Koh Phangan - is crime out of control?

After so much high profile crime reported in newspapers and on the web the chief of police in Koh Phangan has been transferred from the area this week; Bangkok Post Report

Danny Hall - a 35 year old British Backpacker - disappeared on the island back in February at one of the notorious full moon parties. Unfortunately with no information - things look bleak; Danny Hall - Koh Phangan,Thailand - Feb 24th 2008, BBC Report, Facebook Group

The Bangkok post also reports other recent crimes;

Police have allegedly failed to arrest suspects in murder cases, includinge fatal shooting of a former kamnan of tambon Koh Phangan. A female foreign tourist has been recently raped. The officers were also accused of getting bribes from some foreign tourists in exchange for not arrestingem for marijuana possession.

The latest case involving Koh Phangan tourists ise disappearance of Daniel Christian Hall, or Danny Hall, a British national who joined a full moon party one southern island on Feb 24.

Is crime out of control on the island?

Is it the fault of the drunken drugged party goers or the lax authorities more interested in bribes than fighting crime?

What do you think? Reply to this

Brutal Assault on Koh Pha Ngan

The assault occured in the early hours of the morning on 13th April. Claire and Graham were returning from a new year and half moon party on the beach at Haad Rin. They were attacked shortly after passing the 'Drop In Bar'. As they were both beaten unconscious neither can remember much. All they remember directly is that one minute they were walking home and the next they were covered in blood and being driven to the hospital on the back of motorbikes. Graham's whole body is badly bruised and the wounds to his face suggest he had been hit in the face with some sort of weapon. Claire received two bad wounds to her head - the wound on her forhead goes right through to the bone again suggesting that the assailant used a weapon of some sort.

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I went to the full moon party on July 31st 2007 and decided to go across on speed boat from koh samui due to the prices of accomodation in Koh Phan Ngan and getting there was really easy apart from when ported had to jump in the water and everyone got trousers soaked not a good way to start it as arrived at like 7pm, so ages before it got going.
Anyway the rave was cool and the pubs and entertainment around was really good, lots of choices, but the restaurants didnt seem quite able to cope with and not organised with it.
But anyway the rave went in a blur (not due to drugs as didnt take just lots of drink) and ended up going to get speedboat back the last one at like 5am i think it was and was waiting on the beach when told to go in water as our boat there.
Got in water and went upto my chest having to hold my camera, wallet up above my head and jump with the waves to stay above, people were soo out of it, people falling in water and having to be pulled back up as soo drunk, anyway when got to boat was told wasnt ours and ended up walking from one boat to another for about a hour, in chest high of water, people falling over every few steps, soo dangerous and people were going mad as tired, drunk and also waiting in water soaking wet and cold for a hour, ended up finding our boat, and having to push way on and even then the people on the speedboat was not letting people on without tickets broken off, when freezing cold drunk and miscordinated it wasnt easy, you seriousally had to push way onto boat as if didnt wouldnt get on.
Ended up leaving about 30 people in the water as boat full and went off, on the boat everyone was dead quiet and it was like a situation off Titantic i know hardcore explaination but people were shivering and it was a very bleak ride back.
When got back was told bus about to leave in one minute, a guy when jumped off the boat was soo cold and mucked up he collapsed and got his legs stuck under the speed boat and got glass inside his leg.
It was not a safe and fun way to end the evening and worst thing was being in the cold water at 5am for a hour upto chest high and having to battle other people to stay up right, was all battle for individuals and i must have seen about 30-40 people be pushed in the water, was not pleasant end to the night and due to this i wouldnt recommend the rave, on its own was good but not worth all the effort and downsides of.
Anyway thought id put my opinion on here to help you all if need be Reply to this

We've been in Thailand for more than a month now and are currently on Phangan. I'm gonna be honest - that must be the least likeable place we've visited so far. There's just this wild vibe to it. It seems that anything goes and that's what attracts certain people to the island. Just hang around Had Rin area and you'll know what I mean. We delibaterly missed the FMP cause we didn't fly half the world to get waisted on a beach. I realize that lots people keep coming here just for the very reason. Yesterday day we were sitting outside a 7/11 and spoke to 20 something German guy, who happend to be on acid which he happily confessed to us. He'd been on the isle 3 months and said all kind of drugs are easily available from a pharmacist, and you can buy your way out of any trouble with the police. I have no reason not to believe him. When we first came the weather was horrible and only addeded to the creepy ambience, and if the sun hadn't showded up again we probably would've left the next day. FMP would be the last place we would go to. Anyone had similiar impression? Reply to this

I went there with my daughter too when she was 5, Karma. I also had a lovely time. The Thais are so nice with kids. The people in cafes invited my daugher into the kitchen to watch TV when we were there which she loved. Also they always seem to be watching out for kids so there is never a time when one has to worry about them getting lost or getting in danger. If I was ever doing anything they would watch to make sure she never wandered too far. I never even had to ask them to. They just did it voluntarily. One time I lost her shoes. I thought they were gone and was going to buy her a new pair. I mentioned it to the owner of the beach huts where I was staying. She knew exactly where my daughers shoes were. She told me they are on the dirt path outside one of the cafes 100 M from where we were. I went there and sure enough there they were, exaclty as she described. I was amazed. I had not even told her where we went that day. Reply to this