Two Men Arrested For Stabbing Murder Of Phuket Tourist Michelle Smith

[travelmann]

As much as ending their lives if they prove to be the real culprits,

may seem appropriately 'eye for an eye'.

But locking them away in a Thai Hell Hole Prison

FOR THE REST OF THEIR DAYS, no pardon,

no parole EVER, would be an even more nasty a fate

than a quick death by the needle.

Thai's feel they can be reincarnated,

and so in death they know they just come back lower or higher,

but getting locked away in buggery hell, till your end in a

sub-Bangkok Hilton for 40 years... THAT is scary.

Yes but sensible rational people think differently ( imo) and death would be by far the best for them let them believe their fairy tale return will happen, although of course they will state they didnt mean to kill them etc etc

[Rainmon]

Death penalty, chai mai?

Sent from my i Phone 4S using Thaivisa Connect App

If they gave all the people who commit murder the death penalty the the population would fall 25% overnight

I was once (a long time ago in favor or the death penalty but no more) watch Kevin Spacey portraying Clarence Darrow in closing arguments on the Leopold and Loeb thrill kill case in 1924, it was one of the first cases in the U.S. dubbed the "Trial of the Century":

[HOOD Robin]

"May be a good idea to find out if it is the right two men first"

Do you really think this matters to the BIB, remember this murder

has the potential to damage Phukets tourist industry. If they are

the murders, I sincerely hope that they are punished to the full

extent of the law.

Unfortunately it happens too often in TH that police take 2 poor suckers who have nothing to do with that crime... Only to show media they acted very fast..... poor guys ( i mean the 2 "victims" )

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Man arrested over Aussie mum's Michelle Smith murder case

PHUKET: -- A MAN suspected of riding the getaway motorcycle in the Michelle Smith murder has been arrested in Samutsakhon province, near Bangkok.

Police have named him as Surin Taptong, 34.

The arrest came in the Ban Phaeo district at 8am today, police said.

He is now being brought to Phuket.

It comes as Thai police earlier issued arrest warrants for two suspects in the murder of the Perth travel agent and posted a reward for information leading to their capture.

Senior officers announced the initiatives at a press conference yesterday, four days after the 60-year-old mother-of-three was fatally stabbed during a bungled bag snatch.

The investigation into Mrs Smith's murder has received a high priority with Thai Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra - a recent visitor to Australia - urging more intensity in efforts to find the wanted pair.

Chief of Phuket Police, Major General Chanasit Wattanawarangkoon, has said authorities will shoot to kill if the men resist arrest, adding that they know their identities.

''If the suspects resist arrest police may have to defend themselves and the suspects may end up being killed in a justifiable homicide,'' Chanasit told local media.

A reward of 300,000 baht (A$9,670) has been offered to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the men, who attacked Mrs Smith from a motorcycle.

At the time, she was among a group of 10 travel agents returning to their hotel after an evening meal.

The money has been put up by provincial police officials and the owner of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort where the group had been staying.

Mrs Smith, from the Perth suburb of Joondalup and a veteran of the travel industry, struggled as the passenger on the bike tried to steal her bag.

She was fatally injured when he plunged a 10 cm knife into her chest. Her companion, Tammee Lynn, 42, was also hurt and required stitches.

Police CCTV footage shows the men attacking the women.

Soon after Mrs Smith collapsed and despite efforts by Ms Lynn to halt the bleeding, the Perth woman died at the scene.

Police sources said the CCTV footage had identified a portion of the Honda Dream 100 cc motorbike's four digit number plate.

Images of the footage had also been forwarded to Bangkok for further amplification.

Growing concerns over attacks on tourists in Thailand, including the seaside resort of Pattaya, have led to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung calling for a crackdown on criminal groups operating at the resort areas.

But officials told Australian Associated Press (AAP) late yesterday there were fears the wanted men may already have escaped Phuket Island.

''This is really of some concern,'' the official said.

''From now on it get's harder and harder (to make an arrest).''

Increasing theft and violent arguments between tourists and samlor or 'tuk tuk' drivers have alarmed tourism officials.

Four Australians were assaulted in February last year when a group of 20 tuk tuk drivers attacked the group.

One Australian was knifed but survived the assault.

Australian Ambassador to Thailand, James Wise, is to visit Phuket next week to hold talks with officials, including the provincial governor and tourism authorities, over concerns for the safety of Australian travelers.

Source: http://www.heraldsun...n-1226407043399

-- Herald Sun 2012-06-25

[travelmann]

Phuket=turning into Pattaya

Nah Pattaya is much much better, less expensive and no unprovoked murders of elderly lady tourists by thugs on motorbikes. I guess that's why 7 million people visited Pattaya last year as opposed to Phuket's 3.7...

No disrespect in this thread I think youll find its the quantity of women that dictated who went where.

[Suradit69]

I would hope that these two suspects are the actual culprits, and not some country bumpkins the police have persuaded to take the fall, in return for a large donation to their families. The police are under incredible pressure for results, so I guess anything is feasible.

"...so I guess anything is feasible."

Especially in the twisted imagination of those who find conspiracies everywhere. Of course this fantasy will then be stored away as fact for future reference by the TV statisticians.

If there is no immediate arrest then we're told that it's a cover-up and that nothing more will be heard about it.

If there is an arrest then of course the police must have it wrong.

If they arrest a farang, then the police are trying to blame someone other than a Thai.

If they arrest a Thai, then it has to be some poor unsuspecting country bumpkin.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Suradit69

[pointoffew]

It baffles me how anybody can beg for the death penalty. Many of those who demand the death penalty repeatedly complain that the BIB and Thai justice system are flawed, and rightfully so.

If you get framed and people call for you to be put to death, you will beg again, this time that there is someone to stand up for you.

Moreover, no matter how horrific this case is, it is a typical case of manslaughter, not premeditated murder. Can't see how a competent judge in any country would pronounce the death sentence for those two fatal stabs.

[GeorgeO]

Why, prithee, would someone be videoiing an empty street quite by chance? The robbery seems very inept and badly rehearsed to me.

It's CCTV footage of an alleyway, exactly the sort of place where you would hope to find CCTV cameras!

It's a hand held camera

Yes, a hand-held camera, probably a mobile phone, which was used to copy the CCTV footage directly from the monitor; hence the poor quality of the copy.

[Scorpio1949]

Looked at the video and having worked as a cameraman about 30 years I noticed that CCTV video's are steady and this looks like a phone or other camera which means someone saw the actual killing and there may be more than the video we see. I am not sure but can this be the reason we not see all footage because what we not see may have let to the arrest and to stories that the police knew names already.

It seems to me that the video indeed is made with a hand camera or phone or similar. But it looks like the device used to make this video was pointed at a screen showing the "real" video footage. That is why it is shaky and you see some blue lines here and there on the top of the video

Might be a policeman standing in between his colleagues filming the video screen and then somehow got it to the press.

You are right still I think that this a strange place for CCTV or they must have zoomed in ........................ Anyway if they got the right people it's a good job done !

[apalink_thailand]

Looked at the video and having worked as a cameraman about 30 years I noticed that CCTV video's are steady and this looks like a phone or other camera which means someone saw the actual killing and there may be more than the video we see. I am not sure but can this be the reason we not see all footage because what we not see may have let to the arrest and to stories that the police knew names already.

Its a hand held camera filming a TV monitor with the CCTV video running.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Aussie tourist murder: two arrested in Phuket

PHUKET: Two men have been arrested in Thailand over the stabbing murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith on the holiday island of Phuket last week, according to reports.

The men are being questioned over the murder of Mrs Smith, 60, who was stabbed in the heart in a suspected botched bag snatch on Phuket's west coast on Wednesday.

The Phuket Gazette reports that two are in custody in Chumphon province, in southern Thailand, and are expected to be returned to Phuket later today.

Advertisement: Story continues below

Phuket governor Tri Augkaradacha announced the arrests today during a meeting with local officials and tourism industry representatives to discuss tourist safety issues in Phuket, the Phuket Gazette said.

Local police are expected to release further details about the identity of the two men and how police tracked them down at a press conference later today. Mrs Smith, from Butler in Perth's northern suburbs, was part of a group of 10 Perth travel agents who arrived in Phuket a week ago to review new tourist sites.

The mother-of-two had been out to dinner with a travel agent colleague, Tammee Lynn, 42, before the pair decided to walk back to to the five-star Katathani Phuket Beach Resort where they were staying in Kata Noi Bay.

They were attacked by two men who approached them on a motorcycle about 10.30pm.

The men attempted to grab Mrs Smith's bag before stabbing her in the chest, piercing her lung and heart. As they tried to escape they also slashed Ms Lynn's arm.

At first the shocked women attempted to walk back to the hotel before Mrs Smith collapsed. She died on the street.

Source: http://www.smh.com.a...0625-20y1j.html

-- The Sydney Morning Herald 2012-06-25

[me313]

I was pulled off my motorbike two years ago while I was driving on the mountain pass between Kata and Nai Harn, near the Reggae Bar restaurant area. It was done by two Thai boys on motorbike. They grabbed my bag while I was driving. I went to the police and asked them if they had CCTV and they denied having it. If there is CCTV footage in some alleyway, what about in that region between Kata and Nai Harn, or were the police just not doing their job?

I am glad that this deceased woman might have justice for her murder, but what about the police doing their job for people who have lesser injuries from attacks on the streets of Phuket? I got absolutely no help at all.

[Suradit69]

"May be a good idea to find out if it is the right two men first"

Do you really think this matters to the BIB, remember this murder

has the potential to damage Phukets tourist industry. If they are

the murders, I sincerely hope that they are punished to the full

extent of the law.

Unfortunately it happens too often in TH that police take 2 poor suckers who have nothing to do with that crime... Only to show media they acted very fast..... poor guys ( i mean the 2 "victims" )

"it happens too often"

And you of course are able to reach this fantastic conclusion based on your forensic skills and insider information?? Or maybe it's a crystal ball and tea leaves.

[Johnniey]

Horrible, I hope they got the right fellas and if so, I hope they're convicted to a life of torment in a terrible Thai prison.....in their cases, throw human rights right out the window!

What a strange thing to say. Do you feel the same for all murderers or just Thai ones when murdering tourists?

[tmd5855]

Phuket=turning into Pattaya

I left Phuket in 2005, I could see the way things were slowly going.....

Moved to Pattaya and Pattaya is nowhere near as bad as Phuket.

Lived just off 3rd road for a number of years and it were safer to walk that road than walk home in Phuket

[carra]

Why, prithee, would someone be videoiing an empty street quite by chance? The robbery seems very inept and badly rehearsed to me.

It's CCTV footage of an alleyway, exactly the sort of place where you would hope to find CCTV cameras!

It's a hand held camera

Its a hand held camera filming a screen that is showing the cctv footage, the cctv footage is rigid, the person recording the footage on a screen is not rigid

[Kripe]

Why, prithee, would someone be videoiing an empty street quite by chance? The robbery seems very inept and badly rehearsed to me.

I had the same question, but this video is a video recorded from a CCTV camera monitor (playback)

[transam]

We can all speculate but must wait for the full story and how the guys were recognized.

For me the footage showed the full meaning of the word ''Cowardice''.

Targeting un-accompanied farang ladies, they wouldn't try it with two farang guys,

secondly, having a weapon at the ready to use on two unarmed ladies.

Can't say anymore as l would be put on a forced holiday.

[chingching]

I would hope that these two suspects are the actual culprits, and not some country bumpkins the police have persuaded to take the fall, in return for a large donation to their families. The police are under incredible pressure for results, so I guess anything is feasible.

My feeling actually...

Having also lived in the Philippines, it was S.O.P. for the "perpetrators" of "popular crimes" to be caught very quickly, but unfortunately, they tried to escape, and were shot dead, Case solved.

Compare this to the Japanese police who recently captured the last Sarin Gas fugitive from 1995! The U.S.A. police who caught Etan Patz? murderer after 30 years. Or how long it took the U.S.A. to find the unibomber. Maybe the crooks in the u.s.a and Japan are a lot smarter, but then you'd figure the cops would be a lot smarter on the average too.

[KarenBravo]

secondly, having a weapon at the ready to use on two unarmed ladies.

Having a knife ready to cut the bag's strap is SOP.

[MrJohnson]

It is quite clear that the Thai police (under pressure from politicians and the business community) are really more concerned with the effect on tourism from this case rather than bringing the culprits to justice and, even more importantly, addressing the real problem of organized crime in Phuket. From the cartel of taxi drivers at Phuket airport through to the jetski scammers and tuk tuk thugs, the quality of the Phuket 'experience' is gradually being corrupted. My experience there several years ago left a very unpleasant aftertaste and ensured that I will probably never return. However, the economy relies on tourism and the best kind of tourism is repeat tourism. Therefore one hopes, perhaps in vain. that the powers-that-be can see beyond their next backhander and attempt to clean the place up. I'm not at all optimistic about that though.

[pointoffew]

Now I'm really confused...

"....arrested in Samutsakhon province", "in custody in Chumphon province", "arrested in Phuket...."

And the Phuker governor is making statements? Wasn't he banned form making statements in this case? Wasn't that right reserved to the governor of Krabi?! Or am I confused?

[scar2]

Phuket=turning into Pattaya

Pattaya more peacfull, and no tuk tuk and taxi mafia!

[transam]

secondly, having a weapon at the ready to use on two unarmed ladies.

Having a knife ready to cut the bag's strap is SOP.

You mean AND for cutting the bag strap. Noooooooooo excuses.

[ableguy]

How the police managed to catch the two men is beyond me. If they have caught the actual killers then they have done really well but I have no idea how they managed that. Seems too good to be true. Also, I hope this video is only online at the request of her family, otherwise it should not be online. Especially YouTube.

You forget there was a cash reweard of 300,000 baht, money is the only God here. I find it amusing the chief of police in Phuket pledged a 100,000 for an arrest, now he is one smart cop knowing they didnt stand a snowflake in hells chance of doing an arrest on their own.

[ratcatcher]

Now I'm really confused...

"....arrested in Samutsakhon province", "in custody in Chumphon province", "arrested in Phuket...."

And the Phuker governor is making statements? Wasn't he banned form making statements in this case? Wasn't that right reserved to the governor of Krabi?! Or am I confused?

Nothing like having a selection of suspects, it makes sense to me. Perhaps by tomorrow they'll have 5 or 6 in custody and draw straws while the police point fingers at them all.

[theblether]

Okay.................the only good outcome now will be for justice to do it's work, real justice.

Now what passes for justice in Thailand

[coma]

I would hope that these two suspects are the actual culprits, and not some country bumpkins the police have persuaded to take the fall, in return for a large donation to their families. The police are under incredible pressure for results, so I guess anything is feasible.

Don't start with your bulls##t conspiricy theories man.

[TackyToo]

Death penalty, chai mai?

Sent from my i Phone 4S using Thaivisa Connect App

If they gave all the people who commit murder the death penalty the the population would fall 25% overnight

And some very influential persons would miss their offspring for quite a while

[Jayman]

Horrible, I hope they got the right fellas and if so, I hope they're convicted to a life of torment in a terrible Thai prison.....in their cases, throw human rights right out the window!

You guys don't get it. They most likely have their whole family in jail...or at least an extended family. You think this was his first time.? These guys will just adapt to prison life and have fun in prison. They need to put them in isolation in a wet cement room with no friends. Thai men adapt to each other very well so putting in a prison where everyone is exactly like them...is not punishment. In fact Ibet these type of people get to take time out and go home for a week every month.

Where did you get the idea that murderers are let out of prison for a week every month? That is complete rubbish mate.

In the many years I have been coming/living here I know of many thais and even some farangs that have gone to jail for NON violent crimes (like drugs) and never have they been given any "time off" from prison. They stay locked up until their sentence is completed.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Jayman