Shooting Samui

[sriracha john]

Seems like samui just can't stop getting less and less desireable...

[sbk]

Well, not sure where you are getting the idea that Samui is more violent than it was in the past or that somehow Samui was less violent than other parts of Thailand before now.

My point being here, that in my opinion, there is a complete overreaction to behavior that has been par for the course in Thailand for as long as I have lived here. Violence and violent reactions are ubiquitous whether you are in Samui, Nakhon or anywhere else. Read the Thai newspapers. Daily there are reports of murders in all parts of the country.

[game4shame]

any news as to whether the police finally have stubbed out their cigarettes , put down their whiskies , finished scratching their <deleted> and re arranging their genitals and got around to arresting and charging this delinquent yet ?

or is that too much to ask.

[somchai jones]

Samui must be the shootings capital of Thailand.

Nowhere near.

In Bangkok there are far more shootings as there are in Pattaya.

Also, you may want to check out some of the 'wild west' border towns on Thailand's northwest border with Myanmar.

I'm in no way being negative about the towns I've metioned, I love them all.

[somchai jones]

Well, not sure where you are getting the idea that Samui is more violent than it was in the past or that somehow Samui was less violent than other parts of Thailand before now.

My point being here, that in my opinion, there is a complete overreaction to behavior that has been par for the course in Thailand for as long as I have lived here. Violence and violent reactions are ubiquitous whether you are in Samui, Nakhon or anywhere else. Read the Thai newspapers. Daily there are reports of murders in all parts of the country.

Agreed.

[Mark Wolfe]

How easy is it to obtain a gun? How does one go about this? Where do they come from?

[John 1]

From a gun shop,licence required.

[womble]

The best way for a foreigner to get a gun is to get the Girlfriend to register it in her name.

I was broken into a while back and I asked the head of police what I could do to protect myself, he told me to get a gun. When I said that wasn't possible as i'm a foreigner he said that if it was in my girlfriends name and I shot someone who was breaking in it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm pretty sure you couldn't carry it around though as a Thai could, but if you needed protection at home it would be ok.

We never got the gun because I hate guns and would be more scared having one in the house than I would of the robbers.

We moved house and got a dog.

You can't turn a dog on it's owner.

[mosquitoman]

I find the whole shooting and violence thing very very sad.

My Thai friends tell me that they think of Koh Pha Ngan and Samui as more lawless than most parts of the mainland, my gut also tells me this that this is true.

I suspect there are more murders and violent crimes per capita on these islands than say Bangkok, Hua Hin or Chang Mai.

However mostly the killings are Thai on Thai so I think Koh Pha Ngan and Samui are relatively safe as tourist destinations when compared to somewhere like Johannesburg where alot of the violence occurs through street robbery, as opposed to the mostly crime related killings (prostitution, drugs and gambling etc) that we have here.

Having now witnessed several gun fights / assasinations on these Islands, I am surprised more innocent bystanders have not been killed, sooner or later an inoccent tourist will get killed when he or she unwittingly gets caught in the cross fire.

[sbk]

Actually, mosquitoman, I think if there are statistics available, you will find you are incorrect. I sincerely doubt that per capita there is more murder on Phangan than Bangkok.

[mosquitoman]

SBK - I tried to find crime stats for Thailand this afternoon, without any joy but I did ponder the subject. After talking to several people, we agreed that there have been 15 or so murders on Koh Pha Ngan this past year.

The population of Koh Pha Ngan I am told is about 11,000 people this equates to one murder per year per 733.33 people who live here.

Bangkok has a population of 6 million (city) 10 million (metroploian area) using Koh Pha Ngans murder stat this would equate to 8,181 murders per year or 23 per day in the city and in the case of the whole metroplitan area 13,642 murders per year or 38 per day.

Does anyone know the actual numbers?

However a visit to the hospital and susequent enquries let me to the following conclusion:

Far beyond the possibility of being the victim of a violent crime, the single biggest danger to life and limb for most people (especially visitors) on these islands is the possibility of having a motorcycle accident.

[LaoPo]

Having now witnessed several gun fights / assasinations on these Islands...............

Well, you have certainly 'witnessed' a lot more than me in the 30 years I'm coming to LOS (and islands).

I have never witnessed any shooting or assasination, wherever in the world, let alone Thailand and I have travelled a lot more than the average man in the street.......

You must be visiting some dangerous spots at some dark times.

LaoPo

[Rooo]

SBK - I tried to find crime stats for Thailand this afternoon, without any joy but I did ponder the subject. After talking to several people, we agreed that there have been 15 or so murders on Koh Pha Ngan this past year.

The population of Koh Pha Ngan I am told is about 11,000 people this equates to one murder per year per 733.33 people who live here.

Bangkok has a population of 6 million (city) 10 million (metroploian area) using Koh Pha Ngans murder stat this would equate to 8,181 murders per year or 23 per day in the city and in the case of the whole metroplitan area 13,642 murders per year or 38 per day.

Does anyone know the actual numbers?

However a visit to the hospital and susequent enquries let me to the following conclusion:

Far beyond the possibility of being the victim of a violent crime, the single biggest danger to life and limb for most people (especially visitors) on these islands is the possibility of having a motorcycle accident.

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/th-thailand/cri-crime

Try this site.

[mosquitoman]

Me too Lao Po,

I had never seen a gun fight not even a dead body (apart from my uncles which I payed my last respects to before his funeral) in my 42 years on this planet until I was in Solo bar in Samui, on the 10 th December last year when a policeman was shot dead in front of me and my friends.

Then whilst in Thong Sala, on the taxi rank by the Raja ferry pier , a couple of months ago after the Full Moon party I heard shots and then saw a man being pulled out of his taxi to be rushed to hospital. He had apparently been shot dead whilst sitting in his minibus.

More recently I was on Soi Bukkao (thong Sala) with the junction of the market enjoying a drink when two youths sped by on a motorbike, in pursuit was a policeman arnmed with a rifle who was firing shots in to the air, causing diners etc to duck for cover, All completely surreal. Apparently somes youths had been causing a disturbance on the Seatran pier the police were called and gave chase.

I hope I dont see anymore, as it makes me feel scared, insecure and ill for along time after these incidents

[LaoPo]

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/th-thailand/cri-crime

Try this site.

Thailand is on a 'nice' 8th place.......what MURDERS is concerned*....

"""""""""""""""""""

Rank Countries Amount (top to bottom)

#1 India 37,170

#2 Russia 28,904

#3 Colombia 26,539

#4 South Africa 21,995

#5 Mexico 13,829

#6 United States 12,658

#7 Venezuela 8,022

#8 Thailand 5,140

#9 Ukraine 4,418

#10 Indonesia 2,204

""""""""""""""""""""

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur-crime-murders

* In numbers; NOT per capita.

** BUT Thailand is on a shocking 14th place with MURDERS per capita!

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_...per-capita#rest

LaoPo

[mosquitoman]

I notice that the numbers given by

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_...per-capita#rest

are 0.0800798 per 1,000 people for the whole of Thailand as oposed to my calculation of Koh Pha Ngan of 1.363636 murders per 1,000 people for Koh Pha Ngan

It can not be or can it?

[SamuiJens]

any news as to whether the police finally have stubbed out their cigarettes , put down their whiskies , finished scratching their <deleted> and re arranging their genitals and got around to arresting and charging this delinquent yet ?

or is that too much to ask.

Guess when you come down to it, it IS to much to ask, unless it's one of your fella police officer( that got hit), then you'll see FAST action. Also a tourist hit will FORCE them to get crackin' (like the Black/white thing is to the USA) BUT Thai/Thai, big deal, to much paperwork, escpecially, when they can hardly do that. Is this REALLY 2006?

More shootings to come, believe me, so at the sound of a shot=duck!

[mosquitoman]

Well done Roo for finding a very interesting site I just spotted this shocking one on it.

Thailand is ranked third in the world

Murders with firearms 20,032 [3rd of 32]

(per capita) 0.312093 per 1,000 people [3rd of 32]

according to http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/th...crime&all=1

[sbk]

SBK - I tried to find crime stats for Thailand this afternoon, without any joy but I did ponder the subject. After talking to several people, we agreed that there have been 15 or so murders on Koh Pha Ngan this past year.

The population of Koh Pha Ngan I am told is about 11,000 people this equates to one murder per year per 733.33 people who live here.

Bangkok has a population of 6 million (city) 10 million (metroploian area) using Koh Pha Ngans murder stat this would equate to 8,181 murders per year or 23 per day in the city and in the case of the whole metroplitan area 13,642 murders per year or 38 per day.

Does anyone know the actual numbers?

However a visit to the hospital and susequent enquries let me to the following conclusion:

Far beyond the possibility of being the victim of a violent crime, the single biggest danger to life and limb for most people (especially visitors) on these islands is the possibility of having a motorcycle accident.

15 MURDERS this year? Really? Or perhaps, 15 shootings this year? If murder, 15 would be exceedingly high, much higher than any year in the past 17 years that I have lived on the island. To be totally honest, 15 murders a year is not any kind of average I have ever heard bandied around for Koh Phangan. If its true, then it is only true for this year.

I suspect your friends are recalling past murders that most likely did not happen this year. But, to be fair, I'll ask my husband to ask around.

Koh Phangan is most likely 14,000+ at this point, not 11,000. So, although I am quite bad at math, I am guessing that, if the 15 murders this year were true, it would still be lower than your projected number.

[LaoPo]

Koh Phangan is most likely 14,000+ at this point, not 11,000.

Would that be registered citizens?

I can remember that Samui is (yet) failing to become their own 'city' because they do not have yet 50.000 registered citizens....and thus still depending on Surat Thani.

On the other hand there seem to be around 50.000 Isaan workers as well on Samui (mostly not registered).

Is that the same on Phangan (but in smaller numbers, of course) ?

LaoPo

[mosquitoman]

SBK - I would be very interested to know how many murders your husband thinks have been commited on Koh Pha Ngan this past year, and why he thinks they are commited.

Unlike Samui, Koh Pha Ngan does not have an english language newspaper (the name eludes me) that publishes the crime stats every month. Alot of the crime reporting on Koh Pha Ngan is hearsay, so when some one is attacked or shot in Haad Rin, we may never hear a dickie bird about it in Thong Sala or say Hin Kong

I for one would welcome some one posting (say once a month) the crime stats for Samui, Pha Ngan, and Tao on this forum.

[Rooo]

Well a german tourist has been found dead in his room.Watched it on Samui tv.Didn't get the whole story was in Thai,but I can't believe they allowed the TV cameras in whilst the body was being inspected.Ok they showed pic of passport but to show the whole scene,i don't think was warranted.

[somchai jones]

Murders or no murders, Thailand sure is fun!

'How frivolous', you might say - possibly.

Oh well

[limbos]

SBK - I would be very interested to know how many murders your husband thinks have been commited on Koh Pha Ngan this past year, and why he thinks they are commited.

Unlike Samui, Koh Pha Ngan does not have an english language newspaper (the name eludes me) that publishes the crime stats every month. Alot of the crime reporting on Koh Pha Ngan is hearsay, so when some one is attacked or shot in Haad Rin, we may never hear a dickie bird about it in Thong Sala or say Hin Kong

I for one would welcome some one posting (say once a month) the crime stats for Samui, Pha Ngan, and Tao on this forum.

Samui doesn't have that source of information about crime statistics anymore. The paper you're referring to stopped announcing those statistics well over a year ago. THan again, I don't read all English publications on Samui.

[dare]

any news as to whether the police finally have stubbed out their cigarettes , put down their whiskies , finished scratching their <deleted> and re arranging their genitals and got around to arresting and charging this delinquent yet ?

or is that too much to ask.

Guess when you come down to it, it IS to much to ask, unless it's one of your fella police officer( that got hit), then you'll see FAST action. Also a tourist hit will FORCE them to get crackin' (like the Black/white thing is to the USA) BUT Thai/Thai, big deal, to much paperwork, escpecially, when they can hardly do that. Is this REALLY 2006?

More shootings to come, believe me, so at the sound of a shot=duck!

what do you mean black/white thing in the usa

[SamuiJens]

dare, I change that to is/was, OK, depending on where in the states.

[sbk]

Koh Phangan is most likely 14,000+ at this point, not 11,000.

Would that be registered citizens?

I can remember that Samui is (yet) failing to become their own 'city' because they do not have yet 50.000 registered citizens....and thus still depending on Surat Thani.

On the other hand there seem to be around 50.000 Isaan workers as well on Samui (mostly not registered).

Is that the same on Phangan (but in smaller numbers, of course) ?

LaoPo

Same problem as Samui, estimated. This is the number I have heard bandied about by local VIP's. That is nearly double the registered population.

Samui is something like 40-50,000 registered people, over 110,000 estimated residents at any time.

Anyway, my husbands internet is down and we haven't discussed this on the phone yet, other more important things to talk about (my cat was very ill and nearly died --Phangan Animal Care did their usual excellent job and saved her life)

So, when we get around to it, I'll find out his opinion. He does know a huge amount of people on the island and usually knows all about the latest murders.

Just as an FYI, the taxi driver who was shot at the pier several months ago was not local, he had just recently married one of my neighbor's daughters and most people presume his murder was something that followed him here.

limbos, are you saying Samui Community doesn't have that excellent police report in the paper anymore? that is too bad. Very useful info.

[mosquitoman]

Koh Phangan is most likely 14,000+ at this point, not 11,000.

Would that be registered citizens?

I can remember that Samui is (yet) failing to become their own 'city' because they do not have yet 50.000 registered citizens....and thus still depending on Surat Thani.

On the other hand there seem to be around 50.000 Isaan workers as well on Samui (mostly not registered).

Is that the same on Phangan (but in smaller numbers, of course) ?

LaoPo

Same problem as Samui, estimated. This is the number I have heard bandied about by local VIP's. That is nearly double the registered population.

Samui is something like 40-50,000 registered people, over 110,000 estimated residents at any time.

Anyway, my husbands internet is down and we haven't discussed this on the phone yet, other more important things to talk about (my cat was very ill and nearly died --Phangan Animal Care did their usual excellent job and saved her life)

So, when we get around to it, I'll find out his opinion. He does know a huge amount of people on the island and usually knows all about the latest murders.

Just as an FYI, the taxi driver who was shot at the pier several months ago was not local, he had just recently married one of my neighbor's daughters and most people presume his murder was something that followed him here.

limbos, are you saying Samui Community doesn't have that excellent police report in the paper anymore? that is too bad. Very useful info.

Let us not forget that a local was aslo gunned down in full view of his wife and children outside the islands main post office early on a saturday evening about 3 weeks previous to the pier shooting incident.

Also about the same time as this we had the full moon food fair next to the seatran pier, which ended its final night with a gun battle causing tourists and locals alike to run for cover, no deaths only a shoulder injury I beleive.

Several people have also told me that at the same time as these incidents a Japanese man, was found washed up on the beach in the Ban Thai area, he had died of stab wounds, He was last seen alive in Haad Rin.

[Rooo]

I'm sure I read the crime statistics in last month's issue.

[limbos]

Rooo, SBK,

Community has neither the crime statistics nor the motorbike accident track record anymore. Probably too depressing to publish.