Four Canadians shot in Thailand this year
Hot on the heels of Andrew Spooner’s article about how dangerous Thailand is for British citizens, it looks like there is a group of people even more at risk: Canadians. Four Canadians have been shot in Thailand this year, two fatally.
The first and most publicized case is that of Leo John Del Pinto, who was fatally shot in the face and chest by a plain-clothes police officer. Although the story is vague, reports have come out that he died defending his friend Carly Reisig, another Canadian, who was shot in the chest and survived.
Witnesses have come forward to corroborate Reisig’s version of events, conflicting with the account given by the shooter, Sgt Uthai Dechawiwat. From the Chilliwack Times:
The witnesses from Chiang Mai told the Bangkok-based newspaper The Nation that Reisig was fighting with her Thai boyfriend when the officer, Sgt. Uthai Dechawiwat, kicked her, struck her with his pistol and then shot her in the chest.
Dechawiwat then shot and killed Reisig’s friend, Canadian Leo Del Pinto who, according to the witnesses, had his hands in the air and was yelling at the officer to stop.
Moving on, Canadian Dale Henry, 48, was shot dead in Ranang, allegedly by a hitman hired by Henry’s wife. Henry had a US$1-million life-insurance policy that his wife, Nee, and her lover allegedly had their eyes on. Nee, her lover and the hitman were arrested in connection with the death.
In yet another shooting, Canadian Erik Griffioen was hit by a stray bullet on Wednesday while holidaying in Chiang Mai with his wife. According to reports, Griffioen, who is recovering in hospital, was shot unintentionally and as such no arrests have been made.
The fact that so many Canadians have been shot is nothing more than bad luck, but these reports should at least wake people up to the fact that Thailand isn’t some sort of cartoon dream world, as visitors to the country often believe. I’m still not siding with Andrew Spooner’s point of view because I think a lot of the time, people choose to be ignorant of the reality of what Thailand is like. However, these shootings are true and events and you can make of them what you will.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:21 am
This kind of stuff goes on everywhere, not just Thailand. It happens in the US, too. While I don’t think anyone should live in a dream world or consider Thailand to be a paradise on earth, it needs to be kept in perspective, too.
Wherever there are human beings, there will be danger.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Did anyone read Stephen Cleary’s column in The Nation recently? In it he implied a Canadian woman shot and killed in Pai basically had it coming because she was a known drunk. Hmmm.
Now while I would never claim to be completely familiar with Thailand’s laws I would imagine summary execution for being drunk is not on the statute book.
In the same piece - which is about low journalistic standards in the Western media’s reporting of Thailand - Stephen also condemns my article (published in The Independent). The irony is that Stephen condemns his colleagues work without resorting to any facts, data or anything other than the imaginings of his mind.
I wrote to Stephen (and to The Nation editorial) to complain about such poor journalism.
Stephen’s bizarre and paranoid response was this -
“Andrew:
I have been in contact with a some important folk to raise my concerns about ’stalkers’.
In the meantime, i’ll forward on your mail to some others, i’ll attach some of what you wrote at whatismatt and ajarnforum.
Steve”
I think the sun may have got to the poor guy….. after the ranting comes his ravings…..
July 16th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
[...] few publications have run this latest development in the story, but nothing will ultimately change. Canadians have been dropping like flies in recent months, so I don’t see what difference this will [...]