Terrible news being reported regarding the murder of a young woman on Mai Khao Beach on Phuket Island yesterday, in broad daylight. The latest that I read indicated police are hopeful to have an arrest soon, but preliminary reports say it was a possible attempted rape, then murder, possibly involving 3-4 men.

I believe the JW Marriott is on or near that beach.

Of course, personal safety should be practiced everywhere, vacation or not, but if you are planning on a visit in this are in the near future please be extra careful!

That beach is a little isolated. There is a lot of scrub brush between the hotel and the beach. Parts of the beach is a nesting area foe turtles. There is safty in numbers.

That's by no means the first murder of a young Western girl on holiday to Phuket and the southern islands.

Compare these two stories:

Swedish Woman Murdered on Phuket

By Gregers Moller

A Swedish woman was Saturday 15 March around noon found stabbed to death on Mai Khao beach on Phuket only 300 meters from Mai Khao Beach Bungalow, where she was staying with her friend. Thai media reports identify the murdered woman as Hanna Charlotta Backlund, 27, and her friend as Emma Storman, 30.
The two had been staying at the bungalow since 6 March and especially Hanna Charlotta had enjoyed going for walks along the beach, which the police says is quite deserted.
According to a police briefing of the Thai media, Hanna and Emma had on Saturday morning been sitting at the bar of the bungalow when Hanna Charlotta had invited Emma for a walk. But Emma had said she would rather read her book. When she had been reading for about one and a half hour and Hanna had not yet returned, she started getting worried. She then went looking for Hanna Charlotte and found her only 300 meters down the beach.
Hanna Charlotta was wearing her two piece bikini, black top and blue botttom. She had a stab wound to the left side of her body and a slash accross her thoat. A knife wound accros her palm inside her hand indicated a struggle. There was a lot of blood on the sand.
Police suspects that several persons were involved in the attack on Hanna Charlottaa. The purpose had likely been to rape her and not to rob her because she was wearing no valuables and the string on her bikini top had been untied.
The body of Hanna Charlotta is currently at the Thalang Hospital for autopsy and according to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, her friend Emma is being treated for trauma at a hospital in Phuket.

And this murder, which occurred while I was in Bangkok in January 2006, in Koh Samui:

Tourist numbers drop after Thai murder
Email Print Normal font Large font January 30, 2006 - 1:00PM

The murder of Welsh tourist Katherine Horton on Thailand's holiday island of Koh Samui has led to a significant drop in the number of foreign tourists, including Australians, to the province.

Two Thai fishermen have already been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of the 21-year-old British backpacker on New Year's Day.

The tourist island was shocked by the murder of Horton, whose body was found in the ocean after she was last seen strolling alone on a beach on the evening of January 1.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, visitor numbers to the southern province of Surat Thani, which includes Koh Samui, fell by 30 per cent in the first month of 2006.

Spokesman Pramote Spyen said it was obvious Horton's murder had affected tourism, even though two men had been quickly arrested, tried and sentenced.

Australian visitor numbers had been affected, dropping an estimated 10 per cent, but British tourist numbers were the worst hit, he said.

A third of the expected visitors to Koh Samui and nearby island Koh Pha-ngan had cancelled high-season trips to the islands, he said.

Australians are estimated to spend about $A250 a day each on holidays in Thailand and on that basis the islands had already lost millions of dollars so far this year, the spokesman said.

Police said they were introducing stricter safety measures on Koh Samui and neighbouring islands to protect tourists.

This included assigning English-speaking officers to warn foreigners against going to what he described as "risky places".

Meanwhile, falling tourist numbers have prompted Thai International to cancel direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to the southern resort town of Phuket from February 1.

Tourism companies are to ask the airline to reconsider its decision.

Apparently the Thai police have the man who committed the murder in custody.

Bizzarely, the tourism ministry is now planning on handing out safety whistles to all female tourists visiting Phuket. The whistle will be shaped like the symbol commonly used to designate women — a circle above a cross.

OMG...another expert

"OMG...another expert"

I am puzzled, was that directed at me? If so, may I ask why?

I didn't understand the comment either.

I'm not Bob, but I can say with some confidence that the reference is not to you. It's sort of an inside joke among those who have been posting to this board for many years.

afterwards i did think that maybe you would feel that way....sorry...it was of course posted to our resident "expert" crackpot...

I am not too familiar with the Asia Boards, having spent most of my travel time in Europe (and on the Europe Boards)in the past years, so I guess I wasn't aware of the insider jokes over here. I should probably not post until I get the lay of the land a little.

I saw this story on MSNBC and it caught my eye as the murder happened near where we plan on staying (JW Marriott - on points)so I just thought I would raise safety awareness for people going to the area. I would imagine lots of families might visit the Marriott.

I still think it strange that women coming into Phuket would be given a whistle to blow in case they are attacked.

Happy, there was absolutely nothing wrong with your post. Many of us post about relevant news in Asia. Really, Bob's comment had absolutely nothing to do with you.

Please, Happy, do continue to post here.

Thanks Kathie!

I am sure I will be posting in the future, and I look forward to planning my first trip to Asia with the help of the excellent advice offered here.

Like more than one traveler to Europe, the dollar to euro exchange rate is causing me to expand my horizons, which is a good thing! We are going to Turkey and Greece in May, and after that I am really going to start looking at my Thailand/Cambodia trip in Nov/Dec.

I'll be reading from the sidelines til then, because I won't be able to resist peeking at trip reports!

Great! And Thailand/Cambodia is a wonderful combination.

Happy, there is something of a little clique on this board, and often, there are comments which only 'members of the club' will understand. Shame ,really, because, in many ways it's the best travel forum.....just keep posting.

Leigh-clique is probably an inaccurate term. There are regular posters who tease each other endlessly. However, the only requirement for participation is a sense of humor.

You got it right the first time Leigh, and it IS a shame, because it prevents a lot of people who have information to share from posting here, but some of the other boards are less inclined that way.

P.S. And I don't understand that comment either. Would you care to elaborate, rhk?

most of the regulars ignor people who preach like you do, but sometimes it just becomes way too much, way over the top...

i have yet to see any reasonable person turned away or turned off on this board...we encourage everyone to participate and add in their two cents worth....you always seem to add $100 and preach to us at the same time....

happy easter

Is this the same Spygirl who once preached to me and others on this board about the evils of buying copy DVDs in Asian Markets?

And who I then caught extolling the virtues of fake designer bags at said Asian markets?

And who then tried to justify her different stand point.....

RT-spot on.

I note for the record the civil discourse that recently transpired on the thread initiated by Blue Poppy's wife. Even though she was clearly very upset by the content of a post on this forum, she stated her husband's side of the matter in a well-reasoned fashion. It was much more persuasive than some of the judgemental screed that sometimes ensues. The responses in that thread followed her lead and information was exchanged.

Ahh... the good old days!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34523163