Injured German complains about police investigation

Flederer Ralf, 39, who is now in a safe condition after being shot three times by two invaders last Monday night, said he had feared for his life and was expecting a future attack.

Pol Colonel Jaroon Uchupharb, chief of Koh Phangan police on the island off the Surat Thani coast, said Ralf did not fully cooperate with police, without explaining why the victim was uncooperative.

The officer said he thought the attackers did not mean to kill Ralf, but possibly wanted to merely threaten him. "I learnt that the attackers knocked on Ralf's house with a baseball bat, but were attacked first by Ralf. So the attackers fired some warning shots," he added.

"Anyway, police will take action to locate the attackers," he said.

Residing on Koh Phangan island for 17 years, Ralf has been campaigning against parties in which drugs and alcohol were openly used, except for the original full moon parties. He said he was disliked by organisers of other parties and this could be a motive behind the attack.

Phanu Woramit, a local Tourism Authority of Thailand official, said there were many parties in recent years in an attempt to draw more foreign tourists to Koh Phangan. He made no comments on the attack on Ralf.