Torquay grandmother may have been targeted – fear
This is alleged ”killer wife’ – Wilaiwan Phillips – who has been charged with conspiracy to murder her husband Stephen Phillips – gunned down in remote north east Thailand five weeks ago.
And today exclusive documents show the countdown to his murder. And they reveal that Phillips, 59, described as a man with a heart of gold but extremely naïve, married, wrote a will in favour of his new 29-year-old Thai bride, and was gunned to death all within 15 days.
And his death was only delayed because, they say, Wilaiwan, had to find a deposit of 300,000 (£6000) for the gunman who drove in from another province to carry out the deed.
Phillips’ 81-year-old mother Ann Kingston, libes in her son’s flat in Torquay, Devon.
After Stephen’s death she called Mrs Kingston at her home in Devon asking for money and for her to come to Thailand for her ex-husband’s cremation.
In the will Wilaiwan had inherited her husband’s flat in Newtake House, Hele Road, Torquay, but she could not take possession until after Mrs Kingston’s death. He also left her in excess of £220,000 in long term deposit accounts.
Mrs. Kingston has declined to talk to the press. She is being looked after by a police family liaison officer but a friend stated:
“I have been contact with Stephen’s mother. Wilaiwan has already been in contact asking for money. She has also asked her to travel to Thailand. But there was no way she would even consider going”.
Banks,. where Stephen had accounts, had been notified of Wilaiwan’s arrest.
In any event the cremation ceremony did not appear to be a sombre affair for Wilaiwan. She turned up casually dressed a sweatshirt and silver-grey military styled pants.
Expat friends of Phillips took a dim view. They had witnessed a drama between Stephen and Wilaiwan unfold before their very eyes in the small town of Baan Phai, in Thailand’s north eastern province of Khon Kaen.
Wilaiwan at the cremation
He had actually lived in Khon Kaen with Wilaiwan for over a year and gone through a Buddhist wedding ceremony.
But he had soon had enough.
Regulars at the Number One bar in Khon Kaen were soon calling Stephen ‘The Wounded Buffalo’ after he began turning up with new tales of woe from his ‘wife’.
One of the questions he asked of his friends in the pub was if he had only gone through a Buddhist ceremony was his wife entitled to half his belongings.
The answer he was given, said a regular, was :”No”. But if he married legally it was a different matter.
Slapped in public
They saw her slap him around in public and on one occasion she even turned up at the bar with police and demand they take her husband and a member of bar staff to the local police station to apologise in front of her for showing disrespect.
“We did apologise but in a joking way. We said we were sorry for her ignorance. Neither she nor the police understood what we were really saying,” said the second apologist.
“We were shocked by his murder. We thought Stephen had found somebody else and had got away from Wilaiwan.
“We saw him with a young woman who by comparison was quite delightful”.
In fact Stephen HAD got away and found a new girlfriend who was rich in her own right and not interested in his cash.
But then suddenly Wilaiwan and Stephen, a retired supervisor for Network Rail, got together again in Baan Phai at the beginning of August and within weeks he was married, had made his will, and was DEAD.
Records show that Stephen Phillips married Mrs Wilaiwan Parncharlie at Promprabsattroopai district office in Baan Phai on August 9th.
The following day on August 10th he was taken to the office of lawyer Ms Peeranut Kraegkham where he signed over a will in Wilaiwan’s favour.
On August 24th, the British Foreign Office confirmed, Phillips, was gunned down outside the marital home in Baan Phai. He was shot in the chest. head and leg and died instantly.
Later his wife told me by phone:
“My husband was angry when he went out. He went to see some men who had cheated us out of 300,000 baht in a money lending scheme. . These men were not local. They travel from province to province and cheat everyone. He was also angry with me for giving them the money.”
Police in Khon Kaen said however:
“There is no evidence of these money lenders. We believe she cheated her husband out of 300,000, to pay a deposit of 100,000 baht each to the fixer, driver and gunman. The driver has said they were promised a total of 3 million baht (£60,000) in the longer term”.
There appears to have been some remarkable police work.
On raiding her house police found a 7/11 receipt for payment to top up a mobile phone, plus a box which contained a mobile phone.
They were able to check the serial number and telephone’s IMEI code. With that they were able to discover she used separate SIM cards to contact, the fixer, the gunman and the driver.
(left) Pornchai Gerdyoo – The fixer
Since they knew the exact time all the phones were topped up, they were able to go to various 7/11 shops in the provinces of Korat, Kon Khaen and Buri Ram and pick up the CCTV video of all those involved in the plot.
Arrest warrants have been issued both for the alleged gunman Wicharn Parnicum and for the fixer Pornchai Gerdyoo. Both are believed to have fled to Cambodia. The driver, who has not been named, is understood to be fully co-operating with police.
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| Wicharn |
While the police carried out a thorough investigation, the killing of foreign husbands by Thai wives is often not treated seriously by courts in Thailand (except for the cases detailed below) and Wilaiwan was three days ago released on bail of 200,000 – just £4000.
Lloyds TSB have been notified that attempts may be made to withdraw Mr Phillips’ cash.
Below is a video of the arrest of Wicharn in Pattaya for illegal gambling
Famous ‘Thai Killer Wives’
Beaten, barbecued and fed to tigers
In September 2006 Pannada Charnaud, 35, and four of her relatives were sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her husband Toby Charnaud, 41, a gentleman farmer from Chippenham.
The court in Petchaburi Thailand was told how Charnaud was lured to Kaeng Krajan National Park, beaten to death, and barbecued, before his body was chopped into little pieces and fed to the park’s tigers.
Even though Toby has divorced Pannada and paid her off she stood to control the cash he left to their son in his will, if Toby died.
Waited with a stun gun for his own death
In November 2009 Wachariewau (Wanna) Kongmee, the former bar girl and Thai wife of retired engineer, Ian Beeston, 69, from Market Harborough, and her Thai boyfriend Songjit Channondon were sentenced to life imprisonment, after Wanna convinced her boyfriend to club her husband to death.
Beeston, who also worked at Fords, Dagenham, had built a palatial house for him and his wife in Suwannaphum in Thailand’s improverished Roi-et province.
Beeston was aware his death was imminent. He sat alone at home armed with a stun gun and wrote a note saying: “It’s only a matter of time now”.
Bargirl and the expat – a killing foretold
Doughnut girl hammered pensioner to death
And in July this year in Britain 49-year-old Bunthawee Rimmer was jailed for life for bludgeoning 77-yr-old retired solider Paul Norfolk to death in Haverhill, Suffolk, with a 12 oz. hammer just three months after he changed his will to leave her £340,000.
Bunthawee, previously a doughnut seller in Thailand, had previosuly married Norfolk’s best friend Geoffrey Rimmer. When he died she went to live with Norfolk and also acted as his carer.
Thai woman beat pensioner to death after he changed will in her favour.
Nasty piece of work. Poor old Gran, imagine the mind planning to knock off an 81yo blue rinse bingo playing sweet little old lady. Please, if I do not report in here for some time, can some one send help ?
Unfortunately there are so many more of these type of crimes just waiting to happen here!I have personally seen these so called 'wives' hitting their 'husbands' in front of friends at the same time uttering a filthy tirade and telling all what was going to be the outcome! These male romeos just never really take the time to study or even consider the background of these 'ladies'. The biggest clues are where they actually met, how they learned English or German, whatever. So many guys parading 'obvious bar girls' refuse to even believe any different from what these girls tell them! How come all the 'lucky husbands' that I have met here say that they met their wives in a 'coffee' shop! Does the mini skirt,plastic boobs and tattoos not provide any hints!
These same guys swear blind that their 'wives' have reformed from any bar trade and were previously forced into the situation."Since she met me she has changed!" "I love her, she is a good girl now and I trust her! She was always looking for a good man like me","It doessn't matter that I cannot converse with her, it's true love"! It's just so sad! I have never met a guy who has taken up with a bank teller,lawyer or half educated business type. I'm happy the old gran managed to survive! I hope poor Stephens case is read by many and who knows it may even save some poor fool!
SirLance
Whilst I agree with much of what you say there are some of us over here who don't fit your stereotype. I am married to an educated Thai (20 years next year) but then again we didn't meet in a bar or even in Thailand and definitely NOT on the internet.
Having said that there are not many like me and I only know about 10.
Looks like there is a new one to add to the list. A South African shot and dumped in the bush near Saraburi over what seems a custody dispute over his 3yo son.
Message for Helge on Teakdoor: I can confirm that article was copied from this site. ( I have now corrected the literal to 'Í have been in contact')I can also confirm that the stories on the same subject in the SUN, Daily Mail, Manchester Evening News,(with the exception of the original report on Augu 28) Western Morning News/Express-Herald, BBC NW/SW were also from copy supplied from here. ThaiVisa does not copy generally from here but waits till the story runs in a foreign newspaper. I usually hold certain stories until they are published elsewhere for obvious reasons. Dirty Dog is blowing hot air rearwards again.
And then the multitudes who are not killed but swindled out of all their savings. Then to be swindled again when thinking they deal with a lawyer who appears to be a crook. The No-yes speciallity.
Certainly sad to see but theres good and bad everywhere. I too am married to a Thai woman & shes not a bar girl. In fact has her own successful business, an excellent wife & never asks me for money etc & she made it herself. Her family is also the same. But as we see some jump into the fire but I know quite a few success stories of Thai/foreign relationships. When you read these stories it make one sick but again its a wakeup call to any would be foreigner to take care.
Well done Sir Gordon!
When I first came here to Phuket some 30 years ago I was told by a wise old sage that'Finding a good girl here is like trying to locate a diamond on a beach covered in crushed glass'! Yes of course there are some success stories around, but as you suggest very few! I have a neighbor who has a beautiful house and reportedly leaves his Isaan wife some B90,000 per month 'pocket money' then he travels to work offshore month on month off! All household expenses are paid for so she takes some B1,00,000 per year for herself!Thing is as soon as he leaves for his month away the wife brings home her variuos boyfriends! The house really rocks with parties starting at 3am and this poor 'cuckold' knows nothing about it! How do you advise the guy? Not my business, trying to 'help' is often negative I think he is a candidate for disaster! watch this space!
SirLance, take some video of said comings and goings, discretely of course. Post it on youtube and send him the link, anonymously of course. If it was me, I would want to know. Short term heartache for long term gain. But being a friend and telling him or if it was me, never really works does it one way or another. Do it now and stop the inevitable later, you know it is going to happen, this gives him the chance to get the upper hand and affairs in order…also some security.
Sam, I think this is the worst possible advice you can give anyone, absolutely amazing! If I were Sir Lance, I would be minding my own business and not getting involved in anything at all particularly advice from a stranger on the Internet.
A friend of mine who has a masters in sociology was dating a Thai woman who also has similar qualifications. Apparently there was a study done by a University into Thai/Farang relationships. They found the primary relationship was between a much older western man and a much younger North Eastern Thai female. I think the figure was something over 70%. They also found the majority of these older Western males had no male Thai friends at all and certainly none in their own age group. In fact, the study said that there were few male/male relationships between westerners and Thais excluding gays.
I think these figures were done a while ago but are probably still valid. I am often bewildered how many otherwise sensible, intelligent men, completely lose all perspective in the company of a younger Isarn girl. Men who have saved and been frugal all their lives, suddenly just start handing over wads of dosh to a girl they barely know.
I've been married for 11 years to a Thai village girl. We didn't meet in a bar, the age gap between us is eight years and we have an eight-year-old son. Still together and as yet have avoided being shot, poisoned, chopped up or tossed on the barbie. That said, who knows what the future holds. But, just for the record.
Thanks Sam, But as previously stated 'It's not my business' Jessica is correct.'The truth will out' He has other expat friends with Thai wives who also know about'this lovely wife'They will eventually 'spill the beans'. On a positive point most of the other wives stay well clear of this cheating lady! I'm sure she is well dscussed? Another thing to consider 'maybe they have an agreement'? I do my thing, you do yours? Unbelievable to some but it may work for others?
Jessica, yes a female would say that of course….Logbags, it is quite difficult to meet decent older male Thai friends. The number that are scared of us to start with and then the ones that always have an angle with us. I have met many, all have disappointed me one way or another and I have simply given up wanting to deal with them and their scams or bullshit. A shame really as no doubt as anywhere, there is always good ones out there. but the workload to meet them is excruciating and something I am not interested in anymore. No great loss for them I would imagine anyway.
Does anyone know whether a Will made out in Thailand is legal in UK also? This guy might not have been that naive, of course he never expected to get shot over it! What power does this Thai will hold with regards to the poor guys estate in UK?
His last will appears to be legal – but under the circumstances – as his cash is not in Thailand – difficult to enforce
Though this article is well documented and is sympathetic towards the death of Stephen Phillips, for me it has been soured somewhat by bloggers informing us of their own personal problems and/or those of people around them relating to Thailand (logbags, Sam etc.). Please can we keep on track and think about what has happened: an innocent man has been brutally murdered for insurance money. What a travesty. Sympathies to all his family. Please don't reply stating how I am wrong. These are simply my personal views on such a sensitive issue.
Sam, it has absolutely nothing to do with being a female whatsoever, thats rather sexist of you! It has more to do with human & cultural behaviour and this scenario can occur east or west. If you become embroiled in friends/neighbours problems you can very easily find the tables turn.
There are many good interracial marriages between the foreigner and the Thai but there is also the "dross" and having lived in Thailand for many years I veered towards the former .. a much less complicated place to be.
If Stephen's demise has actually made one foreigner research and stop and think about rushing into the great unknown then it wont have been in vain. Loneliness has many repercussions.
RIP Stephen.
Jessica, I actually agree about not getting embroiled in other peoples problems and that it can lead to a higher level of problems for yourself. Thats why I said to do it totally anonymously. I am also saying that if that was happening to me and I was totally unaware of it, I would like to be made aware of it anonymously, so that I could not take it out on the wrong person. It would then give me the opportunity to fix things up and do something about it before its too late. Imagine not knowing and your wife and family start to plan this for you, to get you out of their partying way and gain all the riches now instead of trickling in. Imagine if that happened and you as a neighbour or friend knew about it and did nothing (anonymously) and you then read about that person being found shot dead in a ditch, similar to the recent South African gent near saraburi. Like I said, short term pain for long term gain. You could put your head in the sand and then read about it and say 'well, not my fault really, nothing I could have done hey'…but that is up to you and your conscience.
Abolutely well put Jessica, with a reported 3,400 hits on this topic if 10% of single males take notice then it's something that's been achieved! Dennis MF,It's a jungle out there and poor Stephen became a victim! Let's hope he didn't die in vain! RIP Stephen!
The document detailed above is not suffiucient for a UK court to grant probate, 'grant of representation', required and would be subject to a hearing. Given the type and duration of the relationship it is highly unlikely that a judge would not seek further representation from friends, family and HMC before making any recommendations.
Doesn't exactly seem like a sleepy, picturesque village.
Now the Thai media reports that police have arrested a 73-year-old German man who had fled a life-time sentence for murder in Germany and relocated to Baan Pai as well (I assume there is only one moo baan with that name in Khon Kaen province.
Report in Thai here:
http://breakingnews.nationchannel.com/home/read.php?newsid=653023
Ah, my mistake. Baan Phai is an amphur, not a moo baan. So of course we could be talking too different villages. But still…
Under common law, a wife who is responsible for the murder of her husband cannot benefit from property, money and life insurance irrespective of whatever the will says.
I do hope the late Mr Phillips' mother is taking legal advice.
Unfortunately, when it comes to speaking up your damned if you do and damned if you don't. No matter what you say, people will either question your motivations or take it as a personal attack. The media in general is so compromised and controlled by vested interests, it is often impossible to get an honest opinion about anything. We have reached a point where anybody speaking the truth is considered someone rare and unique. We have become so conditioned to being fed spin and bullshit, many people cannot see a wolf in sheep's clothing. I always offer very simple advice to men who are in doubt over a woman's motivations. Tell her you have developed financial troubles and don't have much money left, and you cannot give her much. You'll then see clearly how much she loves you. This case of Stephen is tragic but hopefully justice will prevail.
Curious to know what happened to the home town lover that you reported was arrested in the previous articles? You didn't mention him in this one. Was he released or were you just reporting hearsay earlier?