PAC Phangan Animal Care Clinic Koh Phangan – Molotov Cocktail Arson Attack
PAC better known as Phangan Animal Care, which has been operating since September 2001 as a non-profit nursing clinic providing veterinary care for the animals of Koh Pha-Ngan was finally attacked with a Molotov cocktail by un-known criminals.
Friday 1st August 2008 around 10 p.m. at night two unknown motorbikes approached the new PAC clinic facilities in Wok Tum area. The unidentified attacker on the first motorbike threw a brick into one of PACs’ clinic window, so the other nightly attacker on the second motorbike, which arrived a few minutes later, could finally place the Molotov cocktail right into PACs’ clinic facilities.
This finally caused a devastating fire inside PACs’ clinic facilities which destroyed most of the office and clinic equipment. Two cats were also killed during the arson attack but luckily no PAC nurses or PAC staff got injured.
The local Koh Phangan police forces were called immediately and the PAC clinic area was shut down instantly to prevent loss of evidence. Phangan local police forces are currently calling for backup from Suratthani on the mainland to secure more circumstantial evidence leading to the unknown attackers.
PAC also announced today that the clinic remains closed in the foreseeable future.
For any information regarding the identification of the unknown attackers please directly get in contact with PAC or visit PAC Phangan Animal Care website for future updates on this tragic incident.
Please check out the Picture Gallery => PAC clinic Koh Phangan Molotov cocktail arson attack
It is a shame, that people like these THUGS are not swimming in the sea with concreteboots!!!
Having lived on the island some years ago and coming into contact with PAC employees and the work they carried out for us and friends on poorly little animals to hear a story of such idiotic actions really makes me realise how unbelievably crazy some KPG visitors and residents can be.
I just can’t understand the reason behind this action?? Its not as if they are animal testing or anything. They are purely a non profit making organisations lucky enough to have support from Thai residents and foreign visitors to help run the place and make the lives of some island beasts a little happier.
Chris
Chances are that this was a land-grab related attack – i.e. an attempt to drive PAC out, and seize their land at a bargain price.
There are some very good people on this island, but they are far outnumbered by these sick monkeys.
The best thing to do is avoid any contact (and support) with any of the local thugs in any way – some bad Karma is coming their way.
Such heart breaking news…I feel sick to the stomach!
I visited Koh Phangan Island. and helped at the clinic in 2006.
The PAC team were doing an amazing job,and an animal clinic is so despratly needed on the island.
I really hope they catch the people who did this so they can be brought to justice!!
This is so bad. It makes a person feel ill. It has gotten me thinking about why I visit this island each year? I’m going to look for another place to spend my winters. Some of the people that live on KPG are truly sick. What would motivate people to do this?
Why would anyone do this? Baffles me how some people act here now.
This is a vile and sick attack and it sickens me to the depth of my stomach as to why there as there are always dispicable things happening on this island when all people are trying to do is help people. All the money for the new PAC building was from kind donations (including from us) and the service they provide on the island is irreplaceable. They have helped my dogs on numerous occassions and given excellent advice and service. If it is Thai people who have done this then they deserve to go to hell as there is no buddist in them. Sick sick people. If its jealousy or corruption that was the reason … then ‘here we go again on Koh Phangan’!
The Chief of Police has had a hell of a year – what with an Indian guy being murdered in Haadrin, a main Thai Politician being shot & murdered and now PAC being arsoned to the ground what the FUCK is going on in this Island! And there are NO PROSECUTIONS!!!!
The Police need to get their shit together and do something!!!!
There can be no valid reason for this attack whether it be over land or not. If no action is taken it shows terrorism exists in more places than we thought in Thailand. There is no reason to attack a non profit organisation that has made KPG one of the few places where the animals are looked after. This is an attack on all of us both Thai and foreigners. . The people who have helped or support PAC need to raise their voices . PAC has been here to help the strays . Can we let this horror depict our tourist island. What’s next ? Bombs have no place here. It is an act of terrorism. Anyone could have been in that building !
Some really sick fuck must have done this!
This is the reason why I am slowly trying to bring my businesses to other countries than Thailand. Thailand just means struggle all the way, if it is not the government then it is the local thugs. Don’t get me wrong, been travelling in the country for 7 years, I love Thailand, I love my thai gf (local resident from Surat) and her family. But I just hate the way things are conducted in this country.
Look around and you will realize that in most other countries in SEA, farangs are welcomed with open arms. Btw… they don’t even use any degrading word for us. They title us to the corresponding country we are from.
Feel really sorry for all the good people at PAC, visited you a few times and always contributed small amounts. Keep up the good work, but I fully understand if I will never see you again.
Hey lets not forget nothing is perfect ! From struggle comes new and better things. PAC can’t give up. This is not about Thailand or politics its about animals, stray animals. I encourage everyone who lives here to ask why this has happened.To question both Thais and foreigners alike. To explain and show that KPG’s animals are cared for.
It is time for a thai vet to open a business here and allow PAC to do the work that they started out with.To look after strays and unwanted animals. It is a non profit organisation that runs on donations.
We on this island both foreign and Thai are rich enough to pay for those animals we keep as pets!!!!. How can we expect them to do the work that they set out too whilst we use their services for our own purposes.
If you support PAC go there offer help and support. They don’t know why this has happened. It is not enough to say it is a sick act. The animals cannot speak for themselves. We must do so!
And for the people that did this….whatever your reason know that this act is contemptable in any culture. You are terrorists of the worse type. Those that come under the cover of darkness and cowardly destroy something that was only there to help those that could not help themselves. If you have a issue address it because your karma sucks. May you come back as a stray soi dog in Bkk with mange.
…word on the street is that the Koh Phangan Police have had to bring in the Surat Thani police as the police on Koh Phangan are incapable of finding any evidence and therefore needed the forensics team from Surat. I heard on the joke-line they turned up with some talcum powder for fingerprinting and an eye glass for close up inspections …. hey dont laugh … its more than the Phangan Police have …but then again the Phangan Police have spent their budget on TV’s in the Police stations to watch Thai Soap Operas all day and night long and the rest gone to the chief new house extension and Mercedes!
Shevaun here – Thanks so much to everyone for their support and offers of help – the truth is, I have no idea what we can do to get to the bottom of this. I can only hope that sharing PAC’s story as widely as possible will help.
To summarize: Last September, I accepted the challenge of trying to make PAC a permanent part of the island so that we could provide care for both owned and stray animals. Through incredibly hard work and generous donations and grants, I managed to raise enough money to buy the land we are now on, renovate the existing buildings and build the island’s first vet clinic. The plan was to rent this custom-built clinic to a Thai vet (two of which have already expressed an interest) to set up their own business caring for all the owned animals of Koh PhaNgan. That way PAC could do what I set it up for – provide medical care for stray animals, using the rent to make PAC (hopefully!) self-sufficient, with the added advantage of the support & supervision of a Thai vet.
We were so very close to this becoming a reality (just a couple more months), and then the fire.
We don’t know why this has happened – there are many rumours, with the latest being that it was a farang who was dissatisfied with our ‘services’.
I therefore want to talk here to the farang community who may misunderstand what we are about, and have unrealistic expectations of PAC.
PAC is just 2 people (myself and Por) with the support of Nira and a stream of volunteers, who want to improve the lives of Koh PhaNgan’s animals. We operate entirely on donations, treat every animal in need, and make no financial profit whatsoever. Por receives basic living expenses from sponsors Animals Asia Foundation, and I have never taken any salary from PAC – I work part-time in Hong Kong as a veterinarian to support myself and my work at PAC.
I set up PAC specifically to help the island’s strays, but as pet ownership has increased over the years, many animal owners have come to ask for our help as well – there has been a 75% increase in the number of pedigree dogs on the island since 2001, and they now occupy 35% of PAC’s work.
Additionally PAC’s workload has more than doubled over the years, despite the fact that PAC is staffed only by Por and whatever volunteers I can find to help her. Year 6 averaged 300 animals seen per month (compare to 119 in Year 1) for consultations, vaccinations, surgeries and hospitalization – only 16% of these animals were strays. The only solution I could find for this was to do everything I could to help the island get a private vet clinic.
We have worked so hard for 7 years, keeping the clinic open continually (except for a 1 week period at the start of May 2008 when we moved from the school), and for every animal we have helped, we know we have done a good thing. We were so saddened, therefore, when, in May of this year, we received complaints from farangs about the things we haven’t done.
I can only ask for people to talk far and wide, to explain our situation to those who may not understand. I have no interest in revenge or even justice – I only want to know that Por is safe, that Koh PhaNgan wants PAC, and that PAC can safely return to our new premises to complete our efforts to provide care for all of Koh PhaNgan’s animals.
PAC will remain closed until this time – we are currently building a security wall around the premises to keep it safe; anybody wishing to donate to help us pay for this wall, or recover our losses due to fire (estimated at approx THB 600,000) can do so through Marissa at Jungle Gym or via our bank account
If anybody has any complaints, or knowledge of whatever problem may have sparked this or suggestions as to how this problem may be resolved, please contact me directly at redshev @ pacthailand.org
Sorry … but this was no farang …
first of all farangs here on Phangan have rarely guns … (the shooting of the power meter a week before is related to the arson attack) and the few who have one … I know personally and none of them has any issue with PAC.
It was a local drug dealer with interest in the land where the new PAC is located … this guy made a fortune already selling opium and yaba on Koh Tao and Phangan. I will not mention his name here … Police (the local one) is already enquiring about the owner of this site … because there is pressure building up from bangkok …. this is exacly what the local Mafia Police tries to avoid … maybe their own drug business will get harmed …
The real problem like with so many things are the local police fore and the unwillingness of the locals here to do anything against these Mafia / Police / corrupt island Politicans gang that rules this island.
thanks for the details.
I am just trying to cover all possibilities – I feel so very useless while we sit and wait.
Just to clarify, the electric box was smashed by a blow from on top – no sign of firearms … yet
I can only trust that the police (both local & Suratthani), esp with the pressure they have received from the local Thai community in support of us, will figure it out – and hopefully be able to pronounce us safe to return one day!
– shevaun
I am the local people here and feel very sad for this story, I wish this people that did like this will die soon same as they did with the cats because for the police here can not help anythings because they are bad from the wholeThailand groverment now.