Aussie travel agent slain in Thailand

Two motorcycle-riding thieves are suspected of killing an Australian travel agent during a bag-snatching in Thailand, authorities say. A 300,000 baht ($9,432) reward is being offered by police and the owner of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort hotel for information leading to the suspects' arrest, Deputy National Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat told the Bangkok Post Saturday. Michelle Smith, 60, of Joondalup, Australia, was stabbed to death by bag-snatchers Wednesday night, the newspaper said. She was with a group of fellow travel agents visiting Phuket to inspect the resort. Smith and Tammee Lynn, 42, a friend and travel agent from Attadale, Australia, were walking back to their hotel when they were attacked. Smith was stabbed as she tried to hang on to her bag. The attackers fled on a motorcycle empty-handed, the Post said. Smith had arrived in Phuket just hours before her death. She had been scheduled to be in the area for a month, police said. Authorities suspect the killers are members of a motorcycle gang known for committing robberies around Phuket.