Must Read Authorities fire back over Koh Tao ‘Death Island’ label

[Adeeos]

49 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

These are 2 reports on the death of Dimitri Povse.

The man was found at around 3pm on New Year’s day hanging by black string around the neck wearing traditional Thai Fisherman’s pants, black string was also bound around his hands, a fact that has caused much speculation on social media sites that foul play was involved. However, the police found a suicide note that read “iris I love you, suicide seems easy but it is actually very difficult”
http://www.samuitimes.com/french-man-found-dead-koh-tao-incident-treated-suicide-not-homicide/

The body of Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from a ceiling at the balcony of his room at Ta Chin Bungalow on Koh Tao last Thursday. His hands were loosely tied behind his back
Police said there were no signs of a fight or a struggle. There was suicide note on his bed that said, in French, “Iris, I love you. Suicide seems easy but it is actually difficult.”>
https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/french-man-hanged-koh-tao-hands-tied-handled-suicide/

2 main differences: The SamuiTimes did not use the word 'loosely' and did not mention that the suicide note was written in French.

SamuiTimes also wrote that the victim's hands being bound behind back caused much speculation on social media that foul play was involved. But --
If you wanted to murder someone and make it look like suicide, why would you tie the victim's hands behind his back so that those on social media could speculate:
"See it wasn't suicide -- HE HAD HIS HANDS TIED BEHIND HIS BACK!!!"

 

Because they just don't CARE if anyone suspects,,,, they KNOW it'll be called a suicide,,, they operate with impunity,,, 

Edited July 9, 2017 by Adeeos

[Dave67]

6 hours ago, Khun Han said:

 

I wouldn't waste the energy required for your finger muscles if I were you.

Probably right could not recall where I'd read it.Turns out it was in an interview with the family 

[JLCrab]

23 minutes ago, Adeeos said:

Because they just don't CARE if anyone suspects,,,, they KNOW it'll be called a suicide,,, they operate with impunity,,, 

I used to live in the Bible belt of Oklahoma USA. If you asked someone there 'How old is the Earth?' they might say '6000 years old since the Great Flood.' Then you say: What what about radioactive carbon dating that puts some fossils at 30 million years old?

They would maybe say: 'Well God knew that we would have radioactive carbon dating so he put those items there to appear to be 30 million years old to test our faith.'

Reading some stuff on here reminds me of that.

Edited July 9, 2017 by JLCrab

[Adeeos]

13 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

 

 

I used to live in the Bible belt of Oklahoma USA. If you asked someone there 'How old is the Earth?' they might say '6000 years old since the Great Flood.' Then you say: What what about radioactive carbon dating that puts some fossils at 30 million years old?

They would maybe say: 'Well God knew that we would have radioactive carbon dating so he put those items there to appear to be 30 million years old to test our faith.'

Reading some stuff on here reminds me of that.

 

 

And people that think that way,, and believe it,,, truly consider themselves to be educated too,,, the VAST majority of people, wouldn't consider them to be,,, 

[mikiea]

On 7/8/2017 at 7:29 AM, Samui Bodoh said:

 

Well, I feel better already!

 

Good to know that everything is hunky-dory now.

yep , that's all that was needed .... a little fairy dust sprinkled here and there .....

[Wilsonandson]

I used to live in the Bible belt of Oklahoma USA. If you asked someone there 'How old is the Earth?' they might say '6000 years old since the Great Flood.' Then you say: What what about radioactive carbon dating that puts some fossils at 30 million years old?

They would maybe say: 'Well God knew that we would have radioactive carbon dating so he put those items there to appear to be 30 million years old to test our faith.'

Reading some stuff on here reminds me of that.

Why don't you try reading today's British Tabloids the independent and the Daily Star.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/travel/travel-news/625806/Koh-Tao-Thailand-death-island-backpacker-murders
They're publishing the same.

[stephenterry]

On 7/8/2017 at 7:17 AM, rooster59 said:

Only the deaths of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, on September 15, 2014, were crimes and the killers were sentenced to death by the First and Appeals courts.

Actually, that is factually incorrect re the David Miller and Hannah Witheridge deaths. The accused were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by the first court, and the same court heard the Appeal and didn't change their verdict.  

 

Whether the accused were killers or not has been widely speculated.

 

The issue I have with Thai authorities is that they reside in a culture that does not question their activities or statements. Student education supports this 'compliant approach' where only a few  rebel, and are immediately cracked down upon. Therefore, on balance, the above press release is aimed at restoring the status quo that will perpetuate until Society refuses to accept such bullshit.     

[rockingrobin]

2 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

do you have a link?

Christina Annesley

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/dark-side-koh-tao-seven-10708561

[Paul Henry]

Authorities cannot fudge the numbers all the deaths happend, so reasons why and excuses do not get away that too many FARANGS have died on this island in a short space of time. Officials need to face up to reality!.

[joebrown]

5 hours ago, JLCrab said:

And with what information is it with which you think I should come forward?

That I myself observed the actual crime?
That I myself  observed an altercation involving one or both of the deceased hours prior to their demise?
That I myself was a direct receiver of hush money?
That one of the actual perpetrators confessed to me directly and I recorded him on my mobile phone?
That someone who received hush money told me so directly and I recorded him on my mobile phone?

Or else should I just come forward with a bunch of hearsay that someone told me who did it and they know because someone else told them who did it?

 

I live in a northern province, and have a 'survival instinct'. I witnessed a crime involving the sale of drugs in my town  I told my Thai g/f who said she was aware of the problem and knew the person(s) involved. I asked whether I should go to the police and report what I'd seen. She said reporting the crime might have fatal consequences for me. I queried this and she said the police were aware of the drug peddling and were probably allowing it to continue for a 'fee'. She then said that if I did report it, the police would probably tell the 'pusher' I'd done so. As my g/f also knew the 'pusher' carried a gun, she said I would likely become a target for him.

Perhaps you might now understand the 'wall of silence' that allegedly exists on KT.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

I used to live in the Bible belt of Oklahoma USA. If you asked someone there 'How old is the Earth?' they might say '6000 years old since the Great Flood.' Then you say: What what about radioactive carbon dating that puts some fossils at 30 million years old?

They would maybe say: 'Well God knew that we would have radioactive carbon dating so he put those items there to appear to be 30 million years old to test our faith.'

 

My answer to those guys is to ask which is more likely to be tainted, billions of tons of fossils put there by God, or a few hundred pages of text written by men?

 

But I digress...

 

Edited July 9, 2017 by impulse

[dick dasterdly]

2 hours ago, JLCrab said:

These are 2 reports on the death of Dimitri Povse.

The man was found at around 3pm on New Year’s day hanging by black string around the neck wearing traditional Thai Fisherman’s pants, black string was also bound around his hands, a fact that has caused much speculation on social media sites that foul play was involved. However, the police found a suicide note that read “iris I love you, suicide seems easy but it is actually very difficult”
http://www.samuitimes.com/french-man-found-dead-koh-tao-incident-treated-suicide-not-homicide/

The body of Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from a ceiling at the balcony of his room at Ta Chin Bungalow on Koh Tao last Thursday. His hands were loosely tied behind his back
Police said there were no signs of a fight or a struggle. There was suicide note on his bed that said, in French, “Iris, I love you. Suicide seems easy but it is actually difficult.”>
https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/french-man-hanged-koh-tao-hands-tied-handled-suicide/

2 main differences: The SamuiTimes did not use the word 'loosely' and did not mention that the suicide note was written in French.

SamuiTimes also wrote that the victim's hands being bound behind back caused much speculation on social media that foul play was involved. But --
If you wanted to murder someone and make it look like suicide, why would you tie the victim's hands behind his back so that those on social media could speculate:
"See it wasn't suicide -- HE HAD HIS HANDS TIED BEHIND HIS BACK!!!"

 

1 hour ago, Adeeos said:

 

Because they just don't CARE if anyone suspects,,,, they KNOW it'll be called a suicide,,, they operate with impunity,,, 

IIRC Dimitri Povse stood on a narrow balcony rail whilst putting the string around his neck and then tying his hands behind his back - whilst extremely drunk?

 

I could well be wrong though as trying to 'google' the circumstances around his death results in little other than pages re. the various deaths on Koh Tao.

[impulse]

38 minutes ago, Paul Henry said:

Authorities cannot fudge the numbers all the deaths happend, so reasons why and excuses do not get away that too many FARANGS have died on this island in a short space of time. Officials need to face up to reality!.

 

So how many deaths would normally be expected in a similar location with the number of visitors and normal risks associated with a tropical beach with all the alcohol related behaviors?  I suspect it's not too far from the statistical norm.  But I'm open to anyone with the numbers- though not so open to declarations based on emotion with nothing to back them up.

 

The disturbing thing isn't so much the number of fatalities.  It's the lack of diligent investigation before pulling out the "suicide" stamp- often before any investigation at all.  (But within Thailand, that's certainly not specific to Koh Tao given all the balcony dives and deaths by unknown substances) And it's the lack of transparency when deaths like the Belgian lady take months to come out in the media.  Begging the question, how many more are yet to be discovered or revealed?

 

Edited July 9, 2017 by impulse

[stephenterry]

Transparency is not a word that Thai Authorities know. For them, it's saving face and taking no responsibilities for their actions.

[SunsetT]

Great!...........This will help to keep it in the 'International' public eye and news!

Edited July 9, 2017 by SunsetT

[JLCrab]

38 minutes ago, joebrown said:

I live in a northern province, and have a 'survival instinct'. I witnessed a crime involving the sale of drugs in my town  I told my Thai g/f who said she was aware of the problem and knew the person(s) involved. I asked whether I should go to the police and report what I'd seen. She said reporting the crime might have fatal consequences for me. I queried this and she said the police were aware of the drug peddling and were probably allowing it to continue for a 'fee'. She then said that if I did report it, the police would probably tell the 'pusher' I'd done so. As my g/f also knew the 'pusher' carried a gun, she said I would likely become a target for him.



Perhaps you might now understand the 'wall of silence' that allegedly exists on KT.

You were a witness -- no photographs or tape recordings? So it would be your word against theirs that anything of what you claim ever happened. On that basis, I wouldn't go to the police either. And on Koh Tao I wouldn't go to the police but if I had any corrobable evidence, I would send it to the Bangkok Post or to one of the UK papers -- or to the SamuiTimes if they were still around.

Edited July 9, 2017 by JLCrab

[JLCrab]

1 hour ago, Adeeos said:

And people that think that way,, and believe it,,, truly consider themselves to be educated too,,, the VAST majority of people, wouldn't consider them to be,,, 

And on here if you ask why everyone claims a certain person was present at a certain time and location but there is no one who can claim that they saw such a person at the given time and location you get 101 different answers as to why no one can claim that they saw them even though he was there but the easiest answer as to why no one can claim that they saw him is because HE WASN'T THERE.

[JLCrab]

1 hour ago, Wilsonandson said:

Why don't you try reading today's British Tabloids the independent and the Daily Star.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/travel/travel-news/625806/Koh-Tao-Thailand-death-island-backpacker-murders
They're publishing the same.

Thank you. that is all a rehash of what other newspapers and the Samui Times have already written. And the only thing new in the Independent article is that their correspondent talked to a few locals who know everything but are scared to say anything.

Edited July 9, 2017 by JLCrab

[Krataiboy]

AFP reported that the island authorities are now suing the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of “damaging Koh Tao’s reputation by calling it Death Island”.

 

It's started. As if the existing defamation law were not bad enough, here's another hammer waiting for nails to batten down free speech and investigative reporting.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Krataiboy

[steelepulse]

>>> talked to a few locals who know everything but are scared to say anything.

 

If your family were threatened, would you say something?  There was a high ranking gov't official in Phuket that tried to undue some of the corruption here and he asked for a transfer as he said people came to him and said they knew where he lived and where his children went to school amongst other veiled threats.

[JLCrab]

Great -- he should have asked for and gotten a transfer and then tried to undo the corruption 'cause it seems he had not made a reasonable assessment of the persons that he was trying to un-corrupt.

But this topic is about an as yet filed lawsuit so maybe I'll wait until that lawsuit actually materializes before playing tag team again with you guys.

Edited July 9, 2017 by JLCrab

[Adeeos]

48 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

And on here if you ask why everyone claims a certain person was present at a certain time and location but there is no one who can claim that they saw such a person at the given time and location you get 101 different answers as to why no one can claim that they saw them even though he was there but the easiest answer as to why no one can claim that they saw him is because HE WASN'T THERE.

Or, you get no answers at all as to who the culprit was,, from 101 different people, because they know better than to say a word,,,

[JLCrab]

That's a pretty sad comment on humanity but that's what you want to live with up to you.

[007cableguy]

Is it me or are shills still getting all these threads locked?

[diehard60]

oh well. i think it is a name that is going to stay for awhile, nothing anyone can do about it now. you mean all those kids went there to just commit suicide? 

[JLCrab]

14 minutes ago, 007cableguy said:

Is it me or are shills still getting all these threads locked?

It''s you -- and some of you people really disgust me that you might have hard-core corrobable information that might put away the 'real killers' but you wouldn't do anything about it because you've put your life savings into your vegan juice bar. 

Of course that's all academic because if anybody had any real hard-core evidence to put away the real killers and the killers knew about  it, from what you read on here, they'd be dead already.

Edited July 9, 2017 by JLCrab

[joebrown]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

 

 

 

 

You were a witness -- no photographs or tape recordings? So it would be your word against theirs that anything of what you claim ever happened. On that basis, I wouldn't go to the police either. And on Koh Tao I wouldn't go to the police but if I had any corrobable evidence, I would send it to the Bangkok Post or to one of the UK papers -- or to the SamuiTimes if they were still around.

 

 

Your reply and that in post #266 clearly show that you have no idea (or don't want/refuse to accept) other posters' suggestions as to why no-one wants to come forward with evidence to incriminate known felons.

In my case, had my g/f not said what she did I could easily have taken photos, but I'm so glad I didn't, because I might well have been attending my own funeral at some later date. For those who've sunk their life savings into their 'juice bar', I can fully understand why they don't want to come forward, for fear of possible financial ruin or even worse......

A serious question for you...If you were in my situation and those business owners on KT would you fearlessly go to the police with factual evidence knowing the probable personal consequences?  

[JLCrab]

I've already said that I would not go to the police. There are other places to go. But you actually witnessed something regardless as to what you did or not do about it. I question whether anybody on Koh Tao witnessed anything and it's all just a bunch of hearsay.

And drug deals such as you witnessed most likely take place in every town in Thailand. That is not the same gravity as 2 young UK tourists bludgeoned to death.

[marquis22]

On 08/07/2017 at 7:47 AM, Jeremy50 said:

Too late. It will always be Death Island now, and deservedly so.

Especially if you are between 20 - 30 yo   ....  stay away, go somewhere else!!

[AGareth2]

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

whether anybody on Koh Tao witnessed anything

this is what I find hard

The B2 had no witnesses and no one heard anything