Stories tagged with re
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Open season on tourists?
Three Canadians have been shot in Thailand so far in 2008, and they are not alone amongst foreigners who have met untimely ends in recent months in Thailand. This begs the question as to whether 'unprovoked violent crimes against tourists are very rare' as stated on the back cover of 'Exploring Phuket'.
While the reasons for the third non-fatal shooting in Chiang Mai are unknown to this writer at present — how does an up-market 49 year-old tourist come by a bullet in the stomach while riding an 'open-taxi', probably a tuk tuk, on a city street? Had anything occurred earlier in his stay to provoke the ire of a Thai, was it a case of collateral damage, or was it really one of those rare cases?
A key word is unprovoked. The apalling incident in which a Canadian man was shot, and his Canadian girlfriend seriously injured, by a drunk policeman in Pai in January this year is a case in point. More than one of the parties to the incident had been drinking, and it appears that the policeman, who enjoyed an unsavory reputation, took offence at insults during a dispute that appears to have been something approaching a drunken brawl, and he started shooting to kill.
An angry Thai policeman must be handled with extreme caution, no matter who is wrong or right. A drunken angry Thai, never mind a policeman, is to be avoided at all costs. Face is everything, and should a policeman lose face, he might go amok. Reports of policemen being involved in shoot-outs with other Thais in restaurants late at night have appeared in the national press with regularity over the years.
If a foreigner has had so much to drink as to forget propriety, if not common sense, no matter how undeserving of mortal force that person's resulting behavior might be, any incident that follows cannot be considered as truly unprovoked. This is not to excuse the use of lethal force, least of all by the police who, in the case of the shooting of Canadians in Pai, appear to have behaved despicably.
The second case is that of a Canadian man who was shot by a gunman who was allegedly hired by his wife. Crimes between wealthy foreign spouses and local Thais do occur irregularly, but foreigners married to locals and enjoying the relatively low cost of living in Thailand cannot really be described as tourists. Besides, the Thai police quickly made arrests in this case.
The point is that if you behave with propriety and politeness, no Thai, let alone a member of the Thai police, is likely to give you much trouble, even if they are having a bad day. Naturally there are those rare cases — perhaps they are becoming a little less rare, alas — when a hapless foreigner is in the wrong place and time. All that can be said here is that over a period of two decades this writer has been grateful on more than one occasion for friendly assistance from the Thai police, assistance that was in some cases well over and above their normal call of duty.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 14 Feb 2008, 13:10 -
Another high flier for NE Phuket
Jumeirah Private Island (Ko Raet, NE Phuket)
Jumeirah will not be gracing NE Phuket's Ko Raet with a monumental sail-shaped structure housing a hotel. Ko Raet's 400 meter private white sandy beach (legally private only after some meters beyond the high water mark according to Thai law) and the promise of no money spared on luxury seem the main attractions of the newly-announced project.
Below is the introduction of their press release. Go to (http://www.jumeirah.com/portfolio/future/) for the full report.
"Scheduled for completion in late 2008, Jumeirah Private Island Phuket, will feature 65 lavishly appointed deluxe pool villas, each with a private infinity pool and Jacuzzi, and 12 three-bedroom luxury residential villas. There will also be four restaurants and bars, as well as extensive leisure, spa and fitness facilities, including a large free form swimming pool and a 400 metre private, white sandy beach. In addition, the resort will offer a marina, a private yacht club, a tennis court, several boutiques, a business centre and a library with dedicated reading room."
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 12 Feb 2008, 08:28 -
Millennium Resort Patong, Phuket
"This five-star resort is set in lush tropical landscaping within an urban environment. Consisting of two wings, the Beachside and the Lakeside, the 197 and 224 rooms are furnished in rustic resort charm" according to the hotel's official website.
The hotel is located in within the Jungceylon shopping mall complex in the middle of Patong. Its location is very close to the eastern end of Thanon Bangla, Patong's main nightlife street (see 'Bangla Nights' in Exploring Phuket & Phi Phi, pp 52-53)
Millennium Resort Patong Phuket 199, Rat-Uthit 200 Pee Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150, Thailand
T: +66 76 601 999 F: +66 76 601 986
(http://www.millenniumhotels.com/th/millenniumpatongphuket/index.html)
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 12 Feb 2008, 07:49