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Chinese women tourists beaten in Phuket robbery attempt
Eakkapop Thongtub


Ms Cheng (right) looks on as Ms Ren is fitted with a sling to support her shoulder, dislocated in the attack.

PHUKET: -- Two Chinese women tourists were beaten yesterday evening (October 1) by would-be robbers as they walked back to their hotel in Bang Tao.

Ren Yun, 31, and Cheng Supei, 26, had been shopping at Tesco-Lotus in Cherng Talay and were walking back to their hotel, the Amora Beach Resort. The way is along an ill-lit road with open fields on both sides.

Two men on a motorbike stopped next to them and the passenger stepped off and tried to snatch Ms Ren’s handbag. The two women resisted him and shouted for help.

The attacker then grabbed a large piece of wood that was lying on the pavement and started to beat them with it.

The attackers broke off his assault when he saw the light of an approaching vehicle, and the duo fled on their motorbike, leaving the tourists with their possessions intact.

A passer-by took the two women to Thalang Hospital. Ms Cheng had a few bruises but Ms Ren had damage to her hands and a dislocated shoulder.

Police are looking for the attackers.

After Australian travel agent Michelle Smith died of a fatal stab wound on June 20 last year in Kata, in a similar snatch-and-go attempt, police advised anyone subject to such a robbery not to resist, but to allow the criminals to take their possessions rather than their life.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/chinese-women-tourists-beaten-in-phuket-robbery-attempt-42180.php


-- Phuket News 2013-10-02

[Guest]

Two young Chinese ladies attacted after shopping trip..

Western world got fed up earlier. Russians tour operators has been targetted quite an while. Chinese are greeted with the traditional Phuket style.

Poor tour operators, they have to keep on learning new laguages constantly.

[Chicog]

Let's hope it gets loads of publicity back home.

Land of Smiles my arse. Their most popular tourist venue and it's policed and managed by thieving idiots.

[Paangjang]

The island of hate and pain is too far gone. Doesn't matter is their asians or caucasians.... The locals seem addicted to killing, beating, cheating and robbing tourists. That place is discusting.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Paangjang

[Thai at Heart]

I can't wait for the Chinese ambassador to wade in about this one. The effect will be about 10 times as effective as a farange ambassador.

[jacko45k]

It wasn't a group of taxi drivers or songtaew drivers taking revenge on someone for having the nerve to walk, was it?

Can't do that in Phuket without their permission!

Edited October 2, 2013 by jacko45k

[truckerjoe]

Very sad for these young women,probably traumatized, a ruined holiday and bodily injuries,

These animals that perpetrated the attack will keep at it until they kill someone,

Perhaps the Mayor will upgrade there hotel, pay there hospital charges, and give them

some shopping vouchers as a way of apologizing on behalf of the people of Phuket,

But more likely not!

[Equalizer]

At least here in Pattaya the police, especially on the dark side (Banglamung police), set up huge traps with loads of officers throughout the night and stop these little pricks in the dozen and grill them to bits. The little scum bags dont get a smell in around here.

[belg]

it is getting nicer with the day

[Pomthai]

Police should fit a spiked bullbar to a pick up and go hunting for these cretins. No need to even get outta their vehicles.

[elzach]

If LOS, or certain parts of it, are declared "dangerous" by Chinese media (which btw do report on all incidents that happen to Chinese nationals, unlike their Western counterparts), you can be sure that Thai pockets will suffer. This of course might be the only factor that will prompt officials to take real action (unlike some joke "tourist court" I read about yesterday).

The Chinese are not the "independent" tourists that Westerners are. They go together to certain specific recommended places. Call it if you like "herd tourism". Once a place is branded "dangerous", they'll avoid it like the plague. So 2 Chinese get hurt, 10,000 of them will avoid the place...10 get hurt, 100,000 will avoid it...you get the picture. Good luck to Thailand when the time comes to make up that revenue from the Russian tourists.

[TomTao]

The Chinese have already reduced the number of zero Baht tourists that are allowed to go to Phuket, you could probably guarantee that they will reduce the number of Chinese tourists allowed to go to Phuket again, how much bad press will it take for something to be done to protect the tourists and the revenue they take to Phuket?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[NamKangMan]

"and were walking back to their hotel, the Amora Beach Resort. The way is along an ill-lit road with open fields on both sides." - and why would they be walking home on an ill-lit road - NO AFFORDABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT - on Phuket for tourists.

They were like lambs to the slaughter.

[transam]

I can't wait for the Chinese ambassador to wade in about this one. The effect will be about 10 times as effective as a farange ambassador.

Yep, it needs a non Thai to tell folk to get their heads out their ass and put police on the streets to do the job they are paid for, and not fiddle around doing their own private stuff.

[Guest]

I can't wait for the Chinese ambassador to wade in about this one. The effect will be about 10 times as effective as a farange ambassador.

Yep, it needs a non Thai to tell folk to get their heads out their ass and put police on the streets to do the job they are paid for, and not fiddle around doing their own private stuff.

No, non Thai is generally bad thing. But this changes when power and money come to play. Europe and US are shirking and getting less powerful. China is leading the Asia as the leader of the new world order.

It's better to listen to the people who have the money now and in the future, China.

[Thai at Heart]

I can't wait for the Chinese ambassador to wade in about this one. The effect will be about 10 times as effective as a farange ambassador.

Yep, it needs a non Thai to tell folk to get their heads out their ass and put police on the streets to do the job they are paid for, and not fiddle around doing their own private stuff.

No, non Thai is generally bad thing. But this changes when power and money come to play. Europe and US are shirking and getting less powerful. China is leading the Asia as the leader of the new world order.

It's better to listen to the people who have the money now and in the future, China.

The Chinese don't trifle in this situation. If the ambassador doesn't get the answers he wants, they can influence the agencies a lot. The Chinese are notoriously fickle travelers.

If they aren't safe they will go elsewhere....

[chooka]

Off to the tourist court which was established to provide protection and make tourists feel safe. 1K fine and back onto the streets.

[marell]

I can't wait for the Chinese ambassador to wade in about this one. The effect will be about 10 times as effective as a farange ambassador.

Yep, it needs a non Thai to tell folk to get their heads out their ass and put police on the streets to do the job they are paid for, and not fiddle around doing their own private stuff.

The government couldn't care less what most non-Thais think, but they're scared sh*tless of China.

[MK1]

The island of hate and pain is too far gone. Doesn't matter is their asians or caucasians.... The locals seem addicted to killing, beating, cheating and robbing tourists. That place is discusting.

The risk’s of being mugged in Phuket or anywhere in Thailand or anywhere in the world for that matter has always been there and will be there depending upon the circumstances.

Sadly, this event has occurred just as the new laws have come into effect in China restricting their own tourists from participating in mass packaged tour groups particularly to Phuket.

Due to commission kickbacks, many Chinese tourists in the past have complained bitterly back in China about the way packaged tours lock them in and don't allow them to go where they wish to go (Phuketwan 17/09/13).

This event would seem as a perfect opportunity to strike fear into that tourist industry change, which started on the 1^st of October 2013, with many tour operators, tuk-tuk/taxi divers and bus operators standing to also lose big kick back money from Chinese tourists breaking free from their dingy accommodation confines and packaged organized tours, choosing to wander free as they please...Have you ever seen the Chinese movie 'Lost in Thailand' ?

I would not be surprised if this was an organized hit for that purpose, since we know in recent times the penalty for assault in Thailand is only 1000bt fine and a suspended jail sentence for first time offenders.

Put two and two together it’s worth the risk in organizing such an assault when you think about it; versus the risk of losing millions in kick back commissions.

I’m sure the Chinese media, at the moment, are a buzz with spinning this type of fear created from this event as a result. Keep an open mind, this story is not over yet...maybe a few more muggings to come which can not be rule out.

[rjcampbe]

Hello... Thailand?

This is common sense calling...

I just wanted to point out that you have allowed the crooks to overbuild hotels and under build infrastructure and you have destroyed one of your biggest potential tourist areas... Yes... that's right... I'm talking about Phuket, but there are many other locations in the same situation...

But even worse than that is that you refuse to address the criminals ripping off tourists with taxi and tuk tuk mafias, threatening them with violence in jet ski scams, and murdering and assaulting them in the process of committing what really amounts to petty theft.

What's that? You have a task force that is going to clean up the island in 3 weeks? Well, that is just great to hear... but your "officials" just keep making speeches that make your entire country look foolish. That might be because they are bumbling corrupt idiots who never do anything to solve the real problems because they are all on the take. I don't know... I'm just a farang, so how can I ever understand "Thainess"?

You say that tourism is healthy? Well, the fact is that you are chasing away the American tourists... you are chasing away the European tourists... you are chasing away the Australian tourists...

Oh... I see... Tourism is up from India and China... Well, you can pretend that the changing demographics don't matter because you have more Indian and Chinese tourists... But the data shows that tourists from these countries spend substantially less than the tourists from the western world... And now your foolish officials are allowing the foolish crooks to do the same things to those tourists that you did to the others... So how long to you expect them to put up with this nonsense before they go elsewhere too?

Who do you expect to be your tourists next when the Chinese decide to go elsewhere...

Well, I have to go... I just wanted to suggest that you think about whether it really is in your best interest to keep your short sighted approach and keep killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

And for the record, before you accuse me of being a Thai basher, I chose to live here, I love it here, and I don't expect perfection. But that doesn't mean it is immune from constructive criticism or that it shouldn't seriously address some of the issues it has.

[moonbarman]

Hello... Thailand?

This is common sense calling...

I just wanted to point out that you have allowed the crooks to overbuild hotels and under build infrastructure and you have destroyed one of your biggest potential tourist areas... Yes... that's right... I'm talking about Phuket, but there are many other locations in the same situation...

But even worse than that is that you refuse to address the criminals ripping off tourists with taxi and tuk tuk mafias, threatening them with violence in jet ski scams, and murdering and assaulting them in the process of committing what really amounts to petty theft.

What's that? You have a task force that is going to clean up the island in 3 weeks? Well, that is just great to hear... but your "officials" just keep making speeches that make your entire country look foolish. That might be because they are bumbling corrupt idiots who never do anything to solve the real problems because they are all on the take. I don't know... I'm just a farang, so how can I ever understand "Thainess"?

You say that tourism is healthy? Well, the fact is that you are chasing away the American tourists... you are chasing away the European tourists... you are chasing away the Australian tourists...

Oh... I see... Tourism is up from India and China... Well, you can pretend that the changing demographics don't matter because you have more Indian and Chinese tourists... But the data shows that tourists from these countries spend substantially less than the tourists from the western world... And now your foolish officials are allowing the foolish crooks to do the same things to those tourists that you did to the others... So how long to you expect them to put up with this nonsense before they go elsewhere too?

Who do you expect to be your tourists next when the Chinese decide to go elsewhere...

Well, I have to go... I just wanted to suggest that you think about whether it really is in your best interest to keep your short sighted approach and keep killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

And for the record, before you accuse me of being a Thai basher, I chose to live here, I love it here, and I don't expect perfection. But that doesn't mean it is immune from constructive criticism or that it shouldn't seriously address some of the issues it has.

Don't worry the Thais can encourage more African tourists when the Chinese and Indian ones have had a gut-full and go to safer places elsewhere.

[rjcampbe]

Hello... Thailand?

This is common sense calling...

I just wanted to point out that you have allowed the crooks to overbuild hotels and under build infrastructure and you have destroyed one of your biggest potential tourist areas... Yes... that's right... I'm talking about Phuket, but there are many other locations in the same situation...

But even worse than that is that you refuse to address the criminals ripping off tourists with taxi and tuk tuk mafias, threatening them with violence in jet ski scams, and murdering and assaulting them in the process of committing what really amounts to petty theft.

What's that? You have a task force that is going to clean up the island in 3 weeks? Well, that is just great to hear... but your "officials" just keep making speeches that make your entire country look foolish. That might be because they are bumbling corrupt idiots who never do anything to solve the real problems because they are all on the take. I don't know... I'm just a farang, so how can I ever understand "Thainess"?

You say that tourism is healthy? Well, the fact is that you are chasing away the American tourists... you are chasing away the European tourists... you are chasing away the Australian tourists...

Oh... I see... Tourism is up from India and China... Well, you can pretend that the changing demographics don't matter because you have more Indian and Chinese tourists... But the data shows that tourists from these countries spend substantially less than the tourists from the western world... And now your foolish officials are allowing the foolish crooks to do the same things to those tourists that you did to the others... So how long to you expect them to put up with this nonsense before they go elsewhere too?

Who do you expect to be your tourists next when the Chinese decide to go elsewhere...

Well, I have to go... I just wanted to suggest that you think about whether it really is in your best interest to keep your short sighted approach and keep killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

And for the record, before you accuse me of being a Thai basher, I chose to live here, I love it here, and I don't expect perfection. But that doesn't mean it is immune from constructive criticism or that it shouldn't seriously address some of the issues it has.

Don't worry the Thais can encourage more African tourists when the Chinese and Indian ones have had a gut-full and go to safer places elsewhere.

Sadly, I fear you are correct.

[ttthailand]

Lets see... Chinese lady beaten and robbed. Chinese bus tour sees driver hit and kill someone and then parks the bus and runs away, Thai taxi driver who molested and held a Chinese lady for 5 hours gets a slap on the wrist and is set free....... Great press these last few days for Thailand in the Chinese papers