THAI COP GUILTY OF MURDER

[Loburt]

KANCHANABURI: -- A Thai policeman has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering two British tourists in September last year.

Somchai Visetsing shot Vanessa Arscott, 24, and her boyfriend Adam Lloyd, 25 after a row outside a restaurant in western Thailand.

Mr Lloyd was shot in the stomach, head and arm before Somchai turned on his girlfriend.

She was hit with a car and dragged her 200 metres down the road before being shot in the body and head.

Visetsing, 39, spent a month on the run in the neighbouring country of Burma before surrendering to Thai police.

He denied two counts of murder and illegal possession of weapons.

Eileen Arscott, grandmother of the dead woman, described Somchai as a "psychopath".

She said: "This last month, coming up to this date, it has got worse each day - your stomach churns.

"You're thinking of these two lovely children all the time, and what that wicked man did, and you are not really in control of yourself."

Mr Lloyd and Miss Arscott, both from Devon, had been travelling together for two months and were due to return to Britain three days after the tragedy.

--Sky news 2005-05-26

[AlcoholicA]

good that he got caught, but how can his sentence truly reflect the consequences of his actions? Hopefully life imprisonment in Thailand means a true lifetime, not the lame-ass version that is applied in the west

[g5665]

Don?t want to take sides, but, and because I don?t know all the story... why it happen?

Why did the cop kill them?

What happen before he start shooting?

Where did the tourist been the days before the incident?

Did he shot the bf and then run over the girl with a car?

Did he shot the guy from inside the car?

How can he drag her for 200 meters and then shoot her in the head and body (from inside the car?)?

Usually before taking sides I like to have all the picture.

However, I agree, if the accusations are true, that he suppose to rotten in jail for the rest of is life.

But also agree with ThaiBeast question, if he shoot a farmer, will the sentence be the same?

[g5665]

Don?t want to take sides, but, and because I don?t know all the story... why it happen?

Why did the cop kill them?

What happen before he start shooting?

Where did the tourist been the days before the incident?

Did he shot the bf and then run over the girl with a car?

Did he shot the guy from inside the car?

How can he drag her for 200 meters and then shoot her in the head and body (from inside the car?)?

Usually before taking sides I like to have all the picture.

However, I agree, if the accusations are true, that he suppose to rotten in jail for the rest of is life.

But also agree with ThaiBeast question, if he shoot a farmer, will the sentence be the same?

If you go to google and search for "thai police kill tourist kanchanaburi" you will get all the information u ask for.

Thks...

but as good information, it should be given a overlook of the case...

But i will go and check it anyway... thks for the hint

[Loburt]

While I agree that if this cop had shot a poor Thai famer he would never have been prosecuted, much less sent to jail, and that high-profile murders of tourists get the Thai justice system moving in ways we don't usually see, nonetheless, I think overall the justice system in Thailand is weighted against foreigners.

In most cases, especially involving business disputes, the justice system here will work to protect Thais against foreigners no matter how wrong the Thai is.

In most cases, whether they involve Thais or farangs, the court favors the rich and powerful.

One reason the court came to this decision was because of sustained pressure from the British government on the Thai authorities and the constant attention of the local and foreign news media.

Thais need to put the same kind of pressure on the authorities when one of their own faces injustice.

Only Thais can change this.

It's hard. And dangerous at times. But it can be done.