Thread: Two Tourists Brutally Murdered on Koh Tao, One Raped: Police Spark Thailand Manhunt

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Oh OK,

I'll take that as you actually think the families on Tao are more powerful than Thailand's highest ranked police.

Of course they are.

Originally Posted by terry57

I'll take that as you actually think the families on Tao are more powerful than Thailand's highest ranked police.

So you think these families are never on the mainland, then?

What, they just hang out on the beach munching on coconuts?

It gets better.

Seriously, do you follow the news in Thailand at all?

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Hey Cyrille,

How many years have you spent on Koh Tao. ?

And further more, do you have first hand knowledge of how the system works down there or are you just going along with this gong show like many of the other posters on this thread.

Just asking like.

Thank you Yasojack.
A very informative post which helps us to understand some of what is going on behind the scenes, well written,

Originally Posted by Yasojack

good read pragmatic though he contradicts himself saying its safe from violent crime and then provides loads of instances of violent crime

HE DARK SIDE OF THAILAND’S ISLAND PARADISE
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 MICHAEL EARLEY 31 COMMENTS
The recent murders in Koh Tao of two young backpackers have attracted a lot of unwanted attention to the dark side of Thailand, including “mafia” style families operating in the Gulf of Thailand on islands such as Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui.

Having lived on both Tao and Phangan, I’ve got some insights (but can’t claim to know everything) about how things operate – which should give more of a picture to what is currently going on than what foreign journalists are portraying. As with anything in Thailand, things are much, much more complex than they appear at first.

A Bit of Koh Tao History

For most of it’s history Koh Tao looked nothing like it did today. It was likely a stopping off point for Malay fishermen for centuries, due largely to its isolated position in the Gulf of Thailand. In the 1800s, there would have been a couple of small villages, while later on in the 1890’s King Chulalongkorn visited the island – which is marked with a monument on Sairee beach. The island remained a quiet place for decades, with a few fishing families and farmers and not much else.

After the Siamese Revolution of 1932, the country moved from being an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy (of sorts). Koh Tao was used as a political prison in a similar way to Koh Tarutao in the South. In 1947, the prisoner inhabitants were given a Royal pardon and shipped off out of exile to the neighboring islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. The island was once again abandoned.

The legend then goes that two brothers from Koh Phangan sailed to Koh Tao and settled on the land that is now considered Sairee beach. They farmed and fished and lead a fairly simple lifestyle occasionally trading with those on Koh Phangan.

The Vietnam war came about, which created a tourism boom in Thailand during the 1960s and 1970s for American GIs on R&R. Early backpackers began to explore the Islands in the gulf of Thailand, with dive trips originating from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. The first full moon party being held on Phangan in the late 1980s. Gradually tourism began to increase on the Islands, and the island began to become more and more developed. First with a few simple shops and dive huts, then resorts, and later bars and other non diving related business. Larger ferry companies such as Lomprayah, Seatran and Songserm began to serve the island with overnight buses originating from Bangkok to fill the many spots on a growing dive industry. The island developed its two main areas of Sairee beach (which is now full of nightclubs, resorts and dive shops) and the sleepier “local” side of Chalok Ban Kao as well as the busy port of Mae Haad.

Power Structures on the Island

As with virtually any other town, village or island there is a patronage style system that those in the west would consider “mafia like”. However due to Koh Tao’s isolation and history this becomes more complex. (Technically these go all the way from the lowliest street vendor, through mafia and local government, all the way up to the military and eventually Royalty -

Spend any time living on the island or speak to long termers under normal circumstances and they will speak of the “five families” that inhabit the island. Three of these key families inhabit and control the main Sairee beach, while the other two have more power on the Chalok side of the Island.

These families are the descendents of the original settler families that arrived on the island between the 1940s and 1980s, prior to the advent of dive tourism. Although they do not own land (all land on the island is technically owned by the King via the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources) they do have a form of squatters rights that allows them to extract rent and develop businesses on their patch. A very small land rent is then payable to the crown for every “rai” (a Thai measurement of land) that they possess.

These families control or have an interest in virtually every business on the island in some way, shape or form. This can either be in the form of direct ownership, partnership, as a landlord or major supplier. No business on the island, whether Thai or Farang exists without some form of interaction of patronage or involvement from these key families.

The families areas are fairly clearly demarcated around property boundaries. What might be appropriate behavior in one area of the beach, would not be acceptable behavior in another. A long termer may have “protection” in one bar, but would never contemplate entering another due to relationships (business, friendship or otherwise) with someone connected to another.

These families, in typical Thai fashion, tend to be incredibly jealous of each other, and highly competitive for every tourist dollar. There are many stories on the islands of what happens when one family perceives another family to have wronged them in one way or another and it generally involves petty rivalries over cash.

The other power source on the island is the Royal Thai Police who operate out of a building behind the school and temple on the Mae Haad end of Sairee beach. To describe them as law enforcement is generous, as they are merely another form of mafia style organisation on the island (a 6th family if you will). Their police work generally consists of driving around the island on their scooters, collecting their weekly extortion money from local businesses before spending it on booze and other entertainment. It’s worth noting that police purchase their postings in Thailand, it costs money to be the top police officer in a Tourist area, because to Thais – being the local sheriff in town is a business opportunity. Ask locals what the going rate is to be head of police in Phuket, Samui, Pattaya or any other area with a large potential revenue stream of bribes from strung up tourists.

“If there really is a mafia, locals and police detectives would have informed me already,” Pol.Gen. Somyot.

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer 2007, a survey assessing the public’s perceptions and experience of corruption in 60 countries, states that, for Thailand, the police received a rating of four out of five, where one represents “not at all corrupt” and five represents “extremely corrupt”

- Wikipedia

Drugs on the Island

Drugs are prevalent on Koh Tao and easier to get. As with everything on the island there is a police of family involvement. In my time there, I saw people on a wide variety of substances, including cannabis, LSD, Ya Ba ( literally “crazy drug” in Thai, a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine) and surprisingly cocaine. Cocaine was being consumed by many of the Thai Bar owners on Sairee beach while I was there during low season, and resulted in unpredictable behaviour – extreme highs, and extreme lows, which could potentially turn dangerous at a moments notice.

Long term locals all know the situation with drugs on the island, either consuming or turning a blind eye. When the police start to run low on cash, checkpoints will be set up on the road to Ao Leuk and the entrance to North Sairee village. This is where fresh foreigners will be caught with small amounts of cannabis, or urine tests will sometimes be taken for substances. The police intention is not to catch and charge foreigners for drug possession, but to use the threat of criminal sanction as leverage in order to extort cash off them.

When the amount is too large to cover up, criminal charges may be laid, but generally the person charged will get out on bail and a local lawyer will arrange a generous fine in order to get the person off the charges. Everyone involved takes their cut. In my time on the island I’ve personally witnessed a Thai businessman threatening to plant drugs under the seat of the motorbike due to a perceived insult from a farang, before calling the police.

Motorbike Rental Extortion

The biggest scam on the island (as with the other islands in the Gulf) involves the rental of motorbikes to tourists. All of the motorbike rental companies require a passport as collateral and use a standard rental agreement that is common on Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. Requiring a passport for collateral is illegal in Thailand, and for many nationals it is also illegal for them to provide. That said most tourists still do this, naive to how everything works.

Bikes that are returned with any damage, no matter how small result in massive costs for the renter. A scratched piece of plastic that costs no more than 300 baht, will be charged anywhere from 3,000-10,000 baht. Excessive consumption of booze, poor quality roads, crazy taxi drivers and lack of lighting at night result in more than a fair share of motorbike accidents. Tourists are often eager to leave after a crash, and don’t want to miss their ferry – leaving all of the power with the rental company to extort whatever they like for a damaged bike. Those who argue with a rental company risk physical violence, and there have been multiple reports of on tripadvisor of firearms being pulled on those who argue with the rental company.

Koh Tao continues to rent out dangerous four wheel ATVs to inexperienced riders, a practise that has been banned on the other gulf islands due to the sheer number of accidents. None of these bikes are insured (even those that advertise insurance) and riders who do not carry an international drivers licence, with a motorbike endorsement along with specific cover for motorbike riding are not covered.

As with any other islands, police involvement may result in a slight decrease in the compensation for any motorbike accident, but the police officer will need to take his cut.

Violent Crime on the Island

Generally speaking the island is very safe. Part of the reason for this, is ironically enough that local strongmen and families keep the peace. There is only one main way in and out of the Island, and if you put a foot wrong you will be made to leave. By the same token, there is little theft because of the small size and difficulty of removing valuable items. There have however been a few incidents that I know of in the recent history of the island.

A bar owner was shot dead in a bar on Sairee beach, in public on a busy night in front of multiple witnesses over a business dispute. The bar has since been renamed and is under new (unrelated) management. No one was ever arrested for the shooting, and the alleged shooter operates a bar on the other side of the island.
Around 2002, one of the most powerful business people on the island, and brother of the operator of a major dive (Ban’s Diving – the biggest dive school in the world) school is shot dead in the middle of Sairee after a dispute with families. This is allegedly in or around the same shop that Scot, Sean McAnna was in when hiding from the two Thai men over the weekend. Again, no one was ever arrested for the shooting, though many locals claim to know who did it. Apparently the body was still in a freezer waiting to be cremated 6 years later. The story was covered by the Bangkok Post, but is no longer available online.
TAO chief killed by masked man

Shot in daylight, talking to friends

A local administrative organisation chief and business tycoon was shot dead by a masked gunman on Tao island early yesterday morning.

Virat Asavachin, 42, chairman of Tambon Koh Tao Administrative Association, was shot while talking with three friends near Ree beach.

A lone gunman, his face covered with a woollen mask, walked up to the group and fired six shots at Mr Virat, police said.

One of the bullets entered his left ear.

The gunman then walked calmly away towards the main road, witnesses told police.

The dead man’s wife, Ramluek, 29, and tambon organisation officials were questioned yesterday as police investigators looked for a motive.

The investigators suspected the attack arose from either a business conflict or a dispute over work in the tambon.

The victim owned Ban’s Diving, a 100-million-baht diving business and the largest dive shop on the resort island.

He recently began a ferry boat business serving the Chumphon-Koh Tao route.

A taxi driver stabbed another taxi driver in Mae Haad after he “stole” a customer from him in broad daylight. No one was ever arrested. Taxis are also operated by two mafia families – there are no motorcycle taxis allowed and the lack of competition results in extortionately expensive taxi fares.
There are also numerous stories of bars being burned down by jealous brothers, or even landlords. Parties have been shut down at gunpoint by jealous competitors with an empty bar. Business owners have been made to leave the island at gunpoint by the close of business.
There are many stories of Thai on Thai crime, generally involving shootings over men who have fooled around with others wives. This tends to happen away from the resort areas.
The attempted rape and throat slashing of a foreign bar managers wife, which went unreported.
In the Context of the Recent Murders

Over the last few days a very complex and ever changing story has emerged from the Island.

A pair of British tourist’s were brutally murdered on the beach front in front of a bar owned by a local Poo Yai (big man on the island) using tools that belong to either a Thai business or migrant labourers.
Local police were quoted as saying that a Thai could never do something like this (even though there are thousands of Thais in jail for doing similar things to each other), and proceeded to attempt to pin the blame on everyone from the victims best friends, migrant burmese labourers and more.
Police officers start posting images of the victims on their personal Facebook accounts, people who are IDed as potential suspects later on are photographed walking all over and contaminating the crime scene.
The media leaks sensitive information, and starts to paint a picture blaming the friend of the victim, claiming he is his gay lover and completely defaming him. Police apparently plant bloodied shorts in his bag.
The Prime Minister then stepped in, proceeding to blame the victim of the murder for being pretty and wearing a bikini, even though the murder was at night and photos of video the victim show her fully clothed prior to the incident.
A long termer on the island (Scott McAnna) who is also a friend of the male victim accuses local family members of being involved with the murder (he does not directly accuse them of it) and threatening to hang him, and use him as a scapegoat. He posts this on social media, and attempts to get it far and wide, with posts along the lines of if he is found dead tonight, these are the guys who did it.The Thais involved openly admit they “had words” with Sean, confirming that he was at least threatened, but because they are “Poo Yai” and mates with the cops, they are allowed to walk – without taking a DNA test.
The police continue their ludicrous investigation including reenacting the scene in the middle of the night, measuring the footprints of Burmese women and taking urine tests from Burmese males.
Various things would have happened behind the scenes, and eventually those fingered by the foreigner are brought into the police station for an interview, and refuse DNA tests.
Relatives of those accused by Sean of threatening to kill him do a runner up to Bangkok. Thai media name them as suspects while local police claim they are not, and merely at University. This is after the island was supposed to have been sealed off.
Posts pop up on various facebook groups urging foreigners not to comment to the media, or speak to any outsiders until approval is given by key people on the island. Comments are deleted or self censored. There is an appearance of a wall of silence, either for personal safety, or to protect business interests.
Various sock puppet accounts appear on online message boards such as Thaivisa.com attempting to derail commentary on the incident and the character assassination of the only witness begins.
It turns out that the witness has a very shady past of his own back in Europe, this is reported in Scottish newspapers.
Family are cleared due to DNA tests that are processed in record time (bare in mind that it takes 3 hours to get off Koh Tao by boat, and up to 9 hours to drive to Bangkok – where the main forensic labs would be, otherwise its a 3 hour boat ride to Koh Samui, then a 1 hour plane to Bangkok. This is before even factoring in the time it would take to actually process the tests). DNA Tests in a first world country generally take anywhere from 24-48 hours, and thats not even taking into account the chain of custody of samples each way.
Family head man offers 1 million baht (about $40,000 NZD) to the police if a member of his family is guilty. This screams either blood money, that he knows who did it, or that its a thinly veiled threat against any local who might name a family member.
Police stop considering Head man’s son as a suspect as he has a dubious “alibi” in Bangkok, yet no DNA tests are taken. It is unclear whether there is a second son on the run, due to the poor quality of Thai and Foriegn of media reporting.
Screen Shot 2014-09-24 at 12.14.29 pm

At this stage its not clear exactly what happened, though generally speaking, when there is smoke – there is fire. I have no idea what happened on that night, as I’m on the other side of the world. Based on past experiences on the island – I do have strong suspicions that the local families and police have actively tried to derail the investigation, attempted to cover it up and that had social media not attracted international attention on the case, that a Burmese scapegoat would have been found. The police almost admit this in a newspaper article:

“Please have confidence in our work, there will be no scapegoats”

“The case is being watched closely, watched worldwide and we are working hard to make this case as airtight as possible”

Lt Gen Panya

I personally believe Sean McAnna when he says he was threatened by the local Thais. I’ve read various claims on Thaivisa.com that the threats were too direct and in colliqual english that would not be used by a Thai. Koh Tao is not like other areas in Thailand – the locals have the best command of English out of anywhere I’ve been. His chequered past would have made him an easy patsy, but then again so would many long term residents on the Island whom the local police are probably keeping tabs on. The police were building a story about guitar players, about foreigners and that Thai’s couldn’t possibly be involved.

I think had Sean not made his outburst that he probably would have ended up either dead, or blamed for the whole situation. I have absolutely zero faith in the Thai justice system or any island police officers ability to do their job.

I’m saddened by the wall of silence from the Koh Tao expat community, but I can also understand why. Many have had brushes with the law in the past, mostly to do with drug use – and the police always hold this as ammunition for use in the future. Many others have business interests but incorrect Visas or nominee shareholdings in their business or property ownership. They could lose their entire investments and lifestyle that they have become accustomed to simply for speaking out. Some could get deported for overstay, fined for employing illegal immigrants or arrested for working without a work permit.

Something about the whole story still doesn’t make sense though. I simply cannot understand why someone from one of these powerful families would actually get involved in this mess and do something so brutal. Somewhere these facts don’t add up. Thai males are known to get violent at a moments notice – but this is when “face” comes into play. They don’t (especially well connected business owners, even ones descended from squatters) just rape and murder two tourists when their entire industry depends on them.

I very much doubt that the person (or people) who did this will actually be punished. I think someone will be arrested, and will have a confession beaten out of them by Thai police. Due to the international attention, local cops cannot risk the loss of face by not “solving” this tragic crime. It is unlikely however that justice will be done.

There will likely be a short term drop in tourist numbers to the rock, but backpackers generally don’t pay attention to these sort of things, many tend to think they are invincible or will never happen to them, and by next season – things will be back to “normal”.

As with anywhere in Thailand, tourists should use caution while having fun, and always be careful around Thai males when drugs, alcohol and women are involved. What happened was a very rare occurrence, but its not unprecedented on the islands, where suspicious deaths are often reported as being by “natural causes” or “suicide”.

Probably one of the best internet forum posts out there. The only thing you left out is how they used those local tools and the horrific nature of the crimes. Bashing in two people's faces and heads puts this murder in a class in itself, even in Thailand.

Michael Earley's account is a rehearsal of a story most expats are aware of in connection with any form of government throughout Thailand.

Koh Samed is run by 3 families. Samui, KPG, Phuket, Pattaya are no different but given their size interaction is more complex.

But the theme is always the same: law and justice are incidental in this country and to a considerable degree irrelevant or negotiable.

As long as visitors understand that then they can assess for themselves how best to act.

Thailand is unique in the world and a country with more paradoxes than a philosopher could shake a stick at. That's part of the attraction for many.

Wasn't written by me i just posted the article which Pragmatic posted as a link.

Originally Posted by new2thai

Thank you Yasojack.
A very informative post which helps us to understand some of what is going on behind the scenes, well written,

Cyrille, no point in arguing with a dimwit such as Terry. The guy is so stupid he couldn't even sort out a retirement visa!

Terry, what you fail to understand is that not only do the Thai gangsters run the police, they are the bloody police!

What part of, they are investigating themselves, don't you understand?

One thing that I did find a bit odd : The Scottish man who had to leave the island rapidly after he said that he was being threatened by the killers or their associates and gave their names , one of the police investigators said that one of the people named was actually an undercover policeman .
Errrmm , if both those allegations are correct .

yeh I don't think I'd believe him ../.

Sean McAnna in drag on the Koh Tao Pub Crawl



RESENTMENT ON MURDER ISLAND - WHY DID YOU DRAG OUR ISLAND DOWN ? - Andrew Drummond

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I believe 100 % that the young guy was threatened by those guys.

The Thais will threaten a Farang with death in a heart beat.

Even more illuminating statements from the BIB......relax they really are closing in...

KOH TAO: -- Eighth Region Police Command commissioner says police investigators have obtained a key witness who said foreigner killed the two British tourists in Koh Tao island.

The latest twist in the investigation was revealed Saturday by commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen.

The Nation Online website quoted Pol Lt Gen Panya Manen as telling the online newspapers today that the team of police investigators have met a key witness who claimed seeing foreigner killed the two tourists.

No further details were produced as to whether the witness is a male or female or the witness is a local or a foreigner, and how many were involved in the murder of the two foreigners.

But this latest disclosure, if confirmed, will be a significant turn of the probe which earlier focused only on locals and migrant workers after DNA testing revealed the mixed semen found inside Ms Hannah Witheridge belonged to Asians.

More than 300 migrant workers and locals were rounded up to have their DNA samples tested. But none has matched DNA found in her body.

The disclosure of the key witness who the police still kept confidential would give new clue to the brutal murder of Ms Hannah and her friend David Miller.

Taken from Blue link

Insensitive locals linked to tourism on the Thai holiday island of Phuket are continuing to post questionable pictures on the social media which might make foreigners ill at ease and are open to misconception.

One particular man about town has posted a picture of himself holding a garden hoe, identical to the weapon that was used to kill Hanna Witheridge, with the caption: ‘If you come late expect trouble from me.”

He also posts another picture taken of Sean McAnna at the local Sairee Beach transvestites show the Queen’s Cabarat, dressed in women’s underwear with the caption: ‘ Are you good or evil? Why did you drag our island down?’

The author is trying to be funny but has a nasty streak. Men dressing up as women is party of the Koh Tao Pub Crawl routine - a sort of Thai Club 18-30.

Lost track of this now.. did the son of the 'mafia' chief pass the DNA test?

Originally Posted by Neo

Lost track of this now.. did the son of the 'mafia' chief pass the DNA test?

I believe he did.

But....wouldn't matter if he did or didn't.

Well of course it does matter if he did pass it.

Originally Posted by Neo

Well of course it does matter if he did pass it.

The Son had a dozen witnesses who put him in BKK.
Not tested.

Not that any results of alleged tests are infallible in LOS...

The selection of those who should be subjected to DNA testing is becoming somewhat curious and not necessarily transparent.

It is not clear at all if the two Thai who threatened McAnna were DNA'd. One is apparently a policeman but this significant fact seems to have been overlooked. Almost certainly, he hasn't.

This imbroglio has reached such a farcical stage that only some seriously high level international representation can call a halt to it. The British representation in Bangkok is notoriously effete and ineffectual and the present incumbent seems to be no exception to his predecessors. Therefore, no pressure can reasonably be expected from that quarter unless the parents of the victims weigh in with some serious comment to the press registering their contempt. From what little I have seen, I don't think in their grief they are of that particular mettle. Certainly, they are not like the Dutch father who famously made the video which poured such disdain and bile upon the wretched police in Phuket who were screwing up the investigation of his daughter's rape that it altered it's course and resulted in a conviction.

I'm afraid this has Kirsty Jones written all over it.

Another victory for a pusillanimous British ambassador.

Originally Posted by Neo

Originally Posted by Necron99

Originally Posted by Neo

Well of course it does matter if he did pass it.

The Son had a dozen witnesses who put him in BKK.
Not tested.

Not that any results of alleged tests are infallible in LOS...

Yeah I got that he had an alibi, but that's subjective, whereas a negative DNA match would be seemingly irrefutable (if the subject was involved in the rape)

You are theorizing that at this point the hoopleheads will collect analyse, compare and report on any such testing honestly and without any interference a this stage....
At this point I would only accept DNA and forensics if the Thais gave up the whole process to be redone by the Yard or other Western sources.

I'm well aware of how the Thai system works, just asking the question as it is pertinent and should remain so.

Originally Posted by Neo

I'm well aware of how the Thai system works, just asking the question as it is pertinent and should remain so.

So if the Thai Hoopleheads with badges said he was and cleared, you would accept that as "pertinent" evidence after all this fuckwittery?

Always trolling Necron.. gets a bit tedious.