Farang murdered in HH

[Spitfire]

Well, of course miked, quite right, just being speculatively inquisitive.

[charlesh]

Why oh why would anyone want the stat's. You would be somewhat gullible to believe them even IF available. Massaging numbers keeps a lot of people in work though.
Looks like the poor bugger's (no pun intended) demise may have a close familial link. I hope that a proper investigation is carried out and the culprit/s brought to justice and removed from the streets/gutters.
Was that another porcine object I just saw fly by?

[hhfarang]

I hope that a proper investigation is carried out and the culprit/s brought to justice and removed from the streets/gutters.
Was that another porcine object I just saw fly by?

[Chas]

How about a little less judgment, fewer jokes and a little more respect for the victim of a brutal death.

[hhfarang]

That was no joke... it was a statement on the effectiveness of the local police farce (er.. force). I was there the next day helping Dolly look for evidence and shell casings because the forensics team had not arrived yet... 14 hours after the shooting!... and it had rained overnight washing away most of it! Total incompetence... every foreigner here should own a gun if you want any real protection...

[Super Joe]

It's a 3rd world/developing country. We all read up about what the police force would be like before we chose to live here yet we still whinge whinge whinge.

Yes let's all get a gun then one of our kids can shoot all of our other kids at school because he doesn't like Monday's.

SJ

[charlesh]

A valid point SJ however why are people so keen on supporting gun toting kids in uniform eg. Israeli conscripts. as for whinging why not? Would you sit by and become a willing victim of crime?? Its called continuous improvement and hopefully the society and it's enforcement capability will improve too.
Like HHF I have seen the "response" from investigations here .
Mr Knight deserves better than becoming a stat. and for his murder to be swept under the carpet.

[Super Joe]

Its called continuous improvement and hopefully the society and it's enforcement capability will improve too.

We won't change it though, especially not with our condescending attitudes and sniping towards Thai authorities. I Don't like whingeing when we knew what we were letting ourselves in for regarding the standard of investigations, it's like complaining its too hot here, and it is today by the way

Agree Mr Knight deserves better and it was a tragic event and I hope the culprit/s get bought to book. Guns aren't the solution to me, although I respect HHF views on then, Mace from Grand Market would be better IMO.

Anyway, condolences to the family of Mr Knight.

SJ

[MoiraA]

Mr Knight deserves better than becoming a stat. and for his murder to be swept under the carpet.

Hello - I came here via another forum where it was suggested people might be interested to learn a bit about Nick from someone who knew him well over the last 25 years and who was privileged to have him as a GP for a good many of those years. Firstly, in the UK we tend to describe medical doctors as "Dr" rather than "Mr" which in the medical profession is reserved for fully qualified surgeons

It has felt very strange indeed to read about someone I knew so well, being seen from a totally different perspective ..... in terms of family, Nick had a brother in South Africa who's email address I am being given with a view to contacting him and either providing him with information or eliciting it, depending on how much his brother has been made aware of. I do know that Nick and his brother didn't get on well and apart from that he had no real "family". He was a very private person on the whole, and indeed, this just shows that however much you think you know about someone, there is always a side to them that they can keep from you if they want.

Anyway, we in the UK only heard about Nick's terrible death on April 15th or thereabouts, quite some time after it had happened. In particular I'm keen to know if/when/where his funeral was held and whether anyone went

Rather than say more, I'll just quote what I posted on my own website when I heard the shocking news, as it gives an insight into a man whose death was a real loss to the world around him.

----------------------------------------------

Dr Nick Knight was a colourful character and a wonderful, kind doctor who cared not one jot for political correctness and was just about the least computer literate person I ever met. My GP for a lot of years, he came to my rescue during those early days of my Rheumatoid Arthritis and made my world a very much happier place to live in. He was extremely intelligent, and a very caring, very wise and excellent doctor. He had the insight and the perception often lacking in people today who follow flawed procedures even when they fly in the face of common sense, and he was a breath of fresh air in the medical world I was suddenly thrust into. Close friend of two doctors I worked for for over 6 years, we also had a mutual friend in Julian, a man who came to the Tyne Tri swim sessions at Elswick and who also had a holiday cottage at Newton. His two passions seemed to have been skiing and his red sports car - he had no very close family, but found all the friendship, support and fellowship he needed at our church, Jesmond URC. He was both on the Elders' Committee at the same time I was and Church Secretary for a fairly long spell. Known to everyone, he never missed a Sunday in church, morning and evening service. A great cook, everyone looked forward to his contribution when it came to church lunches and it's fair to say I don't think anyone regarded him with anything other than warmth and respect. Ever since my first visit to Jesmond, he had been a good friend and that takes me back to a point more than 27 years ago, before Derek and I had any family. He watched my children grow up with interest, as he did every young family who attended church over the years. He clearly had a strong faith, and it saw him through some difficult years at Jesmond, where the congregation were forced to step out of their cosy cocoon and face the reality of the dwindling numbers and rising costs of nurturing a dying church which is in danger of eventually dwindling and losing so much spirituality that it could stumble to a halt xxxx years down the line.

I regret so much now having chosen the very moment the call came on Wednesday 12.59pm GMT, to go to our local chemist and collect a prescription. I missed a call from Alison, wife of our minister Nigel, telling me this shocking news. Our church were holding a memorial service that evening, but I didn't check my answerphone until after getting home from work today, just before 3pm. So by the time I spoke to Nigel, the hastily organised service had already taken place. Nigel and Alison had no other choice but to organise something at very short notice - Sheila (ex-organist) put an announcement in the local paper and Nigel and Alison rang round as many church members who had been particularly close to him as they could. The Easter weekend means there are services from Maundy Thursday this week through to Easter Sunday and traditionally it's probably second only to Christmas in terms of hard work for any minister, but additionally we say goodbye to Nigel and Alison themselves this weekend as Nigel takes on a more senior role in the URC and they depart for Scotland straight after Easter.

Some of the things I'll remember about Nick are how every time he tried to print off a prescription he somehow managed to jam the prescription paper in the printer, and after impatiently taking a few useless swipes at it, he would write out the script by hand. His writing was indecipherable even by doctors' standards and it was miraculous the pharmacist was able to prevent the wrong people getting the wrong medicine. This is when he actually signed the script at all .... I frequently had to turn round and go back to the surgery to get this done after the chemist would point out "the doctor hasn't signed this." He had a great attitude to repeat prescriptions and the tendency of some practices to employ their receptionists, not to actually assist, but to put up a barrier between you and the doctor. "I never want to hear my receptionists tell a patient that their script isn't due!" he would say. "If they've asked for it then they need it, and whether or not it's "due" isn't the issue. Whatever the proper course of action is, it will never be sending those patients away after treating them like naughty, shameful hypochondriacs and drug addicts - they need some form of help." And Nick went that extra mile to help me. Not strictly within his catchment area, he fought to keep me on when the practice had to severely cut their patient list to only specifically take those people within the Heaton area.

When he decided to take early retirement and move out to his beloved Thailand we all missed him loads. To think he enjoyed barely 2 years of his much deserved and much anticipated retirement is terrible. The funeral will be in Thailand as he left specific instructions he did not want his body brought back to the UK. With his strong, unwavering faith, I can, at least, take comfort that Nick has finally gone to the Lord he believed in.

----------------------------------------

[JimmyGreaves]

God rest his soul.

[JD]

Thank you MoiraA for that lovely insight and testament to Nick.

I only new the man as a customer, on the odd occasions he would visit the shop he was always a polite man, engaging in common conversation, courteous to a fault. He obviously had faith in his beliefs and was not ashamed to talk of such things.

With his strong, unwavering faith, I can, at least, take comfort that Nick has finally gone to the Lord he believed in.

I'm sure there was a beautiful welcoming in the home he has gone to.

RIP - Nick

[MoiraA]

Thank you, both of you. Those are lovely comments.

[Randy Cornhole]

I never met Nick but for that to happen whilst on retirement is very sad. My thoughts are with his family and friends...

[MoiraA]

I just wanted to post this email I received from someone called Julie, who had this to say:

Dear Moira

I had recently heard that Dr Knight had passed away but it was only when I was searching for an obituary I learned of the tragic nature of his death.
Dr Knight was my GP for around 22 years, from when I was 22 to when he retired, he also treat me for arthritis as well as minor skin cancer (he telephoned me personally rather than have the receptionist do it) and the results of various mishaps. I also remember his red sports car, he cut quite a dashing figure in the medical practice which I believe was in Saxon House at the time.
I am very surprised there has been no reporting of this in the local press, after all he was a respected GP and surgeon who touched many people's lives which I feel should be acknowledged.
Life seems very cheap in Thailand and from other articles I have read there seems to be an appalling number of westerners killed without adequate investigation, I was also very shocked by the photograph which accompanied the newspaper article which seemed to remove any last dignity.
Whilst I agree that certain aspects of the investigation should not be discussed in a public forum, there is also the danger that this could be swept under the carpet, keeping it in the public arena may be a way of forcing the Thai authorities into action, no violent death should go unanswered.
Do you know of any charity Dr Knight favoured as I would like to make a donation in his memory?

Kind Regards

Julie Hood

If anyone does know of a charity Nick was connected to, please let me know. There are many of us in the UK determined that Nick's death will not just fade into obscurity.

[Wanderlust]

MoiraA,
First of all I would like to offer my condolences; I never knew Dr Knight but agree with all the other posters on here about what you have said about him. I applaud your desire to not let this matter rest and hope that you and others are able to achieve something. There has been some history of serious crimes against foreigners not being investigated adequately in Thailand and Hua Hin, and often it has taken the intervention of someone else to get things moving. I don't know if you heard or read about the tragic murder of Toby Charnaud, a few years ago here in Hua Hin, but his case was only solved because his family employed a private detective who uncovered the truth and badgered the Thai police into action. His ex-wife and accomplices are now paying the penalty for their crime and that perseverance, and it may well require something like that to get anything done, I'm afraid to say. The recent shooting of Donald Whiting required the intervention of the Thai Prime Minister to get the police to do anything, so this may give you some idea of what you are facing. If you are able to contact the Charnauds or someone connected with them, they may be able to furnish you with the contact details of the detective they used, if that is a step you or others wish to take.
One final point regarding this is that even if the police do identify and apprehend a suspect, the wheels of justice here turn extremely slowly and often money talks to allow said suspect to get away with it, particularly if they are friends with either police or other officials. I hope that none of this will be the case in this instance, but just thought I should give you prior warning of what might happen.