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

Originally Posted by blue

Good, the trial is starting December 26 rather than February 25.

Yeah, with some luck they may manage to get them both sentenced and executed before the Scotland Yard observers releases their report on Jan 6.

are you certain you werent just signing the transcript of the judges summary or comments for that session rather than signing transcripts of the prosecution and defence statements.

^ Yep,

Every word from me, the prosecutor, the defender and the judge were on it. It was the whole session and I was the only witness called.

Originally Posted by Gerbil

^ Yep,

Every word from me, the prosecutor, the defender and the judge were on it. It was the whole session and I was the only witness called.

I think you must have confabulated your memory of it.

Thai judges summarise the testimony and it is this which is then transcribed. The relevant parties may challenge the summary if there is significant disagreement and at the end of the process, once a consensus has been reached, each signs accordingly.

There is no court shorthand/ transcriber who records a verbatim, contemporaneous record of proceedings.

Originally Posted by Gerbil

Oh well, I must have imagined all those hours spent waiting around to testify, then the stupid questions, then further hours waiting around while the transcript was produced, argued over by both sides, requestioned as to what I had said, appended notes to and then signed

If the proceedings had been transcribed then you would not have been requestioned and notes would not have required appending (which already sounds very suspicious).

Has the Thai justice system not heard of that wonderful new device, the tape recorder?

The two Burmese migrant workers accused of the brutal killings of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on the Thai 'paradise island' of Koh Tao, have been given just 16 more days to prepare their case which has now been quietly been brought forward to Boxing Day.

But the prosecution has made no disclosure of their witness list or statements – while the defence has to produce full witness lists, says the lead defence lawyer Nakhon.* Chompuchat.

The defence has only a six page document to go on provided by the prosecution to the court and will have no time to prepare challenges to prosecution witnesses. In essence the defence will have to proceed without knowing what the prosecution is and what witnesses to call.
KOH TAO MURDERS ? PROSECUTION FAIL TO MAKE DISCLOSURES - Andrew Drummond

if they are innocent, they can just tell the truth..
how hard is that ?

6 pages of defence Vs 900 pages off prosecution, that's what they will do.

While everyone in the west is stuffed with Turkey and merry on sherry, two more innocent people will be condemned to death.

Originally Posted by blue

if they are innocent, they can just tell the truth..
how hard is that ?

And the prosecutor is hiding exactly what ?

Hardly fair

Originally Posted by thegent

Scarcely a month goes by without some incident or other. It really is about time some meaningful caveats about Thailand are published by the embassies.

Thailand is a very dangerous country with a high mortality rate among road users and victims of violent crime. Tourists are frequently the target of concerted scams, sharp practice and opportunist petty crime building a culture that they are fair game.

Their society is essentially populated by a majority of ill educated, uncultured, brutish and quite stupid people beyond any civilisation that is not inculcated by fear, intimidation and coercion.

Tourists should be advised that on no account in this country should they leave themselves in vulnerable positions where they are alone or not in a group.

Predatory animals lurk almost anywhere and are only too anxious to pounce when the opportunity arises.

Policing in this country is essentially reactive and not a threat to those who yield to the temptation of opportunist crime.

The other factor not usually encountered by tourists or strangers to this country's culture is the deficiency in the average Thai's thinking whereby they cannot consider the consequences of their actions that may inhibit their animal instincts. In short, any number will kill or rape if they have a mind to and are sufficiently aroused.

Well I used to say that farang women ought to always have a chaperone or friend with them, especially to the places outside of Bangkok. It seems now even that isn't enough!

Originally Posted by Stranger

Rumor has it, the Brit cops spent a day on the island, and a further 13 days getting wined and dined in Bangkok, etc etc

.

Maybe, I don't know what the report suggests though, does it implicate the Burma 2?

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

Latest as off 5 hours ago...

Police yesterday confirmed the mobile phone of Koh Tao murder victim, David Miller, had been retrieved from the accommodation of a friend of the two Myanmar suspects. Today, they have further explained exactly how they found it.

Thai police are starting to deal with the many suspicions people both here and abroad have raised about the their handling of the case.

A senior police official was just on Sorayuth Suthassanachinda's evening news show on Channel 3 and he explained exactly how they found David Miller's phone. He said they knew quickly that it was missing from his body from information gained from David's friends and relatives, but this was not made public. Later, after the two suspects were detained and they confessed to the crime, police asked about the phone. One of the suspects said he had left it with a friend and when the friend was questioned he led them to the phone. He had become suspicious of the origin of the phone and he threw it away behind his living quarters. Hannah'' phone, had earlier been returned to her relatives, the officer said.

A forensics expert was also on the show and he confirmed that the evidence they had was solid.

Police yesterday confirmed the mobile phone of Koh Tao murder victim, David Miller, had been retrieved from the accommodation of one of the two Myanmar suspects.

National police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said suspect Zaw Rim, 21, had intended to take the victim’s mobile phone for his own use, but he later found the device cannot be used in Thailand, so he smashed and discarded it in his living quarters.

Pol Col Prachum Ruangthong, superintendent of the Koh Phangan police station, said the device is a black iPhone 4, taken from the shorts pocket of Miller, 24, who was found dead on a Koh Tao beach alongside Hannah Witheridge, 23, on Sept 15.

The confirmation came as doubts spread on social media as to whether the phone was really taken from the suspects. Some pictures circulated online show a friend of Witheridge brought a mobile phone to Pol Col Prachum during the inquest.

Critics, especially those in the British press, have accused Thai authorities of bungling the probe by chasing the wrong leads. There have also been concerns the suspects are scapegoats, a claim Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha denied.

Zaw Rim and Win, both 21, have been detained in Samui prison since Saturday. Both Myanmar workers were charged with premeditated murder, rape, theft and illegal entry into Thailand.

Police said the suspects earlier admitted they had raped and killed Witheridge after they watched her and Miller, who was also killed on Sept 15, hugging and kissing.

Acting Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen said police have strong forensic proof to back their case against the suspects.

The two are the culprits, not scapegoats, he said, adding that evidence in the investigation documents is confidential and disclosing it could affect the probe.

Meanwhile, Pol Col Prachum said the Koh Tao police operation centre, which was earlier set up to unravel the murder case, has been moved to Bophut police station in Koh Samui.

Eight investigators are now finishing the probe document before sending it to prosecutors, he said.

Pol Col Prachum said police will not question the suspects any more as the interrogation is complete.

The DNA test results will be compiled in the probe document, which will be sought for the pair’s indictment, he added.

Meanwhile, tourism on Koh Tao showed signs of returning to normal as many foreign travellers have come back to the island.

Tourism operators there said tourist activity has apparently picked up since police succeeded in unraveling the murder case and apprehended the suspects

Koh Tao murders: Phone taken from male victim, police say | Bangkok Post: learning

That's utter BS. I can tell you for nothing it's down 50%, with MAYBE a slight increase for Xmas...

Indeed, a friend of mine has said the high season was finished before it started and he owns a diving school on Phuket.

Btw well done finding that post above, i couldn't if i tried.

Can you find the link in this thread from a Burmese newspaper explaining the connections of the island chief and the political elite.

[QUOTE] ...had been retrieved from the accommodation of a friend of the two Myanmar suspects [QUOTE]
then

... had been retrieved from the accommodation of one of the two Myanmar suspects.

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

Indeed, a friend of mine has said the high season was finished before it started and he owns a diving school on Phuket.

Btw well done finding that post above, i couldn't if i tried.

Can you find the link in this thread from a Burmese newspaper explaining the connections of the island chief and the political elite.

It was French. I cannot find my copy of the translation, but posted it here on this thread. Essentially the Chief provided security
for the shut downs and afiiliated as in chums w Suthep who is head of Surat Thani Democrats, or was before he began hiding in monk robes.

Koh Tao: Un membre d'une famille mafieuse locale serait-il le responsable du meurtre des deux jeunes touristes britanniques? - Le blog de liberez-somyot

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/...ao-murder-case

Although the judge said he wanted to allow the British victims’ families to make suggestions in the case, they were unable to do so as they had no representative in court, according to the Myanmar embassy’s team.

About what?

Strange.

Originally Posted by Neverna

the judge said he wanted to allow the British victims’ families to make suggestions in the case,

Face saving monologue...well if that's what you want then we'll accommodate you. Forget the lack of real or imagined evidence...moving on now...

Victim's families can be party to a criminal prosecution. While this would seem to indicate they think guilt is imminent, it simply allows them access to the evidence and judges notations and can be a tool for the defense if they are so inclined.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by Neverna

the judge said he wanted to allow the British victims’ families to make suggestions in the case,

Face saving monologue...well if that's what you want then we'll accommodate you. Forget the lack of real or imagined evidence...moving on now...

Apart from DNA evidence....

Maybe the immigrants were too ''legless drunk'' to remember, and perhaps that's going to be their defense.

How come they let the 3rd immigrant go?
how com he didn't confess too under ''torture''

Originally Posted by blue

How come they let the 3rd immigrant go?
how com he didn't confess too under ''torture''

Could be that he was a "key" witness and gave testimony against his two musical, hard drinking companions in exchange for his own freedom.

Originally Posted by blue

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by Neverna

the judge said he wanted to allow the British victims’ families to make suggestions in the case,

Face saving monologue...well if that's what you want then we'll accommodate you. Forget the lack of real or imagined evidence...moving on now...

Apart from DNA evidence....

Maybe the immigrants were too ''legless drunk'' to remember, and perhaps that's going to be their defense.

How come they let the 3rd immigrant go?
how com he didn't confess too under ''torture''

Talk us through the scenario whereby two rapists and murderers perpetrate their crimes and flee the scene without detection whilst hopelessly incapacitated by inebriation.

The third "witness" wasn't a "witness" and has managed to leave Thailand despite initial detention by the Thai who apparently sought to invite him to give a testimony which owed more to duress rather than any recollection.

Your continual troll seemingly tolerated by this board is ever more ludicrous by the day.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming;


Koh Tao case asks 'foreign' witnesses | Bangkok Post: news

The Lawyers Council of Thailand has filed an official request with the Koh Samui Provincial Court asking it to summon witnesses living in and foreign countries to testify for the defence in the Koh Tao...
Mr Surapong declined to elaborate on the details of the local and foreign witnesses he seek to appear in court. ...

Since the murder, a large number of Myanmar nationals have fled Koh Tao. The pair's defence team has been urging the Myanmar community - both in Thailand and at home - to locate witnesses that help the...