katasyd

I don't think there has been any mention of what she said to the police, the above from think too mutt is the product of his imagination. Until someone (other than the bar owner who wasn't there) can confirm what she said or that she ran away I think it's best for everyone to keep the leaps of fantasy & making things up, to a minimum, Thanks

It could be cleared up easily, Just need Steve to download the best angle of the "crime" from his CCTV to youtube and link it here or better yet, release the footage to the media and expose her.

I doubt it will happen, maybe there is more going on in that bar that they don't want getting out.

It did happen 3 weeks ago now.

Back up your claims Steve, show us your evidence.

Security footage from the bar can tell us the truth, let's see if Steve will back up his claims.

Dear Steve.

Release the tapes from the bar, expose this women as a liar.

I doubt you ever will because it will contradict some of the things that you claimed happened that fateful night.

Karma is a bitch.

Innocent fun, what a joke.What ever next

She ran away from the police, they had to chase after her and then she was abusive to them. Is this "innocent fun"?. She is an extremely stupid woman and now has to face the consequences.

No evidence she ran, just Steve has claimed that and he was not even there, the police only mention the mat theft, not resisting.

Police don't press charges in Thailand unless the owner wants to, ask any Thai citizen, police do not want the paper work,only the baht paperwork.

Steve, please release the video footage, clear this up once and for all.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/i...90520-beut.html

I put bar mat in bag: friendPeter Gregory, Sherrill Nixon

May 20, 2009 - 12:05PM

A woman who placed a bar mat in a friend's handbag in a Thai bar says it is ridiculous and appalling that the Melbourne mother of four is facing up to five years' jail over the prank.

Annice Smoel, 36, has made an emotional plea for help from the Federal Government after she was charged with theft and spent four nights in jail over the practical joke that backfired in the Phuket club.

A woman, identified only as Kate, said this morning she was one of the friends who confessed to police and staff at the Aussie Bar that she had put the mat in Ms Smoel's bag while Ms Smoel was elsewhere in the club.

"It was just a prank," Kate told radio 3AW.

"She did not [know about it]. She was at the other side of the bar at another table with a group of people."

Kate said Ms Smoel was crying in the bar and at the police station after she was confronted over the incident, but denied she had abused police as alleged by the bar's owner.

She said one of the other women in the group had told police that Ms Smoel had not been responsible for putting the bar mat in her bag, but the police were not interested in her confession.

"I was standing back watching from the other side of the glass [at the police station] ... [Ms Smoel] was not being abusive to anybody," Kate said.

"She was very upset, she was crying, she was very confused and emotional as to what had just happened. It was very full-on, there was a lot of bar staff and police and everyone was in our faces.

"It is absolutely ridiculous, it is just appalling."

Ms Smoel's lawyer Bernard Murphy also denied his client was abusive to police.

Her passport confiscated, Ms Smoel was released on bail after four days in jail but might have to wait in Thailand for 14 weeks before she appears in court.

Mr Murphy told the Nine Network that the behaviour of the Thai police has been ridiculous.

"We're hopeful that the Thai authorities will listen and understand that their behaviour to date has been completely ridiculous," Mr Murphy said.

"To lock up this Melbourne mother for what's effectively 18 days for the theft of a bar mat, which other people have admitted doing, seems simply crazy."

He said Ms Smoel had told him that she was not abusive to police.

"I have spoken to her and I've spoken to her friends and they all deny it," he said.

"She was tearful, she was very upset but, I must say: who cares?

"This is a woman who was arrested wrongly, she was a charged with a crime she didn't commit.

"She had had plenty to drink and if she did get upset that would be entirely understandable."

Since her arrest early this month, Ms Smoel has missed being with her eldest daughter, who had emergency surgery for appendicitis, and the 11th birthday of her second-eldest.

Her brother-in-law Gary Smoel, who with his wife is caring for the children while Ms Smoel's husband supports her in Thailand, said the 12-year-old was too upset to go to school.

Two other friends, who were travelling with her to celebrate her mother's birthday, have apologised in a sworn statement for hiding the bar mat in what they called a "silly" joke.

The women, named Samantha and Jodie, said in the statement that police were told Ms Smoel was unaware when they placed the mat in her bag.

They said police initially let her go, but she was stopped later by bar staff and sent to a police booth.

"What started off as a very silly joke has turned into a very serious matter and for that we are sincerely apologetic," the women said.

Yesterday, Ms Smoel described her horror at her time in jail. She said she believed she and her friends had been targeted because they were women "on our own" without a man to talk to police about a bribe.

"If there had ... been a man with us to do that for us, then that would have been done and that would have been the end of it."

She said she was not made aware that her husband, Darren, and mother were negotiating for her release.

"I just felt scared and hopeless and alone," she said. "If they wanted to teach me a lesson, they have well and truly done it."

But Aussie Bar owner Steve Wood told 3AW that he was told police had chased Ms Smoel to the beach, and that she had been disrespectful to a senior policeman.

"I think it's more an attitude problem than a crime problem," he said.

Mr Wood said the bar had not pressed charges over the missing mat, which he said was worth $50 or $60.

Darren Smoel said he would not return home without his wife.

Late yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australian authorities were providing consular support and had contacted the Thai Government.

Premier John Brumby said the State Government was doing all it could to bring Ms Smoel home.

"She's a Victorian and we want to get her back," Mr Brumby said

This case has had coverage all over Australia, even came up at the MUA meeting and seafarers are calling for a boycott of the Aussie bar.

No one likes a dog and won't drink at a bar when it's owned by a dog.

Steve should know better.

I do believe "shakedown" is the appropriate word in this situation. 20,000 baht and she would have walked free. Now it's going to cost her a lot more to stay here for the court proceedings and end up with a measly 500 baht fine and deportation.

Corruption pure and simple.

I just asked my Thai wife what would happen if a Thai person was caught for the same offence.

Just a small fine was her response.

Yeah and who thinks that a smart head couldnt have dropped 5 or 10k on a 'fine' and walked if handled right.. Whose betting loud mouth drunk ozzie women giving it the 'you cant do that to me' attitude that comes out when they are on Bangla (or Bali ??)..

Dont forget in her own words (radio interview) they told her to stop, she gave them the bag, then tried to do a runner down the stairs and out into the street.. You do a runner from Thai cops and your going to be in the shit list straight away.. Act like a <deleted> and pay the price basically.

very, very well connected in Phuket.

Gotta pay to play

The bar is obviously owned by an influential Thai - policeman or politician.Would a Farang owned Bar have undercover cops working in it? Would the police care if a Farang owned bar got ripped off? Certainly not, because the police are looking to do just that - rip off the Farang owned bar themselves by searching for unauthentic music on the computer or Thai CD's etc or absolutely any other "law" they can make up to extort baht from the owner. (yes, I've owned a Bar in Thailand so I'm talking from first hand experience)

So,this is some Thai scumbags bar and they are putting a tourist in jail for stealing a towel. I suggest you avoid this bar if you're ever in Phuket and tell everyone that you know to avoid it as well.

What is the Name of this Bar? Can anyone tell me....

Thais are always trying to rip the Farang off for every Dime!

Aussie bar, Bangla Rd, you can't miss it.

Wow, I am so impressed by all the wisdom from these posts, if you ask me 90% is a verbal jerk off. Do you ever read and think before writing?

Sydney Morning Herald

We apoligized to the police officer and asked him if we could please go back to the hotel

The officer that we explained the events to said that Annice could go,he said,"ok, go" and nodded his head.

Unfortunately, when Annice was leaving, after being told she could go, bar staff ran after her and would not let her go, despite us informing them the first officer had said she was free to go

Not pressing charges hey!!!

They said bar staff approached Ms Smoel and asked her to open her bag. When staff saw the bar mat, they called the police.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/m...3r.html?page=-1

What is funny is that Steve Wood, the Aussie bar owner is also guilty of theft.

He has illegal sattelite tv from Papua new Guinea that broadcasts the NRL and AFL in his bar.

He discussed it openly.

I am sure he has the BiB in his back pocket anyway.

what is mnore funny iss likely the cause off the grudge you seem to nursing against this felllow. telling tales out of school? seems the anonymity of the interenet has given you courage.

No worries caffer, i will PM you my phone number and we can meet up and discuss about talking out of school.

Oh no, the Thai police now have a beer mat theft division that does undercover work in bars to smash a international beer mat theft ring.

PLEASE!!!!

His property, his bar, only the owner can press charges as it's his property.

How did the police know it was stolen? she might have payed $60 for one earlier in the evening, that is what Steve sells them for remember..

Someone reported it, that's for sure.

It stinks, he could go down to the police that he pays anyway and said she purchased it, easy and cleared up.

He chose to drag her through the legal system, way to go Steve.

If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

You drink there?

Very un-australian and his business will suffer now he has done this, you think aussies will continue to flock to his bar?

He could have easily sorted it out without having her charged, he knows the legal system sucks here and is draconian but he put her to the sword.

I would not be surprised if someone relieved him of a few teeth over this.

It was his property and his bar he chose to press charges over it, plain and simple.

BiB's could not care less about a shitty beer mat.

What is funny is that Steve Wood, the Aussie bar owner is also guilty of theft.

He has illegal sattelite tv from Papua new Guinea that broadcasts the NRL and AFL in his bar.

He discussed it openly.

I am sure he has the BiB in his back pocket anyway.

The bar is obviously owned by an influential Thai - policeman or politician.Would a Farang owned Bar have undercover cops working in it? Would the police care if a Farang owned bar got ripped off? Certainly not, because the police are looking to do just that - rip off the Farang owned bar themselves by searching for unauthentic music on the computer or Thai CD's etc or absolutely any other "law" they can make up to extort baht from the owner. (yes, I've owned a Bar in Thailand so I'm talking from first hand experience)

So,this is some Thai scumbags bar and they are putting a tourist in jail for stealing a towel. I suggest you avoid this bar if you're ever in Phuket and tell everyone that you know to avoid it as well.

Its the ozzie bar on Bangla.. Steve.. Who I am sure doesnt want this publicity or hassle.. This is in the Thai polices hands.

Too late for that, i think he should go down the copshop and demand that he does not want to press charges.

In the end, it's his bar and the mat is his property.

The weather has not been doing the "summer season" any favours.

The farce will unravel when the tourists start drowning at the beaches and the violent muggings that occur continue.

They are much better than Jetstar, competition is a good thing and will require other airlines to lift their game.

I think you will find that a Aussie chap owns the bar, he looks like David Boone or Merv Hughes with his handlebar moustache.

He needs to step in and not press charges.

You could compare Thai's to Aboriginals too, very alike.

5 billion baht upgrade, nice budget for some skimming, about 3 billion will be will be spent on the airport and 2 billion spent on fortuners and mia noi's

1.The south of Phuket will get over development (Hotels&Villa/condos) along the coastline to Promthep cape, starting at Kata noi.

2.Thai's will learn english and it will become the first language here.

3.Meters installed into Tuk Tuks, 10b or 15b a kilometer.

Last couple of days the weather has been terrific, just what the "summer" season needed.

Well, i went down today and i checked out the muffins to see if the fresh ones have arrived.

I see the pricing gun has put a new used by date over the plastic tag which has the real used by date on it.

Same old Bangkok villa trickery has reached Phuket.

Absolute disgrace.

They should give the guy his 373 tuk tuks but make him put meters in them.

10 baaht a kilometer sounds fair.

Why the hel_l would Phuket need 373 more tuk tuks?

Because they have not used up all the parking places on the red curbs ....

What about the bunch that are opposite Dino park mini golf, in front of Buffalo steak house.

It is amazing they let that go on for as long as it has, that is a narrow road.