Koh Tao: Thai court charges pair over murders of British backpackers

[Lovekorat]

Not sure about the constitutional position. Normally in a military intervention the constitution is suspended. But in some interventions of course, the prime reason is greed and power. In the case of the Thai military intervention however it was said to prevent further violence and bring the country under control which to be fair it achieved. In that case there is no need to suspend the constitution formally. I am sure there will be amendments to it in the future but as of now I have not read anywhere it is suspended. Perhaps someone here has seen that.

In the UK a competent, not even a good, lawyer would have this case thrown out or at least adjourned, before the prosecution had got warm in their seats. Because of procedural anomalies such as this case presents bail,would likely be given under some controls as the authorities would be shown to be at fault.

Knowing some of the legal profession in the UK, the silence of the British police is deafening.

Do they know something?

They do not have an unblemished reputation themselves in some matters of course, but in things like this they are brilliant. Probably the best in the world.

They may well have something but are waiting to see what the thai's do before dropping the bombshell. They may need to do nothing if somehow it is resolved.

Finally, no one except Poor Hannah and David themselves, the two Burmese boys and if they are innocent, the real perpetrators of the crime and their accomplices know of their guilt or innocence so we should remain cautious but if they are innocent and this case as reported in the courtroom looks a sham and a 'fit-up' then a legal publicity storm, hopefully from the UK and here should be mounted..

They could be executed for this.

My only hope is that 'truth will prevail' if they are proven 'beyond reasonable doubt' to be guilty then punish them and even though their investigation was seemingly incompetent and a mess, well done to the police. But if they are shown innocent heads should roll and a full scale effort made to get whoever did this.

[kotsak]

When I hear about such trials, that's what springs in mind :>

[Alwyn]

ai

FACTS were asked for. Here are a few.

1/ Many on this forum are from the UK.

2/ Many holiday friends of Hanna and David are Brits too; they know the truth but are scared to return to this LOS, land of sin.

3/ Many locals know the truth but they are even more scared to come forward and suffer at the crime bosses whims and fancies.

4/ David was 190 cm (6ft 3 inches) tall;

5/ Zaw Win is hobbit sized at 144.8 cm (4ft 9 inches)

6/ Win Phyo is 152 cm or barely 5 ft short.

7/ Andy Hall who is on the defense team and sees them often, reports they are both typical, lyrical, sweet, and simple friendly lads who after the killings did not run from any fear or stay out of cold heartedness. They were innocent and still are.

8/ We who know the law can see they are innocent and are being railroaded to an early death to force the Boss-needed cover-up. Period. Unless....

9/ Long term residents of the Island "know" a fix is in but there is now so much light falling on the crime bosses they are panicking and trying to rush things even more

10/ Thai and international help is with the lads, but they need more help from each of us... you and me.

NOW is the time for each of you, Brits and others, to act, please!

Write on blogs, social media, to print media, make phone calls (free on Skype) home and approach the Brits who know and ran off. Follow Andy Hall and republish his posts.

At this point their grief is still great, but the parents of Hanna and David have a right, an obligation, to come forward, to come here to give testimony in support of the lads who innocence is well known but can't be proved UNLESS the Brit witnesses who palled around with Hanna and David come forward to tell what they know.

The prosecution wants the parents here to attack the lads; surprise the crooked cops and help the kids get free.

Please delay no longer. Contribute to the kids defense fund. I can't post it here but it's easy to find with a Google search.

Sign the petition to NSY to come forward early with their report; most likely it will blow a hole in the prosecution for having excluded them from seeing or doing anything substantive.

The time to act is now; don't delay, please.

Anybody set up a whistleblower website in Thai and English where citizens that know something could post tips and leads anonymously? How do we contribute to the defence fund?

I'll do my bit and copy the facts to my FB page, anybody else ?

[sambum]

Nobody here seems to even consider a possibility that these two may actually be guilty....

I think that most people on here (With a couple of notable exceptions - are you listening JD and Stuttttt......?) are weighing up what information they have been given, and decided that there have been far too many lies and conflicting statements made by the BIB for them to be guilty, as well as a totally bungled investigation (not securing the crime scene, and letting every Tom Dick and headman's relations trample all over it before forensics had a chance to look for evidence being the obvious prime example) Also, even the prosecutor seems to have had serious doubts about accepting the case, having thrown it back at the BIB for "rectification" not once, but several times. But yes, it is a possibility that these two may actually be guilty, the same as it is a possibility that everybody involved in this case is telling the truth!

[lil fluffy clouds]

I am not a police officer nor am I a lawyer,prosecutor or judge or do I even know the accused and I don't believe that anyone of you are either. Has anyone stopped to think that maybe just maybe these two suspects actually did commit this heinous crime. It certainly is a possibility. What real facts do we have other that unreliable sources on Thai Visa and other media outlets to determine whether or not these guys are guilty. If they are let them fry and if not let them go but who are we to be judge and jury. We don't know the facts. If anyone here can supply actual facts regarding this case then produce them. Not your our circumstancial evidence but actual facts.

Born yesterday were you?

[angiolo]

Maybe this sudden move is to tie things up before the British experts have a say.

[thailandchilli]

These morons who have already decided the outcome of these poor boys actually think that by speeding everything up and pushing everything through to send them away for good...or execute them...that the public will believe it all and that everything will go away in time....Wrong!...It's only going to make matters worse and the sh*t that comes falling back on these idiots will be ten fold....don't they get it?

Yes I can see it now - all the chief police officers and the military head honchos holed up in a meeting room saying "you do realise if these boys are found guilty, we are going to incur the might and wrath of the Mrs Marples wannabees on Thaivisa.com don't you"

Apart from those I doubt more than about 15 people world wide will bat an eyelid at whatever verdict is reached!

Time you learnt a little respect for the victims families I would say

[BuckBee]

Thais will lie till they blue in the face regardless of facts presented.

That all part of Thainess ...

Very unlikely the Burmese will be cleared even if 100% innocent. This case & it's mess goes all the way to top & the combination of losing face & financial gain will never allow for truth or justice, the average Thai just honestly doesn't care about these qualities over status & money ...

[DaveE13]

He hasnt got any respect. Alot on here are waiting to see what happens at court. He is just trolling and some are bitting

[DaveE13]

And its Miss Marples.

[Assurancetourix]

I am not a police officer nor am I a lawyer,prosecutor or judge or do I even know the accused and I don't believe that anyone of you are either. Has anyone stopped to think that maybe just maybe these two suspects actually did commit this heinous crime. It certainly is a possibility. What real facts do we have other that unreliable sources on Thai Visa and other media outlets to determine whether or not these guys are guilty. If they are let them fry and if not let them go but who are we to be judge and jury. We don't know the facts. If anyone here can supply actual facts regarding this case then produce them. Not your our circumstancial evidence but actual facts.

Coming from which planet ?

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run

[Willy Eckerslike]

Thais will lie till they blue in the face regardless of facts presented.

That all part of Thainess ...

Very unlikely the Burmese will be cleared even if 100% innocent. This case & it's mess goes all the way to top & the combination of losing face & financial gain will never allow for truth or justice, the average Thai just honestly doesn't care about these qualities over status & money ...

Dislike

[fxe1200]

Why should they?? The main suspects left the island during the same night, or early morning, and the two Burmese went back to work as ever, as far as I know, for a minimum of two days before they were arrested. The only thing they are guilty of, is the fact, that they may have been asked and forced to carry the dead bodies to their "final" location on the beach. Just tell me, if you would kill somebody, would you stand beside and wait for the BIB to arrest you?

No, I would flee and attract the attention to me. Right?

Hey wait, wasn't one of them arrested while he was fleeing?

One suspect fled and was located by the police. They did ask him, what he is doing in Bangkok, but they did not ask him, what he was doing on September 21, how come?? Even his mobile telephone data was not checked (By today you can tell exactly which transmitting pole you use, when you are using your mobile, but as far I know, the data will be erased after three months).

I think the Thai police may have failed to inform you about every step they made in the investigation. Is there some credible news source that say they indeed didn't check his phone data?

I was talking about the Burmese suspect that was caught on a ferry somewhere in the South of Thailand.

You are right, the RTP did not inform me about every step they took. They should have, but they didn't. But there is a news source stating, what I wrote. I will inform you when I found it, right here.

[JOC]

Thais will lie till they blue in the face regardless of facts presented.

That all part of Thainess ...

Very unlikely the Burmese will be cleared even if 100% innocent. This case & it's mess goes all the way to top & the combination of losing face & financial gain will never allow for truth or justice, the average Thai just honestly doesn't care about these qualities over status & money ...

Dislike

Why??

BuckBee is spot on!!

[jamiesilver]

Discusting! what exact evidence is solid?

[Willy Eckerslike]

Thais will lie till they blue in the face regardless of facts presented.

That all part of Thainess ...

Very unlikely the Burmese will be cleared even if 100% innocent. This case & it's mess goes all the way to top & the combination of losing face & financial gain will never allow for truth or justice, the average Thai just honestly doesn't care about these qualities over status & money ...

Dislike

Why??

BuckBee is spot on!!

I disagree because I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 20 yrs and have met many many Honest hard working average Thais who do care

I do not disagree with his summation of this case being a mess...............totally effed up mess

[StealthEnergiser]

Eighth Region Police Command commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen identified the first suspect as Mon.

He is the brother of a village headman in Koh Tao.

He was arrested after evidence which police collected were examined and proved he was involved, he said.

He also said another suspect is also a son of that village headman. But he has already to Bangkok.

He said both suspects were captured by CCTV cameras and the police have gathered enough evidence to implicate them in the murders.

He said the southern police were coordinating with the metropolitan police to hunt him down, and expected to apprehend him today.

The southern police chief also assured the public that there was no arrest of scapegoats in this murder case as it now is a focal attention of the world.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run

[newcomer71]

Nobody here seems to even consider a possibility that these two may actually be guilty....

I don't know if they are guilty or not. I only know that RTP did show the total and utter incompetence, bullying behavior, and resort to shady moves they are capable of along the whole investigation.

That deserves coverage, and deserves people and media to speak about it.

I hope that 2B will be convict if they are guilty and if there will be a fair trial, but the premises are everything but encouraging.

[iReason]

Eighth Region Police Command commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen identified the first suspect as Mon.

He is the brother of a village headman in Koh Tao.

He was arrested after evidence which police collected were examined and proved he was involved, he said.

He also said another suspect is also a son of that village headman. But he has already to Bangkok.

He said both suspects were captured by CCTV cameras and the police have gathered enough evidence to implicate them in the murders.

He said the southern police were coordinating with the metropolitan police to hunt him down, and expected to apprehend him today.

The southern police chief also assured the public that there was no arrest of scapegoats in this murder case as it now is a focal attention of the world.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-tourist-murder-suspect-now-arrested-another-run

And then…

Pol Gen Somyot comes in and transfers the head of the investigation, Eighth Region Police Command commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen out.

Somyot takes charge, and Bada Bing! We have him sitting side by side with his new buddies.

Shortly thereafter, Ol’ Som makes stock purchases for 365 Million Baht.

[jabis]

Whatever happened to Mr.Banana Pancakeman - will he be making a cameo appearance in court?

[Mooner]

FACTS were asked for. Here are a few.

1/ Many on this forum are from the UK.

2/ Many holiday friends of Hanna and David are Brits too; they know the truth but are scared to return to this LOS, land of sin.

3/ Many locals know the truth but they are even more scared to come forward and suffer at the crime bosses whims and fancies.

4/ David was 190 cm (6ft 3 inches) tall;

5/ Zaw Win is hobbit sized at 144.8 cm (4ft 9 inches)

6/ Win Phyo is 152 cm or barely 5 ft short.

7/ Andy Hall who is on the defense team and sees them often, reports they are both typical, lyrical, sweet, and simple friendly lads who after the killings did not run from any fear or stay out of cold heartedness. They were innocent and still are.

8/ We who know the law can see they are innocent and are being railroaded to an early death to force the Boss-needed cover-up. Period. Unless....

9/ Long term residents of the Island "know" a fix is in but there is now so much light falling on the crime bosses they are panicking and trying to rush things even more

10/ Thai and international help is with the lads, but they need more help from each of us... you and me.

NOW is the time for each of you, Brits and others, to act, please!

Write on blogs, social media, to print media, make phone calls (free on Skype) home and approach the Brits who know and ran off. Follow Andy Hall and republish his posts.

At this point their grief is still great, but the parents of Hanna and David have a right, an obligation, to come forward, to come here to give testimony in support of the lads who innocence is well known but can't be proved UNLESS the Brit witnesses who palled around with Hanna and David come forward to tell what they know.

The prosecution wants the parents here to attack the lads; surprise the crooked cops and help the kids get free.

Please delay no longer. Contribute to the kids defense fund. I can't post it here but it's easy to find with a Google search.

Sign the petition to NSY to come forward early with their report; most likely it will blow a hole in the prosecution for having excluded them from seeing or doing anything substantive.

The time to act is now; don't delay, please.

This is a scam right ?

btw It doesn't matter if I'm 4ft 1 and you're 6ft 11 - if I've got a shovel, you're going down

2nd btw - many killers have been soft spoken

You weren't there, you haven't got a clue what happened

Of course somebody with a shovel can over power anyone.

Answer my post #109 to explain how they did it!

[Anthony5]

One suspect fled and was located by the police. They did ask him, what he is doing in Bangkok, but they did not ask him, what he was doing on September 21, how come?? Even his mobile telephone data was not checked (By today you can tell exactly which transmitting pole you use, when you are using your mobile, but as far I know, the data will be erased after three months).

I think the Thai police may have failed to inform you about every step they made in the investigation. Is there some credible news source that say they indeed didn't check his phone data?

I was talking about the Burmese suspect that was caught on a ferry somewhere in the South of Thailand.

You are right, the RTP did not inform me about every step they took. They should have, but they didn't. But there is a news source stating, what I wrote. I will inform you when I found it, right here.

I hope you took note of me mentioning the word CREDIBLE in front of news source, and are not searching through CSI LA's facebook posts now.

Since your post was 2 hours ago, I assume I better don't hold my breath till you found the news source?

[Anthony5]

A technical trial error, if this indeed is one, would mean no legal verdict can be reached and the whole trial will be canceled.

"You're not in Kansas now, Toto."

First of all my name isn't Toto, I think I should consider that a derogatory name calling, but did you notice that I inserted the word IF in front of the sentence, and I'm pretty sure that if it is considered a technical error, the law of Thailand will prevail.

[iReason]

A technical trial error, if this indeed is one, would mean no legal verdict can be reached and the whole trial will be canceled.

"You're not in Kansas now, Toto."

First of all my name isn't Toto, I think I should consider that a derogatory name calling, but did you notice that I inserted the word IF in front of the sentence, and I'm pretty sure that if it is considered a technical error, the law of Thailand will prevail.

Apparently you haven't seen one the most famous movies of all time.

You're wound pretty tight aren't you?

[Hobiecat]

Set them FREE!

[evadgib]

At this point their grief is still great, but the parents of Hanna and David have a right, an obligation, to come forward, to come here to give testimony in support of the lads who innocence is well known but can't be proved UNLESS the Brit witnesses who palled around with Hanna and David come forward to tell what they know.

The prosecution wants the parents here to attack the lads; surprise the crooked cops and help the kids get free.

Please delay no longer. Contribute to the kids defense fund. I can't post it here but it's easy to find with a Google search.

What possible testimony can grieving parents from the other side of the world bring to the trial of the alleged perpetrators?

There's been some nonsense on the Koh Tao threads but this tops the lot!

[DaveE13]

The parents will be waiting for the inquest. Then im sure they will make statements.

[taony]

My reply should have been gone to post #101

Sorry!

55, thought something was wrong with my phone

[JOC]

Stop the pissingcontest just for a minute please!!

And remember what this is all about:

First murdered and raped on Koh Tao.

And now raped again by the Thai "juridical" system!!

[darren84310]

What happened with the UK Police that were allowed to come here? did anything happen there? what was their findings?

I have a vague memory about them releasing their report in February 2015. I might be wrong.