Australian Arrested on Phuket for Shooting German Tourists

By Staff Reporter

PHUKET: -- On the Island of Phuket, Police have arrested an Australian accused of shooting two German tourists by accident during a debt collection that went horribly wrong

Reports from the island suggest that the Australian was actually aiming at a Danish man who is said to have owed money for a motorbike rental, but that the Australian missed and instead put a bullet in each of the two Germans who happened to be nearby.

The two Germans 41 year old Johann Baschenegger and 71 year old , Joseph Werner, were staying at an Hotel on Patong’s Soi Sansabai and managed to get back inside to raise the alarm.

Emergency services treated them on the scene and the elderly gentleman is reported to be in a satisfactory condition at the local hospital, the younger of the two [more...]

Full story: http://www.pattaya10...german-tourist/

--Pattaya 103 FM 2013-01-23

Thank heaven it was not a Thai shooting the tourists....Not sure Phuket can withstand any more bad news......

Missed shots times two ??? Strange........

That picture says Pattaya but that is Phuket. Promthep Cape.

The two powerfully built, still need guns?

That picture says Pattaya but that is Phuket. Promthep Cape.

It's just a "copyright" watermark for Pattaya 103.

Let that be a lesson to all the Aussies..to much beer does effect your accuracy

The same guy would probably sit next to you in a bar and tell you how accurate he was when he sniped xx number of the enemy in Afghanistan.

Actually, going by the standard of English in the news article ( i thought my English was bad ) and quality of reporting in Thailand i will not be surprised if there is a later alteration to say the guy is Austrian..

but who will bet me?

Thank heaven it was not a Thai shooting the tourists....Not sure Phuket can withstand any more bad news......

Missed shots times two ??? Strange........

Well, I wouldn't exactly call this "good news". It merely reinforces the opinion of many of us that Phuket is a place that is best avoided.

There are always something about Phuket nowadays ... isnt it boring ? I stopped to go there for years , it has became one of the worst place in Thailand. There are so many other better places in the kingdom.

That picture says Pattaya but that is Phuket. Promthep Cape.

It's just a "copyright" watermark for Pattaya 103.

The photo is victim Johann Baschenegger's Facebook picture:

https://www.facebook.com/johann.baschenegger

Victim Johann Baschenegger, 42, after the shooting:

Victim Joseph Werner, 71, after the shooting:

Manager News

http://www.manager.co.th/South/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9560000009020

.

Obviously, the Aussie has been in Thailand too long and has picked up some bad business habits off the Thai's. :) :)

Anyway, two more happy tourists to Phuket. The incident will no doubt make it into the German media.

Phuket in more damage control and spin - but doing very little to stop these types of incidents from happening again, and again, and again, and again.

The odd part of this story is the fact the debt collecting was being done by a farang. <deleted> ???

I wonder if you can get a work permit for that. Maybe there are no English speaking Thai mafia people

that can do the job....... I used to live in Phuket 12 years ago and loved it. Now it has

turned into a shit hole. I look forward to the day that it implodes from all the mafia nonsense.

But am sorry for any farang who has a business there. How has such a paradise gone so wrong ???

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

Let's hope they do their time and are then deported, might be a ''little'' safer for folk.

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

A few thoughts. There appears to be a inverse correlation between the number of tattoos and IQ after seeing his photo.

Regarding the amount owed, am a bit surprised to see the loan amount of 380,000 baht zoom up to one million baht.

Man I need to get into the loan business. And who in their right mind would loan money to ANYONE here without having

seizable assets to protect the loan...

Also nice to see the guy had a real gun, a Ruger. Some of the guns the vicious Thai gang bangers on scooters carry look like they would be scary to shoot. Anyway this is bad debt collection, popping off a few rounds in the general direction of the debtor and hitting bystanders. I have a friend who used to collect bad debts for the Hells Angeles. He said he would meet the guy , and immediately break his arm. As the guy is laying on the ground screaming, my friend informed him that unless the debt was paid he would then come back and REALLY hurt him. He said everyone paid........

If the debt collectors in Phuket adapted the same concept it would cut down on tourists being shot.

The same guy would probably sit next to you in a bar and tell you how accurate he was when he sniped xx number of the enemy in Afghanistan.

I think it would be XXXX

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

A few thoughts. There appears to be a inverse correlation between the number of tattoos and IQ after seeing his photo.

Regarding the amount owed, am a bit surprised to see the loan amount of 380,000 baht zoom up to one million baht.

Man I need to get into the loan business. And who in their right mind would loan money to ANYONE here without having

seizable assets to protect the loan...

Also nice to see the guy had a real gun, a Ruger. Some of the guns the vicious Thai gang bangers on scooters carry look like they would be scary to shoot. Anyway this is bad debt collection, popping off a few rounds in the general direction of the debtor and hitting bystanders. I have a friend who used to collect bad debts for the Hells Angeles. He said he would meet the guy , and immediately break his arm. As the guy is laying on the ground screaming, my friend informed him that unless the debt was paid he would then come back and REALLY hurt him. He said everyone paid........

If the debt collectors in Phuket adapted the same concept it would cut down on tourists being shot.

Wouldn't be surprised if the money was for drugs, on consignment, not just a "loan." The million baht would have been the return of the capital "investment" plus their share of the profits, upon sale. I doubt it was a high interest rate.

Phuket shooting - The tatooed mean looking Aussie in the picture is telling police "Mistakes happen, you lot know that"!! Do we send him to the penal colony called Patong or does he get to rot in a Thai jail ?

You can't make this stuff up... Guns, Loans Sharks, huge rates of Interest, Germans, Danes, Aussies and Police. Great melting pot for a plethora of misdeeds in the espoused tropical tourist destination complete with Tuk Tuk and Armchair Mafias, ripoffs at every turn, and gun fights. Yep - Amazing Thailand, an adventure in every holiday and at every turn, but don't forget to duck.

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

A few thoughts. There appears to be a inverse correlation between the number of tattoos and IQ after seeing his photo... [snip]

i don't know about IQ, but a Freddy Krueger and a chucky tattoo? What was he thinking?

talk about a waste of skin.

What i find most interesting is the general lack of indignation on this thread, over this incident, as opposed to the ire apparent on the thread i was just reading where a thai accideintally shot a bystander at the full moon.

Think the ''shooters'' 300,000bht investment will be peanuts if the victims sue for damages.

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

It looks like the guy in handcuffs has just given an "envelope" to the police officer and is saying, "Is that enough to make this go away?" :) :)

Thank heaven it was not a Thai shooting the tourists....Not sure Phuket can withstand any more bad news......

Missed shots times two ??? Strange........

Well, I wouldn't exactly call this "good news". It merely reinforces the opinion of many of us that Phuket is a place that is best avoided.

The Thai tourist people must be close to suicide, as if recent publicity hasn't been bad enough they now have foreigners shooting each other

What i find most interesting is the general lack of indignation on this thread, over this incident, as opposed to the ire apparent on the thread i was just reading where a thai accideintally shot a bystander at the full moon.

Nobody in this thread has been shot DEAD.

So now they're admitting to loan sharking as well. They sound like total idiots to me.

You can't make this stuff up... Guns, Loans Sharks, huge rates of Interest, Germans, Danes, Aussies and Police. Great melting pot for a plethora of misdeeds in the espoused tropical tourist destination complete with Tuk Tuk and Armchair Mafias, ripoffs at every turn, and gun fights. Yep - Amazing Thailand, an adventure in every holiday and at every turn, but don't forget to duck.

Add to the mix that the suspects, Australian John Edward Cohen (the shooter), 33, and his accomplice, Australian Adam Lewis Shea, 26, are now being linked to the infamous Bandidos Gang.

.

Aussies miss target, shoot Phuket tourists

Tanyaluk Sakoot

In handcuffs, one of the two Australians is questioned after his arrest.

PHUKET: -- Two Australians angry with a Danish man who had not repaid money he had borrowed from them, shot at him last night.

They missed, hitting instead two German tourists passing by on Soi Sansabai in Patong.

Joseph Woerner and Johann Baschegger were hit, one in the arm and the other in the shoulder. They were taken to Patong hospital for treatment.

An hour later police arrested the two Australians, whom they named as Adam Lewis and John Cohw [sic]. The latter owns a tattoo shop in Patong and is accused of firing the gun. A Ruger .45 pistol was seized.

The two told police that the Dane had borrowed B380,000 from them. He had not paid any back and, with interest, he now owed them B1 million.

The Danish debtor has not been found, and is believed to be in hiding.

The two Australians are in custody and undergoing further questioning. Cohw was initially charged with attempted murder and with having a gun in a public place.

Source: http://www.thephuket...rists-36550.php

-- The Phuket News 2013-01-23

It looks like the guy in handcuffs has just given an "envelope" to the police officer and is saying, "Is that enough to make this go away?"

Thanks !!!!! That got a laugh out of me..... I thought those famous brown envelopes were an urban myth.

Amazing to see the transfer actually caught by a camera.....

This Aussie looks like a bit of a bruiser, with the exception of the Chucky tattoo. The Dane guy they were trying to get money from must have been REALLY tough if the two Aussie guys felt they had to shoot him first to soften him up...

What i find most interesting is the general lack of indignation on this thread, over this incident, as opposed to the ire apparent on the thread i was just reading where a thai accideintally shot a bystander at the full moon.

Nobody in this thread has been shot DEAD.

Thankfully, but more by luck than judgement.

So now they're admitting to loan sharking as well. They sound like total idiots to me.

It's probably less incriminating than telling the truth.