Case Closed On The Deaths Of Canadian Sisters Audrey And Noemi Belanger: Krabi

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Case closed on Belanger sisters' deaths

Phuket Gazette

Krabi Police have closed the case on the deaths of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger. Photo: Handout image

PHUKET: -- Krabi Police have closed the case on the deaths of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger with no more investigations to be conducted.

Audrey, 20, and Noemi, 25, from Quebec, were found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island on June 15. Both had suffered a violent physical reaction to suspected poisoning.

Autopsies conducted by forensic police identified that both women had ingested an undisclosed amount of the insecticide DEET, possible from a “party cocktail” known locally as “Four times 100”. The regular form the “cocktail”, however, does not contain DEET or any insecticide.

“We have been asked by the Canadian Embassy and the [belanger] family to not reveal anything about the case. We are standing by that. The cause of death in the police report to the embassy is “Unknown”,” Lt Col Jongrak Pimthong of Krabi City Police told the Phuket Gazette today.

“We are now preparing the documents to be sent to the Canadian Embassy. I have informed them that the case is closed. All the official documents will be sent today as soon as we finished copying them,” he added.

All police investigations related to the case will cease, including any attempt to question the man last seen with the two sisters before their were found dead.

The CCTV system at the resort where the women were staying captured images of an unidentified man assisting the sisters back to their room in the early hours of June 13.

“We did not question the man since he does not live in Thailand, and the two sisters’ relatives requested that we did not question him after seeing the CCTV records,” Col Jongrak said

However, Krabi Police will continue to check the drinks being served at night entertainment venues.

“If we find anything suspicious, we will report it to Krabi Public Health Office to investigate,” Col Jongrak said.

“As I said, no further information related to the case will be released, at the request of the embassy and the family. If the embassy would like to reveal anything further, they will hold a press conference on it,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle18071.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-10-03

[annabel]

Unbelievable..! Truly unbelievable...! I do not believe what they are saying at all..... ! <deleted> is going on here...??

[BeforeTigers]

The Wild Wild East.

You're on your own in Thailand, kids.

[taninthai]

To me it seems like the family know something we don't

According to the reports the family requested that the mysterious man not be questioned and I believe the family has asked for the Canadian results to be not released and has Asked for no further information on the case to be released very strange,perhaps the family may change their view/opinion when they realise the bib are closing the case.

[Jayman]

so case closed.. police claiming they died from DEET ingestion from a cocktail called 4 x100 that normally doesn't contain DEET. Am I missing anything else here?

No need to investigate who put this deadly DEET in their drink? Since they drank it that means they are at fault? Amazing Thailand indeed.

Edited October 3, 2012 by Jayman

[rattler]

Unbelievable..! Truly unbelievable...! I do not believe what they are saying at all..... ! <deleted> is going on here...??

“We have been asked by the Canadian Embassy and the [belanger] family to not reveal anything about the case

That's whats' going on

[laurentbkk]

Case is closed ...don't scare the tourist who might have the idea to come to Thailand ..... what a joke ! I feel sorry for the family of those girls.

[ozziebloke]

Case is closed ...don't scare the tourist who might have the idea to come to Thailand ..... what a joke ! I feel sorry for the family of those girls.

Case closed basically by the request of the Canadian government and the Belanger family. They know so much much more than any of us here on TV! So respect their wishes!

[charliebru]

Cause of death was determined and family requested no further action. What more do you want?

[cowslip]

At the end of the day this is classic Thai.....they start by trying to sweep everything under the carpet, then they deny and bungle any subsequent investigation, all the time hoping it will go away........and finally just stop. Stubborn to the point of ridicule, if it won't go away just pretend it isn't there.

This was a serious matter involving human life, but all visitors should be aware that this attitude pervades ALL thailand's dealings from the most serious right down to customer service in a shop or phone company.

Edited October 3, 2012 by cowslip

[Jayman]

Cause of death was determined and family requested no further action. What more do you want?

How about those that caused the death to be arrested.

[sportsman69]

The Wild Wild East.

You're on your own in Thailand, kids.

Must be some pretty heavy duty players in Krabi / Phi Phi to put the lid on this in such an effective manner.

Maybe a question to the family via a facebook link which surely must exist ( don't all youngsters have one ) may result in a forthright answer.

Annabell. I believe you are Canadian, maybe you have had contact somehow with the embassy from the past which may give an opening.

Just thinking aloud.

[cowslip]

At the end of the day this is classic Thai.....they start by trying to sweep everything under the carpet, then they deny and bungle any subsequent investigation, all the time hoping it will go away........and finally just stop. Stubborn to the point of ridicule, if it won't go away just pretend it isn't there.

This was a serious matter involving human life, but all visitors should be aware that this attitude pervades ALL thailand's dealings from the most serious right down to customer service in a shop or phone company.

PS - I'm sorry to say that I can't see what the family has to do with deciding if there should be a conclusive investigation or not.

Edited October 3, 2012 by cowslip

[laocowboy2]

Has the Canadian Embassy made any sort of statement? So far we have a local newspaper (and we all know how well they check a story) 'quoting' a Thai police officer.

Any reference made to this latest development in the Canadian press? There would appear to be some missing link somewhere.

[MahaYellow]

The Wild Wild East.

You're on your own in Thailand, kids.

So keep off Thailand, kids ... as simple as that !

[pedro01]

Cause of death was determined and family requested no further action. What more do you want?

How about those that caused the death to be arrested.

What if those people are no longer with us?

[sabye]

Keystone cops at it again. Bring on Inspector Clouseau

[cup-O-coffee]

I would like to say, "Why act surprised?", but the family's and Embassy's request to make this hushed sort of takes that away. Maybe the Thais are pulling their typical childish behavior and doing this out of retaliation from the requests. That fits more in line with anything; "If we can't bungle this our own way, then screw you!".

[timewilltell]

Of course we never know what facts when reading these stories in Thai Visa. There are often many facets that we will never learn about, influences from outside agencies, the embassies, the national governments and so on.

If the statements as reported are to be believed the family's themselves have asked that further information be kept private.

When a foreigner has a problem in Thailand, they may be a host of reasons why the full details cannot become known. Maybe there are issues with the law, whereby making everything public may cause a problem with a contemplated case. Maybe there are issues of insurance, whereby publicising the ins and outs of everything may affect a claim to be made. Maybe the case involves some very influential people in the Thai government and the foreign government don't want to upset potential business dealings. Though not relevant to this case, maybe the foreigner is under threat and doesn't want to expose himself to possible retribution and death.

Whether or not the police have done a good job in this particular case, is probably something we'll never know. There are hundreds if not thousands of foreigners who have suffered violence, official corruption, police corruption, teams of lawyers police and judges working together to corrupt the course of Justice; I doubt we know very much at all of what is actually going on in Thailand. The people involved just don't want to make more trouble than they already are in.

Of course it doesn't help other people who are faced with similar problems, with little hope of being alerted in advance of the methods or consequences of what might happen to them, from seemingly innocuous situations. The embassies do an abysmal job of alerting tourists and expats alike of the various scams and organized corruption at both the Private, professional and quasi official levels. The reason for that is that the embassies are basically there to promote business, and individual problems are neither investigated, encouraged nor assisted for fear of upsetting the apple cart.

The death of these two young girls is of course a tragedy and justice will neither be seen to be done nor in actuality be done. Such a pity at every level.

Edited October 3, 2012 by timewilltell

[Arkady]

so case closed.. police claiming they died from DEET ingestion from a cocktail called 4 x100 that normally doesn't contain DEET. Am I missing anything else here?

No need to investigate who put this deadly DEET in their drink? Since they drank it that means they are at fault? Amazing Thailand indeed.

So the police, along with the girls' family and the Canadian Embassy, presumably have good reason to believe that the girls procured the DEET themselves and voluntarily added it to their cocktail to spice it up and add to the evening's fun. Therefore no need to investigate further or attempt to question witnesses.

[Jayman]

Cause of death was determined and family requested no further action. What more do you want?

How about those that caused the death to be arrested.

What if those people are no longer with us?

Are you saying this was a accidental/intentional suicide?

[Nip]

Keystone cops at it again. Bring on Inspector Clouseau

Clouseau? Nah he might solve it! I heard on the QT that the hotel room had been cleaned before the police arrived?

[Arkady]

The one thing that bothers me somewhat in this is that Thai police normally don't give a dam_n about the wishes of victims' families or foreign embassies of insignificant nations like Canada - only China, Japan and the US count. They happily accept bribes from journalists to let them in to crime scenes to disturb evidence and take gruesome pictures which they splatter offensively over the media and they gaily stage re-enactments of crimes for their own amusement that must be heart rending for victims' family and are of no investigative value.

[yasorab]

Yet another whitewash by the "Royal Thai Police' ( could not police a traffic jam !!) they may have slept with a police man but thats as close as they get to policing. What with multiple suspicious deaths and murders over the last month or so this place is becoming the laughing stock of S E Asia. Who in there right mind would want to holiday here now. They would be better holidaying in a nuclear power plant !! they are safer !! Get your act together RTP and the Thai Government before its too late !! RIP Girls.

Edited October 3, 2012 by yasorab

[ozziebloke]

The one thing that bothers me somewhat in this is that Thai police normally don't give a dam_n about the wishes of victims' families or foreign embassies of insignificant nations like Canada - only China, Japan and the US count. They happily accept bribes from journalists to let them in to crime scenes to disturb evidence and take gruesome pictures which they splatter offensively over the media and they gaily stage re-enactments of crimes for their own amusement that must be heart rending for victims' family and are of no investigative value.

Can someone tell me how so many here on TV have so much knowledge about all the facets of of the BIB and any associates,Foreign issues regarding foreign governments, Police proticol, Regulation and evidence divolgence?

[Jane Doe]

Guess the police found out something the family does not want to become public. So they close the case and in a few days nobody will talk about it anymore. Problem solved. And this happens not only in Thailand na

[nonthaburigeorge]

I hate to inject facts here when speculating is so much fun but consider this: The dose of DEET that is required to kill 50% of the rats treated is over 2 grams DEET per kilogram body weight of the rat (source: USEPA). Assuming that htese unfortunate women weighed 60 g, they would each have had to ingest 120 grams of DEET to have a 50% chance of dying from the exposure. This would be about 4 ounces of pure DEET. However, the most concentrated form sold commercially is 41% meaning that they would each have had to drink at least an 8 ounce tumbler of the straight product. I don't think it is possible for anyone to get drunk enough not to notice that they were drinking a glass of mosquito repellant.

So, as convenient as it is to blame all ills on chemicals, it does not seem plausible in this case and the the cause of justice is ill served by accepting this at face value.

[EarthAlien]

The one thing that bothers me somewhat in this is that Thai police normally don't give a dam_n about the wishes of victims' families or foreign embassies of insignificant nations like Canada - only China, Japan and the US count. They happily accept bribes from journalists to let them in to crime scenes to disturb evidence and take gruesome pictures which they splatter offensively over the media and they gaily stage re-enactments of crimes for their own amusement that must be heart rending for victims' family and are of no investigative value.

Can someone tell me how so many here on TV have so much knowledge about all the facets of of the BIB and any associates,Foreign issues regarding foreign governments, Police proticol, Regulation and evidence divolgence?

Yeah mate,.. just live here for a few years and keep your ears and eyes open !

[Chopperboy]

As has been mentioned before, we know that DEET is hardly poisonous at all - even people that have tried to commit suicide using it have failed after drinking a good quantity of it!

Another BS BIB story...

[ozziebloke]

The one thing that bothers me somewhat in this is that Thai police normally don't give a dam_n about the wishes of victims' families or foreign embassies of insignificant nations like Canada - only China, Japan and the US count. They happily accept bribes from journalists to let them in to crime scenes to disturb evidence and take gruesome pictures which they splatter offensively over the media and they gaily stage re-enactments of crimes for their own amusement that must be heart rending for victims' family and are of no investigative value.

Can someone tell me how so many here on TV have so much knowledge about all the facets of of the BIB and any associates,Foreign issues regarding foreign governments, Police proticol, Regulation and evidence divolgence?

Yeah mate,.. just live here for a few years and keep your ears and eyes open !

Havn't lived permanently in Thailand but have spent alot of time the last 6 years there. So can you answer the question i asked? I can say the same as what you have just said about where i live here in Aus just for the sake of saying it yet not experiencing it