thais are some kind of lesser beings to themselves" come from? Cannot just make a true observation? You haven't been beaten up well in this country yet, have you farang? Or maybe .. you are not farang? Thai at heart perhaps? All those bad, prejudiced and "too rich" farang should go home to "their country" right?

so your theory is that because the Thai police are Thai all Thais are corrupt?bit of a flaw in your argument don't you think....the rest is just gibberish too by the looks.If you read the bit I wrote about spin you might understand more about yourself.

[slapout]

Deeral; I can understand what your saying, but to be honest, the police are one part of the system, which can appear to be corrupt through out. If you would be so kind as to point any part of the public system, which is corruption free, I will applaud you and them. Since the government employees are in most cases receiving suspect monies/gratuities from the private sector, the latter seems to be following right along.

How far into the private sector does it go? The shops set up on public thoroughfares acknowledge payment to those who come collecting as do various food stuff vendors etc. Even the farmers acknowledge that they pay extra for the handling of their products although it is likely to be in kind and not hard currency.

I will patiently await your comments or anyone else who point out what part of Thai society is not involved to some degree in the backhanders so common here.

[housepainter]

<br />Funny... he kills a Thai and is sentenced within weeks. He kills a Canadian and two years later still hasn't gone to trial.

So the failure of the justice system is responsible for the 18 yr old girl's death. Shame. Failing to lock up a murderer because he only killed a foreigner, then he goes out and kills one of their own. Then he gets charged and sentenced. Guess it highlights what they really think of us.

NO. The accused pleaded guilty in the murder of the wife. The accused has pleaded not guilty in the death of the foreigner. In one case there has been a trial. In the other case, no trial. In murder trials there are often lengthy delays as some defense strategies will try and drag out the procedures as long as possible. The longer the delay, the less reliable the testimony as memories wane and the less likely witnesses are to show up. What part do you not understand?

Probably the same part you don't understand.

The first 'Thai' trial is to Thai standards; get it over with quickly, guilt because we all accept it and don't have to prove it; guilt because a Thai has died; we know it, you know it, you're going down.

Whereas, in the murder of a Canadian there has been a mas cover up instituted on the behalf of the defendant by the Chief of the local Police for whom he works.

Grasped that? Any part you don't understand?

Fine then.

Furthermore, the Chief of Police is photographed interfering with witnesses outside the court. Then he refuses to co-operate with the enquiry or turn up to be interviewed. Clearly obstructing justice and in contempt of court. But nothing happens to him - yet.

At the same time you have the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok meeting with it's Thai counterparts in government on the instructions of the Canadian Government. Got that? Grasped the scale of the 'shove' it takes, of the diplomatic, behind closed doors presure that needs to be exerted in order to get a Western understanding of justice applied here.

Clearly then the two cases are miles apart.

The Canadian side may well be not only seeking a prosecution but also avoiding the running concurrently. That is, the sentence is running on the wife murder, which has been halved on a technicality to 25 years. The guarantee of a fair trial would see a lengthy sentence of at least 25 to life. The latter being some sum of 70 years upwards and well beyond any life expectancy, especially in a Thai jail.

Therefore, the best outcome would be either a [say] 40 year sentence thta would realistically see a 40 year term served.

What is impotant is that this outrageous murder of a foreigner must be be punished by the letter of the law. And that justice be served. For once we al should not nit pick at each other's posts but show a unity in purpose over a heinous crime.

Geriatric kid you are therefore out of order. Senility is understandable but maybe you should give up the forum unless you can stop being unpleasant. Attack the real target here ........ not a well meaning poster.

[notime]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

Utter nonsense - this is the result of a police force that has been living of the backs of honest Thai people for years.

Why do people persist in trying to make out that "THAIS" are some kind of lesser beings to themselves and then try to put a spin on everything they see to bolster up their own prejudiced views????

Oh really? Like the "police force" doesn't come from "honest Thai people"? Where do they come from then? Mars? A lot of "honest Thai people" only dream about becoming a VIP police and being able to screw everybody up from the position of power that they are denied in their life. And where does your theory that "people persist in trying to make out that Thais are some kind of lesser beings to themselves" come from? Cannot just make a true observation? You haven't been beaten up well in this country yet, have you farang? Or maybe .. you are not farang? Thai at heart perhaps? All those bad, prejudiced and "too rich" farang should go home to "their country" right?

so your theory is that because the Thai police are Thai all Thais are corrupt?bit of a flaw in your argument don't you think....the rest is just gibberish too by the looks.If you read the bit I wrote about spin you might understand more about yourself.

So you are saying that there are two distinct species of Thais? One ugly and corrupt and the other honest and beautiful? Did I say anywhere "that because police are Thai all Thais are corrupt"? It's an idiotic statement. You are putting words and "theories" in my mouth and than you are arguing with it. A bit of schizo kicking in perhaps? If you need clarification I meant that the "police force" is a part of Thai society in which there are many (not all) Thais who aspire to being in the police or in any other positions of power that would give them opportunity for corruption. But they don't necessary think of corruption as corruption of course. It's a bad word and it's "not nice" to even talk about it. That's another trait of the Thai culture: it's okie to lie, steal, cheat but it's NOT NICE to TALK about these things.

[appropriate]

Perhaps he was trying to emulate the father of the Royal Thai Police.

http://en.wikipedia..../Phao_Sriyanond

Phao was promoted to the position of director of the police in 1951, by which time he had become one of the country's all-powerful triumvirate. A client of the CIA, Phao received funds and hardware to build his personal fortune, as well as to turn the police into an alternative force to oppose his military rival, Sarit Thanarat.

Phao established an intimate circle of police officers, known generally as the "Knights of the Diamond Ring", which was notorious for its treatment of opponents of the government and the police generals - even resorting to assassination and murder. Their crimes were many:

• In March 1949, three MPs from Isaan and an associate, all one-time disciples of the exiled Pridi, were arrested on charges of treason. They were shot dead by their police escort while supposedly being transferred from one jail to another.

• On December 12, 1952, Tiang Sirikhanth - MP for Sakon Nakhon, a leading Seri Thai member and an opponent of the government - was arested writh four of his associates. They were murdered (allegedly by strangulation in a police station) and their bodies burned in a forest in Kanchanaburi Province.

• A successful newspaper publisher, Ari Liwara, refused to sell out to Phao and was killed in March 1953.

• In 1954 Phon Malithong, MP for Samut Sakhon who provided evidence of corruption against Phao in Parliament, was in found tied to a concrete pier in the Chao Phraya River, having first been strangled.

Phao was extremely wealthy. He demanded protection money from businessmen, rigged the gold exchange, and blackmailed corporations into giving him huge shareholdings. He also profited greatly from the opium trade.

Police units transferred opium from the poppy fields of the Golden Triangle to Bangkok, ready to be exported. Trucks, planes, and boats which had been supplied to the police by the CIA, were instead used to move opium, which the police carefully guarded.

Edited January 29, 2011 by appropriate

[Pi Sek]

Furthermore, the Chief of Police is photographed interfering with witnesses outside the court. Then he refuses to co-operate with the enquiry or turn up to be interviewed. Clearly obstructing justice and in contempt of court. But nothing happens to him - yet.

To be honest, I've done a little homework on these two cases and it seems the court proceedings both followed the rule of the Thai criminal code very closely. I can say plenty negative about the procedures themselves, but I suppose that's a huge can of worms that I don't fancy nibbling on.

However, what housepainter highlights above is what gets my goat the most. Both "obstructing justice" and "contempt of court" are clearly criminal charges and the evidence of it is undeniable. I would like to see this person tried for both of the above and also as an accessory to murder in the second case. It wouldn't have happened if the first case went smoothly, which it didn't solely due to the above actions of the Chief of Police.

A real shame. Especially after looking through some old news and seeing...

The Thai Rath writer then proceeded to give an account of a few brave police officers who, contrary to public perception, took heroic action to save the lives of CentralWorld staff trapped in the building while trying to protect the property from the angry mob.

The Thai Rath investigative team had a chance to talk to Pol Col Ruechakorn Charawut, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police Region 6 in charge of Pathumwan police station, and Pol Maj Gen Wittaya Rattanvich, chief of Metropolitan Police Region 6, who revealed the events leading to the rescue of the CentralWorld staff trapped in the complex on May 19.

<A lot of snipped text, not really relevant here, and which will only wind up the Red Shirts here>

"Why risk our lives for what when the public has already made the judgement that police are ineffectual? I really want the nation and the people to feel safe and for Thailand to return to normal. That's enough for me", the police officer said.

Souce: don't think i can post the URL, but it's on a few Web sites, including the "other paper".

[yumidesign]

sentenced to 25 years

Would be nice if he has to serve out the sentence in full.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm time will tell but then again this is los

[andrewdrummond]

NO. The accused pleaded guilty in the murder of the wife. The accused has pleaded not guilty in the death of the foreigner. In one case there has been a trial. In the other case, no trial. In murder trials there are often lengthy delays as some defense strategies will try and drag out the procedures as long as possible. The longer the delay, the less reliable the testimony as memories wane and the less likely witnesses are to show up. What part do you not understand?

Geriatric Kid. You so often get on your soap box here talking supposedly from some sort of authority. What part of the Thai justice system to you understand or any justice system for that matter.

Pleas are not entered until trials start. Thus the police officer has not entered a Not Guilty plea in the Leo Del Pinto case. He has not pleaded at all.

Carly Reisig gave evidence at a special session of Mae Hong Son court. Sgt Uthai was not asked to plead.

[TAWP]

Deeral>> A police-force cannot be corrupt if the people isn't.

[warfie]

Welcome to the "hang 'em high club"

turds like this should be made to live in the Bang Kwan sewer system for their sentence.....

[MJP]

Deeral>> A police-force cannot be corrupt if the people isn't.

Not sure on that one. I reckon Thai's are the same as everyone else. However, most of our social ills and vulnerability have been masked thus far by the [soon to collapse] welfare state and post-war fiat currency bubble.

Let's see how Western societies fare when they're in penury and there's no housing benefit/sickness/council tax benefit/income support . . . the list is fairly long. Or now when Mr. Smith can't rack up 100,000 quid on credit cards.

Thailand (defined by its institutions) is way up there on the 'what a dump' scale. Ordinary Thai people, not so.

Edited January 29, 2011 by MJP

[agord]

Thais simply loath having to admit that one of them is wrong, especially when it is only a foreigner that has been the victim.

Utter nonsense - this is the result of a police force that has been living of the backs of honest Thai people for years.

Why do people persist in trying to make out that "THAIS" are some kind of lesser beings to themselves and then try to put a spin on everything they see to bolster up their own prejudiced views????

Oh really? Like the "police force" doesn't come from "honest Thai people"? Where do they come from then? Mars? A lot of "honest Thai people" only dream about becoming a VIP police and being able to screw everybody up from the position of power that they are denied in their life. And where does your theory that "people persist in trying to make out that Thais are some kind of lesser beings to themselves" come from? Cannot just make a true observation? You haven't been beaten up well in this country yet, have you farang? Or maybe .. you are not farang? Thai at heart perhaps? All those bad, prejudiced and "too rich" farang should go home to "their country" right?

Great post Notime. The fact that this story gets NO coverage shows that Thais see this as acceptable, normal behavior by their police. Where is the federal investigation into the coruption and abuse of power by the Pai department? None, just business as usual. what a joke