One of the big news stories in Bangkok this week has been the murder of an American woman. Florida socialite, Wendy Albano, was murdered at the upscale Fraser Suites on Sukhumvit in downtown Bangkok on Sunday evening. Her body was found in the bathroom of her guest room on Monday by a maid. She had been strangled and stabbed.
Now, in any other city, this might not be such a big news story but, in Bangkok, where you rarely hear of anything bad happening to a western woman, let alone being murdered, it’s shocking.
Good news for the Thais at least is it looks like Albano wasn’t murdered by a Thai but instead by her Indian boyfriend, who was last seen leaving the hotel on Sunday evening. Police think the two got into an argument and he killed her then fled. He was last seen at Suvarnabhumi Airport, going through customs on his way out of Thailand. He’s believed to already be back in India.
Wendy Albano was 52-years-old. Her Indian boyfriend was 26. Some of her friends have said they believe she was planning on breaking up with him, which may be one of the things that started the argument.
Whatever comes of this sad story, it makes me realize again how safe it is for western women to live in Thailand, when a story like this is rarely heard in Bangkok.
I’ve been here for over a decade and not once have I ever felt unsafe. Thai men, for the most part, are non-aggressive with western women and treat us very well. They’re polite, helpful and are quick to take care of you, without all of the added problems you might get from men in another country.