British man released on bail in Thailand over theft of mobile phone

[webfact]

Backpacker jailed in Thailand for 'picking up phone' returns home

 

Chris Dodd had only just arrived in Thailand when he was arrested and put in prison

 

A British backpacker who was arrested and put in prison in Thailand for picking up a mobile phone he found on the floor has returned home for Easter.

 

Chris Dodd, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Poole, spent 10 days in a Thai prison accused of theft.

 

He said he picked up the phone to try to find its owner and in doing so he moved it to a different location, which is considered theft under Thai law.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-47998395

 

-- BBC 2019-04-22

 

[Mango Bob]

If this person was Thai, this would have never happened.  Seems like they are targetting foreigners more and more lately.

[LomSak27]

On 3/14/2019 at 10:46 AM, Kieran00001 said:

Quote

His lawyers are trying to work towards a quicker solution to try any drop the case so we will keep you all posted

 

Is that what the 20 grand is for, the "quicker solution"?  If it is then I'm sure I can't support that!!!

 

On 3/14/2019 at 1:40 PM, giddyup said:

Talk about laughing all the way to the bank.

You might  read some other news articles on this ....  .... 

 

They have already burned through 5 K, and that is not Baht. That is just to get parole - They still have to go thorugh the hearings.  Fine payment, lawyers, expenses, gifts for BIB  ----- likely needs more money than the 13 K he has left now. 

He can also run the border but you don''t want to do that and get caught.

 

Either way this is not some money making scam, for the brit kid that is. They are going to take as much money from him as they can, just like that numbnut of a bitcoin sap. These are cash Buffaloes, and they will be milked!! HooYaa!   

[Jazz5555]

45 minutes ago, webfact said:

Backpacker jailed in Thailand for 'picking up phone' returns home

 

Chris Dodd had only just arrived in Thailand when he was arrested and put in prison

 

A British backpacker who was arrested and put in prison in Thailand for picking up a mobile phone he found on the floor has returned home for Easter.

 

Chris Dodd, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Poole, spent 10 days in a Thai prison accused of theft.

 

He said he picked up the phone to try to find its owner and in doing so he moved it to a different location, which is considered theft under Thai law.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-47998395

 

-- BBC 2019-04-22

 

+5555 Som Nam na 

[Razek]

give it to the nearest police station . ??? 

[LomSak27]

 

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Dodd said his lawyer urged him to leave Thailand immediately after the prosecution dropped the case three days ago.

His father Mike Dodd added: "Over there money talks but, yes, it's [also] having a really good lawyer. [The money raised] enabled us to have a really good lawyer. That was fantastic."

[toenail]

This article scares me...I can see myself doing the same thing- innocently picking up the phone and giving it to the police the next day since it was night time. I am sure the lad had his own phone and didn’t another one - or need cash from a pawn shop. 

In Tokyo airport, I found someone’s cell phone in the toilet stall ( on top of the tp dispenser. I gave it to the security guard without thinking I’d be in trouble for carrying it...but this was Japan. 

[ChipButty]

What are you supposed to do? leave it there and dont touch it?

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, ChipButty said:

What are you supposed to do? leave it there and dont touch it?

Yes, why even touch it ?

[teatree]

13 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

What are you supposed to do? leave it there and dont touch it?

He found it at the airport.  Common sense would suggest you should walk to information desk at the airport and hand it over.  Not go to you hostel, go out for food and then think about handing it in.

[teatree]

30 minutes ago, toenail said:

This article scares me...I can see myself doing the same thing- innocently picking up the phone and giving it to the police the next day since it was night time. I am sure the lad had his own phone and didn’t another one - or need cash from a pawn shop. 

In Tokyo airport, I found someone’s cell phone in the toilet stall ( on top of the tp dispenser. I gave it to the security guard without thinking I’d be in trouble for carrying it...but this was Japan. 

He didn't give it to the nearest security guard though did he, that is the point.  He took it away.  Had he handed it to someone at the airport he wouldn't have had a problem.

[Jazz5555]

1 minute ago, teatree said:

He didn't give it to the nearest security guard though did he, that is the point.  He took it away.  Had he handed it to someone at the airport he wouldn't have had a problem.

Anyone that thinks he had good intentions is dilusional, I would pay 20000 to see his face when the cops turned up, that would have been great. Lol

[warrima]

29 minutes ago, teatree said:

He found it at the airport.  Common sense would suggest you should walk to information desk at the airport and hand it over.  Not go to you hostel, go out for food and then think about handing it in.

Exactly what i thought. I found one left on a table at Ikea last week, i handed it over to the cashier. Whoever left will surely remember ikea was the last place they had it and ask staff there. Wouldn't dream of (paraphrasing) "taking it home to try to trace the owner from there". Sorry but the guy sounds like an opportunist thief. Whilst he didn't deserve jail he certainly didnt deserve a 20k handout. 

[ivor bigun]

When you read the whole story,he picks up phone in airport ,lots of places to hand it in ,but no he goes back to hotel ,then goes out ,comes back,gets arrested ,stealing by finding.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mike787]

On 3/14/2019 at 1:48 PM, sanemax said:

But the 20 K wasnt given to anyone .

There wasnt a "pay off" and there has been no "extortion".

The "real criminal" is the phone thief 

Wait for it...the brown envelope cometh to thailand...soon grass hopper, soon...it's the thia way.

Edited April 22, 2019 by mike787

[Jazz5555]

The more times people pay THe more expensive it gets

 

[Vacuum]

On 3/14/2019 at 2:05 PM, katana said:

He should be locked up for that haircut alone.

Looks more like the 'hair' came with the cap he bought.

[KNJ]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 9:45 AM, myshem said:

 

Only idiots buy an expensive phone when you can have a phone that is more than enough powerful for what people are doing with it...

And only retarded countries send to jail someone for a petty theft. We, from civilized countries, are supposed to be smarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happened to a friend of mine in UK, ( he found a wallet ), some 30 years ago, the criminal record is there and always will be followed him for life.

There again UK is fast becoming not civilised country so perhaps you are correct

[Lupatria]

Meanwhile: HELPLESSLY HOPING

How many decades will it take until those clowns in charge in this country will get their priorities straight?

A children’s rights activist called on the authorities on Saturday to investigate the case of a father allegedly forcing his 13-year-old daughter to have sex with a drug pusher in exchange for marijuana. …residents had reported the incident to certain government agencies, but with no action being taken…

[tukadadoll]

2 hours ago, toenail said:

This article scares me...I can see myself doing the same thing- innocently picking up the phone and giving it to the police the next day since it was night time. I am sure the lad had his own phone and didn’t another one - or need cash from a pawn shop. 

In Tokyo airport, I found someone’s cell phone in the toilet stall ( on top of the tp dispenser. I gave it to the security guard without thinking I’d be in trouble for carrying it...but this was Japan. 

 

[smedly]

He picked it up from the floor - not a crime yet, what he does immediately after that is critical as to whether it becomes a crime, under law it becomes "intension" - he 100% made the wrong choice and IMO made clear his "intention" and knew exactly what he was doing, the law (and common sense) is very clear on this - by any definition it was theft. If it had been money, same thing - theft

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

What are you supposed to do? leave it there and dont touch it?

 

Basically correct. It's not yours, and you have no idea if the person who owns it put it there, dropped it by accident or is on the way back looking for it. 

 

Not your business. Same as finding a wallet. Unless you can quickly take it to a nearby policeman/police station, leave it alone.

 

Sad, but in lots of places the assumption is going to be your're stealing it. Finders ain't keepers!

[tlandtday]

Interesting headlines looks like the foreigners are stealing phones faster than the thai taxi drivers and fisherman can return them lol.

[smedly]

16 minutes ago, KNJ said:

Happened to a friend of mine in UK, ( he found a wallet ), some 30 years ago, the criminal record is there and always will be followed him for life.

There again UK is fast becoming not civilised country so perhaps you are correct

that is an interesting one - a wallet

 

Again it comes down to "intension", if the wallet contained the persons contact info like a phone number or address for example then you might get away with that to a point - provided you can prove your intension, if it contained the persons name only then you are in trouble unless you hand it in. If it contained an address you better have some way to very quickly prove you made an attempt at contact, ultimately it is always safer to hand it in.  

[smedly]

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Basically correct. It's not yours, and you have no idea if the person who owns it put it there, dropped it by accident or is on the way back looking for it. 

 

Not your business. Same as finding a wallet. Unless you can quickly take it to a nearby policeman/police station, leave it alone.

 

Sad, but in lots of places the assumption is going to be your're stealing it. Finders ain't keepers!

nope wrong, you can pick it up but in most cases need to hand it in

[Basil B]

3 hours ago, Razek said:

give it to the nearest police station . ??? 

 

Remember few years ago, a "farang" left a phone on the seat when he got off the Baht Bus me and my then GF were travelling on, my GF noticed it and picked it up, I suggested handing it to the driver, she said  "No, driver no good, he keep"!!!

 

The long and the short was, we kept, expecting a call shortly from the owner asking where his phone was.

This was Jomtien and he had got off at the top end where the 2nd road started and we were staying further down the beach, about a mile, shure enough half an hour latter we get a call, GF answers, arrogant American demanding she bring the phone to him.

 

He was most annoyed because she would not bring it to him, he came down by motorbike taxi, so certainly no reward, not even a thank you.

 

I think next I give to the driver...

[kingstonkid]

First, he should have been locked up for trying to impersonate a Jamaican man.

 

The proper thing to have done as I am glad someone did for me once gives the phone to the restaurant or store to hold on to.  That way once the person realizes it is missing they can retrace their actions and get it.  

 

The fact that he took it with him we have only his word that he wasn't going to sell it or pawn it for weed.

 

He was a backpacker and they in a lot of thais minds are not that trustworthy as they are too transient

[tlandtday]

3 minutes ago, Basil B said:

 

Remember few years ago, a "farang" left a phone on the seat when he got off the Baht Bus me and my then GF were travelling on, my GF noticed it and picked it up, I suggested handing it to the driver, she said  "No, driver no good, he keep"!!!

 

The long and the short was, we kept, expecting a call shortly from the owner asking where his phone was.

This was Jomtien and he had got off at the top end where the 2nd road started and we were staying further down the beach, about a mile, shure enough half an hour latter we get a call, GF answers, arrogant American demanding she bring the phone to him.

 

He was most annoyed because she would not bring it to him, he came down by motorbike taxi, so certainly no reward, not even a thank you.

 

I think next I give to the driver...

the guy was an ass for sure but most yanks would have happily thanks you and her

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

Yes, why even touch it ?

In order to give it in to the nearest cop-shop or council offices/similar organisation where it can be held safely until such time as the rightful owner enquires about it / the authorities in question can find them, unlikely though that is , granted. If you can't even do this much without being charged with 'theft' then something is obviously seriously wrong with the system. Although I'm not entirely sure whether or not the 'handing it in to authorities' part would negate any unlawfulness, but I'm guessing that it surely would. If this was your property would you rather it was left in the street where it would undoubtedly get broken or be stolen by a less honest citizen?

Edited April 22, 2019 by CanterbrigianBangkoker

[smedly]

22 minutes ago, Basil B said:

 

Remember few years ago, a "farang" left a phone on the seat when he got off the Baht Bus me and my then GF were travelling on, my GF noticed it and picked it up, I suggested handing it to the driver, she said  "No, driver no good, he keep"!!!

 

The long and the short was, we kept, expecting a call shortly from the owner asking where his phone was.

This was Jomtien and he had got off at the top end where the 2nd road started and we were staying further down the beach, about a mile, shure enough half an hour latter we get a call, GF answers, arrogant American demanding she bring the phone to him.

 

He was most annoyed because she would not bring it to him, he came down by motorbike taxi, so certainly no reward, not even a thank you.

 

I think next I give to the driver...

you know what he was thinking right ?

 

No way this ignorant ah could have lost his phone - someone must have removed it from his pocket

 

it's hard to understand how some people think