PHUKET: Efforts being made to contain the damage to Thailand's tourism industry caused by the 'Evil Man from Krabi' rape case were not working especially well tonight.
Police in the appealingly beautiful Thai province posted a video on YouTube to explain their approach in pursuing an allegation that a Thai tour guide raped a 19-year-old Dutch tourist.
By late tonight, the police account had attracted 303 views. The YouTube song 'Evil Man From Krabi,' posted weeks ago by the young woman's angry father, a songwriter and musician, had tallied 362,764 views.
Resorts in Krabi are reporting damaging cancellations of holidays because a court granted bail to the tour guide accused of severely beating then raping the young Dutch woman.
What the Krabi police had to say about the case through an unnamed spokesman made sense - but the video was in Thai, not in English.
In the new video, the Krabi police spokesman makes the point that police opposed bail for the tour guide, that Krabi was generally a safe place to holiday, and that the same Thai laws were applied regardless of whether those involved were Thai or from overseas.
The concern of tourists who are turning their backs on Krabi appears to be that despite the severity of the accusations, the tour guide has been freed on bail by a Thai court.
In the West, people accused of crimes involving a severe beating and rape are seldom allowed bail. The opposite appears to be true in Thailand, where many Westerners come to holiday.
The issue has been compounded by reports today of a comment by Thailand's Tourism Minister, Chumphol Silpa-archa.
According to 'the Nation' newspaper, the minister ''said earlier that the incident could not be considered rape.
''He quoted provincial tourism police chief, Pol Maj-General Loi Ingkhaphairoj as saying: 'The woman had dinner with the Thai suspect and a foreign man. Later, she told the foreign man to return to the hotel before heading off with the suspect.'''
The comment conflicts with what the Dutch woman and her boyfriend told Krabi police.
Whether or not the quotation is accurate, it has inflamed the situation and added fuel to growing concerns among Western women that Krabi - and Thailand in general - is not the place to go for a holiday.
Even in the Comments section under the Krabi police video on YouTube, observers were making the point that Nineteeth Century attitudes towards women should not be tolerated, in Thailand or anywhere else.
johninthai wrote: ''In Western society it is quite normal for a man and woman to have drinks together as friends and without the man thinking that he has the right to assault her because he thought 'she liked him!'
''If a foreign woman has a drink with a Thai man, then this man makes sexual advances at her and she refuses, this does not give him the right to rape her ! Doesn't really matter what time at night is is or how she dresses. Ao Nang is a beach area so indeed women will wear shorts and loose clothing, guess that's why it is a beach area!
''I understand that the police arrested the suspect and the court released him on bail. So the problem here seems to be the court that grants bail way too easy ! What I find disturbing is that the police officer says that these rapes (yes there is more then one case going on with similar circumstances) always happen late at night by a suspect who befriended the victim and that both parties have been drinking!''
It could now be up to two years before the Thai tour guide - who initially confessed to the beating and the rape but changed his mind and pleaded not guilty in court and was freed on bail - faces trial.
Police in the appealingly beautiful Thai province posted a video on YouTube to explain their approach in pursuing an allegation that a Thai tour guide raped a 19-year-old Dutch tourist.
By late tonight, the police account had attracted 303 views. The YouTube song 'Evil Man From Krabi,' posted weeks ago by the young woman's angry father, a songwriter and musician, had tallied 362,764 views.
Resorts in Krabi are reporting damaging cancellations of holidays because a court granted bail to the tour guide accused of severely beating then raping the young Dutch woman.
What the Krabi police had to say about the case through an unnamed spokesman made sense - but the video was in Thai, not in English.
In the new video, the Krabi police spokesman makes the point that police opposed bail for the tour guide, that Krabi was generally a safe place to holiday, and that the same Thai laws were applied regardless of whether those involved were Thai or from overseas.
The concern of tourists who are turning their backs on Krabi appears to be that despite the severity of the accusations, the tour guide has been freed on bail by a Thai court.
In the West, people accused of crimes involving a severe beating and rape are seldom allowed bail. The opposite appears to be true in Thailand, where many Westerners come to holiday.
The issue has been compounded by reports today of a comment by Thailand's Tourism Minister, Chumphol Silpa-archa.
According to 'the Nation' newspaper, the minister ''said earlier that the incident could not be considered rape.
''He quoted provincial tourism police chief, Pol Maj-General Loi Ingkhaphairoj as saying: 'The woman had dinner with the Thai suspect and a foreign man. Later, she told the foreign man to return to the hotel before heading off with the suspect.'''
The comment conflicts with what the Dutch woman and her boyfriend told Krabi police.
Whether or not the quotation is accurate, it has inflamed the situation and added fuel to growing concerns among Western women that Krabi - and Thailand in general - is not the place to go for a holiday.
Even in the Comments section under the Krabi police video on YouTube, observers were making the point that Nineteeth Century attitudes towards women should not be tolerated, in Thailand or anywhere else.
johninthai wrote: ''In Western society it is quite normal for a man and woman to have drinks together as friends and without the man thinking that he has the right to assault her because he thought 'she liked him!'
''If a foreign woman has a drink with a Thai man, then this man makes sexual advances at her and she refuses, this does not give him the right to rape her ! Doesn't really matter what time at night is is or how she dresses. Ao Nang is a beach area so indeed women will wear shorts and loose clothing, guess that's why it is a beach area!
''I understand that the police arrested the suspect and the court released him on bail. So the problem here seems to be the court that grants bail way too easy ! What I find disturbing is that the police officer says that these rapes (yes there is more then one case going on with similar circumstances) always happen late at night by a suspect who befriended the victim and that both parties have been drinking!''
It could now be up to two years before the Thai tour guide - who initially confessed to the beating and the rape but changed his mind and pleaded not guilty in court and was freed on bail - faces trial.
I see. As usual, she either:
1. Deserved/Invited a beating and rape
2. It was a misunderstanding.
Posted by fw on November 10, 2012 22:28