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

[steffi]

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.....

Depending on their record, it may be commuted to eternal life, instead of death. Killing tourists is bad for business.

Sentence should be the same regardless of whether they are tourists or not.

[Mosha]

The 3 people involved in the killing of Dale Henry in Ranong. The killer, the widow, and widow's boyfriend, are all serving such a sentence in Nakhon Sri Thammerat.

[metisdead]

Off topic bickering posts have been removed.

[brewsterbudgen]

The real issue in Thailand is defineing the fuction of the police force, there is no concept or understanding of the term we are all familiar "To Serve and Protect", Thai police simply wouldn't understand what this means, they see themselves closer to supermarket checkout operators "Stop and Fine" generate money for simple petty law enforcement.

This is partly due too - lack of training - culture - and poor salaries, in the west we generally class police officers as professionals - here they are generally traffic wardens with guns (scary)

There is no proactive police work - it is all reactive, they have never heard of the concept "Crime Prevention" because that would have a negative effect on earning potencial - no crime - no money so to an extent they encourage law breaking to generate money - how f'cked up is that

Will it ever change - I can't see it, respect for the law has to start at the top led by example - when the sitting government have no respect for the law and court system - the people will do the same

Throw tourists into the arena and it's not pretty

Give it time. Countries don't develop overnight.

[brianP]

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

Agreed,and rape someone and get your member removed. Man ,if US did that who would be left to breed?

[ManInSurat]

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

Agreed,and rape someone and get your member removed. Man ,if US did that who would be left to breed?

Are you drunk Brian? You just accused every man in the US of being a rapist? What? I don't even...

What?

Take this nonsense off here please!

[Fortunate]

Thailand can improve the peace and safety of its society by just looking to their neighbors like Singapore for example. Crimes like these usually end with the death penalty. The bag-snatchers, in this case, who ended up killing the victim are hanged within a year or at most 2 years. That’s it. If they were into drugs in the first place which resulted in this crime, it would never have happened in Singapore. They would have been dangling at the end of a rope for drugs well before doing any drug related crimes. That’s it. Case closed.

[balo]

Good police work , and only because there was offered an award.

I have a feeling they really caught the right guys. 300k is a lot of money for underpaid police officers.

So if anything like this happens again, involving foreigners, a nice reward is the only way to solve crimes in this area.

[brewsterbudgen]

Thailand can improve the peace and safety of its society by just looking to their neighbors like Singapore for example. Crimes like these usually end with the death penalty. The bag-snatchers, in this case, who ended up killing the victim are hanged within a year or at most 2 years. That’s it. If they were into drugs in the first place which resulted in this crime, it would never have happened in Singapore. They would have been dangling at the end of a rope for drugs well before doing any drug related crimes. That’s it. Case closed.

Thailand's trying to develop, not regress.

[Ferangled]

Thailand can improve the peace and safety of its society by just looking to their neighbors like Singapore for example. Crimes like these usually end with the death penalty. The bag-snatchers, in this case, who ended up killing the victim are hanged within a year or at most 2 years. That’s it. If they were into drugs in the first place which resulted in this crime, it would never have happened in Singapore. They would have been dangling at the end of a rope for drugs well before doing any drug related crimes. That’s it. Case closed.

Thailand's trying to develop, not regress.

Personally I'd prefer some sort of happy medium in between a completely lawless state and a totalitarian dictatorship or as my buddies in Singapore would put it "a friendly dictatorship!".

I think the best description I've heard of Singapore is to consider it like a company not a country. IMHO the death sentence can't exist in a truly functional, democratic society and I wouldn't take Singapore as a shining example of a functional democracy... far from it.

Crime statistics in Germany under Hitler were at a record low but I wouldn't take that as an ideal for Thailand to follow either... of course the real crimes were being committed by the state.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Ferangled

[Nisa]

Thailand can improve the peace and safety of its society by just looking to their neighbors like Singapore for example. Crimes like these usually end with the death penalty. The bag-snatchers, in this case, who ended up killing the victim are hanged within a year or at most 2 years. That’s it. If they were into drugs in the first place which resulted in this crime, it would never have happened in Singapore. They would have been dangling at the end of a rope for drugs well before doing any drug related crimes. That’s it. Case closed.

Thailand's trying to develop, not regress.

Personally I'd prefer some sort of happy medium in between a completely lawless state and a totalitarian dictatorship or as my buddies in Singapore would put it "a friendly dictatorship!".

I think the best description I've heard of Singapore is to consider it like a company not a country. IMHO the death sentence can't exist in a truly functional, democratic society and I wouldn't take Singapore as a shining example of a functional democracy... far from it.

Crime statistics in Germany under Hitler were at a record low but I wouldn't take that as an ideal for Thailand to follow either... of course the real crimes were being committed by the state.

Singapore is a boring and faceless country with a population of lemmings that look like they have been given drugs to conform. I very much don't like to hear about people being hurt or killed but at the same time I like a little danger. I remember when Times Square in NY used to have character but now it is just a corporate and colorless (besides all the advertising) spot for tourists to visit to see other tourists who are there because of what Times Square used to be. I prefer Thailand with all its warts and blemishes. I wish some things were different such as working here as a foreigner, wages and regulation to buying houses but I also realize that changes these things will have a domino effect in changing many things until Thailand is a clone of what I am happy to get away from.

Like most places, I think you can avoid violence in Thailand if you use your head and don't react with emotions. And like many crowded cities or tourist spots, you need to be aware of scammers and thieves ... there may not be that many but it only takes one to ruin your day.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Nisa

[Kilgore Trout]

How many issued warnings back when the backpacker murders were occurring in Australia, just off the highway between Sydney and Melbourne? I'd suggest none (although I admit to not knowing if any or how many), and there were at least eight, along with some unsolved disappearances in areas where the perpetrator frequented, so possibly as high as 13 I think the police estimate.

Any country would be fools not to warn their citizens travelling not to hitchhike in foreign countries. I'm sure many of them do, and the US govt. certainly does; as hitchhiking is illegal (in most states).

Do you really think the US would be offended if the Thai govt. warned people not to hitchhike in the US? Please, I think you're seeing the world through Thai colored lenses

[softgeorge]

Two Thais charged over Aussie's death

03:04 AEST Sat Jul 28 2012

Thai authorities have reportedly charged two men accused of killing an Australian travel agent Michelle Smith in Phuket in June.

Ms Smith, 60, of Perth, was fatally stabbed on June 20 when two men on a motorbike tried to snatch her handbag.

The ABC says Surasak Suwannachote has confessed to the stabbing and Surin Tadthong has confessed to riding the motorbike during the crime.

They have been charged with cooperating to kill a person for personal benefit, taking property with a weapon, causing death and injury, and carrying a weapon in a public place.

They could face the death penalty, but the suspects' cooperation and admissions make a life sentence more likely if they are found guilty, the ABC says

http://news.ninemsn....r-aussies-death

[KeyserSoze01]

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..

Here is a bit of evidence that it is happening.

http://andrew-drummond.com/2012/07/01/bangkok-boiler-room-brit-found-dead-in-custody/

There are reasons people here are suspicious of the BiB's activities.

[coma]

Thai men in court over Australian's death

Two Thai men charged with the murder and robbery of Australian woman Michelle Smith will face a provincial court on Monday.

Smith, 60, from Joondulup in Perth, died on June 20 during an attempted robbery on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

Facing the Phuket provincial court is Surasak Suwannachot, 26, who is a accused of stabbing Smith in the chest during the attack as a group of Australian travel agents, on a familiarisation trip to Thailand, were returning to their resort.

Surasak then rode off on a motorbike with accomplice Surin Toptong, 37, leaving Smith fatally wounded.

Ms Smith' s travelling companion, Tammee Lynn, 42, also injured in the attack, desperately tried to save Smith, a mother of three.

Ms Lynn, who provided a detailed statement to the police, has not been called to provide further evidence to the court.

An intense investigation and reward of 300,000 baht ($A9600) led to the arrest of the suspects, following a tip-off from a restaurant owner.

Police were also aided by closed circuit television (CCTV) near the scene of the crime close to the group's resort hotel.

Surasak could face the death penalty, but Thai officials say a guilty plea is expected to result instead in a lengthy prison sentence.

The murder led to stepped-up security around Phuket, which is heavily dependent on the 400,000 Australians who visit the island each year.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8511252/thai-men-in-court-over-australians-death

Edited August 5, 2012 by coma

[jackspratt]

Oh dear - another TV conspiracy theory flushed down the proverbial.

Thai men plead guilty over Perth woman's stabbing

Updated August 07, 2012 05:17:27

Two Thai men accused of murdering Australian travel agent Michelle Smith in June have pleaded guilty to all charges in a Bangkok court.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-06/thai-men-in-court-over-travel-agent-stabbing/4180622?section=wa

[Nisa]

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..

Here is a bit of evidence that it is happening.

http://andrew-drummo...ead-in-custody/

There are reasons people here are suspicious of the BiB's activities.

Do you mean because of Drummonds writing style, foreign criminals being arrested or because the police informed the embassy of a foreign inmate's death in jail and the inmate's embassy not wanting to release any further information about the death?

People kill themselves in prison, often not long after arriving, all over the world and it isn't an indication of wide spread police corruption or any kind of conspiracy.

There are many articles you can point to that suggest police misconduct here (and in many countries) but linking to this article makes no sense unless it is to promote Drummonds opinions as opposed to actual facts of police wrong doings.

Bottom line is the police got the bad guys in the case and they got them quickly and got them to confess using the evidence they gathered. In my opinion, these are all good things.

[Thai at Heart]

The news yesterday follows Australian tourists staying at the Katathani Beach Resort presenting bouquets of flowers to Royal Thai Police Commissioner Prewpan Dhamapong to thank police for quickly arresting the suspects.

is it just cynical me that thinks this is a very strange behaviour for Aussie tourists to do ? or was this some sort of publicity stunt set up to kowtow down to the pooyai from the RTP by some local official

If the RTP had offered flowers, one could understand this, but giving flowers to the pooyai for doing their job...?....looks more like a Thai on Thai brown nosing session to me

"The sooner we can close this case, the better it would be for Phuket's tourism image,”

Also note no words of sympathy for the victim or her family....just oh no this may stop us getting tourist dollars...we had better fix it..

Remember, tourists do not know/understand how stuff works here.

And an average tourist is meant to recognise the chief of police in Thailand. What a pathetic setup...

[coma]

Well both these guys just were given a sentence of life in prison. A happy ending to a sad, sad story.

[webfact]

please continue:

Thai men get life for Aust woman's murder

PHUKET: -- Two Thai men have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder and robbery of Australian woman Michelle Smith.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....e-smith-murder/

//CLOSED//