Amazing fall from grace for Pattaya big shot Luke Cook - respected expat to death row in Thailand

[Caine]

Serves the thieving bastard right, for putting his Thatcher cider up from 160bt to 180bt overnight. He should get the death sentence for that alone

[Aforek]

"...the expat everyone wanted to get to know …"

 

?? not me, maybe the old fat farangs that we see in the video

I had never heard of him before reading this story

I am not jealous of his money, and I am not in a jail, like him 

[vinegarbase]

What about the Chinese that are involved in this? I am seeing more and more around the world the Chinese are trying to export dangerous drugs into Western countries around the world. I believe they have a type of reverse stealth opium war against Western countries going on.

[Ebumbu]

No "allegedly"? No trial, but he's already guilty? Poor journalism. 

[Torrens54]

7 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Is this bar still going?

is the owner still there , it would be good to get his side ?

 

 

Sure, just ask for an ajoining cell on DEATH ROW....do you think he’s out on bail and has promised the cops he’ll “drop-in,” when his Execution is scheduled?

[mok199]

Guess he will be ''microphoning the HOG '' from his penthouse suite

[Chriss77]

No sympathy. Same scenario as the Bali 9. People think they are above the law of a certain country, or are aware they are not, but choose to run the risk, then expect the Australian embassy to save them. Its pretty simple really, and i don't want my tax dollars providing wasters with consular support

[Scouse123]

6 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Im not sure what jail he will be in but by far the worse jail i visited was the Bang Kwang Jail in Bangkok about 6 years ago.

 

This is a jail that they nickname the Big Tiger because it eats you up.

 

I have visited many jails  ( volunteer and part time work for a charity) but I have never encountered such rude nasty thai people as i did visiting in there and they were the officers, they just didnt care about people mmany of them not a ounce of kindness, they would snarl their faces at you and sometimes not even answer.

 

these officers are not like ordinary thais ,they look yiu direct in the eyes as they snarl and talk down to you.

 

i was once enquiring where a certain prisoner was and his welfare, the senior officer kept saying “ huh , ! Huh ! Screwing his face up 

Like it was pains for him to talk to me.he was a half indian thai officer with a turban on ,he slammed a door in my face as i was asking about a prisoners welfare.

 

They even had some nickname for one low bassstard thai prison guard , apparently his nickname reflected  on how he liked to hurt and punish prisoners. 

and anyone thinking Bang Kwang is like Pattaya jail better grow up fast ,its nothing like it.

 

 

i remember one guy telling me that once the large crowded room cell is locked at night they do not open until morning even if your bleeding to death ! Terrible place !

 

You're not quite correct on some of your observations. You may have just come across a particular unpleasant prison guard or one who was having a lousy day.

 

In Bang Kwang and Klong Prem, many are holding death row prisoners as well as a great number of life term sentenced prisoners. By virtue of this fact alone, the prison guards, in my experience, are far more approachable and friendly towards the prisoners.

 

This is due to not enough guards and prisoners with nothing to lose by misbehaving, a prisoner serving a life term has no problem telling a prison guard where to ' get off ' if he doesn't like his attitude. Yes, there are the amnesties which they could possibly lose but many do not qualify as they are repeat offenders.

 

Pattaya prison is only there with a security clearance of prisoners up to seven years. The guards can get away with far more bullying at Pattaya jail because the offenders are usually younger, less serious offences, such as theft, using drugs, minor selling of drugs, etc

 

 

 

 

[BestB]

All sounds good to make headlines, only they seem to forget one minor detail. 500 kg of drugs is NOT a one man operation. nor one man bank.

 

No doubt there are people behind him and no doubt some Thai also involved.

 

Clearly he did not rat out anyone, i do not think its the end of it one way or another, Way too much money was involved and lost

[Scouse123]

35 minutes ago, Ebumbu said:

No "allegedly"? No trial, but he's already guilty? Poor journalism. 

 

If he is in Bang Kwang prison, he has been tried and convicted.

[rott]

5 hours ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

The death penalty is way over the top for what he was doing, and 

This is Thailand. He rolled the dice for high stakes and lost. (Assuming he is guilty as charged). He knew what he was doing. If his "restaurant" was so successful why bother with crime. He made the choice.

 

And best not to use ten words whem one will do.

[BestB]

2 minutes ago, rott said:

This is Thailand. He rolled the dice for high stakes and lost. (Assuming he is guilty as charged). He knew what he was doing. If his "restaurant" was so successful why bother with crime. He made the choice.

 

And best not to use ten words whem one will do.

Restaurant does not buy 5-6 million baht cars and multi million baht yachts ????

 

Will say it again, this was not a one man operation, and he was not the bag man. Whoever behind it, is by far more scary than Thai jail or even death sentence.

[rott]

4 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

biteour lips young man, to many, owning a pattaya bar is akin to finding the holy grail

Long, long time since that commanded any respect at all.

[rott]

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Quote" "Thailand's world famous seaside resort" - should read "Thailand's world INFAMOUS seaside resort". I personally HATE the place and have no intentions of ever returning to the dump.  

That is fine, do not return, up to you. Your business, no interest to anyone else.

 

And how many miles from Buriram are you now?

[newatthis]

4 hours ago, Robbess said:

Gee, the Buddhist country won’t even off unwanted soi dogs, but are keen to kill certain business people?

Because animals are a higher class of life in some cases.

[rott]

G

Eff-ing mobile. He is a farang so how can he be the owner?

[FitnessHealthTravel]

Never enough for some...

[peterb17]

5 hours ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

The death penalty is way over the top for what he was doing, and it makes me wonder whether it is a case of, added to his not at all negligible crimes,  the unspoken crime of not being Thai and stepping on people's sensitive toes simply by having yachts and successful restaurants. I would guess the real issue is his success and also how it would be easier for whoever to have no recourse but to relieve him and his kin of  his assets if he were executed.  People routinely get away with much worse in Thailand and hardly face any repercussions let alone the death penalty. My guess is they won't actually execute him but want to use the opportunity to create a climate of increased pressure on foreigners in Pattaya and perhaps Thailand. All reminds me of the case a few years ago of the Dutch ganja coffee shop entrepreneur. As I recall, essentially, they decided that because of his legal business in ganja in the Netherlands that it was illegal for him to even have the money from such things in a Thai bank account, which seems to have been his real mistake, transferring huge sums into a Thai bank account and last I heard he is serving a multiple decade sentence in a Thai prison somehwere. You can bet that his money isn't just sitting in his account waiting for him for when he gets out. I don't see how any of these attacks on foreigners, the Big Joke effect,  solves anything, there is nothing constructive about any of it aside from a way to appropriate peoples assets by the police, cow foreigners into submission for more malleable workers, prop up egos, a false sense of national pride etc  its a rather poor substitute for say enforcing laws, having competent people at entry points to the country who can actually sort out the kind of people that are bad for Thailand. Ironically It is a rather gangsterish mentality to execute people for dealing drugs and not one belonging to a civil society that Thailand I assume would purport to be running. But then again maybe they'll do it, maybe they'll actually execute him, make an example of him hoping the human rights people and international press will not care because of what the guy was involved in. Rather a shame, but most people seem to think if you are criminal you deserve no justice at all, rather ungenerous to say the least, yet if its you whose on the wrong end of things...and particularly if there has been some mistake and you were not guilty of anything, you wouldn't want to be facing the death penalty.

Wow have you ever heard of paragraphs? 

 

The trouble with drug dealers is that their products ( cut with heaven know what) kill people in the 100s of thousands .

 

Actually Thailand has not executed anybody for years - the death penalty is symbolic- but I have a suspicion he will be behind bars for a very very long time. 

[anon7867763]

6 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

My friend was beaten by her husband, so she fled the marriage. Sadly, she turned to meth - which killed her(RIP).

She left a two year old son behind. Consequently, I have no sympathy for the two drug dealers.

God point although I would stress ice dealers above others

[Scouse123]

51 minutes ago, peterb17 said:

Wow have you ever heard of paragraphs? 

 

The trouble with drug dealers is that their products ( cut with heaven know what) kill people in the 100s of thousands .

 

Actually Thailand has not executed anybody for years - the death penalty is symbolic- but I have a suspicion he will be behind bars for a very very long time. 

 

Yeah,

 

The Aussies like many other countries have a treaty with Thailand.

 

He can apply to serve his remaining term of imprisonment in an Australian prison after serving eight years in Bang Kwang.

 

I have not followed the story but to be given the death sentence, he must have pleaded not guilty or they would have reduced it to life. When an Amnesty comes around such as the coronation of the new King or another auspicious occasion, his sentence will probably be reduced somewhat.

 

They are seriously talking about abolishing the death penalty but there were a couple carried out not too long ago.

 

 

[ttrd]

10 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Looks like Mr. Cook had a decent hotel/resto/bar business going.

 

Too bad he got lured into the criminal elements and fast/easy money.

 

He actually  sounds like an OK chap in this video.

 

 

 

Liked his ending message - "once you are here you want leave" - it fit even perfect where he is now especially when you change out "want" with "can't"....

Edited November 14, 2018 by ttrd

[TumblinDice]

Guess he won't have a pot to piss in anymore.

[ryxyz]

A dope dealer is a dope dealer whether you're a black African or not. Guilty as charged!

[ryxyz]

Would love to know his Thaivisa handle!

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Is this bar still going?

is the owner still there , it would be good to get his side ?

 

 

They were the owners... Duh !!!!

[Stargeezr]

Luke! You went to the Dark side!

[bristolgeoff]

my friend was in the bangkok hilton,i visited him he did not tell much about the inside really.except they change clothes  before going thru 2 walls to get to the visit section.it does not seem nice and your thai will improve quick as well.the expats /prisoners tend to stay together,but it must be hell.her family will now run the business or sell it quick and move on.he had 49 percent of nothing as we know.he will never come out and wife as well i thinkl.he will be wasted on drugs most days  now, until they death.was it worth it as it seems he had it all in the LOS

[LukKrueng]

18 hours ago, Berkshire said:

So this "Pattaya big shot," living the high life with luxury properties, BMWs, Mercedes Benz, Ducatis and even a personal yacht....and the best he could do for female companionship was this 40 yr old hi-so wannabe?  I mean, come on dude.  I could do better on my worst day. 

ummmmmm, might be he first got that wife and then the luxury??

[BigC]

By the sounds of it he didn’t exactly keep a low profile 

[Aussie999]

18 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Not sure why the media keeps referring to this crime as "importing drugs into Australia" , He was caught with drugs in Thailand. The intended destination was maybe Australia but the boat could have ended up in Tahiti.

 

Everyone seems to be ignoring the real crime here

 

"an attention seeker who would hog the karaoke microphone"

He wasn't caught with drugs, it's in the story.