Two Thai Men Confess To Killing Aussie Michelle Smith For '300 Baht'

[webfact]

BREAKING NEWS: Aussie killers confess in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Deputy National Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat told some 50 media personnel that the pair confessed to the crime, but said they had no intention of killing Mrs Smith. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- The two men arrested for the brutal stabbing murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith were presented to the media during a re-enactment of the crime outside the Katathani Hotel in Phuket this morning.

During a press conference at the resort after the re-enactment, Deputy National Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat told some 50 media personnel that the pair confessed to the crime, but said they had no intention of killing Mrs Smith.

Mrs Smith, a 60-year-old mother of three from the city of Perth, Western Australia, was in Phuket on a “familiarization tour” of the island when she was attacked about 100 meters from the resort.

With a punctured heart and lung, she collapsed and died in the arms of her friend and compatriot Tammee Lee Lynn, who suffered a lacerated right arm in the attack.

Gen Pansiri confirmed the stabber as Surasak Suwannachote, a native of Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.

The police were told he worked at a cockfighting gambling den somewhere on the island, even though such activity is illegal in the province. He had no prior criminal convictions.

His accomplice Surin Thatthong, the driver of the motorbike used in the attack, is no stranger to prison life. He had four prior theft convictions and has served time in Phuket Provincial Prison. The native of Samut Sakhon moved to the island about five years ago.

Little information was given about how investigators tracked down the two men, nor was there any mention as to whether the 300,000 baht in money on offer for information in the case will be rewarded.

The last time a major reward was offered in a murder case on the island, during the July 2010 manhunt for American Ronald Fanelli, the 50,000 baht reward money was divided up among the police investigators who worked on the successful investigation.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16270.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-26

Two Thai men confess to killing Aussie Michelle Smith for '300 Baht'

TWO men accused of killing Perth travel agent Michelle Smith in Phuket have confessed, saying they attacked her to get $10 to pay for drinks, Thai police say.

Thai police said the men admitted attempting to rob Mrs Smith of $10 to pay for a drinks bill at a nearby bar.

The pair, who were captured on CCTV as they rode the getaway motorcycle after slashing Mrs Smith and friend Tammee Lynn, were arrested in Samutsakhon province, near Bangkok.

Police said they have recovered the sheath of the knife, but not the murder weapon.

source: AAP 2012-06-26

[tragickingdom]

Anyone confesses after a bit of police torture and political pressure. Be you that they will get a seat sentence without being represented by a lawyer because they can't afford one. The real killers might still be out though, which is not important, case solved (maybe)

[Endorphin]

50,000 baht reward money was divided up among the police investigators who worked on the successful investigation.

LOL

[pkspeaker]

"the real killers" please shutup

[Miami Bob]

No doubt that 300,000 reward money will again be divided up by the police but who cares if in fact they did get the the lowlifes that did it. But you never know, they may have just grabbed some patsies to look good for island tourism.

[pkspeaker]

typical thaivisa.. immediately assuming there are 'real killers' and that every arrest is some sort of conspiracy, and that the 2 arrested were tortured into confessing.. even though there hasn't been anything to suggest this is happening.. they always find these guys so fast because they have surveillance cameras everywhere and they put 100 cops on every hi-profile case, especially one that involves the killing of a foreign tourist..

[Jimmu]

Anyone confesses after a bit of police torture and political pressure. Be you that they will get a seat sentence without being represented by a lawyer because they can't afford one. The real killers might still be out though, which is not important, case solved (maybe)

What!!!

[Siriam]

The last time a major reward was offered in a murder case on the island, during the July 2010 manhunt for American Ronald Fanelli, the 50,000 baht reward money was divided up among the police investigators who worked on the successful investigation.

SHAME

[OriginalPoster]

No doubt that 300,000 reward money will again be divided up by the police but who cares if in fact they did get the the lowlifes that did it. But you never know, they may have just grabbed some patsies to look good for island tourism.

I wonder if they next will arrest the guy at the bar who told these two chumps "if you kill that woman I'll give you $10".

Edited June 26, 2012 by OriginalPoster

[NanLaew]

Job well done by the police. Two more low-life's that won't see freedom again.

[Thaifever]

The police keep the reward money? What a $#@! joke. Glad to see BIB living up to their squeaky clean, professional, non-sleazy, honourable, trustworthy, unbribable, non-fraudulent, ethical and pure reputations.

You gotta ask yourself. What kind of system would allow the police to benefit from a crime?

[chooka]

I hear on Melbourne radio that when they paraded them in public and during the re enactment that it took 100 police to restrain an angry mob of 200+ spectators, many of them farangs who yelled abuse. Is this true, from any Phuketers who may have been in the crowd?

[Ianatlarge]

"round up the usual suspects."

I hope that the guilty parties are caught and brought to justice, but I do not have complete confidence in the impartiality of the system here. Two men with a criminal background caught within a few days. Case closed.

[JohnAllan]

typical thaivisa.. immediately assuming there are 'real killers' and that every arrest is some sort of conspiracy, and that the 2 arrested were tortured into confessing.. even though there hasn't been anything to suggest this is happening.. they always find these guys so fast because they have surveillance cameras everywhere and they put 100 cops on every hi-profile case, especially one that involves the killing of a foreign tourist..

Really? So you are in a position to assert that 100 cops will be put on each and every case where a foreign tourist is killed in suspicious circumstances? And that the numerous surveillance cameras will generally be working and operating? I think, if you do your research, you'll find that there several unsolved cases still out there.

And I don't begin to suggest that they haven't caught the perpetrators; that it is part of a conspiracy; that the little turds were tortured into confessing.

[Time Traveller]

"no intention of killing Mrs Smith". ??...well that's ok then, let them go.

Actually the victims family might have a different idea. If you carried a knife, chose a random person in the street and then stabbed them in the heart....if difficult to come to any conclusion other than you had every intention to kill them,

[Para]

Be you that they will get a seat sentence without being represented by a lawyer because they can't afford one.

How little you know about the Thai judicial system. Everyone has a lawyer made available to them either a decent paid one or a free one regardless of nationality. By confessing they have basically accepted the guilty charge so that gets their sentence cut in half. They could get a sentence as low as 15 years which if they are clever and make their way up the prison grading system earn higher annual reduction in the Kings birthday. They could be out in less than 6 years.

That said IMO they should be given and serve a full 25 years.

I am very well versed with the way the courts work here.....

[Rionoir]

"The last time a major reward was offered in a murder case on the island, during the July 2010 manhunt for American Ronald Fanelli, the 50,000 baht reward money was divided up among the police investigators who worked on the successful investigation."

I don't think the reporter even realizes how pathetic that is...

[stevenl]

I hear on Melbourne radio that when they paraded them in public and during the re enactment that it took 100 police to restrain an angry mob of 200+ spectators, many of them farangs who yelled abuse. Is this true, from any Phuketers who may have been in the crowd?

From what I heard and read true, except for the many farang. Apparently there was one Australian yelling abuse, the other 'abusers' where Thai.

[Bluespunk]

They say they didn't mean to kill her. Bullsh#t. You carry a knife and use it in a robbery, then you know someone could die. Scum.

[Time Traveller]

How little you know about the Thai judicial system. Everyone has a lawyer made available to them either a decent paid one or a free one regardless of nationality. By confessing they have basically accepted the guilty charge so that gets their sentence cut in half. They could get a sentence as low as 15 years which if they are clever and make their way up the prison grading system earn higher annual reduction in the Kings birthday. They could be out in less than 6 years.

And back on the streets of Phuket riding their bike...great.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Be you that they will get a seat sentence without being represented by a lawyer because they can't afford one.

How little you know about the Thai judicial system. Everyone has a lawyer made available to them either a decent paid one or a free one regardless of nationality. By confessing they have basically accepted the guilty charge so that gets their sentence cut in half. They could get a sentence as low as 15 years which if they are clever and make their way up the prison grading system earn higher annual reduction in the Kings birthday. They could be out in less than 6 years.

That said IMO they should be given and serve a full 25 years.

I am very well versed with the way the courts work here.....

If that is true - 'could be out in less than 6 years' - then that would swing my mind towards a much more violent punishment....

[Scorpio1949]

typical thaivisa.. immediately assuming there are 'real killers' and that every arrest is some sort of conspiracy, and that the 2 arrested were tortured into confessing.. even though there hasn't been anything to suggest this is happening.. they always find these guys so fast because they have surveillance cameras everywhere and they put 100 cops on every hi-profile case, especially one that involves the killing of a foreign tourist..

Agree 100%; I also am sometimes am skeptically about Thai police but in cases like this they many times manage to solve and do a good job but many Thaivisa members need something to nag about.

Feel very sorry for the family but my compliments to the police and if they solved the case they can split the money ( saves me my 200 baht on the bike on Friday )

[Para]

If that is true - 'could be out in less than 6 years' - then that would swing my mind towards a much more violent punishment....

Do the maths.......

Pleading guilty saves court time so the initial sentence is automatically halved. Remember there is no parole system here as such. Every 5th December (Kings Birthday) sentence cuts are given.

A 'Class 1' inmate basically the model prisoner will receive a cut in original sentence of 1/5 every year. You start as a Class 3 then every 6 months are graded to determine if you go up or down a class. So Class 1 gets 1/5 cut, Class 2 gets 1/6 cut, Class 3 gets 1/7 cut, etc......

The crazy bit is because the cuts are percentage derived someone getting sat a 12 stretch serves the same amount of actual time as someone on a 25. Amazing Thailand after all.....

[avalonmick]

typical thaivisa.. immediately assuming there are 'real killers' and that every arrest is some sort of conspiracy, and that the 2 arrested were tortured into confessing.. even though there hasn't been anything to suggest this is happening.. they always find these guys so fast because they have surveillance cameras everywhere and they put 100 cops on every hi-profile case, especially one that involves the killing of a foreign tourist..

and even more especially on one that has 300,000 baht up for grabs.

How can we not be cynical about these reports? You find a policeman who has not taken a bribe or a fine and pocketed it and then maybe we can begin to have some trust in the system.

[laurentbkk]

First of all that s a good thing the killers were caught . The second thing ..why police have to share the reward ? isn't it their job to investigate ? killing someone for 10$ , I just wonder in which world we are living . I guess the tourism will be hurt with such news. what a great publicity ... I also saw the result of the trial in court for the 16yo driver without permit who killed 9 people in Bangkok last year has been postponed .. when you have money you can still walk away after killing 9 persons , when you are nothing in the social life of Thais , police catch you in days and get reward .... something I would love to understand ...another Amazing thailand campaign .

Oh, monkeys killing someone for peanuts is not peculiar to Thailand. It's happened in the UK, the US, and no doubt many other developed countries.

well, being European I know what happen in our countries there ...... that's why I didnt mention anything about thailand or thais in my comment ..it was general topic .. killing for 10$ in what world we live .... thought that was clear enough.

[Semper]

killing someone for 10$ , I just wonder in which world we are living

Well, they didn't know how much the victim had in the purse.

[dingdang]

they can say what they want, they killed her...

the truth might be "we didnt bother if we might kill her"...

[Jobiwankenobi]

Good. I'm gonna throw caution to the wind here and take this report at value, I really hope and have faith that they got the right guys on this one. As bad as things can sometimes be in this place, I can't fathom that the cops would employ two patsies to take the fall here. Mostly because the risk of this happening again would be too large and there'd be too much to lose with this happening again in Phuket. Terrible though, I really feel bad for this lady and her family and friends. And these fellas will be appointed a lawyer, a lazy one hopefully, and will serve the rest of their days suffering. The needle here is just too quick and too easy for these lowlifes.

[stevenl]

Is it possible that this woman was rude and or disrespectful to those working in that bar after a disagreement about being over charged. Not saying this woman deserved this but there could be more to it. The loss a face in Thailand has been the cause of many a tragedy such as this.

Did you follow any of the reports about this?

[weka]

Is it possible that this woman was rude and or disrespectful to those working in that bar after a disagreement about being over charged. Not saying this woman deserved this but there could be more to it. The loss a face in Thailand has been the cause of many a tragedy such as this.

Yeah that's exactly what happened...are you mental?