Last nights incident in Soi Tiger

[neggandbattlemaster]

How long have you been living in Phuket ? Could it not be a case of that because you are now a "hardened" expat that things seem worse nowadays because when you first arrived you obviously weren't as well connected as you are now ?

You have mentioned a few times in the past that sometimes the tourists don't see things happening like the expats do, could this not be the same for you as you've grown in to the community there ?

This might explain why things seems worse now than 5 years ago.

Just a thought.

 

[Bleeding Heart Liberal]

wonder if the perpertrators of this crime were phuket boys, or imports from outside of the island.
if the gunmens face was uncovered, the regional facial characteristics, seem fairly obvious in los, so i am sure, people will know if they were locals.

gf's father(30 odd years as police) told me that if violence came onto the streets in his province, it was usually "import" gunmen who did the job, so they could drift off back into their villages afterwards.

patong is as safe a place as i have ever been, considering the transient nature of the population, both farang and thai.

 

[Capt. Spaulding]

Anyone got info on it?..
Geir, Gson, Nicke, Bueller?

 

[Sean L]

And maybe she invents them ?

 

[Mrs. Shana]

Steve,appreciate these stats.......guess I won't be going to Columbia then(joke)

 

[solvent]

A Thai guy was shot at Snake Bar under Tiger and died this morning. The shooter was also thai and was arrested.

Luckily i left shortly before it happened. So not really a topic for idle gossip

 

[Aroused]

Patong is becoming more dangerous every year i think and more violent, there are more fights, beatings, punch ups, and now shoot ups.
Not a good sign for the future

 

[Gosbar C]

Which thuggish assaults? Which fights? I've not been to Phuket for a little while now so maybe your information is more up to date. Please enlighten as to how many assaults and fights you have witnessed?

I'm not saying it does not happen, but in all the times I have been to Thailand I have never seen a punch thrown in anger. It's clearly not a Cub Scouts venue, somebody was shot dead there a couple of nights ago, but you are describing a place that is totally unfamiliar to me.

 

[OMG seeds!]

I dont know the background behind the fire last night, but I dont think it has anything to do with the shooting.

The shooting in Tiger was due to arguments between two bars next to eachother, and I guess the thugs had just been called in with money offerings. The bartender at Snake Bar was not really involved too, he was the guy who just tried to calm everyone down and then the aggressivity turned towards him, if I understand correctly.

My bartender know the guys aswell and he told Ead the story last night.

 

[" ? "]

Well (girl)...this here writer feel more safe in Patong than most tourist
places on earth

 

[jadamgrd]

Lucky it wasn't a farang that was shot if thats any consolation.. for the sake of tourism in Patong.

 

[MelBo]

No nation can beat the USA, for violent crime.

In my town, (Las Vegas) over 1 murder/per day (387, I think)...recorded in 2005. (I carry a licenced weapon, anywhere outside of my home.)

I think that if I were a bartender, and saw a group of "thugs/gang members", approaching...I'd be "making ready", the "iron"!

The "bad guys", are usually armed!

I'm very saddened by this occurrence. It's another negative commentary, on the state of humanity, in general!


Pablo

 

[PaA KwEsI]

Yeah but everywhere else will be a picnic...

 

[norski]

ITS JUST NOT VEGEAS PABLO...
I RECKON ITS ALL CITIES ....ITS JUST THE WORLD WE LIVE IN..........ITS A VERY ROUGH AND VIOLENT PLACE.......IJ

 

[RaZzor]

The rumor on soi crocodile is that both the shooting and the fire is gangrelated. Its said to be russian mob trying to take over with a little help from the police. If thats true its a problem. Been lots to Russia and the russian mob use absoltely anything to reach their goals . In Moscow some nightsclub wrer bombed a few years ago. Im not sure but i belive they tried this in Pattaya as well

 

[Pompal 09.]

Ex-cop sought for Patong murder


PATONG: Kathu police have issued an arrest warrant for an ex-policeman, L/Cpl Anan Hincheeranan, formerly of the Special Branch of the Royal Thai Police and latterly a security guard at Soi Bangla’s Crazy Bar, for the murder of Metha Thongkaew, his counterpart at the Snack Bar on Soi Tiger. Both bars are foreign-owned.

K. Metha, 28, from Haad Yai, was shot four times in the early hours of Sunday and died on the way to hospital. Col Supreecha said witnesses had seen K. Metha and Anan arguing two days earlier, and had overheard Anan threatening to kill K. Metha.

Pol Lt Col Supreecha Onsod, Deputy Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, said that Anan may be hiding out in Bangkok.

Although Anan is currently eluding capture, Kathu police have arrested Praporm Chonlatarn, 46, and Kampol Pairoj, 39, in Patong. Both men were accused of being accomplices in K. Metha’s murder and of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Police found a bloodstained cloth in their possession. They also seized a Honda Wave motorcycle believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle.

 

[Shine 07 13 71]

I would not over-dramatize this event, just because it happened in Patong and for everybody to see.

I am not sure how many longtimers here read the Thai newspaper, but fights between Thai gangs (and using the word "gang" should not really imply a mafia-style organized group of people) are just about as normal as the sunshine in Thailand -- not just in rural Thailand or far away Pattaya, but right here on Phuket.
Normally it is motorcycle boys hacking each other to pieces with knifes, but selfmade guns are used not that seldom.
Fights could be about something serious like business, but just as easy because the guy might have offended the girl of one of the perpetrators or cheated in last nights card game.

Distilling this little rant to a conclusion: it does not always have to be a grand criminal scheme for violence here in Thailand...

 

[ivantop]

This, of course, is your perception. Many people have a very enjoyable holiday in Phuket without seeing any incidents. We shouldn't blow up an isolated incident into making the whole of Bangla seem like some sort of OK Coral with people walking down the street shooting each other for no reason whatsoever.

 

[Winter Glory]

Theres reason to understand that the shooting is purely an argument between 2 bars that got out of hand..

I suspect it may be a case of chinese whispers at this point..

 

[p2000camaro]

In Dublin at the moment its like the wild west, Especially around were I live, Someone was shot dead behind my house the other night, Another 2 boys were shot just beside were I live and are in hospital, 2days ago another guy was shot 3times outside my brothers house but luckly was able to get up and escape... Up were my Nanny lives last week a 22yr old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting, Its gone crazy around here.... I would take Patong anyday at the moment and I love Dublin.....