Another murder in the fishing port

PHUKET TOWN: A man thought to be a fisherman was murdered in front of a warehouse on Soi Si Sena in Phuket’s fishing port on Saturday night. Pol Capt Surat Muangsri of the Phuket Town District Police Station told the Gazette that the man, as yet unidentified, was wearing a black T-shirt and brown shorts. On his right shoulder was a tattoo of a man, and on the left shoulder, a tattoo of a woman. He died from stab wounds to his head and abdomen. As with several earlier murders in the port, Pol Capt Surat suspects the wounds were inflicted by a sharpened steel reinforcing bar. The man is estimated to have been 22-26 years old. He is thought to have died at least one hour before his body was found, at around 9:40 pm. Witnesses told police the victim was standing alone when a group of 7 or 8 men set upon him. He slumped to the ground and they called the police. The mid-November Phuket Gazette carries a lead story about the murders at the port. At least a murder a month, on average, has been committed there over the past two years. Many residents of the area attribute the violence to long-standing hostilities between Thai and Burmese fisherman based in the port.