Family of murdered Hannah Witheridge pleaded with her to not go backpacking in Thailand

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Family of murdered Hannah Witheridge pleaded with her to not go backpacking in Thailand


Hannah Witheridge. File photo, source Internet

Susan Witheridge, 58, gave evidence to an inquest that she and her family feared for the safety of 23-year-old student Hannah

LONDON: -- The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge pleaded with her not to go travelling in Thailand.

Susan Witheridge, 58, gave evidence to an inquest that she and her family feared for the safety of 23-year-old student Hannah.

She revealed how their lives were “changed forever” when they were told she had been murdered alongside friend David Miller, 24.

Two Burmese migrant workers were sentenced to death last December over the killings.

Full story: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/family-murdered-hannah-witheridge-pleaded-7333162

-- Mirror 2016-02-09

[Somtamnication]

Her only mistake was coming to Thailand. RIP.

[JeremyBowskill]

^^^ hardly a mistake, millions do it every year. Unfortunately no matter where you are in the world, chances are a wrong en is only a stone throw away.

[Nigeone]

Every time I see a picture of this beautiful girl it saddens me so much. Along with David they should have been home in there countries telling all there friends of the wonderful time they had in Thailand. Instead there families are left to try and get there lives back together after such a horrendous crime. Day by day the families have to deal with so much and even after the inquest is over and a judgement made it will go on.. The Thai authorities have added to the hurt and pain by a complete botched investigation and a flawed court case which means it's going to appeal and the pain for the families continues. Sadly it has to happen as it would seem to most that the B2 have been framed and another set of parents are now involved. The whole situation is just heartbreaking for everyone including many on Thai Visa... I just hope one day the truth will come out,whatever it may be, and that in turn will enable the Witheridge's and Miller's to have some form of closure on this issue

[z42]

Strong statement, but one could only wonder why they said it, and what caused them to think that way. Most tourists I know and have seen in Thailand are pretty oblivious to the real dangers here, and think that everything is the same as it is back in their safe and orderly home countries. I would guess that only a very small fraction are actually harmed on their travels here considering the numbers of tourists. So unless the witheridge family knew something most others don't, or they actually looked on the UK home office travel guide we'll never know.
Such a shame regardless

[MaeJoMTB]

As a Brit, you're 20x more likely to die while visiting Thailand than visiting Europe.

[NongKhaiKid]

Maybe simplistic I know but I would think most parents would question the wisdom of backpacking anywhere these days especially for a daughter.

Of course Hannah was an adult so nothing anyone could do to stop her other than verbal opposition.

[never me]

Every time I see a picture of this beautiful girl it saddens me so much. Along with David they should have been home in there countries telling all there friends of the wonderful time they had in Thailand. Instead there families are left to try and get there lives back together after such a horrendous crime. Day by day the families have to deal with so much and even after the inquest is over and a judgement made it will go on.. The Thai authorities have added to the hurt and pain by a complete botched investigation and a flawed court case which means it's going to appeal and the pain for the families continues. Sadly it has to happen as it would seem to most that the B2 have been framed and another set of parents are now involved. The whole situation is just heartbreaking for everyone including many on Thai Visa... I just hope one day the truth will come out,whatever it may be, and that in turn will enable the Witheridge's and Miller's to have some form of closure on this issue

Thank you my thoughts also.

[chiang mai]

Average age of British tourist to Thailand - 25 - 34.

900,000 British tourists per year, 369 British deaths (from all causes, including natural causes) since 2013 = 123 deaths per year, or 0.014% risk of dying.

versus

Average risk of person dying even if they just stay at home (age 25-34) = 1 in 10,000.

Ergo, it's less risky to come to Thailand on holiday than to stay home.

http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/dyingage.html

Next

Total clap trap ...tourists are not here long term as in their own Country ..you can make anything look good with figures ..even Wall St know that

You overlooked the smiley, dint ya!

[ratcatcher]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014 (389 British deaths in 2012-2013).

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

Can we assume that a larger proportion of British deaths are related to aging expats passing on to the next paradise and a smaller proportion of tourists?

[MaeJoMTB]

Can we assume that a larger proportion of British deaths are related to aging expats passing on to the next paradise and a smaller proportion of tourists?

The problem would be, Thai police cannot be trusted to accurately record the cause of death for foreigners dying in Thailand.

So you have to look at the total number of recorded deaths, then the proportion of British travelers visiting Thailand.

Now as another poster has pointed out, more British die in Spain, but without taking into account that huge numbers of Brits visit Spain, but almost no Brits visit Thailand.

(Every year out of 60M British overseas travelers, less than 1M visit Thailand)

Edited February 9, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[casualbiker]

Oh my God. I'm dead! I must be because I'm British and I have been riding a Motorcycle here for 9 years.. So by all accounts I must be dead! Woe is me!

[Nigeone]

Isn't a lot of the problem over deaths in Thailand is that the stories don't seem to marry with the scene of the crime and therefore we are immediately put on guard. Also because of historical miscarriages of justice nobody believes even if it's true stories of these deaths occur and therefore seem more of a talking point. Hence it would seem perhaps there's more deaths then there should be. Personally I think it is a dangerous place and for those that say you just stay low and stay out of trouble I would agree but you can't account for other people's actions and being in the wrong place at the wrong time is difficult to do anything about. It always scares me the amount of guns being carried by Thais and with there mentality it's worrying. There is a gang culture to and mix that with the whiskey it is a powder keg at times. Also money and drugs and greed play a big part in so many deaths..Like we see on the Islands... For my two penny's worth there is too many suspicious deaths !! And I'm being kind !

[asdecas]

Any parent of a young woman travelling alone to a country like Thailand should, in my view, be concerned for their daughter. Without rehashing the myriad of reasons why Thailand, and indeed a hundred other countries, are dangerous, particularly for a young female Westerner, just be assured that, even after thirty years in this lovely country - and it still is lovely - I, as a now older male Westerner, still have to watch my step each day far more than I would in my health-and-safety conscious, mollycoddled and nanny-stated country of birth.

To live in a country like Thailand is a choice some of us make, precisely to get away from aspects of our own country, but that doesn't absolve us from responsibility towards ourselves. It is, then, unfortunate that the seductions of Thailand and similar places so often outweigh the necessary innate caution that we should always maintain.

[JAG]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014 (389 British deaths in 2012-2013).

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

Can we assume that a larger proportion of British deaths are related to aging expats passing on to the next paradise and a smaller proportion of tourists?

Indeed, for some reason elderly people ( and they do account for quite a proportion of the British in Thailand) are unaccountably prone to die.

Quite a significant number of younger peoples deaths are perhaps "self inflicted", drinking "vodka" out of buckets, driving rented motorcycles whilst in "party mode" and so forth.

A more telling analysis would show the number of deaths by regions - I suspect that some of the Islands, with their "unconventional governance" would come out on top.

[chiang mai]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014.

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

It's actually three years, 2012 - 2015 but regardless, as a percentage of 900,000 British visitors that percentage is extremely small.

Not much comfort to the many victims families though is it, also the traffic fatalities every year. Personally I get sick of the 'this could happen anywher'; nonsense, yes it can, but it's just far more likely on a shitty mafia run Thai island.

The traffic fatalities are included in those deaths.

Let me see, Kho Tao or Lower Sukhumvit, a difficult choice!

[chiang mai]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014 (389 British deaths in 2012-2013).

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

Can we assume that a larger proportion of British deaths are related to aging expats passing on to the next paradise and a smaller proportion of tourists?

Indeed, for some reason elderly people ( and they do account for quite a proportion of the British in Thailand) are unaccountably prone to die.

Quite a significant number of younger peoples deaths are perhaps "self inflicted", drinking "vodka" out of buckets, driving rented motorcycles whilst in "party mode" and so forth.

A more telling analysis would show the number of deaths by regions - I suspect that some of the Islands, with their "unconventional governance" would come out on top.

I agree a further breakdown would be helpful although I disagree the smaller islands would come out on top. Statistically the death rate is relevant to age group and the number of people who visit.

[MaeJoMTB]

Statistically the death rate is relevant to age group and the number of people who visit.

Unfortunately you know nothing of statistics and have even lied on this thread about the death rate.

"369 deaths spread over 3 years" (from your post 9) is an outright lie.

Why are you lying?

That was for 1 year!

Deaths of Brits in Thailand has been constant at around 300 per year for a long time.

Edited February 9, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[MorristheRunt]

Thailand gets more than its fair share of criticism and rightly so, but their are far more dangerous countries in the world to visit, especially for a young single woman.

Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, Most of Africa and Mexico to name a few.

Indeed after recent events and migration in Europe, Germany is no longer safe!

​

[hobobo]

Average age of British tourist to Thailand - 25 - 34.

900,000 British tourists per year, 369 British deaths (from all causes, including natural causes) since 2013 = 123 deaths per year, or 0.014% risk of dying.

versus

Average risk of person dying even if they just stay at home (age 25-34) = 1 in 10,000.

Ergo, it's less risky to come to Thailand on holiday than to stay home.

http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/dyingage.html

Next

Total clap trap ...tourists are not here long term as in their own Country ..you can make anything look good with figures ..even Wall St know that

Totally agree. Also, "average age" is one number, not a range. What the OP meant was that most of the people who visited were in the 25-34 year range

[happy Joe]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014 (389 British deaths in 2012-2013).

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

Can we assume that a larger proportion of British deaths are related to aging expats passing on to the next paradise and a smaller proportion of tourists?

Perhaps because of the very cheap alcohol ...

[BigC]

Stupid story just to defimate Thailand

It's every persons natural response to not want their kids tong traveling round the world

How many millions come back after having a great experience

Stupid story leave Thailand alone and let he two guilty rot in jail

And media leave this story alone I hope all you media people that post absolute rubbish end up in jail like your other members of your media group for post utter rubbish

[BigC]

I worry more about my daughter walking through south London alone

[chiang mai]

Statistically the death rate is relevant to age group and the number of people who visit.

Unfortunately you know nothing of statistics and have even lied on this thread about the death rate.

"369 deaths spread over 3 years" (from your post 9) is an outright lie.

Why are you lying?

That was for 1 year!

Deaths of Brits in Thailand has been constant at around 300 per year for a long time.

You're to funny MJ and I'll not be wound up by you, try somebody else.

[dodojero]

It's really sad what happened here in Thailand with Hannah but the same thing can happen everywhere in this world, even in Europe. I started to travel to far countries when I was 19 and my mother was very unhappy about that. Since that time I have been in 35 different countries all over the globe and I never made a bad experience. So. ...If I had listened to my mom I had missed a lot. Everyone must go his own way even it might be a risk.

Whatsoever. ....RIP Hannah.

[aslimversgwm]

^^

362 British deaths recorded in Thailand in the year 2013-2014.

Making your entire post worthless.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3086453/The-country-highest-proportion-British-deaths-Philippines-cost-17-000-repatriate-body.html

It's actually three years, 2012 - 2015 but regardless, as a percentage of 900,000 British visitors that percentage is extremely small.

Not much comfort to the many victims families though is it, also the traffic fatalities every year. Personally I get sick of the 'this could happen anywher'; nonsense, yes it can, but it's just far more likely on a shitty mafia run Thai island.

Exactly so! Well stated Jackie. Thank you.

[Tchooptip]

It's not as if they haven't been warned about how dangerous Thailand can be ........

Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11228849/Thailand-most-dangerous-tourist-destination-claims-book.html

Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2833369/Thailand-one-dangerous-tourist-destinations-Earth-Ex-pat-investigation-lifts-lid-dark-Land-Smiles.html

"He also says that the death rate among tourists, which he claims often goes unrecorded, is the worst scandal in the annals of modern tourism."

Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/with-so-many-britons-murdered-in-thailand-why-does-our-government-not-warn-of-the-dangers-faced-769640.html

"Yet what also emerges from the death of Charnaud and many others is the fact that Thailand, despite its popularity with the British, is among the most dangerous places in the world for UK visitors a fact that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been reluctant to publicise."

"It's not as if they haven't been warned about how dangerous Thailand can be "

So what about France?

Exactly the same danger as Thailand if one believes your links !

Also in your links: Why so many Britons murdered in Thailand? One can read: "At least 17 Britons have been murdered in Thailand since 2003"

Unless I do not understand something, that is to say in 15 years 17 Britons have been murdered in Thailand or in other words about one in a million.

Tabloid journalism is an industry

One could compare with the following link the murders for one million people seems to be comparable in UK

http://www.citizensreportuk.org/reports/murders-fatal-violence-uk.html

[MockingJay]

What a NOW (after all what happened) unnecessary and meaningless statement!!!

I remember that the family pronounced in front of cameras, that they were "fully satisfied with the investigation and the results"...

What does it help anyone to come up with "we told her to please not go" now, after the B2 have been fried in a bizarre contemptuous travesty beyond belief and after the poor kids, Hannah and David, have been buried?

It will neither bring the kids back, nor will it help to catch and prosecute the real killers (in case the B2 were just patsies) nor will it help the B2 to survive.

As far as I can see, the only relative in that family with a better idea of what really happened was Hannah's sister, who now needs to fear being prosecuted by Thai authorities for calling the RTP "investigations" foul play.

If they (the rest of the Witheridge family, except Hannah's sister) have nothing better to come up with, like a statement saying why (despite all the %$#@ups during the "investigation") they felt the "investigation" was satisfactory to them, perhaps it is better to stay quiet and let go. They had their chance to push for a thorough and professional investigation, but flunked it - now it's too late, and whining, and "ifs" and "whens" and "buts" won't help right now.

BTW - I believe that Germany, Britain, France and Greece are much more dangerous than Thailand nowadays. It is a mistake to lump together single incidents and one definitely bad island (Koh Tao) to state that "all of Thailand is very dangerous"... It's just a lame statement - and again - doesn't help anyone!

Edited February 9, 2016 by MockingJay

[whaleboneman]

Average age of British tourist to Thailand - 25 - 34.

900,000 British tourists per year, 369 British deaths (from all causes, including natural causes) since 2013 = 123 deaths per year, or 0.014% risk of dying.

versus

Average risk of person dying even if they just stay at home (age 25-34) = 1 in 10,000.

Ergo, it's less risky to come to Thailand on holiday than to stay home.

http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/dyingage.html

Next

Fatal flaw in your argument. People stay home for 365 days. People holiday for 2 or 3 weeks.

[whaleboneman]

Average age of British tourist to Thailand - 25 - 34.

900,000 British tourists per year, 369 British deaths (from all causes, including natural causes) since 2013 = 123 deaths per year, or 0.014% risk of dying.

versus

Average risk of person dying even if they just stay at home (age 25-34) = 1 in 10,000.

Ergo, it's less risky to come to Thailand on holiday than to stay home.

http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/dyingage.html

Next

Fatal flaw in your argument. People stay home for 365 days. People holiday for 2 or 3 weeks.