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The Russian stab victim with friends: ''Very Bad Boy''

Phuket Tourist Attacks Sure to Spark Crackdown on 'Very Bad Boys'

Saturday, July 5, 2014
PHUKET: A crackdown is likely on gangs of youths and irresponsible parents are likely targets as well following the stabbing of two tourists on Phuket by eight youths and a girl.

Authorities admit that youngsters roam Phuket's streets at night on motorcycles without parental control and that more crimes are likely unless families control their adolescent children.

In the night of horror that involved the stabbing of an Italian man and a Russian woman in the space of an hour, only the main confessed perpetrator, Eakowat Ninbho, 20, is old enough to be named.

He and the gang rode on four motorcycles when they attacked an Italian journalist in the road behind Club Med in Kata about 3am on Thursday. The man was stabbed twice in the ribs, but is now recovering.

The gang made off with a bag containing a mobile telephone, a notebook computer, $HK6000 and 500 baht and the man's passport.

An hour later their victim was Mrs Inna Sifonova, 28, who was out walking with two friends near the Kata outdoor surf centre. She suffered a superficial stab wound to the chest.

Phuket police reacted rapidly and rounded up seven of the gang later the same day, using security camera footage and knowledge of where local youths hang out.

''Very bad boy, very bad boy,'' Mrs Sifonova said when a Phuket City press conference enabled her to confront her main attackers.

The case and other incidents involving youths on motorcycles will inevitably bring a reaction. Like all places, Phuket has a segment of young people who choose to hang out, take drugs and sometimes drift into serious crime.

Khun Eakowat told police he was keen to steal some cash and goods to help put his sister and brother through school. Police were sceptical.

The murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith in a bag-snatch gone wrong nearby in Kata Noi led to increased safety concerns by Phuket police, working with the community. The number of incidents now appears to be on the rise.

Comments

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Whilst I'm not condoning these crimes in any way, surely the root cause must however be addressed. One suggestion (if not already in place), is to show them inside the prisons themselves, to experience what happens when you break the law, and the potential consequences. Perhaps this could also be useful to to deter potential crime.

One of the observations in Phuket is the seemingly lack of facilities for youngsters, and perhaps this should also be looked into by the authorities. Community groups, and other training schemes directed towards this particular age group would surely be a positive move.

Posted by reader on July 5, 2014 12:41

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I tend to agree with the post by 'reader' but world wide society has changed in many ways. Money is in short supply & people no longer seem to have the time nor the will to run clubs for young people. There are other reasons.

As an example, here in UK, adults have to go through a strict police vetting process before they are even allowed to get close to young people, so there is a dearth of volunteers to run all sorts of activities from sports through to social activities. My sister, who is a fully qualified Scottish swimming coach, had to be vetted to perform those duties & even to take friends' & neighbors' children to that club in her car. That puts many people off volunteering.

Again funding is a major issue. In UK there is a national lottery which filters funds into a variety of activities including many for young people. Thailand just does not have that infrastructure. As an example, look at the battle to get funds for the much needed beach lifeguards.

Parental controls have 'slackened' for a great number of reasons, some social & some legal. There is a general lack of discipline brought about by changes to legal systems. It is not longer acceptable for parents (or teachers in schools) to physically punish young people, so they know they can escape with more than they should.

At the same time, parents have to work harder to make ends meet, or those who are lucky enough to have jobs. They simply don't have time to spend with their children. Most have little or no clue about the influences of internet & satellite TV on young people. Many are only too happy to allow their children to entertain themselves on such, without realizing the effect this may be having.

I was astonished on return to the UK to find that my relatives have satellite TV with hundreds of channels, some of which are pure junk. Unless the parents are very switched on, this gives young people access to violent movies which falsely portray society through the lens of overly dramatic movie cameras.

One of the worst examples of bad viewing are the pervasive Thai TV soaps. I jokingly call it 'Boo Hoo' TV as it involves an awful lot of dramatic weeping & wailing BUT sadly also large amounts of physical violence with fists, guns & knives.

Society reaps what it sows into the minds of these young people. I am not excusing or condoning the behavior of these attackers in any way, but there are some deep rooted reasons behind the cause & effect.

Posted by Logic on July 5, 2014 15:05

Editor Comment:

I suspect the societal breakdown will get worse. Once, families socialised over dinner. Then they sat around watching tv. At least they watched together. Now it's all about every individual being engrossed in their own connections via a telephone or iPad. Television wasn't so bad after all

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If the military want to get serious about everything like they are doing then how about they start pulling over these youths on bikes of which most are under age... automatic confiscation of the bikes and driven home to their parents.

Posted by DG on July 6, 2014 05:23

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bad boys they are criminals there quiet happy too possibly murder someone for a bag snatch put them in stocks outside the town hall for a week with a sign I stab people for there bags, then lock them up long time.

Posted by slickmelb on July 11, 2014 08:54


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