Policeman Sentenced For Armed Assault On Swedish Businessman

[taxexile]

if this story has already been posted on thaivisa then i apologise.

Policeman Sentenced for Armed Assault on Swedish Businessman

A Thai police officer has been sentenced to three years and ten months imprisonment for a life threatening armed attack on Swedish businessman Jonas Wikingskiöld and his Thai colleague in July 2004.

By Olga Boltenko

The South Bangkok Criminal Court on 30 July 2006 sentenced Police Sergeant Major Mr. Phichai Uttha to three years and ten months imprisonment in notorious Bangkwang Central Prison, also known as Bangkok Hilton for the armed attack two years earlier on Swedish businessman Jonas Wikingskiöld and his Thai colleague Ms. Pathumchantharat.

The verdict reached by the South Bangkok Criminal Court is rare and a precious precedent in Thai legal system as it might indicate essential positive changes in the judicial mechanisms of Thailand.

The incident took place two years ago. In July 2004 Jonas Wikingskiöld and his colleague were on their way to pick up the car parked inside soi Sukhumvit 22. It was early in the evening and they decided to stop for a drink in a small bar that turned out to be owned by the police officer. A dispute over the bill escalated into a commotion in which Ms. Pathumchantharat was severely injured and while trying to defend his colleague, Mr. Wikingskiöld was attacked by the plain clothes policemen who pulled his gun and threatened to kill him.

Mr. Wikingskiöld had at the time been working in Bangkok as an import manager for several years and had a deep understanding of the Thai mentality. As soon as it became obvious that the men who had threatened his life and attacked his Thai female colleague with inhuman cruelty were police officers, Mr. Wikingskiöld was very much aware of possible threats and complications on his way of bringing the case up. The list of expatriates murdered in Thailand is, after all, long and ever expanding. Some of these victims have been murdered by Thai policemen tightly affiliated with local criminal organisations. State authorities tend to be extremely reluctant when it comes to convicting any state officials involved in criminal activities. Some cases have never been taken to court; few of them investigated and rarely have the guilty persons been convicted.

On this background, the victory in court of Mr. Jonas Wikingskiöld and his Thai colleague Ms. Pathumchantharat stands out. Most other expatriates at the time simply advised Mr. Wikingskjöld to leave Thailand and forget the whole unpleasant incident. What made him decide differently was his strong belief in that - however difficult t might seem - one should always stand up for one's rights.

On his way of getting justice through the system he was greatly assisted by a number of high ranking officials. Among others, Mr. Jonas Hafström, the Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand at one point sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requiring special assistance in the case. Upon the receipt Mr. Israphan Snitwongse, General of Royal Thai Police, took over the investigation and contributed greatly to the positive outcome. Finally the investigation was backed up by Mr. Benny Carlson, liaison officer for Nordic Police.The Wikingskiöld case has been excessively discussed all over the region in mass media including the local Thai Channel Three.

The court decision is not only Mr. Wikingskiöld´s and Ms. Pathumchantharat´s personal victory, but also a strong positive message to numerous victims of the corrupt system, both foreigners and Thai nationals.-

To read the ScandAsia report filed at the time of the crime, click on the link below:

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?news...mp;coun_code=th

Created 2006-09-12

i have read a few news reports in this newspaper / website and i am impressed at the way incidents are both initially reported and subsequently followed up.

the articles mainly concern scandinavian interests in asia , but there is farang relevant information there that is certainly not printed in the bangkok post or the nation.

i have to say that i am also impressed by the way the embassy got involved and helped this mans cause.

i wish i had similar confidence in the british embassy here to stand up for one of their own should it be necessary.

some other stories about the danish man from chumpon looking at 15 years for supposedly starting a fire on a neighbours land and the way he is being helped are also to be found on this news site.

[terry57]

tax,

that is a shocking story and once again shows the dangers of arguments with the thai and the consequenses that can come out of them.

to attack a female like that is a shocker and the guy did not care at all that she was a thai national.

very frightening indeed.

its completely against my nature, but would it be better to pay the trumped up bill and just right it off to experience.

i think for myself if confronted with this situation i would try and get the bill corrected but if i felt that things where turning nasty id just pay the money and get out A.S.A.P.

what do you think ?

[taxexile]

i think that he was fortunate to get away with his life and well done to him for sticking with his story and getting justice.

praise also to the thai police chief who supported him and to the embassy diplomats who did likewise.

i also posted this to show the high standard of detailed reporting by the journalist . rarely do we hear about the results of court cases in such detail involving falangs , unless they are found guilty and sentenced.

[SamuiJens]

Nice to see Thai justice is going the right way (for a change)! And as a Dane, myself, Im grateful for this link since I wasn't aware it excisted.

Thanks for bringing this up Tax, oh, and a cop that owns a Bar, must have been busy taking bribes and now turns to extortion......wonder what scam he'll get into in Tiger, BUT then again, I DON'T GIVE HIM A DANM.

[crawford]

Wow - that's scary.

Sounds like this kind of "altercation over a bill, which turns to violence" is quite common in Thailand?

Is there a list somewhere of which bars to avoid?

Is it only corner bars, or does this happen in restaurants, dance clubs, strip joints, etc.?

I guess a small country like Sweden can take better care of it's citizens abroad. I have zero confidence that the US embassy would give a ######. Perfectly law-abiding American tourists are routinely robbed, threatened, "arrested", extorted, even raped, beaten or killed by Mexican police. Happens all the time, and you hardly hear about it in the media. Can't imagine the US government isn't aware of what's going on.

[crawford]

Wow - I just read about the horrific beating of this poor woman, and how serious the death threat was against this farang.

And the cop only gets 3 years, 10 months in prison???? This is a hopeful precedent in Thailand?

Wow - I had no idea how scary Thailand was!

For something that horrible, that cop should go to prison and NEVER get out. Not only that, but those bitch waitresses who lied like that - they should also have something severe happen to them.

Barbaric. You guys think Thailand is safe?

We have crime in America, but you'd have to go looking for it, probably in the bad part of town, which no one in their right mind goes to. This is still a tragic problem, but something like this incident is just unthinkable. A COP, acting this way towards a perfectly respectable businessman in a well-touristed business district of town. I'm shocked.

[Sing_Sling]

We have crime in America, but you'd have to go looking for it, probably in the bad part of town, which no one in their right mind goes to. This is still a tragic problem, but something like this incident is just unthinkable. A COP, acting this way towards a perfectly respectable businessman in a well-touristed business district of town. I'm shocked.

Oh, Crawford, please cut the innocence garbage about US cops. I think there have been enough high profile cases to prove otherwise; LA, Philadelphia, NO, NY etc . . . - and as for having to go look for trouble in the US to find it . . . Crap.

Having said that, I do agree that a crime like this is being punished very lightly - though it doesn't warrant a life sentence in any country so bashing Thailand about lax sentencing is silly.

The only reason the Police General got involved is because of the Ambassador complaining to the Foreign Ministry who then had to push the shi! downhill.

To accept that Thailand is governed by the rule of law one has to wonder why it takes these extraordinary steps to convict someone.

[crockett]

i think for myself if confronted with this situation i would try and get the bill corrected but if i felt that things where turning nasty id just pay the money and get out A.S.A.P.

what do you think ?

Exactly, best you can do.

[crawford]

Oh, Crawford, please cut the innocence garbage about US cops. I think there have been enough high profile cases to prove otherwise; LA, Philadelphia, NO, NY etc . . . - and as for having to go look for trouble in the US to find it . . . Crap.

Not sure what happened in these cases, but I'm pretty ###### sure they weren't as blatantly sick as a cop owner of a bar (in a decent, well-touristed area, at that) beating a female customer almost to death and then almost shooting her male companion. Do you really think that happens in the US?

Having said that, I do agree that a crime like this is being punished very lightly - though it doesn't warrant a life sentence in any country so bashing Thailand about lax sentencing is silly.

That's just my opinion. One violent crime, you go to jail for life. Why should they get a second chance to beat or kill someone? Most crime is committed by repeat offenders. Stop letting them out, and the crime rate will PLUMMET.

The only reason the Police General got involved is because of the Ambassador complaining to the Foreign Ministry who then had to push the shi! downhill.

To accept that Thailand is governed by the rule of law one has to wonder why it takes these extraordinary steps to convict someone.

Well, I guess this is proof that Thailand is NOT goverened by rule of law.