Swedes Burns Down Bungalow Village In Koh Lanta

[Moving]

Let me see if I've got this right...

A Swedish couple is accused and arrested for setting a fire...YET it is "unclear what they will be charged with". The GF is not being charged and is being called as witness against her BF.

It the meantime the OWNER has posted 200,000 baht bail for the individual that has been accused of setting fire to the bungalows and restaurant.

I love it when the facts come out...everything is clear now. Isn't it??

[davo_85]

Guess they should start building houses with steel! But if 15m was the amount, I don't think they would be able to buy enough steel for 20 bungalows and a restaurant.

I wonder what those tourists were doing there! Don't they know that place is bloody dangerous?

Well, I should also remind my in-laws' villagers to get their wooden huts insured!

Oh yes, and of course to install FSIs as well! What? Are we talking about Thailand here?

Good thing is that the whole dangerous place burned down,so it is safe again !

No way! No one is safe until they go back to the west! There still are no signs here on the lamp-posts to warn you from bumping into one! No signs to warn you about the pavement being lumpy! No one to warn you the hot coffee you bought can scald your throat!

I guess we don't have to look into the dictionary today to find the meaning of the words "anger" OR "ignorance".

How come Koh lanta is dangerous ? I went their last novemeber and it seemed ok. Something ive missed ?

[sbk]

Lets see, staying in a bamboo hut with a thatched roof and they light a candle? What a pair of idiots. This is not the first time I have heard of stupid stoned farangs burning down a bungalow but it is the first time I have ever heard of them burning down an entire bungalow resort!

Most of these small places do not have insurance, probably can't get insurance and even if they did have it, fire would probably not be covered due to the highly inflammable nature of the materials.

That said, 15 million is excessively high, a wood bungalow costs about 200,000 B to build fully furnished, but that is without tv, ac and hot water. A bamboo hut will certainly NOT have tv/ac/hot water/refrigerator. However, add in lost property of other guests, fully furnished kitchen, 20 rooms, and most likely the owner's residence as well, and the price does get higher. but 15 million???

[snowleopard]

My question remains: Do you think a Thai national would be charged with the same amount? 15 Lan? Seems like a farang price to me. 

Had a Thai caused the fire then he would have fled the scene either by running or swimming to safety!

They instinctively know how the law works and that it's much safer not being charged with anything!

Snowleopard.

[Guest IT Manager]

Let me see if I've got this right...

A Swedish couple is accused and arrested for setting a fire...YET it is "unclear what they will be charged with". The GF is not being charged and is being called as witness against her BF.

It the meantime the OWNER has posted 200,000 baht bail for the individual that has been accused of setting fire to the bungalows and restaurant.

I love it when the facts come out...everything is clear now. Isn't it??

We don't make the news, merely edit it for your consumption, but those are the facts as they were given to us.

[Moving]

######..

Understand you are giving us "the facts as reported to you", what I am trying to say is "the facts as reported to you" don't seem to pass the BS test...

Question: Do the Thai people, in general, have faith, trust and confidence in their police, elected officials, and their press?

[meemiathai]

Meemiathai, it's likely better not to nail gun every foreigner in the place for thinking that the Thai owners were colluding with some agency or other, since it is normal practice, and I suspect you would have to be well aware of that.

Since I don't live in Thailand, I have no idea what the situation really is here. And you being the admin person, would assume that your words are trusty. By your confirmation that it is normal practice(meaning everytime), I honestly have nothing to say and will keep my mouth shut. I have my heart for all those victims and do condemn all those who try to cheat people of money!

If I thought that the posts, particularly that of Elvis were based on anything other than "prior experience" I would have had a go at them. They weren't in my opinion, so I didn't.

I truly thought they were based on "prejudice". But now....

[valentinoxxx]

Whatever happened to link I posted with the pics of Sanctuary? Hmmm...The site they were on has gone down within the last couple of hours.

[george]

Photo: CHRISTIAN JONHAMMAR/Aftonbladet

[terdsak_12]

I guess accidents just happen.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The Swedes need a half decent lawyer to tell the owner and the cops to screw 'emselves ... hard to prove that it was or wasn't an accident

[JJDinsay]

I don't know - if I was the owner and they burned it down, I'd be pretty pissed. I don't care if it's made out of grass, or if I didn't get insurance on it etc . . . . . . . . .

The thing is, the owner can't be held totally liable for this thing, he/she didn't sleep with an open candle in a wooden hut! They should be held responsible. Well considering that the owner bailed out the Farang probably means that they were in on it. And the plot thickens . . . . . . . .

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I don't know - if I was the owner and they burned it down, I'd be pretty pissed. I don't care if it's made out of grass, or if I didn't get insurance on it etc . . . . . . . . .

The thing is, the owner can't be held totally liable for this thing, he/she didn't sleep with an open candle in a wooden hut! They should be held responsible. Well considering that the owner bailed out the Farang probably means that they were in on it. And the plot thickens . . . . . . . .

A scam on the Swedish insurance company perhaps

[adjan jb]

have they retrieved the "forgotten" candle ?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

have they retrieved the "forgotten" candle ?

Would there still be a candle ?

[adjan jb]

have they retrieved the "forgotten" candle ?

Would there still be a candle ?

candlewax wanes.

[snowleopard]

The Swedes need a half decent lawyer to tell the owner and the cops to screw 'emselves ...

I'd say there aren't any decent or half decent lawyers in Thailand.

I've talked to many Thais who are attorneys and they have told me some inside stories how money is made by using the law.

In Thailand police,prosecutors,lawyers,judges and the rest all play on the same team.

That is the winning team!

Snowleopard.

[castelleone]

....and again, what is the moral of this story?

Just beware of anything like this and try to prevent all kinds of misfortune especially while in Thailand.

I know this is easy to advise, but I live this motto myself. So far I was lucky...

[meadish_sweetball]

My own translation of a news article from today's Aftonbladet http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/stor...,437850,00.html follows:

The Swede was released - the hotel owner paid his bail

KOH LANTA, THAILAND.

Mårten Stenbeck, 34, was released against bail yesterday - however, he is not allowed to leave Thailand. He is currently under suspicion for inadvertently having caused the fire which laid an entire bungalow resort in ruins this past Saturday.

- My friend's life's work is now destroyed. He has lost everything, says Mårten Stenbeck.

Aftonbladet's special correspondent reached Long Beach, Ko Lanta, Thailand yesterday.

This is where 20 bungalows were destroyed in a violent fire early this past Saturday morning.

Assumes responsibility

Mårten Stenbeck, 34, from Solna, Sweden, assumed responsibility for the fire and was subsequently released against bail. Aftonbladet met him a few hours after his release.

For the past eleven years, Mårten Stenbeck has been a regular visitor to the bungalow operation Sanctuary Resort, and during the course of the years, he has become gradually closer to the owner, Hasan Yompuk and his family.

Firestorm

Mårten recalls how his girlfriend, Marie Lindgren, woke up because of the fire.

- She shook me awake, screaming there was a fire. We darted out of our bungalow.

In a joint effort the couple managed to wake up and evacuate all the other guests in the area, most of whom were Scandinavians.

Nobody was hurt, but 20 bungalows, the restaurant and the residence of the Yompuk family all burned down to the ground within 30 minutes.

A handful of bungalows by the edge of the road were saved, since one of the bungalows was tipped over to serve as a barrier against the rapidly approaching flames.

- This is my life, Hasan Yompuk says mournfully, pointing to what is left of his business.

The Ko Lanta fire department arrived at the site when the majority of the resort had already burnt down.

- On their way here, they took a wrong turn. When they finally arrived and turned on the faucet, not a single drop of water came out. Somewhat tragicomical, Mårten Stenbeck says.

The fire started in the bungalow of Mårten and Marie. The couple themselves believe the fire may have been caused by a candle or a burning cigarette.

When the police arrived at the site, they questioned the couple about the cause of the fire.

- I assumed responsibility, Mårten says.

- The fire was an accident of course, and the police understands this. But I wanted to make this up to my friend Hasan who has lost everything.

Thai law is fairly strict concerning negligence as a cause of fire.

Even accidental fires may lead to several years in prison. In the face of such potential sanctions, Mårten had to pay bail in order to temporarily walk free.

200 000 baht bail

However, he did not himself have the 200 000 baht which were set as bail.

- He is my friend, that is why I payed his bail, Hasan Yompuk said.

- I don't want to see him behind bars.

According to Mårten and Hasan, they must now agree on a suitable amount of compensation. Their agreement will then be presented to the court in Krabi within two weeks.

- If the court accepts our agreement, I have to get the money first, and then I may return to Sweden, Mårten Stenbeck says.

CHRISTER NILSSON

Published: Aftonbladet, 2004-02-24 (http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,437850,00.html)

Translated from the original Swedish, any mistakes in the English are enitrely my own responsibility.

Mårten Stenbeck, 34, was released against bail yesterday

PHOTO: CHRISTER NILSSON/Aftonbladet

Photo added to post by Admin

Edited February 24, 2004 by george

[goofy]

Burning news....

To build a bamboo bungalow on lanta you pay about 30000 bht, to make a nice concrete bungalow its about 200000 bht including AC and hotwater shower etc.

The current gossip is that the lease of this land is to finished next year, how convinient that they suddenly burned down so he didnt have to put them down himself !!!!

######in scam if its true,, but as i sad only rumours...

[cdnvic]

Seeing how those things are framed, (looks like one of those houses you build out of drinking straws when drunk) if they have people willing to pay 200,000 for those fire traps its time for me to get back into the construction industry.

The owner should get nothing as the buildings are deathtraps, and despite there being treatments out there to greatly retard the flamability of thatch structures, it doesn't suprise me that no regard to safety was paid by the owner. Was there adaquate fire suppression measures (hoses/extinguishers, etc) on premises? Doesn't look like it. The candle started the fire probably, but the rest of the damage, aside from the original 'bungalow' is the result of yet another case of a neglegent busnessman putting money before safety. He should get nothing, then maybe others would take notice.

cv

[mraitchison]

What happens to his Visa if he has to stay here - does he get an unlimited stay until it is sorted out or will immigration police jump him and hold him just to make it more difficult?

Now that would be a bugger

[A. BOOZER]

What happens to his Visa if he has to stay here - does he get an unlimited stay until it is sorted out or will immigration police jump him and hold him just to make it more difficult?

Now that would be a bugger

I am glad that someone else thinks along the same lines as me! The thing being that by the time this has gone through the system, he might well be getting an automatic retirement visa.

[george]

His visa: He will get a special extension until the case is finished, with no overstay charges.

[hkthai]

Swedes burns down bungalow village in Koh Lanta

Damage claims for 15 million Baht

Is it just me? But where does it say 15 million baht damage claim anywhere in the article posted??

[george]

But where does it say 15 million baht damage claim anywhere in the article posted??

Here.

[Up2U]

I thought at the start that either the Swedes had been smoking wacky baccy, or had a few too many beers, or had left a mosquito coil burning (or perfumed candle with same purpose).

But now ...

The guy has been visiting for 15 years ?

The lease is up next year ?

The value is estimated at ~ 200,000 baht per hut ?

Must be a scam against Skandia.

It's a wonder the huts are still liveable after 15+ years of tourist occupation, anyway.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Reeks of a scam...but will anyone find out ? Some Scando's are clever ( Scando members of this board excepted ) time MIGHT tell for some reason the average insurer is a suspicious sort of bastard.

[snowleopard]

Must be a scam against Skandia.

Reeks of a scam...but will anyone find out ?

I've been thinking along the same lines!There might be something fishy!

I read in the Swedish papers that the Swede had been visiting regularly for eleven years.

He and the owner of this holiday resort seem to be very chummy indeed.

Almost like family!

The Swede accepts total responsibility for his actions and wants to compensate because he feels bad for his friends who has now lost everything.

Swedes seem to have automatic travel insurance coverage from their home insurance policy!

The bungalow owner paid the bail because the poor backpacker didn't have enough cash!Why?Aren't most Thais "kee neeo"!

I hope we can get follow-up coverage on how this story develops!

Will the accidental arsonist be imprisoned,allowed to leave for Sweden or will he become a shareholder in a holiday resort??

Snowleopard.

[meadish_sweetball]

I agree that this might very well be an attempt at a scam, but to say that most Thais are kee neeo is quite rude.

The locals I have met and talked to on Lanta are really nice and generous people, and thanks to the relative inaccessibility of the more remote parts of the island, they still were when I visited with my girlfriend last year (on account of them remembering me, and because they wanted to show hospitality to my girlfriend, who is a northern Thai, we were given the best bungalow of their resort for half the price the other tourists paid for less attractive bungalows).

If Mårten really has been visiting this family regularly for eleven years (for Lanta, this basically means since the beginning of tourism), I think there is actually a chance that he is just an honoured and welcome guest.

Kindness does exist. But, then again, so do insurance scams.