PHUKET: Here's the heading that will alarm the Krabi and Phuket tourist industry: 'We thought Thailand was paradise... now we are haunted by memory of machete sex attack'
'Holiday gang victims break silence with warning to tourists,' says the sub-heading.
It's an account in Britain's biggest selling daily newspaper, The Sun, of the experiences of young British couple Jack Cole and April Clifton, who were attacked in Krabi last month.
The article begins: ''IT should have been a dream holiday on an island paradise - but for Jack Cole and girlfriend April Clifton, their trip to Thailand ended in a nightmare.
''On a romantic stroll one evening, the pair were pounced on by a gang of eight thugs riding mopeds.''
The horror of the attack is recounted, blow by blow, with a photograph of the machete used by the attackers.
There is also a photograph of a smiling Ms Clifton, cradling a gibbon, in Ao Nang earlier on the night of the attack.
The couple now need counselling back in Britain while Mr Cole's arm will take some time longer to heal.
The article says that two members of the gang were charged with attempted murder as a result of the attack.
However, when Phuketwan checked with Krabi police today, officers said the two members of the gang had been charged with carrying a weapon and assault.
Mr Cole was treated for his injuries at a hospital on Phuket, and went back to Krabi to give evidence in a court so that justice could be carried out after he returned to Britain.
The Sun reported that one attacker was jailed for three years, and the other for 10 years. Phuketwan could not confirm that a trial had taken place.
Now Krabi tourism is being punished by a prominent account in Britain's best-selling newspaper.
It's further evidence that those who say protecting tourists properly and preventing attacks is the best approach.
The sensational report comes as the video 'Evil Man from Krabi', created by the father of a Dutch woman seeking justice, reaches 500,000 views on YouTube.
The President of the Tourist Association of Krabi, Itthirit Kingleg, said today that most tourists understood that crimes could happen anywhere.
''That said, we have to improve safety because this is a holiday destination,'' he said. ''We plan to increase the number of security cameras and improve attitudes to make sure tourists are safe.
''Everybody in tourism here will be talking to each other and the police to make sure these kinds of tragedies do not happen in the future.''
'Holiday gang victims break silence with warning to tourists,' says the sub-heading.
It's an account in Britain's biggest selling daily newspaper, The Sun, of the experiences of young British couple Jack Cole and April Clifton, who were attacked in Krabi last month.
The article begins: ''IT should have been a dream holiday on an island paradise - but for Jack Cole and girlfriend April Clifton, their trip to Thailand ended in a nightmare.
''On a romantic stroll one evening, the pair were pounced on by a gang of eight thugs riding mopeds.''
The horror of the attack is recounted, blow by blow, with a photograph of the machete used by the attackers.
There is also a photograph of a smiling Ms Clifton, cradling a gibbon, in Ao Nang earlier on the night of the attack.
The couple now need counselling back in Britain while Mr Cole's arm will take some time longer to heal.
The article says that two members of the gang were charged with attempted murder as a result of the attack.
However, when Phuketwan checked with Krabi police today, officers said the two members of the gang had been charged with carrying a weapon and assault.
Mr Cole was treated for his injuries at a hospital on Phuket, and went back to Krabi to give evidence in a court so that justice could be carried out after he returned to Britain.
The Sun reported that one attacker was jailed for three years, and the other for 10 years. Phuketwan could not confirm that a trial had taken place.
Now Krabi tourism is being punished by a prominent account in Britain's best-selling newspaper.
It's further evidence that those who say protecting tourists properly and preventing attacks is the best approach.
The sensational report comes as the video 'Evil Man from Krabi', created by the father of a Dutch woman seeking justice, reaches 500,000 views on YouTube.
The President of the Tourist Association of Krabi, Itthirit Kingleg, said today that most tourists understood that crimes could happen anywhere.
''That said, we have to improve safety because this is a holiday destination,'' he said. ''We plan to increase the number of security cameras and improve attitudes to make sure tourists are safe.
''Everybody in tourism here will be talking to each other and the police to make sure these kinds of tragedies do not happen in the future.''
Although this article is in relation to Krabi I would think per capita the crime levels are the same in Phuket and Krabi. Whilst I think what happened was totally unacceptable one of the reasons I live in Phuket for many years now is the personal safety compared to the West. I am over 6 foot tall and a man however even petite ladies drive unconcerned at night time and mostly there is very little crime. This is especially commendable given that there is a huge difference in many cases to what wealth tourists have compared to the local people.If tourism of Thailand want me to make an article I am quite happy to do so.
Posted by Happy Farang on November 22, 2012 15:22