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Teen's body found in suitcase has some in Thai party town on edge

ABC News (Just In)
1 min read Rewritten in plain language

Sex WorkCrime

Changed after publishing · 5 edits
  • the headline was changed: Teen’s body found in Pattaya, the death of a teenage girl suitcase has exposed a some in notorious Thai party city's dark underbellytown on edge
  • the headline was changed: Shock In Pattaya, the death of a 17-year-old Thai teenage girl exposes the dangers of Pattaya's has exposed a party towncity's dark underbelly
  • the headline was changed: In Pattaya, the Shock death of a teenage 17-year-old Thai girl has exposed a exposes the dangers of Pattaya's party city's dark underbellytown
  • the headline was changed: A 17-year-old Thai girl's In Pattaya, the death exposes dangers of Pattaya's 'number one' industrya teenage girl has exposed a party city's dark underbelly
  • the headline was changed: In Pattaya, the A 17-year-old Thai girl's death exposes dangers of a teenage girl has exposed a party city's dark underbellyPattaya's 'number one' industry

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  • Gigi said that she's had some close calls over the years.
  • A city of just 120,000 people, Pattaya attracted almost 10 million foreign tourists last year, who pumped about $9.5 billion into the local economy.
  • By some estimates, there are about 50,000 sex workers living in Pattaya.
  • In the early hours of June 27, her body was found in a suitcase dumped along railway tracks.
  • Mr Carman has been charged with four offences, including murder, concealing a corpse, and abducting an over 15, but under 18, for indecent purposes.

5 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

A city of just 120,000 people, Pattaya attracted almost 10 million foreign tourists last year, who pumped about $9.5 billion into the local economy.

The report’s most important sentence, shortened and in plain words. How

Headline check

Headline as published: Teen's body found in suitcase has some in notorious Thai party town on edge

The one thing this headline claims is in the report.

Figures, names and quoted words in the headline, looked for in the report itself — not in the summary above. One claim in this headline could be checked, so this is a narrow pass and not a thorough one. How this is checked

It was the message that Gigi had waited for all night.

Suddenly, her phone lit up with a message from an old client from Dubai.

Gigi said that she's had some close calls over the years.

For decades, this seaside holiday hotspot in Thailand has been synonymous with sun, sand and sex.

A city of just 120,000 people, Pattaya attracted almost 10 million foreign tourists last year, who pumped about $9.5 billion into the local economy.

Even though prostitution is illegal in the country, it is the lifeblood that sustains this city.

"I first came here in 1999, and as soon as I got out of the taxi, I was hooked," said Robert "Bobby" Pritchard, who worked as a bricklayer in Bristol, UK, before moving to Pattaya this year.

Bobby admitted it's "party, sex, girls" drawing most of the men who visit this tropical holiday hub.

By some estimates, there are about 50,000 sex workers living in Pattaya.

Many come from impoverished farming communities in rural Thailand, while others are lured from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

In June, Tunchanok Donhomla boarded a bus in her hometown of Kalasin, in north-eastern Thailand, and travelled nearly 600km to Pattaya, telling her family she was going on a short holiday.

In the early hours of June 27, her body was found in a suitcase dumped along railway tracks.

According to police and CCTV, the teenager had met Australian man Simon Carman, 45, two days earlier along Beach Rd.

Mr Carman has been charged with four offences, including murder, concealing a corpse, and abducting an over 15, but under 18, for indecent purposes.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 7.7 on the Niral Score.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is ABC News (Just In)'s report shortened to its most important sentences, in plainer words, with verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

How this outlet filed it, and how we rewrote it

No other newsroom we read has filed on this event, so there is nothing to compare it with yet.

Outlet Niral ScoreAdjectivesSourcingSentimentGenderHappiness
ABC News (Just In)as they published this story 15.1 17 77 -0.3 2.6 9.4
Mundane Readneutralized from ABC News (Just In) 12 13 77 -0.1 1.8 9.4

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