Thailand News

[sriracha john]

Horton-murder verdict today

(Surat Thani) Closed-circuit TVs have been installed at the Surat Thani provincial court house to cater for the large crowd expected to turn up to for today's verdict on the two defendants in the Katherine Elizabeth Horton rape-murder case. Pongsak Trakulsilp, chief judge of the provincial court, said yesterday the court completed witness hearings on Jan 13.

The court had then set today for giving its verdict on two fishermen, Bualoy Pothisit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, Mr Pongsak said.

The men pleaded guilty to raping and murdering the Welsh student on Koh Samui on Jan 1.

Foreign and domestic reporters are permitted to bring recording devices to the courtroom today. Two hundred policemen will be deployed to prevent a possible commotion from angry crowds who might attack the suspects at the court.

The body of the 21-year-old psychology student, in Thailand on a backpacking break with a woman friend before her final university exams, was found floating in Lamai Bay, Koh Samui, on Jan 2.

It is feared the murder could hurt the tourism industry and the country's reputation.

Edited January 18, 2006 by sriracha john

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The poor kid was cremated in Cardiff yesterday. RIP

[evadgib]

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

Its naive to suggest no one has done so/they don't already know. In my opinion the target audience only read FCO advisory info AFTER a problem has occurred!

(How many ppl reading this bothered to do so before embarking on a holiday abroad, & if it said 'don't go' how may would have listened?)

Edited January 18, 2006 by evadgib

[dr_Pat_Pong]

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

Its naive to suggest no one has done so/they don't already know. In my opinion the target audience only read FCO advisory info AFTER a problem has occurred!

(How many ppl reading this bothered to do so before embarking on a holiday abroad, & if it said 'don't go' how may would have listened?)

Whitehall and Embassy online information are notorious for being out of date.

[evadgib]

Whitehall and Embassy online information are notorious for being out of date.

Have you emailed them or are you leaving it to everyone else?

BTW- (to return to the original topic) BBC confirm they received the Death penalty...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Another armchair expert

[evadgib]

Another armchair expert

Pot + kettle = ??

I don't subscribe to the 'i've-got-more-posts-than-you-therefore-i'm-right' routine, furthermore I try to restrict posting until I think I am offering a valuable contribution (unless of course i'm winding someone up lol)

[Jai Dee]

TWO SUSPECTS ON CHARGES OF MURDERING BRITISH STUDENT TO RECEIVE DEATH SENTENCE.

Surattani court has given death sentences for two fishermen suspected of raping and murdering a British tourist.

Earlier this morning, Head Judge of the Surattani court Pongsak Trakulsin (พงษ์ศักดิ์ ตระกูลศิลป์) deliberated the murder case of British student Katherine Horton, who was raped and killed on Samui (สมุย) island in Surattani. After considering all evidence, the court decided to give death penalties for both suspects.

The body of the 21-year-old psychology student was found floating in Lamai (ละไม) Bay on Samui Island, on January 2.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2006

[sriracha john]

More info:

Thai tourist killers given death

SURAT THANI, Thailand (AP) -- A Thai court has convicted two Thai fishermen for raping and murdering a British tourist at a Thai beach resort and sentenced them to death.

The two defendants, Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, had pleaded guilty last week to carrying out a brutal New Year's Day attack on Katherine Horton, a 21-year-old student from Wales who had been vacationing on the island of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.

"The crime they committed has terrified people," Judge Chamnong Sutchaimai told the courtroom in this southern Thai city as he read out the verdict.

"To prevent others from committing similar acts, the court rules that the two defendants be sentenced to death."

As the verdict was read aloud, the defendants were handcuffed and kept their heads bowed.

"I'm sorry for what I did," Bulaloi told reporters.

The murder charge carried a maximum penalty of death, and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made an unusual public appeal for the killers to receive the "hardest punishment" possible, saying the slaying hurt the country's image and could damage its tourism industry.

The defendants have one month to appeal.

Defense attorneys presented no witnesses during the one-day trial, which was fast-tracked through the court system because of international attention surrounding the case.

Prosecutors called eight witnesses during the trial, including police who investigated the crime and a fisherman, Sama-ae Nukhong, who worked on the boat with the defendants. He testified that Wichai and Bualoi told him that they had raped and killed a Western woman.

DNA tests show that semen found on the victim's body belonged to the two suspects, police have said.

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

* except when it hurts tourism. *.

[Jai Dee]

SURATTHANI COURT RULED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR TWO FISHERMEN WHO RAPED AND KILLED BRITISH TOURIST

Suratthani Court has passed ruling to execute the two fishermen who raped and killed British tourist Katherine Horton on Samui Island.

Mr. Wichai Somkhaoyai (วิชัย สมเขาใหญ่) and Mr. Bualoi Phothisiri (บัวลอย โพธิสิทธิ์) were today sentenced to death for raping and killing Ms. Katherine Elizabeth Horton, a British tourist taking a holiday on Samui Island. The court ruled that both killers were cruel and unafraid of the law. Despite their confessions right after the arrest, their conducts were deemed to have greatly shocked the society. In coupling with the strong evidence, which prompt no doubt in their crimes, the court has decided to call for execution of the two perpetrators.

After listening to the court verdict, the two men were visibly stressed. Their lawyer will appeal the verdict.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2006

[opothai]

just seen the news this morning 6.30 am england,

the mother does not want the death sentence, very strong and noble woman,

when a lot off people's emotions are runnong high, this woman after the experiences she has just been through kept her composure, and shown a tremendous amount of compasion.

[sriracha john]

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?

Apparently, the embassy already thinks it does.

An excerpt from Reuters news item on the verdict:

"Female travellers in particular should maintain a high state of personal awareness during their time in Thailand," the embassy says in its country travel advisory.

Does the embassy maintain it's own advisory separate from the UK Headquarters (if that's where the bfg's quote is from)?

[Uma~~]

just seen the news this morning 6.30 am england,

the mother does not want the death sentence, very strong and noble woman,

when a lot off people's emotions are runnong high, this woman after the experiences she has just been through kept her composure, and shown a tremendous amount of compasion.

You have to respect her, that is an amazing example of compasion and honour.

However will Mr Thaksin respect her wishes?

[irish25]

just seen the news this morning 6.30 am england,

the mother does not want the death sentence, very strong and noble woman,

when a lot off people's emotions are runnong high, this woman after the experiences she has just been through kept her composure, and shown a tremendous amount of compasion.

from sky news:

UK News

Wichai Somkhaoyai and Bualoi Posit before sentencing Sentenced To Death

Updated: 11:21, Wednesday January 18, 2006

Two Thai fishermen have been sentenced to death for raping and murdering British tourist Katherine Horton.

Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, attacked the university student on the holiday island of Koh Samui.

The two men had pleaded guilty to murder after DNA tests linked them to the crime.

During their trial in Surat Thani, Judge Chamnong Sutchaimai heard eight prosecution witnesses but no defence witnesses.

The court heard the men had been drunk when they spontaneously decided to attack Miss Horton.

Judge Sutchaimai told the packed court: "The crime they committed has terrified people.

Katherine Horton "To prevent others from committing similar acts, the court rules that the two defendants be sentenced to death."

The sentence came after pressure from the Thai prime minister led to the fast-tracking of the case in a bid to minimise the impact on the country's tourist industry.

Defence lawyer Amarin Nuimai called the ruling "extremely harsh".

"I accept it. I'm sorry for what I did," Bualoi said before being taken away.

Miss Horton, a 21-year-old psychology student, was talking to her mother on a mobile phone while strolling across a beach on the evening of New Year's Day when she was targeted.

Her body was found by a jet-skier in the sea off the island of Koh Samui a day later.

Her family have denied reports that they did not want the death penalty imposed. They said they had made no comment on the matter.

didnt all the other news things say that they didnt want them sent to death??

Edited January 18, 2006 by irish25

[bfg]

didnt all the other news things say that they didnt want them sent to death??

Yes, but then you should never believe everything you read in the news.

[redrus]

Another armchair expert

(unless of course i'm winding someone up lol)

Wrong bleedin thread for that I'm afraid.

Not <deleted>*in LOL.....!!!!!

redrus

[opothai]

just seen the news this morning 6.30 am england,

the mother does not want the death sentence, very strong and noble woman,

when a lot off people's emotions are runnong high, this woman after the experiences she has just been through kept her composure, and shown a tremendous amount of compasion.

You have to respect her, that is an amazing example of compasion and honour.

However will Mr Thaksin respect her wishes?

well it's been on the news all week about the mother saying she does not want the death penalty bbc and now it's being reported she said nothing like that at all.

the f+kcig reporters should be accountable for missreporting, i heard this at 1.45 pm on bbc radio

this woman has been through enough without being misquoted,

along with this broadcast it was reported they have 1 month to appeal.

[Thaipwriter]

Apologies if this point has aready been covered. (if it has I'll get me coat)

BBC World just transmitted pictures of one of the accused in prison van beaming with a huge smile across his face.

Amazing Thailand!

[redrus]

Apologies if this point has aready been covered. (if it has I'll get me coat)

BBC World just transmitted pictures of one of the accused in prison van beaming with a huge smile across his face.

Amazing Thailand!

Yeah I saw that.

They tried to say that they thought the 2 were smiling because they could not comprehend the amount of publicity.

I do not know what to make of that....!

redrus

[Wes Turner]

Apologies if this point has aready been covered. (if it has I'll get me coat)

BBC World just transmitted pictures of one of the accused in prison van beaming with a huge smile across his face.

They have to be the dumbest coupla kids in Thailand.

I have changed my plea to life inprosonment in the worst jail Thailand has to offer.

Edited January 18, 2006 by Wes Turner

[evadgib]

(unless of course i'm winding someone up lol)

Wrong bleedin thread for that I'm afraid.

Not <deleted>*in LOL.....!!!!!

redrus

It was perfectly acceptable in the context in which it was presented; any implication to the contrary is frankly dissappointing & distracts from the core of the thread.

Edited January 18, 2006 by evadgib

[redrus]

Another armchair expert

Pot + kettle = ??

I don't subscribe to the 'i've-got-more-posts-than-you-therefore-i'm-right' routine, furthermore I try to restrict posting until I think I am offering a valuable contribution (unless of course i'm winding someone up lol)

And you think this is a worth while contribution to this thread, whatever context its in....!

You're having a laugh if you think I dissapoint.

End of.

redrus

[Hadrian1]

Yes, I saw one of the guys smiling too. Boy, this case is really depressing. firstly, the waste of an innocent life with all to look forward to. Then, we find the perpetrators, two Thai fishermen - one apprently illiterate now to face the death penalty. If only clocks could be turned back as I think one of them said. And then the PM intefering every step of the way to salvage Thailand's image (read tourism revenue). In doing so, he's making the kingdom seem corrupt and to a degree - uncivilised. The most positive thing is the way the Horton's have conducted themselves.....

[redrus]

Yes, I saw one of the guys smiling too. Boy, this case is really depressing. firstly, the waste of an innocent life with all to look forward to. Then, we find the perpetrators, two Thai fishermen - one apprently illiterate now to face the death penalty. If only clocks could be turned back as I think one of them said. And then the PM intefering every step of the way to salvage Thailand's image (read tourism revenue). In doing so, he's making the kingdom seem corrupt and to a degree - uncivilised. The most positive thing is the way the Horton's have conducted themselves.....

I second that last comment there Hadrian.

Its amazing how well some of these families cope. I go back to the young black lad that was brutally murdered in an area of Liverpool not so long ago. The young lads mother went on TV and said that she forgave the 2 lads that killed her son with a climbing axe. Incredible.

In this case the Hortons certainly haven't and shouldn't go that far IMO but, as said have conducted themselves with great dignity.

I hope they're lives can somehow be rebuilt after after this.

redrus

[sriracha john]

additional info from telegraph.co.uk

It took judge Jamnong Sudjaimaialmost an hour to read the verdict, which covered several sheets of foolscap paper.

"This case was detrimental to Thailand's reputation," said judge Jamnong. "The crime that these two committed was against a foreigner who came to Thailand as a tourist, which affects the economy of the country. The condition of the victim was such that she could not have remembered the faces of those who had done it. It was dark and she had been hit so hard. She could not help herself and was a foreigner in a foreign place.

"They could have just left after they raped her, gone back to sea and nobody would have recognised them. Instead what they did shows that they have brutal hearts."

He added: "They came back to the boat and told their colleagues that they raped and killed a foreigner, without fear, as if it was a normal thing to do, which means they were not afraid of the penalty of the law."

The two had admitted their guilt, and confession is normally a mitigating circumstance in Thailand, but with the country still looking to revive its tourism industry after the Boxing Day tsunami, the prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, had called for them to face the "harshest possible punishment".

The judge finally reached the sentence.

"The first charge, raping a woman who is not your wife, the penalty is 20 years each in prison," he said.

"The second charge, murder to cover up a crime, the penalty is death."

With that the three judges stood up and walked out.

"I feel sorry for what I have done," whispered Bualoi immediately after sentence was passed. Asked if he thought the punishment was fair, he nodded and quietly said: "I accept it."

The sentiment is not as surprising as it might seem in a hierarchical society where deference to one's superiors is ingrained from birth, and where the Buddhist notion of karma dictates that one reaps the rewards of one's actions. Wichai, who is so poorly educated he cannot write his own name and has instead "signed" court documents with his thumbprint, has not said a word publicly throughout the case, and maintained his silence.

When the pair will meet the executioner - who will use lethal injection - is unclear. Under Thai law there is an automatic appeal against the death penalty, which has to start within a month, and a second further appeal to the supreme court is also possible.

The extraordinary speed of the investigation and the judicial proceedings has raised observers' eyebrows. Campaigners pointedly compared it with the disappearance of a leading human rights lawyer nearly two years ago, for which one policeman has been convicted and sentenced to three years' imprisonment last week.

"When it's not in the interests of the authorities they do everything possible not to allow justice to happen," said Ruki Fernando, of the Forum-Asia activist group.

But the fishermen's lawyers - one of whom arrived half way through the hearing - raised no objections and said the case had been fair.

"It's good that everything is happening fast," said Prompachara Namuang, who represented Wichai. "I think what we have heard today is normal, given the evidence and all they have found."

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from news.independent.co.uk

A picture is emerging of police frantic to solve the case and willing to cut corners. A 17-year-old worker at the beachside bungalows where Ms Horton was staying told The Independent he had been beaten by police trying to get him to say that the bunglows' owner, Amnoi Dechenna, who had been a suspect, was the killer.

"They put a shirt over my head so I couldn't see anything. They beat me on the back of my head and scraped my leg open with a gun barrel. They tried to get me to say he did it, but I refused," said Por Kanthon.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

timesonline.co.uk

The family of Katherine Horton, the British student murdered on a beach in Thailand, thanked the Thai authorities for the “diligent and speedy” arrest and conviction of her killers after they were sentenced to death yesterday.

Ian and Elizabeth Horton denied reports that they had opposed the death penalty for the two fishermen who raped and murdered their 21-year-old daughter on the island of Koh Samui on New Year’s Day.

“Contrary to media reports, our family have neither made their views known nor expressed any comment in relation to the court in Thailand imposing the death penalty,” they said in a statement. “We reiterate that we do not want to be involved in the criminal and political processes of another country.”

The judge said he had not been influenced by the reported comments of Miss Horton’s parents, or the remarks of Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, who called for the killers to receive the “hardest punishment” possible.

Thailand last carried out a death sentence in 2003.

Edited January 19, 2006 by sriracha john

[phuketrichard]

I want to place a couple of ideas out there.

After the tsunami it took (and they are still working on) over 6 months to get DNA results. How did they do it so fast?

Did they take dna samples from every thai guy on a fishing boat? That's hundreds, yet they found the right 2 guys in a matter of days, processed the dna and arrested them.

With Thaksin saying he wanted the murded solved, and my knowledge of thai police getting confessions, how will we ever know that they got the right ones and not 2 guys in the wrong place at the wrong time and beaten to confess? ( ok they don't look like they were beat but there are lots of ways to get confessions)

DNA results are indeed conclusive BUT how will we know that it was these 2 guys dna? Or that even that they ran them and its not just all made up?

Death sentence for me is not the worst , being in a thai prison for life with no change of parole is much worse and what I would like to see IF these are the guys. ( which is irrlevant now as they have been found guilty of the crime)

How many thai ladies are raped daily? It is not against the law in thailand for a husband to demand sex.

To many questions / to quck / all to save the great toursit $$$ flowing in

and then the next week another rape in pattaya. It goes on and on.

ARRGHHH

Yes, Sriracha John, that is what I meant. I hope it is not the case though......

Edited January 19, 2006 by phuketrichard

[cdnvic]

"The first charge, raping a woman who is not your wife, the penalty is 20 years each in prison," he said.

That makes me sick. They would do alot for attitudes towards women by changing it to "raping anyone, the penalty is 20yrs"

Unless they pass a law making it a crime to "castrate a man who's not your husband"

cv

[evadgib]

Another armchair expert

Pot + kettle = ??

I don't subscribe to the 'i've-got-more-posts-than-you-therefore-i'm-right' routine, furthermore I try to restrict posting until I think I am offering a valuable contribution (unless of course i'm winding someone up lol)

And you think this is a worth while contribution to this thread, whatever context its in....!

You're having a laugh if you think I dissapoint.

End of.

redrus

Your arrogance detracts from the fact that it was a (so-called) moderator with 20+ thousand posts who issued an obligatory put-down when wit & intellect proved insufficient, I therefore conclude that your true motive is in sucking up to him rather than being bemused at anything said by me.

This isn't the right thread for a slanging match so I'll say no more on this particular matter.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You do not get the rights to slag off at admins, mods or members EVADGIB. Take a rest from TV and try to gain some net etiquette.

[Lisa28]

and vice versa

Let's get back to the topic eh?

Edited January 19, 2006 by Lisa28