Koh Chang: The story of a Russian tourist, kind-hearted Thai police and van driver

[webfact]

The story of a Russian tourist and kind-hearted Thai police and van driver

KOH CHANG: -- A Russian female tourist who ran out of money while visiting Koh Chang off Trat province was helped out by police and a public van driver who arranged for an accommodation for her and a free ride back to Bangkok.

The 24-year old tourist, identified only as Ms Irena, was spotted by villagers walking alone with just a shoulder bag on a road from a ferry pier in Laem Ngob district. Fearing that she might land into trouble, the police were alerted.

Pol Lt Mana Petpong, deputy inspector of Khao Saming police station, then rushed to the scene and found Irena walking alone. She told the police that she went to Koh Chang with four other friends but all of them had returned to Bangkok but she continued to stay on in the island until she ran out of money.

The tourist told the police that she had no money to pay for the bus fare back to Bangkok but declined to accept help from the police. She also said she intended to walk back.

Pol Lt Mana then alerted the tourist police to arrange for a Russian-speaking interpreter to persuade her to accept help from the police. She finally agreed and was accommodated for a night at a hotel in Khao Saming district.

Ms Irena managed to get hold of her friends in Bangkok and the next morning she was offered a free ride by a public van driver plus 500 baht donation from the Khao Saming district police.

This happy-ending incident of a foreign tourist took place last week but it went unreported until today (Thursday).

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154508

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-10

[steve187]

nice people, but stupid women

[inzman]

Went unreported but just happen to have a photo op, haha

[RIJoe]

"but she continued to stay on in the island until she ran out of money." Should have let her walk.

[peterrabbit]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

[Suradit69]

"but she continued to stay on in the island until she ran out of money." Should have let her walk.

Her four friends may have seized the opportunity to put some distance between her and them with good reason.

[raphoedon]

She looks quite young and therefore potentially vulnerable. She did by, by her own Choice, create the situation she found herself in.

Whilst I absolutely agree that help was needed and was given she should be made to compensate the people who funded her after such a stupid decision to stay on alone.

I pray to God that none of my family or my friends families ever have a young person male or female who would be so carelessly cavalier with their personal security, financial security and ultimately their lives.

This could have so easily have become another tragic story.

[cumgranosalum]

so 4 people leave her behind and she decides to "walk back" with no money. She definitely needs help.........but a little mot=re than that.

[SoiBiker]

Silly girl. Nice to see the locals did the decent thing.

[jacko45k]

Walk from Koh Chang to Bangkok, in those shoes!

[mikebell]

The police would n't have helped a 73 year old geriatric male pensioner. This is sexual discrimination.

[ChrisY1]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

She's from the planet Russia.....where they don't warn their touring citizens of the perils of travel......!

[springheeled jack]

it really is nice to see something like this I know there are some good people in the world but I think this girl was very stupid to get herself in this situation alone and no money I think she was very lucky somebody spotted her.

[lostmebike]

Yes very strange of a policeman to help a young, single and attractive lady, isn't it?

[The Deerhunter]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

Ko Tau and the RTP are long overdue for a good news story, and bus drivers too. Bad things can STILL happen on that place.

[laislica]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

Probably still stoned and "out there in the Universe"!

Will come down to earth by the time she gets home?

[Norvid 1950]

She is a lucky idiot. Nice to hear good things about Thai police and a Thai driver.

[chicowoodduck]

Walk back to BKK???? Hope she did not do it on the weekend....traffic can be a bitch!?

[chuang]

Run out of money

[kiwikeith]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

obviously a few BHT short, or she was on something, very lucky police helped her, a good opp for tourist damage control

[cat handler]

I wonder if the happy ending they talked about happened at the police station.

[HOOD Robin]

Yes very strange of a policeman to help a young, single and attractive lady, isn't it?

RIGHT ON !

The only reason they helped her is because she's attractive..

Secretly hoping they could have kinda physical compensation !

Like someone else said, they would NOT have helped a pensioner with a fat belly

[Honkie]

" Happy ending " ........this expression somehow gives me certain Funny thoughts .

[Geoffggi]

I agree with other posts, stupid thing to do staying there until she ran out of money shows how immature she is, having said that nice to see the Thai police made a very decent gesture in helping out the way they did also the other people mentioned, I hope her visa has not expired...!!!

[mango66]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

You have still some billionaires in Russia !!

She wouldn't have received any satang from them !!!

why ??

All Russians are running out of money !!

And they always looking for some stupid which will believe stories and fund them !

She didn't want to return to Bangkok,

she wanted to find a " customer " to spend time with her

and continue to sponsor her holiday !!

[gandalf12]

What planet did She come from? Didn't She read about Thailand before coming here? Crazy behaviour! The police were spot on getting her off the street, well done the BIB.

She's from the planet Russia.....where they don't warn their touring citizens of the perils of travel......!

They dont really need to Russia is dangerous so they would assume they know what situations are likely to arise

[mydee]

And subject to smart arsed comments from Thai haters on this forum

If she was going to walk to Bkk from koh Chang, she would have been raped and killed on the way by those pesky Burmese and Cambodians several times over.....

[dageurreotype]

The judgmental negative comments are to have been expected on here. From those that at 23 years of age, taking their holiday on a tropical island, quite possibly for the first time, would never have made an error of judgment would they? If they can even remember being that young again ..

[diehard60]

What kind of reward did the cop get from her I wonder.

[sambum]

If she was going to walk to Bkk from koh Chang, she would have been raped and killed on the way by those pesky Burmese and Cambodians several times over.....

How do you get killed several times over?