cheekyboy Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hua Hin expat gunned down on doorstep http://www.huahinreport.com/ Hua Hin News 28 Oct: A US citizen permanently residing in Hua Hin has been shot on his own doorstep in what appears to have been an attempt on his life. Donald Whiting opened his front door on the evening of Friday 24th to investigate a suspicious looking vehicle, later described as a bronze coloured Toyota Vigo, outside his house when the gunmen struck. He was hit twice in the chest, one bullet puncturing his lungs, the other going through his stomach into his spine. He was rushed to hospital to undergo surgery and on Sunday moved to Bangkok where his situation was described as critical several days later. If he survives the surgery he is likely never to walk again. Mr Whiting was very vocal about troubles he and his wife, also a US citizen, had endured with property developers and the construction of what was to be their dream home in Hua Hin. He often sought media attention to highlight some of the problems foreigners can have with developers in Hua Hin and in doing so attracted a lot of attention. Earlier this year he suffered a firebomb attack which gutted his Honda Jazz (as reported on Hua Hin Report). A legal case with one well known Hua Hin developer was reported by the local Thai Rath newspaper to be approaching. Whether the incidents are connected remains to be seen however all of Hua Hinâ??s foreign community should be hoping that the authorities are doing all in their power to bring the perpetrators of this tragic incident to swift justice. There is a growing list of messages of support on the Hua Hin Forum. Hua Hin's expats get fired up News In Brief: The current theme of the moment in Hua Hin appears to be violent crime as news of yet another attack upon a foreign resident comes in. Earlier this month it was reported that a vehicle was set ablaze in a quiet residential area in the middle of the night. According to local police it marks the first incident of this nature to occur in the otherwise serene city of Hua Hin. The victim, a US citizen, was startled by his dog barking alerting him to the burning car, his Honda Jazz (pictured). Calls to the local police and fire department were fruitless due to communication problems so the victim doused the fire himself with a garden hose fearing that the petrol tank would ignite. A number of reports also indicate that the incident could be connected with an on-going dispute between the victim and another foreign national over a property deal, details of which have been posted on a number of local and national forums and other overseas websites, however their authenticity can not be verified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hua Hin expat gunned down on doorstep shot on his own doorstep in [color:red]what appears to have been an attempt on his life[/color] really, another stupid journalist , obviously the attempt was a success. If the story about the dispute is true (and if the promoter was Thai) then it will be another example that Thailand can be a lawless country and proof that dumb farangs (read: farang believing that Thailand legal system and society work like back home) can get killed if they are too obstinate. Sad for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I may need to re-read the article, Drogon, but I think the guy is still alive, and that qualifies as an 'attempt'. If I try to kill you, its 'attempted murder', if I succeed its 'Happy Days'. On a more serious note, its pretty fucked up when the developers are hiring hitmen to take out anyone who stands up to them, particularly in one of the few idylls to be found this close to BKK. I believe that the King lives in Hua Hin now : it was a source of pride for locals that I spoke to when I was there in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexi Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Property development = big money.....stepping on these kind of peoples toes is a seriously bad idea....reinforces my idea that one of the keys to a stress free life in LOS is maintaining a low profile.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 ... and renting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 << I believe that the King lives in Hua Hin now : it was a source of pride for locals that I spoke to when I was there in July. >> Klaikangworn Palace has been near Hua Hin since the 1920s. It was built as a royal retreat from the problems of Bangkok. HM frequently holidays there. But Hua Hin has built up greatly in recent years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 Nasty. I hope he recovers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 Certainly in Pattaya and probably in Hua Hin as well, big chunks of property development money come from European criminal gangs. The people who take care of business for these gangs locally are mostly criminals themselves; push them too far and they react as criminals do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 My bad, I thought he died. Seems he could survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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