Police in Kanchanaburi gave an early morning briefing to the press on the brutal slaying of a 49-year-old British man named as Mr Markus John in an attack that left another 55-year-old Briton suffering from serious injuries.
A British 49-year-old tourist has been murdered in Kanchanaburi province in the course of a late-night party after he was set upon by what police surmise to be an insane local man with a knife. A second foreigner with serious injuries was taken to a local hospital.
A British tourist was murdered in the early hours of Saturday morning the 22nd of January and another seriously injured by what appears to have been a violent attack by a local man armed with a sickle knife.
The crime occurred in the western Thai province of Kanchanaburi.
Details were given at an early morning briefing to the press at 3.55 am by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phusit Ketkaew, the Superintendent of Mueang Kanchanaburi Police Station.
Dead British tourist found with his head down on a marble table outside a house after a late-night party
The UK man was named by police as Mr Markus John who was 49 years of age. His friend, who was seriously injured at the scene, was named as 55-year-old Mr Kevin, another British citizen.
The murdered man was found lying with his face down on a stone marble table by police. He had been seated at the outside table while drinking beer in front of a house.
It is understood that there was music playing at what appears to have been a party or get-together until the late hours of the night when the attack occurred.
Attacker used a sickle knife to slash his throat
Police told reporters that the attacker used the sickle knife to slash the deceased man’s neck while at the same time slashing his friend, Mr Kevin, causing him serious injury.
The latter was later taken by ambulance to Phahon Phon Phayuhasena Hospital with what is reported to be a severe wound.
Police are working on the theory that the noise coming from the party caused the attacker to become aggravated which prompted the fatal attack.
The shocking incident took place in Soi Sri Lanka in the Tha Makham Subdistrict at house number 236/2.
Doctors, paramedics and emergency personnel rushed to the scene after the alarm was raised.
The injury to the deceased man was described as extremely severe.
Pair of rubber sandals found at the scene belonged to the attacker who left his knife behind after killing
Police found shoes at the scene, a pair of rubber sandals and the knife used in the incident.
They are also investigating if more than one person was involved with reports linking the perpetrator to nearby residents of an alley.
It is also reported that a police forensic team on Saturday were busy retrieving evidence from the crime scene.
The incident in Kanchanaburi follows a report of an attack on a Swedish tourist in Pattaya filed with police last Tuesday, the 18th of January.
Reports from Kanchanaburi suggest that police have apprehended a suspect in the case. He is understood to be between 22 and 23 years of age with a history of psychiatric problems.
Attack in Pattaya occurred near the beach on Soi 7
The incident in Pattaya occurred on the beach near Soi 7 in the resort city. It is believed to have occurred 4 days previous to the police report, on Friday the 14th of January last.
The Swedish tourist told police that he was attacked by two assailants but did not suffer any injury nor was he robbed.
Security for foreign tourists across Thailand has been stepped up considerably in the light of efforts by the government to drive the re-launch of the country’s foreign tourism industry with hopes that the pandemic in the kingdom will become endemic this year.
Minister of Tourism and Sports, last August, ordered an upgrade in security for foreign tourists following a Swiss woman’s horrific murder in Phuket
In August last year, the Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, announced a review of security for foreign tourists including a strengthening of the volunteer force within Thailand’s Tourism Police and more CCTV cameras particularly within tourist hotspots and places frequented by foreign visitors.
Murder of Swiss tourist on Phuket raises the disturbing question of tourist safety in Thailand
Accused tells the press he murdered the Swiss tourist last week in Phuket and stole ฿300 for drugs and orange juice
It followed the murder in Phuket, at that time, of 57-year old Swiss tourist, Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, a senior civil servant at the hands of 27-year-old Mr Teerawat Thothip who attempted to rape the woman but later stole ฿300 from her bag.
Thailand remains relatively safe for foreign tourists
Although Thailand remains relatively safe for foreign tourists, the question of safety for visitors has been raised in the light of the diminished circumstances of many less well off people in the kingdom as a result of the economic devastation caused by the pandemic and the country’s serious problem with drug proliferation which has been linked to violent crime.
Thailand also has a serious problem with a high incidence of mental health issues among the country’s population.
Mental health issues in Thailand, although made worse by the pandemic, are both underreported and high among the general population
Crazed married man who murdered 23-year-old woman on Christmas Day was high on illicit drugs
Cancelled entry regime was a response to plunging household income in 70% of Thai households
Research by the Tourism Council of Thailand, released in October last year showed, that 70% of Thai households had lost 40% of their income as a result of the emergency.
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Further reading:
Crazed married man who murdered 23-year-old woman on Christmas Day was high on illicit drugs
Murder of Swiss tourist on Phuket raises the disturbing question of tourist safety in Thailand
Accused tells press he murdered the Swiss tourist last week in Phuket and stole ฿300 for drugs
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