Kidnapping of Phuket boy, 4, foiled at bus terminal

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Kidnapping of Phuket boy, 4, foiled at bus terminal
Phuket Gazette


Yupin Matratturat (left) and Thanawat Ouanain were caught at Phuket Bust Terminal 2, waiting to board a bus to Bangkok with Nong Ice, 4. Photo: PR Dept

PHUKET: -- Quick action by a Phuket village headman last night stopped a couple about to board a bus to Bangkok with a 4-year-old boy who had been abducted from his home in Koh Kaew.

Worried parents of the boy, named by police only as “Nong Ice”, reported their son missing from their home in Koh Kaew Soi 10 at about 8pm after scouring the neighborhood for him.

“After failing to find him, village headman Sangkom Sinthupradit went to Phuket’s main bus terminal with the parents and many local village defense volunteers to see if he was there,” explained Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermpan Sirikong.

Members of the search party saw the accused – Thanawat Ouanain and Yupin Matratturat from Bangkok – sitting with the boy, waiting to board a bus.

“The village headman moved in and placed the couple under arrest, and with the support of the local villagers, escorted them to Phuket City Police Station,” Col Sermphan said.

At the police station, the parents explained that Mr Thanawat and Ms Yupin first came to their home about a week ago.

“The couple were unemployed and asked for food. While at the house, they befriended Nong Ice, saying they did not have children of their own,” Col Sermphan said.

“Every day, for days after that, the couple came to the house to play with the boy.”

Col Sermpan urged all parents to beware of strangers with their children.

His warning comes just one week after police confirmed that the human remains found in Chalong in December were those of missing 7-year-old Natthapa “Nong Dear” Papkaew, who disappeared from near her home on December 6 (story here).

— Woranut Pechdee

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Kidnapping-Phuket-boy-foiled-bus-terminal/29021#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-04-02

[lee b]

Everyday, they came back to the house to play with the boy?? Did they not find that a little worrying what so ever??? Nothing shocks me here anymore.

[JesseFrank]

Another example about how sick this society is.

[JUDAS]

Another example about how sick this society is.

Or another example of a community coming together in a time of crisis to save a child.

Sent from my GT-I8552 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[WoopyDoo]

And when the novelty wore off, he would have been abandoned on the streets of BKK and that would have been his life ruined.

1000 baht fine perhaps???

This is Thailand.

[culicine]

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

[billd766]

Oddly enough my wife was telling me something along these lines last week and I was pooh poohing the story as I had not read or heard anything up here in Khampaeng Phet province.

That has got me a bit concerned now especially as the kids are on school holidays.

[draftvader]

Sometimes my neighbours look at me funny when I jump up as they head towards the gate to try and pick up our daughter (we are Brit-Brit). We LOVE them talking to her and playing with her if we're around. The problem is that they then take her off to show somebody else without thinking twice about it. This person then takes her to somebody else. As I've said we have no problem with our neighbours playing with her, it is just the speed of the thoughtless chain reaction that is worrying.

[kamahele]

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

Please name a country in the world where there are no child kidnappings. Please name a country where there is no human trafficking? Please don't blame a whole society for the sins of some. Look how the community responded.

Edited April 2, 2014 by kamahele

[belg]

nobody is pointing in this picture and they dont have handcuffs???

[LivinginKata]

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

From the point of view of child abduction Thailand is no worse than any other country in the world, I would suggest maybe much better than other countries. And it's not any country that is responsible, it's the sick perps who are responsible.

[MMarlow]

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Another example about how sick this society is.

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

It's not society, or the whole country, it was 2 individuals in this case.

[sonar6ca]

Another example about how sick this society is.

I am sure where you come from everyone is peachy. The question is what are you still doing here?

[sonar6ca]

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

SO, why are you still here Einstein?

[umbanda]

I like to talk and play with kids, but I have to stop even walking close to them when I move to the USA in 1992. Too much child abuse and kidnappings there......and parents acting very defensive to strangers.The last US "fashion" is to walk small children with a dog chest leash in busy places. Pathetic!! Was refreshing to come to Thailand and see so many kids playing together on the streets....and Its parents without concerns.

I hope that never changes.

Edited April 2, 2014 by umbanda

[rosst]

Heading to BKK on a bus? Then to the Cambodian border to be sold? What a sick country.

Please name a country in the world where there are no child kidnappings. Please name a country where there is no human trafficking? Please don't blame a whole society for the sins of some. Look how the community responded.

Yes, well said, the rural community where I live would have reacted the same way, well done. The children in Thailand have the opportunity to enjoy unstructured play with a range of ages of the children and it shows in the excellent relationships across age groups which is now missing in many western societies. Yes, there is a risk but the interaction between all residents of the village and it's children is a great thing. This is particularly important for some older residents who may not have access to their grandchildren. A great outcome a shame it happened .

[Johnnie99]

I enjoy how the 'news' media use words reserved for speech only such as 'nong' and 'khun'. What next? P'Taksin?

Remarkable.

[HerbalEd]

Another example about how sick this society is.

This kind of thing happens all over the world ... including your native country.

[fatdrunkandstupid]

So what does the police officer say to these people.

So you stole a kid

Yes

Why

We liked him...

Where does the conversation go from there?

[Benmart]

And when the novelty wore off, he would have been abandoned on the streets of BKK and that would have been his life ruined.

1000 baht fine perhaps???

This is Thailand.

Perhaps. Conjecture at best.

[Benmart]

So what does the police officer say to these people.

So you stole a kid

Yes

Why

We liked him...

Where does the conversation go from there?

Possibly:

Did you have the parents permission to take the child?

What was your intention in taking the child?

Did you know that doing so was breaking the law and could be considered kidnapping?

Have you done this before?

What were you going to do once you had the child?

And on and on...hopefully.

In "normal" circumstances elsewhere, the police need to build the case, submit it to the prosecutor who will review it and hopefully it goes to trial. Here in Thailand, one can only observe and hope justice served.

Intent

Ability

Commission

[alfalfa19]

That village headman was really on the ball. Bravo to him, and the villagers who helped him. It seems the community response was much more useful than relying on the police.

[Tanlic]

And when the novelty wore off, he would have been abandoned on the streets of BKK and that would have been his life ruined.

1000 baht fine perhaps???

This is Thailand.

You got to be joking..........Depends on how the court see it.....If they think their intentions were to demand a ransom or sell the child then they are in deep kaka.

Had they got away demanded a ransom and then been caught the penalty is death..............plus 1000 baht fine

Thanks to the community they caught them...so a big thumbs up for them.

[Jimjim]

Another example about how sick this society is.

I am sure where you come from everyone is peachy. The question is what are you still doing here?

Peachy and don't forget preachy as well.