Four people arrested in connection with tobys absence

Post by **tuktukmike** » Wed May 04, 2005 10:43 am

It seems that everyones worst fears have been realised, Four Thais arrested for the Murder of Toby.

They are currently being held at Hua Hin police station, Early reports are the the four are his ex wife, her brother, a policeman and another male Thai.

It has been reported on the English news channels, so yet another brutal end for a Farang.

It really makes me wonder if myself and wife made the right choice in moving out here in the first place, Also i wonder what will happen to the culprits will they really get what they deserve.

Until Thailand show the world that they take this sort of thing seriously then we can expect more of the same,

I think we all send our condolences to Tobys family and friends.

And i am sure we will all watch with interest as to the fate of the culprits.

Mike.

Post by **SHADOW** » Wed May 04, 2005 11:21 am

A very sad end to a nice guy. I had wished for a happy ending but sadly it was not to be. My thoughts go out to Tobys family, a very sad day.

Post by **buksida** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:06 pm

Toby was a friend and will be sadly missed. I found this story via Google News:

Missing Briton: Murder Probe Police Arrest Thai Wife

Thai police who believe they have found the remains of a Briton who disappeared at a beach resort two months ago said today they had arrested his estranged Thai wife and two of her relatives on suspicion of murder.

The British Embassy had urged police to search for Toby Charnaud, 41, who had been missing since early March from his home in the resort town of Hua Hin, 140 miles south of Bangkok, said police Col Amnuay Warayavisut.

â€œWe have found the burned remains and ashes on a plot of land that belongs to his ex-wife and weâ€™re detaining her and her relatives for questioning,â€

Post by **PeteC** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:32 pm

I didn't know the man personally may he rest in peace. No one deserves an end like that. It sure drives home the point "man, know thy woman". Pete

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:07 pm

Really sad.
I remember when Toby came to HH and bought the property opposite my old bar. I remember playing in a 4 ball with him on his introduction to HH golf society.
He was a mild mannered man who'll be sadly missed.
As others have posted, I trust justice is done and that means in Thailand a lethal injection for all guilty parties.
Condolences to his family.

Post by **Jaime** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:26 pm

Don't think I was ever introduced to Toby but nevertheless, I echo all the comments above. Life can be cheap in Thailand - sad but true. What chance in life does his little boy have now? So sad.

Post by **Bamboo Grove** » Wed May 04, 2005 7:54 pm

Sad really, so many lives ruined now. BBC also has a story about this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4512327.stm

Post by **shakin' boxcar joe** » Wed May 04, 2005 9:14 pm

I trust justice is done and that means in Thailand a lethal injection for all guilty parties.

Dream on.
Justice in thailand.
Dont make me laugh.

Seeing as a policeman was involved the chances are he'll walk free with the rest of them after they dream up some cock and bull story about provocation and self defence.

Very few thais ever get justice in this country , so why should a falang.

RIP and condolences to family and friends.

Post by **lomuamart** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:10 am

Hey Boxcar,
I don't think you appreciate just how serious a matter is the murder of a farang in Thailand, particularly in The King's town that is pretty much totally dependent on tourism.
Don't stick your head in the sand and come up with the time worn farang cliches about justice.

Post by **tuktukmike** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:50 am

While i would really want to see justace served on these people i would agree in part with Boxcars comments.

Example, The Thai policeman who shot and ran over the two tourists near the River Kwai was let out on bail against the wishes of the prosecution.

The reason they gave was that he would interfere with witnesses if released on bail, sure enough a week after being released the witnesses all changed their statments (Bangkok Post).

It seems they now never saw anything.

Last month alone around 5 Farangs died in Pattaya and we all know this is a common event there, is Pattaya not a major tourist resort.

Hua Hin while being a tourist resort is now more and more becoming a Farang residential area, remember before the Tsunami hua hin was dead and only came alive due to this event.

As for Hua Hin being the kings town I really dont suppose in his position that he will have any involvment in this case , this is not meant as a derrogitry remark but reality.

When we choose to live out here we must remember we are on our own, you can forget the Embassy of your country as they seem too busy having cocktail and garden parties to really give a damm.

As i said in my first post i too hope to see justice but lets all wait and see, as if this sort of thing carries on and people see that they can get away with this sort of crime then for sure others will follow.

Mike.

Post by **buksida** » Thu May 05, 2005 1:57 pm

Here's another story from the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... world.html

It seems that the motive was financial or just a "loss of face" that she couldn't let go.

This stuff sickens me sometimes and it will sicken me further if these savages literally get away with murder.

Post by **shakin' boxcar joe** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:40 pm

I don't think you appreciate just how serious a matter is the murder of a farang in Thailand.
Don't stick your head in the sand and come up with the time worn farang cliches about justice.

A murder of a falang is only a serious matter to the victims loved ones , and as far as the police go, well they dont take it seriously at all.
The same goes for the murder of Thais , unless the deceased was wealthy , had influence, came from an influential family or was famous.

In most cases, unless the murderer is apprehended immediately or pointed out by the victims family, then i doubt if they would even bother to investigate. In a lot of cases they have to be paid to investigate crimes.
Unless word comes down from higher authorities, the police will turn a blind eye. Theres no money in it for them. They are not professional.

Contrary to appearances, thailand remains a third world country with third world systems of policing and justice.
Where is the evidence gathering, have any of his friends here been interviewed by the police to determine any kind of background to this case?

Many police and soldiers act as hired guns in their spare time.
Their services can be bought quite cheaply.
That is the calibre of the thai police force.

Witnesses can be found who will say almost anything that the police ask them to say, the thai family of this unfortunate brit may put forward some cock and bull defence about how violent he was , about how he provoked the violence etc.etc.etc.
If the police wanted to arrest you or i and charge us with his murder then the police would have no trouble in finding and trading deals with false witnesses who would swear that we did it. they saw us do it.

Who will speak up for the poor victim? nobody.
These stories make the news back home for a day or so and then are forgotten.
Tourists wont suddenly stop coming here because a brit was murdered.

Read the Thai newspapers and you will read almost on a daily basis stories of how desperate victims have been set up and let down by the police who fail to serve them.

Falangs die here in great numbers, most of them are recorded as suicide, the police just cant be bothered.

Who was prosecuted when the welsh backpacker was raped and killed in her chiang mai guest house a few years ago?
Look at the absolute farce of the kanchanaburi policeman who shot the two backpackers? he was protected for two months by an army general before he "gave himself up " to his pals in the police, and look at what has happened since.

Hopefully justice will be done here, but i wouldnt hold my breath.

And as for tired cliches, well they happen to be correct.
I dont think its me that has my head buried in the sand.

Post by **Jaime** » Thu May 05, 2005 7:21 pm

It's a bitter pill to swallow but I can't argue with any of that!

Post by **tuktukmike** » Thu May 05, 2005 9:22 pm

Nice one Boxcar.

I am sure most of us who live out here and those who have visited Thailand for many years agree with your last post.

Mike.

Post by **hogus** » Thu May 05, 2005 11:57 pm

buksida wrote: It seems that the motive was financial or just a "loss of face" that she couldn't let go.

It isn't wrong to suppose a financial motivation.

In my opinion, you never ever should invest millions of Baht (like Toby and others had done) in a so called "third world country", that refuse to protect foreign investments in a fair way by law, or you donâ€™t need to wonder of ending up in a jungle area one time in future, too.