Entries Tagged 'Expats' ↓

Following a complaint from the parents of four young girls, a 90-year old male has been detained and accused of abusing the sisters. It is also alleged that he raped one of them.

The man, Karl Joseph Kraus, holds an Australian passport, but was supposedly born in Berlin. A search of the man’s home turned up 100 photographs of nude children and a collection of video footage. Police say that Mr Kraus is posing with some of the children in the pictures.

Mr Kraus enticed the sisters to his home with chocolates and English tuition. The girls told their parents what was wrong, when asked why they had stopped playing outside. The parents made the allegations to police, after their daughters told them Mr Kraus had abused them.

Mr Kraus was detained at his home, in the Doi Saket area of Chiang Mai, last Wednesday. At the time of his detention he was walking with the aid of two sticks. Neighbours say that he is fit and can still drive.

Mr Kraus was taken to a hospital in Chiang Mai, where he complained about diabetes and high blood pressure. A court appearance date has still to be arranged.

In 2008, Mr Kraus started teaching the children. One of the children was only five years old when he supposedly started abusing them. The girls are now aged between 7 and 15.

The Bangkok Post reported, that a maid said she saw Mr Kraus sending videos abroad. Police are now checking whether the man was a part of a larger paedophile network.

An Australian who killed a man in a Chiang Mai bar is to be released early from prison.

William (Bill) Thomas Douglas, 61, is to be freed from jail after serving slightly more than two years for the slaying of Gary Bruce Poretsky.

Douglas was originally sentenced to two years for the March 2008 murder of Mr Poretsky, a 46-year-old American citizen. An extra 18 months was added on to his sentecne for weapons offences.

The Australian was eligible for parole in December this year, but has been given an early release under a general amnesty. Mr Poretsky’s family were dismayed at Douglas’s light sentence, and want to know why he is being released even earlier.

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A CUDDLY new addition to Chiang Mai Zoo has been named ‘Reconciliation’ in a bid to move away from the conflict of recent months.

The name for the baby koala was proposed by a four-year-old girl and picked out of nearly 500 entries.

Lapassarada Mung-opas’s entry of ‘Prong-Dong’ was thought to be the most appropriate name considering the bloodshed and violence all over Thailand recently. Continue reading →

TOURISTS in Chiang Mai are warned not to break tonight’s 23:00 to 04:00 curfew after 36 people were fined 2,000 baht and received two month suspended jail terms in Bangkok last night.

There have been a total of 511 arrests for violating curfew intentionally or without justified causes since May 20 according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Authorities warn they will continue to arrest those who violate the condition, which has been put in place in the Thai capital and northern provinces after escalating violence. Continue reading →

CHAOS continues today as clashes between red shirt protestors and government troops left 34 dead and 211 injured in Bangkok and trouble broke out in Chiang Mai.

A homemade bomb was hurled at the Chang Phuag branch ATM booth of Siam Commercial Bank in Chiang Mai’s Muang district at 02:00 this morning.

A similar device was thrown at Thai Military Bank’s Nong Hoi branch on Chiang Mai-Lampun road less than an hour later. Continue reading →

THE ailing Chiang Mai tourist industry could benefit from radical proposals from a major air carrier.

Thai Airways is considering flying direct to popular Thai destinations outside Bangkok to boost falling passenger numbers.

During the last fortnight up to one-fifth of all tickets have been cancelled due to escalating political unrest as foreign governments strongly advise against travel to the Kingdom. Continue reading →

TWO branches of Bangkok Bank in Chiang Mai were attacked with explosives in separate incidents but no casualties were reported in either.

A M26 grenade was launched at San Kamphaeng district branch but caused minor damage to a mobile phone shop next door. The safely lever of the device was found in a gutter. Continue reading →

ANTI-GOVERNMENT protestors in Chiang Mai ran into opposition from vendors who accused them of ruining the festive spirit of Songkran and threatening their livelihood. Continue reading →

TOURISTS have been assured that Chiang Mai is safe despite many deaths during anti-government protests in the capital. Continue reading →

A BRITISH expat has been arrested on paedophilia charges after a raid on his Chiang Mai home. Continue reading →