Aussie dies after Thailand street attack

AU.Yahoo.Com 15/04/2010

An Australian tourist who died after being attacked in Thailand will be buried there on Friday, farewelled by his pregnant Thai wife and Adelaide family.

Andrew Oake, 28, had been holidaying in Prasat, near Surin in northeastern Thailand, for two months with his wife, Som, who is six months pregnant.

About four weeks ago the pair were travelling between villages when they were set upon by two men on motorbikes.

Som ran for help while Mr Oake was slashed in the arms and head with a machete in what might have been a failed robbery.

Aussie turned to Khmer Kickboxing to kick drinking and bar-brawling

Phnom Penh Post: Aussie fights to kick the drink

Drinking and bar-brawling were wreaking havoc on his life, so Nick Tower turned to Khmer kickboxing to channel his energies more positively

FOR Nick Tower and Joshua Lee, last Saturday’s kickboxing match at CTN Stadium was a knockout finish – in more ways than one.

Lee, a filmmaker from Western Australia, said he had mixed emotions about the culmination to his new documentary, the aptly named Nick’s Fight.

“It’s sad to have this part of the journey end, but in the same respect I’m excited to finally see both our goals realised,” he said.

The film’s central character, Lee’s younger half-brother Nick, competed in the Khmer kickboxing fight against Cambodian opponent Phearom Meas – and won.

But as Lee points out, the film is really about Tower’s personal fight to find direction and meaning in his life.

With brotherly caution and affection, Lee described Tower as a complex character.

“He is a fun, caring and thoughtful guy – however, he has a destructive side, which makes him so interesting to me as a filmmaker,” Lee said.