Danish tourist mugged for kiteboard on Phuket beach
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Police are searching for three foreign men who allegedly threatened a Danish tourist in to handing over his entire kiteboard kit at a Phuket beach.

Bjarke Carlsen, 25, reported to police that the incident occurred yesterday at Friendship Beach

“Mr Carlsen said he was robbed on the beach at about 10am, when three men wearing ski masks approached him from behind,” said Phuket Tourist Police Inspector Urumporn Koondejsumrit.

“The men stopped Mr Carlsen and threatened to beat him if he did not hand over his kiteboarding equipment,” he said.

Mr Carlsen described the three men as tall Caucasians.

“He said their accents sounded European,” Maj Urumporn said.

With his well-being threatened, Mr Carlsen handed over his entire kiteboarding kit, comprising an 11sqm Slingshot kite and bar, a 2sqm Slingshot kite and bar, Airush FS 135 kiteboard, 7sqm Airush kite, North Wam waveboard and a Prolimit harness.

However, Mr Carlsen did not include in his report the total value of the items stolen, Maj Urumporn told the Phuket Gazette.

“We contacted the Chalong Police for assistance with this case. Their officers are now questioning people in the area,” Maj Urumporn said.

“We are also checking CCTV in the area in the hope of identifying the robbers,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Danish-tourist-mugged-for-kiteboard-on-Phuket-beach-23059.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-12-18

^ I am kinda thinking the latter. Three masked foreigners in broad daylight on the beach? I think the cameras will show Mr. Carlson did not go to the beach when he said he did. People don't realize that they have cameras covering every road in Phuket now.

I bet he was trying to set up a kite surfing school without a work permit. Ruffled a few feathers

Giving up your kite-board to 3-masked men without a struggle, with not even a defensive expletive said (like an F.O.bomb) or at least some kind of hot pursuit thereafter the kite-board-jacking does sound very hard to believe, unless the Police are not revealing the whole story.

However, If I was being robbed by three men dressed-like-women on the beach, approached from behind …well of course, that’s an entirely different story and I would gladly surrender my kite-board knowing how nasty the consequences could be.

I happen to see the kiters out on a daily basis, and there is usually between 15-20 out ( all launching from friendship beach/vichit resort) when the tide and wind are right. Yesterday the wind was blowing from the northwest and not the east, so just maybe he was the only genius out that didn't check the wind forecast and was set upon. Story sounds fishy though.

3 masked man reported in the middle of the ocean with only 1 kite-board......

It's screams of bullshit.

We are also checking CCTV in the area in the hope of identifying the robbers, he added.

Just round up everyone wearing ski masks.

The whole thing does not sound very trustworthy...

Thats what happens when you start searching foreigners at night.. the sneaky bastards just start wearing their ski masks around during the day time

I'm thinking he has sold it, and is now also trying to claim some insurance on it.

If it is crap , he would be better saying it was 3 Thais! Then there would have been no police investigation.

“He said their accents sounded European,”

So what language were these European sounding persons speaking?

Thai?

Also what does a "European accent" sound like?

“He said their accents sounded European,”

So what language were these European sounding persons speaking?

Thai?

Also what does a "European accent" sound like?

Well, obviously Europeans speaking English sound different than Americans, Canadians and Australians.

“He said their accents sounded European,”

So what language were these European sounding persons speaking?

Thai?

Also what does a "European accent" sound like?

9 times out of 10 I could identify which continent a person was from by listening to their accent. Couldn't you?

“He said their accents sounded European,”

So what language were these European sounding persons speaking?

Thai?

Also what does a "European accent" sound like?

Well, obviously Europeans speaking English sound different than Americans, Canadians and Australians.

So they were speaking English?

Was walking on the beach and may have seen them today!!!!