French tourist threatens Phuket shop assistant with scissors

[Lite Beer]

French tourist threatens Phuket shop assistant with scissors
Wiparatana Nathalang

PHUKET: a French national was arrested late yesterday afternoon (February 15) after threatening a 7-Eleven employee and running off with B2,000.

The employee, Sunisa Minlamai, who works at the 7-Eleven on Sirirat Rd in Patong, called police to tell them that a tourist had come into the store and used scissors to threaten her, stealing B2,000.

When police arrived a few minutes later they found Ms Sunisa and he colleague Sauwarat Muckchok shaking with fear in the store.

Ms Sunisa explained that she was checking stock on the shelves when a tourist came in and told her that he wanted to return the cell phone he had bought on the Thursday (February 13) for B1,200. It did not work, he said, and he wanted his money back.

She told him that she did not have the authority to refund his money, and asked him to wait for the shop’s manager.

The tourist left the store, then came back a minute later, she said, and walked straight to one of the shelves where he grabbed a pair of scissors, which he then used to threaten her. Terrified, she gave him B2,000. He then walked out and rode away on a Honda Click motorcycle.

Ms Sunisa managed to get the number of the motorbike and gave this to police.

Pol Maj Suthichai Theinpoa ordered a check of CCTV footage, and alerted other officers to keep a lookout for the bike.

Police soon located the suspect at Lucky Mansion in Patong and arrested him.

The suspect’s name was given as Lahkim Riad, 38, from France. After his arrest Ms Sunisa identified him as the man who had threatened her. Police are now looking for the scissors as evidence in the case they are building against the Frenchman

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/french-tourist-threatens-phuket-shop-assistant-with-scissors-44627.php

-- Phuket News 2014-02-16

[Somtamnication]

Non escargo at the Phuket Prison, mon ami!!!!

[chooka]

Why not just say it as it is? It was an armed robbery

[Shot]

^{Sheer stupidity}

[Briggsy]

There appears to be a picture of a Lahkim Riad on Picasa.

[timewilltell]

Funny how the police are so quick to react and find a farang yet seem unable to locate a Thai wanted for crime against a farang unless the press coverage forces their hand. Glad they got the nutter anyway

[stevenl]

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

Edited February 16, 2014 by stevenl

[patongphil]

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

French football team photo

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Obvious frustration, so he did a self-help refund. Who buys phones from a 7-Eleven anyway?

[chooka]

Obvious frustration, so he did a self-help refund. Who buys phones from a 7-Eleven anyway?

His frustration may have just got him a stint in the Hilton for armed robbery.

[JoeThePoster]

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

They don't. This one was a doorstop.

[stockholm1995]

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

French football team photo

And the EX president of France Nicolas Sarkozy Born (hungarian) nagybócsai Sárközy Pál,

[stevenl]

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

French football team photo

And the EX president of France Nicolas Sarkozy Born (hungarian) nagybócsai Sárközy Pál,

Don't think many people will be missing him.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Dap]

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

They don't. This one was a doorstop.

Holy cr*p, a 2000 baht doorstop?

Musta' been an Idoorstop eh

[huahinjoe]

French or not french, he must have been a complete idiot...

I don't understand how people can loose their mind in small things like this in a relatively patient and friendly country like Thailand..

Must be the hot weather or the lack of brain cells I guess

[Nepse]

Some behaviour are indeed part of a different culture...knife, all "white weapon" are part of these cultures.French passport has nothing to do with being French from the cultural point of view and it is very unpleasant to read "about the French" the way most of you talk about. Water and oil mix very badly together, maybe in some more generations!,,

[GuyL]

I am ashamed. Not because one of my fellow countrymen behaved shamefully, attacking someone with scissors (him being French is purely anecdotal and he acted as an individual, not as a representative of his country), but rather because several of my countrymen are posting racist comments here, by making a distinction between French nationals because of their facies or the origin of their name. In their attempt to defend a certain France, they deny one of its core values ​​that made this great nation the country of Human Rights. Remember our national motto: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!

So yes, the individual mentioned in the news is a French national, incontestably. He might also be a video games aficionado (for instance). But it would be foolish to infer that he acted inappropriately because he is a fan of video games, just as it would be foolish to believe that it was because he is French or of any other ethnicity.

Edited February 16, 2014 by GuyL

[Suradit69]

Funny how the police are so quick to react and find a farang yet seem unable to locate a Thai wanted for crime against a farang unless the press coverage forces their hand. Glad they got the nutter anyway

What's funny is some of the deductions made about the police by Thai Visa statisticians. Do you have a link to your data about Thai Police not pursuing Thais who commit crimes against farang compared to the apprehension rate of farang who commit crimes? I mean other than bar stool speculation and trips of fantasy or reading a few carefully chosen Thai Visa threads.

Do you think the time it takes to catch criminals should be the same in every case? If the police don't apprehend Thais, does that mean the prisons are empty aside from the "unfairly" targeted farangs?

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

"Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW."

Yes, that surprised me too. Not too surprised that a Baht 1200 mobile phone sold at 7-Eleven didn't provide cutting edge performance though.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Suradit69

[biplanebluey]

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

French football team photo

SO? Whats with the French football Team???????

[timewilltell]

Funny how the police are so quick to react and find a farang yet seem unable to locate a Thai wanted for crime against a farang unless the press coverage forces their hand. Glad they got the nutter anyway

What's funny is some of the deductions made about the police by Thai Visa statisticians. Do you have a link to your data about Thai Police not pursuing Thais who commit crimes against farang compared to the apprehension rate of farang who commit crimes? I mean other than bar stool speculation and trips of fantasy or reading a few carefully chosen Thai Visa threads.

Do you think the time it takes to catch criminals should be the same in every case? If the police don't apprehend Thais, does that mean the prisons are empty aside from the "unfairly" targeted farangs?

If he isn't French it is time for France to return the titles they won with Zinedine Zidane. Or was he a real Frenchman?

Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW.

"Did not know they sold telephones at 7/11 BTW."

Yes, that surprised me too. Not too surprised that a Baht 1200 mobile phone sold at 7-Eleven didn't provide cutting edge performance though.

The prisons are full because of drug cases. I guess it comes down to experience.

Woman comes into my shop, threatens staff, throws computer monitor on floor and then tries to smash plate glass window which is laminated. Police called, she says it is all a mistake and no action taken because it is all just a mistake after all

Police turn up at a restaurant, one drunk pissed off the this ex girlfriend is sitting with another guy customer. Policeman starts waving gun around and asked to leave. Returns the next day trying to shut the restaurant but superiors shown CCTV footage - no action all just a mistake.

Criminal arrest warrant against guy who has committed fraud, cashed a cashiers cheque of a customer made out to a business unrelated to him. Citizens arrest made and taken to police station who demand a substantial sum to take him into custody demanded by the court and if not paid the would allow him to leave.

Just a few of many instances. But no of course I have no figures except for my personal experience, And neither does anyone have any figures one way or another because these sorts of things will not be recorded by the police and any attempt at investigation is covered up.

Then again maybe the police are not biased at all and just stop foreigners with no helmets while Thais ride by in droves because the police are short sighted and can't tell one from another?

Please ......

[Sheryl]

A large number of posts have been deleted in keeping with forum rules against making ethnic slurs/slurs against specific nationalities, along with posts replying to them.

A post discussing moderation has also been deleted.

You all know better than this..or if you do not, then please read the Forum rules before posting again.

I fail to see why the perpetrator's nationality or presumed ethnicity are the focus of attention. Within just the past year Thailand has seen similiar incidents involving a wide gamut of foreign nationals/ethnic groups. No country/culture is completely without its lunatics, and they do travel.

[MMarlow]

Funny how the police are so quick to react and find a farang yet seem unable to locate a Thai wanted for crime against a farang unless the press coverage forces their hand. Glad they got the nutter anyway

Which Thai wanted for committing which crime against which farang are you referring to that the police are reluctant or unable to apprehend? Or is your post just a feeble attempt at Thai police-bashing?

[IrishIvan]

If frenchman came at me with a pair of scissors i would think he wanted to give me a haircut

[soundman]

Derogatory post removed from view.

Keep it clean please.

[Lantern]

Find it hard to believe someone could be just so stupid.

What a tosser!

Spell in the Hilton will straighten him out.

[LivinginKata]

Derogatory post removed from view.

And yet another racial slur removed.

[timewilltell]

Funny how the police are so quick to react and find a farang yet seem unable to locate a Thai wanted for crime against a farang unless the press coverage forces their hand. Glad they got the nutter anyway

Which Thai wanted for committing which crime against which farang are you referring to that the police are reluctant or unable to apprehend? Or is your post just a feeble attempt at Thai police-bashing?

I have several examples of my own, people smashing computers in my office, policeman waving guns threatening his ex girlfriend having a drink in a bar and then being asked to leave resulting in him trying to shut the bar down (CCTV proved his downfall when his superior saw it, police trying to extort money to take a person into custody when presented to them together with an arrest warrant. There are more and these are just my personal ones.

Of course the police will not give details on anything that shows them in a bad light so who can provide the intimate details you want for any point to have validity.

Just because you have no proof enough to explain in a forum post does not mean there is no problem.

Edited February 16, 2014 by timewilltell

[stickylies]

and there will be no jail for this guy... he got frustrated with the crap he was sold, asked for refund, didn't get it, took it (losing his patience / coolness), nobody got hurt, this is not a holdup.... he will be fined, and probably pay some extra to police, c'est tout....

[IrishIvan]

and there will be no jail for this guy... he got frustrated with the crap he was sold, asked for refund, didn't get it, took it (losing his patience / coolness), nobody got hurt, this is not a holdup.... he will be fined, and probably pay some extra to police, c'est tout....

He is a bum with no money, he will do gaol

[hansgruber]

Hope he gets TB in prison. Don't need this north African/french crime networks in phuket.