Phuket bike gang knife and rob two foreign tourists

[Bulldozer Dawn]

A week ago I made the following post in another thread:

"During the last World Cup there was a noticeable spike in crimes against the person. Got to pay those gambling debts.

There is something of a perfect storm brewing for crime here in Phuket. Tuk tuk income gone, beach front business income gone, beach chair income gone, massive vacancies in the hotel sector AND the world cup.

Take care one and all."

I am not a "I told you so kinda guy".

But

I told you so.

[SanukJoeII]

I just have thoughts why people risk much by being on the road in the dark of the night. The Italian at 3 am, let him bring home by a female on a bike (bike does not necessarily mean motorbike). Why he didn't take a taxi? More safe I would say.

Then the Russian woman decides to take a ride on her bike along the beach at 3.30 am.... dark as the night, why risk being attacked? Stay in your hotel or if you really have to be outside, take some safe transportation!

You are probably right. Best to be on the safe side. So the embassies should warn their citizens to stay inside the hotel after dark...

Sort of a curfew, you mean? Sounds like a winning idea...

Everybody has the right to dwell in the streets at night. Just don't complain that it's risky.

[ggt]

Another good story to put in the next Tourist Brochure...just another black mark against the Land of Smiles...more common than you would think...

[Yann55]

I have no idea who TAT is!!

I'm from Australia and I visit Pattaya every year.

It is an undiscovered Paradise and has no Tsunami's!

There are great beaches in Kolat and beyond and Jomtien too .

It's not all about Walking Street.

TAT = Tourism Authority of Thailand

'Kolat' is actually Koh Larn, the small island that's in front of Pattaya (just 40' by boat from South Pattaya Pier) and you are right, the beaches there are gorgeous, even though most of them have been taken over by mass tourism from China and/or rude Russians. But still, one or two are really nice, and the Russians are improving !

Edited July 4, 2014 by Yann55

[Bulldozer Dawn]

I just have thoughts why people risk much by being on the road in the dark of the night. The Italian at 3 am, let him bring home by a female on a bike (bike does not necessarily mean motorbike). Why he didn't take a taxi? More safe I would say.

Then the Russian woman decides to take a ride on her bike along the beach at 3.30 am.... dark as the night, why risk being attacked? Stay in your hotel or if you really have to be outside, take some safe transportation!

He didn't take the taxi because there are none in Karon at the moment. All of the drivers are in jail awaiting prosection for extortion and other crimes of violence.

[lostsoul49]

Ten years ago a city in The Philippines introduced standard sentencing for anyone that was convicted of any sort of crime against a foreign tourist. Punishment was 2 years jail and crime against tourists almost disappeared. Of course tourism progressed at an amazing rate. A thought

In Malawi the sentence for any crime against a tourist was given a mandatory 25 years in prison and crime against tourist vanished completely.

[Whidbeyboy]

I just have thoughts why people risk much by being on the road in the dark of the night. The Italian at 3 am, let him bring home by a female on a bike (bike does not necessarily mean motorbike). Why he didn't take a taxi? More safe I would say.

Then the Russian woman decides to take a ride on her bike along the beach at 3.30 am.... dark as the night, why risk being attacked? Stay in your hotel or if you really have to be outside, take some safe transportation!

Love it when idiots blame people who are just living their life for being attacked. Their is no blame except on these morons. It's like saying some women shouldn't dress a certain way cause they are asking to get raped. This type of thinking pisses me off. We should be able to live our life at any hour of the day. Especially in Thailand.

[jack1965]

Australia has the most beautiful beaches in the world but no match for the laid back culture of Thailand - not to mention the abundance of thinly clad beautiful creatures of the night who can make all your dreams come true . Let's be honest, if you have money, you can live like a King without all the baggage of life in a Western developed nation.

[bubblegum]

Loads of non Phuket residence people posting here, why? You hate us so much ? What went wrong?

Local gangs are evereware and it is NOT good. So where is the promised press release?

[Toscano]

3am is not a time to be out and about in Thailand , or many other places or holiday destinations . People should be safe in their hotels or homes at reasonable hours .

[Maroon Watcher]

Send them to North Korea - for "re-Training"

and to work in a factory there...

That will turn them back into welcoming hosts...

[sydneyjed]

A few years back drank at a bar in Karon and the English owner(from Liverpool)showed me the bullet(hole)in his thigh where he had been shot while riding home one night!<deleted>..where are the police out there..busy stopping farang motor cyclists up on the hill there from Kambala no doubt!!The surf is shit there and now the crime is getting real bad..Why would you bother?

[Emster23]

Let us hope that part of planning of cracking down on all those economic crimes would be forecasting increase in violent crime. Let us hope that when riot act was read to police in Phuket it included "You will find anyone who does violent crimes. You were severely punish them. You will not catch and release." Just hoping. But does involve some foresight.

[belg]

so why no police patrolling & stuff in those dangerous areas ?

[anon676545345]

3am is not a time to be out and about in Thailand , or many other places or holiday destinations . People should be safe in their hotels or homes at reasonable hours .

Those crazy risk taking fools brought it on themselves, I persoanally only leave my residence between 10am to 2pm and only if I have someone to hold my hand and tell me that I'm spetial.

[joecoolfrog]

I have been a regular visitor to Phuket since 2001 and not been a victim of violent crime , IMO Central London is more dangerous especially for a tourist. Having said that it doesnt take much to give a destination a bad reputation and no tourist wants a guided tour of the local hospital.

Punitive measures need to be used against those who target visitors to Phuket , thats the only way to stamp it out.

[jackh]

I see another 500 baht fine coming once they catch these guys.

Phewket......."Land of gangs, mafia, jet ski rip off, corrupt police, taxi muggers" A unique vacation experience is guaranteed.

[PaPiPuPePo]

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I just have thoughts why people risk much by being on the road in the dark of the night. The Italian at 3 am, let him bring home by a female on a bike (bike does not necessarily mean motorbike). Why he didn't take a taxi? More safe I would say.

Then the Russian woman decides to take a ride on her bike along the beach at 3.30 am.... dark as the night, why risk being attacked? Stay in your hotel or if you really have to be outside, take some safe transportation!

You are probably right. Best to be on the safe side. So the embassies should warn their citizens to stay inside the hotel after dark...

Sort of a curfew, you mean? Sounds like a winning idea...

If you're distorting what he wrote, you're not really replying to it at all, are you?

Not to dismiss the seriousness of the crime, and I hope these punks are all caught and severely punished, but indeed if you're riding around (probably drunk) at 3AM stuff like this just might happen, most places in the world.

Edited July 4, 2014 by PaPiPuPePo

[fasteddie]

Give Puket a miss and go to Pattaya which is much safer and has more to Offer to all travellers.

There are beautiful beaches, great hotels, lovely women and trannies and much more Tourist police looking after tourists. A great place for solo travellers and families too with great shopping and sight seeing too. Paradise on Earth

No need for sarcasm!

[Old Croc]

Give Puket a miss and go to Pattaya which is much safer and has more to Offer to all travellers.

There are beautiful beaches, great hotels, lovely women and trannies and much more Tourist police looking after tourists. A great place for solo travellers and families too with great shopping and sight seeing too. Paradise on Earth

There's trannies in Phuket too, Jack. You wouldn't be lonely if you actually visited, instead of just sharing your valuable opinion on a forum.

Phuket has somewhere between 2 and 3 million tourists visiting each year and there's only one or two stabbing incidents against tourists each year. Most of the violent crimes are Thai on Thai or Burma on Burma.

Statistically the Island is probably a much safer place than whatever city you come from in the western world.

For the people who are too scared to visit Phuket because they read about the occasional incident like this, you create much mirth and incredulity for us locals. How the hell did you manage to gather enough courage to get on a plane and scurry to your little Issan village!!

[PHP87]

I like guns. Shoot the bastards. If people can not have guns why do cops not do the job?

If you had a gun legally, so would those bastards. Think.

They will have guns, legally or illegally. In Brazil, the thugs make guns. It's not that hard to do.

Better to be with than to be without.

[oldsailor35]

Give Puket a miss and go to Pattaya which is much safer and has more to Offer to all travellers.

There are beautiful beaches, great hotels, lovely women and trannies and much more Tourist police looking after tourists. A great place for solo travellers and families too with great shopping and sight seeing too. Paradise on Earth

Beautiful beaches! can anyone find them under all those beach umbrellas, and when you can, you will find no sand, just 'orrible grit.

[oldsailor35]

I have no idea who TAT is!!

I'm from Australia and I visit Pattaya every year.

It is an undiscovered Paradise and has no Tsunami's!

There are great beaches in Kolat and beyond and Jomtien too .

It's not all about Walking Street.

mmmmmmm! Pattaya appears to have changed a hell of a lot since i made my one and last visit about 6 years ago.

[glassdude007]

Have had had 2 similar robberies here in Rawai this past week with knives shown but no stabbings....

One I saw the aftermath of last night about 11pm across from Asia bar Russian girl tossed off her PCX bike dumped in ditch bag cut from her arm.

Girls at the two bars there saw the whole thing they thought it was boyfriend girl friend fighting but really was a armed robbery....in the end

Police and ambulance on scene looked like she was ok though...

The other incident was early am after usa football match same area near Asia bars...

Farang forced off motor bike at intersection 8k baht stolen at knife point.

[German Viking]

Death Penalty.

No death penalty goes to quick. Send then into a Gulag(Siberia).

[German Viking]

What a lovely town in a lovely country

Yes real exiting

[hawker9000]

Give Puket a miss and go to Pattaya which is much safer and has more to Offer to all travellers.

There are beautiful beaches, great hotels, lovely women and trannies and much more Tourist police looking after tourists. A great place for solo travellers and families too with great shopping and sight seeing too. Paradise on Earth

There's trannies in Phuket too, Jack. You wouldn't be lonely if you actually visited, instead of just sharing your valuable opinion on a forum.

Phuket has somewhere between 2 and 3 million tourists visiting each year and there's only one or two stabbing incidents against tourists each year. Most of the violent crimes are Thai on Thai or Burma on Burma.

Statistically the Island is probably a much safer place than whatever city you come from in the western world.

For the people who are too scared to visit Phuket because they read about the occasional incident like this, you create much mirth and incredulity for us locals. How the hell did you manage to gather enough courage to get on a plane and scurry to your little Issan village!!

..."create much mirth and incredulity for us locals"... not to mention what they're probably NOT doing for your property values, eh? "Scared" to visit"? 'Should read, "have more sense than to visit"...

Yeap, 2 or 3 stabbing incidents per year. That's it. Nothing more worth mentioning. Phuket a totally peaceful, tourist-loving, crime-free, scam-free, laid-back place. 'Has been for years. All the rest is just a vast anti-Phuket conspiracy.

[Jessi]

Ten years ago a city in The Philippines introduced standard sentencing for anyone that was convicted of any sort of crime against a foreign tourist. Punishment was 2 years jail and crime against tourists almost disappeared. Of course tourism progressed at an amazing rate. A thought

When I first came to Thailand over 20 years ago, any crime committed against a foreigner was double jail time......but then this is Thailand and things change.

[Jessi]

Give Puket a miss and go to Pattaya which is much safer and has more to Offer to all travellers.

There are beautiful beaches, great hotels, lovely women and trannies and much more Tourist police looking after tourists. A great place for solo travellers and families too with great shopping and sight seeing too. Paradise on Earth

Your taking the piss right......................Pattaya city of crime 24/7

[rhythmworx]

The last time an event occurred like this was when the female Australian travel agent was sadly fatally stabbed and robbed in what was considered an opportunistic attack, June 2012, just over two-years ago.

It will be interesting to see what social-economic background the actual perpetrators come from that inspired them to commit such a crime. In reality, in comparison to other high-profile locations, there is not one city in the world that can be deemed as particularly safe at 3am. However, irrespective of the risk to public safety in spite of this, the doomsayers will still take great pleasure in casting their dark cloud fear upon Phuket once again.

have you forgotten the pregnant woman that was raped at knifepoint in a bush after being kicked off her bike just a few months ago?