I posted this on the message boards but I know many people have their preference (message boards vs. journals) and don't visit the message boards much.  So I'm reporting it here and if you would like to comment, please do so in the message boards just so we can keep the conversation going in one place instead of two.

Thanks :-)

It hasn't really been big news here in Bangkok but an American recently pleaded guilty of stabbing and killing Wanphen Pienjai a bar girl he met in Phuket. I ran across it because the American was a *former* professional poker player (before the murder he had become a typical farang degenerate living in Thailand) so I saw it via poker related news websites first. 

I was really quite surprised at the reaction of the US and UK (and I'm sure people from other countries). Most of them only could express how bad they felt that his life had taken such a bad turn. Others seemed worried about the jail conditions in Thailand and whether he should be sent back home to serve his sentence. 

Most wouldn't even go to the trouble of mentioning her name. They just called her the "bar girl" or the "Thai hooker" even though her full name was listed in every news report they quoted from. 

I wrote about my disgust at the poker community's reaction on my personal/poker blog and although I only received 3 comments so far I have received several emails privately expressing disgust at how Wanphen has been treated. 

My Poker Blog 

Wanphen was an only child and had two children with her ex-husband who is apparently nowhere to be found. Her mother is blind in one eye and unable to do more than cut grass for whatever people will pay her. She's now taking care of Wanphen's two children (ages 3 and 10 or 11 - the article didn't mention the son's age) with no means of being able to support them. 

The Phuket Rotary Club has set up a scholarship for the two children and I mentioned that in my blog post. Some people have asked if they can transfer me funds on various poker sites and if I can make a donation to the Rotary Club on their behalf. 

I'll do that but I couldn't help think about this poor woman and her two grandchildren. Readers from the Phuket Gazette donated 20,000 baht of which she gave 5000 to the temple to take care of her daughter's funeral. But what then? A scholarship is great and all but what about food? What about clothes? 

I was thinking about contacting the editor and/or the authors of the story where they interviewed Wanphen's mother and trying to arrange a TF charity event and making some sort of direct donation to the family (the Rotary Club is accepting the donations into their general scholarship fund). I'm just thinking this woman and those kids should know people actually do care about them. 

But it's looking like more than a one person job. I was looking for someone or some people who might be willing to help out. 

Anyone? 

Or if you have suggestions, I would love to hear them as well.