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

Originally Posted by Fluke

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Originally Posted by koman

Originally Posted by Stranger

Even if the PM traveled down to KT, he'd be told to fuck right off.

Yea, right. The guy who commands the biggest and best equipped army in the whole region; who steps up, fires the whole government and opposition, imposes martial law, and appoints himself PM is going to be told to fuck off by some BIB officer or a KT night club owner.

That has to be the funniest thing I've read today.

Jesus H Christ, two Vietnamese mechanized divisions could rip through Thailand quicker than an Isaan whore measuring her John's wallet.

But the point was that the Thai PM isnt going to be intimated by a village headman on a small island .

Thank you.. It's nice to see somebody gets a simple point like this.

WTF has the Thai army versus the BIB got to do with military forces in other countries. This is an internal matter we are talking about and people want to spend ten pages arguing and splitting hairs over military capabilities internationally.

Just for the sake of argument this site lists Thailand at number 10 in Asia even when you include Russia, China etc. No other SE Asian country is listed in the top ten.

Asian-Pacific Powers Ranked by Military Strength - 2014

There are other sites that show different rankings, but it's really of no importance in this discussion about murders on KT, so lets not hijack the whole thread over it.

Originally Posted by Fluke

Did I misunderstand the current investigation ? I thought that the headmans son has been arrested and is being interrogated and the other son is on the run and being hunted by the authorities and theyve made it known that anyone who harbours him will also face prosecution .

Here's an update:

Nobody under arrest
No suspects in police custody
The son's at uni in Bangkok.

This is all heading exactly in the right direction the BIB had intended from minute one of this so called investigation.

Imagine carrying out an investigation on your superiors/paymasters? These murderers aren't losing any sleep over this, that is for sure.

Originally Posted by Stranger

Originally Posted by Fluke

Did I misunderstand the current investigation ? I thought that the headmans son has been arrested and is being interrogated and the other son is on the run and being hunted by the authorities and theyve made it known that anyone who harbours him will also face prosecution .

Here's an update:

Nobody under arrest
No suspects in police custody
The son's at uni in Bangkok.

This is all heading exactly in the right direction the BIB had intended from minute one of this so called investigation.

Imagine carrying out an investigation on your superiors/paymasters? These murderers aren't losing any sleep over this, that is for sure.

Ah yes thats right, the Police said they expect to make arrests soon

And another thing.....it's not inconceivable that those directly or indirectly involved in the murders, are a central part of the BIB investigation team.

Amazing Thailand huh.

Originally Posted by Fluke

Ah yes thats right, the Police said they expect to make arrests soon

indeed. They have been working so hard (on their own personal worth) they have declared the chiefs son, who ran away and not been seen since, as NOT INVOLVED and started rounding up Burmese again.

Village head's son cleared as a suspect in Koh Tao killings | Bangkok Post: news

If you made this shit up no one would believe you.

Originally Posted by Stranger

And another thing.....it's not inconceivable that those directly or indirectly involved in the murders, are a central part of the BIB investigation team.

Amazing Thailand huh.

Although that possibility isnt exclusive to Thailand .

Originally Posted by Stranger

FBI

Just why should the FBI have anything to do with this? I keep seeing FBI this and FBI that. 2 BRITISH people in Thailand. Merkins involved how exactly? Only way the FBI would get involved would be if the murders were involved with the opium in the north, and the CIA were scared their production would be lower if the real perps were arrested.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Just why should the FBI have anything to do with this? I keep seeing FBI this and FBI that. 2 BRITISH people in Thailand. Merkins involved how exactly? Only way the FBI would get involved would be if the murders were involved with the opium in the north, and the CIA were scared their production would be lower if the real perps were arrested.

To be fair, it was the BIB who mentioned the FBI getting involved.....in the first place. Time to call their bluff. KT BIB/Bangkok BIB/The PM.....as far as I'm concerned they're all in cahoots with each other.

Originally Posted by Fluke

Although that possibility isnt exclusive to Thailand .

Never said it was.

However, let's not try and go all Thaiophile/apologist and say.....surrrrrrrre the Thais aren't so bad, this happens in many other countries too.

Originally Posted by Stranger

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Just why should the FBI have anything to do with this? I keep seeing FBI this and FBI that. 2 BRITISH people in Thailand. Merkins involved how exactly? Only way the FBI would get involved would be if the murders were involved with the opium in the north, and the CIA were scared their production would be lower if the real perps were arrested.

To be fair, it was the BIB who mentioned the FBI getting involved.....in the first place. Time to call their bluff. KT BIB/Bangkok BIB/The PM.....as far as I'm concerned they're all in cahoots with each other.

Indeed. All these know nothing people saying "ahh but the PM could come down there and would not get told to fuck off" etc etc. Simple fact is that the PM knows the game and would not interfere anyway other than calling the girl a tramp and that she deserved it for wearing a bikini. They would politely tell him to get stuffed and he would have to, because thats how it works. Its the same way all senior civil servants get to the top by knowing the rules of engagement; pay money and don't take rice from other people plate so they can pay you money.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by Stranger

FBI

Just why should the FBI have anything to do with this? I keep seeing FBI this and FBI that. 2 BRITISH people in Thailand. Merkins involved how exactly? Only way the FBI would get involved would be if the murders were involved with the opium in the north, and the CIA were scared their production would be lower if the real perps were arrested.

Think the FBI were initially mentioned , something about asking them to check the DNA, as the Thais could not tell the samples race , or something like that ,
then they decided they could so didn't bother.

Would it be accurate to say the islanders are more interbreed than usual ,and that forensics could tell from the evidence DNA if it was from a resident ?

Originally Posted by Stranger

Originally Posted by Fluke

Although that possibility isnt exclusive to Thailand .

Never said it was.

However, let's not try and go all Thaiophile/apologist and say.....surrrrrrrre the Thais aren't so bad, this happens in many other countries too.

When you added "Amazing Thailand huh" too your post, I thought that you were implying that it could only happen in Thailand .
It also isnt being a "Thai apologist" stating that its would be possible for investigators to have been involved in a crime that they are investigating , but to alleviate this issue , Thai Police have sent a large task force to the island to clamp down on gang related crime and have put the investigation in the hands of non locals

Originally Posted by blue

Think the FBI were initially mentioned , something about asking them to check the DNA

Yes, that is all that was ever mentioned. The FBI was never asked to be "involved" other than to assist with the DNA analysis.

Originally Posted by Fluke

Thai Police have sent a large task force to the island to clamp down on gang related crime and have put the investigation in the hands of non locals

Well yes, but that is just not satisfactory being as everybody from the KT village idiot, to the entire police force; to the Prime Minister, the FBI, CIA, Mormons and Jehova's witnesses are all involved in the massive cash flow from this island full of gap year backpackers and budget scuba divers.

Originally Posted by blue

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by Stranger

FBI

Just why should the FBI have anything to do with this? I keep seeing FBI this and FBI that. 2 BRITISH people in Thailand. Merkins involved how exactly? Only way the FBI would get involved would be if the murders were involved with the opium in the north, and the CIA were scared their production would be lower if the real perps were arrested.

Think the FBI were initially mentioned , something about asking them to check the DNA, as the Thais could not tell the samples race , or something like that ,
then they decided they could so didn't bother.

Would it be accurate to say the islanders are more interbreed than usual ,and that forensics could tell from the evidence DNA if it was from a resident ?

In 2006 the girl who was killed on Lamai beach by 2 Thai fishermen.

Her father was a UK police officer hence the quick conviction.

This case it totally different though.

A very large part of the confusion on this thread is posters who drop in two days late, post crap which is days old as if it were new information, and then drop out again, only to resurface with some other false or disproved reporting.

It's already a big enough mess without further complication by posters who can't be bothered to read the thread, before running in to post whatever they read on the on-line tabloids. Accuracy means nothing....just getting in their post...that's the thing.

Have Teakdoors finest not solved the crime yet???

Police now rule out Koh Tao headman’s son a murder suspect, turn to foreign tourists in the probe
in General | September 25, 2014 (133 views)
Test " ' "
The police have ruled out a son of Koh Tao village headman as a suspect in the murder of two British tourists after he has evidence to prove he was not on the island at the time the murder occurred.
They now will also shift focus to foreign tourists in addition to migrant workers and local people.

Police now are trying to determine who left the island in the hours and days after the killing in hopes to revealing new suspects.

Eighth Region Command commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen said Thursday investigators have now excluded the son of the headman Woraphan Toovichien, 49, from the suspect list as he was not on the island when the two Britons were brutally murdered.

He was in Bangkok, police said.

Headman Woraphan earlier announced to offer one million baht cash if the police have substantial evidence to implicate.

His brother Montriwat and son were earlier suspected to be involved. Montriwat looked like a suspect captured in a CCTV video footage on the night of the murder near the scene.

Montriwat was later accused by a British man working as a diving teacher in Koh Tao, Sean McAnna, of threatening him with life to admit to the killing of the two Britons. He fled the island in a hurry and later revealed his nightmare after returning home in the UK.

But his accusation was dismissed by Montriwat who also revealed that Sean had blood on his face and body on the same night.

Montriwat disclosed that an employee of his brother he identified as Jok helped to wash blood from his face and blood.

When asked about the blood on the face and body, Sean claimed it was caused by accident, according to Montriwat and his brother Woraphan.

The employee who washed blood from Sean also was reluctant to give information after the police ruled Sean out of a suspect because he is a European as DNA samples found in the body of Ms Hannah Witheridge indicated the suspects as Asians.

Earlier the Eighth Region Police commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Panya Mamen also said it was very unlikely that Sean was a suspect as evidence was weak.

Meanwhile on Thursday Pol Maj-Gen Suwat Jaengyodsuk, acting chief investigator of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), who was sent to help local police investigate the murder, said police had collected 30 DNA samples from migrant workers on the island in a bid to find clues to the murders.

So far more than 200 DNA samples were tested but none matched samples found in the body of Ms Hannah Witheridge, 23, and in a cigarette butt left near the scene.

Pol Maj Gen Suwat, who is one of the best investigators at the MPB, defended the mass collection of DNA samples, saying police were not doing it simply at their own will but would be on persons who were suspected otherwise it could infringe on the rights and freedom of the people which is against the law.

The testing of foreign workers was part of the probe to find the killers, he said.

Pol Maj Gen Suwat, however, called progress on the investigation “satisfactory”, noting it will take time to solve the mystery.

Since the killings, police have focused on finding Asian men of 170 centimetres tall and with a 40 shoe size, based on surveillance camera footage and footprints on Sairee beach where the couple died.

A suspect caught by the surveillance camera of a resort wore pants and also had tattoo, according to the disclosure earlier by Montriwat Toovichien, the brother of the village headman, when he was questioned by the police as a suspect after he looked like the man on the tape. He was cleared when he had no tattoo.

Sources said police still have four groups of suspects: alien workers, male foreign tourists, those who might have had a fight with a victim at a bar and local community leaders.

On Thursday police admitted they had been unable to narrow their search any further.

Police now rule out Koh Tao headman

Originally Posted by Yasojack

Pol Maj Gen Suwat, who is one of the best investigators at the MPB,

On what evidence is that judgement made? None that I can see in this appalling - on all levels, clarity, sense, accuracy, linguistic competence - piece of reporting.

The worse thing that could happen to that Island is that two Thai's were charged with the murders of the two tourists, it would be tourism suicide so there will be no Thai's charged and it's as simple as that .

So the main suspect is now not the main suspect, not because the DNA does not match, but because he has an alibi and doesn't have a tattoo...

100 more DNA samples are yet to be tested

Police are still awaiting the results of tests of DNA samples from about another 100 people after the tests of some 200 DNA samples did not match with the samples found on the bodies of the victims and on evidences collected by the police.

As for the police investigation, it was reported that the police have put the suspects into four categories namely foreign migrant workers, foreign tourists, suspects who were involved in a quarrel with the two victimized British tourists at a bar as claimed by a Scotish tourist and local community leaders and resort owners.

Despite the grouping of the suspects, police, so far, have not found any clear evidences that can nail the perpetrator or perpetrators. However, the chief investigator of the case, Pol Maj-Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk said he was satisfied with the investigation so far, adding that the police have tried their best to resolve the crime.

He assured that police did not breach any individual’s right when they took DNA samples from some 300 people.

Meanwhile, Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatputi said that the provincial administration would launch a campaign to promote tourism and to boost confidence among tourists about their safety.

50 defence volunteers have been dispatched to Koh Tao to provide security and more warning signs will be put up. Additional CCTV cameras will be installed at various tourist destinations in the province, he added.

100 more DNA samples are yet to be tested - Thai PBS English News

Nice to see so much emphasis on kick starting the tourist industry again, and that the BIB have been doing their best to solve the murders, and that nobody's civil rights have been violated.

Warning signs telling tourists to beware of garden hoes should prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again.

Burmese Migrants Report Police Beatings During Murder Investigation on Koh Tao


At least two Burmese migrant workers were beaten by Thai police during their investigation into the murder of two British tourists on the southern Thai island of Koh Tao, one of the alleged victims has claimed.

Si Thu, a Burmese migrant who was interrogated by police on Sept. 19, told The Irrawaddy, “While I was answering [the questions of police], a Thai policeman showed a photo to another detainee called Lin Lin and asked if it was his photo. He answered no and the policeman kneed him in the back, saying he was lying.

“Then, the police asked him if he killed those tourists. When Lin Lin answered that he didn’t, the same policeman hit him again,” said Si Thu, who added that he himself was hit over the head when the police took him from his home on Sept. 19, but was not beaten while under interrogation at the police station.

Two British tourists, Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were murdered in the early hours of Sept. 15. Despite several leads and potential suspects, mystery remains over the identity of their killer or killers.

According to Thai news agencies, scores of Burmese migrants working on the island were interrogated and had their photos taken along with DNA samples. On Monday, Thailand’s Deputy Police Chief Pol-Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang said that the DNA test results of 30 Burmese migrant workers did not match DNA connected to the murders.

Up to 1,000 Burmese migrants work at restaurants, hotels and construction sites on the island and most of them do not have visas or work permits, Soe Min Htet, who has been working on the island for more than four years, told The Irrawaddy. Burmese migrants are so concerned that they are even scared of going to work following the police interrogations, he said.

“We feel like we are not safe as there are no people to help us. Here, our citizens are vulnerable to unfair treatment and are always looked down upon,” he said. “Because the victims are British, the police are taking it seriously. If our citizens die, no one cares.”

Burma’s Ambassador to Thailand Win Maung said the embassy was keeping a close eye on the treatment of Burmese migrant workers by Thai police on Koh Tao. He said that the Burmese Embassy had contacted the Surat Thani Province police force chief and was continuously reporting developments in the murder investigation to Naypyidaw. “We can’t intervene in their legal interrogation. But if there was any overstepping of boundaries, we would raise an objection with the Thai authorities,” said Win Maung.

Htoo Chit, executive director of the Thailand-based migrant rights group Foundation for Education and Development, said the Burmese government should work together with their Thai counterparts to legally protect Burmese migrant workers. He said Burmese migrants were bullied in Thailand because the Burmese government did not pay enough attention to its citizens. “It has become a custom that Burmese citizens are unfairly detained and beaten if something bad happens in Thailand,” Htoo Chit said.

Myanmar Migrants Report Police Beatings During Murder Investigation on Koh Tao

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha Vowes to Tackle Mafia on Koh Tao


BANGKOK – In the wake of the murder of two British citizens on Koh Tao, off Surat Thani coast, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday vowed to tackle influential rackets and illegitimate businesses on the tourist island, and pledged to punish soldiers or police patronizing these people or their activities.

A fact-finding probe is needed to identify those involved but assigning soldiers to spearhead the crackdown would have been deemed a bit draconian, he said. However, this is the right time to launch the crackdown, as military personnel had been deployed on the island to assist the police in probing the murder, he added.

The Interior Ministry yesterday ordered provincial authorities across the country to work out urgent measures to ensure extra safety for tourists, including surveillance at tourist sites during the risky hours, setting up of road checkpoints and monitoring of people involved in suspicious activities.

More here: Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha Vowes to Tackle Mafia on Koh Tao | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper