Austrian Tourist Stabbed, Robbed By Phuket Youth Gang

[bobbysan124]

Hope the victim recovers fully and quickly.

[techboy]

To all the bashers of the police and Thais in general.

It took the police approx 3 hours 45 minutes to make the first arrest.

Ask yourselves, would this happen where you live ?

I am just imagining a boor bloke mugged and stabbed in London, New York, Paris, Rome, Berlin etc and NOT expecting an arrest within 3 hours 45 minutes.

To why these kids have chosen that career path, well its not reported is it now ?

So I see the full force of Thai / Phuket bashers out and yet again making their negative statements.

Good for you lot, that a man was stabbed, so you get to blame the Thais yet again.

Lets hope for X-mas, that you lot get a jet ski scam with fighting and injuries to multiple people.

That would be almost as good as a white X-mas huh ?

There is no comparison in "policing matter" between Phuket and all the "major global capital cities you mentioned" all those cities have multi millions of inhabitants, as a result criminals can disappear easily, and police have great difficulty locating them, but in the end they do.

Phuket on the other hand has merely a population of some 85,000, thus the police force (with there records) have a much easier task to arrest culprits there than the police force in those extremely large capital cities you selected for comparison.

You want to talk population scale then by the same token Phuket has a smaller population so less cops so not easier to pick up the culprits. I cannot believe the crap that is being posted on this. The cops picked the bad guys in a matter of a few hours- So what do we get? Not good enough! The cops pick up the bad guys- So what do we get? Idiotic innuendo that it will not be punished severely enough! Even worse, some are trying to spin this into a complaint about police corruption? Guwahhhd! The emoticon list for this forum is lacking a good :barf: sticker.

[techboy]

It's the tourist's fault, if he hadn't have been there it never would have happened.

No comment needed.

You got that right. No comment for a nothing post.

[BOS2BKK]

It's the tourist's fault, if he hadn't have been there it never would have happened.

Good point...stop going there. Phuket in General, Patong beach in particular is rapidly spiraling out of control. It is becoming indiscernible from the cesspool that is Pattaya. Speak with your dollars. Boycott Phuket! There are plenty of nice places with pretty beaches filled with people who are happy to get our vacation dollars.

[KhunSteven]

I wonder what punishment awaits them?

Let's see: two young girls, flashing t@ts on Songkhran....bad for Thailands image!

Four young men, kicking, robbing and stabbing a tourist....mai pen rai!

This is Thailand. :jap: Seriously, don't mix Thai and Western sensibilities.

[EyesWideOpen]

I have been here a long time, and am now sensing a change. In the past it seemed there was an unspoken rule between the bad guys and the police. That the farang tourists were an important part of the Thai economy, so if a Thai committed a crime against a tourist and was caught, it would not go well for you in the back room of the police station. Because in essence you were causing a loss of face for Thailand. Now with tuk tuk drivers and teenage punks routinely attacking tourists, clearly the bad people do not fear the police anymore.

As far as comparing Phuket crime to major cities, that is simply incorrect. If you travel to Oakland, Chicago, or London, you expect crime because it has been there a long time. So you take precautions and watch your back. If you book your dream vacation to Phuket, you would expect to have a pleasant time in a tropical paradise. You not expect to be knifed by teenaged punks. Maybe they need warning signs at the Phuket airport telling the farangs to arm themselves prior to entering Patong ???

Edited December 7, 2011 by EyesWideOpen

[ALFREDO]

WOW, and they did all this for 200THB to buy snacks !, and also during the day, is anywhere safe in Thailand now !

Its a quiet road going threw the jungle to a secluded beach, only more used from people before noon to go to the beach and later afternoon to come from the beach back.

Very quiet in the meantime, 1:45 PM when the stabbing had happened.

Edited December 7, 2011 by ALFREDO

[ALFREDO]

I experienced the infamous tuk tuk drivers the other night.. was riding through patong on way back to kata and pulled in off main road to get drink from 7/11. next thing you know Tuk Tuk driver honking his horn as it seems id parked in his place. Told him 2 seconds.. he gets out and wanders right up to me with look of malice.. he was nowhere near my size but I knew from the look that if I retaliated to his aggressive front i would have had a pack of tuk tuk drivers descend on me....

Drive a small Motorbike, than you fit in the Motorbikes parking spots and no problem.

With car, go shopping in Patong Big C and park free in theire Garage, bit cheaper also.

Edited December 7, 2011 by ALFREDO

[GOLDBUGGY]

If the culprits were just around the corner from the police station, I would certainly think that the police in my country may be able to make an arrest within 3 hours 45 minutes,

The culprits could live on top of the police station and the police wouldn't be any wiser, unless they already dispatched a unit to investigate the incident.

Its more so the response time here that is very efficient, rather than where the culprits live.

A lot more efficient than most people would expect from the police back home.

Ok, agreed if you are 13 and 14, you may not carry out the best planned muggings in the world.

But still, I applaud the police in this case.

It seems to me that the police were already aware of at least 2 of these teens in the gang before any of this happened. How would they know that the youth that kicked the bike was 13 years old? How did they so quickly know where they live, using witnesses to confirm there suspections? I suggest that the Police already knew of them from the previous robbery and were already under investigation when this happened. The lastest incident just forced there hand and thus a quick arrest was made as they now needed to get them off the streets in a hurry.

[ALFREDO]

Phuket on the other hand has merely a population of some 85,000,

Regarding to Wikipedia Phuket has 360.000 inhabitants (2011) who are counted, all the workers (who still go voting to theire home province or back to Myanmar) and Tourists included,

I would think its a Million people on Phuket Island in High seson.

Maybe 85.000 in Phuket town, but that is not important,as the crime happened in the rather small community of Patong.

As far as I know about 5.000 registered voters in Patong, so, about 7-10.000 really Patongers, and sure 10.000 more workers,ladys ect here. So possible 30.000+ people up here.

[tamsom]

I was last in Gaw Phuket in 2001, and I will never return to this "place". Taxi drivers eat 30 baht meals while taxi meters do not exist. The mafia rules this beautiful island...always has...always will. What is Gaw Phuket? Ripped off by a taxi on arrival? Go further South and see provinces annexed by LOST. Adios!

[garrya]

I feel sorrow about this guy, but one think I cant understand that how can a 13 years old kick out the motorbike with a big guy causing a crash. The bike and the guy weighs up far over 200 kgs. I used to ride motorbikes, it is not that easy as described And also, I just cant believe that tiny thai boys fight down big white lads easily. ok ok, the knife..still gloomy to me

Some people have likely no sense of self-defence. And please, It is not a disdain to this guy, just speaking in general.

[GOLDBUGGY]

"No . In most states in the USA they could be charged as adults for this crime. more "liberal leaning" countries in Europe they would still get more than 10 years and up to 20 years incarceration"

There are only 6 countries known to have executed juvenile offenders in the 1990s. Those countries are: the United States, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Nigeria.

I know we aren't talking death penalty here... but the US sure keeps some fine company when it comes to dealing with juveniles.

Are you really sure that 'normal' countries would throw these kids in jail for that long?

I just doubt it, especially if it is a first offence.

Most 'normal' people don't want to see kids thrown in jail with adults.

There is a very big difference when a 17year old (still considered a kid by law) commits a crime like this compared to a 13 year old. I challenge this poster to prove that any 13 year old kid in the USA was recently moved up to adult court and was sentence to 15-20 years in prison for a crime like this, and as he claims.

[rubl]

Stabbed, robbed. This reminds me of other topics. Don't worry, be happy, come and bring your money

2011-12-06

"Despite Floods, Thailand Poised for Tourism Record"

and

2011-12-01

"Inbound tourism likely back to normal by Feb"

[GOLDBUGGY]

I just found some nice statistics..

Metropolitan Police Service all of London.

Robberies ( against a person )

No. of robberies previous 12 month leading up to October 2011 : 35.923

No. of robberies previous 12 month leading up to October 2010 : 31.301

That's by the way a 14.8% increase from 2010 to 2011.

Source : http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/

So because someone gets robbed in Phuket ever so often - its now the worst place you could imagine ?

I just don't buy into that.

The number above equals 1 robbery every 15 minutes in London.

And that is only counting robberies against another person.

If you can, please find and post the stats for Phuket or, perhaps, Bangkok and then break both sets of stats down by racial demographic. The fear is not that 'oh, gee, I might get mugged and stabbed in Phuket because it happened to some random person?'; the fear is that 'OK, could I be targeted for a crime because of the way I look?'.

Are these types of crimes against non-Thais the result of bad luck, or are these non-Thais being targeted for being foreign?

Not difficult to figure out really. Metro London has a population of 13,945,000 people. They have about 36,000 robberies a year. So on average you have a chance of being robbed about 1 time every 387 years. Don't sound to scary to me or keep me locked up behind steel doors.

Mind you, if you head to the seedy part of town at night, flash big money, and get drunk in some back street Brothel, and then stop in a dark and secluded alley for a pee, well... your odds go up. Way Up!

[Beetlejuice]

Thailand is dangerous with many bad characters. The streets are not safe after midnight. Too many bad characters out on the prowl "Farang Hunting".

Rubbish.

Attacks on farangs in Thailand are extremely rare.

Try walking the streets or travelling alone after dark on London`s streets. Much more dangerous.

In England attacks like these are daily events.

But even in Thailand there are certain areas of cities that should be avoided. It`s just common sense.

[wxyz]

happy to read they caught them and actually arrested them.

where there is no consequences, this kind of thing escalates quickly.

[OzMick]

WOW, and they did all this for 200THB to buy snacks !, and also during the day, is anywhere safe in Thailand now !

Chiang Mai is pretty safe.

..........if you wear a red shirt.

[phutoie2]

happy to read they caught them and actually arrested them.

where there is no consequences, this kind of thing escalates quickly.

Sometimes they give themselves up to Police to get a lighter sentence come court time. At Songkran in Phetchabun this year a farang was stabbed in a road rage incident, the 3 peeps who did it all gave themselves up by 10 pm that night.

The incident was in broad daylight and many witnesses knew the toe rags who did it.

[OzMick]

I feel sorrow about this guy, but one think I cant understand that how can a 13 years old kick out the motorbike with a big guy causing a crash. The bike and the guy weighs up far over 200 kgs. I used to ride motorbikes, it is not that easy as described And also, I just cant believe that tiny thai boys fight down big white lads easily. ok ok, the knife..still gloomy to me

Some people have likely no sense of self-defence. And please, It is not a disdain to this guy, just speaking in general.

A kick on the leading edge of the front tyre will put someone off their bike pretty quickly. More effective is a cut across their bows - if their front wheel touches your back wheel it will jump sideways quite violently even at low speed.

[ralphlsasser]

Imagine the out cry and response if these young thugs picked on the wrong one and they ended up in intensive care.

There have always been two standards for Thai and Ferang and some things will never change, and as long as pockets get lined they never will.

You are spot on. A farang defending himself will get a prison cell and deported.

[mca]

The streets are not safe after midnight. Too many bad characters out on the prowl "Farang Hunting".

No. Too many bad characters on the prowl " Anybody Hunting "

[softgeorge]

I have been here a long time, and am now sensing a change. In the past it seemed there was an unspoken rule between the bad guys and the police. That the farang tourists were an important part of the Thai economy, so if a Thai committed a crime against a tourist and was caught, it would not go well for you in the back room of the police station. Because in essence you were causing a loss of face for Thailand. Now with tuk tuk drivers and teenage punks routinely attacking tourists, clearly the bad people do not fear the police anymore.

As far as comparing Phuket crime to major cities, that is simply incorrect. If you travel to Oakland, Chicago, or London, you expect crime because it has been there a long time. So you take precautions and watch your back. If you book your dream vacation to Phuket, you would expect to have a pleasant time in a tropical paradise. You not expect to be knifed by teenaged punks. Maybe they need warning signs at the Phuket airport telling the farangs to arm themselves prior to entering Patong ???

Tourists arm themselves are you serious? What if this poor guy was armed and fought back and injured one of these children, He would probably be considered the attacker and not the victim and spend a long time in the BKK Hilton. Probably best to just take your beating, smile hand over your wallet then pick yourself up if you can and enjoy your stay in Thailand.

[jackr]

Try walking the streets or travelling alone after dark on London`s streets. Much more dangerous.

In England attacks like these are daily events.

Tourist stabbings perpetrated by 13 yr-old gangs are daily events in England? Stop spreading BS! Truth is, crime like this has gone up exponentially in the last few years and if you want to compare it with anything, look to Bali or touristed Philippine islands and NOT a major capital city. :jerk:

[Randee]

Thailand is dangerous with many bad characters. The streets are not safe after midnight. Too many bad characters out on the prowl "Farang Hunting".

Rubbish.

Attacks on farangs in Thailand are extremely rare.

Try walking the streets or travelling alone after dark on London`s streets. Much more dangerous.

In England attacks like these are daily events.

But even in Thailand there are certain areas of cities that should be avoided. It`s just common sense.

Nonsense. Tripe.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Obviously you are a newbie and a wannabe with no experience.

[timekeeper]

we need an effective deterrent......

[rockderk]

Phuket is evolving into a cesspool of crime and violence. Sort of sad, as it really is a beautiful island. Think crimes like this one are a natural outgrowth of the lack of any real policing that has the goal of stopping crime. The mafia is in full control of the island, and everyone knows it. These punks must see the stories of the tuk tuk guys beating up tourists, and figured that they would have a try themselves.....

I suppose these crimes will come to an end when embassies start issuing travel warnings for Phuket, and tourism comes to a standstill. THEN you will see some real crackdowns by the police.

Think you're confusing Phuket with Ko Samui. Not to suggest Phuket's any wonderful place to be...

[rockderk]

I feel sorrow about this guy, but one think I cant understand that how can a 13 years old kick out the motorbike with a big guy causing a crash. The bike and the guy weighs up far over 200 kgs. I used to ride motorbikes, it is not that easy as described And also, I just cant believe that tiny thai boys fight down big white lads easily. ok ok, the knife..still gloomy to me

Some people have likely no sense of self-defence. And please, It is not a disdain to this guy, just speaking in general.

As if anybody is going to be riding along in broad daylight on their way back from the beach, thinking "Possible attack from children aproaching in rear view mirror. Prepare evasive action to protect my 200 baht . Shields up!

[craigt3365]

One inappropriate post has been removed. Please keep it civil. :jap:

[softgeorge]

we need an effective deterrent......

Nice...