Don’t let your kids backpack in Koh Tao – the clear message from the CH4 documentary

[webfact]

Don’t let your kids backpack in Koh Tao – the clear message from the CH4 documentary



SAMUI: -- At 10pm GMT last night Ch4 presented a documentary about six suspicious deaths in just over two years on the Thai island of Koh Tao. The program created by Make Productions had already been aired on Channel News Asia last month, however the UK program was billed to be a less watered down version.

In the main the one hour documentary focused on the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. One point that did come across was that Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller met on Koh Tao, it is a common misconception that Koh Tao burmese suspectsthey were travelling together.

The police suggested that a possible motivation for the crime was that, the now convicted migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo became aroused by seeing the couple in a romantic embrace on the beach. In fact there has never been any evidence to show there was any such romantic embrace and both Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo have consistently denied ever having seen either of them, together or otherwise.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo have never denied being on the beach on that fateful night, along with several hundred other people. One aspect that was not mentioned during the program was two other western women who had been mugged by four Thai men on motorbikes the evening before in the very same spot.

The program did focus on the bungled investigation – and questioned the presence of Montriwat Tuwichian, the owner of the AC bar (the victims had been seen in earlier during the evening) and brother of the village headman.

Montriwat was seen in plain view marching over the rope that cordoned off the crime scene, he was also seen with the police next to the bodies. During the program he admitted to being on the scene but said he did not touch anything, he went on to say that the sight of the victims gave him no pleasure whatsoever and went so far as to protests his families innocence telling the crew neither he or his family had anything to do with the crime.

His nephew Nomsod who has been the focus of online investigations was not mentioned in the documentary. Nomsod’s father Head man Worapan Tuwichian offered 700,000 baht to anybody who could prove his family was involved in the murders early on in the investigation. Feared by most, it was a strange offer when the likelihood of anybody presenting evidence against his family, that could result in his son’s death sentence had he committed the murders, is pretty much zero.

No mention of Eight Region Police Command Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen was made. The policeman who at the very start of the investigation identified the suspect as Montriwat Tuwichian and said evidence which the police collected and examined proved he was involved in the murders before being booted off the case and sent to another part of the country. (Thai PBS Report)

However Major General of the Royal Thai police Suwat Jangvodsuk was part of the program, he told viewers he had apologized to Mr Miller for images of his son appearing on social media and went on to say that the Thai police were not the best in the world but they had done their best, he also said that the DNA tests were done to international standards but could not recall what those standards were, however he did confirm the tests were carried out in a laboratory.

During filming, producer Tom Stone did gain access to the prison for a clandestine interview with Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, however with a hidden camera and a Burmese translator it was difficult to get a real grip on how steadfastly the men protest their innocence.

Mention was made about the total lack of any DNA samples from either men being on the murder weapon and Andy Hall, from the Migrants Workers Rights Network confirmed that then accused men had confessed to him that they had been brutally tortured into their confession made without lawyers being present, the confessions were later retracted.

Footage of the police interview with Wai Phyo was shown. One aspect of this the viewers may have missed was during the shown footage Wai Phyo was dressed in long jeans, a T-shirt and a long sleeved ‘winter’ top.

Odd attire considering the temperature at that time, especially when the 15+ other people in the room were wearing light clothes and T-shirts. With the allegations of torture in mind one has to ask what, if anything, was being covered up here. One strange moment was depicted when the translator trying to get Wai Phyo to answer questions ran his fingers through Wai Phyo’s hair, a technique it’s fair to say has never appeared in any other crime documentaries.

Sean McAnna the Scottish man who accused the Montriwat and his police friend of trying to kill him before he left the island was also featured. He said, in a clip of a BBC interview, that he believed the mafia were looking for a scape goat and told him that he would hang himself in the island and they would watch him hang.

As well as the case of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge the case of Christina Annesley, who died in January 2015 shortly after arriving on the island was covered.

During his interview her father said that he had no idea how or why she died, he was baffled as to why no toxicology report was ever made when the Thai police said his daughter died from a fatal mixture of alcohol and medicine for a chest infection.

He said he would only like to visit the island to see where his daughter had spent her final days but beyond that had no wish to be anywhere near the island. He also showed disgust that the last man to be seen with his daughter alive was never questioned by the police who claim to be carrying out in depth investigations into the seemingly endless deaths of foreigners.

No mention was made that Christina Annesley died in a resort owned by Montriwat Tuwichian, the very man who was implicated in the murders at the start of the Witheridge, Miller investigation.

Another case that was discussed was that of Nick Pearson, who after being assisted to his room with a bad knee by his father at the end of an evening out, ended up dead in the ocean.

The police believe he fell from his room but as his mother pointed out, it was a 50 foot drop, there was a huge boulder in the way preventing him from falling to his death where his body was discovered and his body had no broken bones. Incidentally the key to his room was found in his room so it is unlikely his trip to the ocean was planned.

A brief mention was made of Dimitri Povse, the 29 year old French man who managed to hang himself with a shoe lace with his hands tied tightly behind his back and an even more brief mention of Luke Miller was made, the British man police suggested had died jumping into a swimming pool, a fact that even one of the first paramedics on the scene disputes.

One thing that rings bells certainly in the cases of Miss Witherdige and Mr Miller and Luke Miller is the lack of CCTV evidence. Many cameras it has been said were not working on either night and those that were belong to private businesses so there has never been a legal requirement for the footage to be handed over to the police.

Hardly encouraging if Koh Tao wish to repair their reputation for shoddy police investigations and instil any kind of confidence in the parents of young travellers.

The message from the documentary was clear, parents should do all in their power to discourage their children from visiting an island where six westerners have died in just over two years and seemingly nobody is happy with the investigations from the police.

The CH4 documentary focused on 5 Brits and one French man, they made no mention of the Swiss man who went missing snorkelling just after the murders of Hannah and David. When investigators looked for his body they found a white man floating in the waters of Koh Phangan, that turned out not to be him, the body found floating near

Donsak turned out not to be him either, however the third body found near Langsuan were the remains of Hans Peter Suter a man who had just completed his PADI Divemaster course – a strong swimmer who in order to gain his qualification would have completed his rescue diver course too.

No explanation was ever given as to who the other two sets of remains belonged to. There was also no mention of the Burmese lady who was the daughter of the beach cleaner, and first on the scene. Although the authorities like to believe she left Thailand to return to her village in Myanmar, locals believe the mortal remains of a woman found on a rubbish dump in Koh Tao belonged to her.

The trial of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo was hardly touched on, certainly no mention was made of international news agencies scrambling for new translators when theirs had been scared off by the mafia, or the fact that at one point the trial was delayed by half a day due to no translators being prepared to come forward.

No mention was made of local rumours about who actually committed the crimes or of the fact you would be hard pushed to find anybody on Koh Tao, Koh Phangan or Koh Samu who believe the Burmese men are guilty.

Koh Tao investigationWith, no doubt, only sketchy information being offered from those in the know, the CH4 documentary went some way to bringing the situation in Koh Tao to light, and for anybody who has not visited or lived on the islands it would have been a shocking insight to what on the outside looks like paradise.

However nothing new came out for those who have knowledge or live on the islands where murders very often go unsolved, and sometimes are not even investigated.

Perhaps the next film crew brave enough to scratch the surface of the so called paradise islands in the Gulf should also investigate Samui and the murder of a Turkish man known as Ali in Chaweng, caught on CCTV in 2015, Volker Schwarges, 2014, a German Bar owner in Chaweng, whose murder by Samui teenagers was caught on CCTV but not one of them spent a single night behind bars.

They may also want to look into the headless corpse that washed up in Trat this year and the bodies of one male and one female who recently washed up near Donsak as well as dozens of unexplained foreign deaths that are reported on a weekly basis round the country.

But perhaps as the Mayor of Koh Tao pointed out, foreigners forget this is not their country, they do whatever they like, and this often causes their deaths, it’s all about fate……………………………….the sad fact is the fate of the friends and families of those lost on the islands is that they will never get closure while so much uncertainly hovers over the suspicious deaths.

The fate of the two young Burmese is yet to be seen, if they are as innocent as many locals believe their nightmare is only just beginning as they sit, ever hopeful their legal team will one day prove their innocence, behind bars on death row in the notorious Bankwang prison known to locals as the Bangkok Hilton!

Source: http://www.samuitimes.com/dont-let-your-kids-backpack-in-koh-tao-the-clear-message-from-the-ch4-documentary/


-- Samui Times 2016-04-22

[JLCrab]

Well this is the KohTao photo from last Sunday 17 APR 2016 -- maybe now with this 'clear message' the kids will all be gone by this next Sunday

Edited April 22, 2016 by JLCrab

[jlwilliamsjr18]

I agree, don't come to Thailand. But....First and foremost, the country should examine the reasons people come to Thailand, Shopping, Partying, and Sex, not in any particular order. Other reasons have faded in these times of selfies and capitalism which has run rampant in Thailand, which includes all of our nasty habits. If anything, it's a case study of what happens when warped economics and self gratification runs amok.

[Nicolas32]

Just watching it now http://www.channel4.com/programmes/murder-in-paradise/on-demand/62952-001 but you will need a uk proxy to see it ..

[IamNoone88]

Perhaps the TAT should promote the World's Largest Carpet. The one that every-thing gets swept under and out of sight.

[JLCrab]

I agree, don't come to Thailand. But....First and foremost, the country should examine the reasons people come to Thailand, Shopping, Partying, and Sex, not in any particular order. Other reasons have faded in these times of selfies and capitalism which has run rampant in Thailand, which includes all of our nasty habits. If anything, it's a case study of what happens when warped economics and self gratification runs amok.

The reason I will guess that many if not most as in the photo above would choose to go to Koh Tao is that they had friends who had been there and told them what a great time they had.

...and that may very well include persons who told others about having a great time on Koh Tao who visited Koh Tao after SEP 2014.

Edited April 22, 2016 by JLCrab

[alfalfa19]

Very good. The more people know about this, the better. When any of my friends plan to visit Thailand, I warn them of two main things, jetski creeps, and the "tropical paradise" known as koh tao, which is ruled by demons and murderous rapists.

[eddie61]

Most Interestingly, the "documentary" does not make a single mention of Nomsod, who must surely have something to say about all this.

[JLCrab]

Most Interestingly, the "documentary" does not make a single mention of Nomsod, who must surely have something to say about all this.

Maybe as a hard-hitting investigative team they checked out all the leads as often suggested on here as to Nok Air flight records, etc.and nothing turned up.

[Crash999]

Whoever wrote this article isn't helping by making things up and omitting facts. For example, "One aspect that was not mentioned during the program was two other western women who had been mugged by four Thai men on motorbikes the evening before in the very same spot."

It was not mentioned because it isn't true at all. The murder was on the beach at a rocky outcrop- unless the men on motorbikes rode them into the sand it was definitely not the same place.

And the suicide? Completely ignores the suicide note written in French that addressed his relatives by name. I suppose the mafia has a crack team of polyglot handwriting forgers at their disposal.

Worst part of this case is the people cheering one side or the other like its a football match and completely ignoring evidence to the contrary.

[z42]

Very poorly made documentary, seemed to be plagiarized almost entirely from the 1 channel news asia did a few months back. The lack of focus on the original police commander's statements regarding nomsod's involvement, the farcical DNA process, and the catalogue of police incompetence, didn't, I feel, paint a clear enough picture about how dangerous Thailand is and just how broken the justice system is here.

[SoiBiker]

Well this is the KohTao photo from last Sunday 17 APR 2016 -- maybe now with this 'clear message' the kids will all be gone by this next Sunday

I think we've reached peak douchebag.

[AdamRich]

Shit. Backpack? Don't let them go to that deathtrap of an island to begin with. No wonder you do not see Thais vacationing there. Glad I survived it, but never again.

[JLCrab]

Well this is the KohTao photo from last Sunday 17 APR 2016 -- maybe now with this 'clear message' the kids will all be gone by this next Sunday

<snip photo>

I think we've reached peak douchebag.

Certainly not my idea of a good time but I've gotten way past making such decisions for others.

[Kabula]

Just watching it now http://www.channel4.com/programmes/murder-in-paradise/on-demand/62952-001 but you will need a uk proxy to see it ..

I think it's very important to remind all of the Thai computer laws regarding circumventing Thai web-blocking.

Using a proxy to circumvent Thai web-blocking is illegal under the current Thai computer censorship laws while in Thailand.

Don't get banged up as the Thai computer laws are in place and the Internet is being monitored.

Proxies are legal when used for privacy only, except when circumventing Thai web blocking, when used for fraud, and more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Thailand

Circumvention software (copied from the above link)

Software applications for circumventing web-blocking are readily available. Tor is in use through software including XeroBank Browser (formerly Torpark) and Vidalia, and a number of other proxied solutions including Proxify, Six-Four, phproxy are also used. Freenet is another popular solution. Available for free download from the Internet, these packages are also published on disk by FACT. The MICT minister has said in an interview in the Bangkok Post that he has not blocked these methods because "using proxies to access illegal sites are illegal, whereas using proxies to access legal sites is legal."

Edited April 22, 2016 by Kabula

[SoiBiker]

Just watching it now http://www.channel4.com/programmes/murder-in-paradise/on-demand/62952-001 but you will need a uk proxy to see it ..

I think it's very important to remind all of the Thai computer laws regarding circumventing Thai web-blocking.

Using a proxy to circumvent Thai web-blocking is illegal under the current Thai computer censorship laws while in Thailand.

Don't get banged up as the Thai computer laws are in place and the Internet is being monitored.

Proxies are legal when used for privacy only, except when circumventing Thai web blocking, when used for fraud, and more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Thailand

Circumvention software (copied from the above link)

Software applications for circumventing web-blocking are readily available. Tor is in use through software including XeroBank Browser (formerly Torpark) and Vidalia, and a number of other proxied solutions including Proxify, Six-Four, phproxy are also used. Freenet is another popular solution. Available for free download from the Internet, these packages are also published on disk by FACT. The MICT minister has said in an interview in the Bangkok Post that he has not blocked these methods because "using proxies to access illegal sites are illegal, whereas using proxies to access legal sites is legal."

Don't get your knickers in a knot. He's not recommending using a proxy to circumvent Thai web-blocking - but just to defeat Channel 4's geoblocking that would otherwise prevent viewers outside the UK watching the stream.

[Kabula]

After reading the posts in this content, it appears some may be circumventing Thai web-blocking with the use of proxy services.

I think it's very important to remind all of the Thai computer laws regarding circumventing Thai web-blocking.

Using a proxy to circumvent Thai web-blocking is illegal under the current Thai computer censorship laws while in Thailand.

Don't get banged up as the Thai computer laws are in place and the Internet is being monitored.

Proxies are legal when used for privacy only, except when circumventing Thai web blocking; when used for fraud and more.

Also, if you have a Thai retirement visa, it's in violation of your retirement visa laws to work in Thailand unless you have a work visa. That includes generating a cash flow

by computer while in Thailand if you are avoiding paying Thai tax. This even includes doing charity work! Many disagree, but I suspect they have not researched the Thai law

and consulted with a competent, licensed, Thai lawyer. I suspect many are using proxy services for the above.

Laws and policies change frequently, so if any of the above is incorrect, please let me know. However, I confirmed the above today as best as I could.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Thailand

Circumvention software (copied from the above link)

Software applications for circumventing web-blocking are readily available. Tor is in use through software including XeroBank Browser (formerly Torpark) and Vidalia, and a number of other proxied solutions including Proxify, Six-Four, phproxy are also used. Freenet is another popular solution. Available for free download from the Internet, these packages are also published on disk by FACT. The MICT minister has said in an interview in the Bangkok Post that he has not blocked these methods because "using proxies to access illegal sites are illegal, whereas using proxies to access legal sites is legal."

[malibukid]

could never understand why people in their twenties would want to come to LOS in the first place. the EU or the States are much more fun and do not have the draconian laws and are generally safer as well.

[sambechtold]

This article is complete rubbish. So many details are incorrect it's rediculous.

Its nothing but a sensationalistic piece based off of previous articles in the news that were just as crappy as this effort. The whole premise that every bad story in the news about Koh Tao over the last 3 years being connected in some sort of a huge conspiracy sounds like a scooby doo plot. Scaremonger stupid Farang talk.

[joebrown]

Whoever wrote this article isn't helping by making things up and omitting facts. For example, "One aspect that was not mentioned during the program was two other western women who had been mugged by four Thai men on motorbikes the evening before in the very same spot."

It was not mentioned because it isn't true at all. The murder was on the beach at a rocky outcrop- unless the men on motorbikes rode them into the sand it was definitely not the same place.

And the suicide? Completely ignores the suicide note written in French that addressed his relatives by name. I suppose the mafia has a crack team of polyglot handwriting forgers at their disposal.

Worst part of this case is the people cheering one side or the other like its a football match and completely ignoring evidence to the contrary.

Quite often the media embellishes a feature to create an impact and this I often call 'poetic license'. I think it has happened in this instance, but unlike you I can recognise it and accept that the motorbike mugging didn't take place "in the very same spot" ie where Hannah's body was found. If the report had stated "In close proximity to Sairee Beach" it would have been clear enough for me. From recollection no actual time/place of death was ever clearly established for Hannah and David. Remember, David was found in the sea, and then moved onto the beach, so he could have been murdered anywhere in the vicinity of the beach. IMO the same applies to Hannah.

[joebrown]

Most Interestingly, the "documentary" does not make a single mention of Nomsod, who must surely have something to say about all this.

Maybe as a hard-hitting investigative team they checked out all the leads as often suggested on here as to Nok Air flight records, etc.and nothing turned up.

I doubt that the hard hitting investigative team would want to waste time trying to obtain Nok Air flight records, when they know that the chances of them ever being revealed are zilch.

[Henryford]

Here's another piece of advice. Don't go walking alone, while pissed, on a deserted third world beach at 2 am.

[mike324]

Whoever wrote this article isn't helping by making things up and omitting facts. For example, "One aspect that was not mentioned during the program was two other western women who had been mugged by four Thai men on motorbikes the evening before in the very same spot."

It was not mentioned because it isn't true at all. The murder was on the beach at a rocky outcrop- unless the men on motorbikes rode them into the sand it was definitely not the same place.

And the suicide? Completely ignores the suicide note written in French that addressed his relatives by name. I suppose the mafia has a crack team of polyglot handwriting forgers at their disposal.

Worst part of this case is the people cheering one side or the other like its a football match and completely ignoring evidence to the contrary.

Agree, a very poor documentary.

Such as "shown footage Wai Phyo was dressed in long jeans, a T-shirt and a long sleeved ‘winter’ top. Odd attire considering the temperature at that time, especially when the 15+ other people in the room were wearing light clothes and T-shirts."

Most construction workers in Thailand dress this way, many even wear beanies..... heck even normal Thai office workers wear jackets in the office

So most points in the documentary were beaten to death in the papers, they just made it more dramtatic by introducing things that are irrelevant or has already been proven but they refuse/did not care to point it out to keep viewers on the edge of their seat

[dieseldave1951]

social media i hope will eventually put an end to the coverups but i fear not until this blaten't scapegoat and lack luster investegations have a major impact on the tourist industry soley attributed to this cause

this attudue "there is plenty more fish in the sea" has got to stop we are not walking walets ready for harvesting

I agree, don't come to Thailand. But....First and foremost, the country should examine the reasons people come to Thailand, Shopping, Partying, and Sex, not in any particular order. Other reasons have faded in these times of selfies and capitalism which has run rampant in Thailand, which includes all of our nasty habits. If anything, it's a case study of what happens when warped economics and self gratification runs amok.

The reason I will guess that many if not most as in the photo above would choose to go to Koh Tao is that they had friends who had been there and told them what a great time they had.

...and that may very well include persons who told others about having a great time on Koh Tao who visited Koh Tao after SEP 2014.

[Dodgydownunder]

I sh_t on all of the farangs in the party photo from Kho Tao in this thread. Shame on them! I love the sea and diving as much as any one of these hipsters but you would have to chain me up drag me to this shithole. After all, we ALL know that the B2 murders have been a complete and utter cover up from the highest level of government and police down.

[Jonathon]

One needs to remember that the media in the UK, especially C4, is controlled by the extreme left, so anything that they produce needs to be consumed with a very large pinch of salt.

[yellowboat]

Perhaps the TAT should promote the World's Largest Carpet. The one that every-thing gets swept under and out of sight.

I can see Thai officialdom wrinkling their noses now. There are many good things about Thailand, but there is just so much that is appalling .

[dieseldave1951]

who is pulling your strings wakw up and smell the coffee

This article is complete rubbish. So many details are incorrect it's rediculous.

Its nothing but a sensationalistic piece based off of previous articles in the news that were just as crappy as this effort. The whole premise that every bad story in the news about Koh Tao over the last 3 years being connected in some sort of a huge conspiracy sounds like a scooby doo plot. Scaremonger stupid Farang talk.

[daoyai]

didn't see the program but know the island well, beautiful place, getting rapidly over developed, mafia stronghold and R and R center for "soldiers" from Surat Thani, no surprise there, very well connected, maybe untouchable. Somewhat safe for most tourists, no jet skis, noisy as hell long tail boats ruin the peace and quiet of much of the shorline all day long. booming subwoofer drunken nightlife all night long. paradise lost for sure.

[The Deerhunter]

social media i hope will eventually put an end to the coverups but i fear not until this blaten't scapegoat and lack luster investegations have a major impact on the tourist industry soley attributed to this cause

this attudue "there is plenty more fish in the sea" has got to stop we are not walking walets ready for harvesting

I agree, don't come to Thailand. But....First and foremost, the country should examine the reasons people come to Thailand, Shopping, Partying, and Sex, not in any particular order. Other reasons have faded in these times of selfies and capitalism which has run rampant in Thailand, which includes all of our nasty habits. If anything, it's a case study of what happens when warped economics and self gratification runs amok.

The reason I will guess that many if not most as in the photo above would choose to go to Koh Tao is that they had friends who had been there and told them what a great time they had.

...and that may very well include persons who told others about having a great time on Koh Tao who visited Koh Tao after SEP 2014.

"we are not walking wallets ready for harvesting." Oh yes we are! That is the entire point of the tourism industry in any country. And unfortunately a certain percentage of the Tourism Industry in every country will happily go beyond harvesting to exploiting.................. or worse; if push comes to shove!!

Be careful out there. Like it or not, you ARE a walking ATM in any low income country.