Stories submitted by ConcernedExplorer
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Are women safe on Thailand's beaches?
Though forensic examination has yet to determine whether Hanna Charlotta Backlund was raped, the murder of the 27 year-old Swedish woman on Phuket on Saturday March 15 seems horribly similar to the rape murder of Katharine Horton, who was walking alone on a beach on Ko Samui at night on January 1, 2006.
Katharine was raped and killed by two Thai fishermen from a boat moored offshore. Apparently the fishermen had been drinking and watching porn videos before they waylaid and set upon the hapless 21 year-old British girl. As is often the case when foreign tourists are victims of vicious murderers, the CSD (Crime Suppression Division) was brought in and the two murderers were quickly apprehended and sentenced to death in court.
Ms Backlund was alone on an 11-kilometer beach that is often devoid of people in the middle of the day, separated from the safety of company by only a few minutes on foot. What happened on Mai Khao Beach will only be determined by forensics and by a confession if and when the police catch the perpetrator. This is quite likely since, as with all cases involving violence upon tourists, the CSD pursues investigations with utmost vigor. Already a suspect has been indentified and the manhunt is on (Warrant out for beach murder suspect, Bangkok Post, 19 Mar, 08).
That the Tourism and Sports Ministry is considering a variety of measures to improve the safety and confidence of visitors, even to the point of suggesting issuing whistles to foreigners entering remote places (Women to be given whistles; more police patrols in wake of Phuket Murder, Bangkok Post, 18 Mar, 08) shows that the authorities are acutely aware of the danger to tourism that has come from what seems to be a spate of murders in recent months.
How safe Thailand is for young women compared with other countries is uncertain. That there is a risk, however small, to foreign women in situations where they are vulnerable, is indisputable.
While the average Thai person would appear to be incapable of such brutality, it is as well to remember what happened to the Vietnamese boat people who sailed into the Gulf of Siam escaping the communist regime after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. Once in open waters, certain bands of fishermen from the littoral of the Gulf of Siam would on occasion turn into pirates. Coming across a boat filled with refugees, these pirates would rob everyone and then force the young women aboard their own boat before sinking the refugee’s vessel together with the remaining people still on board.
Piracy and rapine has long been a fact of life in the coastal waters of Southeast Asia, but for the most part the kind of extreme piracy that befell the Vietnamese boat people is a thing of the past. However the mentality that creates a pirate may yet persist in certain people from the poor coastal communities of the Malay Peninsula. Young women would do well to be careful about putting themselves in situations where they might find themselves alone and without help available nearby.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 19 Mar 2008, 09:54 -
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, 19:10 -
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, 14:28 -
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, 13:49 -
Do your homework before buying a home
“Resort housing developments in Thailand typically have fancy Web sites, catchy slogans, glossy magazine ads and even celebrity sponsors and launch parties at five-star hotels.What they often lack, however, is money to construct the actual buildings.�
So began an article entitled 'Potholes on the road to luxury Thai living' written by Daniel Ten Kate that appeared in the on-line edition of the International Herald Tribune, Jan 31, 2008 (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/31/properties/rethai.php)
Kate, who regularly contributes political analaysis on Thailand that may be found on Asia Sentinel’s website (http://asiasentinel.com/index.php), went on to report that quality up-market housing projects by reputable firms with plenty of capital have been a successful growth area in Thailand.
However, Kate quotes industry representatives, one of whom advises that buyers should be beware and do their homework lest they fall foul of an underfunded project that can result in costly delays or, in rare cases, their money being ‘lost forever’. Construction delays are common in Thailand, and building materials prices are going up rapidly as the impact oil-price rises multiplies through the economy.
Nor are nominee corporate structures viable any longer as a method to get around the law banning foreigners from owning land in Thailand. Consequently property sales to foreigners are now leasehold, and lawyers are attempting to find ways to guarantee double renewal, allowing leases that are good for 90 years, but these ‘are still untested in court’.
Another industry professional was quoted as saying “Regardless of the developer's nationality … buyers must ensure land titles are secure and construction deals are signed. They must also ask if developers have received environmental approval and necessary licenses from local authorities�.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 12 Feb 2008, 12:29 -
New Gallery Opens
(Re: Royal Phuket Marina "Exploring Phuket & Phi Phi: from tin to tourism pp 158)
A new gallery called 'D Gallery' has opened in the Royal Phuket Marina. With over 220 sqm of exhibition space, the gallery will host six to eight exhibitions by leading and emerging artists throughout the year.
The gallery's inaugural exhibition will be held in March 2008 with outstanding work by emerging Thai artist Therdkiat Wangwatcharakul. The gallery open hours are 11:00 am – 07:00 pm for Tuesday - Saturday and from noon until 06:00 pm on Sunday.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 20 Dec 2007, 09:12 -
Andaman Park Fee Details
Corrections/Changes: Park Fees
(Reference to 'Exploring Phuket & Phi Phi; from tin to tourism' pp 1 & 188)
The Royal Forestry Department has devised a new scale of park fees that depends on the level of attraction offered by the park.
The new fees, which have been implemented from 1 Dec 2007, are a great improvement over the previous system (a blanket 400THB fee charged for entry to all parks) that saw unrealistic pricing for many minor attractions in Thailand, as well as a double-pricing policy in which foreigners paid 20 times more than Thais. In the case of Group 1 parks the new fees for Thais have been raised by 400 percent, making the differential in fees charged between foreigners and Thais smaller (5:1) and the fee policy more equitable.
The new fee scale sees no reduction for foreigners in Group 1 parks (the fee remains at 400/200 THB for foreign adults/children between 3 and 14 years of age) but 50 and 75 percent reductions in entrance fees payable for Grade 2 (200/100THB) and Grade 3 parks (!00/50THB). Grade 4 parks are free.
It is uncertain whether fees are going to be charged on a per day basis for people staying overnight within a park domain, but practice hitherto suggests that foreign guests are likely to be charged a one-off entry fee only if staying in accommodation or camping in the park.
Group 1 parks that require the full fee of 400/200 baht for foreigner adults/children (80/40THB for Thai adults/children) in the Andaman Area (Mu Ko = group of islands):
Mu Ko Surin , Phang Nga Province (Entire Park Area) Mu Ko Similan, Phang Nga Province (Entire Park Area) Hat Noppharat Thara Mu Ko Phi Phi (all islands) Mu Ko Lanta, Krabi Province (all islands) Other areas in the above parks will charge 200 THB for foreign adults
Group 2 parks parks on the (200/100THB foreign adults/children, 40/20THB Thai adults/children)
Laem Son, Ranong & Phang Nga Provinces Ao Phang Nga, Phang Nga Province Khao Sok, Surat Thani Province Sirinath, Phuket Than Bok Khorani, Krabi Province Hat Chao Mai, Trang Province Tarutao, Satun Province Thalae Ban, Satun Province
Group 3 parks (100/50THB foreign adults/children, 20/10THB Thai adults/children).
Lam Nam Kraburi, Ranong Province Nam Tok Ngao, Ranong & Chumphon Provinces Si Phang Nga, Phang Nga Province Khao Lak Lamru, Phang Nga Province Hat Thai Muang, Phang Nga Province Khao Phanom Bencha, Krabi Province Mu Ko Phetra, Krabi & Satun Province
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 20 Dec 2007, 09:01 -
Phuket Airport’s ‘limousine service’ operating as usual
To those used to living at local rates in Thailand, getting anything in Phuket for 100B ( ± USD 3) might seem like a break, but for years the Phuket Limousine and Business Services Cooperative (PBC) has been offering a ‘limousine service’, as they called their communal van service, for 100B for the ±30 kilometers from the airport to main destinations in the southern part of the island (there is also an airport bus service to Phuket City for the same price). In an article in the Phuket Gazette (Limo drivers vow to fight AOT over airport service, Nov 22, 2007) the PBC announced that on August 12 they had introduced a direct service for 100B to Phuket City.
Presumably this was the same service that had been offered all along, only without the intermediary stop on the bypass road, where tourists were redirected onto vans heading for the city or for separate beach destinations on the west coast. According to the Gazette report, ‘unscheduled stops’ were made, enabling touts to sell tours and other ‘unwanted services’ to tourists, who subsequently had complained to the AOT (Airports Authority of Thailand).
The article said that the AOT was going to restrict the PBC to less vehicles (90 instead of 150) for a reduced concession fee (877,400B per month in the second year till the concession runs out end June 2009 as opposed to 1.2m currently paid per month). The article did not say that the AOT was going to offer an additional concession to another group of operators. It did say that the PCB complained that some of their staff would be shut out of operations if the AOT went ahead with its restriction.
Visitors can almost be guaranteed that things will stay the same, however, since the PCB has a ‘verbal agreement’ with the AOT to continuing running 150 vehicles until a new concession is signed. And if the AOT goes ahead and restricts the PCB? Why, Airport access roads might be blockaded if previous form is anything to go by.
Pay for a taxi and there should be no touts, unless, that is, the taxi driver himself tries to flog you a tour. If such should happen to you, politely say ‘no thank you’.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 23 Nov 2007, 08:22 -
Phuket gains points in National Geographic Survey of 2007
With reference to comments on pages 230-231 of Exploring Phuket & Phi Phi
After the unhappy local reception to National Geographic Traveler Magazines 2004 rating of Phuket Island with 43 points (placing the island 97th out of 100 destinations), Thailand's tourism authorities may take some heart in the island's November 2007 rating of 46 points in NG Traveler's latest survey. The most recent survey rated 111 island destinations, placing Phuket 6th from bottom, but above Hilton Head (45), Jamaica (44), Providenciales (Turks and Caicos, 44), Ibiza (37) and St Thomas (US Virgin Isles, 37). Phuket lay within 4 points of such Caribbean destinations as Antigua (50), Aruba (48), Grand Caymen (47) and St. Martin (47), and was put on a par with Key West in Florida.
In particular praise was given for the manner in which the island recovered from the 2004 tsunami.
For Phuket, however, the key concern must be that the island is a full 11 points behind her main regional competitor, Bali, which ranked 82nd. Reviewer's comments suggested that Bali's main tourist area around Kuta represented 'the ugly face of crass commercialism', and was therefore not so dissimilar to Patong in Phuket, which was described in unflattering terms that included 'sex tourist destination', but that other less-developed parts of Bali remained magical.
Lombok, Bali's neighboring island to the east rated even higher (62 points), but reviewers hinted that its higher score was due to the lower number of visitors and the greater propriety of its Muslim population.
The lesson for Phuket is not hard to understand — the island needs to preserve what cultural identity it has (Baba Chinese and Muslim rural) and use zoning and planning to help conserve both culture and the natural beauty of that which remains less affected by commercial tourism.
Indeed the whole thrust of National Geographic Traveler's reviewers points to one of the tourism industry's main problems, which is that it is the industry itself which becomes the main destroyer of beautiful places when unwholesome greed combines with an absence of restraints (zoning, planning, a strong sense of cultural identity, etc) in tourism development.
Here is what one of Traveler's reviewers commented about Phuket:
"Chaotic development. The Thai people do not realize what a beautiful island we have. They continue to over-exploit all the island's resources. Old buildings from the pioneer settlement era still can be found downtown. However, many are not taken care of. No building code harmonizing construction with the natural settings, especially on Pathong beach (ugly high-rise building). We missed the window of opportunity after the 2004 tsunami to clean out illegal coastal development. Very sad."
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 16 Nov 2007, 15:59 -
Coral Briefs 1
What do you get when you put Royal Phuket Marina owner Gulu Lalvani and Bill Gates together? Answer: a plan for a private island. Fortunately, the plan is not to take over an island that already exists; unfortunately the plan is to build one that doesn't.
With an archipelago in its backyard, Phuket would seem the last place to need an artificial island, yet Lalvani plans to build what amounts to a $200m, three-kilometer-long facility with luxury homes and berthing facilities for megatoy owners like Abramovich, Gates and Allen. Apparently existing facilities at Lalvani's marina (the 'Royal' part of the name seems entirely Lalvani's brand creation) are too shallow for the kind of tubs Paul Allen (who owns the world's largest private yacht) and friends motor around in.
The island is to be located 1.9 kilometers off the east coast of Phuket—its effect on local fishing grounds, tidal flows and so on is unknown. Presumably the authorities have given the green light, anticipating the windfalls of cash such a project is likely to bring.
No one would want to criticize Gates for leading the way in giving away a fortune. But what could 200 million bucks do towards trying to solve Thailand's huge garbage problem, for example? Garbage management for most rural areas in Thailand is non-existent, especially for the islands off Thailand's coast. No doubt Lalvani will employ locals with boats 24/7 to scoop up offensive trash from the surrounding waters of the planned island retreat.
Reuters reports that Phuket millionaire has plans to build a man-made island off Phuket for the world's richest people to moor their luxury yachts.
Posted by: ConcernedExplorer on 19 May 2007, 22:31