British woman raped in Thailand – two men held
From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok, Monday November 17
A British tourist claimed last night that she was dragged off the street by two men in front of Thai police and then taken to a hotel where she was raped and then robbed of her belongings.
The woman, aged 25, said the attack happened early Saturday morning in the Thai resort of Pattaya, twenty metres from a police box. The attack happened after she had been separated from friends. The abduction allegedly took place in Pattaya’s Walking Street.
She said she was unable to resist the two men who after raping her then left taking her Natwest bank and credit cards and 60 pounds in cash and a bracelet worth 100 pounds. Nobody came to her help.
The attack was kept secret at her request but last night police in Pattaya charged two men with rape and theft. They were named as Krajon Senkam, 29, and Surasak Kovekasan, 20, who were described as local ‘maeng da’ – a Thai expression , literally translating as cockroaches, describing men who live off the earnings of local prostitutes.
Police Colonel Wanlop Kangtharatit said the men were arrested quickly as they were known in the area.
You can almost hear the Pattaya Plods’ minds working OT from here.
“Krachon and Surasak. Yeah, I know them. Last time I saw them, they were raping some farang”.
A similar crime committed on Koh Tao netted a 2 year sentance recently, hardly a deterrent & barely worth the ordeal of going to court.
Andrew, have you seen the thread on ThaiVisa following the printing of your article? I am surprised you allowed your article on there but not at all surprised at some of the disgusting comments from members there implying it is her own fault. Truly sad to see some of the people this country attracts…
Rowley: Yes. I heard about that case. A bit too late though, as I guess you know.
Edward: I am not particularly concerned. Only slightly irritated. It keeps the junk posters away from here
Beside the admins appear to have deleted the worst of the posts. I did not give George permission, he just lifted it. And actually he lifted the slightly edited Daily Mail version which is quite different on one major point.
It is interesting that he does not lift complete articles off local papers in Thailand any more though.
He could just as easily attach a summary of the story with the links as he does in other cases.
The police in Pattaya did rather stress to local journalists that this would not be good publicity.
Crime reporters in Pattaya, or anyhere in Thailand for that matter, do not go against the wishes of local police.
Rapes of foreigners are much more common than the average person seems to think.
And the way rape is reported and dealt with in Thailand render the statistics ludicrous.
I would like to know why The Mail is THE ONLY media source to report this story, if this woman had gone to the police you can bet your last satang that Howard Miller of pattayaone.net would be all over it like a rash. What gives?
(Pompous remark deleted)
Can I ask why you have quotation marks around “raped’?
Until I read this, I had no idea this happened on Walking Street.
Alan Mann: Yes, of course. At the moment it is an allegation and has not been proven in a court of law. The local press do not make such a fine definition.
Somchai: I think this is a question for Howard not me. I think you have lost your last satang, that is if you actually betted it. Suffice it to say we pick up on a lot of things which do not make the media in Pattaya. All the British press had the story. In Pattaya there was a news blackout when the case was first reported.
Be lucky you have the information rather than grumbling about it. We also have photos which we will not publish.
Whine away on Thaivisa is you wish. Tacky comments are unnecessary. Suffice it so day maeng-da was mistranslated unfortunately, but I am not going to lose any sleep over it. Take this as a correction.
Thanks.
So we have a report of a “rape” by a woman who presumably withdrew it at the police station, shortly after making it, or at least asks them to take no further action (presumably getting little encouragement from them to proceed anyway) who then asks for no publicity, the police lean on the local press, yours is the only report to get published and these guys walk free to do it again to another ususpecting, unwarned young woman tourist, knowing not much will happen to them if they do.
It doesn’t say much for the way rape complaints are dealt with at the local nick here.