Koh Tao: Trial opens for 2 accused of killing British tourists

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[Johnny S]

Well, time to go.

I have seen and heard enough speculation and I don't want to speculate on anything. I am sure that justice well be served in a court of law.

Were you born yesterday ... ? Unless you talk about another case in another country (not this 3rd World country) !!!

[StealthEnergiser]

[StealthEnergiser]

[Johnny S]

Milan, Mid-October, 2014: Say what?

He ask : "Your room or mine" ...

[Johnny S]

Milan, Mid-October, 2014: Say what?

He ask : "Your room or mine" ...

[shafty]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

[Johnny S]

Milan, Mid-October, 2014: Say what?

He ask : "Your room or mine" ...

[JLCrab]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

There are single hotels on Koh Samui that are worth more than his entire KT land holdings. He may run Koh Tao like a private fiefdom but I've seen no indication, especially with the first week's trial proceedings, that he has any real power once off the island, well known as you say are his connections.

[6NS]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

Someone did (A famous Thai writer as I recall) two or three weeks following the murders.

It was like a description of the history of the Island or something.

I can't remember much.

[daoyai]

to an overly posted above: So if the leased land on Koh Tao is worth hundreds of millions, then the land on Koh Samui must be worth billions. Why would those those people with just as many if not greater connections and with properties worth into the billions allow this guy to run the show on their island just to cover up for his little brat?

I totally agree, but the little brats connections must be very, very high and I mean much higher than the mad monk.

I am only speaking from conjecture -- if the first week of the trial is any indication of his connections, even though it is early, I will stick with my opinion that his control, once off his own island, is overrated on these pages.

Not control but connections, S.T. province is a hub of mafia with influence through money and kinship to rather high stations... secrets that must not be revealed.

[catsanddogs]

There are still 2 more days for prosecution in July: 22nd and 28th

Then 5 days for prosecution in late August: 18, 19, 20, 21 and 27th

Then defense gets 5 days in September (half as many as prosecution): 1st, 2nd, 22, 24, 25

Judges' decision: 26 Sept, one year and 11 days after the crime. By that time, the B2 will have been shackled and in prison a year. If found guilty, there will be appeals and no-bail conditions will be maintained, so the B2 could wind up spending years in prison for a crime they likely didn't commit.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the defence only having half the days of the prosecution. The prosecution are rapidly losing any credibility which is saving time for the defence as I see it. Hopefully by September the UK will be brave enough to come out from under their rock and show they have the balls to fight this injustice for it's citizens.

[catsanddogs]

Sean's an ok musician and songwriter. Tho he could enunciate better. Perhaps it's the Kurt Cobain influence of slurring words.

I was trying to gauge whether the song was perhaps a commentary on the Ko Tao crime, but couldn't decipher his brand of English.

Hello Boomerangutang,

But this song righter is not the Sean from the Ko Tao murders, is he?

Did you listen to all the songs? The third song!!! I am taken back.

I hope this song righter is not the Sean from Ko Tao.

Check out the guitar....

There's a message in the way he's displaying this guitar. What is it though? Wonder if the journalist who took the pic asked why it was spattered in blood.

[JLCrab]

to an overly posted above: So if the leased land on Koh Tao is worth hundreds of millions, then the land on Koh Samui must be worth billions. Why would those those people with just as many if not greater connections and with properties worth into the billions allow this guy to run the show on their island just to cover up for his little brat?

I totally agree, but the little brats connections must be very, very high and I mean much higher than the mad monk.

I am only speaking from conjecture -- if the first week of the trial is any indication of his connections, even though it is early, I will stick with my opinion that his control, once off his own island, is overrated on these pages.

Not control but connections, S.T. province is a hub of mafia with influence through money and kinship to rather high stations... secrets that must not be revealed.

Surat Thani no doubt but what makes this guy so special? If you know about it then they can't really be secrets, eh?

[JLCrab]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

There are single hotels on Koh Samui that are worth more than his entire KT land holdings. He may run Koh Tao like a private fiefdom but I've seen no indication, especially with the first week's trial proceedings, that he has any real power once off the island, well known as you say are his connections.

Blimey, you and your JD "like" chum have shown up......................

Isn't there a dual-barrel exhaust pipe somewhere you could suck on?

[catsanddogs]

Ok so im just going to throw this out there....

What are you throwing? Can't see anything.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

Post #1511

You may be interested in this article concerning Death Island!!

http://mikeestravels.com/2014/09/25/the-dark-side-of-thailands-island-paradise/

[JLCrab]

Post #1511

You may be interested in this article concerning Death Island!!

http://mikeestravels.com/2014/09/25/the-dark-side-of-thailands-island-paradise/

Read it last September -- they are big shots on the island; now they have to play off the island.

[Basil B]

If the trial does collapse, do we think anybody senior in the police force or government will resign?

Lets hope that the poor Burmese guys are properly compensated for having to go through this terrible ordeal.

Resign? No. Get punted over to the Office of Inactive Posts? Maybe.

If it is true that evidence was fabricated or tampered with then whoever is responsible should be charged with "attempted murder" because if or had the B2 been convicted and executed it would be murder of another two persons.

I do not know what is being said inside the court room but what we are hearing from outside it is clear much of the prosecutions evidences is unsound...

I had faith in at least Thai judges being fair and uncorrectable... but now?

[boomerangutang]

to an overly posted above: So if the leased land on Koh Tao is worth hundreds of millions, then the land on Koh Samui must be worth billions. Why would those those people with just as many if not greater connections and with properties worth into the billions allow this guy to run the show on their island just to cover up for his little brat?

Crab, you're a movie fan. Remember Casino. The little Joe Pesci character from NY mafia comes to Las Vegas which, in those early days, had not been exposed to mafia. He was in 7th heaven. It's not the size of the region you come from, it's the extent you're willing to throw your weight around. There's another story, this one true (am not sure about the Casino story, tho it's plausible). A tough guy, non-mafia white guy, gets let out of prison. He goes straight to Seattle, where he's never been, but he's heard it's 'soft' up there. He shows up on the downtown sidewalks, with his steel tipped boots (he says they're his best weapon), and quickly takes over the downtown drug scene. Anyone putting up any resistance is physically kicked in to submission. Just thought I'd add some happy thoughts on a Sunday.

I truly hope the Brit who's assisting the defense is being careful. There are some baddies out there who fanatically don't want the truth to come out on this case.

[docshock13]

So less than 24 hrs after the defense rests its case, the judge(s) will have a verdict in a capital case? That's rather convenient. One would think that there might be points of law brought up by the defense that would require deliberation.

[Wadan]

If these two guys are innocent and you have a chief of police who is knee deep in this, then it only means he is in a cover up.

Police are there to protect citizens and bring criminals to justice. iF you have a police chief who is doing differently, who is willing to plant evidence on innocent poor humble people, and enjoy a payoff while poor innocent people face the gallows, then this guy is worst than the worst.

if a police chief will see poor guys die because of money , then the hanging death that face these poor kids are too good for this culprit of a policeman. Hanging is too good for him. And any family of this devil, is not worth living among decent society.

And you Goldbuggy, it seem you too are part of this cover up, this mafia, this corrupt clan. you guys are the scums of society.

[Wadan]

If these two guys are innocent and you have a chief of police who is knee deep in this, then it only means he is in a cover up.

Police are there to protect citizens and bring criminals to justice. iF you have a police chief who is doing differently, who is willing to plant evidence on innocent poor humble people, and enjoy a payoff while poor innocent people face the gallows, then this guy is worst than the worst.

if a police chief will see poor guys die because of money , then the hanging death that face these poor kids are too good for this culprit of a policeman. Hanging is too good for him. And any family of this devil, is not worth living among decent society.

And you Goldbuggy, it seem you too are part of this cover up, this mafia, this corrupt clan. you guys are the scums of society.

[Wadan]

If these two guys are innocent and you have a chief of police who is knee deep in this, then it only means he is in a cover up.

Police are there to protect citizens and bring criminals to justice. iF you have a police chief who is doing differently, who is willing to plant evidence on innocent poor humble people, and enjoy a payoff while poor innocent people face the gallows, then this guy is worst than the worst.

if a police chief will see poor guys die because of money , then the hanging death that face these poor kids are too good for this culprit of a policeman. Hanging is too good for him. And any family of this devil, is not worth living among decent society.

And you Goldbuggy, it seem you too are part of this cover up, this mafia, this corrupt clan. you guys are the scums of society.

[boomerangutang]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

There are single hotels on Koh Samui that are worth more than his entire KT land holdings. He may run Koh Tao like a private fiefdom but I've seen no indication, especially with the first week's trial proceedings, that he has any real power once off the island, well known as you say are his connections.

When you say 'he' - are you referring to just the man himself, or to his brother and other tough guys in his family (literally and figuratively) ?

You're almost comical, Crab, thinking that the value of real estate (a tough guy controls) determines how tough a mafia-like family is.

If you wanna think Samui tough guys are more powerful than Ko Tao tough guys, then go ahead. However, any man who wants to cause harm or threaten someone, can pick up a weapon and go where he wants - to do his mischief, regardless of whether there's mafia involved.

[kovaltech]

Funds needed by the MWRN to bring British crime scene and forensic experts over to Samui for the Koh Tao murder trial

KOH SAMUI: -- The Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) is looking for support in order to raise funds urgently required to fly UK based crime scene investigators and forensic experts to Samui to appear as witnesses in September.

The defense team has said that it has received unspecified information and evidence from UK authorities that was ‘not consistent” with findings obtained from Thai authorities and used by the prosecution in the cases.

The defense team has asked the court for independent tests to be carried out on DNA however the vital DNA evidence that links the two defendants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo to the body of one of the victims cannot be produced for retesting.

Pol Col Somkiat Kaewmook, deputy chief of Surat Thani provincial police, said: “Some forensic materials were used up in the testing process, which means they do not exist.”

The MWRN and the defense team have long believed that the two defendants are being used as scapegoats and continue to fight for justice for the two men, both 22 and working as barmen on Koh Tao at the time of the murders. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.

-- Samui Times 2015-07-11

As far as i can recollect: standard practice in DNA sampling from crime scene investigation = 3 swab samples to be taken... it does need so little to retrieve DNA....

Review the case from Germany, where as the sample cotton stabs had been contaminated with DNA from a woman working in the factory where the cotton sticks where produced...

This did lead to an assumption - investigation that one female person was responsible for quite a few crimes... it did take the German police years before they did find that they where following a "Ghost"...

Theoretically speaking now, if DNA was present on the victims, DNA from the accused, then it still would be possible to retrieve some traces from a victim now, even after a prolonged time. Unless the remains are completely destroyed.

So, with all due respect, "DNA evidence that links the two defendants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo to the body of one of the victims cannot be produced for retesting." it sounds so incredible to me...

But that is merely my opinion...

[Basil B]

For those who don't undrstand the Thainess of this case look at the following with English subtitles available.

Who is that guy...

Seems to know what many of us suspect.

[Basil B]

So less than 24 hrs after the defense rests its case, the judge(s) will have a verdict in a capital case? That's rather convenient. One would think that there might be points of law brought up by the defense that would require deliberation.

Is it not up to the prosecution to make the case first???

[phuketandsee]

The headman connections are already well known and easy to verify! His power is therefore not limited to "his" island.

Would be so nice if the press would publish something about that! They are not forced to stick to suspects and it would make a great story...

There are single hotels on Koh Samui that are worth more than his entire KT land holdings. He may run Koh Tao like a private fiefdom but I've seen no indication, especially with the first week's trial proceedings, that he has any real power once off the island, well known as you say are his connections.

What on earth are you talking about? Everything about this indicates that power.

And why keep making reference to hotel values on KS? It's KT that is identified with this and I doubt many outside Thailand are aware the trial is even on KS