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

[LBD1]

When I read comments on TV I am really ashamed to be part of the Farang community.

If you think there is no corruption in your own country you are seriously mistaken, the difference is : here they say they will share the 300k thb.

Makes me wonder why all posters who are so full of hate over this country are still living here ..... wait wait, I know, because of cheap beers and girls wich makes up for all the atrocities you claim the Thais to do....

Before talking about flaws of Thailand you should really look back at your country and its flaws.

Agree, Thaivisa.com is full of too many experts and cynics - I wish the whingers would just go home.

[TomTom55]

But said they had no intention of killing Mrs Smith".

Total Rubbish! Look at the video; already you can see the Thai man continually stab the Australian women many times.

That is no accident and I would expect the full penalty for this either Hang them or death by firing squad

If the Law in Thailand was strict about attacks and crime on westerner's ( Thailand would be Number 1 ) tourist destination in the World if westerner's could come to the land of smiles knowing they are safe and thai police and law's protect them !

A small jail sentence will only bring more shame to Phuket and its law and order.

Im not either going to mention about the reward money but it has been twisted in press like to arrest someone in Thailand you must Pay the Police they will not do that for FREE

Protect westerner's or they will goto burma or vietnam if this keeps up 5 more years there will be no westerners in Thailand and all you Thais with morgage or credt fianance on car;s will have to kiss that goodbye and go back to working in rice fields cos there will be no westerner's here to support you .

Firing squad has been abolished to my knowledge and replaced with the lethal injection. Do you know how you can differ developed countries apart from developing countries aside from economy, landscape etc? If the country uses the death penalty or not, that is with exception of the US though which uses it in certain states still

After seeing the video a few times I think none of us can put ourseleves in the mindset of the Thai guy with the knife, we don't know if he was strung out on drugs (which is no exscuse), we don't know how chaotic the situation would have been and the intention etc. People who rob normally will carry a knife or something for protection, my point is that maybe as the 2 women struggled and didn't give the bag up, in the chaos he just lashed out and didn't stab to kill but ended up killing her. Those situations are not so cut and dry, they are frantic and one must walk in another mans shoes before they can comment in such a way.

All that being said I think the death penalty should not be handed down, rather a life time in prison where the chances of them killing themselves, catching HIV or dying from something else are high.

Edited June 26, 2012 by TomTom55

[RichardinBKK]

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".

Yes yes! that is EXACTLY what happened! A bartender said, "i will give you $10 (probably said "300 baht...yes???) to murder a woman under a surveillance camera." yes! exactly! Good work Lieutenant Colombo!

Is there a way to attach a sobriety testing device to a computer? If so, may i suggest you purchase one? A posting like this makes you look a bit, ah, what is the word? Ummm... "ridiculous."

[TackyToo]

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

LOL

I don't know any other country where the cops get an "extra" reward for doing their job!This is just another spring board to jump into corruption! Will they ever wake up?

[w11guy]

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)

<deleted> grow up.

[moe666]

We have some smart people here sitting at there keyboards and have the whole thing figured out. Even when they catch the people who commit crimes it just isn't good enough. Spend more time doing other things rather than staying on the computer all day. it will give you a different outlook on life.

[KOZMO]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

[Tanlic]

"the real killers" please shutup

"the real killers" please shutup

3 posts in and already the neg heads of Thaivisa appear.

Grow up you silly boy

[james255]

I know some of you guy's here dont like these poster's who are sherlock holmes behind there keyboards lol

But really are they to blame what they post ?

You dont think the real reason is that Thailand has painted this Image of the Country over the last 20 year's ?

I fully understand there post's and why they post in such a way the press will continue to paint this Image also .

I think its fair to say most are just angry and want Justice

regards

[RichardinBKK]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

If this is the criteria for an Embassy warning on one city, I guess they may as well close JFK, LAX, SFO ...etc. You do realize, that by the time I finish typing this, somewhere in the USA, someone just got robbed, raped, beaten, stabbed, shot ... or "all of the above?"

[brewsterbudgen]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

Boycott a tourist resort because of one crime, horrendous as that crime was? Come on, you might as well boycott every tourist destination as they are all prime places for this type of street robbery.

Tourists should take sensible precautions wherever they go and the vast majority enjoy their holiday without incident. Even in Phuket.

Edited June 26, 2012 by brewsterbudgen

[bangkokheat]

the sooner the crime was solved the sooner they can cash in the reward, wink wink

[wotaplonker]

after this tragic event, should not one i.e the police look at how such crimes can be deterred?

For example if you consider the what would be the main 'tourist' roads from Patong to Kata and beyond,

What about a 'chain' (pair?) of police riders patrolling those roads (and any notable touristy side streets) every 2-3K there would be

police box at those intervals, they could patrol between say 9am to 2 or 3am, any incident reported to police, the nearest riders

could quickly home in, and other officers alerted to suspects.

Also officers should get out and about generally talking to tourists (particularly the most obviously at risk of street crime)

getting people more informed, rather than extorting money from hapless farang scooter and car drivers!!!

or perhaps im being optimistic

[minikev]

It sounds to me like these are the lowlifes that killed her, maybe the local place where they needed to pay their bill tipped off the police as if they didn't at least know their faces they would not be allowed to pay later!!

There is nothing to say the police will split he money in fact they are saying they recieved clues after offering the bounty.

They captured the rider first probably after pressure he told them who the killer was.

I reallyy hope it is them and they get locked up in a hell hole for a long time

[sydneyjed]

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.

If it had not been because rumblings were made at the highest level of Australian diplomatic politics which included the Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra personally becoming involved I somehow doubt anything would have eventuated...The other big embarrassing scenario for all involved was of course TAT were hoping the 10 travel agents would go back with fond memories of their stay on the island and send thousands of unsuspecting Aussie tourists to what is sadly a very expensive holiday location controlled by the Thai Mafia for the Thai Mafia...An overated expensive sh.t hole you might say!

[sportsman69]

This re enactment thing was a circus, sure do the re enactment if they have to but why not block off and secure the street keeping the general public away.

Totally agree mate. Does nothing except to give the relatives more grief.

Only a comment but surprised the "pork", the finest money can buy, didn't close off the street and sell 100 baht tickets for a look. Looked like it drew a good crowd. Opportunity lost. I suppose they can't think past helmets and sharing reward money and traffic accident settlements. From all that I've read

I think they'd still be looking for the prerps if a concerned restaurantuer / waiter hadn't mentioned it to them.

[brianP]

Where do you whiners live? I would like to go where this stuff never happens, so tell me of this nirvana. I left the USA, where people kill to be initiated in a gang,where there is no motive to the many senseless acts of violence, where the thugs are glorified by the rappers and Hollywood. You know how many tourists get killed in America alone every year? LOS is like everywhere in the world, crime and violence are increasing globally..period..

[Nisa]

Good job by the police despite the doom and gloom brigade finding reasons to let everyone know how miserable they are. And more power to them if they can share in a reward given they risk their lives daily and start off with no scheduled days off and making a salary of around 7500 baht a month.

[Ferangled]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

Really? Again?

Try googling "fatal robbery 2012" or "gang rape 2012" or "murder 2012" and you will see quite how numerous these type of violent incidents are worldwide today.

This was a tragic, unnecessary event but take it for what it really was, a bungled robbery that turned sour, clearly no intent to kill, clearly no premeditated murder. If there's one thing that any rational, functional person takes from this sorry tale it's not to resist a street robbery, your bag is not worth your life.

There will always be these type of robberies in areas where the disparity of wealth between the rich and the poor are so massive. Crimes like this should raise awareness of how people can minimise their chances of falling foul of such events, not promote knee jerk responses. I found the video posted quite shocking and the initial response from most people I know who saw that video was "Why did they fight back? Why didn't they just let go of the bag?".

I'd like to make it clear that I don't believe the victims were in any way are responsible for this crime and the guilt lies firmly with the robbers but I know this for sure - I am making it dam_n clear to my daughter, my sons, my friends and my family, that if someone attempts to steal your bag just hand it over and walk away, it's not worth losing your life over.

Far more disturbing events happen daily the world over, http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jun/26/us-kansas-teen-killed/ Now that's what I call a disturbing crime, a 34 year old sodomising a 14 year old girl and then setting her on fire. Haven't read any similar reports in Thailand in all the years I've been here, but a surprising number of similar crimes happen in US each year... Quite how many tourists flock to Vegas each year? I don't recall too many foreign embassy warnings...

Please try to comment rationally and with some sense of perspective.

[bangkokheat]

geez... what a knife... where do you stab such a thing, in order to not cause most serious harm?

wasnt that knife supposed to be 10cm, im sure i read that somewhere

Looks a lot bigger than that

[james255]

Oh i forget since this thread is here

Can the Police kindly ask the 2 suspects arrested if they was responsible for stabbing a british tourist who was stabbed on the same night that the australian was murdered ? or is it another thai gang at large ?

regards

[dingdang]

10 cm wide, maybe

[NomadJoe]

"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...

If the reporter is Thai, then you are right. On the F-ed up meter that is about an 8.5 out of 10, but this is Thailand and that is simply they way of it. Police here are not public servants sworn to protect and serve like they are back home. Being a police officer in Thailand is an entrepreneurial affair. Policing is just another business, and like any business, those that can afford them will use them. Thai's don't often perceive it as corruption. They don't know any other way. It just is how it is.

[Ferangled]

Good job by the police despite the doom and gloom brigade finding reasons to let everyone know how miserable they are. And more power to them if they can share in a reward given they risk their lives daily and start off with no scheduled days off and making a salary of around 7500 baht a month.

Strange no one makes that connection when talking about police corruption... I know many expats who spend more than that on a bottle of wine but the very same people expect a first class police service, while having no comprehension of how anyone could possibly survive on such an income.

The reality is that you can't possibly support a family on anything close to that wage, hence the "extra-curricular" activities to bring in some much need money...

[davidst01]

Not one member of this forum has said anything about the poor victim. May she RIP....

[bangkokheat]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

If this is the criteria for an Embassy warning on one city, I guess they may as well close JFK, LAX, SFO ...etc. You do realize, that by the time I finish typing this, somewhere in the USA, someone just got robbed, raped, beaten, stabbed, shot ... or "all of the above?"

I would then conclude that person that got robbed, beaten, stabbed, shot had a very bad day

[TomTom55]

I still believe that all foreign embassies issue a warning to it's citizens planning on visiting Phuket. A boycott of the area would definitely get the attention of all the "Big wheels" there and might even bring a change to this very corrupt area!!!!!

Really? Again?

Try googling "fatal robbery 2012" or "gang rape 2012" or "murder 2012" and you will see quite how numerous these type of violent incidents are worldwide today.

This was a tragic, unnecessary event but take it for what it really was, a bungled robbery that turned sour, clearly no intent to kill, clearly no premeditated murder. If there's one thing that any rational, functional person takes from this sorry tale it's not to resist a street robbery, your bag is not worth your life.

There will always be these type of robberies in areas where the disparity of wealth between the rich and the poor are so massive. Crimes like this should raise awareness of how people can minimise their chances of falling foul of such events, not promote knee jerk responses. I found the video posted quite shocking and the initial response from most people I know who saw that video was "Why did they fight back? Why didn't they just let go of the bag?".

I'd like to make it clear that I don't believe the victims were in any way are responsible for this crime and the guilt lies firmly with the robbers but I know this for sure - I am making it dam_n clear to my daughter, my sons, my friends and my family, that if someone attempts to steal your bag just hand it over and walk away, it's not worth losing your life over.

Far more disturbing events happen daily the world over, http://www.lasvegass...as-teen-killed/ Now that's what I call a disturbing crime, a 34 year old sodomising a 14 year old girl and then setting her on fire. Haven't read any similar reports in Thailand in all the years I've been here, but a surprising number of similar crimes happen in US each year... Quite how many tourists flock to Vegas each year? I don't recall too many foreign embassy warnings...

Please try to comment rationally and with some sense of perspective.

This a hundred times.

[Kilgore Trout]

after this tragic event, should not one i.e the police look at how such crimes can be deterred?

For example if you consider the what would be the main 'tourist' roads from Patong to Kata and beyond,

What about a 'chain' (pair?) of police riders patrolling those roads (and any notable touristy side streets) every 2-3K there would be

police box at those intervals, they could patrol between say 9am to 2 or 3am, any incident reported to police, the nearest riders

could quickly home in, and other officers alerted to suspects.

Also officers should get out and about generally talking to tourists (particularly the most obviously at risk of street crime)

getting people more informed, rather than extorting money from hapless farang scooter and car drivers!!!

or perhaps im being optimistic

Thai police don't patrol

[belg]

some islamic law in the south could be appropriate... steal once... there flies your hand, steal twice, there goes the other one, murder and get your head cut off

[Fozfromoz]

"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,

Yep - agreed. whether the intent was there or not, the fact is that it happened. Shouldnt go around preying on innocent people at night with a knife.