Go Fund Me appeal raises thousands for British man locked up in Thai jail

[webfact]

Chris Dodd, of Broadstone, is in a Thai prison

By Sarah Cartlidge

 

The GoFundMe page set up for Chris Dodd

 

A DESPERATE family has turned to crowdfunding in a bid to help free a popular man from Broadstone who is currently in prison in Thailand.

 

Chris Dodd, a former Poole Grammar School student, had been travelling across Asia but has been arrested in connection with the theft of a mobile phone.

It is understood that Chris had picked up a lost mobile phone that he found on the floor and is currently in jail awaiting his case to be heard.

 

His mum Fiona Dodd set up a fundraising page on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe calling for members of the public to help raise £20,000 in a bid to bring the tattoo artist and Plymouth College of Art and Design graduate home.

 

Posting on the page, Fiona Dodd said: “As he awaits his case to be heard he has been transferred to a Thai prison. We are currently in the process of hiring the legal help we need. Expenses are going to really mount up. Mike (Chris’ dad) has flown out to support Chris and try and bring him home.”

 

Full story: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17490964.chris-dodd-of-broadstone-is-in-a-thai-prison/

 

-- BOURNEMOUTH ECHO 2019-03-12

[watcharacters]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chris Dodd, a former Poole Grammar School student,

 

He looks a bit old for Grammar School.

[clarky cat]

I see the 10k goal has now been changed to 20k...

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

He looks a bit old for Grammar School.

Perhaps he's hard of learning.

[worgeordie]

So he learnt the hard way "Finder's is not keeper's",and if he

made no attempt to find the owner of the phone,he stole it.

 

 Seems you can even gofundme for anything nowadays,and

people will give you a lot of money.

regards worgeordie

[GoodieAfterDark]

I think there is more to this story.....

[roo860]

He's wearing one of those hats you can buy with dread locks attached, he's actually bald.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

He's wearing one of those hats you can buy with dread locks attached, he's actually bald.

Not such a hair-raising story then.

[Sticky Wicket]

Bail for murder, jail for finding a mobile on the floor. What a complete joke of a place. 

[Sticky Wicket]

Why are people being incarcerated for trivial misdemeanours when there are violent, malevolent people walking the streets.

[darksidedog]

20,000 Pounds?

Bail for theft is 100,000 Baht. International bail (run away and not come back) a further 50, 000.

That is under 4,000 Pounds.

Lawyer for the whole thing making it a grand total of 5,000. Why do they need so much more above this figure?

[roo860]

20,000 Pounds?
Bail for theft is 100,000 Baht. International bail (run away and not come back) a further 50, 000.
That is under 4,000 Pounds.
Lawyer for the whole thing making it a grand total of 5,000. Why do they need so much more above this figure?

Sounds like a family all inclusive beach holiday is on the cards.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sticky Wicket]

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

20,000 Pounds?

Bail for theft is 100,000 Baht. International bail (run away and not come back) a further 50, 000.

That is under 4,000 Pounds.

Lawyer for the whole thing making it a grand total of 5,000. Why do they need so much more above this figure?

Wonder why he is in jail if the family can get him out for 150k? 

 

[soalbundy]

Just now, Sticky Wicket said:

Wonder why he is in jail if the family can get him out for 150k? 

 

He 'found' the phone, the family is 'finding' the money, never ones to let a good opportunity go to waste

[300sd]

It's that two tiered (pricing) system raising it's ugly head again.

[sammieuk1]

Sounds like it was a generals phone he found ???? 

[moontang]

Besides the backpackers with lice issues, the dreadlocks (real or fake) aren't hurting anything, but otoh, it doesn't take long at all to realize a high majority of Thais don't like them, and are going to treat people differently, who have them, and that would most certainly apply to law enforcement agencies, SO WHY PLACE YOURSELF ON THEIR RADAR?  And over the years, it appears that the dreadlock people are often outspoken loudmouths, looking for some kind of confrontation, which is ironic since they are supposedly embracing the laid back Rasta lifestyle, supported by "found" merchandise, of course.

[JimSaints]

26 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Bail for murder, jail for finding a mobile on the floor. What a complete joke of a place. 

This guy is foreigner - theres the difference

[ukrules]

1 minute ago, JimSaints said:

This guy is foreigner - theres the difference

There shouldn't be a difference of course, they hate foreigners and often treat them much more harshly then the locals.

[jonclark]

If the case is going to a judge and trial then the opportunity to 'resolve' the case at a lower level has been missed.  We had a made who 'found' my wifes phone (many years ago) and didn't return it. When the police were called, much wailing was heard from the maid, who returned the phone and paid a small fine (I think a few grand) after admitting her mistake and obviously losing her job. Case closed

 

My guess is he has maintained his innocence - which from a western culture is the natural response - so the police cannot resolve the case, so it is up the food chain for a judge to do so. I think the legal assistance being offered and the number being give shows that their legal team has clearly pounced on the perfect combination of the family's distress, ignorance of Thai law and is using the fear of being locked up abroad to leverage as much cash out of them as possible. 

 

[darksidedog]

5 minutes ago, ukrules said:

There shouldn't be a difference of course, they hate foreigners and often treat them much more harshly then the locals.

Being involved with this sort of thing regularly, I have to disagree with that comment. The bail for foreigners is generally the same as it is for the locals. The difference is that locals know the system, while foreigners generally do not, leading to unscrupulous lawyers and cops ripping them off. Had he known what was going on and the process, he could have posted 100,000 and avoided jail altogether. He can still get out by doing so, in precisely the same way a local could, and at the same price. By applying for international bail, he has the added benefit that he can forego the money and escape the punishment that a local could not.

[Pravda]

Can someone I insulted on this forum give me a beating? I really need to get on this gofundme bandwagon before the novelty wears off.

[simon43]

He's wearing one of those hats you can buy with dread locks attached, he's actually bald.

 

Wow! I want that hat.  Where can I buy it? ????

 

As to finding a phone and keeping it - sorry, that's simple theft, nothing else.  If I found a phone, I would (and have previously done so by posting it back to the tourist in China) do all I could to find the owner.  

 

Clearly, some people live by a different moral code...

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Can someone I insulted on this forum give me a beating? I really need to get on this gofundme bandwagon before the novelty wears off.

Will you supply the carpet beater?

[brokenbone]

naughty little fly, why does it cry ?

caught in the web, soon you'll be...eaten !

[moontang]

7 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Can someone I insulted on this forum give me a beating? I really need to get on this gofundme bandwagon before the novelty wears off.

save someone the bus fare, a simple dog mauling should be easy enough to obtain.

[Lucius verus]

Yet another British gypsy family on the E -beg.

Maybe after brexit E begging will be a significant part of UK GDP.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Wow! I want that hat.  Where can I buy it? ???? {snipped}

 

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

He looks a bit old for Grammar School.

I am a former Ashton under Lyne Grammar School student, but am now 71 !

[LucysDad]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

So he learnt the hard way "Finder's is not keeper's",and if he

made no attempt to find the owner of the phone,he stole it.

 

 Seems you can even gofundme for anything nowadays,and

people will give you a lot of money.

regards worgeordie

 

 

 

A very hard, and sanctimonious, view.

 

I doubt that there was any intent to steal...................... but as someone said, there may be more to the story.