Pregnant Aussie Teenager Beaten, Robbed In Phuket Ladyboy Attack

webfact · February 23, 2012

Pregnant Aussie teenager beaten, robbed in Phuket ladyboy attack

Phuket Gazette

The attack reportedly occurred in a dark street near the east end of Soi Bangla. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- A pregnant Australian teenager was beaten and robbed by four Thai ladyboys in Patong early yesterday morning.

The victim, 19-year-old “Bonnie May”, asked that the Phuket Gazette use only her nickname out of fear or reprisal by the gang of ladyboys, who she said attacked her for no reason after she asked them for directions.

Speaking to the Gazette at Bangkok Hospital Phuket while awaiting a medical checkup yesterday afternoon, five-months-pregnant Bonnie May recounted her ordeal.

“At about 1am I was walking alone back to my hotel from Soi Bangla and tried to make a shortcut through a small alley.

“I saw four ladyboys and I asked them the way to the main road. They were yelling something I did not understand, so I asked them again the way to the main road.

“Then they started to attack me, punching my arm, hitting my face, pulling my hair and kicking my back. I cried out that I was pregnant, but they did not listen. They kept attacking me. They were also touching my vagina and kicking my belly. They took my bag, which had an iPhone and camera inside, and pulled my gold ring off my finger,” she said.

The only reason she was not robbed of cash was that she had none on her at the time, she said.

“Three of them attacked me while the fourth acted as a sort of sentry, telling people to keep away. There were a few people around, but nobody came to help me,” added Bonnie.

“I was crying and screaming, so they tried to cover my mouth to keep me quiet. Every time I made a noise they would slap my face, so I stopped moving, pretending I had given up. Then they kicked me a few times before running away,” she said.

After the attack she rushed to the bar at the hotel where she was staying with her 24-year-old boyfriend. Bonnie said she could not remember the name of the street where the attack took place, but a source familiar with the case told the Gazette that it was “near Tai Pan, a popular nightclub on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road near the Bangla Road intersection.

Asked why she was walking alone at the time, she said she went to meet someone on Soi Bangla while her boyfriend stayed at the hotel with a friend.

“Our hotel is not far from Soi Bangla,” she said.

The couple arrived at Patong Hospital at about 3:30am, after which time an ambulance transported Bonnie to the better-equipped Bangkok Hospital Phuket, a private hospital in Phuket Town.

Bonnie’s greatest fear was that kicks to her stomach could have injured her unborn baby.

“They kicked my belly, and my belly did not move all day after that,” she said.

Once the medical checkup was complete, Bonnie said her next stop would be Patong Police Station to file a complaint against her assailants.

“I can identify all four of them, especially the tall, skinny leader, who had long hair and a protruding jaw,” she said.

“They are so scary and nasty. I did not do anything wrong,” she said.

Her boyfriend, who declined to give his name, said the couple arrived in Thailand on February 17 and were scheduled to leave on March 3.

“We stayed in Bangkok for seven days before coming down to Phuket,” Bonnie said.

“We would like to talk with the embassy first. I’m so scared. This is the first time I have ever experienced anything like this," she said.

Bonnie said she didn’t think she would ever return to Phuket.

After a 40-minute evaluation by a hospital physician, Bonnie emerged from the examination with her boyfriend.

“The fetus is fine and we are going to have a baby girl,” she told the Gazette with a smile on her face.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle12394.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-23

marquess · February 23, 2012

Vicious bastards! Sounds like Phuket needs real clean up.

Thaddeus · February 23, 2012

As will none of her friends.

I hope she makes a full and speedy recovery and everything goes well for the yet unborn.

Now, nice little policemen, get off your backsides and track these thugs down please.

Seri · February 23, 2012

glad to hear the baby is alright but....

1. why go out at one in the morning into a dark alley in patong beach?

2. why wasn't the boyfriend with her?

when you're five months pregnant...

bendejo · February 23, 2012

This is one of the uglest incidents I've heard of in the kingdom. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some vigilante reprisals. I would guess there'll be a lot of katoey passengers on the outbound buses today.

The incident can be used as the basis for a master's thesis in psych.

marioc · February 23, 2012

....true....BUT.......

there is no reason in this world to beat up a pregnant woman.....visibly pregnant(5 months)....

no f.....g reason at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

February 23, 2012

Exactly. The rats can do what ever they want when the cats are too corrupted to do their work.

Katipo · February 23, 2012

She probably has no idea about what Phuket/Patong is really like. Very little makes it into the international press, and people often have that 'it will never happen to me attitude', especially on holiday... a thing people do to have a good time. The article also mentions there were people around, as is normally the case in any heavily built up area around Thailand.

I don't think anyone in their right mind can blame the girl for what happened in this case. The headline, and the subsequent story are so shocking, perhaps Phuket will get some of the 'spotlight' it really deserves.

2unique · February 23, 2012

i hate to be cynical but something about this smells - what the ladyboys did was horrendous and reprehensible and by no way am i an advocate of the "going out dressed like that, asking for it" school but 1am, down an alley, 5 months pregnant, in a foreign place, bf back at the room? i'd bet dollars to donuts there's another shoe to fall.

i know of a lad, sends his pregnant gf out to buy the mary-jane as less likelihood of her being stopped - jus' sayin'

anyhoo glad the kid is ok, shame Phuket is trending for all the wrong reasons lately

BKKBrit · February 23, 2012

Oh dear God. Words fail me.

steelepulse · February 23, 2012

Glad to hear baby and mum are OK. Let's hope the BIB actually do something about this, especially since the victim can identify the attackers.

BookMan · February 23, 2012

She made a mistake, that is for certain. but no need to rub it in. The ones here at fault are the alleged ladyboy attackers.

2unique · February 23, 2012

I don't think anyone is blaming the girl merely pointing out who lets their pregnant girlfriend walk the streets at 1am anywhere! If she was on her way back from meeting a friend, why didn't the friend escort her back?

The actions of the ladyboys is and was disgusting but it should never have happened

falangjim · February 23, 2012

Nice to see you blaming the victims here. I think she explained her reasons for being alone in the article.

rotorbreeze · February 23, 2012

True, this won't be the last attack to tourist, the Hotel must post warnings about travel alone at night, some very easy basic Mua Thai defensive moves for ladies... best place to post this is in elevator or ladies bathroom. Also leave valuables in Hotel safe, one where you have a double key to open safe, and the security boxes are in full view of CCTV.

Learn Mua Thai basics for ladies ... a 1/2 days training would be with you any where in the world!!!...here in Pattaya, FairTex Sports club offers defensive training for European women, I see novelist women gain confidence and know this is the best insurance for defence and opens doors for further physical conditioning, this would inspire a NEW opportunity for Thai's to seek employment in the tourist industry.

michael888 · February 23, 2012

Exactly, hopefully something gets done about this.

asdecas · February 23, 2012

First it was the taxi drivers, then the tuktuks, then the jet ski mafia, now it appears to be the ladyboys. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before the staff in your hotel assault you for soiling the clean sheets.

beb · February 23, 2012

Agree with 2unique above, as bad as this attack was, there seems to be more to this story. Not in any way defending the attack but why at 5 months pregnancy is she out and about like that? Not saying it's her fault but there doesn't seem to be good judgement involved.

phuketrichard · February 23, 2012

i feel for her but ... there are no unlit small alleys anywhere near the Tai pan on Rat u thit road where she would not have been seen and helped and she said she did not know where her hotel was so asked directions but then ran to the hotel after the attack???

Another sad day for Patong but still the best thing to do with lady boys (and tuk tuk drivers and jet ski operators) give them a free lift to the bridge and never let them back on the island

Edited February 23, 2012 by phuketrichard

SlyAnimal · February 23, 2012

I can understand her being out there alone, she went to catch up with a friend, bf wouldn't be expected to be a part of the girly chit chat that they might have.

I can understand her walking down an alley, even at 1am, in a foreign country while pregnant. As there's lots of people around, which should mean that you're safe.

However I don't understand:

Why the ladyboys would attack her like that. Must be more than meets the eye I think, perhaps the "Send the gf to get some weed" theory, with something then going wrong.

Or perhaps she made a snide remark about ladyboys. Afterall, she's a teenager, so more likely to say something immature and petty without thinking beforehand, and on I assume a first trip to Thailand, she might not be accustomed to seeing ladyboys here. The last lot of aussie teenagers (or maybe even early 20s) which I had to misfortune of sitting next to for around 30 minutes on a trip to Phi Phi, just constantly badmouthing anyone and everyone who was different to them, as a result this really does sour me towards Aussie teenage girls and their cultural acceptance and maturity.

Either way, I'm still appalled that no one tried to intervene or similar. People just ignored it, they should have stepped in and stopped it. It's really disappointing to me, how often I see / hear about this happening in Thailand.

blows · February 23, 2012

Surely they will turn themselves into the local police soon and do a reenactment.

sungod · February 23, 2012

For all you Pattaya beaters, looks like Phuket has far exceeded it in the cesspit of Thailand awards

BKKBrit · February 23, 2012

Phattaya - on a par now.

BlackJack · February 23, 2012

ahhhhhhhhhh

youth

indestructable

so nieve

out partying while 5 months pregnant

boyfriend allows it

well let the papers beat it up as its another straw on the camels back for Phuket

MrBangla · February 23, 2012

or even another aussi trying to claim the insurance money,she is not the first in that case....Think we havent heard the end of this story yet...

Edited February 23, 2012 by MrBangla

rockderk · February 23, 2012

Yeah. What right do tourists have to go wandering around at a world famous beach resort as if they were on holiday or something.

harrycallahan · February 23, 2012

But at the travel agent they saw a tropical paradise!

GeeWee · February 23, 2012

another nail in the Phuket coffin

uty6543 · February 23, 2012

I think the boyfriend has some responsibility for what happened. I would not let my 5 month pregnant girlfriend out alone at that time of night any where in the world and especially a place like Phuket where there are many dangers for a woman alone.

Derifo · February 23, 2012

Isn't it supposed to be dangerous to use a dark alley?

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