PHUKET: Latest Phuket police statistics reveal that 121 foreigners have been arrested for a variety of crimes so far this year, including one arrest for murder, but there may be some omissions and discrepancies.
Indonesian Teguh Samudra, 22, was arrested at Rassada, the port district of Phuket City, on February 10 over the killing of another Indonesian, according to details of arrests and victims provided by Phuket Police Headquarters to Phuketwan.
However, there appear to be omissions in the list with some parts of Phuket - notably Chalong and the southern part of the island - apparently free of crimes involving expats and tourists.
It's more likely, though, that some of Phuket's police stations may be failing to contribute to the list. Could it be that some senior Phuket police believe their role involves projecting the island as a safer place than it actually is?
Take the case of Italian journalist Antonio Papaleo. He will possibly be pleased to find his age listed as 29, not 45, but less pleased to find that the incident in which he was involved on July 3 is recorded as a theft, rather than attempted murder.
In the attack, well-documented by the media on Phuket and in international outlets in Europe and Hong Kong, eight youths on motorcycles attacked Mr Papaleo. He was stabbed in the abdomen and as a result, surgeons removed his spleen.
Mr Papaleo, because of his undercover work as an investigative journalist, is an important witness in a Hong Kong money-laundering case. He is now believed to be hiding out in a safe place before returning to Hong Kong for the trial's resumption on August 12.
And he was extremely grateful to be given police protection while in hospital on Phuket recovering from his wounds.
But now, his attempted murder is merely listed as theft. Clearly, reforms of the Phuket police force being instigated by the Region 8 commanders have to take account of the need for transparency.
Releasing statistics is a step forward for the safety and well-being of residents and visitors, but the statistics should be accurate.
We hope that when ambassadors visit Phuket in future to thank the island's police for their good work in reducing crime and quickly capturing perpetrators, the new command team - which is now determinedly righting the wrongs on the island - is able to know they are being informed accurately about what's happening on Phuket.
The statistics were first released in 2010 for the honorary consuls' forums where envoys met every three months with the Phuket governor, but which now appear to be considered no longer necessary.
Arrests of expats and tourists: Of the 121 individuals listed, five were accused of crimes of violence, 17 involved theft, 18 involved traffic offences, 38 involved drugs, 11 involved overstays and 23 arrests were for working without work permits.
As a matter of principle, we assume people who are arrested on Phuket are innocent until conviction in a court.
Tao Lang Lang, 23, China January 5 Phuket Town assault
Alexandr Dubrovskii, 35 Russia January 8 Karon assault
Miss He Bin Bin, 25, China January 14 Kata (behind Club Med) theft
Julien Vincent Guichard, 27, France January 14 Kata (behind Club Med) theft
Miss Celine Giraud, 38, France January 16 Patong (in front of Rayaburi) theft
Russell James Phelps, 23, Australia January 17 Patong (Bangla Soi) theft
Georges Ashor, 41, Australia January 21 Patong theft
Keong Yeow Kwan, 54, Malaysia January 28 Vichit fraud
Jacob De La Salle, 23, Canada February 7 Patong (Jungceylon cinema) theft
Mrs Marianne Delic, 42, Denmark February 9 Karon (opposite Grand Thavorn) theft
Lim Tao, 25, China February 17 Patong (Andakira Hotel) theft from room
Nidal Shehada, 31, Israel February 18 Patong (7-Eleven Soi Sansabai) theft
Miss Gong Xun, 24, China February 22 Phuket City (Yaowarat Rd) theft
Miss Zileeva Ekaterina, 28, Russia February 24 (near Patong Hospital) theft
Barry James Webster, 51, Britain February 26 Patong (on beach outside Banana disco) assault
Donald Charles Turner, 48, Australia February 26 Patong (from Ibis room) theft
Adam Robert Walters, 22, Australia February 28 Patong theft
Patrick Jack Langdon, 26, Britain March 4 Patong (OTOP) theft
Moritz Gabriel Becker Koch, 21, Germany March 11 Patong (Howard Guesthouse) theft
Mrs Wan Huaying, 51, China March 13 Phuket City (outside Royal Phuket City) theft
Miss Astrid Niemeyer, 43, Germany March 17 Phuket City (opposite Post Office) theft
Miss Zhao Qing, 26, China Phuket City theft
Vladimir Kryvichx, 27, Russia March 20 Kata assault
Seven Thope, 72, Swedish April 2 Nai Thon beach theft
Sergcy Agafonov, 29, Russia April 7 Kata beach theft
Miss Mokhubova Irada, 33, Russia April 12 Karon (near Baan Suai Resort) theft
Mrs Linda Su Yen Seah-Eisey, 52, Singapore April 23 Central Festival Phuket theft
Moon Sang Ki, 35, Korea April 29 Vichit (outside Paradise Bar) assault
Dybdahl Michael, 51, Denmark April 29 Patong (Bangla House) theft
Reeza Hartley, 27, South Africa April 29 Patong (outside Jungceylon) assault
Francesco Cavaliera, 73, Italy May 18 Vichit theft
Ms Wei Chunyan, 56, China June 7 Mission Hills Resort theft from room
Miss Lv Ying, 36, China June 7 Mission Hills Resort theft from room
Tom Saban, 24, France June 28 Patong Burger King theft
Mohsen Chehregen, 40, Iran June 30 Karon theft
Carnerron John Abell, 43, Canada Kathu (Golf Land View Village) fake document
Papaleo Antoneo, 29, Italy July 3 Karon (outside Hilton) theft
Mrs Sofya Tolstova, 22, Russia July 3 Karon (outside Hilton) theft
Miss Svetlana Ilyushina, 27, Russia July 9 Rawai theft
Miss Elena Vladimiro, 27, Russia July 9 Rawai theft
Guo Yuwei, 24, China July 9 Phuket-Trang bus theft
Miss Lauren Kristy, 23, Australia July 10 Rassada theft
Miss Yingjun Zhou, 32, China Kata-Karon viewpoint theft
Declaration of Interest: Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian face a continuing trial in March over criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act charges brought by the Royal Thai Navy, citing a 41-word paragraph from a Pulitzer prize-winning Reuters report on the Rohingya boatpeople. The charges, strongly criticised by rights groups and mentioned in passing in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report, predate the military takeover in Thailand.
Indonesian Teguh Samudra, 22, was arrested at Rassada, the port district of Phuket City, on February 10 over the killing of another Indonesian, according to details of arrests and victims provided by Phuket Police Headquarters to Phuketwan.
However, there appear to be omissions in the list with some parts of Phuket - notably Chalong and the southern part of the island - apparently free of crimes involving expats and tourists.
It's more likely, though, that some of Phuket's police stations may be failing to contribute to the list. Could it be that some senior Phuket police believe their role involves projecting the island as a safer place than it actually is?
Take the case of Italian journalist Antonio Papaleo. He will possibly be pleased to find his age listed as 29, not 45, but less pleased to find that the incident in which he was involved on July 3 is recorded as a theft, rather than attempted murder.
In the attack, well-documented by the media on Phuket and in international outlets in Europe and Hong Kong, eight youths on motorcycles attacked Mr Papaleo. He was stabbed in the abdomen and as a result, surgeons removed his spleen.
Mr Papaleo, because of his undercover work as an investigative journalist, is an important witness in a Hong Kong money-laundering case. He is now believed to be hiding out in a safe place before returning to Hong Kong for the trial's resumption on August 12.
And he was extremely grateful to be given police protection while in hospital on Phuket recovering from his wounds.
But now, his attempted murder is merely listed as theft. Clearly, reforms of the Phuket police force being instigated by the Region 8 commanders have to take account of the need for transparency.
Releasing statistics is a step forward for the safety and well-being of residents and visitors, but the statistics should be accurate.
We hope that when ambassadors visit Phuket in future to thank the island's police for their good work in reducing crime and quickly capturing perpetrators, the new command team - which is now determinedly righting the wrongs on the island - is able to know they are being informed accurately about what's happening on Phuket.
The statistics were first released in 2010 for the honorary consuls' forums where envoys met every three months with the Phuket governor, but which now appear to be considered no longer necessary.
Arrests of expats and tourists: Of the 121 individuals listed, five were accused of crimes of violence, 17 involved theft, 18 involved traffic offences, 38 involved drugs, 11 involved overstays and 23 arrests were for working without work permits.
As a matter of principle, we assume people who are arrested on Phuket are innocent until conviction in a court.
Tourist, Expat Victims of Crime in 2014
Tao Lang Lang, 23, China January 5 Phuket Town assault
Alexandr Dubrovskii, 35 Russia January 8 Karon assault
Miss He Bin Bin, 25, China January 14 Kata (behind Club Med) theft
Julien Vincent Guichard, 27, France January 14 Kata (behind Club Med) theft
Miss Celine Giraud, 38, France January 16 Patong (in front of Rayaburi) theft
Russell James Phelps, 23, Australia January 17 Patong (Bangla Soi) theft
Georges Ashor, 41, Australia January 21 Patong theft
Keong Yeow Kwan, 54, Malaysia January 28 Vichit fraud
Jacob De La Salle, 23, Canada February 7 Patong (Jungceylon cinema) theft
Mrs Marianne Delic, 42, Denmark February 9 Karon (opposite Grand Thavorn) theft
Lim Tao, 25, China February 17 Patong (Andakira Hotel) theft from room
Nidal Shehada, 31, Israel February 18 Patong (7-Eleven Soi Sansabai) theft
Miss Gong Xun, 24, China February 22 Phuket City (Yaowarat Rd) theft
Miss Zileeva Ekaterina, 28, Russia February 24 (near Patong Hospital) theft
Barry James Webster, 51, Britain February 26 Patong (on beach outside Banana disco) assault
Donald Charles Turner, 48, Australia February 26 Patong (from Ibis room) theft
Adam Robert Walters, 22, Australia February 28 Patong theft
Patrick Jack Langdon, 26, Britain March 4 Patong (OTOP) theft
Moritz Gabriel Becker Koch, 21, Germany March 11 Patong (Howard Guesthouse) theft
Mrs Wan Huaying, 51, China March 13 Phuket City (outside Royal Phuket City) theft
Miss Astrid Niemeyer, 43, Germany March 17 Phuket City (opposite Post Office) theft
Miss Zhao Qing, 26, China Phuket City theft
Vladimir Kryvichx, 27, Russia March 20 Kata assault
Seven Thope, 72, Swedish April 2 Nai Thon beach theft
Sergcy Agafonov, 29, Russia April 7 Kata beach theft
Miss Mokhubova Irada, 33, Russia April 12 Karon (near Baan Suai Resort) theft
Mrs Linda Su Yen Seah-Eisey, 52, Singapore April 23 Central Festival Phuket theft
Moon Sang Ki, 35, Korea April 29 Vichit (outside Paradise Bar) assault
Dybdahl Michael, 51, Denmark April 29 Patong (Bangla House) theft
Reeza Hartley, 27, South Africa April 29 Patong (outside Jungceylon) assault
Francesco Cavaliera, 73, Italy May 18 Vichit theft
Ms Wei Chunyan, 56, China June 7 Mission Hills Resort theft from room
Miss Lv Ying, 36, China June 7 Mission Hills Resort theft from room
Tom Saban, 24, France June 28 Patong Burger King theft
Mohsen Chehregen, 40, Iran June 30 Karon theft
Carnerron John Abell, 43, Canada Kathu (Golf Land View Village) fake document
Papaleo Antoneo, 29, Italy July 3 Karon (outside Hilton) theft
Mrs Sofya Tolstova, 22, Russia July 3 Karon (outside Hilton) theft
Miss Svetlana Ilyushina, 27, Russia July 9 Rawai theft
Miss Elena Vladimiro, 27, Russia July 9 Rawai theft
Guo Yuwei, 24, China July 9 Phuket-Trang bus theft
Miss Lauren Kristy, 23, Australia July 10 Rassada theft
Miss Yingjun Zhou, 32, China Kata-Karon viewpoint theft
Declaration of Interest: Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian face a continuing trial in March over criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act charges brought by the Royal Thai Navy, citing a 41-word paragraph from a Pulitzer prize-winning Reuters report on the Rohingya boatpeople. The charges, strongly criticised by rights groups and mentioned in passing in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report, predate the military takeover in Thailand.
What about my car being broken into and things stolen May 2014 in Naithon? Reported to Thalang Police. Just as well I do not need my name on this list to live forever in Google.
Posted by Vfaye on July 25, 2014 08:46