About 200 locals turned out on Saturday as police completed a reenactment of the rape and murder of 17-year-old Sunisa Chaiyoi at her family home in Chalong. About 60 police and volunteers kept people well back. One officer was punched in the face, another needed treatment for a hand injury.


PHUKET: Police postponed a reenactment of a Phuket rape and murder that was scheduled to take place today for fear of mob violence.

The violation and killing of 17-year-old Sunisa Chaiyoi this week has stirred emotions and aroused concern for the safety of her confessed attacker, Kittikhun Wonghajak, 28.

Investigating officers had planned to have Khun Kittikhun lead them through what happened after he set out to burgle Khun Sunisa's family home in Chanakan Village, Chalong,on Tuesday afternoon.

He has already confessed to the crime.

Yesterday, at a media conference at Phuket Police headquarters in Phuket City, two of Sunisa's aunts attacked Khun Kittikhun with journalists taking photographs and videoing the assault.

A reenactment of the rape and murder was scheduled to take place today but police postponed it because of concerns that they might not be able to protect
Khun Kittikhun.

Last month, a large crowd disrupted the murder reenactment of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith, the victim of two men who tried to snatch her bag outside a five-star resort in the quiet Phuket seaside destination of Kata Noi.

Australian tourists tried to beat the man who stabbed the 60-year-old mother of three and locals protested over the two men, who were not from Phuket.

Anger is even more intense because of the particularly brutal treatment meted out by Khun Kittikhun - and officers say that he is from Phuket.

The reenactment is likely to be orchestrated over the weekend but at a house other than the family home where the rape and murder took place.