Britons' murder: Police claim Koh Tao investigation hindered by media

[Arkady]

No need for foreign media to help muddle the investigation. Thai police can do a great job by themselves.

[NongKhaiKid]

No need for foreign media to help muddle the investigation. Thai police can do a great job by themselves.

Thainess, we can screw this up better then anyone.

[Pii Kate]

"Police had to waste their time following leads from these rumours," Pol.Gen. Somyot told reporters yesterday."

No they didn't. They could have ignored them and carried on doing their job.

I think saving face means giving more credence to other's opinions than your own judgment. Assuming there is the ability to discern.

[sandrabbit]

Police claim Koh Tao investigation hindered by media ....

I think it's more like

Koh Tao investigation hindered by police ....

[Pii Kate]

Police claim Koh Tao investigation hindered by media ....

I think it's more like

Koh Tao investigation hindered by police ....

I think if it wasn't for the press there would be no investigation.

[MJP]

Police claim Koh Tao investigation hindered by media ....

I think it's more like

Koh Tao investigation hindered by police ....

I think if it wasn't for the press there would be no investigation.

There is no investigation.

[thhMan]

Im sure the media played a massive role in forcing the issue.

A lot has come out of the reporting... such as more concern over the tourism impact... Realization that tourist, expats have a voice in Thailand and should not be ignored... Exposing the Monkey show that has handled the investigation...

Criticism of the reward is pathetic... Some (not all) Thais will be more than happy to dob in a mate or family member for the reward and that is a positive for resolving the case if it can be proved! (The same goes for any other country, but this post is only talking about this issue)

[Benmart]

This is what happens if you take a convicted pedo seriosuly, i told the whole forum he was a glory hunter from day one.

Seems irrelevant and best moved to the "I told you so" library. As for the "pedo" comment. Bizarre and inconsequential on face value IMO.

[IAMSOBAD]

How many ROYAL THAI POLICE does it take to screw in a light bulb?

How much money do you have?

[siampolee]

A cut and paste of a post I made in another thread concerning the police farce force

That dreadful social media has caused us too many problems according to a police farce force spokesperson.

Well what do you know look at this.

https://th-th.facebo...RoyalThaiPolice

[Eagle60]

I just saw David Miller and Hannah Witheridge tribute page on facebook. There are some heartfelt posts on there but also one very worrying one. I think its the 3rd one down.

[MJP]

I just saw David Miller and Hannah Witheridge tribute page on facebook. There are some heartfelt posts on there but also one very worrying one. I think its the 3rd one down.

Some of us don't have a FB account. What does it say?

Thanks

[Benmart]

Comments of this nature, by these two high-ranking officers, only serves to point out a lack of professionalism and self-accountability.

This incident begs for a review and reorganization of the RTP. Bring in trainers from Singapore, Hong Kong, the Australian Federal Police or other agencies, to try and fix a broken and dysfunctional organization.

[spermwhale]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Media Parasites are a scourge everywhere.

Thanks alot CNN for introducing the world to 24/7 media coverage.

And when did the Press role become guiding investigations?

"When a reporter said the foreign media merely wanted to guide the police investigation in the right direction, Gen. Prayuth responded angrily, " Go ahead. If there's any information, they should find it and send it to us officially."

The Press is supposed to report the News. Period. Not guide investigations. Evidence is supposed to guide investigations. The General has it right, if the Press has useful information they should report it through official channels. Otherwise the Press is wasting police resources in order to sell papers.

As a working journalist I have to say that you are absolutely correct.

I'm saddened by the degeneration of the media over the last 10 to 15 years. When I was a new journalist in 1992, my editor would never have allowed me to turn in a story based on just what one person said. We had to verify with other sources. It's easy to sit down and interview just one guy and write the story at face value. It's not just CNN, but it's the internet, which has spawned countless "news" websites, which are written by amateurs or people with an axe to grind. Even today, every article I write has at least three sources.

And I do believe that the media becomes part of the story way too often or they end up influencing the story.

[Iumentum]

I just saw David Miller and Hannah Witheridge tribute page on facebook. There are some heartfelt posts on there but also one very worrying one. I think its the 3rd one down.

I think we are thinking of same post (about Chris and James), and if so, yes very worrying.

When i read that yesterday, it made me think if Sean ever made it out of the country. Nothing new about his whereabouts (at least of what i could find yesterday) since he left Koh Tao planning to visit girlfriend in Italy.

Some powers seem to be at play here, and are totally ignored by authority.

[jucel]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Miller-Hannah-Witheridge-Tribute/849884258368804?fref=ts

david and hannah's page. cut and paste it before the mods take it down!

[Iumentum]

I just saw David Miller and Hannah Witheridge tribute page on facebook. There are some heartfelt posts on there but also one very worrying one. I think its the 3rd one down.

Some of us don't have a FB account. What does it say?

Thanks

If it is the one that i think he is referring to then:

PUBLISHED: September 23, 2014 1:00 pm

Thai terror chase

Jersey brothers Chris and James Ware had to flee the clutches of ‘fake police’ and men on motorbikes during a chase through downtown Bangkok days after their friend had been brutally murdered, according to a travelling companion with them at the time.

Marco Freifrei (right) pictured with David Miller (left) and fellow backpacker Remy Einmalig just a few days before the murders took placeMarco Freifrei (right) pictured with David Miller (left) and fellow backpacker Remy Einmalig just a few days before the murders took place

The terrified pair, along with their German friend Marco Freifrei, who has told his story to the JEP, were chased and harassed through the streets as they tried to leave Thailand after the death of 24-year-old David Miller and Hannah Witheridge (23) from Great Yarmouth.

[iReason]

"The officers shouldn't have believed the foreign press. The time in the investigation was wasted," Pol.Maj.Gen. Panya said."

Yeah.

All the press's fault.

DAY ONE:

"On arriving the day after the murders, the senior police officer on the island assured us the culprit could not have been a Thai person.

No Thai could possibly commit such a crime, he said, forgetting the equally ghastly murder of Welsh tourist Katherine Horton in 2006,

by, it turned out, two Thai fishermen."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29262496

That ain't no rumor.

Sick Banana Rebublic...

Keep it up Foreign Press!

[MJP]

I just saw David Miller and Hannah Witheridge tribute page on facebook. There are some heartfelt posts on there but also one very worrying one. I think its the 3rd one down.

Some of us don't have a FB account. What does it say?

Thanks

If it is the one that i think he is referring to then:

PUBLISHED: September 23, 2014 1:00 pm

Thai terror chase

Jersey brothers Chris and James Ware had to flee the clutches of ‘fake police’ and men on motorbikes during a chase through downtown Bangkok days after their friend had been brutally murdered, according to a travelling companion with them at the time.

Marco Freifrei (right) pictured with David Miller (left) and fellow backpacker Remy Einmalig just a few days before the murders took placeMarco Freifrei (right) pictured with David Miller (left) and fellow backpacker Remy Einmalig just a few days before the murders took place

The terrified pair, along with their German friend Marco Freifrei, who has told his story to the JEP, were chased and harassed through the streets as they tried to leave Thailand after the death of 24-year-old David Miller and Hannah Witheridge (23) from Great Yarmouth.

It's a dodgy place.

Did you hear me CM?

I said it's a dodgy place.

[Strangebrew]

Cuse Thai royal Police do you actually believe that Scotland Yard wouldn't also run DNA tests on those murdered? Once you catch who you catch are you going to turn over there DNA results to them to cross check? The thai Royal police history is well known the World over.

[jucel]

Where are those pesky drones when you need them.

[jucel]

What theoretically can Britain as a country do in a case like this? What powers do they have ? And what powers could they enforce if they really wanted to make sure this was solved??

[Plutojames88]

What theoretically can Britain as a country do in a case like this? What powers do they have ? And what powers could they enforce if they really wanted to make sure this was solved??

A great deal .

Introduce sanctions against the Junta .

Impose a £200 tax on flying there.

Need more?...,,,

Restrict advertising the Island completely from agencies within the United Kingdom.

Impose massive taxes on Thai imports

[MobileContent]

200 cops were send to Koh Tao and they all followed on the social media leads. Pure rubbish by the BIB.

[Benmart]

How long do murder investigations take in your countries?

I guess from your posts every brutal crime is solved immediately back home with 100% success rate.

If the murders took place on a tiny island, and the island was 'locked down' they would be solved very quickly. You DNA every single person on the island without exceptions. Instead of letting people leave on the first ferry to freedom!

What country do you live in?

Even in thailand it is against the law for the police to demand DNA samples of every resident.

"Pol Maj Gen Suwat, who is one of the best investigators at the MPB, defended the mass collection of DNA samples, saying police were not doing it simply at their own will but would be on persons who were suspected otherwise it could infringe on the rights and freedom of the people which is against the law."

Not to marginalized the rights and freedom of the islanders, but what about the rights and freedom of the

victims?

[phanangpete]

The word on the other islands from the Thai's ,and they know others who work there is that the bar owner ordered two of his staff carry out the horrific attack.

By this they have no evidence that he is the perp. The DNA is their only hope now of a conviction.

It has been a circus from the start!

[Plutojames88]

Don't forget their ""dear leader"" is heading to Europe soon.

Perhaps is a golden opportunity to send a strong message back to Thais?

[Tazwa]

What the frick?

So now friends of David Miller, who were with him in Thailand prior to his murder, have been chased by "fake police" and men on motorbikes through Bangkok as they tried to leave Thailand!

Is this just the beginning of reports from friends who have since got out of the country? Can't wait to read the full story when it's published. Just keeps getting more unbelievable by the minute!

[wabothai]

So what mr. General says is that the press should shut up.

Poor ecxcuse and fingerpointing for not being able to solve the case.

[jucel]

What theoretically can Britain as a country do in a case like this? What powers do they have ? And what powers could they enforce if they really wanted to make sure this was solved??

A great deal .

Introduce sanctions against the Junta .

Impose a £200 tax on flying there.

Need more?...,,,

Restrict advertising the Island completely from agencies within the United Kingdom.

Impose massive taxes on Thai imports

Yeh, I think Britain needs to set a precedent and protect it's citizens.

Can Britain do those things on its own, or would it have to go through the tossers in Brussels first?