theoldgit

I think she paid dearly for the terrible mistake - she made as a young lady. So many people here are ready to condemn her for life. These types are the real ignorant scum.

Little naive mules are hardly responsible for the major drugs problems around the world. Perhaps a little education is in order here!

And a little politeness wouldn't go amiss either.

People who condemn others because of their mistakes are ignorant my opinion. But obviously you know better

I am not arrogant enough to suggest I know better and nowhere have I suggested I do, I have spent my life helping people helping getting over their earlier mistakes and this includes the victims of the drug trade, be they addicts, mules and to an extent even the dealers.

Maybe you should show some common courtesy and not say that people who do not agree with your views "are ignorant scum".

I think she paid dearly for the terrible mistake - she made as a young lady. So many people here are ready to condemn her for life. These types are the real ignorant scum.

Little naive mules are hardly responsible for the major drugs problems around the world. Perhaps a little education is in order here!

And a little politeness wouldn't go amiss either.

the French website is saying ideally you should apply for your visa 90 days in advance. does anyone have any experience on the turnaround time from application to acquisition of the french schengen visa at the local embassy?

We went to Paris a couple of months ago, my girlfriend submitted her application on a Thursday and collected her visa the following Tuesday.

It was a painless experience but you do have to provide them with copies of a confirmed itinerary, hotel bookings, travel insurance and the like which they say they will check, don't know if they actually do. They did keep all the paperwork so I would suggest submitting copies, but taking originals with you.

Hope you have a good trip, Paris is a beautiful city and was certainly the highlight of her trip.

Don't forget that if you intend visiting the UK she will need a separate visa, which in the circumstances you describe should almost be a formality.

But it's only for travellers who require a visa entering the country so it will hardly monitor the movements of UK citizens, though I suspect that when e-borders is fully implemented that may provide monitoring of suspects.

I believe that the US has been carrying out fingerprint capture and photographing on all arrivals for years.

" and they will be done by the scanning of two fingers",

Do we get to pick which two we hold up to get checked?

I worded like that for that very reason, but sadly not

Just to advise the UKBA has introduced, from 30 November, the checking of fingerprints against those recorded in biometric capture on visas, for those seeking entry at the Port of Entry into the UK, they assure travellers that it will not take any longer than the current checks, and they will be done by the scanning of two fingers. They say that the purpose of this latest check is to ensure that the person who has actually applied for the visa is the one seeking to enter.

They do warn that if you refuse to have your fingerprints checked you will be subject to further checks, but go short of saying that a refusal would automatically result in entry being refused.

As a matter of interest a similar method of fingerprint capture is used by UKBA Enforcement Officers to check if a person has ever made an asylum claim in The UK or elsewhere in Europe, courtesy of Eurodac.

The poor poor man, I just cannot imagine what he must have been going through.

May he now rest in peace.

I think I have mentioned before that I was nearly mown down some months ago whilst crossing one of the crossings that actually had a red traffic light protecting the people that were crossing on a green pedestrian signal, the woman driver glared at me because here was me, a mere foreigner, having the nerve to cross the road causing her to disrupt the conversation she was having on her mobile phone.

This crossing was actually outside of a hospital, perhaps they installed it to drum up some business.

The crackdowns usually last like 5 to 10 days... then the police go off to do their usual 'work'

Really, 5 to 10 days, as long as that?

There seems to be come confusion with the term "Royal Pardon" which allowed this lady to be released from prison in the UK. A Royal Pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it by the King, it doesn't mean that she wasn't actually regarded guilty it's an act of compassion and is often given, usually after lobbying by the government.

After receiving her sentence it was reduced by three years during a general amnesty by the King, again this is pretty normal in Thailand and is usually associated with a special event such as a special birthday or the like, and is something prisoners in Thailand factor in their plans for the future.

Somebody mentioned earlier that she wanted to serve out her time in Thailand to which I indicated that she must have applied for repatriation and indeed this was the case. She was taken back to the UK and initially held at Holloway Prison where her allocation would have been decided, all repatriated women are sent there as all repatriated men initially go to Wandsworth Prison. She was allocated to Durham Prison which as was pointed yesterday holds Category A prisoners such as Rosie West, again there is nothing abnormal in this given the length of her sentence. She was later transferred to Cookham Wood Prison which at the time was a secure establishment for females, and is pretty nice compared with Durham.

After her repatriation back to The UK the government did not push for a pardon, again this is quite normal, she would have been expected to serve out the remainder of her sentence though she would have been eligible for parole half way through her sentence or automatic release two thirds of the way through her sentence. Her parents became activists and fought for her pardon which was eventually given in 2001, she was released having been in prison for 8 years.

Hope this background information clears any confusion, to sum up a Royal Pardon doesn't mean she was not regarded as guilty it was an act of compassion by The King on behalf of the Thai people.

One more point, and this has been mentioned earlier, she has stated that she is disappointed in her actions as, among other things, it will mean that she will not be able to return to "the country I grew to love", so it beggars the question why did she put her through this latest ordeal?

The embassy may not have the blacklist ... although they should ... but obviously the immigration officer that caught her has one. Good for them.

The UK for instance has a "Warnings Index" which will identify anybody who needs further examination when their passport is swiped at the port of entry, I imagine that this information would be available to an ECO in UK Visas in Bangkok when assessing an application.

It would seem that Thai Immigration Officers have a similar function available when they swipe passports but whether information is shared with overseas embassies and consulates I don't know, but it would seem not.

She would rather have served her sentence in Bangkok than UK.

Was this fact in her book?

If she wanted to serve her sentence in Thailand why did she return to The UK? To be considered to for repatriation to your home country under the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons you have to actually apply, they don't just pack your bags and cart you home to serve your sentence.

I did voice my opinion to the customer serbice department when it was known they were going to replace BBC E & was told many many subscribers were annoyed about this change but of course it fell on deaf ears.

And of course there were many letters to an English language newspaper in Bangkok, with no response from True managers.

What a pack of self righteous t_wats! Most especially the w_anker who brags of having 'locked up drug dealers for years.' Here's hoping he meets up with one of his former supplicants on a dark, deserted soi some night on his way home from a pleasant meal

Absolutely right, drug dealers are decent people who are just trying to earn a living, just because people suffer and lives are ruined as a result of their chosen occupation should not concern them.

And yes people who have locked up these people should rightly expect summary justice to be handed out in the way you describe.

Obey local laws... If you don't like it... Can't you go just ONE day without a beer Saddo...??

Yes indeed, all the old cliches come trotting out. However these are known as cliches because they are TRUE..!!

It's just for one day people, get over it!

Not really sure why you feel the need to be so unpleasant.

Nobody has said that they cannot go one day without a drink, so I don't know why you mentioned that, Nobody has said that they don't want to obey local laws, so I don't know why you mentioned that either, I'm not really sure what there is to get over.

The original question was would bars be open?

I am a great respector of Thailand and it's laws and I certainly respect His Majesty the King, but I still really don't understand why the bars need to be closed to show respect, prehaps someone can enlighten me, without being unpleasant.

As for connections to the other mass transit systems, the City Line of the ARL will connect with BTS Phayathai Station. The CAT will be linked with an MRT station, the tendering process for the underground connection is on the way. Please please please do not bash before you know the facts.

Clearly you are the expert on such things, and that is not a sarcastic comment, but why do they wait until the thing is almost open before they even tender for the building of an underground link?

So, if I understand your post, the motorist was stopped and waiting for the elderly lady to cross. He was annoyed about having to do this but was indeed stopped, so you think the police should do what? Give him a ticket for being annoyed?

No you don't understand my post at all, perhaps I didn't make it clear.

The elderly, and pretty frail looking lady was, not unreasonably but perhaps naively, trying to cross a road using the pedestrian crossing, the driver slowed down, because at that time she was directly in front of him, he helpfully sounded his horn and flashed his lights at the alarmed lady, apparantly annoyed that he had to slow down, and lose a second of his precious time because of this totally selfish woman.

Of course I wouldn't expect the police officer to ticket the driver for being annoyed and certainly not for failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing but it beggars the question why bother spoiling the aesthetics of the pristine road by painting a pedestrian crossing on it in the first place and why go to the expense of erecting a gantry over said crossing with a diagram of a pedestrian crossing a road complete with flashing lights.

My question was what happened to the much heralded crackdown, it seems to have been answered nobody give a t*ss about other people, so I will withdraw now.

Remember, getting a visa only means you are allowed to travel to Thailand and ask for permission to enter. It does not mean you will get that permission. The permission to enter is a seperate thing, which can be denied.

Absolutly right, and it's worth remembering this when travelling to the UK, or other Western countries, with a visa.

Was this what you were looking for?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Bar-Closures...78#entry3173278

Is there the BBC entertainment channel in platinum ?

No, they dropped BBC Entertainment some time ago, I suspect a number of people reduced their subscription for that reason.

Didn't they have a promotion a few weeks back offering flights to Europe for 5000 Baht ++++++++++++

I trust your barrister is an expert on Immigration Law, I thought barristers needed to be instructed by a solicitor.

Where was your girlfriend in custody, in a Detention Centre in The UK?

Having just noticed an elderly lady trying to navigate a pedestrian crossing with a car driver signaling his annoyance at her audacity, which was clearly going to delay his journey by a fraction of a second, I wondered whatever became of the clampdown enforcing a pedestrians right of way, I ask because a policeman was watching and didn't seem to be at all concerned.

Of course if True read this forum they will probably notice their mistake and turn them off again.

I hope she enjoys her stay and Christmas in the UK.

And takes plenty of warm clothing