Shooting Samui

[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.

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.

So, thats 3, a far cry from 15.

And yes, I knew the guy who got shot in front of the Siam City Bank, lets just say if you get involved in extremely dodgy business you may find yourself shot too.

[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.

So, thats 3, a far cry from 15.

And yes, I knew the guy who got shot in front of the Siam City Bank, lets just say if you get involved in extremely dodgy business you may find yourself shot too.

3 murders in 6 weeks all within a 1 km radius, in the Thong Sala area of Koh Pha Ngan!!!!!!!!!!!

Now lets then consider Tong Nai Pan, Haad Rin, Chaloaklam, Madeuan, Sritanu etc etc over a one year period, then I think its game on that there is in all probability at least 15 murders a year on the whole of Koh Pha Ngan, based on the recent Thong Sala murder rate.

Any information from your husband yet?

[sbk]

mosquitoman, you can't really work the murder "statistics" out that way. The guy who got shot in front of the bank was from Ban Tai, the taxi driver living in Ban Kai. The Japanese guy in Hadrin. And I don't believe the guy who got shot in front of the bank was in the past 6 weeks was he? That happened in May, the last time I was in the US, so I remember it quite clearly.

There have been a couple of dead bodies wash up this year but that is normal and they almost always come off the large fishing trawlers in the Gulf. So, if you are counting those, I wouldn't. They didn't happen on the island.

And no, he doesn't believe there have been 15 this year. he's asked around a bit and no one knows about 15. Sounds like you stipulated that fact from 3 murders in Thong Sala. that you mistakenly believed happened recently. Easily done, time is so fluid on the island that if I didn't have major events happening in my life (like going back home to visit my parents) I wouldn't know when things happened either. It is an easy mistake to make, thinking something happened in the past few weeks when really, it was 4 months ago.

[kperkins]

Also you might recall a shooting a while ago at the same venue where a police officer was killed by a local known to have shot and killed many people. Each time he has got out of prison a few months later only to shoot someone again.

Well, a couple of months ago he was shot dead by police, so he won't be a menace anymore. This one guy was responsible for three or four high profile cases that invloved foreigners being shot, and numerous cases of Thai's being shot. That's a large percentage of the cases that we have talked about on here, committed by one man!

Do you know the name of the Thai man shot dead by police? I would like to get more information on this rumor.

[steverino]

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

I've lived on Samui 20 years next July, and like sbk, married a local. I saw my first shooting in 1990 outside World Resort. I've lost about 4 familly members to gunshot wounds over the years, and have one Farang friend who's been shot (and survived) in that time. I know of many other incidents with other Farangs, but I kind of believe they were crossing the line in their manner or in business with Thai's.....If you go to Solo bar or the Chaweng Night Life, you're gonna witness something sooner or later for sure. If you go to Maenam, I guess you might see a fight or the motorbike gangs playing off at each other, but it's kind of safer because it's quieter. Common sense tells me, stay away from Chaweng, stay away from trouble.

[womble]

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

I've lived on Samui 20 years next July, and like sbk, married a local. I saw my first shooting in 1990 outside World Resort. I've lost about 4 familly members to gunshot wounds over the years, and have one Farang friend who's been shot (and survived) in that time. I know of many other incidents with other Farangs, but I kind of believe they were crossing the line in their manner or in business with Thai's.....If you go to Solo bar or the Chaweng Night Life, you're gonna witness something sooner or later for sure. If you go to Maenam, I guess you might see a fight or the motorbike gangs playing off at each other, but it's kind of safer because it's quieter. Common sense tells me, stay away from Chaweng, stay away from trouble.

Sorry don't agree with what you are saying there, the problem is not chaweng, the problem is forced closings of bars. I admit Chaweng is not everyones cup of tea, but it isn't the twon itself that has created the problems, I believe the violence has been shifted to Chaweng due to govenment policy.

The bars that can open till dawn just happen to be in Chaweng. If the only bars open all night were in Bophut, I think that is where you would see the trouble. There was certainly less trouble in town when there were less of the trouble making younger thai gang members in the foriegn oriented bars.

When you only have two bars open late (solo, sound), then anyone who wants a late drink will be in these two places. That means old enemies will bump into each other and also those that would a few years ago be getting drunk in a karaoke are now mixing with farangs as that is where the drink is.

I agree chaweng is full of drunken fools and it can be rowdy but before bars all around the island were forced to close early, there were certainly less shootings. There was also a lot more shootings in much smaller thai bars in random venues throughout the island

[limbos]

Remember quite a few shootings in the good ol' Santa Fe bar in Chaweng, back in the days. Actually so many, that they closed it down.

Than it moved on to Full Circle and since that's no more, it's moved on to Solo.

Steve, am in a similar situation like you, just not for that long yet. Know of a few Farangs who died violently here, some I knew rather well, and also have some family members who died in similar ways, although I never met them.

[mosquitoman]

If you go to Solo bar or the Chaweng Night Life, you're gonna witness something sooner or later for sure.

Common sense tells me, stay away from Chaweng, stay away from trouble.

Im with you, common sense tells me the same,

I now avoid Chaweng at night and especially Solo bar,

MM

[SamuiJens]

If you go to Solo bar or the Chaweng Night Life, you're gonna witness something sooner or later for sure.

Common sense tells me, stay away from Chaweng, stay away from trouble.

Im with you, common sense tells me the same,

I now avoid Chaweng at night and especially Solo bar,

MM

I agree guys, btw, does it have a "special" clientel? If so what is the average age group for Solo Bar? If you or others know?

[mosquitoman]

I agree guys, btw, does it have a "special" clientel? If so what is the average age group for Solo Bar? If you or others know?

"special" clientel ? I am not sure what you mean, would you care to expand?

Average age no idea but at a guess 20 something

MM

[SamuiJens]

I agree guys, btw, does it have a "special" clientel? If so what is the average age group for Solo Bar? If you or others know?

"special" clientel ? I am not sure what you mean, would you care to expand?

Average age no idea but at a guess 20 something

MM

Ja, I was thinking of drugs and other criminal types<at least some> since there are so many hits, and in that age group, I can guess I might be right. I have never been to that place, and am not much for the Chaweng scene. Just wondering.

Thanks for your reply mosquitoman.

Peace be with you.

[Samuian]

Remember quite a few shootings in the good ol' Santa Fe bar in Chaweng, back in the days. Actually so many, that they closed it down.

Than it moved on to Full Circle and since that's no more, it's moved on to Solo......

Yep, you're so dog damned right here.......

sometime in 2005 in the 'soi green mango', just in front of five star pub a guy got shot, amidst a big crowd of people, in fact it was an execution. the shooter emtied the barrel, put the gun back into his pants, closed his shirt and walked off, as if nothin' happened, cops arrived some 10-15 minutes LATER!!!

There are usually some coppers on patrol, that day none, not even the security guys from the Mango.

Nobody did ask questions and by ten there was quite a crowd there.

Tells, you something.....

Edited November 30, 2006 by Samuian