Boy, 15, stabbed at Phuket’s Chalong Pier

Phuket's Chalong Pier is popular with tourists during the day and with youngsters at night. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the back last night while sitting with friends on Chalong Pier, a main departure point for tourists and divers heading out to the islands and reefs off Phuket.

One of the security guards at the scene told the Phuket Gazette that the incident happened at about midnight.

“Taweechai [Jansamud] probably had a fight with one of the people in the group he was sitting with. He made it to the 7-Eleven shop at the pier by the time we found out about it.

“We searched the area but the group he was with had already disappeared,” he said.

The emergency-response team stationed at the Tourist Rescue Center, which is located near the pier, rushed Taweechai to Mission Hospital.

The Gazette has learned from staff at the hospital that he is in safe condition.

“He has some stitches in his back and he is still here under observation,” the staffer said.

Another guard told the Gazette that it was difficult to keep an eye out for troublemakers at the pier.

“People always come here to relax at night, drinking and playing guitars in groups, as it is quite pleasant with a fresh breeze,” he said.

However, he added that fights among youths were common at the popular tourist venue, despite guards contracted by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) patrolling the area.

“We keep an eye out for them, but there is little we can do to stop them coming to a public area,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/_n10998

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-09-19

A Thai boy gets knifed.

I will question why this was posted; no direct expat forum interest, other than it occurred on Phuket where expats live and tourists visit.

As they do in so many other parts of Thailand; it's just that Phuket happens to have an English language newspaper.

It will invite little but the usual tirade of 'why i hate Phuket' posts. Someone will mention tuktuks and we'll have lift-off . . .

The phrase often used here is 'Thai-bashing'. We have plenty of them already.

What can possibly be said about this event that has not been said many times before.

Unless every such crime in this country is to be reported . . . or even the serious ones.

In other news, our local Thai TV channel reports a mother and two children were found dead today, wrapped in sacking; and there was a tragedy at 'our' beach today, a 12 year old boy drowned while on a school trip from Bangkok. I personally find this upsetting, having been involved with water safety education and training for children here; but it is not 'news' in terms of this forum as I understand it. We already have threads about why 'they' don't learn to swim.

A Thai boy gets knifed.

I will question why this was posted; no direct expat forum interest, other than it occurred on Phuket where expats live and tourists visit.

As they do in so many other parts of Thailand; it's just that Phuket happens to have an English language newspaper.

It will invite little but the usual tirade of 'why i hate Phuket' posts. Someone will mention tuktuks and we'll have lift-off . . .

The phrase often used here is 'Thai-bashing'. We have plenty of them already.

What can possibly be said about this event that has not been said many times before.

Unless every such crime in this country is to be reported . . . or even the serious ones.

In other news, our local Thai TV channel reports a mother and two children were found dead today, wrapped in sacking; and there was a tragedy at 'our' beach today, a 12 year old boy drowned while on a school trip from Bangkok. I personally find this upsetting, having been involved with water safety education and training for children here; but it is not 'news' in terms of this forum as I understand it. We already have threads about why 'they' don't learn to swim.

Interesting that you feel because it's Thai on Thai foreigners wouldn't be interested in the story. Very xenophobic of you. I would say the "terms in which you understand this forum", are incorrect.

Personally I found it the most interesting story this week but that is because I live walking distance from the pier, and in fact went for a late night stroll with the gf and her visiting cousin at exactly midnight the night before the stabbing. The article is right in that there are groups of young Thai's sitting about playing guitars and drinking. One group was goofing around, laughing, singing to us that they had no money and wanted 20 baht. Weird but no more threatening than the groups that sit at Kata beach or Loma Park in Patong at night.

I am also glad that they highlighted this because Chalong area is getting kinda crazy at night with groups of unhelmeted kids on their bored out unlicensed unlighted sonics and dreams racing up and down wichit road.