Koh Tao: Suspects found guilty of murdering British backpackers

[bendejo]

Farang killing farang, of no interest to the Thai judicial system. Please don't bother us again.

I would like to see Koh Tao's tourism dry up. The most miserable people in Thailand IMO.

[Plutojames88]

So when you pass the banners of ""Thai silky smooth""walking along the airport arrival strip to the customs and stare at images of smiling faces and sun kissed lands and wai's.

Consider verdicts.

The horrendous crime it's self enough to question the land and its barbaric killers..

But the the scrape goats and cover up.

The real killers left to roam.

The government ,judicial , the fear , the oppression , arrests .

These are all very real now days.

And uncertain times a head.

Consider this isn't such a sweet innocent place anymore.

And exercise caution.

And keep yourself informed.

This decision today will not appease the fears of the public.

Or create trust .

[JLCrab]

BBC Video Miller Family statement in front of Koh Samui Courthouse

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35173548

[sitti]

Well, victim's families are happy with the correct verdict. British police sent here back in 2014 are happy that they received full cooperation as they pre-agreed. UK government is also happy that there were able to take part in this investigation and show they had done something as demanded by their citizens. Thai police is happy with the correct verdict. And with such overwhelming evidences against the suspects, it was a very easy case for the judges. I'm sure a court is happy and have no doubt with their verdict. Case closed and everybody is happy with the outcome. Now time for Christmas and New Year holidays.

[angiud]

Many trolling, insulting, disrespectful posts deleted. Please behave

[DM07]

If the Miller- family really thinks, that this is a fair verdict and they are happy with it, my sympathy for them just dropped significantly!

Its much easier for the family to believe these guys were guilty, easier to move on. If not guilty their nightmare would continue. Maybe this is part of it.

I think so, too!

But that somehow doesn't make me feel better about it!

[John1012]

Appeal time, this isnt done, world media is going to be all over this.

One more nail in the Juntas coffin.

Contempt is an extravegant description of this verdict and of all associated with it. Lower than contempt. A very large set of nails, one hopes, in the coffin of Thai credability. I am stuffed, I have too much invested in my home and responsibilties to leave, but anyone who can , should .

[arrowsdawdle]

If this verdict is allowed to pass by the UK embassy in Bangkok, their hands will be just as bloody as the real culprits in this crime.

Hugo Swires, what a softcock

Instead of leading by example, the UK in this case appear to have got in line behind third world corruption.

[Boycie]

Jonathan Head mentions about the Australian forensic scientist brought in by the defense team. I remember reading that the British Police had their own team that came to Thailand to investigate.

But i never read their report or comments on what they found? Did anyone else?

Edited December 24, 2015 by Boycie

[emilymat]

I'm pretty shattered by this verdict.

My prediction now..

1 Appeal fails.

2. The King grants commutation of the death penalty.

3. Couple sent back to Burma at some stage (if they are alive).

The whole process could take months if not years. By then the Thai military/BIB etc hope the issue will have faded away.

[ldiablo]

3

And so the bubble pops...

The people saying that no evidence was presented are in complete denial, the main evidence against them, DNA found inside the rape victim was presented by the prosecution and not contested in any meaningful way by the defense.

Would like to see the judges' rationale on how they arrived at the verdict.

The judge is supposed to put in writing the rationale behind the decision, I hope someone takes the time and effort to translate it into English, in toto and without creative interpretations or convenient omissions as it has been the norm for the press work on issues related to this case.

The defence requested samples of the DNA for independent testing but officers failed to retrieve the samples and one officer suggested they had been destroyed.

I can see that you are copying and pasting from a news article, this is precisely what I was referring to in regards to the appalling behaviour of the press in this case. The court granted the request of the defense to retest the DNA samples, the defense then declined to do so; that is a fact a fact that either was conveniently ignored to maintain a certain narrative or completely unknown by a journalist that is supposed to know what he or she is writing about.

People that are clinging to the notion of the innocence of those two men are holding on to demonstrably false beliefs, time to let go, do a bit of soul searching and try to learn from the process.

"The court granted the request of the defense to retest the DNA samples, the defense then declined to do so."

Can you back up that ridiculous claim? Show me one shred of evidence to support your claim. It has been known from the very beginning that the police claimed the DNA was destroyed. If you don't know that you obviously haven't been paying attention. I can provide numberous links indicating the police stating the evidence was destroyed. Can you?

Edited December 24, 2015 by ldiablo

[dundas]

I followed the trial, and it was a travesty. It reminds me of the fact that currently a senior Thai policeman is in Australia as a would-be refugee. He ruffled a few feathers in Thailand when he was investigating human trafficking, was "rewarded" for his efforts with a transfer to the deep south (where, coincidentally of course, most of his enemies from his work were) and then resigned, in fear of his life.

Why would anyone be an honest man in Thailand?

[wandasloan]

They will be put to death soon and anyone who expected a not guilty verdict was a fool. Too much loss of face to get that kind of verdict here.

The one known certainty is that they will NOT be put to death soon. It is ALMOST certain they will not be put to death at all, but it is absolutely certain that the death sentence will not be applied "soon".

[Strangebrew]

Sad thing is this A person who did a hit and run that killed a police officer Has still not spent one day in jail do to the fact he has money much less the case even being brought to court to date as far as I know. Then there is the Thai actress who refused to be arrested after her hit and run cause she was most likely under the influence of alcohol and or drugs at the time of the accident. Justice is deaf and dumb if your Thai elite And totally absence if your a Farang.

[Richard Hall]

Most crucial aspect to me is that the families of the victims are obviously satisfied with the verdict. How could they if they had doubts that just scapegoats are sacrificed here? What now? New accusations that they were paid off as well?

Whatever, let's just wait whether there will be actually an appeal and in the affirmative what the outcome will be.

Amazing indeed. No, not necessarily the verdict but rather the reactions by lay people to it without even knowing the content and explanations in the verdict.

[realenglish1]

Crock of $*%& Sad day for Democracy and the judicial system in Thailand Not a good day to be Burmese . These guys are as guilty as my blanket.

Sad day

[brewsterbudgen]

Sad thing is this A person who did a hit and run that killed a police officer Has still not spent one day in jail do to the fact he has money much less the case even being brought to court to date as far as I know. Then there is the Thai actress who refused to be arrested after her hit and run cause she was most likely under the influence of alcohol and or drugs at the time of the accident. Justice is deaf and dumb if your Thai elite And totally absence if your a Farang.

Hardly relevant here as the two found guilty are not "farangs".

[ldiablo]

Posts which violate this rule will be removed.

You also agree not to post negative comments criticizing the legal proceedings or judgments of any Thai court of law.

This is for your protection as well as the forum. Please exercise care in what you post and how you say it.

The court did an excellent job...

[kingalfred]

The real killers ?

Edited December 24, 2015 by kingalfred

[DM07]

The RTP- fanbrigade is celebrating!

Good for you, guys!

You were right all along!

Overwhelming evidence brought on a fair verdict!

I hope you sleep well, tonight!

Merry Christmas!

[Lovekorat]

Shame on this country

Shame on the police

Shame on the judicial system.

Shame on those that have information that they did not provide.

What a sad day but did we really expect any different from a country that is rotten to the core with corruption, lies and deceit?

I would say the Buddha has left the building but I don't suppose he's here. He gave up with this lot a long time ago.

[John1012]

Perhaps it is time for Thailand to be seriously marked as a dangerous holiday destination and for travel companies to investigate safer more law abiding destinations.

[delgarcon]

I would like to ask the families of the victims and those of you on here, who think that the trial was fair and that the verdict was correct, how would you feel if you were on trial, for a crime you didn't commit, in front of the same panel of judges?

[bark]

If they say they were tortured; why not give them Lie Detector Test?

Also interested to hear from Uk Government ?

If not Guilty, sorry for them both !

[SunsetT]

We safe, Thailand safe..........

Are we safe??? Is Thailand safe???

[hellyes2oo2]

Disgraceful. Some of the facts that I remember from when they were first arrested

2 days after the murders 300 Burmese men were DNA tested, all were cleared no DNA matches found.

Pictures placed on TVisa at the time showed these 2 men waiting in line to have their DNA taken. So how can they be cleared one day, but arrested a few days later

It was only after the original police chief was movwd and a new one appointed by the good General, with orders to solve the case quickly that they were arrested.

The thai pathologist stated on television that 3 separate types of DNA were found on the girls body, yet we never heard of any attempt by the police to find a third culprit.

No evidence of the 2 mens DNA on the murder weapon.

The person who many suspected of the murders, was shielded by the police everytime his bame was mentioned They claimed he was at university in Bangkok at the time of the murders, and even produced CCTV footage of him the next morning at 9am. This was then exposed as footage from 2 weeks before the murders. No explanation from the RTP as to why the showed false evidence. When they finally after much public outcry agreed to test his DNA, they made a statement saying that he gave his DNA at 3pm one day, and unbelieveably they had the results at 9 am the next morning, which is impossible, even the leading forensic scienrist in Thailand miss Porntip said it was impossible to do.

Then there was the missing 2 minutes of footage from the CCTV camera outside the 7/11 close to the beach, that the police were UNABLE to explain.

There were many other things that happened but these were just a few examples of the lies perpetrated by the good general and his RTP cronies..

[Daryle]

Justice has not been served or even seen to be done. RIP

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[6NS]

Thailand just sentenced them selves to death.

I think it may take the country a decade or two to recover from this lie.

[phuketandsee]

The Miller's statement is unbelievable. Something very strange going on there. It can't just be grief.

[sandrabbit]

After reading the BBC summary Andy Hall & the defence team should hang their heads in shame if it's true that they were too scared to respond to the lack of prosecution evidence and especially for not using the Australian DNA expert to challenge the police's handling of DNA. It might be that they are guilty but the prosecutions evidence needed to be challenged.