HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

15 years on, and still no justice for Joey

Whinging about whinging

Thai TV Global New Frequency

Playing your part in the protection of Pattaya

American veterans ask for Thai hospitals’ cooperation

My cry for help

Be Careful In Pattaya

15 years on, and still no justice for Joey

Dear Sir:
Fifteen years ago in the early hours of April 30/89, Joe Gaal, a 29-year-old Canadian photojournalist was murdered while a guest at Ocean View Hotel in Pattaya. Joe was taking a break from the ravages of the Soviet/Afghan War, and intended to return to his home base in Peshawar, Pakistan.

However, his investigative nature provided a lead on a story he decided to pursue. Asking questions of the wrong people about the wrong subject cost him his life. He was lured away by a Thai girl, befriended by two Pattaya police officers and assassinated by a hired hit man.

A taxi driver, whose name I believe was Noom, drove Joey to his death and later helped return the body to Ocean View Hotel. Sintan Wanlop knows what happened as does former Pattaya Police Captain Cherchai Karnslip, Police Captain Prabhas Maunpew, and Lt. Col. Parait Supasawat who stated that Joey was a victim of the gangs.

Joe’s murder was made to look like an accidental drowning, and the Thai autopsy report stated, “No wounds or injuries of any kind on the body”, which was later proven false by the discovery photos obtained by our family. Joey was severely beaten, with massive bruising to his face, mid forehead skull fracture, lacerations and dried blood which should have washed off had he died in the pool.

There are persons in Pattaya and other areas who know what happened to Joe Gaal and are fully aware of why his life came to an abrupt end. Hopefully they will have the courage to come forward and help provide the needed closure for our family here in Canada.

For those who believe too much time has lapsed for justice to be served, here in Canada a 30-year-old murder case was solved just three months ago and an individual was charged with second-degree murder. There is no statute of limitations on murder, and as this case is not closed, time has no bearing on all the evidence uncovered.

If you have any information pertaining to the murder of Joe Gaal, a guest at Ocean View Hotel, your statements would remain confidential and if it leads to an arrest and conviction a reward in U.S. dollars is still standing. Please contact me. Remember: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing...”

Sincerely,
Arlene Gaal (a Canadian mother seeking justice)
e-mail: [email protected]
Telephone/Fax: 250 765-9960
Mailing Address:
Arlene Gaal,
1035 Neptune Road,
Kelowna, B.C.,
Canada. V1X3E4

Whinging about whinging

Editor;
I often read your internet site and always buy your paper when in Pattaya. It amazes me the amount of whinging the expat population do over many trivial things.

You can’t expect Thailand to have the same level of infrastructure and support as a European company. I wonder why they come here. I am sure they would be happier freezing to death and being lonely back home in blighty.

Pattaya is Pattaya that’s why they came here in the first place. The latest bout of whinging is Songkran. It’s a Thai festival, usually only marred in Pattaya by tattooed beer bellied farangs full of beer. If you don’t like Songkran festivities you can always go somewhere else for two weeks after all.

Live in Fun City; give up the whinging.
David Maire

Thai TV Global New Frequency

Editor;
If ‘Snowgard’ (last week’s letters) or any of your other European readers are still unable to receive Thai TV Global Network on the old Hotbird frequency, they can still find them on Frequency 12207, Horizontal, 27500, 3/4.

Re: the lack of information on their website: About a year ago I registered myself (English version) and my wife (Thai version) to receive regular email updates on their programming. Neither of us has ever received a single email.

Chris Jones

Playing your part in the protection of Pattaya

Editor;
It is clear that the government’s sterling efforts to contain terrorists’ threats are experiencing difficulties. Terror organisations are exporting their well organised horror into our backyard into the homes of our friends.

Most of you will have read in the newspapers or seen on TV or the Net warnings from various government sources and highly placed military, police and political figures. Add to these the serious warnings from the major international communities.

We are part of the Thai community. We chose to be and the Thai people permit this. It is not worthy of us to “leave them to it” - let us not leave all the vigilance needed to them - rather let us of the international community in Thailand join the Thai people in this difficult time.

There are thousands of us who live here and want to continue living here. Many of you visit just the places these cowards wish to target.

Be especially vigilant if you are in a discotheque, or a large enclosed space, such as a cinema or a shopping mall.

The terrorists have witnessed the incredible success of the 911 attacks in disrupting the business of a whole nation. Their most optimistic hopes were exceeded not only in the number of innocents they murdered in Bali - but in the destruction of Bali’s economy for years and more years to come.

Imagine the impact on Pattaya if there is a similar horror in one of our discotheques packed to overflowing with young Thai and foreign kids.

If there is time - don’t act on your own if you see someone behaving strangely - call the police. Parcels or packages left on their own - warn someone wearing a uniform.

Now keep your eyes open - don’t worry about being wrong and calling the police out to check a pickup laden with LPG cylinders outside a disco - the police are trained and able to question but they cannot be everywhere all the time.

Best wishes,
Chris Hill

American veterans ask for Thai hospitals’ cooperation

Attention: Thai Hospitals;
There is a growing number of American military veterans residing in Thailand who have now reached an advanced age where we require more medical services. The American Veterans Administration has insurance that covers these veterans for related illnesses. These covered veterans are either retired from the military or have service connected disabilities which the Veterans Administration will reimburse any certified foreign hospital rendering medical services to these veterans if the hospital will just send the itemized invoice in English to the appropriate address.

Most retirees in Thailand are living on a fixed income related to their pensions and savings. If a veteran has an advanced illness that requires extensive hospitalization as well as doctors and medical expenses, it does not take too long to exhaust his capabilities of paying the hospital for these services due to the enormous daily charges.

The veterans service organizations such as the VFW, etc., have tried in vain to induce these hospitals to cooperate by sending the invoices to the Veterans Administration for payment, thus relieving the veteran of the expense. There are veterans here who need medical attention but do not have sufficient funds to cover the enormous hospital expenses. Cannot something be done to alleviate this serious problem?

Frank Mack
Pattaya City, Thailand

My cry for help

Editor;
One Sunday afternoon my mum was enjoying a relaxing time reading her book and watching dad fishing. She says she look up and saw me sitting under a tree, I can remember I was feeling pretty rough at the time. My fur had all fallen out on one side and the skin was hard, black, flaky and bleeding, drove me crazy wanting to scratch. I had no energy and had not eaten for quite a while. I lived with a lot of mates and they always seemed to get to the food before me. If I remember rightly I was around 14 weeks old, mum said I looked a wreck all skin, bones and scabs. She said that she tried to ignore me, not wanting to get involved but that I was so cute with big black and desperate eyes she just couldn’t. I was very scared when she tried to talk to me because no one ever wanted to get near me before, she held out some of the food dad was using for fishing but I had no idea what I was supposed to do and wasn’t going to risk getting a kick. So she put it on the floor and made sure I didn’t have any interruptions, and I don’t mind telling you it tasted pretty good after several days with no food. I was quite disappointed when she got up and left.

The next day she came marching over to me and my mates leaned down and picked me up! I don’t mind telling you it was the worst experience of my life I was terrified. She took me into her house sat me on the floor and put a huge bowl of rice and fish in front of me, oh boy did I pig out! Then she grabbed me again and took me back, I could hardly walk I had eaten so much.

Next day she came again but instead of the big bowl of food she put me in the car and took me to some woman that stuck needles in me. Next thing she shoves me in a cage in the back of the car and that’s where I lived for the next week, although I was scared the food kept coming.

I never saw my mates again but I didn’t mind I’ve got used to living with mum and dad over the last 2 months and now I even have a decent covering of hair all over and I enjoy being picked up and cuddled. I have a problem though because mum has to go back to her home country and I will have nowhere to live. I don’t want to go back to fighting for my food because I’m not too good at it, so please if there is someone out there that could take me in I would be very grateful. I would do my very best to be a loving and loyal pet, I am not going to be big my biological mum and dad were small so I don’t eat too much.

My name is Kam, short for ‘The Kamoy’ mum named me for my habit of taking silver bits to my bed, like the scissors and dad’s fishing tackle.

If you think you can help me please telephone mum on 012922580.
Kam

Be Careful In Pattaya

Be Careful where you go today
At Big C or your most favorite bar
More lives are lost through accidents
Than men are killed in war.
Be careful at the beach, in
Your condo, and crossing the street
For only as you stay alert
Will you stay on your feet
Be sober when you start your journey home
Be cautious where you step
And don’t go dashing here and there
With too much zip and pep
Watch out when you go down walking street and
Don’t stay at the bars too long
Don’t over-estimate your strength
You know, you might be wrong
Let not your story be the one in Pattaya Mail
The tragic headlines tell
You only have one life to live
So live it safe and well.
B. Phillip Webb Jr.

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