British teenager who was allegedly raped on Koh Tao faces indefinite ban from Thailand.

[overseas516]

https://apple.news/ASm6bHHDXTle6wI_QeTVWpQ

 

British teen who was 'raped' in Koh Tao faces ban from Thailand
A British teenager who claimed she was raped on a Thai island faces being banned from the country over her "false" allegation.
The 19-year-old claimed she was drugged, stripped, robbed and raped in June on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao, an island popular with foreigners learning to dive.
She said the island's police refused to investigate so she went to neighbouring island, Koh Phangan, to report the crime.
Police on Koh Tao have now said the evidence they have gathered does not support her version of events.
They also said some tourists make up stories to claim on their insurance and added the island only wants "quality tourists".
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Officers said they have contacted Scotland Yard via the British embassy to question the girl but if her account does not match evidence they want to charge her with making a false complaint and blacklist her from the country forever.
The island's tourist police chief, Surachate Hakparn - known as Big Joke - told the Bangkok Post: "We are waiting for her testimony."
He said he would consider her statement, but if her "words are not true we need to press a charge against her on a false complaint, blacklist her and prohibit her from entering Thailand indefinitely".
"We must separate quality tourists and the bad ones," he added.
The police chief said he is aware that tourists are crucial to the Thai economy, but said they need to be screened more thoroughly.
He said there have been at least four recent cases of false complaints by tourists - two on Koh Tao, one on Koh Samui and one in Krabi on the mainland.
Police are taking legal action against them and have informed the immigration bureau to put their names on a blacklist, he added.
Since 2014 at least seven tourists have died under mysterious circumstances on Koh Tao, with many of their families accusing police of a cover-up.
Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, was raped and bludgeoned to death and David Miller, 24, died from blows to his head on Sairee Beach in September 2014.
Two Burmese workers were convicted of their deaths but protesters in Myanmar said they were scapegoats.
In April 2018 an 18-year-old British tourist claimed she was drugged and raped on Koh Tao.
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[timbota]

If someone was inclined to make false claims about being raped, Koh Tao would certainly be one of the most likely places to get away with it.

 

[sinbad5]

Sounds like a great way to discourage reporting of crimes. 

[Cropped Shaggy]

If it weren't for the mongering I doubt I'd go anywhere near Thailand after reading this.

[Pattaya_Brian]

Yeah, if your Thai attacker doesn't kill you and leave your dead body to be found, the assault/rape never happened.

If this  is the same story that I think it is, this girl was allegedly followed into a toilet at a local night club and raped by the club's owner. This club owner is extremely well connected politically and to the police on this island. 

She and her friend returned to their hotel, told the staff, and another foreigner about the rape. The other foreigner said he would assist her in reporting the incident the next day. 

A few hours later the hotel staff got all three of them out of bed and told them to grab what they could carry and get off the island immediately. Not the next day, but right now, because trouble was coming their way. 

They took that advice and all 3 of them left in the middle of the night. 

This island is notorious for these kinds of attacks, and as is usually the Thai way, it's now time to blame the victim for bringing trouble to the island's reputation. As if one more story is going to hurt that reputation.

[Dazza118]

I've been to Koh Tao many times and there is definitely a dark underbelly to this Island compared to others I have been to.

Lots of gangs down by the beach at night who look up for banging farang heads in.

[Biennial]

11 minutes ago, Dazza118 said:

I've been to Koh Tao many times and there is definitely a dark underbelly to this Island compared to others I have been to.

Lots of gangs down by the beach at night who look up for banging farang heads in.

It seems like that would be a good place for the military to go and clean up, right?

[Dazza118]

12 minutes ago, Biennial said:

It seems like that would be a good place for the military to go and clean up, right?

I don't if it would work. A lot of the island is "Mafia ran". I would bet they are responsible for probably most of these crimes and like to use the poor Burmese as their scapegoats.

[Patty Boy]

10 minutes ago, Biennial said:

It seems like that would be a good place for the military to go and clean up, right?

Big Joke say "Nothing to clean up, nothing to see here, move on".

You've had your orders...…..

[Patty Boy]

10 minutes ago, Dazza118 said:

I don't if it would work. A lot of the island is "Mafia ran". I would bet they are responsible for probably most of these crimes and like to use the poor Burmese as their scapegoats.

Who says that it's mafia run, other than the British press, (never let the truth get in the way of a good story)?

Are the 2 Burmese guys guilty, or were others involved? There's some pretty strong evidence that they are guilty and some evidence that that evidence isn't as it is claimed. I doubt that we'll ever know the truth.

The Burmese guys won't be believed and the others (if there are any "others") aint gonna talk.

[Mr Wombat]

9 minutes ago, Patty Boy said:

Who says that it's mafia run, other than the British press, (never let the truth get in the way of a good story)?

Are the 2 Burmese guys guilty, or were others involved? There's some pretty strong evidence that they are guilty and some evidence that that evidence isn't as it is claimed. I doubt that we'll ever know the truth.

The Burmese guys won't be believed and the others (if there are any "others") aint gonna talk.

He has been there many times he said - how about you?

You get a feel about whats going on in a place when you have been there many times.

I have been to Phuket many times - I know exactly what goes on with the tuktuk clowns there

[Patty Boy]

Just now, Mr Wombat said:

He has been there many times he said - how about you?

You get a feel about whats going on in a place when you have been there many times.

I have been to phuket many times - I know exactly what goes on with the tuktuk clowns there

Why would you go there many times, if that was your impression of the place? Several other tourist islands in that vicinity, no need to keep returning to Kho Tao.

I too have been to Phuket several time and aware of the Tuk Tuk drivers reputation, I don't generally use them, but to call them "mafia" is a gross exaggeration. I once made a journey in a TukTuk in Patong and paid nothing, but that's another story!

[Pattaya_Brian]

1 hour ago, Patty Boy said:

Who says that it's mafia run, other than the British press, (never let the truth get in the way of a good story)?

Are the 2 Burmese guys guilty, or were others involved? There's some pretty strong evidence that they are guilty and some evidence that that evidence isn't as it is claimed. I doubt that we'll ever know the truth.

The Burmese guys won't be believed and the others (if there are any "others") aint gonna talk.

Everybody says it's mafia run -- the least of which would be the British press.

There is strong evidence against the Burmese duo? I guess that would depend on your definition of "strong." The evidence against them, as reported in the press, was not strong at all. In fact it pretty clearly looked fabricated and way too convenient. 

[Patty Boy]

9 minutes ago, Pattaya_Brian said:

Everybody says it's mafia run -- the least of which would be the British press.

There is strong evidence against the Burmese duo? I guess that would depend on your definition of "strong." The evidence against them, as reported in the press, was not strong at all. In fact it pretty clearly looked fabricated and way too convenient. 

Confessions, DNA, phone was found in the Burmese migrants camp, guys admitted that they were in the vicinity around the time of the murder and CCTV to support this.

The term "mafia" is much overused in Thailand. It denotes organised crime families. Thais, organised, you must be joking, couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery if their life depended on it. Shure there are many families in Thailand who survive and prosper by not adhering to the laws of the land, but Mafia? I don't think so!

Are the Leng Kees mafia? No, they adhere to the ancient Chinese ways of conducting business. A bit of murder, a bit of torture, a bit of extortion, just normal business practices for Thai Chin.

[kansuwan]

17 minutes ago, Pattaya_Brian said:

Everybody says it's mafia run -- the least of which would be the British press.

There is strong evidence against the Burmese duo? I guess that would depend on your definition of "strong." The evidence against them, as reported in the press, was not strong at all. In fact it pretty clearly looked fabricated and way too convenient. 

Current state of play here:  https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/two-myanmar-men-await-verdict-final-appeal-koh-tao-murder-case

Background here:  http://www.samuitimes.com/koh-tao-murders-appeal-reveals-shocking-new-evidence-suggesting-unfair-trial-and-wrongful-convictions/

[Patty Boy]

4 minutes ago, kansuwan said:

Current state of play here:  https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/two-myanmar-men-await-verdict-final-appeal-koh-tao-murder-case

Background here:  http://www.samuitimes.com/koh-tao-murders-appeal-reveals-shocking-new-evidence-suggesting-unfair-trial-and-wrongful-convictions/

Owner of Samui Times doesn't live in Thailand and is currently wanted for questioning, for publishing a salacious article regarding the very questionable rape of a British girl recently. Another case of Samui Times and British press taking the opportunity to knock Thailand by publishing a story with zero fact checking. As I said before, "don't let the facts get in the way of a good story".

I did say that the evidence gathering in the case of the Burmese guys left a lot to be desired, DNA ruled out on a technicality, evidence was not complete on mobile phone but still found in the possession of a Burmese acquaintance of theirs, etc. etc. No actual evidence to prove their innocence.

[kansuwan]

Isn't it "innocent until proven guilty"?

[Patty Boy]

Just now, kansuwan said:

Isn't it "innocent until proven guilty"?

There's no doubt that in a British court of law, the judge would have dismissed the case through lack of evidence. This doesn't mean to say that they are innocent. How many murderers in the UK have walked free due to lack of evidence?

Innocent until proven guilty? Not in Thailand. Guilty if the judge says so.

[Frang]

11 hours ago, overseas516 said:

The island's tourist police chief, Surachate Hakparn - known as Big Joke - 

 

[Saddic]

39 minutes ago, kansuwan said:

Isn't it "innocent until proven guilty"?

No, not in most of Asia... and other countries...

[Ru4Real]

24 minutes ago, Saddic said:

No, not in most of Asia... and other countries...

Technically, yes it is.

[Buddy Edgewood]

What would she gain from making a false claim?  I don't see how she'd get any monetary benefit from being raped...

[Bobmoore]

Quote

The girl left the island following her assault on June 26 and attempted to report her ordeal to the Koh Phangan police. Officers reportedly refused to take any details of the alleged rape.

The girl's mother contacted the Fishbowl Bar and was told the CCTV cameras were not working on the night of the assault.

A male friend who also went to the bar was allegedly also told that CCTV cameras there were not working.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6105815/Mother-British-teenager-raped-robbed-Koh-Tao-Island-Thailand-says-run-gangsters.html

[Ron Rat]

I doubt this girl is in any hurry to return so blackisting her is bullshit.

[timbota]

6 hours ago, Ru4Real said:

Technically, yes it is.

Corruption negates technicalities.