Crime

Stop Thailand Murdering Tourists

Published

12 years ago

May 7, 2013

Bchcomber

CHIANG RAI – The other day I wrote an article about yet another senseless murder of a Tourist in Thailand. The young man’s name is Stephen Ashton, 22, who came on holiday, from the United Kingdom, with some friends in order to relax and have a good time in Koh Phanga.

Stephen’s holiday and that of his friends, turned into their worst nightmare, as Stephen became another victim of Thai Gun Crime.

Stephen Ashton Murdered in Thailand

It is reported in the national press that the killer, Ekkapan Kaewkla, is likely to serve just two years in prison for Stephen’s murder – that’s how much the Thais care about justice for those unfortunate tourists who are murdered while on holiday in Thailand.

You can clearly see from the face of Ekkapan Kaewkla, as he is being led away by police, after his arrest, that he quite happy, with not an ounce of remorse for killing another innocent person. Why? Because Stephen was a Farang and a Farang’s life is considered inferior to a Thai – basically a Farang, in a Thais eye, is no better than a dog.

What on earth is a Farang? Thais, for the most part, are highly uneducated – it’s the way the Thai Government likes it, basically ignorant and uneducated people are easier to control and therefore the state of education is so poor that 85% of its entire workforce is unskilled.

A Thai is unable to determine one foreigner from another. That is a Thai is unable to distinguish where a particular foreigner comes from. While most of us can look at another person and come to some reasonable conclusion of where another person originates, generally through their mannerisms, speech and even dress, the Thais simply do not have the education and therefore list all foreigners as Farangs.

I have always believed that one person can make a difference. If we remain silent and do nothing about injustice then we become as bad as the perpetrators of the crimes.

Stephen, although I have never met the young man, obviously was not aware of just how dangerous Thailand is as a tourist destination. Often Thailand is painted as a place of relaxation, beautiful beaches and a carefree way of life and yet the ugly truth is that it has the 3^rd highest violence gun crime statistics in the world.

kkapan Kaewkla the Murderer of Stephen Ashton in Thailand

As I stated in my original article, the U.S has a population nearly 5 times that of Thailand and yet Thailand has over twice the amount of violent gun crime. Add to this the Rape, Muggings, Assault and Corruption and you have a country that should be avoided at all costs. If only Stephen had been aware of this it is likely he, and his friends, may have chosen an alternative tourist destination.

All foreign Ambassadors and Honory Consuls here in Thailand are fully aware of just how violent and dangerous Thailand is and yet do very little to warn their citizens of the dangers. It basically all comes down to diplomatic back-scratching in order to preserve Diplomatic Relations so that the flow of trade and money can continue – the Foreign Ambassadors, including that of the British Embassy, are totally ineffectual in providing sufficient and factual information to its citizens with the necessary warnings that would save the lives. As far as I am concerned the British Government are perpetrators of the murder of Stephen Ashton, due to their ineptitude and unwillingness in taking appropriate action to stop their citizens from visiting Thailand and force the Thai government into action to put an end to these murders.

The problem is, when it comes to Thais they will do everything it takes to prevent the loss of tourism, other than stemming violent crime and murder. It wasn’t that long ago that a journalist was murdered in Phuket, Thailand for speaking out against the authorities.

As for Phuket, there are a few foreign newspapers and news websites. It was during the middle of 2012 that the Governor of Phuket called a closed meeting of all the foreigner owners, due to the amount of bad press being written about the holiday island. I did ask a couple of the Editors what was said in the closed meeting but none of them cared to comment – or more honesty too frightened to do so.

I strongly suspect that this was due to the fact they have been warned; “Either reduce the bad news significantly or pay the consequences.” You can read what you like into that and this is just speculation; but considering one journalist had already been murdered it is not difficult to see that a repeat of this crime could not be perpetrated by the untouchables in office.

Each time a murder, mugging or rape of a tourist is reported in Thailand I get angry. I may not know the victims, such as Stephen, but it nevertheless angers me and frightens me. It could have been my son that was the victim and while it wasn’t, and the fact that I never knew Stephen, I feel compelled to try to warn others from visiting Thailand.

We have just ushered in the New Year and with this, for the Ashton Family, they did not see the peace and happiness that so many of us asked for. The messages around the social networks were ones of peace, goodwill, kindness, love, compassion and humanity and yet with Stephen’s murder I see little evidence of any of the above.

What astounds me or rather makes me so angry, is the fact that I know that not many people will bother to read all I have written here, let alone share it. Sure, they’ll take some meaningless video, such as Gangnam Style, view it and share it a billion times but when it comes to the murder of a young man, which could have been prevented if people had spread the word, then they simply do nothing. So much for all their messages of peace and humanity in the New Year.

To the parents of Stephen I pledge you this… While I did not know your son, I as a human being with compassion, feel your pain. I will continue to try and bring awareness to the horrors of Thailand in the attempt to prevent another senseless waste of life.

Today I am going to do something that I have never done before, in the hope that other parents will never have to feel the loss that Stephen’s parents are feeling right now…

I want you, as my friend and fellow human being to share this article. If you can take the time to share garbage like Gangnam, then you can take the time to share something that could well prevent another murder. To all my friends… If you don’t share this, then no longer consider me a friend because if you cannot show the compassion and humanity of trying to save a life, then I don’t want you as a friend.

You can make a difference and put a stop to people visiting Thailand. It is the only way we can force the Thai government and even our own governments to take action and put a stop to the level of violence directed at foreign tourists.

The share buttons are below… Share this article and let’s see if we, together, can Stop Thailand from murdering tourists. – Meebal.com

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Published

7 months ago

July 20, 2024

Thomas3940

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Contents

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Published

7 months ago

July 20, 2024

Thomas3940

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourist

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Contents

Police called to home invasion Other Bangkok News:Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

Published

7 months ago

July 17, 2024

Thomas3940

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Contents

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.