Caught with weed on Koh Phangan island, lawyer contact please ? what will happen ?

[gamesgplayemail]

hello,

 

can someone give me the contact details of a lawyer in KPG or Koh samui for someone caught with weed. This is serious matter, please PM me.

 

Cops refused 50000 cash, how possible ?

 

Also the person caught didn't have her passport, what will happen ? Passport is somewhere in Bangkok, do you think that she should ask someone to post it (not easy) or pretend that we cannot find it, so cops might finally accept cash and let her go ? (she has copy of her visa and stamp in passport, so they clearly know that she is legally in Thailand)

 

Please help at least with a lawyer that can help in the process to let her go before going to court (it can take time).

 

I hope that someone can help, she is cute and I want to do as much as I can for her.

 

 

[JimmyTheMook]

Asking for help on ThaiVisa is a great start.

[lanista]

You should never offer a bribe which i am assuming you or someone has tried.

If they refused then dont push the issue.

 

Contact her  embassy immediately or local consulate -if there is one -and get the name of a lawyer in Samui or on the mainland who has a reputation for helping & representing foreigners.

He will try and negotiate a  quick settlement with the cops. It'll be  very expensive. Dont you pay for it, its her problem.

 

Leave everything to the lawyer . Make sure the lawyer has a good reputation!!

If things dont work out then keep your distance from her . Dont play Prince Charming in Thailand.

If she goes to prison thats her problem not yours.

Walk away unless you want trouble as well.

Edited September 12, 2018 by lanista

[richard_smith237]

There have been stories of people 'caught' for a little weed on the Islands before...  

 

Run a search of this forum and you may find some useful information. 

 

Once your friend is in the system, I suspect it would be difficult to get out of it by paying off the police. As you have already identified you need to find an honest lawyer - this is where it gets difficult.

 

I would suggest to avoid Island lawyers who may simply be in cahoots with the locals to profit from an inflated fine. 

Equally so, your friend will be paying a premium to make this go away quickly via the legal system. A good lawyer (from the mainland) will know which wheels to grease to get a quick court date, fine and be released. 

 

Also be very careful of overstay: Your friend, when (if) released may be released after her Visa expires, she could then face further complications, so ensuring she has access to funds or someone who can provide her a flight direct to her home country may prove vital. 

 

I'm sure you will get some good advice on here.

 

You will need thick skin as most of the replies on here will be from guys whose lack of intelligence shines through when they are unable to help themselves from voicing the obvious and predicable diatribe about using drugs in this country when its clear you need help not some twit telling you your friend has made a mistake !!!

Edited September 12, 2018 by richard_smith237

[JoeLing]

Worst thing to do, try to bribe Police officer. Punishment will be 1000 times more
severe than what you will get for a small amount of weed. Who in the right mind 
would trust a police officer who already cheats his employer by taking a bribe anyway?

Usually:
40'000 THB bail money and deposit of Passport until court hearing.
If you can't provide bail or Passport, you will stay in the cell until you can provide it.
For short term you will stay at the Koh Phangan Police station. If it takes longer for you
to provide Passport and Bail money, you'll be transfered to Koh Samui.

For small amounts of weed, the punishment is around 5 - 10'000 THB six months prison
suspended for a year. If you admit to the charge, that might be reduced by 50%.  In case
your visa expires whilst you wait for your court case, you will need to pay overststay when
you leave the country.

Of course, everything depends very much on your attitude and behaviour. 

As for lawyers, plenty off offices in Tongsala. One as good as the other.
Just don'y use the one the police recommends ?

BTW - As others adviced already. Don't get involved too much, it might backfire.

Edited September 12, 2018 by JoeLing

[Esso49]

And for a female to go to with friends or otherwise to any Thai island is a dangerous these days.   Can't they read the newspapers ?  However, that aside you should make contact with her Embassy so they can provide assistanace

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

I hope that someone can help, she is cute and I want to do as much as I can for her.

Well be careful or you can still be together.

 

[JoeLing]

Embassy? 

8 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

And for a female to go to with friends or otherwise to any Thai island is a dangerous these days.   Can't they read the newspapers ?  However, that aside you should make contact with her Embassy so they can provide assistanace

Embassy? What do you expect the Embassy will do because
of a bit of weed?
Next people will advice to contact the embassy or consulate
because they got a fine for driving without helmet 

[Vacuum]

44 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Also be very careful of overstay: Your friend, when (if) released may be released after her Visa expires, she could then face further complications,

She can't get overstay if she is in custody/jail.

[Esso49]

17 minutes ago, JoeLing said:

Embassy? 

Embassy? What do you expect the Embassy will do because
of a bit of weed?
Next people will advice to contact the embassy or consulate
because they got a fine for driving without helmet 

The purpose of my comment was to advise the Embassy whilst  she was still alive or suffer some any other unknown fate before she disappears.  They may not do anything but it will make damn certain the local mafia won't be able to either.  As for not excepting a bribe, then it simply was not enough.

[simoh1490]

DO NOT try to bribe the cops, plus I wouldn't even bother with a lawyer, the cost will outweigh any benefit. Let her case works its way through the system, the penalty will not be jail time as we've seen before several times - stupid girl that she is.

[ThaidDown]

10 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

She can't get overstay if she is in custody/jail.

Extensions of stay are not automatic (even awaiting a court case or in custody) they have to be applied for at Immigration.

 

 

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

didn't have her passport,

what country is she from?

[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, ThaidDown said:

Extensions of stay are not automatic (even awaiting a court case or in custody) they have to be applied for at Immigration.

 

 

It doesn't matter, she will not be charged with overstay if she is in police custody.

[dabhand]

This recent thread might help.

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1026426-caught-with-cannabis-in-the-islands/

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Cops refused 50000 cash, how possible ?

Perhaps the government's efforts against corruption have started to work? 

[Vacuum]

11 minutes ago, ThaidDown said:

Extensions of stay are not automatic (even awaiting a court case or in custody) they have to be applied for at Immigration.

 

 

How does one do that, if in custody?

[OneMoreFarang]

Does she have any kind of travel insurance? I would contact them and they will likely contact their office or agent in Thailand and they will likely have experience with cases like this. You should be able to get reliable information from them about a lawyer.

 

Above someone suggested not to contact a local lawyer. Personally I guess a lawyer who knows the police and other influential people in that area might be very useful. An insider should be able to do things which an outsider, not from that region, will not be able to do.

[usacb500biker]

If i was YOU I  would get the Hell out of Thailand on the next plane. Guess who she will tell the police, who she bought the Drugs for or I was just Holding them for him or YOU.  Prison Time. R U N

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

someone caught with weed

how much weed and how was it packaged?

 

where did she get it?

 

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Also the person caught didn't have her passport, what will happen

well at least she had a copy and the cops don't have her passport. but they will get it eventually. you or someone will have to get it.  

 

1 hour ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Passport is somewhere in Bangkok, do you think that she should ask someone to post it (not easy) or pretend that we cannot find it, so cops might finally accept cash and let her go ?

this is about weed, not her passport. but you should never be more than a short drive from your passport in Thailand in case the cops want to see it.  

 

you should start thinking about how to support your friend while she is in prison. food, water, moral support and some cash. does her family know yet?

Edited September 12, 2018 by NCC1701A

[ThaidDown]

4 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

How does one do that, if in custody?

With difficulty !

A few years back but one guy I knew had the police escort him to immigration to do an extension and another that had his lawyer do it on his behalf.

There have been reports on this forum of people being charged overstay after court cases.

 

[CharlieH]

Reported post and responses quoting it have been removed.

[bendejo]

A few years ago saw a documentary about weed busts on KPG.  They put the culprit in jail, it has to go through court, folks back home dig up the cash, and after a week or two it's over.  I think the total cost of the fine was around UD$3,000 in most cases.  Everybody on the Thai side gets their nose wet, and it's a good day in LOS.  Meanwhile culprit and family are so glad he/she is out of jail no one dares question the practices, just get me the hell out of this country!

 

 

Edited September 12, 2018 by bendejo

[watcharacters]

 

100% troll IMHO.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

I hope that someone can help, she is cute and I want to do as much as I can for her.

Do you know her for more than a couple of days?

Be careful that you don't support someone with a past you don't know.

There might be bad surprises for you...

[watcharacters]

35 minutes ago, usacb500biker said:

If i was YOU I  would get the Hell out of Thailand on the next plane. Guess who she will tell the police, who she bought the Drugs for or I was just Holding them for him or YOU.  Prison Time. R U N

 

Third post?

[simoh1490]

For the avoidance of doubt, Immigration is a division of the Thai Poice force.

[Kadilo]

And for a female to go to with friends or otherwise to any Thai island is a dangerous these days. 

Absolute rubbish. Quit ridiculous scaremongering.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[RickG16]

1 hour ago, bendejo said:

A few years ago saw a documentary about weed busts on KPG.  They put the culprit in jail, it has to go through court, folks back home dig up the cash, and after a week or two it's over.  I think the total cost of the fine was around UD$3,000 in most cases.  Everybody on the Thai side gets their nose wet, and it's a good day in LOS.  Meanwhile culprit and family are so glad he/she is out of jail no one dares question the practices, just get me the hell out of this country!

 

 

Any chance of a link to the doc?

[RickG16]

OP - any more info on where  / how this happened?