Bangkok Street Crime

Survey reveals expat banking fears

2012-01-26T22:48:00.001Z

The Expat Banking Poll was sponsored by Lloyds TSB International and conducted by expat website Just Landed. Expats in Spain were found to have the most problems with banking abroad. Almost two-thirds of those polled – 64 per cent – said that they do not trust local banks at all. Some of the most common problems cited by those who distrust banks abroad include unfair charges, trouble with the language barrier and money that was deducted from their account without any explanation. Briton Graham Hunt, who runs a Spanish property website and has written some hard-hitting blogs on banking in Spain, said: "Two years ago, there was a lot more trust in Spanish banks. "But the past couple of years have seen new charges for cards, account maintenance, transfer fees... this put people into the red in unused accounts, and they were then given an additional overdrawn charge. As a result, trust disappeared." Spain is happiest expat destination 19 Jan 2012 He also claims bank charges have increased "dramatically" recently and that lack of clear communication is the major problem for expats not speaking Spanish, and banks not employing people with language skills. "However my experience is that if you have a good relationship with the bank manager then any charges on the account can usually be got back," Mr Hunt said. "You just threaten to take your business elsewhere." Ali Meehan, who runs the Costa Women community network, said however there were many reasons expats wanted to use Spanish banking services. ""Many expats bank with Spanish financial institutions because they have mortgage products or loans locally," she said. "Some banks also offer special deals if you have your UK pension paid direct to Spain." More than 11,800 expats in total were surveyed for the Lloyds TSB International report. More than half of those, 59 per cent, said that they do trust their banks abroad, while only 22 per cent of respondents said they did not trust their banks "at all". In the United Arab Emirates, 74 per cent polled said they completely trust local banks; in Kuwait, this number is even higher, at 83 per cent. In Europe, German banks receive a similar score, with 68 per cent of expats polled completely trusting their services. UK banks – though facing many problems – are completely trusted by 52 per cent of respondents. And despite uncertainties over the British pound, 36 per cent of expatriates surveyed claim they would invest in sterling over any other currency. "While the poll demonstrated a lot of positivity, there are also some issues to be addressed," said Daniel Tschentscher, managing partner at Just Landed. "In the current climate, one would expect the level of trust to be lower, but that really doesn't seem to be the case at all."

A grisly event in South East Asia highlights the region's developing meth-driven drug war

2012-01-19T04:09:00.001Z

The Mekong River in Thailand Photo via By Jed Bickman 10/11/11 | Share Uppers Rock the World New Life for Asia’s Golden Triangle China Unveils Radical New Approach to Drug Treatment Vietnam's Rehab Gulag Revealed Spinning to Cambodia! In one of the grisliest incidents of the drug war in South East Asia in recent memory, the corpses of thirteen Chinese sailors have been found by Thai authorities on the Mekong River. The victims, including two female cooks, were blindfolded, bound, and shot dead. They're believed to be the crew members of two Chinese cargo ships that were hijacked last week by Thai drug gangs—the boats were recaptured in a firefight with Thai police and 950,000 methamphetamine pills were discovered on board. It's unclear whether the meth was loaded onto the boats by the Thai gangs, or whether it was already being shipped from China. Thai military officials blame a drug trafficking ring led by 40-year-old kingpin Nor Kham—who operates out of northeast Burma and is a wanted man in both Burma and Thailand—for the attacks. Authorities speculate that the Chinese ships neglected to hand over protection money and paid the price. The Chinese government has reacted defensively, suspending cargo and passenger trips along the Mekong river. The region along the border of Burma, Laos, and Thailand—known as the “golden triangle”—is the center of methamphetamine production in Asia, although China has also produced vast amounts of meth since the 1990s. Ephedrine, the base of methamphetamine, is derived from a native Chinese herb—“mao,” AKA "yaba"—which has an important role in Chinese medicine. The UN estimates there are between 3.5 million and 20 million methamphetamine users in South East Asia: such a broad range only serves to illustrate how badly understood the problem is. In 2009, countries in South East Asia collectively reported a 250% jump in methamphetamine arrests, as well as an increasing trend of injecting methamphetamine, which leads to a corresponding jump in HIV and other diseases among users.

Switch to olive oil for better health

2012-01-10T21:47:00.001Z

Indian households should completely switch to olive oil as a cooking medium as its nutritional value is very high, it is rich in monounsaturated 'good' fats and, when used daily, can bring instant and easy wellness to a family's diet, celebrity chef and noted cookery expert Nita Mehta says. "Even though we have such a wide range of olive oils in our market, people don't seem to use them because of their mental block that the flavour of olive oil doesn't gel with Indian flavors," Mehta said at the launch here Satuday her latest book, "Indian Cooking With Olive Oil".

Tens of thousands flee as floods sweep Bangkok

2011-10-27T01:50:00.001Z

Tens of thousands of Thais are fleeing flood-threatened Bangkok after the city's Governor ordered official evacuations for the first time since the crisis began. Floodwaters bearing down on the city have killed 373 people nationwide since July, causing damage that will cost billions to repair and shutting down Bangkok's second largest airport. Satellite maps of Bangkok last night showed a city almost entirely surrounded by water.

The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior.

2011-09-26T06:50:00.000Z

This concept sports car was built, from initial sketches to working prototype, in just nine months.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

Creating a new car can take years of development, but Gordon Murray Design put together a running prototype electric sports car in just nine months. The Teewave AR.1 was commissioned by Toray Industries to show off its carbon fiber production.

Toray says that its process can make carbon fiber components in just 10 minutes. The Teewave AR.1 uses Toray carbon fiber for its chassis, crash structures, body, and interior. Other Toray materials make up interior surfaces and components of the car.

Gordon Murray Design opted for a modest electric powertrain in the Teewave AR.1, meaning sluggish acceleration.

(Credit: Gordon Murray Design)

Those light carbon fiber elements make the overall weight of the Teewave AR.1 just 1,874 pounds. The lithium ion battery pack for the car makes up 530 pounds of that weight.

Gordon Murray Design did not specify the supplier of the electric power train, but its specifications are fairly standard for new electric cars hitting the market. Range is listed as 116 miles using the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, and charging time is 6 hours.

The Teewave AR.1 does not push the boundaries of electric car performance. Its electric motor, driving the rear wheels, only produces 63 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. That means acceleration of 11.4 seconds to 62 mph.

You won't be able to buy a Teewave AR.1 anytime soon. The car will be used by Toray to demonstrate its carbon fiber capabilities. But Toray says its carbon fiber components will scale from a car as small as the Teewave AR.1 to any other size of vehicle.

What this concept also demonstrates is how quickly a new car can, from sketches to a working prototype, can be built. Components such as the electric drive train and suspension are modular, while the carbon fiber can be formed from molds rather than the more time-consuming stamping process for steel, which involves more tooling.

MINI COUPE

2011-09-26T06:46:00.001Z

It was quite a good idea for Mini to make a coupe version as the fifth body derivative in the model line-up because the earlier variations basically covered the widest customer expectations possible.

If you loved the Mini for what it has always been, you'd easily go for the classic Hatch. Want more fun and there's the Convertible. Need to be a little pseudo and the Clubman awaits you. Crave for family practicality and the Countryman's yours.

But if you needn't any of those values but want a genuinely good looking and driving Mini for yourself, the Coupe is the perfect choice.

The removal of the compartment for rear passengers has allowed Mini to put in place a three-box profile to give the Coupe a nice coupe profile. Adding more fun is a helmet-style roof distinctively coloured from the body.

But that's just about it when it comes to the cosmetic test because the rest of the Coupe is plainly a Mini.

There's no differentiation when it comes to the lights or front grille. Simply, it's the roof that holds the key to your liking of the Coupe.

The fascia is just like in any other Mini: fun but flawed to use.

Despite the booted appearance, the Coupe's boot lid opens in a hatch manner (together with the rear windscreen) which, in essence, makes the Coupe more of a liftback.

No rear perches means that the Coupe has that kind of boot space rarely seen in any Mini. Mini has also taken the opportunity to design the interior boot cover with stylish twin cowls. In functionality terms, the Coupe is all what two people at most would ever need.

And turning to aesthetics again, the interior reaches the same dead end as the exterior in which distinction is only confined to the rear bit. The front seats, steering wheel and fascia are like in other Minis, with the latest aspect being fun in appearance but flawed in ergonomic terms.

But you really can't blame Mini for the vast similarities the Coupe bears to its other siblings.

It's a diversification of a specific model, in the first place, and not entirely all-new on its own. Hence, the need to share as many parts as possible.

The pop-up spoiler has both visual and dynamic benefits.

So if you're expecting the Coupe to feel distinctively special on the move, prepare to frown because it doesn't. However, that can never be considered a bad thing since Minis have always been known to be cars that are great to drive.

The running gear of the Coupe is predictable enough: the engines and transmissions are the ones you have seen around since the Mini's facelift in second-gen form with no changes in power and torque outputs.

The one highlighted here for the Coupe test drive in Germany this month is the range-topping 211hp 1.6-litre petrol-turbo and six-speed manual gearbox for the so-called John Cooper Works guise.

The chassis setup is basically just like in other Minis including a sporty tuning. Absence of rear seats has also allowed engineers to place a cross-member in their place to further increase body rigidity for even better handling.

With this in mind, the Coupe drives very much like the Hatch. Performance is brisk in a straight line and impressive when picking up from low engine revs and when exiting corners.

There's no doubting the Coupe's handling, too. This is as sporty as a car of this small size gets, and the way it grips at high speeds when slamming down the autobahn to its top speed is quite amazing. Special thanks go to a new rear spoiler that pops up at over 80kph (and disappearing again when dipping below 60kph).

Ah, that spoiler, the item much talked-about in the Coupe which many critics have described as more a cosmetic gimmick rather than one for dynamic reasons. But as things turned out during the international driving trials, there seems to also be much weight leaning towards the latter factor.

The Coupe also goes around into corners with the same conviction as the Hatch: superbly agile, finely balanced and virtually free of understeer. It's equally as capable as a rear-drive sports car like the Mazda MX-5, unless your idea of looking out from the car is through the side windows.

There’s some stow space behind the front seats... and more of it in the boot.

Speaking of the driving view, the Coupe does feel different from the Hatch in the sense that the front windscreen is more slanted and not as upright as in the Hatch or Clubman. And the Coupe's rear view is limited, although the view of the spoiler (and the stripes painted on it) looks cool.

A more serious downside (in terms of marketing and not engineering) is the unavailability of an automatic gearbox. Mini still insists that JCW cars must be manual. This means that Thais won't be getting this powerful JCW, unless they order it.

Instead, the Cooper S and Cooper variants will come at the year-end with six-speed slushers, the prior spec having steering-mounted paddle-shifters. There wasn't the chance to sample the Cooper S, but it's fair to say _ based on previous driving experiences of other Minis _ that the Coupe with this power treatment will still be a fast car to drive.

You need not have suspicions about the Coupe's ride: the underlying firmness of the chassis makes for a stiff ride, even on the slightest of potholes on German roads. We'd easily say that the ride on Bangkok streets would be terrifyingly hard.

Thailand launches new campaign to fight drug crimes

2011-09-15T12:31:00.001Z

The golden triangle region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar join has been the centre of drug production and trafficking for a long time. Drug situation in Thailand has deteriorated since 2007 when about 400.000 were arrested on drug related ground. National statistics show that in 2011 the number of persons implicated in narcotics has attained 1.3 million across 80.000 villages. A reason enough for the new government to approve a new anti-drugs campaign that pledges to be inflexible with traffickers and help addicts through rehabilitation programs. Few days ago, a military border force seized 3.4 kilograms of heroin and 95 kg of crystal methamphetamine, worth US$33 million, the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar, where it is believed that ethnic minorities are major heroin and methamphetamine traffickers. In order to stop narcotics production, Thai businessmen will be encouraged to rent plots of land and invest in agriculture projects and then hire hill-tribe people to work on the farms so that they make a decent living. Border checkpoints will be intensified along the Thai-Burmese border to discourage drug smuggling. Prisons are over-crowded with drug convicts, to prevent them from going back to drug trafficking after being released, they will be encouraged to learn new skills in the final year of their jail terms. Children remain an easy target, therefore the armed force will act as a role model and promote sports and healthy life. Opening military camps and stadiums and donating sports equipment to needy youngsters will be their priority. For the past decade, Thai government has been far from successful in its fight against drug trafficking, but Yingluck Shinawatra by joining force with neighboring countries wishes to stop the problem at the root.

British expat arrested in Phuket today was on a list of fugitives wanted by an international division of the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA)

2011-09-07T06:56:00.001Z

Paul Ridden in detention in Phuket. Photo: Lars Goran Dikander.

PHUKET: A British expat arrested in Phuket today was on a list of fugitives wanted by an international division of the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), the Phuket Gazette has learned.

Paul Ridden, 58, was arrested today after being fooled into meeting a friend in front of Chalong Police Station.

When he drove into the police station car park, his exit was blocked by other vehicles behind him.

“When he pulled up, Tourist Police volunteer Gary Halpin reached in and removed the key from the ignition,” said fellow volunteer Jum Ali Khan.

The move to lure Mr Ridden to capture today follows a Chalong Police attempt to bring him in for questioning yesterday after a fellow expat complained of being cheated out of 75,000 baht.

Sussex Police in the UK appealed to the public for help in finding Mr Ridden in June after he jumped police bail in April.

The appeal, which said Mr Ridden was wanted for “numerous fraud offenses”, was carried nationwide, including on the BBC website.

The appeal was issued by Detective Constable Rick Kent, Senior Officer, Operations, of SOCA’s Middle East and Asia division.

Speaking to the Phuket Gazette tonight, Mr Ridden confirmed that he had been contacted by the British Embassy in Bangkok, but he declined to answer any questions related to why he was wanted by the UK authorities.

After taking Mr Ridden into custody, Police Col Boonlert Onklang noticed that the Eastbourne native had overstayed his visa.

Mr Ridden will spend tonight in detention at the station, and will be presented in court tomorrow to face a fine for his immigration infraction.

However, that may not be the end of his problems in Phuket.

At least six people were lining up at Chalong Police Station tonight to file complaints against him.

All the complaints related to Mr Ridden having allegedly deceived or cheated the plaintiffs out of money.

One woman told the Gazette that he borrowed her motorbike and then rented it out to tourists.

Mr Ridden also hired cars from local rental operators, then rented them out to tourists, “like subletting,” one man said.

“There are eight cars in total,” he added.

Another person ready to file a complaint said he rented a car from Mr Ridden and was still waiting for his deposit to be returned. “That was two weeks ago,” he said.

Yet Mr Ridden claimed that he himself was a victim of deceit.

“I was just trying to run a business in Thailand. What happened was that the guy I came to work with said he would get me a work permit, so I gave him 65,000 baht. That was three months ago," he said.

Mr Ridden said that he was working with a local firm that installs CCTV systems.

“I was like a sub-agent. I was getting the job and they were fitting it. Their manager told me that he could get a work permit for me if I worked for them for a year, so I gave him the money. But the boss never knew about it,” he said.

“The paperwork that was signed – which I still have – was all forged by the manager. And they know about it. That’s how it all started,” he said.

Mr Ridden said that the 75,000 baht involved in the original Phuket complaint was saved in a bank account.

“The money was for getting the man a visa, but he found a cheaper way and decided to do it himself. But to get the visa [the man wanted], he needed to have money in a bank account, and that’s where it is. I will give it all back,” he said.

He also said that he had been in touch with several people – and in front of the Gazette he specifically asked for certain people to come and see him – so he could give the car registration books back.

Mr Ridden also asked that the Thai man he had hired to help him to run his business not be involved, especially since the Thai man’s wife was one month pregnant.

Google closes 10 services in 'spring clean'

2011-09-06T08:50:00.001Z

The services being closed by Google include Aardvark, a social network-powered question-and-answer search tool, Fast Flip, an experiment in displaying news content online, and Notebook, a note-taking and URL-clipping service. In a post on Google’s blog, Alan Eustace, senior vice president, said: “Over the next few months we’ll be shutting down a number of products and merging others into existing products as features. [...] This will make things much simpler for our users, improving the overall Google experience. It will also mean we can devote more resources to high impact products—the ones that improve the lives of billions of people.” He added: “We’ll continue to take risks on interesting new technologies with a lot of potential. But by targeting our resources more effectively, we can focus on building world-changing products with a truly beautiful user experience.” Other services being discontinued by Google include Desktop, which the company says has been superseded by cloud computing, Google Pack, the company’s bundle of downloadable software, and Sidewiki, a collaborative approach to annotating websites. Google Maps API for Flash, Google Web Security, Image Labeler and Subscribed Links are the other services to be closed. Aardvark founders Max Ventilla and Damon Horowitz said that Google+ had taken on some of the role performed by their service. In a blogpost, they wrote: “We’ve been excited to share these lessons within Google over the past year, especially as part of the effort behind Google+. “It has been gratifying to see how well this project is doing — even in these early stages, Google+ has already become a great place to share knowledge online, eclipsing the original vark.com! — and there is much more to come very soon.”

Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans

2011-09-06T08:35:00.001Z

Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans and livestock, officials said Tuesday.

The 21-foot (6.4-metre), 1,075-kilogramme (2,370-pound) reptile may have eaten a farmer who went missing in July, along with several water buffaloes in the southern town of Bunawan, crocodile hunter Rollie Sumiller said.

A crocodile also bit off the head of a 12-year-old girl in Bunawan in 2009, according to the environment ministry.

Josefina de Leon, wildlife division chief of the environment ministry's protected areas and wildlife bureau, said it was likely the biggest crocodile ever captured.

"Based on existing records the largest that had been captured previously was 5.48 metres long," she told AFP.

"This is the biggest animal that I've handled in 20 years of trapping,"

Sumiller added, estimating the male to be more than 50 years old.

"The community was relieved," he told AFP, but added: "We're not really sure if this is the man-eater, because there have been other sightings of other crocodiles in the area."

The team, employed by a government-run crocodile breeding farm, began laying bait using chicken, pork and dog meat on August 15, but the reptile simply bit off both meat and line the it was skewered on.

An eight milimetre (0.31-inch) metal cable finally proved beyond the power of its jaws and the beast was subdued at a creek on Saturday with the help of about 30 local men.

The local government decided against putting down the reptile and will instead use him as the main attraction at a planned nature park in the area.

"He's a problem crocodile that needs to be taken from the wildlife so that it can be used for eco-tourism," Sumiller said.

Crocodylus porosus or estuarine crocodile is the world's largest reptile that usually grows to five or six metres long and can live up to 100 years.

While not considered an endangered species globally, it is "critically endangered" in the Philippines, where it is hunted for its hide to feed the fashion industry, de Leon said.

Drug couriers killed in Chiang Rai

2011-09-05T12:40:00.001Z

Two drug traffickers were killed and 22,200 methamphetamine pills seized late on Sunday night in a clash with a combined force of police and para-military rangers of the Pha Muang Force in Thoeng district of Chiang Rai province, police said. Pol Maj-Gen Songtham Alapach, the Chiang Rai police chief, said the combined police-ranger force laid in wait near Rom Pho Thong village in tambon Tap Tao of Thoeng district between kilometre markers 56-57 on the road to Phu Chi Fa mountain near the Thai-Lao border after learning that a drug gang would transport speed pills across the border from Laos. Late in the night, the combined force spotted five men carrying backpacks and AK47 rifles walking down from the mountain and ordered them to stop for a search. The smugglers opened fire and a 10 minute gunfight followed. After the clash, the police and rangers examined the area and found the bodies of two men who were killed in the fight. One of them was identified as Laopho sae Wang, 50, a villager of Rom Pho Thong village, and the other was an unidentified Hmong from neighbouring Laos. The three other smugglers fled back across the border. A backpack containing 22,200 methamphetamine pills and a 9mm pistol were also found at the scene.

Taiwan busts massive drug smuggling ring

2011-09-05T11:07:00.001Z

TAIWAN police say they've busted a drug smuggling ring responsible for transporting $66.06 million worth of narcotics to Australia, New Zealand and Japan. A total of nine suspects have been arrested, including the suspected leader of the ring, 40-year-old Fan Chu-lin, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Monday. "This is definitely one of the largest smuggling rings to be uncovered in many years," bureau official Yang Ming-chang said. Over a 10-year period, the group allegedly smuggled hundreds of kilograms of ecstasy and amphetamines from Hong Kong and China to Japan, New Zealand and Australia. It also smuggled large amounts of marijuana from Thailand and Holland into Taiwan. According to preliminary estimates, the drugs smuggled by the group over the 10-year period totalled at least $65.5 million, Yang said. If convicted, Fan could face a minimum 20 years in jail under Taiwanese law.

Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse is to be extradited to Thailand to face trial for the murder on Phuket of former US Marine Dashawn Longellow,

2011-09-04T16:37:00.001Z

Kickboxer Lee Aldhouse is to be extradited to Thailand to face trial for the murder on Phuket of former US Marine Dashawn Longellow, a British newspaper is reporting.

The Daily Mirror says a government source told them: ''The only way he could have realistically avoided extradition is if he would have faced the death penalty if found guilty. But the Thai Government have assured us that he will not.''

Aldhouse, 28, has 14 days in which to appeal.

The stabbing murder of Longfellow, 23, became a notorious case on Phuket as a manhunt was launched for his suspected killer.

Aldhouse was arrested at London's Heathrow airport a few days after the mid-August murder, having made his escape via Cambodia and a flight from Singapore.

Prosecution authorities in Bangkok are likely to be delighted with the precedent-setting decision by British Home Secretary Theresa May.

Once it is officially confirmed, Longfellow's family and friends in the US and on Phuket will be vastly relieved.

Prison conditions in Thailand were believed to be what caused the decision to run past the normal two months for a Home Secretary to decide whether an extradition is appropriate.

Phuket Prison is overcrowded with conditions well below international standards.

Authorities in Thailand will be anxiously awaiting a decision on whether Aldhouse chooses to appeal, a move that could mean a delay in the process or worse, extradition being refused.

Aldhouse, known as the Pitbull, picked a fight with Longfellow at the Freedom Bar in Rawai, a southern beachside spot on Phuket. Having lost the fight, Phuket police believe, Aldhouse collected two knives from a nearby 7-Eleven store and ambushed the former Marine when he returned to his apartment.

Did Lee Aldhouse Do It?

Phuketwan has posted dramatic footage of a man who looks like Lee Aldhouse obtaining two knives from a 7-Eleven store shortly before Mr Longfellow was stabbed to death

Pattaya police catching methamphetamine dealers. Latest drug seller arrest: Middle-aged Frenchman and Thai couple in Soi "PP".

2011-08-23T14:00:00.001Z

Pattaya August 21, 2011,( PDN) Police Lieutenant Vitsanu Chaisuwan and his team arrests Mr Philipot Vincent, age 40 French citizen in possession 2,000 THB, methampetamine in a clear plastic bag plus drug paraphernelia. Also arrested: Miss Supaksorn Yoriya age 31, address: 71 Moo 5, Tambon Nakornjadi, Lampoon province together with her husband Mr Kampol Kongdaeng, age 32 years old from 37/1 Moo 2, Tambon Lumlukka, Pathumthani province. The suspects were carrying cash 2,500 THB, ya-ice packed in a small clear plastic bag, weight 0.57 grams. They were both detained for further investigation.

Police Lieutenant Vitsanu Chaisuwan said since some time they had planned to arrest Mr Philipot Vincent a suspected drug dealer.

The plan to capture Mr Philipot to was use under cover police agents pretending to buy ya-ice worth 2,000 THB from Mr Philipot at an apartment in Soi Jeerapol (Soi PP).

Later Mr Philipot was caught red handed with ya-ice and cash for the drugs. After inspecting the room various drug paraphernelia were found.

Further arrests were made . First: Miss Supaksorn in front of the 7-11 at Soi Jeerapol in Soi Bua Khao carrying methampetamine and 2,500 THB in cash. Thereafter in a nearby rented room the police found Mr Kampol her husband in the room together with ya-ice and drug paraphernelia.

Upon investigation Miss Supaksorn confessed that she was a prostitute working on Pattaya beach and her husband a motorcycle-taxi rider in Soi Bua Khao. In need of more money the couple bought ya-ice from a dealer for 20,000 THB which they divided it a small portion to sell to foreigners and Thais. This had been going on for a long time and they were also addicted to ya-ice. The urine drug test found them both positive. The three suspects confessed that they both sell and take ya-ice. All three were detained for further investigation

Phuket drug tip-offs lead to four arrests, 6,000 pills seized

2011-08-23T13:58:00.001Z

anti-drug squad in Thalang District, which covers most of the north of Phuket, last night nabbed four people for drugs, culminating with the arrest of an alleged dealer with more than 5,000 pills early this morning.

The squad, comprising four Thalang Police officers and officials from the Thalang District Office, began the night’s work with the arrest of an 18-year-old at a house in Moo 9, Thepkrassattri sub-district, at about 8pm.

The young man was charged with possession of four ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and handed to the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center.

In his statement, the teenager claimed that he bought the drugs from Somboon “Tuck” Pinit, 45.

The team moved to arrest Somboon, but while doing the rounds the officers arrested Chanchai “Eak” Phirom, 28, on the Na Nai–Pakrongcheep Road in Thepkrassattri at about 9:30pm.

Chanchai was charged for possession of three ya bah pills, with intent to use.

The team later arrested Somboon at a house in Baan Khanaen village in Thepkrassattri, at about 12:40am.

Somboon was found in possession of 5,800 ya bah pills as well as a rifle with 25 bullets and 3,510 baht in cash.

Charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell, Somboon told police that he sourced his ya bah from Pongsathorn “Nui” Mangka, 40.

Somboon’s statement led to the arrest of Pongsathorn in front of his house at Baan Suan Neramitra 3 in Srisoonthorn sub-district at about 4:30am today.

Pongsathorn was found with 50 ya bah pills on his person.

A search of his house uncovered 300 more ya bah pills as well as 0.7 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and 6,500 baht in cash.

Pongsathorn was charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell.

At a press conference at the Thalang District Office this morning, Phuket Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen thanked the community for the tip-offs.

“I would like to thank the people for the information that led to these four arrests,” he said.

“Thank you for having eyes on crime. It is very useful,” he added.

Busted Phuket Drugs Gang Linked to Bangkok Prison 'Mastermind

2011-07-25T13:50:00.001+01:00

series of arrests on Phuket last night has involved the exposure of what appears to be two drugs gangs who were handling thousands of yah ba methamphetamine tablets and in possession of several handguns.

It is believed a man who was arrested on Phuket in 2004 and is now serving time in Bangkok's Bangkwang Prison was the mastermind behind one of the gangs.

Following on from the arrest in May of a man on Phuket in May with 30,000 yah ba tablets, governor's officers raided a room occupied by Praphan Nammali, 36, finding 17,000 tablets and 150 grams of yah ice.

Khun Praphan told them the original size of his cache was 30,000 tablets and 1000 grams, but he had sold much of it at 3500 baht a gram.

It is believed he replaced the man arrested in May as a distributor for a drugs network overseen by ''Khun Ae'' in the Bangkok jail.

The raid on the room at Saphan Hin community village was preceded the previous day by a series of inter-connected Phuket police raids, some nearby, that netted three men and a woman and a haul that totalled 5000 yah ba tablets, 590 grams of yah ice, five ilelgal guns and 218 bullets.

Two major drug dealers were arrested

2011-07-25T13:44:00.001+01:00

Two major drug dealers were arrested last evening (July 24) and a total of 22,300 pills of ya-ba (methamphetamine) and three quarters of a kilo of ya-ice (crystal methamphetamine), with a total street value of about B7 million, were seized.
The first major dealer, Prapan Nammali, 36, had been under suspicion for some time, police said. His arrest at about 8:30 pm came after an undercover policeman posing as a buyer managed to trap Prapan into selling drugs to him.

The subsequent search of Prapan’s house in the Sapan Hin area uncovered a haul of 17,300 ya-ba pills and 150 grams of ya-ice.

Under questioning, Prapan confessed that he had replaced another dealer at the Phuket end of what appears to be national drug ring. The other dealer, Odd, was arrested on May 12.

Odd and he had both received their orders from a man Prapan named as Ae, currently incarcerated in Bangkwang prison in Nonthaburi Province.

On Ae’s orders the drugs were brought from Bangkok to Phuket by a man Prapan named as Bas. The drugs were delivered to him during a rendezvous outside the Siam Commercial Bank branch on Thepkrasattree Road, close to the Rajabhat University intersection, he said.

Phuket City Police said they will collaborate with Bangkwang Prison officials to identify Ae and arrest him.

On the same evening, around the same time, police began a rolling series of arrests with Yotin Innipat, 32, who was found in illegal possession of a .38 revolver and 12 rounds of ammunition.

His responses to questions led police to the nearby Saphan Hin home of Ekachai Saekor, 28. A search of his home uncovered 1,500 ya ba pills and 90 grams of ya ice, along with a 9mm pistol and 28 rounds of ammunition.

Using information they got from questioning him, police next went to the home of Ekachai Naamkanthi, 25, and On-anong Leesakul, 21, in Phuket Villa 1 in Sam Kong. There, they seized 3,500 ya ba pills and half a kilo of ya ice, along with a pistol and 190 bullets of varying calibres.

All are now locked up awaiting their date with the judge

British Tourist Complains Police Will Not Investigate His Ladyboy Masseur

2011-07-24T19:25:00.001+01:00

Briton who was robbed in a hotel in Bangkok says he was told by Thai police to claim on insurance as they were not going to investigate – despite the fact that the thief, a lady boy, was not only caught on CCTV but also left a copy of his ID with reception.

Kevin M (name withheld) was robbed on the first night of a Thai holiday in Thailand. To cap his holiday, shortly before his return home he and his friends were victim of a shakedown by Thai police in Pattaya while riding their hired motorcycles.

The young engineer from Manchester had for a long time been a ‘Muay Thai’ enthusiast and came to Thailand to find a ‘Muay Thai’ school.

He arrived on June 6th and checked into City Lodge Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 19 and that night went out with his friend on the town. They got home in the early hours.

He decided to go out for one more drink and was directed by hotel staff to a mobile bar on the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke. A ‘girl’ there kept offering to go back to his room for sex, but he declined, he said. He said he had successfully been fighting/fending women off all night while inspecting a nearby infamous red light area. Eventually, he says, he agreed to a massage at 500Thai baht (just over £10)

On returning to the room he gave the ‘girl’ 500 baht in advance and locked his belongings in his safe, or last least thought he had. He had an unimpressive massage and then asked 'her' to leave. She begged a drink from the hotel mini-bar and he says he must have fallen asleep in the meantime.

On waking up in the morning he found that two credit cards, his mobile phone, and £600 cash was missing.

He rushed to reception and eventually found out that staff had not only caught the culprit on television but also had a copy of ‘his’ ID.

Kevin says he was shocked to find out that his masseuse was a masseur and that he had had a man in his room that night but said he also actually felt relieved that he had not been murdered as he had heard stories like this. It was a salutary first night.

He then rushed to the police station at Lumpini to report the theft, together with a copy of the ladyboy’s ID. But police would not accompany him back to his hotel to see the CCTV footage.

He said he found police were not interested in investigating the lady boy but more interested in finding out what he actually did with the lady boy in the bedroom. 'Nothing!' he insisted. Translation of the police report however has him saying that he invited the lady boy back for sex.

(One good reason perhaps never to give a statement to Thai police without a translator. Had he said he had actually done something with the lady boy, from past cases its seems there's a good chance there would be a queue of police lining up to hear the details)

Police, he said, told him there was little they could do. He should make a statement to claim against insurance. ‘Can I call the credit card company?’ he asked. No. The police did not have this facility.

While this was going an Asian Kevin M with black hair, a strong jaw line, but wearing woman’s clothes, turned up at Bliss-Tel on the ground floor of Seacon Square and made purchases totaling over £900 (44,000 Baht) I would guess more than half the shop's monthly wage bill. The most expensive mobile phone in stock was about 15,000 baht.

Dangers of Pattaya today.

2011-07-24T19:16:00.001+01:00

Pattaya now unfortunately has become a war zone of criminal activity. It is not the Pattaya of long ago where the only thing you worried about was the occasional overcharging at entertainment or Food establishments.

Today there are many criminal gangs who operate in Pattaya with the sole purpose of robbing Farangs/Tourists of Money or anything of value such as rented Motorbikes, Jewelery, cash, e.t.c
These criminals come from far and wide from many parts of Thailand for these purposes alone.
In the process of the many many Robberies that have been committed against Tourists, people have been killed, seriously injured, and left with serious injury and trauma.

There are many Robberies of Tourists daily. Tourists often get approached with knives or guns so that they hand over their valuables and the perpetrators have no qualms about using their deadly force.

If you must go to Pattaya do not wear any Gold or Jewellery that is of value because most likely you may well be targeted by thieves. They will rip the Gold chain from your person without a thought. Resistance to the thieves in many cases has ended in serious injury or death.

The situation is not getting better, but worse and worse daily. Crime is in Epidemic proportions. Foreign embassies do not offer a travel warning about Pattaya which is wrong considering the very high amount of crime in the city. You do not need to take my word about this but read what is going on in print.

There are three excellent newspaper publications published in Pattaya today and they are available to be read online without cost. They are Pattaya Mail, Pattaya people newspaper, and Pattaya city news.

All back issues are available and offer a sample of the many crimes committed in Pattaya today and related problems. They are a warning to anyone who may think that Pattaya is one big entertainment where one can go about there daily routine without being extremely wary of what is going on around you.

Despite the Billions in Foreign currency being poured in to Pattaya by Tourists, the issue of crime against Tourists and locals has not been treated seriously enough by the authorities just by going by the plague proportions of crime in Pattaya today which is very, very sad.

Two Men Arrested for Sex Crime

2011-07-24T19:10:00.001+01:00

Two men, Toi and Koh were brought into Pattaya Police Station on the afternoon of the 16th July, after being arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a young girl under the age of 13.

According to the girl’s parents, they had kidnapped the child and molested her at an apartment room in Huy Yai.

In the 1980s, the Costa del Sol was the destination of choice for many British criminals. Today they head to Thailand

2011-07-24T19:09:00.001+01:00

The recent case of the slaying of two young Russian women in Pattaya has highlighted once again Thai culprits involved in crimes against farang.
The problem is that it’s very easy to loose perspective in these cases and slight the Thais as being ruthless. However, as this article will show there have been numerous cases of farangs acting badly, among themselves and against Thais. And not just farang troublemakers from the prominent countries, but from virtually every farang country in the West. The farang crimes range all the way from abusive behaviour to murder. Very often, in cases of murder, however, it is a crime of passion, caused not least because of cultural disparity and communication breakdown

The first three cases involve Russians acting badly.
Recent reports in the local newspaper, Pattaya Today tell how 5 alcohol-affected Muscovites were involved in a violent scene with a larger group of Thais on Second Road in front of Planet Food. The quarrel apparently started when a Thai man accused all Russians of being violent idiots. As the fight developed, a police volunteer was assaulted by one of the Russians and the ringleader of the Russians was struck on the head by a plank of wood. The group escaped stage-left.

The next case describes how a group of Russians, disgruntled by their expectations regarding one of the ladies employed by Relax Massage Parlour, nearly started a riot at 3 am. The group had originally left, but returned after partaking of Dutch courage. When refused entry, they started becoming abusive and heavy handed with the property, leading to their arrest. Later, at the police station, one of the Russians arrested said he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about as apparently such behaviour is normal in Russia.

The final story Russian involves an Anglo-Irishman who picked up two Russian women for casual sex, but had been given a Mickey Finn and robbed of his valuables to the tune of four million Baht: two diamond rings, a gold cross and chain, a necklace, a laptop computer and other valuable items. These items, along with the women, had mysteriously disappeared.

The British are also prime offenders and not only their infamous football hooligans:
ALLEGED BRITISH PAEDOPHILE SLIPS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL VETTING NET
English Man Stabs Wife Follow-up and Final.
British man charged sexual harassment
A British man has been arrested with the murder of his girlfriend.

The Irish are also implicated
Taxi Heroes, helped in hunt for Irishman after Thai girl‘s murder.

Other Europeans are equally prominent, especially gangs:
Italian convicts arrested by Pattaya Immigration
Pattaya Tourist Police caught young German man who has escaped fraudulent lawsuit

This case refers to a Yugoslavian gang of ATM robbers.
police officer arrested gang convicts of ATM machine robbery

The Scandinavians have a large percentage of foreign national living in Pattaya:
PATTAYA, DRUNK SWEDE KILLS ONE THAI BANANA BOAT PASSENGER AND INJURES ANOTHER.
ESTONIAN VOYEUR CAUGHT TAKING PHOTOS OF NUDE CHINESE WOMEN
NORWEGIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED IN CHILD SEX CASE

Next comes instances of a French-Arab connection:
PATTAYA_FRENCH-ARAB CREDIT CARD THIEVES APPREHENDED

After that, comes the Australians:
Aussie arrested for threatening a waitress
The following case refers to an Australian victim robbed by foreign Mafia with Thai collusion.
Iran’s Mafia and Thai gang carried and robbed young Aussie owner of Diamond Shop

Latin Americans also feature:
Brazilian Youth Mobile Snatcher Caught in the Act

Another case of credit card fraud relates to Koreans, (who are obviously not farang):
Credit card fraud (Korean)

What all the above incidents indicate is that foreign nationals are also involved in criminal acts in Pattaya, not just Thais. The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Monday April 11, 2005 that British criminals were forsaking the Costa del Sol in favour of Thailand.

“In the 1980s, the Costa del Sol was the destination of choice for many British criminals. Today they head to Thailand”

No-one is denying that Pattaya has absorbed more than its fair share of foreign criminals, but lest the situation becomes blown out of all perspective, let it be said that the Thai police are doing their utmost to uncover the culprits in the Russian slaying incidents, with road blocks and increased police and marine presence on the streets of this popular holiday resort. It also needs to be pointed out that Pattaya is far from being a hot-bed of crime.

On rarely hears police sirens on the streets, most incidents are isolated and happen more in side streets than on the main streets of Pattaya. Essentially, there is very little visible crime in this city and no “no-go” areas, unlike in many American and British cities.

Pattaya Sex, Crime and Suicide Capital of Asia

2011-07-24T19:06:00.001+01:00

Pattaya Sex, Crime and Suicide Capital of Asia

Immigration Pounce on Prostitute Ring

2011-07-24T19:00:00.001+01:00

Chonburi Immigration announced the arrest of an Australian expat and his Thai wife in the early hours of Thursday morning. Mr. Greg Johnston, aged 54 from Australia and 32 year old Mrs. Yaonita were caught red handed by an undercover agent for operating a prostitution service at a bar in South Pattaya. After receiving information about the couple’s antics, Immigration set up the operation to catch them in the act. At the bar, one bargirl Miss Pigoon, fell right into the trap and was arrested, and so after officers identified themselves, all three were taken away for further questioning.

Surprise Surprise for Auntie Som

2011-07-24T18:55:00.001+01:00

Mrs. Sompaen, affectionately called Auntie Som by local residents in Soi Chaiyapruek in the Jomtien area, after receiving a phone call, agreed to visit someone waiting for her near her house to give her some money. When the 61 year old woman went outside she got the surprise of her life, the young man she met handed her some money and as a thank you she gave him some yaba tablets in return. Little did she realise it was a set up sting operation by local police. This not so nice Auntie Som was in fact a local drug dealer, and quite often went about carrying a loaded Remington gun – which was impounded when she was arrested and taken back to the police station for further questioning.

Police Begin to Crack Credit Card Fraud Network

2011-07-24T18:52:00.001+01:00

Pattaya Police announced on Wednesday the arrest of an Algerian man, Abdelmalek Boukemara, for possession of fake credit cards. The 35 year old Algerian had been a part of a network in France that organised a system of hacking online banking and credit card information from unsuspecting victims. He had accumulated hundreds of cards, and when he was caught he was in possession of 114 fake cards. The arrest was made after an investigative Police team got wind of the man’s suspicious movements with withdrawing money and sending large amounts of money abroad. His bank records showed that on a regular basis, he was sending nearly a million baht out of the country without any reasonable income source in the country. The Algerian was apprehended after withdrawing money from an ATM in Soi 7 off Pattaya Second Road. Police accompanied him to his residence in Soi 17 where they found over 100 cards. He confessed to being part of a network and came to Thailand believing its technology was not up to date in tracing him. From his first days in Phuket to his last in Pattaya the man is believed to have accumulated well over 10 million baht. He was detained for further investigation and a search is now on for his fellow conspirators also believed to be residing in the area.

Tour Company Raided for Operating Counterfeit Empire

2011-07-24T18:51:00.001+01:00

ongoing investigation about a long established Tour Company operating illegally by selling prohibited drugs and pirate products, Pattaya Police set about with a warrant to search the premises in question on Tuesday evening. They entered the Malis Travel and Laundry Service 3 storey building on Soi Buakhao and detained Mr. Nadeem from Pakistan and his employees. After an intense search of the premises officers found a concealed locked store room, where they discovered a large quantity of drugs such as Viagra, Kamagra and prohibited steroids and contraband cigarettes. At the same time, another team of officers and volunteers were searching another of the Pakistani’s businesses and found 10,000 pieces of counterfeit designer clothing and accessory goods. Now under a full investigation, it is estimated that the network being operated out of Pattaya and Bangkok, were in possession of fake products and illegal substances worth over 10 million baht.

arrest of an American man wanted for crimes committed in the USA.

2011-07-24T18:49:00.001+01:00

Superintendent Police Colonel Chusak Panutamporn announced that 60 year old teacher Mr. Dennis Catron from Illinois had fled the country after being bailed for 500,000 US dollars by the US Court. He had been convicted of paedophilia acts with young boys. Catron was subsequently sentenced (in abstentia) to 36 years in jail. It was believed that he had fled to Thailand where he worked as a teacher at a number of schools in the past. The Royal Thai police were notified and asked to help find the fugitive. After an investigation and collaboration between the police and the US Embassy in Bangkok, it was revealed that Catron had applied to be a teacher at a few schools in the area and he was eventually traced to two residences, one in Bangkok and the other in Soi Buakhao in South Pattaya. He was subsequently arrested by Chonburi Immigration officers outside his apartment in Bangkok. Catron confessed that he was indeed the wanted man in question. As a result his Thai visa has been revoked and he now faces extradition back to the US to face trial.

Expat Arrested for Growing Pot

2011-07-24T18:47:00.001+01:00

Police raided the home of a dual nationality expat on Saturday night and seized a quantity of marijuana plants growing in the back garden, a loaded gun and other narcotics, and arrested 28 year old David Alexander. The man was the holder of both French and British passports. He had recently moved to Pattaya from Phuket and after police received information that he was indeed a drug dealer, a court warrant was issued to search the rented house off Thappraya Road. He claimed that he bought the gun and marihuana seeds from a friend in Phuket and that the yah ice was for his own personal use. All evidence was impounded and the young man was taken away to face legal proceedings.

Thai police asked to probe Kirsty Jones murder

2011-07-24T18:39:00.001+01:00

Thai Police have been asked to investigate a man named on a Youtube video as a possible suspect in a Welsh backpacker's murder 11 years ago.

Kirsty Jones, 23, from Tredomen, near Brecon, Powys, was raped and strangled at a guesthouse on 10 August, 2000.

Her murder is unsolved but a video has been posted on the internet naming a man allegedly seen near the guesthouse.

Dyfed-Powys Police said it and the Foreign Office had asked Thai authorities to investigate the claim.

Despite a number of arrests, no charges have ever been brought over Ms Jones' death.

Ms Jones, a Liverpool University graduate, was found dead in a room at the Aree guest house in Chiang Mai, which is north of Bangkok.

She was three months into a two-year around-the-world trip.

"It's painful. We still miss her, always will miss her terribly”

Sue Jones
Mother of Kirsty Jones

Kirsty's mother Sue Jones said the family "still miss her terribly"
Memories

Her mother Sue Jones said: "It's something we have been aware of for quite a while now...we are still awaiting the Thais to DNA [him].

"Obviously if it is him that will be a good thing. If it isn't, it eliminates him from the investigation."

The family want a representative from the British authorities to be present at the DNA test "so that we could be absolutely sure it is done properly," she said.

Mrs Jones added that "the memories of Kirsty will always be there".

"It's painful. We still miss her, always will miss her terribly," she said.

Interpol

Dyfed-Powys Police have assisted the Thai Police with the investigation in the past.

Det Ch Supt Steve Wilkins said the force was aware of allegations made in the video.

The information has been passed to the Thai authorities ”

Det Ch Supt Steve Wilkins
Dyfed-Powys Police
He said: "This allegation, and its source, has been subject of discussions between Dyfed-Powys Police and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for some time, with a request to the Thai authorities to thoroughly investigate.

"The information has been passed to the Thai authorities as they retain primacy in the investigation.

"We are continuing to liaise with them, via Interpol and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in relation to this information and other lines of inquiry."

Two Melbourne school teachers have had a narrow escape after armed bandits fired upon their car in Thailand.

2011-07-12T17:39:00.001+01:00

The female teachers from Ringwood Secondary College were on a school trip to the northern city of Chiang Mai when their vehicle was sprayed with bullets on Sunday.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said one of the teachers suffered a small cut in the shooting and was taken to hospital for treatment.

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''The teacher underwent tests and has been given the medical all-clear,'' the spokeswoman said.

She said the students were at their home-stay accommodation in Chiang Mai at the time and were not under threat.

The teacher who was injured in the attack is believed to be Lynda Cody, the international student coordinator at Ringwood Secondary College.

The assistant principal at Ringwood Secondary College travelled to Thailand yesterday to provide support to the teachers, while the students will return to Melbourne tomorrow as scheduled.

According to its website, Ringwood Secondary College is a sister school to Montfort College in Chiang Mai, and trips to Thailand take place regularly.

Mrs Cody has coordinated trips between Ringwood Secondary College and Montfort College for the past four years.

She and her colleague had been attending an education event at Montfort College without the students, and were travelling in the vehicle with a teacher from their school's sister school when their car was fired upon.

The Department of Education spokeswoman said Ringwood Secondary College was offering counselling to the teachers and students.

''A Department psychologist has already spoken to the teachers and is providing ongoing support,'' she said.

Police in Thailand are investigating the shooting.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said one of the teachers suffered a minor head wound.

''Australian consular officers are keeping in close contact with Thai authorities about the matter and are providing consular assistance to the teachers and students,'' the spokesperson said.

''Consular officers in Canberra are contact with the women's family in Australia.''

1 injured in drive-by shooting at East Pattaya Internet cafe

2011-07-01T22:31:00.001+01:00

One woman was injured in a drive-by shooting at a Soi Nernplabwan Internet cafe.

Kuladee Sainak, 26, suffered a cut to the cheek when a teenager on a motorbike fired into the NOS Online shop around 3 a.m. June 21. She was treated at Banglamung Hospital and released.

Naruepol Yimyai, 19, said he and some friends were taking a break from late-night online gaming when a teen identified only as “Pon” drove up. The cyclist inquired whether one of Naruepol’s friends nicknamed “Ae,” was inside. When Naruepol replied that he wasn’t, Pon drove away.

Sometimes it not even safe inside an Internet cafe.

However, the cyclist returned 10 minutes later with a gun and fired once through the Internet shop’s plate-glass window. Teenagers inside scattered while the owner called authorities to tend to Kuladee, who was also playing an online game.

Owner Amornwat Rungratpan, 28, said his store did not have a security camera and that he had never had any trouble previously.

Police suspect revenge was a motivation for the shooting and pledged to hunt for the gunman. In the meantime, however, they fined Amornwat for allowing minors to continue paying online past a legal curfew.

Ukrainian and two Turkish nationals, accused of being part of a gang of credit-card thieves, were arrested in Bangkok's Siam Paragon shopping mall yesterday.

2011-06-29T23:33:00.001+01:00

Police say Andrew Salkosky, 40, from Ukraine, and Kardial Karamen, 33, and Oske Gildiarim, 28, both of Turkey, were taken into custody along with 40 credit cards and some brand-name products. They are accused of belonging to a criminal gang that stole credit-card information and copied it on to blank cards, some of which they sold on the black market.
Police allege the three men also carried the cards to buy brand-name goods in various countries to resell products for cash. Police said the credit cards had details for cardholders in Spain with Bt300,000 on each card - a potential loss to banks of Bt12 million.

Three young Frenchmen were arrested in Pattaya on Friday for "stealing several ATM cards"

2011-06-23T18:45:00.001+01:00

Three young Frenchmen were arrested in Pattaya on Friday for "stealing several ATM cards" and allegedly withdrawing more than five million Baht from many ATM machines around Pattaya. The police identified the three suspects through surveillance cameras at the ATM locations.
After police tracked the trio down, Kasmi Ali Faycal, 33, Beldilala Nabil, 21, and Khayyou Fares, 22, were arrested at the Sheraton Pattaya resort in Pattaya. Police also seized "several items at the resort including ATM cards ... and T-shirts as recognised on surveillance cameras."
The three suspects were charged for "stealing and using stolen ATM cards, although they denied all accusations

Indian Tourist Drugged, Robbed After Last Night Out in Pattaya

2011-06-23T18:44:00.001+01:00

An Indian tourist who was due to return home on Wednesday was drugged and robbed by a Thai woman he had met at a South Pattaya disco during his last night out on Walking Street.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Mr. Sarath Chandra Karroti, 28, and a friend had gone to Mixx Discotheque at the Bali Hai Port in South Pattaya, where they met two unidentified Thai women who later accompanied them back to their separate rooms at the Markland Hotel in North Pattaya.
The Indian tourist reported "consuming many cans of beer" in the room but remembered "nothing else until he woke up just after midday and realized his female companion had stolen his money and other valuables." The stolen items include two gold necklaces, 15,000 Indian Rupees, 1,500 US Dollars and 1,000 Baht in cash. His friend reported no problems with the second woman who he had taken back to his own room.
Security cameras at the hotel were found to be broken and staff at the reception had not taken a copy of the suspect's ID card which is standard practice at most hotels.

Drug dealers arrested in Rayong

2011-06-23T18:42:00.001+01:00

The Royal Thai Navy Narcotics Unit, based in Sattahip, busted yet another mid-level drug dealing gang, centred on Rayong, in a couple of raids which took place on Wednesday afternoon and evening. As per usual, the operation began with the arrest of a drug user at his residence in Rayong. He was told to phone his supplier and request a delivery of 50 Yabba tablets, a prohibited Class 1 narcotic. The main dealer, aged 26, arrived in a late-model sedan and was accompanied by a 30-year-old male. After entering the premises of the user, the dealer and his friend were arrested by the undercover drug squad officers. A search of the man’s vehicle uncovered the 50 Yabba tablets. The arrested man was then instructed to take police back to his residence. Here, a further 110 Yabba tablets and 40gms of crystal methamphetamine were discovered. The crystal meth was hidden inside tubes of toothpaste. The arrestee said he would send the drugs into Rayong prison for the use of a number of inmates. Continuing further up the chain, the 26-year-old was told to call his supplier and order 400 Yabba tablets. The undercover officers then drove to a pre-arranged location where a 24-year-old Thai male arrived on a motorbike and was immediately taken into custody. He wasn’t looking too happy when police found the 400 tablets as he realized he might be spending a lot of time in the company of his friends inside Rayong prison.

Suspected drug dealer caught with loaded firearm in Jomtien

2011-06-23T18:37:00.001+01:00

A random check on a man acting suspiciously in Jomtien late on Tuesday Night resulted in his arrest and the seizure of a loaded firearm and narcotics. Police were on routine patrol in Soi 5 off the Tepprasit Road when they spotted the man sitting in his Black Chevrolet pick-up truck. He saw Police and appeared nervous which prompted the check. Khun Boonkon aged 21 was taken to Dongtan Police Sub-Station on Jomtien Beach where he reportedly confessed to possession of the firearm and 20 Yabba Tablets which he intended to sell-on to customers around Pattaya. Because of this admission he was charged with possession of a firearm and possession with intent to supply a class 1 drug and is currently on remand pending court proceedings.

Thai 'Girlfriend' Masterminds Armed Robbery of South Korean 'Boyfriend'

2011-06-23T18:33:00.001+01:00

Following the "carefully planned" car-jacking of a vehicle owned by a South Korean expat living in Pattaya, police were able to quickly arrest two of the suspects. One of them was found to be the victim's 27-year-old so-called Thai "girlfriend," identified only as Miss Benjapan, who is thought to be the mastermind of the robbery, and to have "planned everything." The 19-year-old accomplice, Khun Komsan, who is thought to have carried out the car-jacking, was also arrested. However, a 13-year-old girl also involved in the robbery plot was able to escape.
Pattaya police explained that Mrs Benjapan had "devised a plan to steal Mr. Jun Hak Baer’s [the South Korean expat's] car." Mr. Komsan was used to "intercept the car in a remote area and - at gunpoint - Mr. Baer was forced out of his car which was driven away by Miss Benjapan," his Thai "girlfriend."
An unidentified 13-year-old girl had earlier been "picked up by Mr. Baer." But "along the way, she claimed to be feeling sick and asked Mr. Baer to pull over. At this point a motorbike [carrying Mr. Komsan] appeared."
Police found a laptop computer in the car, a set of golf clubs and 4,000 Baht in cash, which were all returned to the victim after police were able to locate and arrest the two suspects in the stolen car. The gun used in the robbery was also recovered. Both suspects have now been charged over the incident and are being held on remand pending court proceedings.

Thai Police Arrest Two Germans Wanted for Fraud, Tax Evasion

2011-06-23T18:32:00.001+01:00

Thai police have arrested two Germans, one of them in Pattaya, who face arrest warrants in their homeland on fraud and tax evasion charges, media and diplomatic sources confirmed Friday.
Acting on a request from the German Embassy in Bangkok, Thai immigration police arrested the two fugitive men, Elmar Anton Schorosch, 50, and Ralf Dotterweich, 51, in two separate raids on Monday, the Manager newspaper reported.
Mr Schorosch was arrested in his home in Si Sa Ket province, where he had been living for years with his Thai wife. He faces an arrest warrant issued by a Wuerzburg court for fraud.
Mr Dotterweich, who faces an arrest warrant in Wuerzburg in connection with a 500,000-Euro tax evasion case, was arrested in Pattaya.
The arrests were the latest of several involving German nationals wanted for crimes committed at home. "Our cooperation with Thai immigration police has really improved over the past year," the German embassy said.
Thailand's incumbent Immigration Police Chief took up his post last year with a promise to crack down on pedophiles and other foreign criminals and living in Thailand, once seen as a safe haven for expatriates fleeing criminal charges in their homelands

Thai police have arrested five Iranians and charged them with drug smuggling and trafficking, an offence that carries a maximum punishment of death

2011-06-23T17:37:00.001+01:00

Thai police have arrested five Iranians and charged them with drug smuggling and trafficking, an offence that carries a maximum punishment of death, officials said Thursday.
Authorities said a total of 5.8 kilos (12.8 pounds) of "ice" crystal methamphetamine, worth about half a million dollars, was found in the luggage of the suspects, who arrived on the same flight from the United Arab Emirates.
"We believe that they are in the same gang but we cannot prove it," said Police Major Ronnakorn Sukmongkol.
The suspects -- three men and two women in their 20s and 30s -- all admitted that they were paid to take the drugs to Malaysia, police said.
Thailand, along with other countries in the region, has seen a marked increase in seizures of methamphetamine as the world opiate trade declines.
Although drug trafficking can result in the death penalty in Thailand, executions are now rare.

Patong Gangland Slaying Adds to Spate of Phuket Shootings

2011-06-19T23:31:00.001+01:00

Patong gangsters knocked two Mafia loan sharks from a motorcycle in Patong early today then opened fire with a handgun, killing one man and putting the other in hospital in a coma, police say.

The blazing volley of shots at 3.10am in Soi Nanai was the third savage killing involving gangs on Phuket in as many weeks.
It was the climax of a feud between groups that hated each other, said Patong Superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao, of Kathu police station.

He said that earlier in the evening, Nart Narkpecht, 33, the owner of Nina Karaoke, spotted two of his bitter enemies on a motorcycle outside his karaoke and figured they were going to kill him.

So he hopped on his own motorcycle and sped off to recruit pals Somnuk Suwamthanu, 29, and Bhuchit Bhukam, also 29.

The three men returned to the area in a Chevrolet saloon, looking for sworn enemies Hatchakorn Perkpon, 31, and Somkid Klongsingkram, 31. The pair were loan sharks who also controlled many of the street vendors in Soi Bangla, Patong's famous walking street, said Colonel Arayapan.

The Chevrolet came up behind the pair on their Fino motorcycle and knocked it from behind, throwing them to the street. Khun Nart jumped out of the car, gun blazing.

Khun Hatchakorn, hit four times including shots to the head and the heart, did not survive. He died on the way to Patong Hospital.

Khun Somkid took lead in the stomach, the ribs and a leg and was tonight still in Phuket City's Vachira Hospital, fighting for his life in the intensive care unit.

Police, called to the scene of what residents initially thought to be a motorcycle accident, quickly deduced there was more to it.

The three men were arrested later in the morning in Phuket City. Khun Nart admitted his part in the killing, while Khun Somnuk denied Khun Nart's claim that he had fired at least four shots. Khun Bhuchit had been the driver.

The three men were today being held in the cells at Kathu police station, which oversees Patong.

Phuket a haven for addicts

2011-06-01T01:34:00.001+01:00

Although illegal, over-the-counter sale and purchase of benzodiazepine derivative drug like diezapam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) is common in Thailand, and is even tacitly accepted by many local authorities. However the practice exposes buyers to health risks including addiction or overdose.

Last year, a high-ranking source in the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) admitted to The Gazette that his department permitted pharmacies to sell prescription drugs over the counter, despite the fact that it is prohibited under Thailand’s Psychotropic Substances Act of 1974, which outlaws the possession of ‘Schedule IV’ drugs without a prescription.

“In Phuket we’re not so strict as this is a tourist place,” he said. “We grant permission to pharmacies to sell the drugs, but they need to report to the PPHO first.” This attitude has led to Thailand becoming a prescription drug haven of sorts, where people are able to self-medicate, without being prescribed proper dosages or having the risks explained. Many tourists also buy in bulk and smuggle drugs into countries where laws are more seriously enforced.

Mr Peter Davison, Manager of International Services at Phuket International Hospital, acknowledges this problem.

“You get gray areas in Thailand, where some medications which are restricted are still dispensed without following the law,” he said. “But the requirement of a prescription is for the safety of the person taking the drug. It needs to be monitored by a doctor for things like side effects and addiction.”

The lack of such monitoring has caused many a Phuket resident to fall into the downward spiral of drug addiction.

“We have treated people who had issues with being addicted to these drugs, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Davison said.

One such person, who lives in Phuket but wishes to remain anonymous, experienced this first hand.

“At first I would only take them if I couldn’t sleep, or was going on a long bus journey,” she said, “but later it became a daily thing I did to deal with stress and anxiety.”

Before she knew it, she had been taking Valium every day for six months. “I became completely reliant on it. If I didn’t take it, I would be awake all night and have anxiety attacks,” she said.

It was the widespread availability of Valium that kept her from breaking free of her dependence, she said.

“It is very easy to get them from the pharmacy, they don’t ask any questions. I alternated between five pharmacies in Chalong every week to get bags of 10 pills of 10mg for just 100 baht. I never encountered any problems at all.”

Eventually, she had to go back to her home country in order to wean herself off the pills. “I experienced withdrawals, I felt anxious and not myself. I also did not sleep at all for many weeks,” she said.

But the self-imposed exile was worth it. “If I hadn’t have gone back home and stayed here it would have been a lot harder because I just knew they were there – easy to get and cheap.”

Aside from addiction, overdose can also be a potential issue. “Overdosing on Valium can be a big problem, because the dosage depends on how big your body is. For example, 10mg would be a large amount for a child whereas it wouldn’t be a lot for an adult who weighs 100kg. On top of that, every individual body is different,” Mr Davison explains.

The Phuket resident who struggled with Valium dependency was quick to point out that tolerance to the drug increases over time.

“After a while it was not having as much of an affect as it did in the beginning. There were times I took them and still couldn’t sleep, so I had to take more.”

“I think it can be very dangerous if people aren’t aware of what they are taking – if they think that because they’ve got them from the pharmacy that means they can take five,” she warns.

The availability of these drugs also keeps people from exploring other treatment options. “If you are using it to sleep or ease anxiety, maybe you should be looking at non-pharmaceutical options with assisting you sleep. There are other avenues, don’t become reliant on using this medication,” Mr Davison says.

The former addict agrees: “Now I eat healthily and exercise to cope with stress – and I feel a lot better than I did on the medication,” she said.

Thai police launched a murder inquiry into the death of a Briton on a Thai holiday island

2011-05-31T08:45:00.001+01:00

Police on the Thai island of Koh Samui ruled that Kevin Attew, 57, from Aldershot, Hants, had committed suicide after his Thai girlfriend said that was what he planned to do. Police said he drowned himself in a lake behind the resort area of Chawaeng.
Attew's body was found last Tuesday.
But today a murder inquiry was launched after pictures taken by his best friend showed that he had been beaten to death first. Also, as the man-made lake was less than 30 centimetres deep – it seemed a poor venue for an allegedly suicidal man when the Gulf of Thailand was only yards away.
Londoner Crispin Paton-Smith, a friend of Attew, said: "I was appalled to hear the verdict of drowning. It was a no brainer. Kevin was beaten to death and his body was left on dry land for quite a while before being put in the lake."
Paton-Smith a former gunner in the Royal Artillery said: "I have spoken to his girlfriend and she continues to insist he committed suicide. He did not unless he beat himself to death. He would have had to dig a hole to drown himself.

"Kevin ran a very successful bar and was the sweetest man in the world. He had no enemies." Police on Koh Samui tend to play down all crime on the island for fear of upsetting its lucrative tourist industry.
A spokesman for the Regional Police in Surat Thani on the mainland in southern Thailand said: "We are treating this as murder and have asked for the body to be sent here for a full autopsy."

epidemic of car break-ins is alarming police in the inner city.

2011-05-30T10:34:00.001+01:00

As many as seven gangs, all of them connected, are thought to be breaking into high-value cars parked in inner Bangkok, and robbing them of their valuables.

The problem has become so bad that restaurants in well-off suburbs such as Ekkamai and Thong Lor, where many of the thefts have occurred, now place signs in their windows warning patrons that smash-and-grabs from cars parked in the areas was rampant and not to leave valuables in their vehicles.

Apiprat: Fell victim to car break-in

Police are still assessing the extent of the problem, but believe the gangs are stealing millions of baht worth of goods every month.

Car break-ins were once lumped in with robberies, but police are now thinking of separating these cases and giving them special attention. They say thefts in this category are taking place almost every day.

Investigators say the gangs are highly organised and can deceive passersby into thinking they are witnessing an ordinary transaction on the street rather than a break-in.

Some of the break-ins take place in broad daylight, and the owners of the vehicles which are robbed may have been tracked for days in advance.

Apiprat Pattanadee, a deputy superintendent of the Crime Suppression Division, has fallen victim to the gang.

On March 17 he parked his Mercedes Benz at Navamin City Avenue, a small shopping mall on Kaset-Navamin Road.

Thieves broke into his car and stole 33 items of valuables including four Rolex wristwatches, gold necklaces and Buddha amulets in gold containers worth over 4 million baht.

"I parked my car around 10pm to do some shopping. I returned less than an hour later to find that someone had broken into my car and stolen my belongings.

"I took the usual precautions, such as parking in a well-lit location. I was also only 20 metres from a McDonald's.

"The restaurant was crowded but they went ahead anyway," Pol Lt Col Apiprat said.

A security camera which caught the action showed the theft took just two minutes.

On April 29, a team of CSD investigators found the gang of three that allegedly broke into his Mercedes Benz.

The gang members were identified as Sompong Klinkliang, 71, and his two sons: Chotewat, 34, and Bodinpat, 31.

A warning sign alerts customers in a food shop in Ekamai that car break-ins are rampant, and not to leave valuable goods in their vehicles.
Sgt Maj Sompong is a former military officer who was based at a special force unit in Lop Buri.

Police say Sgt Maj Sompong is the elder brother of a well-known villain, Dam Dasakorn.

Police seized from the gang 560,000 baht in cash, Buddha amulets in gold containers, digital cameras, mobile phones, Rolex wristwatches and other valuables worth altogether about 10 million baht.

A Rolex watch belonging to Pol Lt Col Apiprat was among the seized items.

Police thought the arrest of the gang would reduce the number of car break-ins, but they were wrong.

Teeradej Thamsuthee, another deputy superintendent of the CSD, heads the team of detectives that tracked down the gang. He said that contrary to police expectations, the thefts continue, especially in Thong Lor, Ekamai and on Kaset-Navamin Road.

"We believe that at least seven gangs are behind the break-ins, and they are working together," he said.

Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult

2011-05-28T13:08:00.001+01:00

Thai authorities said Friday they arrested an American citizen on charges he insulted the country's monarchy, in part by posting a link on his blog four years ago to a banned book about the Southeast Asian nation's ailing king.

The man is also suspected of translating, from English into Thai, portions of "The King Never Smiles" -- an unauthorized biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- and posting them online along with articles he wrote that allegedly defame the royal family, said Tharit Pengdith, who heads the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI.

The American has denied the charges, according to the Thai-language prachatai.com news website, which tracks cases of lese majeste, as the crime of insulting the monarchy is known.

The 54-year-old Thai-born man lived in the U.S. state of Colorado for around 30 years before returning recently to Thailand for treatment for high blood pressure and gout, the website said. If the allegations are true, the infractions would have been committed while he lived in America -- where they are legal -- raising concern about the reach of Thai law and how it is applied to Thai nationals and foreign visitors.

Tharit said the man's Thai name was Lerpong Wichaikhammat. Walter M. Braunohler, the U.S. Embassy spokesman in Bangkok, identified the American as Joe Gordon and said a consular officer visited him on Friday morning. He declined comment further, saying only that officials were following the case "very closely."

"We're still looking into what the exact charges are," Braunohler told The Associated Press.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy but has severe lese majeste laws that mandate a jail term of three to 15 years for any person who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the Regent."

Critics say the lese majeste laws -- used with alarming frequency over the last several years -- are often a weapon of political harassment and calls have grown recently to amend or abolish them.

Thai-based media routinely self-censor coverage of the royal family, but the Internet has tested the taboo. Thai authorities have responded by trying to block thousands of websites considered subversive, arguing that defending the monarchy is a priority.

Tharit said the man was arrested Tuesday and is facing charges that include inciting public unrest and violating Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. Gordon appeared before a Thai court Thursday, which denied him bail.

A DSI spokeswoman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said the American was arrested in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and is being held in a Bangkok prison.

Praachatai.com said police arrested the man at his home and seized a computer and cell phone.

Sensitivity over criticism of the monarchy has increased in recent years as the poor health of the country's 83-year-old king has elevated concern about a smooth succession. At the same time, sharp partisan political battles in the wake of a 2006 military coup have unleashed unprecedented questioning of established institutions, including the palace.

Thailand's freedom of speech reputation has taken a battering in recent years, as successive governments have tried to suppress the opposition. Its standing in the Press Freedom Index issued by the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders slid to 153 last year from 65 in 2002, when the ratings were initiated.

The number of lese majeste cases has grown dramatically in recent years. Between 1990 and 2005, an average of five per year made their way through the Thai court system. Since then, however, there have been at least 400 cases -- an estimated 1,500 percent increase, according to David Streckfuss, an American scholar who wrote a recent book studying the harsh laws called "Truth on Trial."

In March, a Thai court sentenced Thanthawut Taweewarodomkul -- the operator of an anti-government website -- to 13 years on charges of defaming the monarchy and three more years for violating the Computer Crime Act. The 38-year-old ran a website affiliated with the anti-government Red Shirt movement whose aggressive street protests last year deteriorated into violence and were quashed by the army.

The 2007 Computer Crime Act addresses hacking and other traditional online offenses, but also bars the circulation of material deemed detrimental to national security or that causes panic. It carries a penalty of up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 baht ($3,285).

Gunmen attacked the house of a canvasser of a Democrat Party poll candidate in Bangkok's Bung Kum district last night

2011-05-27T08:37:00.001+01:00

Gunmen attacked the house of a canvasser of a Democrat Party poll candidate in Bangkok's Bung Kum district last night. The attack is believed to have been politically motivated. Nobody was killed or injured, police said.

About midnight yesterday, unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets at the house of Charoen Jaesaman in Klong Rahas community on Serithai Road in Bung Kum district. The assailants escaped after the attack.

Mr Charoen is a canvasser for Panich Vikitsreth, the Constituency 16 candidate of the Democrat Party.

Mr Charoen, along with his son and his grandson, were sleeping on the second floor when the attack took place. They were unhurt, police said.

A number of spent bullet cases and an M16 ammunition magazine were found at the scene.

Meanwhile, the Royal Police Office yesterday issued a list of another 25 professional hitmen bringing the number wanted on arrest warrants to 75.

Police had previously distributed a list of 50 gunmen for hire in all regions as part of measures to prevent politically related crimes during the run-up to the July 3 general election.

National police chief Wichean Potephosree said 29 of them are hitmen who have committed many serious criminal offences in 10 provinces where election competition is expected to be tough and may involve violence. A 100,000 baht cash reward would be offered to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of each of the hitmen.

The 10 so-called "red zone" provinces are Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Roi Et, Udon Thani, Samut Prakan, and Ubon Ratchathani.

The other 46 hitmen have committed less serious crimes and a reward of 50,000 baht would be given to anyone providing tips leading to their arrest.

As for measures to provide protection to election candidates, Pol Gen Wichean said one or two police officers are usually sent to escort candidates, but more officers would be assigned to protect candidates in areas where election competition is expected to be fierce.

Pol Gen Wichean also stressed the need for police to maintain their neutrality in the election. Officers would face disciplinary action and could be transferred to inactive posts if they are found to have helped with politicians' campaigning, he said.

Pol Gen Wichean said anyone who vandalised election campaign posters would face a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine of up to 6,000 baht.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Division 5 has also offered cash rewards to anyone providing information to support a police crackdown on crime in Bangkok in the run-up to the election. Rewards will also be given to police officers who arrest criminals.

Officers at the division have agreed to pool money for rewards in a bid to reduce crime and boost police morale.

Ten thousand baht will be offered for the arrest of people involved in serious offences not related to politics. 50,000 baht in cases involving politically related serious crimes, 5,000 baht in cases of physical and sexual abuse unrelated to politics while 20,000 baht will be offered in such cases which are linked to politics.

investigation by police showed that a group in Pattaya was involved with offering young girls to foreign tourists for sex.

2011-05-27T08:35:00.001+01:00

Therefore they mounted a sting operation whereby a 14 year old girl was delivered to a room for sex by her female pimp.

The twenty six year old pimp Ms. Panthipa Khampan said she was contacted by the girl's mother and that the client would pay 1,500 baht and Panthipa would get 500 baht for her trouble.

The police took a statement from the 14 year old girl who told police that she had been raped by a relative when she was just 9 year old and that she wanted to earn money to help her mother clear her debts.

The mother of the child admitted to this and confessed that just the day before she had sold her daughter for sex for another foreign customer.

The court was on hand to produce arrest warrants for the mother and the pimp and in the meantime the young girl has been sent to a children’s care center for rehabilitation.

Necklace Snatcher Strikes in South Pattaya

2011-05-27T08:33:00.001+01:00

A Necklace was snatched in front of the South Pattaya Market on Tuesday afternoon. The thief had already been apprehended by the locals, who called in to the Radio Center of the Pattaya Police Station for assistance.

At the scene, the victim Mrs. Somkid Yadared, age 45, was still in shock by the assault, and she was being calmed down by a group of people who chased down and apprehended the snatcher. One of them, Mr. Rittirong Pat-ta-na-rang-ka, also happened to be a Sattahip Police Volunteer as well as a motorcycle taxi driver in the area.

Mrs. Somkid stated that she was shopping for Buddha day on Wednesday, and wearing a 2 baht gold chain.

While she was doing her shopping, she noticed a man walking behind her, and before she could move away, he ran up and grabbed her necklace. She fought back, and concerned people came to help, but the broken chain was seized by the man before they could grab him.

He ran but was finally caught with the evidence, and was identified as Mr. Nirut Sangkaid, age 22. Off he went to face the consequences of his thievery. which he will be questioned by the Investigation Inspector Pol. Lt. Tanagorn Ngamyen.

Ugandan Prostitutes Arrested

2011-05-27T08:29:00.001+01:00

Thursday at 1:30 am, an information was received by the Deputy Superintendent of the Women, Children and Youths Protection Department Pol. Lt. Col. Greeta Tan-ka-na-rak and Inspector Pol. Maj. Griangsak Boonprawat that three women from Uganda were hiding in the area while operating as prostitutes In Walking Street.

A plan was set up to send to men posing as customers to approach them for their services at the Marine Plaza, South Pattaya.

The money was paid and then the undercover agents and then police identified themselves and arrested them. The three women had visas but one had expired and all three were from Uganda. After information received police tracked down four more Ugandan women in walking Street who were spotted standing under the tree in the middle of Walking Street plying their trade .The 7 women knew each other and all were charged as prostitutes and will be sent back to Uganda and blacklisted - never to return!

Well-known Iranian Criminal Arrested

2011-05-19T00:22:00.001+01:00

Immigration Police and Local Police and officials from DSI to surround Pacific Apartment in Soi Yan Sabai, South Pattaya, as information was received that a wanted Iranian criminal called Mr. Majid Mohebbi has been hiding there and was actively operating a protection racket.

Mr. Majid was in the room with a Thai girlfriend. He refused on giving any information to the police or DSI Officials. DSI is the Department that works with special corruption, cases against misconduct of government officials and was established under the Justice Ministry so that people can send their complaints directly to DSI and request investigations of all types of problems unsolved by other government authorities.

Mr. Majid's VISA had expired which will be added to the penalties he has to face in Thailand before being sent back to Iran to face legal proceedings, where he has many arrest warrants outstanding.

Gangsters Arrested by Pattaya Police

2011-05-19T00:21:00.001+01:00

Pattaya Police dragnet under the supervision of the Superintendent Pol. Col. Nantawut Suwanlaong uncovered information about a local drug dealer Mr. Siripon Sutti AKA K, age 28 from Sattahip. He had been the head of a gang of dealers in Pattaya for some time. Suppression Inspector Pol. Maj. Chote Lamom was assigned to crack down on this gang, and so set a trap to purchase some drugs on Pattaya’s 3rd Road, near Pratumnak Hill. As the undercover police stood by for Mr. K, he did show up with 140 Yah Bah tablets.

Mr. K was arrested, so to mitigate his problems, he pointed to Mr. Preecha Wisutsee or Tee, aged 34 from Nakhonsawan Province, who in turn was arrested trying to deliver 50 grams of Yah Ice to the undercover cops. Mr. Tee then pointed the finger at Mrs. Jintana Boon Pan AKA Ying, aged 39 from the Mueang District of Chonburi. She was finally nabbed with 1,555 Yah Bah tablets and 21.55 gram of Yah Ice. The total of impounded Yah Bah tabs was 1,695 tablets, and Yah Ice 71.25 grams from 3 offenders. These hooligans were among the major drug dealers in the city, and the police will continue with their investigations to track down any and all other gangs trying to deal drugs.

Banglamung Police Nail Drug Dealer

2011-05-19T00:19:00.001+01:00

Banglamung Police, led by Superintendent Pol. Col. Somnuek Jangaid and Deputy Investigation Inspector Pol. Capt. Gornpong Sukwisit held a press conference to publicize the arrest of a major drug dealer, Mr. Sutat Saengtai, age 27. He was seized with 3 bags of Yah Ice weighing 99.16 grams in total, and 2 packages of Yah Bah containing 4,000 tablets. The Banglamung police have been trying to track down Mr. Sutat for a while, after learning that he was one of the main dealers in the city.

The undercover police arranged a drug deal with Mr. Sutat to buy 1 gram of Yah Ice, and for the drug to be delivered in the front of Mr. Sutat’s house, located opposite Ekmongkol Villas 4 in Soi Khao Talo.

A group of undercover police surrounded the area before the deal was to take place. When Mr. Sutat showed up, the police identified themselves and searched Mr. Sutat. The police forced Mr. Sutat to lead the police in searching his house, where the rest of the Yah Bah and Yah Ice were found. Mr. Sutat claimed that the contraband belonged to his friend Mr. Noi, and that he had nothing to do with the rest of drugs.

Nonetheless, the police took Mr. Sutat to the Banglamung Police Station for legal prosecution, and for further investigations, to ferret out the remaining gang members.

an Italian man and his Thai girlfriend were having a small drug party, and being so rowdy it disturbed the neighbors.

2011-05-19T00:18:00.001+01:00

The police entered the room and found Mr. Matia Delorbo Carara, age 35 from Italy, and his Thai girlfriend partying away with some drugs, as informed. 3 small bags of Yah Ice contained 0.33, 0.30 and 0.44 grams were found with drug paraphernalia.

They were whisked away to the Pattaya Police Station for questioning. Mr. Carara confessed to buying Yah Ice from a local dealer in South Pattaya for 10,000 Baht, and now faces legal proceedings.

two teenagers were spotted riding a Yamaho Mio motorcycle reported stolen a few hours earlier.

2011-05-19T00:17:00.001+01:00

Pattaya Patrol Police was on duty around Pratamnak Hill near Yin Yom Beach, two teenagers were spotted riding a Yamaho Mio motorcycle reported stolen a few hours earlier. The police called the teenagers to stop but they fled, heading toward Thepprasit Road.

The police chased them along Sukhumvit Road, before stopping them in Soi Nernplubwan. The male driver was 15 years old and the female passenger was 17. They confessed to being involved with a Motorcycle Theft Gang. Both were taken to Pattaya Police Station for further investigation and legal proceedings.

The owner of the motorcycle was contacted to identify and receive the motorcycle back.

The police swiftly tried to catch the rest of the gang members when later in the morning they apprehended 12 teenagers in the Yin Yom Beach area. They denied the information given by the 2 teenagers and claimed they normally gathered together to swim in the sea.

The police did not believe their story so they were searched and urine tests made, but the results were negative and no illegal items found on them. The police could only list them on the police report and contact their parents to take them home. The investigation continues.

Body of Russian Tourist found close to where he disappeared in Sattahip

2011-05-08T19:44:00.001+01:00

The body of the missing Russian Tourist who disappeared during a day trip to Islands off the coast of Sattahip has now been found, only 500 meters from where he was last seen. On Tuesday we reported on the missing Russian Tourist who was residing in Pattaya, known only as “Alex” he has now been identified as Mr. Oleg Reminiaka aged 37. He was found on Wednesday Afternoon by Khun Long, a member of the Sattahip Air Rescue Unit who was part of a team of 3 paramotor’s tasked to search for the man. Their aerial search was unsuccessful and they decided to land on the Island, 3 nautical miles from the coast of Sattahip, where Mr. Reminiaka was last seen with 82 fellow Russian Tourists. A body, which was later identified as Mr. Reminiaka was discovered on rocks. Trauma was seen to his shoulders and face and Police are waiting for the results of a post mortem examination and at this time they have not ruled out murder, due to the injuries seen on the body. The Russian Embassy are now working closely with the Police who are also questioning other members of the Russian Tour group to determine if there is a possibility of foul play in relation to the death of Mr. Reminiaka.

South Pattaya Pub raided by Region 2 Police

2011-05-08T19:39:00.001+01:00

7.30 on Friday Morning, officers from the Police Region 2 Narcotics Unit raided a Pub in South Pattaya which was still open with many customers inside. The unit had already received information about the T&T Pub Pattaya located in Soi Yensabai, suggesting underage workers were being employed as well as the venue was open well after permitted operating hours. A group of 20 officers led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Prichar, a deputy superintendant of the unit stormed the property and found many people inside and alchohol was being consumed. Patrons, some foreign, along with staff members were given urine tests and 7 people, 5 men and 2 women subsequently failed and were arrested on class 1 drug consumption charges. 8 people were found to be under the age of 20, a combination of staff and patrons. 1 man was found to be carrying a small bag of Crystal Methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, and was also arrested. Overall, the officers were pleased with the operation and will report the incident to the district licensing unit so they can decide whether or not they wish to take any further action.

Foreign couple involved in robbery at Resort in Jomtien

2011-05-08T19:37:00.001+01:00

foreign couple at a luxury resort in Jomtien returned to their room on Friday Night to find the room safe had been removed. Mr. Claude Petijon aged 48 from France and his partner Miss Agnes Wilkie aged 58 from Scotland returned to their room at the Sugar Hut Resort at approximately 8pm to find it had been ransacked. The couple went straight to the safe box and saw it had been removed from the room. Entry to the wooden hut was made through one of the windows, and along with the contents of the safe, which included jewelry, a computer notebook, digital camera and an IPOD were also stolen. Total value of the goods is estimated at 300,000 Baht. No fingerprints or other forensic evidence was taken from the scene by Pattaya Police who determined that a current or previous employee of the Resort may be involved. The investigation continues.

Attempts to conceal drugs from Pattaya Police Officers leads to loss of life

2011-05-08T19:34:00.001+01:00

suspected drug dealer choked to death after swallowing a bag of drugs during his arrest by undercover Pattaya Police, in the early hours of Wednesday Morning. The undercover operation took place in an undisclosed location where an operative allegedly purchased a quantity of crystal methamphetamine from the suspect who was subsequently arrested. On the way to Pattaya Police Station the suspect, Khun Tosarat aged 20, who was on the back of a pick-up, collapsed and was rushed to Hospital where he was pronounced dead-on-arrival. Doctors extracted a bag of Ice lodged in his trachea and suspect the man attempted to swallow the drugs to destroy any evidence of further drug possession, on top of the charge of drug dealing. An internal Police investigation is now underway to ensure officers acted in accordance with regulations relating to covert operations.

Former Army Bodyguard arrested after shooting his wife at their family home

2011-05-08T19:33:00.001+01:00

former close protection officer, working for the 11th Division of the Royal Thai Army, allegedly shot and badly injured his wife in the early hours of Wednesday following a drug-induced rage. Khun Apichart aged 45 is thought to have become addicted to Crystal Methamphetamine after he left the Army and would often suffer episodes of paranoia, believing that people were following him and trying to kill him. For this reason he would always keep a firearm clipped to his trouser belt. His wife of 5 years, Khun Pacharin aged 28 who has one child from a previous marriage, witnessed such an episode on Wednesday Morning at their family home in the Nong Pla Lai area, and shouted at her Husband to stop. He then aimed the 38 caliber weapon at her and shot her in her right upper chest area. He reportedly tried to shoot again but was stopped by neighbors who heard the sound of gunfire and came to assist the victim. Realizing what he had done, Khun Apichart drove his injured wife to Hospital where Police caught up with him and detained him and seized his gun which was found in the boot of his car. Khun Apichart claimed the gun was accidentally used during the altercation with his wife who is still deciding whether to take the case any further or not. The Police investigation continues.

Man beaten and robbed by 4 men close to Pattaya

2011-05-08T19:31:00.001+01:00

Thai Man was bound and gagged inside his apartment and then robbed of possessions by a group of 4 men, one of whom was known to the attacker. Khun Worapot aged 35, who works at a factory in Rayong Province and lives on the outskirts of Pattaya in a government-controlled apartment complex, was taken to Banglamung Police Station on Wednesday afternoon to complete a crime report. He revealed that one of the attackers, Khun Apishart aged 20, a former work colleague, had borrowed 6,000 Baht from him and had promised to pay the money back on 7th May. On Wednesday he went to visit the victim and confirmed the money would be paid back. All seemed well until Khun Apishart returned to the victim’s apartment later on Wednesday with three other men and forced the victim back into his apartment and attacked him. His hands were tied together with electric cable and tape was placed over his mouth. The group of 4 attackers proceeded to steal a computer set, a digital camera, two mobile phones and 1,500 Baht in cash. They also took the key to the victims Nissan pick-up truck which was later found parked close-by. Eventually Khun Worapot managed to remove the tape from his mouth, after the men had left, and shouted for help. Police are now hunting for the 4 suspects who remain at large for now.

2 wounded at Motel shootout in Jomtien

2011-05-08T19:30:00.001+01:00

2 young men were shot and injured at a motel in Jomtien early on Sunday Morning after 5 former customers returned and were met with unexpected force as they prepared to shoot the owner. Police and Rescue Services were called to the Bungalow 69 Motel on the Tepprasit Road and two of the five men involved in the planned attack on the motel owner were taken to Hospital with minor gun shot wounds. Police spoke with the owner, Khun Suchin aged 60 who explained the group had earlier rented a room but were creating problems for other guests because of their excessive noise levels, mostly caused by motorbikes which were arriving and leaving the room on a regular basis. The group was told to leave by the owner and they promised to return with guns. Their threat became reality but the owner was ready and a gun fight ensued where the two men sustained their wounds. The owner was unhurt thanks to luck and his firearm handling skills. Police are now looking into the case and are expected to charge the armed young men in due course.

Minor accident leads to shooting in East Pattaya

2011-05-08T19:29:00.001+01:00

A minor incident involving two motorbike drivers escalated to a shooting on Saturday Afternoon. The incident occurred on the road running adjacent to the train track in East Pattaya whereby the two motorbike drivers were involved in a non-contact accident. Words were exchanged but the driver and apparent cause of the accident, Khun Prasopchork aged 35, thought nothing of it and continued his journey back to his place of work, a small shop in Soi Chayapornviti 9 in the Nongprue area. In fact, the other driver was following him and when the victim arrived at the shop, he was shot in his stomach. Police later found 8 bullet casings. The victim was taken to Hospital and is expected to pull-through. The shooter remains at large as Police attempt to arrest him at this time.

British National is expected to be deported from Thailand after Pattaya Immigration issued a notice of visa revocation against him.

2011-05-08T19:27:00.001+01:00

British National is expected to be deported from Thailand after Pattaya Immigration issued a notice of visa revocation against him. A press conference was held at the Immigration Office in Jomtien on Tuesday Afternoon to announce the detention of Mr. Roderick William Robinson aged 73 from England who was caught in a joint operation with The Special Organized Crime Agency from UK at the V&M Terrace in Soi Beokeow. The Police detailed 4 separate cases involving Mr. Robinson dating back to 1999 with a case as recent as March 2010 in Australia. In each case the suspect is accused of crimes against minors. For this reason, the Immigration Department made the decision to issue an order to revoke his visa and ordered an immediate deportation to UK, even though Mr. Robinson is currently not wanted in connection to any of the cases. This is a relatively new law whereby Immigration have special powers to revoke a visa if they consider the subject to be a danger to Thai Society or is likely to commit a crime in Thailand. Mr. Robinson will be transported to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok where he will await the deportation process to be completed.

British Bar owner arrested by Immigration police

2011-05-08T19:26:00.001+01:00

At around 2:00am on Wednesday police from the Immigration office based in Jomtien entered the Roxy go-go bar on Walking Street and arrested Mr Jason Hill, a 41-year-old British national on a charge of working without the correct documentation. He was brought to Pattaya Police Station where he was interviewed and allegedly accepted the charge. He was also asked for his passport but told officers it was back in his room. Further checks are expected to be made regarding Mr Hill’s visa status.

British man accused of the sale and production of pornographic material and sex toys has been arrested by Pattaya Immigration Officers.

2011-05-08T19:25:00.001+01:00

British man accused of the sale and production of pornographic material and sex toys has been arrested by Pattaya Immigration Officers. Officers conducted a raid of the Boutique Sexy Store located on Pattaya Third Road on Tuesday Afternoon and detained Mr. Ian Keith Hoskin aged 61 from England, the reported owner of the business. Previously an undercover foreign Immigration Volunteer purchased items from the shop which are deemed illegal here in Thailand and this provided Immigration Officers with enough evidence to conduct the raid. Inside the shop officers found plastic and silicon sex toys including fake penises. Mr. Hoskin led Police to a manufacturing facility located in Soi 5 off the Naklua Road where items were being manufactured, mostly for export to foreign countries. Originally Police were made aware of the operation through their website which was selling many of the locally produced items. Mr. Hoskin who set-up the business 6 years ago after retiring from his job in UK, claimed he was unaware that he was breaking any laws. He was taken to the Immigration center in Jomtien where further enquiries are underway. We are not aware that he has been formally charged with any offence at this time.

2 killed, 1 wounded in Pattani shooting

2011-05-08T11:00:00.001+01:00

married couple was killed and their son seriously injured in a drive-by shooting on Patani-Yala highway in Pattani’s Muang district on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Pol Col Somporn Meesuk, chief of Muang Pattani police station, said Sam Kaewkongthon, 65, his wife Penporn Paolohit, 57, and his son Wiroj, 27, were on their way home in Yala’s Muang district on a pickup truck from selling fruits in Pattani when four men on two motorcycles attacked them.

Two gunmen riding on pillions sprayed bullets from war weapons at them. The coupled were shot in their heads and bodied and their vehicle stooped. The gunmen came down from motorcycles and repeatedly shot them in front of the on looking villagers. The attackers then fled.

The couple died at the scene. Their son, shot in his back, was taken to Pattani hospital.

Police blamed separatist militants.

Seven police and soldiers have been killed and 15 others injured in two bomb attacks in Pattani and Yala provinces, while a former local leader has been shot dead in nearby Narathiwat province.

2011-05-08T10:58:00.001+01:00

AMBUSHED: A bomb blast left a large crater on Jampun-Jorleemad Road in Yala’s Raman district and damaged a bullet-proof pickup truck of the 12th Special Task Force.

The first bomb blast went off at 3pm yesterday as a team of police parked their vehicle under a tree near a football field in tambon Plong Hoi of Pattani's Kapho district.

The home-made bomb, hidden under the tree, was detonated by mobile phone signals.

The explosion killed four police officers instantly and injured 13 others, with five seriously hurt.

All were from Kapho police station and were about to take part in a football match with local officials as part of an anti-drug campaign. The dead officers were identified as Pol Sgt Arid Wanlatae, Pol L/C Samart Sorsansa, Pol Sgt Narongrit Suwankhiri and Pol Sgt Kriengsak Thanurak. The injured were taken to hospital.

Half an hour later, a roadside bomb went off as a military pickup truck and two patrol motorcycles drove along Jampun-Jorleemad road in Yala's Raman district.

The impact of the blast killed three soldiers _ Lt Ubon Nu-ied, Sgt Maj Phol Wanwong and Pvt Anuwat Phet-ngam _ and wounded two others _ Cpl Chalermrat Thanapong and Pvt Subin Ied-ruang.

They were among seven officers travelling on the military pickup truck and two motorcycles.

Police inspecting the scene say the blast left a three-metre crater, scattered wires and scraps of a fire extinguisher.

Police say the seven-member patrol unit, headed by Lt Ubon, was patrolling the area after leaving their base at a demonstration farm in tambon Tha Thong in Raman district.

When their vehicles passed the area, the bomb, weighing about 20kg, exploded.

The blast was followed by a gunfight with attackers hidden in a bush. Cpl Chalermrat and Pvt Subin, though sustaining shrapnel wounds, returned fire, prompting the attackers to flee.

In Narathiwat, Abdul-arsi Leumae, 45, a former chairman of Ra-ngae Tambon Administration Organisation in Ra-ngae district, was shot dead on the way to his house yesterday afternoon.

He was driving a pickup truck when four men on two motorcycles sprayed bullets at his vehicle, which hit the roadside divider.

One of the gunmen walked toward the vehicle and fired one more shot at Abdul-arsi's head.

Police suspected the attack was related to the southern unrest.

Meanwhile, three men, including a former ranger volunteer, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in Friday's gun attack on a resident's pickup truck in Raman district.

Panasak Khongrodsri, 26, Nisannusee Samuyama, 30, and former ranger volunteer Muhammad Sayutee Bueraheng, 26, all natives of Narathiwat's Ra-ngae district, were arrested at a police checkpoint.

An M16 rifle, an 9mm handgun, an 11mm handgun, a .38 calibre handgun and bullets were seized.

The arrest followed a complaint by Charoenchai Pornpisutnorakul that a group of men on board a pickup truck fired shots at his vehicle on Friday morning. Police say Mr Panasak was wanted on an arrest warrant for murder and illegal possession of weapons.

45,200 Cambodian evacuees flee home due to clashes with Thailand

2011-05-01T00:50:00.001+01:00

The eighth day of armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops over disputed border areas had forced other 11,200 Cambodian people to flee homes, bringing the total number of evacuees to 45,200 by Friday evening, said a senior government official.

"Too many Cambodian evacuees have fled home in the latest rounds of fighting with Thailand," Nhim Vanda, the first vice- president of the Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management, told Xinhua by telephone on Friday. "We have never expected such great number of evacuees, so now our major concerns for them are clean water and sanitary facilities."

During the fighting, the villagers living as far as 18 kilometers surrounding the fighting areas at the 11th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province have forced to flee for safe shelters.

The last day of armed clashes happened at Thursday night and lasted until 6:00 a.m. on Friday morning.

Cambodian and Thai troops had exchanged gunfire for eight straight days over disputed border areas at Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples, which lie 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear Temple.

The fighting had killed eight Cambodian soldiers, seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian, and caused several dozens injured.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

3,000 Thai teenagers suffer from sexually transmitted diseases annually,

2011-04-27T21:07:00.001+01:00

3,000 Thai teenagers suffer from sexually transmitted diseases annually, a three-fold increase in five years, and gonorrhea and venereal ulcers are the most common infections, the health ministry reported on Thursday.

Dr Manit Theeratantikanont, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said STDs were spreading among Thai teenagers at an appalling rate.

The incidence of infection had risen three-fold in the past five years, from 1,000 patients to 3,000 a year.

The most common diseases were gonorrhea and chancroids, followed by venereal warts and HIV/Aids.

More young men suffer from such diseases than females, he said.

The concern is that more youngsters in the 14-15 age group are getting STDs, he said.

Young people are starting to have sex as young as 12 years of age, and most sexual liaisons occur among friends.

"Teenagers try to have sex so quickly because they have easier access to entertainment venues.

"There are many entertainment venues in areas where there are schools. Besides, people in this age range have little knowledge of ways to protect themselves from STDs.

"The Disease Control Department must try harder to educate teenagers about sex and the dangers of STDs," Dr Manit said.

Fresh-faced youths with an air of naivety are being used as "tools" by ruthless drug gangs to help peddle their wares.

2011-04-27T21:02:00.001+01:00

Fresh-faced youths with an air of naivety are being used as "tools" by ruthless drug gangs to help peddle their wares.

But police have become wise to the practice of recruiting young drug mules.

The arrest of three teenage boys aged 16 to 17 and the seizure of 12 speed pills last Sunday morning surprised officers who said they never suspected teens would be involved with a drug ring.

These boys, as well as other youngsters who have never been addicted to drugs, are being recruited by gangs to deliver drugs to customers, Tao Pun police station deputy superintendent of crime suppression Sathit Sangpraphai said.

Police who were inspecting houses along Khao Larm alley in Tao Pun on the last day of the Songkran holiday last week spotted "irregular behaviour" by a group of three teens on a motorcycle.

The officers conducted body searches and found one of them had 12 speed pills hidden in his underpants. Up to 20 packets of methamphetamine were also found. A further search of their rooms uncovered 1,745 speed pills and a money transfer slip valued at 200,000 baht.

The boys admitted to police they had been hired by a woman identified as "Chu", the owner of a computer game shop in Bang Sue area, to deliver drugs for nearly six months.

They were paid more than 3,000 baht a month in return for the delivery of between 10 and 200 pills each time.

The investigation revealed Chu is an alleged key methamphetamine agent in Bang Sue, Tao Pun and Pracha Chuen areas. Police said she received drugs through her contacts with her younger brother, who is jailed in Pathum Thani, and his friend known as "Hieng Saphankwa".

"This drug gang only chooses good teenagers with no background of drug addiction," Pol Lt Gen Sathit said.

Police do not usually suspect children _ especially those who don't appear to be addicted to drugs _ of being involved in these activities. When they have their urine tested, the result will clear them of drug charges. These teenagers, he concluded, have never been a target of police officers.

He said Chu used her computer game shop as a venue to recruit her young drug mules. When she sees one, she will approach him and gain his trust before luring him into selling drugs with a promise of good money every month.

"Many youngsters have family problems," Pol Lt Gen Sathit said. "They do not have money to attend school, so some spend money [from drug trafficking] for their school tuition."

Police found Chu kept speed pills at two rooms in a luxurious condominium in the Pracha Chuen area. When she wanted to sell the drugs, she would call the teenagers to her store and hand them key cards to open the rooms.

Police were preparing to seek a court warrant for her arrest.

However, the woman fled after the three boys were nabbed.

The three boys have been sent to Ban Metta Juvenile Detention Centre. Police also discussed their actions with their families to find ways to prevent them from being involved with drug gangs when they grow up.

Officers at the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Children and Women Protection Sub-Division are gathering information from communities across Bangkok to find whether other teenagers have been lured into working with drug gangs.

Pol Capt Kittimet Chotpiticharoenrat, deputy police inspector of the sub-division, admitted the use of teenagers, particularly those under 15, has become popular among drug gangs.

Police need to know what happens in those communities to work with teenagers' families to plan ways to protect them from illegal activities.

Families play an important role in preventing and solving the problem, Pol Lt Gen Sathit said.

He suggested they help police by observing their children's spending behaviour and finding out where they get their money.

Pol Lt Gen Sathit also warned children should be kept away from computer game shops which have proved to be a channel to lead them into the drug trade.

“Bangkok Noir” has become something of a buzzword in recent months

2011-04-27T20:59:00.001+01:00

“Bangkok Noir” has become something of a buzzword in recent months, although more cynical minds might deduce that it’s little more than an attempt to spin the work of local crime writers such as Christopher G. Moore and John Burdett into an authentic genre, bracketing their books with the likes of James Ellroy or even Raymond Chandler and hoping a little of the critical credibility rubs off.

Artist Chris Coles is happy to be seen as part of the movement, to the extent that his new book of his paintings is called “Navigating the Bangkok Noir.”

In his hands, the Bangkok night becomes “a Darwinistic and brutal stage on which humans from all over the planet, rich and poor, dark and white, tall and short, fat and slim, civilized and uncouth, intelligent and incredibly dumb, come together to mingle, interact, devour, be devoured, stalk prey and to be stalked by predators.”

Chris Coles' damaged denizens of Bangkok’s nightlife are highlighted in "Navigating the Bangkok Noir."
It’s rather different from the Land of Smiles mythology peddled by the government and the tourist authorities -- the mythology that holds topless Songkran dancers to be completely antithetical to Thai culture and morality – and indeed from the majority of Bangkok-based artists.
For a real exercise in contrasts, check out his exhibition at the Koi Gallery on Sukhumwit 31, which hangs his works alongside the pastoral confections of Anita Suputipong.

But Coles’s work is also distinct from that of Christopher Moore and his fellow writers, who are forced by their chosen genre to tie the atmosphere down to a plot, to add a little action and danger to their depictions of Krung Thep at night. The results sometimes feel as if they’ve been designed to flatter the white-knight fantasies of their male, farang readers, for whom real life can still be a bit mundane, even in this city.

Moore writes the foreword to Coles’s book, and compares the painter to Toulouse-Lautrec, but this misses the mark a little. Toulouse-Lautrec’s pictures of prostitutes were tender observations that focused on the women’s off-duty moments -- sleeping, bathing, dreaming.

Coles is an Expressionist, though; his bargirls are in the tradition of the underweight, glassy-eyed Viennese hookers immortalized by Egon Schiele. Moreover, his combination of garish colors and thick black lines suggests the styles of Georges Rouault and Marc Chagall, both of whom were influenced by stained-glass windows in places of worship.

In his hands the damaged denizens of Bangkok’s nightlife achieve a transcendent aura, the profane becoming sacred.

Behind the sad, garish smiles

That said, Coles doesn’t impose an explicit narrative or moral on his images of Bangkok nightlife. What he sets out to do is “to accept and understand that as humans, even in the year 2011, we still harbor some very primitive, reptile-like qualities that lie not too far beneath our modern and ‘civilized’ exterior surface.”

Each image stands alone, a single event in a single night, take it or leave it. His deadpan annotations put a few names to faces, a little context for those who might not be au fait with Nana or Cowboy, but stops short of fleshing out a full biography for these damaged creatures.

He doesn’t idealize or idolize the bargirls, but is always sympathetic to their situations, always keen to find out where they came from, what brought them here, to see behind the sad, garish smiles.

He is more ambivalent about their clients, who come over as endearingly naïve at best, monstrous and controlling at worst.

That said, Coles doesn’t impose an explicit narrative or moral on his images of Bangkok nightlife. Each image stands alone, a single event in a single night, take it or leave it.

Coles is a good painter, but more importantly (and more surprisingly), "Navigating the Bangkok Noir" works as a book in its own right, rather than just a glorified exhibition catalogue.

The closest comparison is with Philip Cornwel-Smith’s warm and wacky "Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture," to which it acts as a sort of grim, evil twin. Coles illuminates images from the bleaker, seedier side of Bangkok life, but ultimately it’s up to you, the reader, to do the work and create a story.

Thai tour guide surrendered himself to the police confessing that he had shot dead one Japanese tourist and wounded another

2011-04-27T20:44:00.003+01:00

Thai tour guide surrendered himself to the police confessing that he had shot dead one Japanese tourist and wounded another, after a heated argument during the trekking in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.

On 26th April, 2011 the tour guide, Apichart Inphisak, 41, turned himself in to the police and admitted to the crime that he had committed earlier at 10 a.m.

Mr. Inphisak guided two Japanese tourists, Hiromichi Nagano, 59 and Takushi Condo, 43, to Chiang Rai mountainous area, visiting the Lisu people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.

Takushi was constantly complaining and cursing especially about the tour while travelling in the green Suzuki jeep, Mr. Inshisak said.

Even when they were trekking in the woods, the complaining continued, he added.

When Mr. Inshisak could not tolerate the criticism any longer, he started his verbal retaliation which subsequently instigated an intense argument between the guide and tourists.

Suddenly Takushi extracted his gun from the holster and shot the tour guide but he missed, Mr. Inshisak reported.

The guide added that in the heated moment he shot back at both Japanese tourists six times, which had wounded one and killed the other before making his escape.

At the crime scene police found the body of Takushi with two punctured wounds – one in the head and one in the back. The police also noticed an empty gun holster on the deceased’s waistline.

One of the three backpacks found at the scene contained 100 of $100 bills, a total worth of $10,000 and a 9mm. pistol.

The other tourist, Hiromichi was also shot in the head but he managed to seek help from local people, who took him to the hospital, the police reported.

Based on police’s background check, two tourists were members of Japan’s third most popular gang. Takushi was in fact the leader of the gang. In 2006 Takushi was allegedly accused of a murder in Tokyo.

These Japanese gangsters do not appear to be the trekking type of tourists, as indicated by the reported grumble, the police speculated.

Police believe that the gangsters may have a hidden agenda in the woods and hence requesting the trekking trip.

Thai tour guide surrendered himself to the police confessing that he had shot dead one Japanese tourist and wounded another

2011-04-27T20:44:00.001+01:00

Two lady boys stole a golden chain from a drunk male tourist in order to pay for their accommodation rental.

2011-04-27T20:43:00.001+01:00

Patttaya, 27th April 2011 [PDN]: At 2.00 a.m., Police Lieutenant Wisanu Chaisuwan (Deputy Suppressing Inspector of Pattaya Police Department) was informed of a robbery at Naklua, Soi 18.

The police captured both suspects at Pattaya Soi 2, Sai 2 Rd, where they attempted to escape.
Wuttichai Sawangdee, 16, confessed that he had stolen a golden chain from a male tourist with the accomplice of his partner in crime, Ekkapun Jumroen, 20.

The suspects rode their motorbike next to the tourist man and offered him sexual services, the police said.
However, as the drunk tourist appeared vulnerable, the suspects snatched his golden chain and escaped immediately, police added.

Sawangdee explained they had stolen the golden chain because they needed money to pay for their accommodation rental of 2,500 Baht.

The police detained both suspects for further questioning and prosecution

police force surrounded a drug dealer’s house before exchanging gunfire and making the arrest along with other suspects.

2011-04-27T20:41:00.001+01:00

Pattaya, 22nd April 2011 [PDN]: At 4 p.m., Police General Intipond Poetong and more than 20 other officers surrounded the crack house of a drug dealer.

Mr. Tanongsak or Aum Saedmai, 30, who lived in Piyawat Village, Bangpuek had also allegedly shot a tourist on Songkran Day.

The police had blocked all entrances and requested for complete co-operation from the people in the house.

However, Mr. Tanongsak refused to surrender. Instead he fired at the police before attempted escaping through the window. But the police shot him down and immediately seized him.

15 people – 5 women and 10 men were found taking Amphetamines inside the house.

Weapons found in the house included two 11mm. guns and more than 100 cartridges. Also drugs discovered in the house were 200 Amphetamines, 2 grams of Ya-Ice and other drug devices.

Five major drug agents, who were believed to be involved in the shooting, included: (1) Mr. Jatuwong Saedmai, 25; (2) Mr. Somchai Chaleawrum, 20; (3) Mr. Suchart Roengsomboon, 18; (4) Mr. Singsa Yoosai, 29 and (5) Mr. Mr. Dawroong Panpoka, 20.

Other suspects who were minor drug dealers included (1) Mrs. Somjai Wongsa, 27; (2) Miss Natwadee Nuanui, 26; (3) Miss Jariya Yindeesuk, 20; (4) Miss Ratchanee Punan, 29 and (5) Miss Yanapat Sukmalee, 27.

undercover drugs operation in order to capture a Ya-Ice agent.

2011-04-27T20:40:00.001+01:00

Ms. Suparat Khunthikrama, 29 of Udorn Thani was caught in possession of 0.32 grams of Ya-Ice at Sermsri Apartment.
She confessed that she purchased the drugs from another agent in Pattaya and distributed them to local bar girls, who were her primary customers.

The police detained Ms. Khunthikrama for further investigation along with the Ya-Ice drugs as evidence.

Based on the suspect’s confession, the police conducted another uncover operation and arrested a Korean agent, Mr. Kang Meongchel, 45 in possession of 1.44 grams of Ya-Ice.

He confessed his drugs were supplied by a Korean friend in Bangkok and his targeted customers were Pattaya tourists.
Mr. Kang was detained for further investigation and prosecution along with the evidence, the police said.

The officers added that three customers (1) Mr. Kim Chamwun, 45; (2) Ms. Sirani Dokcheaaiam, 28 and (3) Ms. Unchana Rattanapisarnkul, 26 found at Mr. Kang’s Benjawan Apartment in Pattaya Klang were charged with drugs consumption

Indonesia jails Australian drugs smuggler to 18 years

2011-04-27T20:38:00.001+01:00

Australian man was sentenced to 18 years in jail by an Indonesian court for smuggling drugs into the resort island of Bali.
Michael Sacatides, 43, was arrested in October as he passed through customs after landing on an AirAsia flight from Bangkok with 1.7 kilogrammes (3.7 pounds) of methamphetamine in his luggage at Bali International Airport.
"The defendant was proven guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to 18 years," chief judge Sigit Sutanto told Denpasar district court on Monday.
"He never admitted that the drug belonged to him," the judge said referring to the reason why he was given two years higher than the prosecutors' recommendation of 16 years.
"He committed a crime which could harm our young generation and it's against the government's campaign to eliminate drug use," Sutanto added.
The boxing trainer from Sydney will join almost a dozen compatriots who are behind bars in Bali's Kerobokan jail on drug-related convictions.
Three Australians are currently on death row for a 2005 attempt to smuggle 8.3 kilogrammes of heroin into Australia from the tourist island.
Six other members of the so-called Bali Nine gang are serving long jail sentences.
Another Australian, Schapelle Corby, is serving a 20-year sentence in Bali for trafficking 4.1 kilogrammes of marijuana into Indonesia in 2005.

Election watch on gunmen for hire

2011-04-27T20:37:00.001+01:00

Crime Suppression Division police throughout the country have been instructed to keep a close watch on the movements of known gunmen who may be hired to kill ahead of the general election.

CSD commander Pol Maj-Gen Supisan Pakdinaruenart said special attention wasa being give to a 50 people blacklisted as gunmen for hire.

These shooters were often hired by politicians or other influential people to get rid of their opponents, particularly political canvassers, prior to a general election.

The CSD will also follow up any suspicious financial transactions made by influential persons in all regions, he said.

Special attention will also be given to provinces where assassinations of political canvassers and candidates are frequient -- such as Phetchaburi, Chon Buri and Nakhon Sawan.

Severe flooding and mudslides in southern Thailand have killed 21 people, stranded thousands of tourists

2011-03-30T20:56:00.001Z

Severe flooding and mudslides in southern Thailand have killed 21 people, stranded thousands of tourists and threatened to delay shipments of rubber in the world's largest rubber-producing country, authorities said today.

Trains to the region have been cancelled and three airports have been shut, including one on the popular island of Koh Samui. As well as Koh Samui, foreign tourists - including Britons - have also been stuck at resorts in Krabi and Koh Phangan.

The Thai navy evacuated about 1,200 people from Koh Samui and Koh Tao, a remote island popular with backpackers.

Stranded tourists sit on the floor of Samui airport in the flooded resort island of Koh Samui, Thailand, waiting to escape the island. Three airports in the south of the country have been closed so far

Thailand's navy sent four vessels including an amphibious landing craft with on-board helicopters to deliver supplies and rescue tourists and villagers in areas severely hit.

'More rain is expected in the next few days,' said Satit Wongnongtoey, a minister in the prime minister's office.

British ambassador Asif Ahmad said Britain was in close contact with the Thai navy on the evacuation of tourists from the region.

Tourists wade through flood water outside a hotel in Koh Samui earlier this week

The flooding could delay shipments of between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes of smoked rubber sheet, industry officials said. The region supplies 90 percent of the 3.2 million tonnes produced annually in Thailand, the world's biggest producer and exporter.

'Small producers along the upper south, who need to carry rubber by road to be shipped from Bangkok's port are facing disruption as roads are cut off,' Prapas Uernontat, secretary general of the Thai Rubber Association said.

Nearly a million people have been affected by unseasonably heavy downpours across the region.

Fed up holidaymakers lay across the floor of Samui airport

Mudslides were reported in three areas in Krabi province. At least 10 people were killed in one village, with at least 10 others missing.

Wiboon Sangruanpong, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said it was too soon to assess full damage and said more mudslides were possible.

Along with the airport on Koh Samui, the Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani airports have also been shut.

Private paid-for sex in your hotel room is not a crime in Thailand

2011-03-28T16:57:00.001Z

Private paid-for sex in your hotel room is not a crime in Thailand, as long as the prostitute is neither underage nor there as a result of kidnapping, deception, force or misuse of authority.

Police Captain Suprapan Phothiphirom from the Tourist Police station in Pattaya said the FTPA's job is to ensure the safety and security of foreign tourists and give them information and assistance.

2011-03-25T13:11:00.001Z

''We have always faced a shortage of Tourist Police personnel, especially ones who can speak different languages,'' he said.

On a recent Friday night, Spectrum went on patrol with the tourist police and their foreign assistants along Walking Street, which stretches 750 metres and is closed to traffic from 7pm to 3am.

At about 8:30pm the foreign assistants and Thai volunteers began to set up, as they do every night, their mobile unit. Desks and chairs were placed in the middle of the street with bottles of drinking water and a box for donations.

Shortly after, a white Tourist Police van arrived and was parked across the street. A large TV monitor to show public relations videos was then placed on the vehicle.

By 9pm, about 30 people which included assistants, local volunteers and two policemen were in place, sitting or standing around and waiting for something to happen.

The scene drew a lot of attention from the many foreigners and Thais alike who were streaming past. They were surprised to see such a large group of people in full ''battle-dress'' in the middle of a tourist resort. Many stared, especially at the assistants, wondering who they were and what they are up to.

A group of Russian women with their families appeared confused and even frightened, asking their male companions: ''Look at this. What is going on here. Is there a problem? Let's get out of here.''

Tourists from other countries questioned the purpose of the mobile unit, whether it was really necessary, and whether it could be done with less visibility.

The presence of the foreign assistants sporting handcuffs, batons, radios and other gadgets on their belts made some people feel uneasy.

Some local volunteers wearing army boots and berets appeared totally out of place in the middle of an entertainment area crammed with bar girls offering their services.

Paradoxically, two Thai policemen who have the authority to arrest and to carry weapons were wearing jackets to cover their uniforms and were walking around unobtrusively.

ON THE BEAT: The entrance to the infamous Walking Street in Pattaya, where a group of the men in black patrol to help maintain security.

The only incident occured at about 10:30pm, when a woman was found lying intoxicated on Walking Street. She was brought to the mobile unit on a tourist police golf car equipped with police lights and received first-aid from the volunteers and a tattooed foreign assistant who poured water on her head.

THE BEGINNING

With thousands of foreign tourists flocking to Pattaya every year, the Thai Tourist Police _ which has about 40 officers _ relies a great deal on the foreign assistants.

''We started the project in 1994, first with the Thai Tourist Police Volunteers, which now numbers 369, and later we added the FTPA component to it,'' said Capt Suprapan. ''Now we have about 30 assistants, which is not enough. We would like to recruit more people, particularly the ones who can speak Italian, Korean and Russian. We need also women, something very hard to find.''

But the ''farang police'', despite their good intentions, have been subject to criticism, particularly over what people see as their intimidating black uniforms, their imposing appearance and the carrying of handcuffs and batons. Questions have also been raised about whether proper background checks are conducted on applicants.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Freddy Meekers, Howard Miller, Paul Harrison, Pierre Sanzotta and Lewis Hurst.

Capt Suprapan said that foreigners who want to join the FTPA must come to his office with a passport and fill out an application form. Applicants with a non-immigrant visa are preferred because they can be granted a one-year extension. A tourist visa is not acceptable.

''We will send the information to immigration to conduct a background check. After that, we will investigate what the person has been doing in Pattaya and in Thailand. We don't check the person's history from his native country, but in some cases, we will do so with the embassy,'' the captain explained.

''As for qualifications, the most important thing is that the person really wants to help the Tourist Police and has enough time to work. If accepted, we will send the new recruit to our Tourist Police mobile unit on Walking Street positioned there every night for training with our assistants. This will last about three months, which is also the probation period. If the trainee performs well then he will become an assistant and receive an identification card.''

Capt Suprapan said qualified assistants carry a baton, gloves, handcuffs, a torch and a radio. He stressed that they can only assist Thai police to help subdue suspects when an arrest is made.

Mr Miller, who has lived in Thailand for seven years and joined the FTPA six years ago, says they are very careful about who they will accept and said everyone has a long-stay or retirement visa. The youngest foreign assistant is Anthony, 32, from Ireland, and the oldest, Ciro, 72, from Italy.

''I'm actually a journalist who did an interview for a local TV station with a police officer on Walking Street and I joined afterwards because I thought it would be a good idea,'' said Mr Miller, who has extensive media interests in Pattaya, including a radio station and an online news service.

British retiree Paul Harrison, 49, has been with the FTPA for about three years and is one of the group's two team leaders. ''I joined the FTPA because I want to help people,'' he said. ''We're not spies. We follow very strict rules to select who will be admitted into the FTPA.''

Mr Miller says new recruits undergo three days of training before the three-month pro bation period and are from countries as diverse as China, India, Norway and Pakistan. Some undergo further training to qualify as parachutists and undergo a practical pistol shooting course, said Mr Miller, although these skills are not necessary for the job. A few of them even sported badges showing they had qualified in these areas on their uniforms.

''We are foreigners in a foreign land and that's why we have to be very careful of who we let in our group,'' Mr Miller said. ''We don't want to cause any problems for the Thai police because they are ultimately responsible for our unit. We have very strict admission procedures.''

Capt Suprapan said the working relationship between the Tourist Police, the volunteers and the assistants was excellent. ''We're like a family.

''The assistants and the volunteers receive no salary and have to buy uniforms and equipment with their own money,'' he added.
The nightly patrols usually comprise 10 foreign assistants, 14 Thai volunteers and four policemen who cover Walking Street from 9pm until 3am.

Mr Miller concedes that sometimes they had to deal with uncooperative foreigners. ''This is mainly because they don't really understand what we do. They might look at foreigners in uniform in a foreign country and say: 'Look at that ...'''

Mr Miller said they were not authorised to conduct investigations. ''If we receive information about some serious cases, we will forward the matter to the police,'' he said.

''As for arrests, which actually happen very rarely, we have a strict rule of engagement. The Tourist Police officers must know what we are doing. We are foreigners here so we have to be very careful.''
The assistants are trained to deal with different situations, such as a drunk causing a disturbance, and also have to learn first aid and basic fire-fighting skills.

''We have dealt with thousands of cases over the years,'' Mr Miller said. ''The one I will never forget was when we were called to a hotel in central Pattaya after an Englishman who stabbed his wife to death in a bar barricaded himself in a corridor of the hotel and was trying to slash his arm. We managed to overpower him before he could harm himself,'' he said.

Mr Miller said the foreign assistants had been involved in only one undercover operation which involved prostitutes from Uzbekistan. But he said it was difficult for them to go undercover as their faces were well-known on Walking Street.

Mr Harrison said his most unforgettable experience was a fire at the Marine Plaza Hotel in 2006.

''We got there before the fire brigade did. A few of us went inside and found a Thai girl stuck in the smoke on the stairway. I dragged her out, otherwise she would most probably have died from smoke inhalation. We rescued several more people as well,'' he said.

But the day-to-day work can be a bit more routine. ''On January 15, a bar called us because two foreign customers refused to pay 3,065 baht for 21 lady drinks and three of their own,'' he said. ''We were able to reduce the amount considerably. As for the two foreigners, it was their first day in Pattaya, so they didn't understand what was going on here.''
Capt Suprapan said the volunteers had been useful during last year's closure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, helping a lot of tourists diverted to nearby U-Tapao airport. ''Many wondered who they were as they wore uniforms with logos, but were grateful for their assistance anyhow.''
While some might see the black uniform worn by the foreign assistants and the military boots and berets of their Thai counterparts as intimidating, Mr Miller argues they are practical. ''Because the climate in Pattaya is very hot, it is not practical for us to wear a white or light-coloured shirt as they will show sweat and stains,'' he said. ''Black shirts look smart and they do show a little bit of authority.''

Mr Harrison said they were selected after careful consideration. ''We did some trials with different colours considering the heat, the dirt, etc.'' he said. ''We found that the black shirt is more durable, lightweight and it lets the body breath. It is easy to wash and iron. We wanted a shirt that will give us some respect as well.'' Mr Miller said he had only drawn his baton two or three times in self defence.

650 Taiwanese nationals have been arrested in South Korea and Thailand for alleged involvement in telecommunication fraud cases

2011-03-25T12:58:00.001Z

650 Taiwanese nationals have been arrested in South Korea and Thailand for alleged involvement in telecommunication fraud cases since September 2006, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

The suspects, 439 in South Korea and 235 in Thailand, were mostly recruited by fraud rings with bases there to open bank accounts or collect money from the victims, the ministry said.

The telecommunications fraud rings, once very active in Taiwan and China, have recently relocated to South Korea and countries in Southeast Asia after Taiwan and China forged an agreement in 2009 to jointly crack down on cross-Taiwan Strait crime, according to police sources.

One of the fraud cases involving Taiwanese nationals even trigged a diplomatic row between Taiwan and the Philippines after Manila deported 14 Taiwanese suspects to China Feb. 2.

Two impetuous strangers shot five teenagers - four boys and one girl, whose injuries were fortunately minor, after attending Pattaya Music Festival.

2011-03-25T12:57:00.001Z

Pattaya, 21st March 2011 [PDN]: At 2 a.m., while Police Lietenant General, Krissakorn Tong-in of Pattaya Department was patrolling the Pattaya Music Festival area, some teenagers approached him to tell him that their friends had been shot at the area of 7-11 at Boonkanjanaram Temple Soi ( moo.12, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi). The police hurried to the crime scene along with Sawang Somboon paramedic

The undersea cable laid from the mainland to Lan Island for all utilities to the Island which is 7.5 kilometers long was damaged costing millions of Baht earlier this month.

2011-03-25T12:55:00.001Z

The undersea cable laid from the mainland to Lan Island for all utilities to the Island which is 7.5 kilometers long was damaged costing millions of Baht earlier this month. Pattaya City Mayor sent an urgent letter dated March 15, 2011 to the Chief of Department of Special Investigation or DSI to come to investigate and the Chief of Eastern Special Centre Mr. Prawit Chaibuadaeng was assigned to visit the scene for inspection. The officials visited Lan Island and the local residents took them to Tarai Village on the island and took a boat out to the location of undersea electric transmission board and cables, that had been destroyed.

From investigation, the main generator system had been found burnt and destroyed like it had been set on fire by petrol soaked materials, the traces of which were still visible. The cables were laid 4 meters deep down under the sand and security guards were sent to secure the system and cables, 24 hours a day. The burning of generator system were certainly not locals because they would not have the expertise to implement the damage or any motive.

Millions of baht loss incurred by this crime and the purpose of destroying the system is thought to have involved with a conflict of interest of business operators and it is thought that some local Lan Island people knew about this crime but have been silenced. The Engineer Mr. Teerasak Fueang-sai will work with the investigation of DSI and all information is still being restricted.

Every time, when the electric is out, the Electric Station had to generate electricity to Lan Island by using the four generators each time. When the undersea cable system is completed, government will be able to save at least half of this cost to the city.

On Tuesday night, Pattaya Police were called to investigate a tragic accident that happened front of Ban Suan Suwattana in Soi Nern Plab Wan causing one fatality.

2011-03-25T12:54:00.001Z

On Tuesday night, Pattaya Police were called to investigate a tragic accident that happened front of Ban Suan Suwattana in Soi Nern Plab Wan causing one fatality.

At the accident police found Miss Ampai Seemard, aged 21 from Srisakaid Province who was sitting on the road, crying while holding the body of her younger sister Miss Nisai Seemard, aged 20,diceased.

Nearby a white Mazda was parked and its owner, a local man Mr. Suwapit Rueang-pi-tak-goon, was waiting to make a statement. He told police that he was driving home and he witnessed the accident that happened between the motorcycle of these 2 ladies, who were coming on the opposite direction, when a motorcycle and side-car forced them on to his lane and the girl fell under his car before he could take any evasive action.

The big sister stated that they were on their way to work at a 7-Eleven at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, when a motorcycle and side-car, came shooting out of the side road and hit them. The car was coming from the opposite lane as stated by the car owner. Needless to say, the driver of motorcycle and side-car did not stop.

The police took both Miss Ampai and Mr. Suwapit to the police station to make full statements. Perhaps this tragic accident will encourage the authorities to examine how many of these pitiable combination vehicles that are on the roads are legal or roadworthy, as most have no lights or adequate fixings and no brakes on the sidecar.

Two deaf-mute teenage boys were assaulted by two foreigners, but the boys could not identify the suspects when the police presented the suspects in front of them.

2011-03-25T12:52:00.001Z

Two deaf-mute teenage boys were assaulted by two foreigners, but the boys could not identify the suspects when the police presented the suspects in front of them.

Pattaya, 23rd March 2011 [PDN]: At 11.30 p.m., Police Lieutenant, Chuangchote Kwansirimongkol, Inspecting Officer of Pattaya Police Department, Chonburi was informed that a foreigner assaulted and stole from a handicap. It took place at an area near the Walking Street entrance (Moo.9, South Pattaya, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi). The police hurried to investigate immediately.

The victims were two teenage deaf-mute boys. They wrote their names down on papers for police to identify them as Mr. Sirichai Kwansirimongkol, aged 17 and Mr. Ball (unknown real name), aged 14.
The victims reported that while they were walking on the beach, they saw two foreigners who might have been from the Middle East. The foreigners approached them and talked to them but the conversation did not go well due to difficult communications. The foreigners became upset and pushed the handicaps as well as trying to punch them in their faces. Before the situation got out of control, someone in the nearby area had stopped it. The foreigners left and nobody was injured.

Afterwards, the disabled boys checked their belongings and found that their cash (7,500 Baht) was missing. They suspected that the two foreigners might have taken it. The disabled boys tried to find the foreigners but were unsuccessful. Instead they contacted the police.

The police patrolled the area looking for two suspicious foreigners. They found two suspects, who were Turkish, at Mike Shopping Mall. When the handicapped victims had to identify the suspects, they could not recognize whether the suspects were the same ones that had assaulted them earlier. The two suspects were insulted and upset. They said that they had never met the handicapped boys before. The suspects said that they were about to go home after shopping. Eventually the police decided to take both suspects and victims to the police station.

After questioning, the two handicapped boys told the police that the foreigners might not be the suspects. The police released the Turkish foreigners and apologised to them for the misunderstanding.
The police did not believe that the incident was true. However, they recorded it as a crime report and will investigate it further.

Irish missionary priest Fr Shay Cullen has threatened to ‘‘name and shame’’ well-known hotel chains whose premises are allegedly involved in underage sex tourism across Asia,

2011-03-25T01:05:00.001Z

Irish missionary priest Fr Shay Cullen has threatened to ‘‘name and shame’’ well-known hotel chains whose premises are allegedly involved in underage sex tourism across Asia, writes John Burke.
The Nobel Prize nominee runs Preda, the Philippines-based child protection agency.
He said that Preda would publish the names of prominent hotels and tourist businesses on internet website YouTube to highlight the practice of top hotels in Asia offering ‘‘young girls’’ to foreign businessmen and tourists.

María Nieves García Alcaraz sentenced to life imprisonment

2011-03-25T01:03:00.001Z

María Nieves García Alcaraz, originally from Torraba in Albacete, was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Thailand after pleading guilty to drug trafficking, a crime that is usually punishable by death under Thai law.

In pronouncing condemn, the judge said the crime dedicated by García Alcaraz would normally carry the death penalty, but this was reduced after taking into account the fact that the defendant had pleaded guilty.

Thai prosecutors accused the 52-year-old Spaniard of "drug possession and importation for distribution", after 3.1 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine were found in her luggage as she passed through Bangkok airport on August 9th last year, after arriving on a flight from the Ethiopian capital Addis Adaba.

The defendant, who appeared in court dressed in the beige blouse and long skirt brown that constitute Thai prison uniform, and wearing a surgical mask in order to hide part of her face asked the judge to exclude the Efe journalist, the only accredited foreign journalist, from court, which he did.

García Alcaraz initially denied all knowledge of the drugs in her hand luggage, saying that a Ghanaian man had asked her to take the package to the Indonesian resort of Bali. She later pleaded guilty to the offence.

García Alcaraz is the first Spanish woman to be arrested in Thailand for drug trafficking in the past 13 years. In 1991 in the city were 33 Spaniards in prison in Thailand for drug trafficking. In 1987 a bilateral agreement came into force, allowing Spanish citizens to complete their life sentences in Spain after serving a minimum of eight years in a Thai prison.

English ex-pat caught selling copy DVD movies | Pattaya One News

2010-04-03T19:28:00.001Z

English ex-pat caught selling copy DVD movies | Pattaya One News: "Investigators at the Economic and Cyber Crime Division of the Royal Thai Police were recently made aware of an advertisement running in a Pattaya English Language Newspaper which was offering copies of popular movies and UK TV Series. They discovered that the man behind the operation was an ex-pat from Liverpool, England but needed more evidence before they could arrest him. A meeting was set-up with the suspected seller; Mr. Robert Newton aged 64, in the car park of the Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel. He was in possession of boxes full of the illegally copied movies and TV Series which was accompanied by a professionally made brochure detailing the movies for sale. He was subsequently taken to Pattaya Police Station in his Nissan Frontier Pick-up which was full of boxes containing the movies and was later processed in accordance with Thai Law."

Suspected Killers of Juling gunned down

2010-04-03T18:12:00.001Z

Suspected Killers of Juling gunned down: "About 100 police and soldiers showed up at the plantation to identify the bodies of Jaemae Hayae, 50, and her daughter Barati Labo, 25, after reports of a homicide. Inquiries showed the two were tapping rubber trees when they were ambushed and shot by an unknown group of gunmen, who fled with the victims' pistols.
Jaemae and Barati, wanted by the Narathiwat Court for allegedly conspiring to attack Juling, were reportedly sympathetic to insurgents and provided assistance to RKK gunmen. Police suspect the two were killed due to conflicts among the insurgents.
Juling was one of two teachers taken hostage in May 2006 at the Ban Kujing Leupa School by villagers who wanted to trade their freedom for the release of two men arrested as suspects for the murder of two Thai marines in 2005. Juling was badly beaten while held captive, which lead to her going into a coma and dying eight months later"

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),

2010-02-09T12:38:00.000Z

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

2010-02-03T14:18:00.001Z

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

2010-02-03T13:29:00.000Z

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

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

2010-01-31T10:50:00.000Z

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

2010-01-31T10:34:00.001Z

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

2010-01-22T09:53:00.001Z

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

2010-01-22T09:50:00.002Z

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

2010-01-22T09:42:00.000Z

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

2010-01-22T09:38:00.001Z

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

2010-01-22T09:35:00.000Z

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.

2010-01-22T09:33:00.001Z

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.