New Zealand teen bailed in Thai airport theft case

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There already have been consequences.

That's a bit old innit.

Gofundme is asking. It's not expecting.

Yes of course it's a forum. I didn't know that before!

Maybe I'm just cheap?

A charity that I have given to is Larkin Street Youth Services.

Charities I've given to regularly have been Children in Need in the UK, Baan Jing Jai in Pattaya, The Pattaya Orphanage, ( back in my Pattaya days when Father Brennan was in charge)

I switched my allegiances from Pattaya Orphanage as they were well sponsored and Baan Jing Jai wasn't well recognised.

And the Camillian Social centre, Rayong.

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Maybe.

So instead ruin his young life in a Thai prison.

That'll teach him!

He did that to himself!

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

He did that to himself!

Do you think having his life ruined is a rational punishment for that offense?!?

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Do you think having his life ruined is a rational punishment for that offense?!?

What would you do? He stole a watch in an airport and was later caught through cctv.

How would a few days in a Thai jail ruin his life?. He is out on bail, offered to pay the woman a large sum to forget his stupidity and she has agreed. It will work out.

What if he hit her on a motorbike much like the guy killing the doctor on Samui? Just walk?

I don't think some people are viewing this correctly. This isn't shoplifting or grabbing a watch that was left in a restroom. It was in airport security where people are required to surrender their belongings to be screened and take off metal jewelry. So they expect that it is secure and monitored and that they'll get everything back. He took advantage of the situation.

If the only penalty is returning the item and paying some extra compensation to the victim and then being let on their way, that's the wrong message. Because it is easy to grab something much more valuable than a swatch watch, like phones, wallets, rings, etc. And since they're going through airport security, they're gone in hours. This guy happened to be flying domestic that day, but if was the flight home, he'd never have been caught.

This has to be taken seriously because of where it was and what it would say if it wasn't that much of a penalty for it. People should be thinking, don't steal stuff in airport screening because they take it seriously.

4 hours ago, Carmine6 said:

I don't think some people are viewing this correctly. This isn't shoplifting or grabbing a watch that was left in a restroom. It was in airport security where people are required to surrender their belongings to be screened and take off metal jewelry. So they expect that it is secure and monitored and that they'll get everything back. He took advantage of the situation.

If the only penalty is returning the item and paying some extra compensation to the victim and then being let on their way, that's the wrong message. Because it is easy to grab something much more valuable than a swatch watch, like phones, wallets, rings, etc. And since they're going through airport security, they're gone in hours. This guy happened to be flying domestic that day, but if was the flight home, he'd never have been caught.

This has to be taken seriously because of where it was and what it would say if it wasn't that much of a penalty for it. People should be thinking, don't steal stuff in airport screening because they take it seriously.

A better "message" is that this kid has been through enough already.

All you say is true about the seriousness of this crime, but I doubt any of that went through this guy's still developing head.

He's been scared straight enough.

I haven't been thank God but five years in Thai prison is no joke, and yes that would ruin his life.

Happened upon a facebook post about this incident and the comments were actually more extreme and disgusting than most of the posts there.

It kind of reinforces my theory that a lot of people just want this kid's life to be ruined for very sick psychological reasons. Expressing glee about how the kid was humiliated and possibly raped in prison stood out. Absurd resentment towards the mother seeking a "free holiday" in Thailand brings to mind the famous trademark of the late great Bernard Trink -- MANURE (huMAN natURE).

Edited July 24Jul 24 by Jingthing

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Happened upon a facebook post about this incident and the comments were actually more extreme and disgusting than most of the posts there.

It kind of reinforces my theory that a lot of people just want this kid's life to be ruined for very sick psychological reasons. Expressing glee about how the kid was humiliated and possibly raped in prison stood out. Absurd resentment towards the mother seeking a "free holiday" in Thailand brings to mind the famous trademark of the late great Bernard Trink -- MANURE (huMAN natURE).

Punishment will not ruin his life though, if anything, if punishment teaches him not to steal , then this could be the occurrence that stops him having life of crime

20 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Punishment will not ruin his life though, if anything, if punishment teaches him not to steal , then this could be the occurrence that stops him having life of crime

Depends on the punishment.

19 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Do you think having his life ruined is a rational punishment for that offense?!?

Who says his life will be ruined? He should have thought of that before he became a thief. There is a possibility he will learn a good lesson in the experience. He has been mollycoddled and on a bad path up to now by the sound if things.

Edited July 24Jul 24 by jacko45k

On 7/23/2026 at 1:11 PM, FigLeaf said:

Likely over a month...change of diet and weather.

You don´t seem to read the article

On 7/23/2026 at 4:39 AM, Georgealbert said:

New Zealand teenager Loukas Rainger has been released on bail after six days in custody

On 7/23/2026 at 4:39 AM, Georgealbert said:

His mother told Stuff reporters that he had lost 10kg and had his hair shaved while held in solitary confinement.

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Who says his life will be ruined? He should have thought of that before he became a thief. There is a possibility he will learn a good lesson in the experience. He has been mollycoddled and on a bad path up to now by the sound if things.

He possibly faces 5 years in Thai prison.

He'd be lucky to even survive that.

No doubt he would be raped a lot.

But that's ok with you and all the other sick sadistic cheerleaders.

Money washes all the dirt away.

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

He possibly faces 5 years in Thai prison.

He'd be lucky to even survive that.

No doubt he would be raped a lot.

But that's ok with you and all the other sick sadistic cheerleaders.

You sound like you write for Thai soap opera's.

19 minutes ago, marin said:

You sound like you write for Thai soap opera's.

Yeah the conditions in Thai prisons are imaginary

43 minutes ago, freedomnow said:

Money washes all the dirt away.

So.you're counting on corruption to save him

Stay classy.

It's remarkable how many expats have lost their moral compass if they ever had one.

I've got some sympathy for the guy. In about 150 flight segments over the past 4 years, there have been several occasions where the security guys have put my stuff in other people's trays, and vice versa. In fact, on one occasion, I had picked up someone else's power bank because it was in my tray. I found it a few minutes later and turned it into lost and found. So I could have been the guy in the story.

I can see how someone who's tired and rushed could just scoop up what's in front of him.

Besides, 5 years for a $50 watch? That's a little much, even if he nicked it deliberately.

I feel the lock him up and throw away the key crowd (he'll learn a lesson!) have an extreme case of Thai expat flavored Stockholm Syndrome. Meanwhile most people or shall I say HYPOCRITES in that brigade are probably violating numerous Thai laws themselves that just aren't enforced.

I find this display nauseating to witness.

On 7/23/2026 at 11:07 AM, fredwiggy said:

Not everything a child does after leaving the house is due to parent training, as their peers can have them go astray, even if they did learn right from wrong at home. How often it happens can have some bearing.

Many children get into the wrong crowds, where they look up to someone for some reason, and then follow their actions. The want to fit in can be stronger than common sense. Eventually what they were taught gets to their thinking and hopefully they'll leave the bad behavior behind.

Ingrained learnings usually win out unless they do something that gets them killed or in jail. Deeply rooted lessons act as an internal compass over time. Confirmation bias usually wins out, but not always.

Prisons& Corrections

Maybe but the reactions of paying off the victim while go fund me and having the whole family coming to Thailand is irresponsible

2 minutes ago, Ctkong said:

Maybe but the reactions of paying off the victim while go fund me and having the whole family coming to Thailand is irresponsible

Money talks. paying much more for the watch than it's worth shows this. Supporting your son is okay, as long as it's done the right way. No telling why this boy did this, or where he learned it, as it could be at home or from peers, or plain temptation without thinking.

At this point he was only bailed out.

He has not been cleared.

As far as what the family does or how they fund it, I don't understand the resentment.

If you want to help them, help them, if you don't, don't.

Nobody is forcing anyone.

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

He possibly faces 5 years in Thai prison.

He'd be lucky to even survive that.

No doubt he would be raped a lot.

But that's ok with you and all the other sick sadistic cheerleaders.

No, no one at all here have stated any rape would be acceptable .

Also , him being raped is a hypothetical situation .

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

No, no one at all here have stated any rape would be acceptable .

Also , him being raped is a hypothetical situation .

What do you think happens to 18 year old f-rang boys stacked up like timber with no space to properly lay down cramped in spaces designed for 25 percent of the crowd?

Your callous attitude disgusts me.

You don't condone the rapes which may or may not happen, but you cheerlead for sending him back to known conditions that are well documented that anyone paying attention knows about.

Teach him a lesson?

What lesson? Man's inhumanity to man.

That is the REAL LIFE context here.

THAI prison.

Not some abstract the boy needs to be punished load of crap.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by Jingthing

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

What do you think happens to 18 year old f-rang boys stacked up like timber with no space to properly lay down cramped in spaces designed for 25 percent of the crowd?

Your callous attitude disgusts me.

You don't condone the rapes which may or may not happen, but you cheerlead for sending him back to known conditions that are well documented that anyone paying attention knows about.

Teach him a lesson?

What lesson? Man's inhumanity to man.

So, your stance is that all people shouldn't be sent to jail anywhere in the World, just incase they get raped ?

He needs to be punished for his crimes "I wont like it in jail" isn't reason not to punish him

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

So, your stance is that all people shouldn't be sent to jail anywhere in the World, just incase they get raped ?

He needs to be punished for his crimes "I wont like it in jail" isn't reason not to punish him

Straw man garbage.

I said no such thing.

No surprise such a sleazy tactic coming from you,

If you were a real man with backbone, you would say, you're right, upon thinking about what this would really mean, I don't think what this kid did merits sending him BACK into a living hell for an extended period of time.

But you lack such basic human decency,

Edited July 25Jul 25 by Jingthing

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Straw man garbage.

I said no such thing.

No surprise such a sleazy tactic coming from you,

I asked you a question

So, Not a strawman and I didnt say you did say it .

I asked you a question .

So, is your stance is that all people shouldn't be sent to jail anywhere in the World, just incase they get raped ?

Or does this man get special treatment ?

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If you were a real man with backbone, you would say, you're right, I don't think what his kid did merits sending him BACK into a living hell for an extended period of time.

But you lack such basic human decency,

The Thai Judge should decide his sentence .

It will likely just be a fine anyway

2 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

The Thai Judge should decide his sentence .

TravelGuides & Travelogues

It will likely just be a fine anyway

That's a sleazy deflection where you refuse to own your own opinion on the matter.

My opinion is that he's already been in that living hell for ten days and is already traumatized.

My opinion is that what he did does not justify any further punishment (other than the deep wais and paying compensation, etc.).

Obviously, neither of us have any power about that decision. DUH. Thanks fot that gem, Captain Obvious.

However, you know the alleged crime, you know he is 18 so really still a boy, you know (or you should know) about the conditions in Thai prison which he already had a taste of.

So do YOU want him to be let go at this stage or do YOU want him to be sent back to Thai prison, and if so, for what sentence?

I doubt you're man enough to clearly answer that.

If you say you want him to be let off now, then what were we arguing about?!?

Edited July 25Jul 25 by Jingthing

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That's a sleazy deflection where you refuse to own your own opinion on the matter.,

Captain Obvious.

I doubt you're man enough to clearly answer that.

You are getting rather abusive, try to talk normally and stop fighting and bitching .

The man is a thief and he should face the punishment as written in Thai law .

USA has a high theft rate because thieves are unpunished .Thailand has a low theft rate because thieves are severely punished .

His family have been rewarded with free holiday to Thailand , so 1 year in jail would be an appropriate punishment for his crime

7 hours ago, Ctkong said:

Maybe but the reactions of paying off the victim while go fund me and having the whole family coming to Thailand is irresponsible

What's morally wrong with covering all one's bases?