Thai Man Charged With Murder Of British Holidaymaker

[Colonel_Mustard]

Send up a link to the last shooting on Koh Chang..... or Ko Samet, Koh Tao, even Samui, then you may have an argument.......stay away from Pattaya and Patong and Thailand is an amazingly safe place for a beach holiday considering the numbers of tourists they bring in.

Type Samui murder into Google and you might be surprised at what comes up.

[endure]

A number of posts have been removed. Stop the bickering. Someone is dead. Behave yourselves.

[annabel]

There must have been plenty of witnesses so if the above isn't the truth, no doubt it will come out soon enough in the UK papers.

When Chalerm's son killed a cop who had run over his toes in the nightclub at Rachadaphisek at point blank, about 10 witnesses had seen him firing the gun at close distance... even the closed circuit camera's had captured this but the image appeared very unclear (sic??????)

He was acquitted for lack of evidence and witnesses! By this, Thailand had its own O.J. Simpson case! Something to be proud of! Then the killer was black, the victim was white.... and the jury was black as well.

You think this time it will be better? Don't forget the killer is a Thai, the victim is a "farang", which makes a hell of a difference...

Thai justice... no surprise!

The difference is this guy's friends and a lot of other people who witnessed what happened will be heading back to their own countries where they have nothing to fear from the truth.

With the above taken into account, I'd guess the current version of events given by the BIB is for once pretty accurate.

Like the 2 Portuguese guys in the deaths of the French Canadian sisters in Phiphi ....?? Who refused to talk to the press from the comfort and security of their home country and one of them while he was somewhere in Europe on his way back...???

[ekkamai]

5 years ago a shooting took place on Koh Samet on New Year's eveening. A young Swedish man was hit in the leg. His only offence was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was an opera singer, his GF was a nurse. He ended up loosing his leg. He is the brother of my sister's husband. I don't think anyone was ever charged for this crime.

What is this all about?

How come ppl get away with this kind of meaningless violence? And it just goes on and on and....

[oldsailor35]

RIP Stephen Ashton.

As for the previous poster, I have no idea what he is on about.

Ecchem !...... Maybe i can help you with that.

It appears that he is saying " The story is all bullshit ! that there were no 'two gangs' at all and no accidental shooting. He is implying that it was a straight out act of murder by of the probably drunken Thai. Just another Police "save face story" and he will probably be let out on bail, never to be seen again.

There ! does that help ?

Edited January 2, 2013 by oldsailor35

[oldsailor35]

No remorse in this Jack-a_ss's face.

RIP-S.Ashton and condolence to the family.

Of course not, the police are probably on side already, after all the victim was only another "back packer type fallang"

[oldsailor35]

Dry that one out you can fertilize the lawn. Bullshit. And he thought of this himself or with a little help from the BIB - disgusting.

So your "all Thai's hate us" theory is derailed? Your sad delusion that this shooter deliberately targeted a young farang is disproved?

Just another cynical, hate-filled, ignorant and non-contributory post IMHO.

Not yet it ain't...................lets hear from some honest witnesses, might be a different story !

[oldsailor35]

Do they really expect some of us to believe that there two gangs shooting at each other on the beach and that young holiday makers are walking between the two gangs. I suppose that it will be like the Yellow leaders saying that it was the victims fault for walking into the bullets during the protests in Bangkok .

[oldsailor35]

RIP Stephen Ashton.

As for the previous poster, I have no idea what he is on about.

"I have no idea what he is on about."

No matter how sad, deplorable or unfortunate an event, there always seems to be some bitter, unhappy member of the ThaiVisa fraternity sitting at his computer ready to make it even more sordid with his pointless, groundless hate mongering.

Especially sad that the victim was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

Khun Suradit, I admit that sometimes the truth is difficult to digest. This comment was not so pointless, groundless and hate mongering as you may wish... it's a hard fact to acknowledge that a young innocent tourist died for no reason, due to the lawlessness of some groups of irresponsible Thai persons who reportedly started shooting at each other on new years day... Who in God's name is attending now a new years party with a gun in his pocket, and why?

Looks like its normal amongst some Thai youth !

Edited January 2, 2013 by oldsailor35

[endure]

The topic is "Thai Man Charged With Murder Of British Holidaymaker". Stick to it please.

[theblether]

The red-top UK press never let the truth get in the way of a good story. They don't need somebody on the ground, they can concoct 'the true and shocking front-page story" back in the press room.

The Times, Independant and Guardian, who all covered this on their front pages, are red tops? That's news!

.....and yet strangely the red top newspapers are among the best in the world for breaking stories. Amazing that.

I would trust the British media to get to the truth in this story way above anybody else.......especially in this day and age since the Levenson report.

[HerbalEd]

Dry that one out you can fertilize the lawn. Bullshit. And he thought of this himself or with a little help from the BIB - disgusting.

So your "all Thai's hate us" theory is derailed? Your sad delusion that this shooter deliberately targeted a young farang is disproved?

Just another cynical, hate-filled, ignorant and non-contributory post IMHO.

Bravo! I fully agree.

[oldsailor35]

The police say that one gang was shooting at another which decided to shoot back! Then why in the hell has only one person been arrested ? Oh. I get it, they have left the others alone so that they can do a proper job next time.

[HerbalEd]

RIP Stephen Ashton.

As for the previous poster, I have no idea what he is on about.

"I have no idea what he is on about."

No matter how sad, deplorable or unfortunate an event, there always seems to be some bitter, unhappy member of the ThaiVisa fraternity sitting at his computer ready to make it even more sordid with his pointless, groundless hate mongering.

Especially sad that the victim was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

Khun Suradit, I admit that sometimes the truth is difficult to digest. This comment was not so pointless, groundless and hate mongering as you may wish... it's a hard fact to acknowledge that a young innocent tourist died for no reason, due to the lawlessness of some groups of irresponsible Thai persons who reportedly started shooting at each other on new years day... Who in God's name is attending now a new years party with a gun in his pocket, and why?

Looks like its normal amongst some Thai youth !

It's "normal" ... so to speak ... with many youth world wide ... including USA and Europe.

[attento]

The red-top UK press never let the truth get in the way of a good story. They don't need somebody on the ground, they can concoct 'the true and shocking front-page story" back in the press room.

The Times, Independant and Guardian, who all covered this on their front pages, are red tops? That's news!

Who said that these 3 Newpapers didnt cover this story on their front pages ?

[Kipperthai]

The red-top UK press never let the truth get in the way of a good story. They don't need somebody on the ground, they can concoct 'the true and shocking front-page story" back in the press room.

The Times, Independant and Guardian, who all covered this on their front pages, are red tops? That's news!

Who said that these 3 Newpapers didnt cover this story on their front pages ?

They ain't redtops .They are classed as broadsheet.

[BigC]

The police say that one gang was shooting at another which decided to shoot back! Then why in the hell has only one person been arrested ? Oh. I get it, they have left the others alone so that they can do a proper job next time.

If it was cross fire then man slaughter could be possible

[sustento]

The red-top UK press never let the truth get in the way of a good story. They don't need somebody on the ground, they can concoct 'the true and shocking front-page story" back in the press room.

The Times, Independant and Guardian, who all covered this on their front pages, are red tops? That's news!

Who said that these 3 Newpapers didnt cover this story on their front pages ?

They ain't redtops .They are classed as broadsheet.

The Times and the Independent are actually tabloids and the Guardian is a berliner. The only broadsheet daily in the UK is the Telegraph.

[keiser]

get it closed down , the only stain on this once beautiful island happens once a month , rapes on western women continue to be ignored, drugs are rife gangs are out of controll, corruption is rife. haad rin is a toilet , close it down and hang the bastard

[Kipperthai]

The red-top UK press never let the truth get in the way of a good story. They don't need somebody on the ground, they can concoct 'the true and shocking front-page story" back in the press room.

The Times, Independant and Guardian, who all covered this on their front pages, are red tops? That's news!

Who said that these 3 Newpapers didnt cover this story on their front pages ?

They ain't redtops .They are classed as broadsheet.

The Times and the Independent are actually tabloids and the Guardian is a berliner. The only broadsheet daily in the UK is the Telegraph.

Maybe so ,not worth fussing about.I just know they ain''t your normal redtop like the star, mirror & that other lying,shameful rag named after the big bright thing in the sky.

[Arkady]

Firstly RIP Stephen Ashton, a tragic loss of life.

In time perhaps the full story will come out, call me pessimistic but I won't hold my breath on that.

For now, who knows what happened.. but there appears to be no suggestion that Stephen was targeted, it's entirely possible/likely that he really was the victim of a stray bullet. The chances of being hit by one in Thailand seem to be rare, but not unknown.

I have no idea what a "home made gun" looks like or how it works, assuming it shoots regular bullets Its seems highly unlikely that it's home made, perhaps home modified in the way that a sawn-off is home made.

I have no idea why a comment by rfukata says he (the killer) has no remorse in his face... I bet the guy is pretty scared and even if not remorseful he must by now appreciate the gravity of the situation. Perhaps he is genuinely only guilty of manslaughter in law (though in my opinion ANYONE who fires a gun should be guilty of murder if someone is killed), but given the international interest in this case, and the need for a public show of justice, he is sure to get a long sentence.

The home made guns carried by vocational school thugs tend to be "pen guns" which are single shot shooters tooled in vocational school metal workshops and take an LR .22 round usually without any rifling. A very crude weapon but lethal at point blank range. I wouldn't be surprised if the police have helped him launder his confession a bit to avoid too much damage to tourism. For one thing his claim that he was fired on first sounds extremely suspect.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Arkady

[frankold]

There must have been plenty of witnesses so if the above isn't the truth, no doubt it will come out soon enough in the UK papers.

When Chalerm's son killed a cop who had run over his toes in the nightclub at Rachadaphisek at point blank, about 10 witnesses had seen him firing the gun at close distance... even the closed circuit camera's had captured this but the image appeared very unclear (sic??????)

He was acquitted for lack of evidence and witnesses! By this, Thailand had its own O.J. Simpson case! Something to be proud of! Then the killer was black, the victim was white.... and the jury was black as well.

You think this time it will be better? Don't forget the killer is a Thai, the victim is a "farang", which makes a hell of a difference...

Thai justice... no surprise!

The difference is this guy's friends and a lot of other people who witnessed what happened will be heading back to their own countries where they have nothing to fear from the truth.

With the above taken into account, I'd guess the current version of events given by the BIB is for once pretty accurate.

Like the 2 Portuguese guys in the deaths of the French Canadian sisters in Phiphi ....?? Who refused to talk to the press from the comfort and security of their home country and one of them while he was somewhere in Europe on his way back...???

Were they not in some way suspects?

[Scully]

I am currently in the UK for Christmas, this is all over the BBC, ITV, and Sky news bulletins. It's the second story on the ITV news stating the island is well known for drugs and crime. It is painting a very different picture of Thailand that many UK residents actually believe.

I am quite surpised its isn't in the main news section, not just the local forum.

[Kipperthai]

I am currently in the UK for Christmas, this is all over the BBC, ITV, and Sky news bulletins. It's the second story on the ITV news stating the island is well known for drugs and crime. It is painting a very different picture of Thailand that many UK residents actually believe.

I am quite surpised its isn't in the main news section, not just the local forum.

Yup watched guy on sky news earlier ,ripping the place to shreads ...I wonder if he's a member here

[Arkady]

The police say that one gang was shooting at another which decided to shoot back! Then why in the hell has only one person been arrested ? Oh. I get it, they have left the others alone so that they can do a proper job next time.

If it was cross fire then man slaughter could be possible

The police say that one gang was shooting at another which decided to shoot back! Then why in the hell has only one person been arrested ? Oh. I get it, they have left the others alone so that they can do a proper job next time.

If it was cross fire then man slaughter could be possible

No I don't think so and there is such a crime in the Thai Penal Code anyway. A charge of causing death through recklessness might be possible, if some one who was lawfully carrying a gun, such as a policeman, had pulled it out and accidentally discharged a round. However, this was someone who was illegally carrying an unlicensed gun which he produced in a crowded public place with the intention of killing or seriously wounding someone. The fact the person he killed was a different person from the one he intended to kill or wound would not even make it manslaughter in an English court. Abhisit and Suthep are being charged with murder through the rather questionable use of a section in the Penal Code that assigns criminal responsibility to someone who knew or should have known that his action or negligence would result in criminal damage. In this case the use of this section would be thoroughly appropriate, if the suspect decided to reverse his confession and not plead guilty.

[Nigel1500]

Police identified the suspect as Ekkapun Klaewkla. Police said he confessed to killing Stephen Ashton, 22, a city trader, during an exchange of fire with another group of men who allegedly fired at his group.

Police quoted Ekkapun as claiming that his group was outnumbered during a fight at about 5am on January 1, so he decided to use his homemade gun to protect himself. Ashton was hit accidentally.

Dry that one out you can fertilize the lawn. Bullshit. And he thought of this himself or with a little help from the BIB - disgusting.

Amazing Lieland.

This is a dumb post.

The police have the gun, the bullet, and the DNA. A few simple tests and the accused can be linked to the death of the tourist. The accused is no rocket scientist, so don't expect any sensible explanation from him.

The Royal Thai Police did a great job in tracking down this man in the first place, so pull your head in and stop bagging them out!

[A Member]

If "carrying a gun in public" is an offence then more prisons will be needed especially for the politicians, VIPs and "would be"s" who do

[bdenner]

Death Penalty direct , to be executed next month we want !!!!

Great 1st post, shows intellect and reason. --- NOT ---

[A Member]

Police identified the suspect as Ekkapun Klaewkla. Police said he confessed to killing Stephen Ashton, 22, a city trader, during an exchange of fire with another group of men who allegedly fired at his group.

Police quoted Ekkapun as claiming that his group was outnumbered during a fight at about 5am on January 1, so he decided to use his homemade gun to protect himself. Ashton was hit accidentally.

Dry that one out you can fertilize the lawn. Bullshit. And he thought of this himself or with a little help from the BIB - disgusting.

Amazing Lieland.

This is a dumb post.

The police have the gun, the bullet, and the DNA. A few simple tests and the accused can be linked to the death of the tourist. The accused is no rocket scientist, so don't expect any sensible explanation from him.

The Royal Thai Police did a great job in tracking down this man in the first place, so pull your head in and stop bagging them out!

Simple tests cover it, will have to be for the boys in brown to get it right. Hard to believe they moved so quickly, stopped collecting the monthly payments and did their job. The arrested person hasn't been convicted yet.

[limbos]

a british consul lives there

A British Honorary consul lives on Koh Samui. You're saying that he will recover the facts?