Thailand News

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Sharpen the needles at the Hilton.

[LaoPo]

Sharpen the needles at the Hilton.

Please explain this expression as I'm not familiar with it?

LaoPo

[phuketsiam]

Bangkok Hilton = the nickname of one of the prisons there, needle = death by lethal injection

[gburns57au]

A report in the Sunday Times here reported that the DNA testing was done with the British Embassy people in attendence....cant verify this of course.

[phuketsiam]

do th British Embassy have forensic experts, or anyone qualified enough to oversee a test, I used to watch CSI, does that count?

[gburns57au]

do th British Embassy have forensic experts, or anyone qualified enough to oversee a test, I used to watch CSI, does that count?

Cant answer that..... I posted this as some people were asking about the testing being done in British Labs....the point being that if the Embassy people were a party to the testing and satisfied then they would see no need for further testing in the UK. It was just a response to some peoples concerns about the Thai testing procedures.

[LaoPo]

Bangkok Hilton = the nickname of one of the prisons there, needle = death by lethal injection

Thanks; yes I thought about that. Saw the movie with young Nicole Kidman a few times...(Bbrrr); but.....do they still use "death by lethal injection" in LOS?

LaoPo

[george]

Bangkok Hilton = the nickname of one of the prisons there, needle = death by lethal injection

Thanks; yes I thought about that. Saw the movie with young Nicole Kidman a few times...(Bbrrr); but.....do they still use "death by lethal injection" in LOS?

LaoPo

Yes, lethal injection, but in very rare cases.

[george]

Mum's plea over daughter's killers

CARDIFF: -- The mother of a British backpacker raped and murdered in Thailand said she does not want her daughter's killers to be executed, it emerged.

Elizabeth Horton said she believes Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, should instead spend the rest of their lives behind bars for the savage attack they inflicted on her 21-year-old daughter, Katherine.

The two men are to learn their fate in a Surat Thani court room on Wednesday after pleading guilty to rape and murder. They could be sentenced to life imprisonment or execution.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for the death sentence to be served in order to restore the country's damaged reputation.

Mrs Horton, of Thornhill, Cardiff, told the News of the World: "I've never believed in the death penalty, but I believe life means life.

"A life sentence would be appropriate. I don't agree with taking anyone's life and Katherine wouldn't believe in that either. I don't think that serves any purpose.

"If they are behind bars until they die it will stop it happening to anyone else."

Katherine Horton was staying on the island of Koh Samui with university pal Ruth Adams when tragedy struck.

In the evening of New Year's Day, she was attacked by the two Thai fishermen as she spoke to her mother on her mobile phone. Mrs Horton heard a scream before the line went dead. Her daughter's battered body was found floating in Lamai Bay the following day by a jet-skier.

Miss Horton's funeral is to take place in Cardiff on Tuesday.

-- thisislondon.co.uk 2006-01-15

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Bangkok Hilton = the nickname of one of the prisons there, needle = death by lethal injection

Thanks; yes I thought about that. Saw the movie with young Nicole Kidman a few times...(Bbrrr); but.....do they still use "death by lethal injection" in LOS?

LaoPo

Yes indeedy.

[Lisa28]

As a Darwinian I could argue that rape is as natural as murder, eating or going to the toilet - which it is, but that's beside the point.

Really?

[Rinrada]

Bangkok Hilton = the nickname of one of the prisons there, needle = death by lethal injection

Thanks; yes I thought about that. Saw the movie with young Nicole Kidman a few times...(Bbrrr); but.....do they still use "death by lethal injection" in LOS?LaoPo

Yes indeedy.

Not so much still use "death by etc"as its a new concept in LOS.

Up to about... what a year ago the normal method of sending you off to your maker was by a machine gun.

They use to take the prisoner out to the main door and tie him up over a sort of Crucifix thingy,give him a couple of flowers-incense sticks to hold onto while a monk said a few words ..then one of the guards would blast him to kingdom come (in the back.....face an all that)with an AK 47.

There was a bit of an outcry that it was a barbaric method so now they just kill the individual with a lethal injection...so much more civilised...innit.

[LaoPo]

Mum's plea over daughter's killers

CARDIFF: -- The mother of a British backpacker raped and murdered in Thailand said she does not want her daughter's killers to be executed, it emerged.

Elizabeth Horton said she believes Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, should instead spend the rest of their lives behind bars for the savage attack they inflicted on her 21-year-old daughter, Katherine.

The two men are to learn their fate in a Surat Thani court room on Wednesday after pleading guilty to rape and murder. They could be sentenced to life imprisonment or execution.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for the death sentence to be served in order to restore the country's damaged reputation.

Mrs Horton, of Thornhill, Cardiff, told the News of the World: "I've never believed in the death penalty, but I believe life means life.

"A life sentence would be appropriate. I don't agree with taking anyone's life and Katherine wouldn't believe in that either. I don't think that serves any purpose.

"If they are behind bars until they die it will stop it happening to anyone else."

Katherine Horton was staying on the island of Koh Samui with university pal Ruth Adams when tragedy struck.

In the evening of New Year's Day, she was attacked by the two Thai fishermen as she spoke to her mother on her mobile phone. Mrs Horton heard a scream before the line went dead. Her daughter's battered body was found floating in Lamai Bay the following day by a jet-skier.

Miss Horton's funeral is to take place in Cardiff on Tuesday.

-- thisislondon.co.uk 2006-01-15

Mrs. Horton has a great heart and is, in my opinion, a wise Lady.

I agree.

PS: allow me to explain my view:

IF the 2 guys would be 'executed', a lot of people will say: Justice is done....end of story.

The family, friends and relatives of the murderers will suffer for a few years with the thoughts about their STUPID and horrible 'sons'/friends etc. and the case will fade away in Thai history+memory....

but the Horton family already got a 'life'-sentence....the missing of Katherine for the rest of their lifes, knowing she was so brutally beaten, raped and murdered.

Now, if the murderes will get a LIFE-SENTENCE in prison (WITHOUT ANY PAROLE), the case will be remembered for many many years in the area the guys are from, it will be remembered amongst ALL the fishermen in Thailand (...) ,amongst the people in Samui, and many more....the story will live for a long time as a warning amongst 'would-be' rapists/murderers....even when they are drunk...and HOPEFULLY these 'would-be's' will think twice before they even start thinking about committing a crime like this.

A quick death (shot or injection) is much too good for these guys.

If anyone has heard the stories about the 'conditions' in Thai prisons .....the punishment -FOR LIFE- is a much harder sentence that the deathpenalty.

That's exactly what they deserve.

Just my view.

LaoPo

Edited January 16, 2006 by LaoPo

[dr_Pat_Pong]

This was in our newspaper today.....

TWO Thai fishermen arrested for the rape and premeditated murder of a British tourist earlier this month on the southern resort island of Koh Samui pleaded guilty on both counts yesterday when charged in court.

Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, were charged by police with carrying out a brutal New Year's Day attack on Katherine Horton, a 21-year-old student from Wales, whose body was found floating in the Gulf of Thailand on January 2.

The two men nodded in turn when asked by a judge on the provincial court of Surat Thani, 520km southwest of Bangkok, whether they were guilty of the charges.

Wichai's lawyer, Promphatchara Namuang, confirmed that both men pleaded guilty, and said that a hearing to determine their punishment would begin today and probably last just one day.

The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of death. However, Thai courts usually reduce such sentences to life imprisonment or less in cases where defendants plead guilty.

Yesterday, a memorial service was held for Horton near the spot where she was killed. Buddhist monks chanted prayers for her spirit, and friends read poems in her honour.

Why do I suspect that you are not all that you seem to be ?

[sriracha john]

do th British Embassy have forensic experts, or anyone qualified enough to oversee a test, I used to watch CSI, does that count?

Cant answer that..... I posted this as some people were asking about the testing being done in British Labs....the point being that if the Embassy people were a party to the testing and satisfied then they would see no need for further testing in the UK. It was just a response to some peoples concerns about the Thai testing procedures.

...and for good reasons:

Thai attorney-general has chosen a team of senior detectives to lead a new murder hunt (Kirsty Jones case), following claims that the earlier investigation was bungled.

As the Embassy doesn't, in all likelihood, retain a DNA expert on staff, then I fail to see how this would lend any credibility to the DNA testing and how it was conducted in Thailand. IF, in fact, they DID retain an expert as a consultant or send one from the UK, then it's logical to presume the press reports would certainly highlight that point.

These concerns, as well as many others, about how the entire case has been handled are likely to be moot... as these suspects will likely be executed by week's end or very soon thereafter.

[bulmercke]

Yes, I too have an uneasy feeling about the arrest of these two fisherman. Common sense seems to suggest that their arrest and subsequent arraignment was just a little too pat and opportune for the police and government. Let's not forget that at the time of their arrest the pressure was really on the authorities from the very top down to quickly conclude the case and eliminate this huge embarrassment for the country.

From today's Bangkok Post:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Jan2006_news20.php

[Wes Turner]

They haven't been stitched up, I know a Thai guy who's brother is a fisherman who said the two had been boasting of their conquest to all and sundry in their fishing clique.

I am not surprised that the emphasis of their crime is the damage to tourism but that's Thaksin for you.

Either way, I'm sure Mr and Mrs Horton won't be protesting the execution.

[sierra01]

They haven't been stitched up, I know a Thai guy who's brother is a fisherman who said the two had been boasting of their conquest to all and sundry in their fishing clique.

I am not surprised that the emphasis of their crime is the damage to tourism but that's Thaksin for you.

Either way, I'm sure Mr and Mrs Horton won't be protesting the execution.

They have already asked for them not to be executed Wes. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006020409,00.html

[Virgil]

The world media are full of the trial of the two scumbags who supposedly murdered the Welsh lady on Samui. Thaksin has intervened saying that justice must be done urgently to help heal the negative impact on Thai tourism(noteThai tourism not to comfort the girls parents etc)

After this public statement, Batman and Robin went into overdrive and within days had the two in custody who pleaded no contest. World records were broken as the trial was ordered immediately and judging by reports, no defence witnesses were called and again judging be reports the two are likely to be sentenced and could face the death penalty by the middle of next week!

Hurrah for the Thai justice system (at long long last) but why do I smell a rat and wonder if these two guys are being stiched up in public to entice the tourists back. Why did it need Thaksin to get involved to kickstart Batman and Robin ? Are we sure these guys have not been framed to get a quick completion? are we sure that everything is above board here ?

Food for thought!

No, its not food for thought. The abundance of skepticism and stupidity being written in this thread leads me to believe that there is something in the water supply in Thailand that makes complete idiots out of otherwise sensible farangs ....

Hurrah for the Thai justice system (at long long last) but why do I smell a rat and wonder if these two guys are being stiched up in public to entice the tourists back.

See also the articles in the Guardian and The Sun.

There does seem to be clear DNA evidence, in addition to the confession. Why waste money on a lengthy trial and incarceration?

-----------------

Maestro

Its called "The Justice System", Maestro ...

Virgil

They haven't been stitched up, I know a Thai guy who's brother is a fisherman who said the two had been boasting of their conquest to all and sundry in their fishing clique.

I am not surprised that the emphasis of their crime is the damage to tourism but that's Thaksin for you.

Either way, I'm sure Mr and Mrs Horton won't be protesting the execution.

No Wes ... read the news ... Mrs Horton has written a letter requesting that the two NOT BE EXECUTED. And with good reason. If they die tomorrow, their sentence ends tomorrow. The Hortons have their sentence for life, why shouldn't the killers have to face every day in jail for the term of their natural lives?????

Virgil

[Jai Dee]

Horton's mother speaks against death penalty

The mother of murdered Welsh university student Katherine Horton has said she does not believe her daughter's killers should be executed in Thailand , BBC News reported.

Elizabeth Horton told BBC Wales she did not support the death penalty, but said she was not making a plea for clemency.

The trial of two fishermen accused of raping and murdering Horton, 21, took place on Friday in Surat Thani. They pledged guilty and the court will issue a sentence on Wednesday.

Horton's mother told BBC Wales: "I have never believed in the death penalty. I don't believe anyone has the right to take another person's life.

" But a life sentence should mean life. The Thai authorities will deal with it as they see fit. I would not want to interfere with the Thai legal system."

Source: The Nation - Jan 16 , 2006

[LaoPo]

This article was in a UK Newspaper today:

Brit raped in Thailand

It was already reported here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=57132

She survived.....

LaoPo

[sierra01]

How long before the UK Govt issues a travel advisory about Samui/Thailand?

[markuk]

With its tropical climate and miles of glorious beaches Koh Samui is Thailand's fastest growing holiday destination.

It is hard to believe that just 20 years ago this island had neither electricity nor airport.

Now five-star resorts jostle for space along the shoreline with the budget accommodation so attractive to young travellers like Katherine Horton.

But her murder has drawn the world's attention to a darker side, far removed

from the one seen by tourists hungry for new experiences.

This island's exotic attractions act as a magnet for nearly a million tourists every year and they spend £200m.

There's full employment on Koh Samui but now there are fears that this booming economy could be threatened.

As news of the New Year's Day killing of Katherine, 21, from Cardiff, made headlines, businesses began to feel the impact.

Her murder not only horrified Thais on the island, but also brought many anxious enquiries.

"We have some customers (who) get in touch with us and (ask) if they'll be all right if they come over to stay with us," Jack Dangsaard of The Spa hotel on the island told me.

There are just 15 tourist police on the island and a regular force of 200.

The way I look at it is there are some horrendous things happening in the UK

Jane Charlesworth

Hotels are now employing extra security guards to patrol the beaches. Women in particular are taking no risks.

British tourist Jane Charlesworth said: "I think I've always been aware and I think coming away on my own makes you feel more aware.

"The way I look at it is there are some horrendous things happening in the UK."

The new hut beach bungalows where Katherine stayed are still full of young travellers but the girl they never met is very much in their thoughts.

Martine Tempels, one of the travellers, told me: "It's something you can't really believe, like it's something that will happen really far away.

"But it's really close here, it really makes you think about it."

On Tuesday, Miss Horton will be laid to rest in her home city.

Death penalty

Thousands of miles away many islanders feel a shame that such a crime was committed here.

They want the death penalty enforced and on Wednesday her killers will learn their fate.

Miss Horton's mother Elizabeth has said she believes no one had the right to take another's life and wants the Thai fishermen who murdered her daughter to stay in prison until they die.

She is satisfied with the pace of Thai justice. A Welshman on holiday here is not so sure.

Robi Dutta said: "It seems awfully quick to find two men very quickly and hang them very quickly. It's not really a kind of justice we're used to."

Murders are not unusual on Koh Samui although it's rare that the victim was a Westerner.

Holidaymakers, though, are targets for less serious crime - theft and robbery.

On Tuesday, the head of Thailand's tourist police will arrive on this island to discuss how best to protect visitors.

Already a government committee has recommended that CCTV is installed along these beaches in a bid to reassure tourists and restore this country's tarnished reputation, not just in Britain but across the world.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n...les/4618664.stm

[bfg]

How long before the UK Govt issues a travel advisory about Samui/Thailand?

I believe you will find the current advise is applicable:

SUMMARY

We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, where there is continuing violence due to insurgency and civil unrest. Since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and shootings. On 20 October 2005, the Thai Government extended the declaration of a serious state of emergency in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat for a further three months to 20 January 2006.

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against places frequented by foreigners.

Watch out for crimes of opportunity. Theft of passports and credit cards is a problem. Passport fraud is high and penalties are severe.

Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) have occurred in domestic poultry and wild birds in Thailand, resulting in a small number of human fatalities. If you are travelling to Thailand, you should consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice before departure. See Health section below for further details. You should read this advice in conjunction with the FCO’s Avian and Pandemic Influenza Factsheet, which gives more detailed advice and information.

By law, tourists are expected to carry their original passports at all times in Thailand.

About 750,000 British nationals visited Thailand in 2005 and around 35,000 are resident in the country. The main types of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Thailand are: arrests (mostly drug related) - 157 British nationals arrested in 2005 and 146 in detention or awaiting trial at the start of 2006; hospital cases (especially road accidents) - about 300 in 2005; and deaths - 188 in 2005, mostly from natural causes and road accidents. The majority of consular cases occur in Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance.

[Wes Turner]

If the deaths of young falangs on motorcycles were reported overseas then the island would be like a ghost town.

I love Samui and come every year for a month but there's still plenty of work needed on the infastructure.

There are still potholes in the road that have been here since 1999, I am tempted to go out one night with a bucket of Polyfilla and a spatula.

[ratcatcher]

If the deaths of young falangs on motorcycles were reported overseas then the island would be like a ghost town.

I love Samui and come every year for a month but there's still plenty of work needed on the infastructure.

There are still potholes in the road that have been here since 1999, I am tempted to go out one night with a bucket of Polyfilla and a spatula.

Yes, Koh Samui is a beautiful island ,and very popular with tourists,but if the Thais who run that island, and I mean the Thai Mafia, who control the police, taxi drivers, bar owners and just about everything else, were to be eradicated, there would be major upgrades to the infrastructure and the safety of tourists would be more assured.

Basically the island is run by very greedy people who don't give a shit about safety except the safety of their own ill gotten gains. The problem goes all the way up to the Man himself.

[sriracha john]

Family and friends follow the coffin of Katherine Horton into the church

Farewell for Thai murder victim

The funeral service of student Katherine Horton who was murdered in Thailand on New Year's Day is taking place in Cardiff.

More than 200 mourners gathered at St Isan's Church, Llanishen, for the service at 1400 GMT on Tuesday.

The hearse carrying Miss Horton's coffin, adorned with white roses, arrived alone at walking pace just before 1330 GMT, led by a black-suited undertaker on foot.

Family members arrived at 1355 GMT and were greeted by two men who came from the church carrying white lilies.

Miss Horton's father and mother Ian and Elizabeth, and her brothers Christopher and Richard and their partners, followed behind as her coffin was carried into the church by four pall-bearers.

People gathered outside the shops opposite the church to pay their respects.

Following a 40-minute service, close friends and family made their way to a service at nearby Thornhill crematorium.

=========================

Rest In Peace.....

[sierra01]

How long before the UK Govt issues a travel advisory about Samui/Thailand?

I believe you will find the current advise is applicable:

SUMMARY

We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, where there is continuing violence due to insurgency and civil unrest. Since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and shootings. On 20 October 2005, the Thai Government extended the declaration of a serious state of emergency in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat for a further three months to 20 January 2006.

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against places frequented by foreigners.

Watch out for crimes of opportunity. Theft of passports and credit cards is a problem. Passport fraud is high and penalties are severe.

Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) have occurred in domestic poultry and wild birds in Thailand, resulting in a small number of human fatalities. If you are travelling to Thailand, you should consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice before departure. See Health section below for further details. You should read this advice in conjunction with the FCO’s Avian and Pandemic Influenza Factsheet, which gives more detailed advice and information.

By law, tourists are expected to carry their original passports at all times in Thailand.

About 750,000 British nationals visited Thailand in 2005 and around 35,000 are resident in the country. The main types of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Thailand are: arrests (mostly drug related) - 157 British nationals arrested in 2005 and 146 in detention or awaiting trial at the start of 2006; hospital cases (especially road accidents) - about 300 in 2005; and deaths - 188 in 2005, mostly from natural causes and road accidents. The majority of consular cases occur in Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance.

Ok, let me rephrase my question. How soon before the travel advisory is updated? The present advisory is basically about the far south, drugs and bird flu. No warnings about muder, rape, muggings etc. Maybe there isn't really an increase in it all, just more reported or something, but it's still something the prospective tourist should be made aware of. Or am I wrong?

[Templer]

You are right the F.C.O. are always way behind on there advise,

but it may not be the fault of the Embassy in Bangkok,

More likely some Civil servant in Whitehall, to lazy to update

the advise on the site

[dr_Pat_Pong]

How long before the UK Govt issues a travel advisory about Samui/Thailand?

I believe you will find the current advise is applicable:

SUMMARY

We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, where there is continuing violence due to insurgency and civil unrest. Since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and shootings. On 20 October 2005, the Thai Government extended the declaration of a serious state of emergency in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat for a further three months to 20 January 2006.

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against places frequented by foreigners.

Watch out for crimes of opportunity. Theft of passports and credit cards is a problem. Passport fraud is high and penalties are severe.

Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) have occurred in domestic poultry and wild birds in Thailand, resulting in a small number of human fatalities. If you are travelling to Thailand, you should consult your usual healthcare provider for travel medical advice before departure. See Health section below for further details. You should read this advice in conjunction with the FCO’s Avian and Pandemic Influenza Factsheet, which gives more detailed advice and information.

By law, tourists are expected to carry their original passports at all times in Thailand.

About 750,000 British nationals visited Thailand in 2005 and around 35,000 are resident in the country. The main types of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Thailand are: arrests (mostly drug related) - 157 British nationals arrested in 2005 and 146 in detention or awaiting trial at the start of 2006; hospital cases (especially road accidents) - about 300 in 2005; and deaths - 188 in 2005, mostly from natural causes and road accidents. The majority of consular cases occur in Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance.

Ok, let me rephrase my question. How soon before the travel advisory is updated? The present advisory is basically about the far south, drugs and bird flu. No warnings about muder, rape, muggings etc. Maybe there isn't really an increase in it all, just more reported or something, but it's still something the prospective tourist should be made aware of. Or am I wrong?

Email either Whitehall or the Embassy, and bring 'em up to speed as to the situation.