Australian Stabbed In Heart In Thai Bag-Snatch Tragedy

[DLock]

Terrible tragedy indeed ... nobody should die in that way ..if the police were less busy trying to get money from corruption they would perhaps be more visible to those criminals, I never seen any police patrol in those very touristic areas.. I might be wrong of course .Well Thailand is not safe anymore that for sure.

I still think Thailand is one of the safest countries in the world, every country has bad bastards like the two involved in this tragedy, but I feel much safer in Bangkok or even Pattaya than I do in Glasgow, or would feel in any city in the UK.

You may well FEEL safer but there are no grounds to assert that Thailand IS safer. Even with the Thai's manipulation of the stats, Glasgow & Scotland are much safer places than Bangkok & Thailand. For Thais Thailand has always been a dangerous place but they never used to harm the goose that lays the golden egg to such an extent.

I don't agree with you Jimmu, Bangkok is much safer per head of population that Glasgow is.

How many tourists go to Glasgow again?

[jomtienbob]

I was at the Katathani Beach Resort last weekend with friends from Australia, They left last night at 6pm. I was telling them (on their 1st visit to Thailand) how safe it was here and Thai people rarely ever threaten your life to steal your money. I guess I was wrong about all that eh. Times are changing. However Thailand is still generally one of the safest friendliest tourist destinations, but having a 60 year old female travel agent murdered is possibly one of the worst case scenarios I would think. The problem is of course that the Keystone cops here are sure to make a horrid mess of it all. I wonder if they will try and put some of the blame on the travel agent some how? Condolences to the relatives and Thai Tourism in Phuket.

[NomadJoe]

its time to stop the corny remarks about the police force .... its no longer a joke .....i cannot understand why a country such as australia does not slap a travel ban on this place immediately ...the phuket police are nothing but tea money collectors , they see tourists purely as a source of income .... until corruption is dealt with we will live in a lawless society ... so time to bail , tell your friends , colleagues , business associates stay away ....go to Myanamar ....

Can a country ban you from visiting another? Sounds a bit daft. The governments job is to give advise based on accurate information, surely? For sure issue warning etc, but a ban?

A travel ban is not a literal ban, it's just the term used. Only the destination country has the power to decide who enters it. Hell, they couldn't/can't even keep Americans out of Cuba. You just had to fly to a 3rd country first.

[baboon]

.....i cannot understand why a country such as australia does not slap a travel ban on this place immediately ...

Are you serious? A travel ban? It doesn't work like that in the free world.

I thought Americans were banned from visiting Cuba?

[edwinclapham]

http://www.brisbanet...0621-20p5f.html

A 60-year-old Perth woman has been stabbed to death and another woman was hurt in a bag-snatch attempt gone wrong on the popular holiday island of Phuket in Thailand.

It is understood Michelle Elizabeth Smith, who worked as a travel agent at RAC Travel in Joondalup, died in front of a Phuket hotel after being stabbed in the heart.

Ms Yone, a supervisor at the five-star Katathani Phuket Beach Resort where the women were staying, this morning confirmed the death of an Australian woman.

Mrs Smith's companion Tammee Lynn, 42, who works at an Attadale travel agency, escaped with a cut to her arm after she was slashed by the attacker and was taken to a Phuket hospital.

Edited June 21, 2012 by metisdead
Edited for fair use.

[theajarn]

Things like this make me want to start an anti-Thailand tourism website.

RIP and my sincerest condolences. Ironic to see this happen to someone who works in the industry that promotes these places. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you... I hope the scumbags responsible soon catch a debilitating disease and die a slow, horrible, and excruciatingly painful death so they can reflect on their actions before being reincarnated as dog-poo.

Edited June 21, 2012 by theajarn

[Reasonableman]

Things like this make me want to start an anti-Thailand tourism website.

RIP and my sincerest condolences. Ironic to see this happen to someone who works in the industry that promotes these places. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you... I hope the scumbags responsible catch a debilitating disease soon and die a slow, horrible, and excruciatingly painful death so they can reflect on their actions before being reincarnated as dog-poo.

You mean they are entitled to 2 karmic cycles as dogsh@t??? That doesn't seem fair.

[laurentbkk]

its time to stop the corny remarks about the police force .... its no longer a joke .....i cannot understand why a country such as australia does not slap a travel ban on this place immediately ...the phuket police are nothing but tea money collectors , they see tourists purely as a source of income .... until corruption is dealt with we will live in a lawless society ... so time to bail , tell your friends , colleagues , business associates stay away ....go to Myanamar ....

lawless thailand... so many crooks. In 16 years in Thailand I have seen more than my share of abusers and coward acts. From government, to police/army until the small crook on the street and in bars...

been here 20 years and totally agree on that comment , the only thing all governments are good at is to hide the truth so tourists can think they are safe here ..There are as much crimes as any other third world country or developed countries..nothing less nothing more. Time to stop to think that Thailand is different than any other countries .... road accidents, crime , raped etc .... the list is long

[chunktal]

RIP Michelle and condolences to her family and friends.

For those talking about stats of tourist murders in Australia, http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/1/0/9/%7B1090A187-AF82-4C69-BA67-4E8CBD6B9722%7Dtandi316.pdf is a link to an Australian Institute of Criminology report from 2006 for the period 1994-2003 (sorry but that is all I found in a quick Google search).

[uranuss]

Still nothing in the phuket gazette,only some lowlines about flies and curry....

[HOOD Robin]

oh man, this is not cool,with all the talk about saving face in this country, where's the face in a cowardly act like this? it may not have been Thais, but they were men in Thailand, what the hell is going on here? forget jetski's and scams,this is the stuff tourists are really scared of, being attacked and killed while taking a pleasant walk...dam_n it, after Phi Phi, this one could seal their fate...RIP and condolences to families.

Not according to Thais, listening to 3AW radio streamed from Melbourne they spoke to a spokeswoman from the Phuket hotels association or similar who says that this is an extremely isolated incident and thefts and other crimes in Phuket are very low. They do not believe that an incident such as this will have an impact on tourism.

If that spokes woman tells the opposite ( = the truth ) she gets fired IMMEDIATELY....

[fxe1200]

It's in the Australian news reports already.

Phuket seems to get more bad press now than Pattaya.

Is there a reason? Are the Pattaya police more on the ball?

Wait and see, tomorrow it will be Pattaya again.

[oldsailor35]

Amazing Thailand!!!!

No...it is Miracle Thailand...get it right....cos its a Miracle people still come here and its a Miracle people still think Phuket is a world class destination...with pristine beaches and friendly island people.

Nah ! thats Koh Samui

[FOODLOVER]

I just said to my Thai girlfriend, this type of senseless violence scares me, her reply ok you don't like Thailand go, not a word from her about the women attacked its like it does not register.

Is she retarded?

[richards]

Phuket is getting going from bad to worse.... The police should do regular searches for any weapons on a regular basis & anyone found possessing such weapons should be imprisoned instantly. I hope they get the coward scum bags..... I feel so sorry for that poor lady ^& her family. This is far too common & an outrageous crime!

[terry101]

Coming from the hotel industry here in Thailand I know how things like this can affect the bussiness.

My suggestion is that the hotel owners / managers in areas such as these, that there has been an increase in criminal activities, should start demanding from the government to start taking a stronger action against these criminals once apprehended and start using these criminals as examples of what will happen to anyone who is caught in any criminal activity, no matter how big or small.

Obviously the tourism industry in the areas should have a lot more say, because it is because of them that the tourist industry is doing well, so I would think that hotel owners / managers should take a stronger stand on what happens in these areas.

Just my opinion...

[Metalgear]

People should ban Thailand as a tourist destination.

[cdmtdm]

Phuket is getting going from bad to worse.... The police should do regular searches for any weapons on a regular basis & anyone found possessing such weapons should be imprisoned instantly. I hope they get the coward scum bags..... I feel so sorry for that poor lady ^& her family. This is far too common & an outrageous crime!

this is the point ..... the police force does not exist as we know it ..... next time it rains see if u see a policeman anywhere other than inside the cop shop or cafe ....or on sunday or after 5pm and before 8am ....

[gamini]

It seems that Phuket is catching up with Pattaya as being a very unsafe place to live. Its sad that these two places have become so bad now and bring a bad reputation to the rest of Thailand which on the whole is a pleasant and safe place to live. I remember both places in the sixties and early seventies as absolute paradises. It seems that mass tourism has attracted the worst types and criminals both Thai and foreigners there.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed.

Some posts have been edited to comply with fair use. It is generally accepted, but not written into law, that quoting the first two or three sentences of an article and giving a link to the source is considered “fair use” and not a violation of copyright.

[webfact]

Australian tourist killed in Phuket armed robbery

PHUKET, June 21 – One Australian tourist was killed while another was seriously wounded in an armed robbery on the grounds of their hotel in Phuket Wednesday night.

Michelle Elizabeim, 60, was fatally stabbed in the compound of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, an upmarket tourist hotel at Kata Beach in the provincial seat. Her companion, not identified but also an Australian tourist, was severely wounded and remains hospitalised.

A preliminary police investigation found that two men on a motorcycle, aged between 18-25 years old, followed the tourists as they walked back to their hotel from a restaurant.

One of the men snatched Ms Elizabeim’s handbag, but the victims fought back and the attackers stabbed them. The men fled and are still at large, but a surveillance camera captured their images.

The two tourists arrived in Phuket yesterday afternoon and planned to stay for one month. Hotel staff said they came to Phuket every year. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-21

[starkey_rich]

Phuket is getting going from bad to worse.... The police should do regular searches for any weapons on a regular basis & anyone found possessing such weapons should be imprisoned instantly. I hope they get the coward scum bags..... I feel so sorry for that poor lady ^& her family. This is far too common & an outrageous crime!

this is the point ..... the police force does not exist as we know it ..... next time it rains see if u see a policeman anywhere other than inside the cop shop or cafe ....or on sunday or after 5pm and before 8am ....

You will always find them manning the checkpoints for they bi-monthly bike stop tea money .

It always amazes me how they can always find numerous police to do this but are always saying they under manned

[tfc]

When I was living down in Nai Harn I was cautioned that after about 10pm at night muggings the like become more normal. As an avid motorbike rider I was told stories of muggers throwing logs on the road in front of the bike or pulling up ropes across the road. I don't know if it ever happened but it made me just get in the car and drive.

[Reasonableman]

traveltrousers.com/2010/03/which-country-has-most-deaths-per-tourist-arrests-hospitalisations

These statistics are based on UK tourists, compiled by the FCO; Thailand achieves the dubious honour of reaching the top ten for tourist deaths and hospitalisations. The author's own comment - "The country that really stands out in this list is Thailand. 288 out of 812,000 Britons died there in 2008". That really is quite alarming when you consider that we only lost 179 British soldiers during the entire war on Iraq (2003-2009) and only 136 were KIA. It appears that Thailand really is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to visit.

• 1 out of every 2,819 UK tourists died here in 2008.
  
• 1 out of every 4,000 UK tourists were hospitalised here in 2008.
  

To compare with a country in the same region, in Singapore only 1 out of every 225,000 UK tourists died in 2008... It appears that as a UK tourist you are c.80x more likely to die while on holiday in Thailand as opposed to Singapore.

[Yunla]

Coming from the hotel industry here in Thailand I know how things like this can affect the bussiness.

My suggestion is that the hotel owners / managers in areas such as these, that there has been an increase in criminal activities, should start demanding from the government to start taking a stronger action against these criminals once apprehended and start using these criminals as examples of what will happen to anyone who is caught in any criminal activity, no matter how big or small.

You are totally right, but the problem with the government cracking down on criminals, is that this current PTP government are themselves out-on-bail convicted criminals, or sisters of on-the-run convicted criminals, or just plain old criminals!

Edited June 21, 2012 by Yunla

[cdmtdm]

i got stopped recently at the chalong circle... actually before the circle outside the school , they were stopping every farang on bike or car , they even had a cop at a desk collecting the cash etc it was like seven eleven.... 500 baht for no seat belt, or helmet and 1000 if no license ...the queue was long and most of the day ..big money ... joooooookkkeeeeee

[wildorchid]

cold blooded murder.

how about police patrols that are real police and not tea money collectors... how about a real internal untouchable style police force...

WHEN will thai police stop being interested in takeing corruption money from jet ski scams, and stop traffic for money, big boss police selling narcotic via taxi and tuk tuk drivers, ect, and do the job they are paid to do and protect and serve the public both thai's tourist and falang living here? There is a hell of a lot more money to be made by all if thailand is made safe with honest police work.

RIP for the poor woman, and family and friends, our hearts go out to them.

[webfact]

Fatal knife attack: Phuket police scour island for two suspects

Phuket Gazette

The two Australian women on holiday in Phuket were attacked while walking back to their hotel along Kata Noi Road . Photo: Google Street View

PHUKET: -- Phuket Police are searching for two men who carried out a knife attack on two Australian tourists last night that left one woman dead and another injured.

The attack, believed to have been a botched bag snatch attempt, occurred at Phuket’s Kata Beach, about 200 meters from the hotel where the women were staying.

Michelle Elizabeth Smith, 59, and Tammee Leelyn were walking back to their hotel after dinner at about 10pm when two men approached on a motorcycle, said the report by Chalong Police.

The motorbike passenger, who was not wearing a helmet, attacked the women with a knife.

Ms Smith suffered a 15-centimeter-deep stab to the chest that punctured her lung and heart.

Ms Leelyn was also stabbed in the chest, but apparently suffered a much lighter injury.

Police believe the attack was a failed attempt to snatch the women’s bags. However, the two men fled the scene without taking any of the Australians’ belongings.

Injured, the two tourists were attempting to make it back to the hotel for help when they were assisted by a hotel employee who rushed both women to hospital by car.

Ms Smith died en route to hospital.

Ms Leelyn will reportedly return to Australia today.

Australian Honorary Consul to Phuket, Larry Cunningham, was at the hotel this morning along with Phuket Tourist Police officers to assist in making the arrangements.

Chalong Police have told the Phuket Gazette that they have identified the two suspects and are moving in to make arrests.

The men are to face charges of attempted robbery with the use of motorbike and using a knife as a deadly weapon, resulting in injury and death.

A police press conference is expected to be held at 2pm today.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16212.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-21

[wildorchid]

Coming from the hotel industry here in Thailand I know how things like this can affect the bussiness.

My suggestion is that the hotel owners / managers in areas such as these, that there has been an increase in criminal activities, should start demanding from the government to start taking a stronger action against these criminals once apprehended and start using these criminals as examples of what will happen to anyone who is caught in any criminal activity, no matter how big or small.

You are totally right, but the problem with the government cracking down on criminals, is that this current PTP government are themselves out-on-bail convicted criminals, or sisters of on-the-run convicted criminals, or just plain old criminals!

Are you for real??? the problem is here long before the PTP, c'mon just focus on the facts, Yes call on government to inforce a real change,

try being proactive not reactive.

[paulward]

My advice is to avoid Pattaya and Phuket completely. There are so many nice places in Thailand. You rarely hear about this kind of thing happening to tourists elsewhere. Any sensible travel agent would send there customers to places far more reflective of Thailand traditions and culture. Not to mention the beaches are far nicer on many of the islands than in Phuket or Pattaya areas.