Man With Gibbon Escapes Bangla Loris Raids

[webfact]

Man with gibbon escapes Bangla loris raids

Phuket Gazette

PHOTO FINISH: Two of the suspects hold slow lorises after being arrested for using the protected animals to charge tourists for photos. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Environmental crime police and Phuket wildlife conservation officers are on the lookout for a man who escaped arrest with a gibbon last night after a raid on Patong’s Soi Bangla netted five touts charging tourists for taking photos with protected animals.

A team of officers led by Awat Nitikul, chief of the Environmental Conservation Unit based at Phuket’s Khao Phra Thaew wildlife sanctuary in Thalang, raided Soi Bangla at about 8:30pm.

Among his team were officers from the Phuket branch of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NREC).

One man and four women were arrested and five slow lorises were seized. The suspects were named as: Mr Pongrapee Nernrat, 36; Mrs Suphawadee Hoiken, 43; Miss Suchart Tongchai, 42; Miss Chorpetch Tongchai, 43; and Miss Duangkaew Maydula, 42.

Each of the suspects was caught in the act of holding a slow loris for tourists to take photos with in Soi Bangla.

“They were all taken to Patong Police Station and charged with possession of a protected species without a permit, which carries a penalty of a fine up to 40,000 baht or up to four years imprisonment, or both,” Mr Awat confirmed.

“All suspects confessed to the charges against them,” he added.

Mr Awat explained that last night’s raid followed his office receiving a complaint from tourists saying that they were harassed by a group of people who were asking tourists for money for taking photos while posing with protected animals.

“We have received many complaints about this issue and we continually make arrests like this, but this time we found that there were more individuals taking part,” Mr Awat told the Phuket Gazette.

“While we were arresting them, the suspects tried to escape. One of them, a man with a gibbon, got away. We are now looking for that person,” he added.

Mr Awat told the Gazette this morning that his officers will take the slow lorises to a wildlife nursery in Phang Nga for rehabilitation.

“Anyone who sees a slow loris being used as a prop for photo opportunities for tourists on Soi Bangla – any anywhere else – can call me 24/7 on my private number 086-6897040,” Mr Awat said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle18097.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-10-06

[draftvader]

Am I the only one who looked at the photo first and thought it was an article about an upcoming puppet show?

[Payboy]

Suspect on the left can play with my Slow Loris anytime she wants.

[GeorgeO]

The guy with the gibbon ... was it Bill Oddie of the Goodies? (Funky Gibbon, 1975)

[meatboy]

the one on the right is a bloke? the man with the gibbon escaped while the arresting officer was picking up a brown envelope.

[kotsak]

Am I the only one who looked at the photo first and thought it was an article about an upcoming puppet show?

You are not alone.. lol!!

[FOODLOVER]

Looking back the fast loris would have been the wiser investment.

[paniolo]

did you ever try to run while carrying a gibbon?......ya reckon the cops coulda caught him ?............ maybe the gibbon ran away carrying the guy ?

[NomadJoe]

Kudos to the individual responsible for getting the info, including photo's, to the NGO's and authorities. These animals are not treated well, and are often kept on drugs to make them more manageable. Usually after these raids in Patong we see them in Kata/Karon.

[samjaidee]

Am I the only one who looked at the photo first and thought it was an article about an upcoming puppet show?

Probably, yes.

[starkey_rich]

Looks like the tw-t who escaped with the gibbon carried on touting and the gibbon bit an young aussie girl who is now having to have rabbies jabs.Poor thing they hurt

[tolsti]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

[NomadJoe]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

[stevenl]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

[noob7]

the one on the right is a bloke? the man with the gibbon escaped while the arresting officer was picking up a brown envelope.

How about this:

The raid was because of the slow lories.

So the gibbon wasn't on the list.

It got probably added, because of

"A small monkey that bit an Australian tourist's five-year-old daughter today has sparked a rabies scare on Phuket.

[...]

The creature - possibly a gibbon - was being misused illegally by a photo tout in Patong when it bit Madeline Tanner high on the right cheek this afternoon."

Only a guess, but....!

[TwoDogz]

Any wanted posters up for a guy with a monkey on his back?

[NomadJoe]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

[stevenl]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

Off topic, but wouldn't that be 00.45 AM or 00.45 PM? Or does the counting start at 01.00? Just did a google search, both seem to be in use. Funny guys those Americans.

[noob7]

Posted Today, 13:33

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

I think, it's 12.45am.

But we have to wait, till tolsti is clearing the time problem.

Edited October 6, 2012 by noob7

[NomadJoe]

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

Off topic, but wouldn't that be 00.45 AM or 00.45 PM? Or does the counting start at 01.00? Just did a google search, both seem to be in use. Funny guys those Americans.

Yeah we are funny. Even funnier because we use both 24 hour clock and 12 hour. For military, law enforcement, civil service professions particularly if it involves shift work, and if I recall time cards will use 24 hour. We even call it "military time" in the US. If I set my watch or dive computer to dispaly 12 hour It will say 12:45AM at 00:45.

Just looked up how to tll the time in Ditch..JC forget about it: http://forum.wordref...d.php?t=1893408 http://blogs.transpa...-time-in-dutch/ lol

tolsti is going to laugh at how his comment derailed the thread.

[stevenl]

Yeah we are funny. Even funnier because we use both 24 hour clock and 12 hour. For military, law enforcement, civil service professions particularly if it involves shift work, and if I recall time cards will use 24 hour. We even call it "military time" in the US. If I set my watch or dive computer to dispaly 12 hour It will say 12:45AM at 00:45.

Just looked up how to tll the time in Ditch..JC forget about it: http://forum.wordref...d.php?t=1893408 http://blogs.transpa...-time-in-dutch/ lol

tolsti is going to laugh at how his comment derailed the thread.

This part of your link makes time telling very easy in Dutch: "Hi Anna, if you are typing it the 24-hour clock is used (i.e. 5pm –> 17:00)." In speech it can be confusing, especially: 'half xx' in Dutch means half an hour to the mentioned time, whereas in English 'half xx' means half an hour past the mentioned time.

I guess the Dutch like to look ahead, whereas the English like to look at what they once had .

But I guess enough about this before LIK gets angry.

Edited October 6, 2012 by stevenl

[NomadJoe]

^ Yep..and I am sure you're right, he is probably talking about 00:45. Not much going on at 12:45.(PM that is)

Oh..just remembered one thing..the text I teach English from has AM and PM in it. It's made in the UK.

[how241]

Am I the only one who looked at the photo first and thought it was an article about an upcoming puppet show?

My first impression too.

[attento]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

What happend to 00:45 ?

[bumpkin]

The raid obviously deterred no-one... There were 2 out on Bangla today at 12.45 with slow lorises.

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

I guess the clock was mis-sold, the sales description should have said 13 hour clock? Surely there can't be more than 12 hours on a 12 hour clock?

[Dap]

Suspect on the left can play with my Slow Loris anytime she wants.

Focus Payboy, focus!

[noob7]

Suspect on the left can play with my Slow Loris anytime she wants.

Focus Payboy, focus!

He's totally focused!

[Payboy]

Suspect on the left can play with my Slow Loris anytime she wants.

Focus Payboy, focus!

Was a choice between a fat bloke, a monkey & what is an obviously innocent damsel in distress.

[tolsti]

12.45 as in the 24 hr clock. And they were still there @ 13.50.... Seemed to hanging around the Honey Bar

[NomadJoe]

You mean early this morning or this afternoon? We were there between midnight and 3am last night/this morning and didn't see any. If people see them please call Mr. Awar or you can PM me when and where and we will get down there and take some pics and send them off to K. Awat and others.

Well, he said 12.45, so that can mean only one time.

But excellent you're doing something about this.

It can mean two different times if he/she is for example American and using the 12 hour clock. 12.45 can mean AM or PM. The "today" part to me means probably daytime, but they are usually out late at night, and as I said we were up and down Bangla a few times during the 1245am time frame and did not see any. So still not sure what time he meant.

I guess the clock was mis-sold, the sales description should have said 13 hour clock? Surely there can't be more than 12 hours on a 12 hour clock?

The "12-hour clock" in this context is a concept, not a physical thing, I'm guessing you knew that. How did you get to 13 tho?

http://en.wikipedia....i/24-hour_clock

http://en.wikipedia....i/12-hour_clock

Edited October 6, 2012 by NomadJoe