Phuket taxi driver presents photo of Tiger Disco 'ghost'

Phuket Gazette

The image [after automatic color adjustment] that the motorbike taxi driver claims to have snapped inside the Tiger Disco building.

PHUKET: -- A Phuket motorcycle taxi driver who entered the charred remains of the Tiger Discotheque the day after the fatal fire claims that photographs he took inside bare images of the spirit of a woman who lost her life there.

The motorcycle driver told the Phuket Gazette that he belonged to a group of motorcycle taxi drivers who pick up fares from in front of Ocean Mall on Bangla Road in Patong, a short walk from the ill-fated disco.

“On August 18, I talked to two or three friends who also operate motorcycle taxis at the same spot. We were curious to see how the inside of the building looked after the fire," he said.

He said he happened to know the security guard on duty at the time, who allowed him entry.

“So I went to the building around 1:30pm and stood at the entrance to the disco section. I used the camera on my mobile phone to take some pictures to show my friends," he said.

“I took a lot of photos while we were inside. I didn't choose any specific subjects. I am not a professional photographer. All I did was point and shoot. Then we all left quickly,” he said.

“After we got back to our spot in front of Ocean Shopping Mall to wait for passengers, I started to review the photos I took earlier inside the pub. I was quite shocked to see two inexplicable images,” he said.

“In those pictures, it appears as if there is a woman sitting on a chair in front of the camera. I swear that there was no one else around when we were inside; all of us were male," he said.

“I believe the images of what I captured is the spirit of Ms Nipaphat Sudtasorn, who worked at the Tiger Discotheque. We all went to make a merit at the temple for Miss Nipaphat already,” he said.

“The reason I believe this image might be the spirit of Miss Nipaphat is because I saw her mother come to the site with a monk to perform a special ritual inviting Nipaphat's spirit back home. Her mother said Nipaphat appeared to her in her dream asking for help. She said her daughter cried, saying she could not escape from the discotheque,” he said.

The Gazette contacted the Patong Police to see if they were aware that some people had been trespassing in the area, which after the blaze was declared a fire disaster zone with entry restricted to unauthorized personnel.

Lt Col Jongserm Preecha said, “I wasn't aware that there were people sneaking inside the Tiger Disco building. Even though we sealed off the area well, it is still possible that people could sneak in. Everyone should know automatically that a crime scene is off-limits. We won't [go after] people who have already been inside, but we would like to reiterate that no one should ever enter a crime scene."

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2012/Phuket-taxi-driver-presents-photo-of-Tiger-Disco-ghost-16750.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-24

It's a blur picture of someone! I mean I believe in ghosts and stuff but that pic is just crap!

Superstitious fear always creates funny tales. Almost looks like a van Gough work in progress. So the chair also did not get burned? Hmm - yet the place was trashed. Good thing the pic was on a mobile phone, makes the point of it that much clearer.

I'm yet again amazed by what the Phuket Gazette publishes as "news."

I am amazed at the police reaction, on second thoughts no I am not. Have any expert insurance investigators been allowed in yet?

Very sad indeed for the Mom.....RIP Ms Nipaphat .

Great. Let people trample all over the place and whip up some ghost stories. All fuelled by the media so the dumbed down masses can get their fix of titilation. No doubt there will be a throng of people down there trying to cash in on this ghost bs and with a bit of photoshopping they may make a tidy sum. I suspect the guard assigned to protect what little evidence is left will also be doing quite well out of it.

Well done Phuket Gazzette.

Dear Phuket gazzette.

I was riding my motocy past the disco fire and felt a chill down my spine. I stopped and took my camera out just in time to get a picture of what I believe is the spirit of someone who died there.

If you would like to use this photo please pm me and we can talk $

Thanks.

Lt Col Jongserm Preecha said, “I wasn't aware that there were people sneaking inside the Tiger Disco building. Even though we sealed off the area well, it is still possible that people could sneak in. Everyone should know automatically that a crime scene is off-limits. We won't [go after] people who have already been inside, but we would like to reiterate that no one should ever enter a crime scene."

Yeah, we don't really give a s**t but I guess we should say don't go into there, it's a crime scene yada yada. I don't want to get bollocked again ok?

How far behind the Western world is Thailand when it comes to crime/fire/disaster investigations and forensics (and police work in general come to that).

Such scenes are routinely disturbed before proper investigations can take place. Places where murders or shootings have occurred are open for business a few hours later. I have never seen a forensics team wearing the type of sterile outfits they wear elsewhere in the world.

But how much of this lack of progress is down to corruption? A disturbed crime scene could be very beneficial to many parties. Big brown envelopes to hide the truth?

I don't know what the biggest joke is: the Thai scene of crimes department or this Gazette article.