Thai police have arrested a gang of five men who allegedly stole more than 30,000 Triumph-brand bras worth an estimated 3 million baht ($90,900),

Thai police have arrested a gang of five men who allegedly stole more than 30,000 Triumph-brand bras worth an estimated 3 million baht ($90,900), media reports said Tuesday.The bra-pinching gang was arrested Monday in Samut Prakan province neighbouring Bangkok, the Bangkok Post reported.A total of 2,762 new Triumph bras were seized from the gang.The arrests were the result of a complaint by Body Fashion (Thailand) Co, the local manufacturer of Triumph lingerie, that 30,000 brassieres had recently been stolen from its warehouse in Samut Prakan.

Thailand

Thailand

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Thai national who overstayed in the country for over 10 years was sentenced to a year in jail and three strokes of the cane

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Thai national who overstayed in the country for over 10 years was sentenced to a year in jail and three strokes of the cane by the Kuala Belait Magistrate's Court yesterday.The court was told that Saknarin Khaekhunthod, 46, had overstayed in the country for 10 years, eight months and 23 days.Saknarin was arrested last Saturday (January 23) by officers of the Enforcement Section, Kuala Belait Immigration, who raided a rundown house in Kg Mulaut, Sengkurong, during an operation codenamed

Russian tourist who assaulted a Patong go-go dancer on Wednesday night

Russian tourist who assaulted a Patong go-go dancer on Wednesday night walked out of Kathu Police Station a free man the same day, after agreeing to pay the woman 1,500 baht to cover medical costs.Kathu Police Inspector Jakkapong Luang-aon received a call from the victim at about 9:30pm.The woman, a 37-year-old dancer from a well-known go-go bar located along Soi Bangla, told police she was suffering from wounds inflicted by a Russian tourist dissatisfied with her for failing to provide ‘special’ sexual services.The woman confessed to leaving the bar with the Russian for the purpose of having sex. They went to a nearby apartment where she realized she could not perform the services demanded by the Russian.As a result, the drunken tourist slapped and punched her, leaving her with wounds to the eyebrow requiring medical treatment, she said.She ran screaming from the room to friends who took her to Patong Hospital for treatment. Then she contacted police.At about 10pm police returned to the room, where the drunken Russian remained. A crowd that had gathered outside watched as the Russian was escorted by police to Kathu Police Station for questioning.

The Russian confessed to the assault and agreed to pay 1,500 baht to cover her medical treatment costs.

He also agreed to give her an unspecified extra amount of cash to make up in lost wages while her wounds healed.

As the incident came to a negotiated settlement with no charges filed, the Russian’s name cannot be reported.

long-established massage parlor that specializes in full service ‘soapy’ massages by sexily-attired women who wear numbers

team of provincial civil defense officials and volunteer police on Sunday night raided three well-known entertainment venues, in the heart of Phuket Town, suspected of serving as fronts for prostitution.A spokesperson from the Phuket Provincial Office Public Relations Bureau said the raids were ordered by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop following complaints from local residents that the three venues – two massage parlors and a nightclub – were actually fronts for prostitution.
A total of 57 alleged female prostitutes, including at least one Burmese girl under the age of 18, were rounded up by the special task force led by Phuket Deputy Governor (Palad) Chaiwat Tephee, Phuket Provincial Defense Office head Wirote Suwanwong, One of the venues raided is a long-established massage parlor that specializes in full service ‘soapy’ massages by sexily-attired women who wear numbers and sit inside a glass display case waiting to be called by potential customers.Among the evidence seized in a search of service rooms inside the building were used condoms, according to the spokesperson.There was no mention of any involvement by Phuket City Police. Rather, the women and some of the brothel operators were taken by pick-up to the Muang District Office, where they were questioned and informed of the various infractions they had committed.
One local cable television news show showed footage of the raids last night.
Most of those taken into custody were released after paying fines, but an unspecified number of illegal "aliens" were taken to Immigration Police for processing and possible deportation.Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.
Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop said the raids were just the first in what will be a strict and ongoing crackdown on prostitution.
According to official police statistics, there were a total of 1,588 people arrested for prostitution in 2009, up 13.3% year-on-year.
There were 225 arrests for prostitution-related charges in December 2009, just over double the figure from December 2008.With the possible exception of the Burmese, however, it is unlikely that Sunday night's raids will be included in official crime statistics since most of the alleged prostitutes were released without being charged.

32-year-old man has confessed to the murder of German expat Wolf Kesselheim

32-year-old man has confessed to the murder of German expat Wolf Kesselheim, telling police he acted alone and in self-defense.Chalong police arrested Pittaya Srijitraporn yesterday evening at Kata viewpoint, where he made a living charging tourists to pose in photographs with sea eagles.Mr Pittaya was paraded before the media at a press conference at Chalong Police Station this morning.
He admitted to stabbing 66-year-old Mr Kesselheim, who was stabbed to death in Chalong on Wednesday night.Mr Pittaya said he had just picked up his two young cousins from school and was driving them home on his motorbike when the incident took place.He confessed to cutting off Mr Kesselheim’s pickup truck at around 7pm outside Chalong Police Station.This angered the German, who followed the three Thais in his pick-up to Chalong Circle, shouting at them along the way.
Both vehicles turned off the traffic circle onto Viset Road, heading towards Rawai, with the German honking his horn angrily.Eventually, Mr Pittaya pulled over in front of the German’s truck, forcing him to stop in front of a 7-Eleven. He claimed Mr Kesselheim was too drunk to talk the incident through.Mr Pittaya said the German got out of the truck and punched him in the face, starting a scuffle he realized he could not win against the larger man.
When Mr Kesselheim got him in a headlock, the Thai stabbed him with a knife.
After the elderly German fell to the ground, Mr Pittaya and his cousins fled on the motorbike.Chalong Police Duty Officer Anukul Nuket said Mr Pittaya denied the younger Thais, both minors, were involved in the fight.Mr Pittaya also claimed that at the time of his arrest he was unaware Mr Kesselheim had died of his injuries.Police led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong this morning made Mr Pittaya re-enact the crime.Mr Kesselheim’s body is being kept at Wat Chalong pending funeral arrangements.

Police interrogations of the suspects revealed that the bikes had been stolen from the Pattaya City area

Four Thai men have been caught red-handed, in possession of three stolen Kawasaki motorbikes at a shop in South Pattaya.


Pattaya, the 21st of January 2010 [PDN]: At 00:00am on Thursday police Lieutenant Colonel Suthat Pumpanmuang (Chon-Buri Deputy Superintendent) together with a team of police investigators preceded to a motorbike repair shop in the Rungland Village, South Pattaya Road. Police were acting on a report given by Miss Anchalee Sriprawat [25], that the property was being used to store and modify stolen motorbikes of which one was owned by her.



Officers arrived at the scene to find four young Thai men in the process of modifying three stolen Kawasaki KSR motorbikes. The four men – Mr. Woraphoj Leelawongwattana [20] from Chon-Buri, Mr. Thanapat Phongwilai [19] from Udon Thani, Mr. Sam [15] from Chon-Buri and Mr. Ban [16] from Chon-Buri – were arrested immediately. At least one of the youths is believed to be the son of a Pattaya policeman who had recently resigned from the force.Police interrogations of the suspects revealed that the bikes had been stolen from the Pattaya City area and brought to this location to be modified as racing bikes, before they would be resold. All four offenders claim that it is the first time they have committed such an offence.The offenders were taken to the Pattaya Police Station and will be remanded in custody until judicial proceedings commence. Investigating officers are very sceptical about the youth’s statement that it was their first offence, as the nature of their operations appeared to be too well thought out. Officers also believe that there are other culprits involved in the operation, who they will now attempt to apprehend and bring to justice.

body of an unidentified Thai man has been found buried in a shallow grave at Khao Mai Kaew, near Pattaya

body of an unidentified Thai man has been found buried in a shallow grave at Khao Mai Kaew, near Pattaya, in an area of dense bushland.Pattaya, the 20th of January 2010 [PDN]: At approximately 11:00am on Wednesday police Lieutenant Seksan Arthornkittawat (Huay Yai Police Investigator) was notified about a dead body being discovered in bushland around v, Moo 2, Pattaya. Lt. Arthornkittawat and Lieutenant Colonel Prakob Saengpring (Huay Yai Superintendent) along with Dr. Somphob Pattayakul (Banglamung Hospital) and the Sawang Boriboon Foundation went to the scene to investigate.Arriving at the scene – in the Cassava and Pineapple plantations along the number 36 highway (Krating Lai-Rayong) next to a stream flowing from Khao Kamin – officers discovered the dead body of an unidentified Thai man lying in a shallow grave. The deceased, covered by a large black plastic bag was lying in a hole approximately 1.3 meters in depth, clothed in a brown t-shirt, blue jeans and a black jacket.Further investigations revealed that the man had suffered several hard blows to his head and face, causing multiple skull fractures. His clothing was covered in blood and he was found to have tattoos all over his body. Dr. Pattayakul explained that the man was in his early 30’s, 150-155cm tall and had been dead for approximately 2 days. Officers investigated the scene, locating the charred remains of a large cardboard box on a gravel road approximately 200 meters from the grave. There was also evidence to suggest that the deceased may have been dragged through the bushland to the site of the grave.Police interrogated Mr. Fai [30], a Cambodian worker who had accidently stumbled on the scene whilst walking through the bushland. Mr. Fai explained that he had been walking through the forest when he stumbled upon an area that appeared to have recently been dug up and was covered in a significant amount of blood. He told police that he began to dig the area when he found the body of the unknown man, following which he immediately contacted police.Officers believe that the man was killed in another location, placed in the cardboard box and transported to the scene to be buried. Due to the nature and symbolisms of his tattoos police believe that the man was a resident of the area and had previously served some time in prison. It is also believed that up to 3 suspects were involved in the crime and that it is probably a gang or drug related killing.
All evidence has been gathered and taken back to the police station where police will continue to investigate the case in an attempt to bring the murders to justice.

male British expat had been found dead in his apartment in Central Pattaya

Pattaya police were notified on the evening of the 30th December that a male British expat had been found dead in his apartment in Central Pattaya. Officers together with Sawang Boriboon medics went along to investigate at the Seeda Apartments off Third Road. There they found the body of Mr. Gary Armiten, aged 54 from the UK. He was lying face up on the floor with one leg resting on a nearby chair. There were no signs of any criminal action and the TV and fan were still on. Medics estimated the death at around 3-5 hours. On searching the room, medics found a supply of medicine from the Pattaya Memorial Hospital, where he had been admitted earlier in December for a lung infection. The body was discovered by a maid after a request by friends who had called to find out the condition of their friend, who was recuperating at home. The body was taken away for further examination and both the Memorial Hospital and the British Embassy have been notified of the tragedy.

alleged loan sharks accused of shooting up a late-paying client’s Nongprue home

alleged loan sharks accused of shooting up a late-paying client’s Nongprue home have turned themselves in to Chonburi Police.
Ruangsak “Oh” Sukpree, 31, and Tanaphum “Kaek” Ruanglek, 26, surrendered with their lawyer Jan. 7 and were charged with illegal money lending.
The two are still being investigated for alleged assault Jan. 5 on the home of Nopawan Buacharoen, 38, who told police she’d borrowed 20,000 baht from Tanaphum but soon had trouble making the 60 percent interest payments. Three weeks ago men collecting on the loan shark’s behalf had ransacked her home, she said, but after she’d filed a police complaint the trouble had stopped.
That was until two armed assailants blasted out her windows and filled her truck with bullets. Police found at least ten 9mm casings and numerous 12-gauge shotgun shells on her Soi Mabyailia 24 property.
Forensic experts with the Royal Thai Police are processing the evidence that could connect the pair to the shooting.
Police urged the public not to use illegal money lenders and if they do and encounter violence to swiftly report it to police.

Teo Ah Yau. naked body was discovered early Jan. 12 by villagers near the Prukasachat

Wirat Pluksuwan, 47, and Benchama Samerwong, 29, were taken into custody Jan. 13 at their Sriracha apartment. There officers recovered a 21-inch Samsung TV and CD player. A necklace and 3,000 baht were also reportedly stolen from the victim, 65-year-old Teo Ah Yau.
The couple admitted they’d conspired to rob Teo with the help of a third man, identified only as “Tee.” An arrest warrant has been issued for the man whose only known address is the Sriracha Market.
Teo’s naked body was discovered early Jan. 12 by villagers near the Prukasachat Project 5 building site. His hands and feet were bound with nylon rope, his head covered and a belt tied around his neck. Forensics examiners determined, however, he died of a blow to the head. Left behind here the man’s bank book, passport and worthless personal items.
Witnesses reported seeing a six-wheeled vehicle arrive at the site around midnight and a hearing an argument between a man and woman. The vehicle left about 20 minutes later.
Teo had been married to a Thai woman since 1986 and officers searched his home to discover clues behind his death. There they discovered items were missing and interviewed neighbors who reported seeing a couple arrive on an unlicensed motorbike. The pair went inside after which an argument ensued. Neighbors said the couple later left carrying a black plastic bag with something inside. Teo left shortly after and was not seen again.

three suspects are brought into the station to face drug dealing charges.

three suspects are brought into the station to face drug dealing charges.

Nariasa Brukel, 28, Kalchanok Pansri, 22, and Thongchai Suksanit, 20, were taken into custody during a sting operation in front of the Foodland supermarket on Central Road Jan. 13. Officers seized 15 ya ba tablets, 1.12 g of ya ice, a .357 handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition and a mobile telephone.
Police investigators arrested the trio after setting up a fake drug buy from them. The three admitted they had bought the drugs for resale from a dealer in Rayong.

Thai police arrest Christopher Paul Neil, whom they accused of sexual abuse and who went on trial earlier this year.

Interpol — the global police network based in Lyon, France — received from Norwegian police a cache of 800 disturbing images, roughly 100 of which depicted a man sexually abusing at least three boys aged between 6 and 10 in 2000 or 2001. While a luggage tag in the photos suggested they may have been taken in Southeast Asia, the trail grew cold, and for two years investigators were unable to decipher the man's identity or whereabouts — even though he hadn't bothered to conceal his face in the images. So this week, Interpol's child exploitation unit did an unusual thing: they turned to the worldwide public for help.
The media broadcast Interpol's plea and the tips came rushing in from as far away as Bangladesh. In the end, they ended up arresting a suspect. Less than 48 hours after Interpol's appeal for help, three tips submitted over the Net led to the arrest of Wayne Nelson Corliss in Union City, New Jersey, who was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement and charged with producing child pornography. Interpol depicted him as an aging deviant who entertained children by dressing up as Santa Claus and painting their faces at parties. According to prosecutors, Corliss, 58, described his sexual encounters with three prepubescent Thai boys as a "euphoric" experience. He is being held without bond and scheduled for a hearing on Monday. He could face 20 years in prison if convicted on the charges.
It is only the second time such an international public appeal has been made. In the fall of 2007, Interpol published images in media outlets worldwide that drew tips leading Thai police to arrest a man named Christopher Paul Neil, whom they accused of sexual abuse and who went on trial earlier this year. The lightning effectiveness of the tactic raises the question: why not do it more often?Indeed, Interpol believes the global appeals may be the child exploitation unit's newest weapon. "It's a silver bullet," says Michael Moran, Interpol's head of operations for both cases. "We've shown the efficacy of this. The public likes being asked. They produce the goods. And it sends a message that if you abuse children, you will be caught." That doesn't mean civilian policing will dislodge more conventional methods. "There is no question this can help, and probably often would," says David Kennedy, Director of Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "The problem is, as an operational matter, how would it be done?" Plucking actionable tips from the deluge of leads is a time-consuming chore, Kennedy says: "You are going to drown in false positives."
Moran, who spent sleepless nights going over this week's tips, agrees that the "ideal" way to chase suspects is through "proper, normal, investigative" channels. But he says eliciting leads from civilians is a "new front in the war" against sexual predators, one that he expects will continue to be effective because of a collective empathy for the well-being of children. Interpol will almost naturally take the lead in such cases because Internet clues as to where child abuse may have taken place are never clear. Determining the locale potentially requires a global search.Moran thinks cases like this chip away at the perception that the Internet remains a lawless frontier where criminals can act with impunity. "People think of the Internet as this dark place," Moran says. "We're shining a light into that shadow." If nothing else, it offered a delicious bit of symmetry: the conduit through which Neil and Corliss allegedly committed their crimes may also be the tool that brings them to justice.

Dirk Michelmann will face extradition back to Germany

Officers arrested fugitive Dirk Michelmann aged 40 years from Germany after receiving information from the German Embassy in Bangkok. Michelmann had escaped from Germany after an attempt to arrest him for 62 counts of fraud and credit card scams in the country. Word was out that he had made his way to Thailand and Pattaya in particular. So that was when Pattaya Police took action. They finally found the conman at a bar in Soi 6 on Second Road. When questioned he told officers that he had been in Pattaya since last January. He will now be taken to the German Embassy in Bangkok where he will face extradition back to Germany to face the charges laid against him.

Robbed of around 1 million baht whilst staying at the Denmark Hotel in Soi White House, Jomtien

fact that he had been robbed of around 1 million baht whilst staying at the Denmark Hotel in Soi White House, Jomtien. The incident happened on the 24th April while he went out to eat. Apparently, the receptionist gave the key to a strange woman without even checking for identification to go to this man’s room. In the room was his laptop computer and around 35 to 40 thousand dollars in US and Vietnamese currency. The stranger took all of the goods and left. The victim believes that the cleaning lady and reception have a part in planning the whole thing. How else would the suspect thief know what room key to ask for and have knowledge of what was in the room? During the meeting at the police station Police Colonel Nopadol Wongnorm stated that he would try his best to catch the people involved and will investigate further with the staff at the Hotel. The man stated there he will give a reward of 100,000 baht to the person who has information on who did it and 50,000 baht if his laptop gets returned.

House in Huay Yai Full of Drugs

After receiving a tip off from undercover informants, Pattaya Police organized an investigation operation to visit Huay Yai on the morning of the 2nd May. Officers went to a house with a search warrant to surprise 13 people living there as a family. On searching the property they found 1,300 tablets of yaba, grams of meth, marijuana plus an arsenal of guns and ammunition. Together with a number of cars and motorbikes taken away as evidence, the police reckon the value to be over 5 million baht. The 9 men and 4 women confessed to operating a drug dealing business from the house. They were all taken away for further questioning.

Canadian Christopher Neil, 32, was picked up in northern Thailand just ten days after his photo was published on the internet.

Interpol is turning to the internet for a second time to try to catch a suspected paedophile. It has been attempting to track down a man for the past two years after Norwegian police discovered computer photographs of him apparently sexually abusing young boys. The nationality of the man is not known. But Interpol's Anders Persson is hoping another worldwide internet appeal will have the same success as the last one."We came across these photos in Spring 2006, when the Norwegian national police sent these photos to us," he said. "They were found in a seized computer in an investigation in Norway, and they asked Interpol to support them in the identification of this man. So we engaged our international network of 50 police investigators from 20 different countries to help us and collect more images. So right now we have about 800 images where the victims, or the abuser, or the crime scene, in one way or another, is linked to each other. And the abuser can be seen in 100 images."Last year Interpol managed to unscramble a photo of another man's face, which it published online."We published the photos of this last case, which we called "Vico" on a Monday morning and, after eight hours, we had a name of a suspect coming in from a close friend of this man. That was not enough to decide if that was the right guy or not, because it was difficult for us just from a photo to determine if it was the same guy. But after another day we had five different independent sources giving us a name of the same person, and they also provided us with photos of this man. And with that range of images we were quite sure that was our man," Persson said.Canadian Christopher Neil, 32, was picked up in northern Thailand just ten days after his photo was published on the internet.

Police in Thailand and Cambodia said they had received information from Interpol.

He is white, has thinning gray hair and showed up in Internet photos having sex with young Southeast Asian boys. Now, Interpol hopes, police may soon catch the elusive suspected pedophile they have code-named «Mr. IDent.
The international police agency launched a worldwide public appeal for information Tuesday to help identify
the suspect, whose identity, nationality and whereabouts are unknown. It was only the second time that Interpol has launched such a public manhunt for a suspected pedophile. The first time, last October, rapidly led to an arrest.
Interpol released six photos of the latest suspect. Thought to have been taken in 2000 and 2001, they showed a man who appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s. Interpol said it has other images, which it did not release, allegedly showing him sexually abusing at least three boys, apparently aged between 6 and 10 years old. The boys appear to be from Southeast Asia _ though Interpol officials declined to specify any possible countries. Because of the lack of basic information about the man, Interpol officials said they were simply calling him «Mr. IDent» _ shortened from the word identity.
«We are doing this appeal now because all lines of police investigation have failed, and we believe that this man _ because there are so many images out there, and he is linked to several children _ is someone that can abuse again, can and will abuse again,» said Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's division that combats people trafficking, in an interview at the agency's headquarters in Lyon, France.
Police in Thailand and Cambodia said they had received information from Interpol.
The trail for the suspect first emerged in March 2006 when Norwegian police, working off a tip from Canadian counterparts, raided the Oslo home of a suspected pedophile and turned up 35,000 pictures of child pornography on the hard drive of his computer, including some of the man sought in the Interpol appeal, according to Interpol officials and Norwegian authorities.
John Stamnes, chief investigator for Norway's national crime police, said he believed there had been no personal contact between the Norwegian and the man wanted by Interpol. The Norwegian had taken only about 300 of the photos himself, and many others were downloaded, Stamnes said.
The Norwegian, a 48-year-old man with no previous criminal record, was convicted in June for sexually abusing six underage boys in Thailand and was sentenced to seven years in prison. His name was not released.
Anders Persson, a Swedish police officer assigned to Interpol's human trafficking unit, said it was impossible to know how many children in total the man could have abused.
«In the pictures received from Norway, there was actual abuse going on. We could see him involved in sex with children,» he said. «In some of the pictures ... you don't see the full body, you just see a part of the body.
Four of the photos released publicly by Interpol show the man wearing glasses. Two show him lying down and wearing a plaid, yellow shirt. None of the six photos show him with boys _ though one appears to show what looks like the side of a boy's shoulder, and a small tuft of hair.
Pointing to a blurry photo of the man lying on what looks like a checkered mattress or blanket, Persson said: «This can be the location of a brothel, or a bed in a brothel used by pedophiles ... we have (seen) children in the same location.
While Interpol is «sure about» abuse on three children, a total of «around 10 children» were seen in other pictures on the same premises _ but just not in the same image as the suspect, he said.
Two graphic photos seen by The Associated Press, which were not among those that Interpol made public, appeared to show the man engaged in fellatio with a tanned thin boy. In another, the man was lying between two boys who appeared to be touching his genitals.
Interpol hopes to build on its first such global appeal in October, which in 11 days led to the arrest in Thailand of suspected pedophile Christopher Paul Neil, a 32-year-old teacher from Canada.
In that case, Neil's face had originally been disguised in Internet photos with a digital swirl. Police reversed the swirl process, unmasking his face, and Interpol released those cleaned-up images publicly. Neil went on trial in March, accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy.
In the latest case, the man did not appear to make any effort to hide his identity in the photos seized in Norway, Stamnes and Interpol officials said.

Interpol officials said they don't know why the man did not attempt to disguise his face. But officials noted that pedophile offenders sometimes reveal their identities to win trust in child-sex offender circles, in hopes of getting access to other children or images.
Kvigne said Interpol was «very careful» in weighing the decision to launch the appeal. She said it was a «powerful tool» that should be reserved for only a limited number of cases.

Royal Thai Army has formed a new Thahan Phran (or Ranger) regiment for special duties in Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong and Wiang Kaen districts

Royal Thai Army has formed a new Thahan Phran (or Ranger) regiment for special duties in Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong and Wiang Kaen districts along the Mekong River in Chiang Rai province. The regiment has a skull and dagger insignia, and is responsible for curbing human trafficking and other illegal movements across the Mekong into Thailand from northwestern Laos.
Several different companies from the regiment, which is headquartered at Pakthongchai near Khorat, have been deployed to the Mekong districts since 2005. These include 945 Company, which was based at Vieng Mok in December 2005; 963 Company, which was based at Doi Pha Tang in 2005-06; 949 Company, which has a base just on the southern outskirts of Chiang Khong; 951 Company, which was at Doi Pha Tang in June 2007; 958 Company, which had camps from Huay Yen to Ban Don Dee, on the river road from Chiang Khong to Chiang Saen in 2006; and 948 Company, which was camped along that road in June 2007. One of the camps is directly opposite Ban Nam Koeng in Laos, and the Rangers cooperate closely with the Laotian authorities, informing them when they force illegal crossers to return to the Lao side.
This area has become the new vector for trafficking narcotics into Thailand, as well as women from Burma, Laos and China. In the last few years, there has also been a substantial number of North Korean citizens being trafficked into this area of Thailand. Estimates vary, but the total number caught since 2004 is likely to exceed 1,000. Those arrested are taken to Chiang Rai jail, then transferred to a jail in Bangkok before being resettled in South Korea. After the long and harrowing journey from North Korea down through China, and then through northwestern Laos, they are often beaten and abused when arrested in Thailand.

Viktor Bout was arrested earlier this year in Thailand. The United States is seeking his extradition on charges that could result in a life sentence

Prosecutors announced an indictment Tuesday against a reputed Russian arms smuggler who they say tried to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans.The indictment charges Viktor Bout with four terrorism offenses, including conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.The charges were based in part on a covertly recorded meeting in Thailand on March 6. Prosecutors say Bout said he understood that an organization of Colombia's leftist rebels wanted to use weapons against Americans in the country.Bout was accused of saying the group's fight against the United States was also his fight because the U.S. was also his enemy.
"Viktor Bout no doubt faces some of the most extraordinarily serious conspiracy charges possible for his crimes against Americans," Michele M. Leonhart, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "With the unsealing of this indictment, we are one step closer to ensuring Bout has delivered his last load of high-powered weaponry and armed his final terrorist."Bout was arrested earlier this year in Thailand. The United States is seeking his extradition on charges that could result in a life sentence.Bout's arms dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade. He had eluded arrest for years.He has declined to comment to reporters in Thailand, but has long denied being involved in illicit deals.Prosecutors say Bout conspired with others to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including 100 surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rockets.The indictment said they intended to sell the arms between November 2007 and March to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.The leftist group has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades. It is listed by the U.S. as a terror group.The indictment said the organization's violent acts directed against the United States and U.S. interests have included the murder of Americans, the kidnapping of U.S. nationals and the bombing of a restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, frequented by U.S. nationals.

man had been stabbed over fifty times

A 64-year-old Finnish man was stabbed to death in Pattaya, Thailand, late on Monday night. As reported in the local daily Pattaya Daily News, the man was found assaulted in his room in the Grand Condotel Hotel near Jomtien Beach. The man had been stabbed over fifty times. He died of his injuries in hospital. According to the Finnish late-edition tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, the Thai police suspect two local Thai men of the attack. The men had forced their way into the Finnish man’s room. According to the Pattaya Daily News, the man had managed to drag himself onto his balcony to call for help. As a leg amputee, the man suffered from restricted mobility.A woman living in the next-door room heard the man’s cries and called for assistance.There were plenty of signs of struggle in the man's room, and a 30-centimetre-long knife was found. According to an eyewitness, a young woman had stayed over in the room and then left.The Finnish man lived in Pattaya with his Thai wife. At the time of the stabbing the wife was in Bangkok.The Finnish Ambassador to Bangkok Lars Backström verifies the information of the Finnish man’s death. The Thai police are looking into the case as manslaughter.
"As far as I know, the police have not arrested anyone yet", Backström reported on Tuesday. The Embassy has informed the man’s next of kin of the tragedy.
According to Backström, around half a dozen foreigners have been killed in Thailand since the beginning of the year. The latest incident took place just over a week ago in Phuket, where a 27-year-old Swedish female tourist was stabbed to death on the beach.Prior to Monday's case, the most recent violent death of a Finnish tourist in Thailand happened in 2003, when a 31-year-old man was knifed at the conclusion of an attempted mugging.