Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Agent killed on Phuket fam trip

Friday, July 13, 2012

Agent killed on Phuket fam trip

An Australian travel agent has been stabbed to death and another woman hurt in a bag-snatch on the island of Phuket in Thailand.
The pair were part of a group of 10 travel agents visiting Phuket on a familiarisation trip to inspect the five-star Katathani Beach Resort.
It is understood the trip was organised by Asia Escape Holidays.
The victim was 60 years old and worked as a travel agent at RAC Travel in the Perth suburb of Joondalup. She died in front of her Phuket hotel after being stabbed in the heart.
According to reports from Phuket, the women were walking near their hotel complex in Kata Noi Bay, on Phuket's west coast, about 10.30pm yesterday when they were attacked by two men who approached them on a motorbike.
The men attempted to steal the women's handbags and lashed out with a knife when they could not grab the bags.
A spokeswoman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said Thai police had launched an investigation into the woman's death.
The woman who survived the attack with a cut arm told local media she and the victim had been hassled and pushed in the street by the men but did not realise they had been stabbed until the men had fled.
"We were walking single-file along the road, coming back from dinner. These guys had gone past a couple of times, and that started to bother us," the woman told Phuket Wan.
"Then I heard a noise behind me and I turned to see what I thought was my friend being pushed in the chest. I tried to help her." The men rode off, empty-handed.
"We started walking again, and only then did we realise we'd both been slashed."
The deceased has been named as Michelle Elizabeth Smith.
Her companion who survived the attack was reported to be Tammee Lynn, 42, who works at an Attadale travel agency in Perth.

by TravelMole Asia

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“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.