PHUKET: This is the man that police on Phuket want to interview about the stabbing death of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith earlier this week.
He is tall by Thai standards - between 175-180 centimetres - and that may well be what gives him away sometime soon, police believe.
Some police officers believe that the man, who wielded the knife that hit Mrs Smith, 60, in the heart in a bag-snatch that went wrong, may not even know that he has killed a tourist.
The knife-wielder and his friend, the man riding the distinctive 100cc Honda Dream, rode off as Mrs Smith walked a few more metres with her friend, Tammee Lee, 42, before collapsing and dying.
They were in a quiet street outside Phuket's Katathani Beach Resort at Kata Noi bay, one of the least busy stretches of the holiday west coast.
With a 300,000 baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the pair, police remain confident of an early arrest.
Phuket Police Commander Major General Chonsit Wadhnawarangkun told a media conference today at Phuket Police Headquarters in Phuket City that Marine Police, Immigration Police and Tourist Police were now involved in the investigation, along with regular officers from all eight Phuket police stations.
''Information has come from members of the public, including from people who noted where the pair had dinner in Karon on the night of the killing,'' Major General Chonsit said.
He said anyone with information should call him directly on his mobile telephone: 081 8449559.
He is tall by Thai standards - between 175-180 centimetres - and that may well be what gives him away sometime soon, police believe.
Some police officers believe that the man, who wielded the knife that hit Mrs Smith, 60, in the heart in a bag-snatch that went wrong, may not even know that he has killed a tourist.
The knife-wielder and his friend, the man riding the distinctive 100cc Honda Dream, rode off as Mrs Smith walked a few more metres with her friend, Tammee Lee, 42, before collapsing and dying.
They were in a quiet street outside Phuket's Katathani Beach Resort at Kata Noi bay, one of the least busy stretches of the holiday west coast.
With a 300,000 baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the pair, police remain confident of an early arrest.
Phuket Police Commander Major General Chonsit Wadhnawarangkun told a media conference today at Phuket Police Headquarters in Phuket City that Marine Police, Immigration Police and Tourist Police were now involved in the investigation, along with regular officers from all eight Phuket police stations.
''Information has come from members of the public, including from people who noted where the pair had dinner in Karon on the night of the killing,'' Major General Chonsit said.
He said anyone with information should call him directly on his mobile telephone: 081 8449559.
Sounds like good work by the Thai police so far.
I still believe Phuket to be safer than most tourist areas in Australia, unfortunately
Posted by Arthur on June 24, 2012 17:38