Australian Stabbed In Heart In Thai Bag-Snatch Tragedy

[F1fanatic]

Just spoke to a co-worker whose friend works at Kata Thani. She was told that this happened on the hill between Kata and Kata Noi, and that the staff at KataThani were told the robbers accidentally stabbed the women while trying to cut the straps of their purses.

Told by who, the actual offenders or a speculator?

Neither. My understanding was it came from the victims.

Thank God your friend was there to talk to the victims as one was dying and the other was badly hurt, so the victims were able to explain how the attackers didn't mean them any harm - they were only trying to cut the straps of the bags.

Edited June 21, 2012 by F1fanatic

[blackthorn2005]

I am going to go out on a limb here, and state I think the culprits will be caught within two days, and they will be Burmese immigrant fall guys...

I expect they will be Thai nationals and this will not be there first offence, which should help locater them.

[chooka]

I am going to go out on a limb here, and state I think the culprits will be caught within two days, and they will be Burmese immigrant fall guys...

I expect they will be Thai nationals and this will not be there first offence, which should help locater them.

The BIB have already said that they have identified the offenders and will be popping around after dinner to pick them up.

[David48]

People should ban Thailand as a tourist destination.

... and your connection to Thailand is?

[Soutpeel]

I am going to go out on a limb here, and state I think the culprits will be caught within two days, and they will be Burmese immigrant fall guys...

I expect they will be Thai nationals and this will not be there first offence, which should help locater them.

The BIB have already said that they have identified the offenders and will be popping around after dinner to pick them up.

After they have been to see their Mia Noi's of course...

[Soutpeel]

People should ban Thailand as a tourist destination.

... and your connection to Thailand is?

and your point is ?

[F1fanatic]

At the end of the day one has to be unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time wherever you are.

Be that as it may, it is always terrible and newsworthy when terrible things (like this) happen.

As I said in an earlier post, there were a spate of 'muggings' around Rawai to Kata a few years ago and people were hurt. I never heard whether the perpetrators were caught. Does anyone know?

[Skywalker69]

WOW!!! The tourist deaths are really piling up this year. I can't remember reading about so many in prior years. Is Thailand become more lawless or did all these attacks go unreported in prior years. As these deaths mount, more travel books and websites are going to sound the alarms and dangers about visiting Thailand. I'm sure the TAT will ask for more money to gloss over everything and come up with a new catchy slogan "Thailand -- Staying Alive -- Smiley Smiley Fun Fun"

I think you´r right. Maybe the PM will come forward and declare it as a success as she did Songkran.

[PaullyW]

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.

And, yes, you can feel safe until, of course, you are shot or stabbed or maimed in a traffic accident or targeted for murder or robbery because you are not Thai.

Safety is about stats and probabilities, not feelings of single individuals.

The fact is that foreigners are likely targeted disproportionately.

[thaikahuna]

Very sad and tragic news. RIP!

The plain facts area that as long as we (visiting people) have and the Thais don't, we will continue to be targets. Also, do not expect any more than minimal assistance from the BiB. In the end, Thai Rak Thai and we don't matter. This is still another sad commentary for women to quit carrying those dam_n big bags that hold all but the kitchen sink. Get a small bag for your wallet, passport, mobile and make-up. Leave the rest of the crap in the hotel room or better still leave it at home.

I could write a whole book on how to safely prep for a trip but sadly it would be too late for this lady. My condolences to her family and traveling companions.

[Skywalker69]

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.

They have a user feedback page for the news item,

http://www.3aw.com.a...0621-20p5p.html

Just had a look at that site, not to many positive remarks from past visitors (tourists) to Phuket.

Would be good if TAT could read the comments as well.

[james255]

According to phuketwan

Phuket Tourist from Britain 'Stabbed on First Night'

Same Night the Austrlaian women was stabbed and died

Thai Goverment wake uo a do something before Burma and Vietnam takes all your tourist's away from you ?

[chooka]

What ever happened to the youths they arrested in this incident? Did they get jail or turned loose onto the streets.

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle11632.html

Edited June 21, 2012 by chooka

[Yunla]

so the victims were able to explain how the attackers didn't mean them any harm - they were only trying to cut the straps of the bags.

The people who committed this terrible crime are certainly guilty of murder and deserve life meaning life arrest, preferably digging ditches or similar hard work. They do usually carry knives to cut bag straps, I've had two different shoulder-bags cut off me before, but I imagine that if the victim struggles or if the criminal is high on drugs like Yaba the situation may escalate very quickly. Most professional robbers just want the money and don't want any extra trouble, obviously there are exceptions and only the surviving victim can say for sure what happened.

[edwinclapham]

According to phuketwan

Phuket Tourist from Britain 'Stabbed on First Night'

Same Night the Austrlaian women was stabbed and died

Thai Goverment wake uo a do something before Burma and Vietnam takes all your tourist's away from you ?

Yes another senseless stabbing of a Brit on the same night, surely its time for the chief of police & the Mayor to be summoned?

[starkey_rich]

According to phuketwan

Phuket Tourist from Britain 'Stabbed on First Night'

Same Night the Austrlaian women was stabbed and died

Thai Goverment wake uo a do something before Burma and Vietnam takes all your tourist's away from you ?

Yes another senseless stabbing of a Brit on the same night, surely its time for the chief of police & the Mayor to be summoned?

That only happens if you are a Hi-So Thai.

Not some dumb farang

[barney42bb]

I noticed Thailand is getting more and more quiet the past two years..as the Recession from USA Europe is hitting home in Thailand.

Crime Scams Cheating are therefore well on the UP...This is no excuse however.

Thailand ..The Land of Smiles..is fast becoming The Land of Viles with this increased amount of incidents and bad publicity posted on Thai Visa.

[F1fanatic]

so the victims were able to explain how the attackers didn't mean them any harm - they were only trying to cut the straps of the bags.

The people who committed this terrible crime are certainly guilty of murder and deserve life meaning life arrest, preferably digging ditches or similar hard work. They do usually carry knives to cut bag straps, I've had two different shoulder-bags cut off me before, but I imagine that if the victim struggles or if the criminal is high on drugs like Yaba the situation may escalate very quickly. Most professional robbers just want the money and don't want any extra trouble, obviously there are exceptions and only the surviving victim can say for sure what happened.

You've managed to miss the (quoted) post from Nomadjoe to which I was replying, and therefore the point I was making...

[F1fanatic]

According to phuketwan

Phuket Tourist from Britain 'Stabbed on First Night'

Same Night the Austrlaian women was stabbed and died

Thai Goverment wake uo a do something before Burma and Vietnam takes all your tourist's away from you ?

Has this been reported on Thaivisa yet? I haven't seen it.

[David48]

People should ban Thailand as a tourist destination.

... and your connection to Thailand is?

and your point is ?

Hi there Soutpeel.

Maybe you remember me from other postings as I don’t often venture into the rarefied air that is the News Forum.

Well my point is that the poster makes a very, shall we say, ill conceived suggestion.

Metalgear proposes a unilateral ban on Tourism egresses through Thailand without thinking through the ramifications. The suggestion was that People should ban Thailand as a tourist destination.

Think, just for one second the thousands of ex-pats living in Thailand either in a defacto relationship married but still doing a monthly, six monthly etc Visa Run … they are all tourists.

What about those in a relationship other then above who rely on the Tourist Visa.

As for the unilateral ban on Tourism … heck as the Security Council can not agree about action and what is happening in Syria where thousands are reported to be dying every week.

So why did I ask about the posters connection to Thailand … I was curious.

To understand someone is to walk in their shoes sometimes.

[starkey_rich]

According to phuketwan

Phuket Tourist from Britain 'Stabbed on First Night'

Same Night the Austrlaian women was stabbed and died

Thai Goverment wake uo a do something before Burma and Vietnam takes all your tourist's away from you ?

Has this been reported on Thaivisa yet? I haven't seen it.

Posted it about 10 mins ago

[LBD1]

RIP and condolences to the family.

I'm really not sure how much more of a shake up Phuket needs before they take all the thuggery, scams, bullying, sensless road carnage and now murder seriously.

As there doesn't seem to be any punishments to fit the crimes, these pond scum are surfacing more frequently and more brazenly flouting their reign of lawless terror on innocent residents and tourists.

Let's hope that people do not resort to taking the law into their own hands or all hell will break loose.

Phuket need the tourism to survive, but the condiderable sums of money will go elsewhere if we can not guarantee safety.

[chowny77]

Well it seems time now that the entire police infrastructure needs to be openly looked at from top to bottom. Clean-out the bad eggs and start again.

[harleyd61]

RIP to the victim

my condolences to her family

[pkspeaker]

I don't aggree with that, where would aussies go then, South America? the middle east? sad truth is thailand is much safer than most of the world and the police here usually catch the murderers, usually with the help of a Thai people who find out about what the bad guys did and turn them in; they were able to get those student bus shooters within a few days, at least give them a few days to get these guys before saying they are useless.

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 ....

[atyclb]

Would it not help tourism more to COMPETENTLY investigate and punish criminality than to :sweep under the carpet", deny, project divert blame, lose evidence, etc etc ?????????

[softgeorge]

I hope they get the actual offenders and not just a couple of fall guys for the sake of image, face and the tourist dollar. (baht)

[Skywalker69]

phuket gazette just woke up

Yea those southerners always wake up late.

[Skywalker69]

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.

I suggest you get rid of your GF as her comment shows exactly what she thinks of you and why she is with you. Sad

I am happy she is not my wife.

[softgeorge]

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.

I suggest you get rid of your GF as her comment shows exactly what she thinks of you and why she is with you. Sad

I am happy she is not my wife.

me to if it was my wife she would have some explaing to do as to why she is over with domma

Edited June 21, 2012 by softgeorge