(01/18/06 -- BANGKOK, THAILAND) - A Lao-American couple living in North Carolina and claiming to be members of a Lao royal family were shot to death Wednesday in northeastern Thailand, police said.
Anouwong Sethathirath IV and Oulayvanh Sethathirath, 49 and 38 years old respectively, were killed at a Buddhist monastery in Nong Khai, near the border with Laos, said police Lt. Jeerawat Thammasorn, who was unwilling to give any further details about the victims.

No arrests or suspects have been announced in the case.

A Web site operated by the couple, www.sethathirath.com, identifies Anouwong as a prince and Oulayvanh as a princess, and says that Sethathirath is the royal line of Laos' Sisattanakhanahut kingdom, also known as Lan Xang.

The couple resided in Fairview, N.C., a suburb of Asheville, according to newspaper accounts. Both were U.S. citizens.

Lt. Jeerawat said they were shot a a pavilion at the monastery at about 10 a.m. The Thai television station ITV reported that witnesses said that gunmen wearing coats and black sunglasses walked into the pavilion and killed them. Nong Khai is 320 miles north of Bangkok.

The couple was not directly related to Savang Vatthana, the last king of Laos, who was forced to abdicate his throne after a communist takeover of his country in 1975. The Sethathirath family last ruled a part of Laos in the 19th century.

According to a profile of the couple published earlier this month in the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper, they were to attend a cultural conference in Thailand this month for the Lan Xang people, and had frequently visited Thailand, especially the northeast, whose residents are ethnically related to the Lao.

The newspaper said that Anouwong, the descendant of the Sethathirath line and who also has the Western name Phillip McRowan, married Oulayvanh, also known as Ashley, in 1987. It said that Anouwong worked as a pathologist's assistant in a local hospital, while Oulayvanh was studying for a degree in international studies at the University of North Carolina in Asheville.

Although some refugees from Laos have been involved in violent activities against the country's communist government, the couple was not known to be involved with them. Most exiled members of the late king Savang Vatthana live in France.

Source

Link with anti-communist activities possible motive for murder of Laotian couple
Published on Jan 19 , 2006



A Laotian American couple apparently of Lao royal descent who were shot dead in northeastern Thailand might have been targeted by Laos on suspicions that they


were working against the communist regime, police said Thursday.



An official at the Laotian Embassy in Bangkok denied his government played any role in Wednesday's slaying near the Thai-Laos border. U.S. Embassy officials could not be reached for comment.



Anouwong Sethathirath IV, 49, and Oulayvanh Sethathirath, 38, were killed at a Buddhist monastery in Nong Khai.


Witnesses reported seeing two gunmen approach the couple and shot the couple in a temple at about 10 a.m of Wednesday.




"The gunmen are of Thai nationality but we believe they were hired by secret agents who support the Laos government because Laotian government is always suspicious


of Laotians from America," Thai police Lt. Col. Santhipab Meephol said. "They think Laotians from America are involved in anti-government activities."






http://202.60.196.117/breaking/read.php?la...n&newsid=107406

this $hit is way suss.

may their souls rest in peace.

dont just sa its LPDR man, we dont know the truth,

WOW IM SHOCKED,I REMEMBER READING ABOUT THEM NOT TO LONG AGO IN A NORTH CAROLLINA NEWSPAPER.

You know it's pointing to LPDR. LPDR is known to use such hitmans. Thanks to Dr. Yoda (yang dao) the list is endless.

This is unbelievable and very sad. : (

Yeah I heard about that from my grandparents. They used to come to my house when I was a little kid and we used to go to there's every time we went to Salisbury (they lived around that area).


*edit

Luckily their kids didn't go.

Oh another thing I wanna add. They weren't part of the Laos royal family, although they did use their last names, they were in no way related to them.

This new article CLEARLY states that Anouwong Sethathirath IV and Oulayvanh Sethathirath were not directly related to Savang Vatthana, the last king of Laos. However, it states that the Sethathirath family last ruled a part of Laos in the 19th century, and that Sethathirath is the royal line of Laos' Sisattanakhanahut kingdom, also known as Lan Xang.


This is indeed a tragic story as there is no evidence pointing out that the victim couple had any connection with violent acts against the present communist government of Pathet Laos.

:O I learn something new everyday


Rest In Peace. That's pretty sad.

It's very unfortunate. I've heard that the couple was trying to propagate their alleged ancestry in Thailand before they were shot. It seems as though they also went with several Americans. The Americans supposedly crossed over to Laos while the couple still remained in Thailand. That is through hearsay. I am not sure about the exact details.

Authoritarian governments are afraid of unrest in their country created by wild idealogies. They have enough problems to deal with without adding to the list. Riots and violence throughout the country caused by undesirable ideas is a government's worst nightmare. That is why China does not like to associate itself with the dragon because it could evoke images of aggression and of Imperial China. They would rather use the Panda as a national symbol.

thats sad to hear...how old are their kids...i feel bad for them they have to lose their parents like that

I feel sorry for the lost...

I have been to Nong Khai. It's the border town before you cross the Mekong into Ventiene if I remember correctly.

To kill someone in the precincts of a temple - tsk tsk tsk...

It's so easy to kill people and get away in Thailand and Laos; ofcourse, most third world countries are...

Thai dark asss... killed them. Thai or Siam is afraid that Chao Anouvong spirit and Isan state (Lan Xang) people will rise again.

Yes my friend. True. So sad.

lol lol. 'Thai Dark @$$'?? Oh this is suuuuch a troll thread.

You go on believing what you believe. Leave Thailand to us.

^
If you're so total Thailand, why are you U.S.A & Thailand?
Why not put Thailand & U.S.A?
Even if you change it now, you have shown about urself to me atleast that you're a puppet. So U.S.A is the big brother & Thailand is the little brother, U.S.A to you will always be 1st.
blah.

China & U.S.A <--- that's how it should read

Calm down, Bulldog.

Did they ever find out who killed them? Did anyone care to investigate?

I thought that most of the Lao royalty that are left were hiding out in France...

The Thais killed them because they used the "Chao Anouvong" name. You know that name to Khon Thai is really really really really offensive. It's like calling a black person the "n word". That's how much the Thais object that name.

^ are you serious? can you give me more info on Chao Anouvong name im kinda lost.

Chao Anouvong was the king of Vienchan(Vientiane) who declared war on Siam but was rooted out by our own Lao people from the North. The King from the North wrote a letter to the Siamese telling them that Chao Anouvong was preparing to attack them, so the Siamese had time to prepare for Chao Anouvong. If Lao people were United, the Siamese would not have defeated us. We sold each other out.

Third world country does not have the CSI America has... Anyone can get away with murder.

f@#k the lao government...this is why the country will never prosper...they'll be like north korea, cuba and venezuela. f#@k all the "sumacome" in the u.s that are supporting the new government.

Them Buk Ha "Ai Hua Koys"(Thai) did it.

Chao Anou knew the dangers of doing his work. I think he touched a lot of people during his trips.

The Royal Family of Lao is living in exile in France because if they had remained in Laos they would had been executed King Savang Vatthana, Queen Khamphoui and Crown Prince Vong Savang.

Here is a list of a few Lao Royalty living in France.

Prince Sauryavong Savang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauryavong_Savang

Prince Mangkra Souvannaphouma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangkra_Souvannaphouma

Crown Prince Soulivong Savang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulivong_Savang

Prince Thayavong Savang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thayavong_Savang

2 men were arrested for this killings, Mr. Suwat and Mr. Athit.

Mr. Athit was carrying Thai ID.

Under questioning by Thai Police, he said that he received $ 2 600.00 for the killing.

They also claimed to have eliminated 17 other people, who were against the Lao Government.

Where's the source?

Are you kidding us? Where is the article on this? Are there no mug shots of these assassins? What is their penalty? Death or serving so many years? There needs to be a force of justice that will keep people safe throughout all parts of the world especially near the borders of countries. It's 2008 now, news of Lao says they're calling US Laotians back, even those that have flee. Does this include Royal lineage? It's real unfortunate the website of Sethathirath.com is no longer working. Perhaps their children will someday be able to visit Laos with love and acceptance. Stop the killing people and share the loving. Lao people need more unity through educating one another of their history. Thus so building a platform of hope for a better future.

GooD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thai are muderers.

Im not DEAD!!!! im ALIVE!!!!

ข้อยยังบ่อตาย ซ่อยข้อนแน่

Thai also killed Muslim south too. They should be trialed in the world court.

Shouldn't be blaming the Thai people since it happened in Thailand. Agents can move freely in any country.

It was ordered by former Thai general Prem. and that a pure fact!

What's the motivation here?
Only communists don't like monarchy.

Exactly, communist don't like any royalty that didn't side with them during their revolution.