A SILENT TRIUMPH IN KRABI

Chumphon Khawnuang – Wanted for rape and assault

A 26-year-old Thai tourist guide appeared in court today with the rape and assault of a young Dutch model who was holidaying in July in Krabi with her boyfriend.

Chumphon Khawnuang of Koh Phagnan, Surat Thani, surrendered himself to police in Krabi, yesterday, where police said he confessed to the attack.

He was brought before Krabi Provincial Court this morning. Krabi Police decided not to hold a press conference about his arrest, because, it is believed, they were concerned about the impact on tourism.

Nevertheless Krabi police had enough evidence to charge him long before his surrender. He was caught on CCTV footage with the young model, from Amsterdam, who holds both Dutch and Israeli citizenship, towards the end of her birthday celebrations in the area of the Chang Bar in Ao Nang on the night of the 27th and 28th of July.

Her boyfriend had left at around 2 am feeling tired and she said she would follow on. She was filmed chatting to Chumpon a Thai tourist guide and it is this man who she identified from a photograph as her assailant.

The father, a musician, contacted this website as he was concerned that he had not heard of the arrest of the suspect who was very well known.  The father says his daughter was treated well by the police.

She was interviewed by a woman police officer and she was able to give evidence in court prior to leaving the country, but he was concerned at the progress of the investigation. In this case he need not have been.

The case is being handled by Police Colonel Thaksin Phochakorn.

Police Lt. Col. Chatchawan Nilchan said if the parents wished to enter a joint prosecution they should contact a lawyer and lay charges with the court.

In Amsterdam the father said today that he was very pleased at the news. The family he said would be contacting  a local lawyer so they could monitor the case.

But both the Netherlands and Israeli Embassies had been active in behind the scenes with the Thai authorities.

The young women’s Dutch boyfriend reported:

“On the 27th of July we went to Chang Bar around 11.30 to celebrate Xxxx’s upcoming birthday. Around 2 am we walked outside and I went to fetch the scooter.

At the time Xxxx was waiting next to a big tree opposite Chang Bar. As I came back with the scooter I saw a Thai guy sitting next to her. Xxxx had decided to stay longer as I was tired and went back to my guesthouse to sleep.

 “The next morning around 9 am I was woken by the owner of Nature View guesthouse telling me that the hospital was on the line and wanted to talk to me.

“The nurse/Dr told me that I must go to the emergency room ASAP.  “As I walked into the Emergency Room xxxx was sitting on the hospital bed crying and very traumatised. I asked what went wrong and she said ‘I was raped’.

“Besides that, I recognised that she was not only raped but beaten too as her right side of her face was swollen up with a dark shaded blue undertone . Her upper lip was swollen severely.

“She told me that in the early hours of the morning around 3 am she got a lift with the Thai guy she was talking to as he offered to take her home.

“When she realised that he was driving the wrong way she asked him to stop, said thank you and that she would walk herself.

“When she got of the scooter the Thai guy grabbed her and pulled her further away from the road and threw her down on the ground.  “He overpowered her. She said if she didn’t stop fighting him he would’ve killed her, as he was very aggressive and was beating the last energy out of her until she was very weak.

“After he raped her he got on his scooter and drove off. Xxxx got help from some locals nearby and got taken to the Krabi Hospital”.

It is understood that the victim was offered an inducement to drop the case by the alleged rapist’s ‘sister’, another bar owner in Ao Nang. The offer was refused.