Expat in Koh Samui Prison on drug charges, nearly $3,000 raised to get her out

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

This stinks why did the Police think to raid her place?

 

Those of us been in Thailand longer than a few weeks know, but it would be speculation to post it, so I won't.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 minutes ago, varun said:

Unfortunate, but very idiotic to sign for & open a parcel that's not addressed to you,

especially if you have no idea what is inside - former boss or not.

 

She could have just rejected the parcel and refused to sign.

 

Very convenient that the BiB showed up right after - definitely more to this story.

 

The OP didn't say she opened the parcel, and I've signed for parcels delivered for someone not there at the time.

[thaibeachlovers]

27 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Is there some way a girl of 19 can be a teacher? If she has been in Thailand for 2 years and is now 21 it implies that she became a teacher when she was 19. I thought teachers needed degrees.

 

I wonder if she has a work permit to start her business and work as a teacher......and what is a teacher doing opening mail. And who is her boss.....presumably if she started the Hot in the Biscuit, she is her own boss. So is this a boss from her teaching job? Is her boss in jail as well? Did he work at the same school/cafe?

 

Something doesn't smell right. But poor girl, I would not like to be in her shoes right now. 

From the OP

She signed for the package, but didn’t open it and set it aside.

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Started teach in Thailand at 19 ? Something doesn't add up there. Unless she wasn't legit (i.e. no actual teaching qualifications or certification).
Starting a little restaurant that serves breakfast and brunch ? 
Sheesh - not that hard. Rent a spot, buy/rent/borrow some tables and chairs, set up an area to cook and clean. Probably get up and running for less than 5,000 baht (depending on rent/location). 

Opening a restaurant, that's also a weak point in the case. A foreigner cannot legally start a small restaurant in Thailand. A foreigner needs a Work Permit, cannot do certain work that is reserved for Thais, and a company limited set-up with a capital of two million baht and 51% of shares owned by Thais, and also four Thai employees is also needed; except if married to a Thai, then it could be a partnership with two employees and one million bat in capital. The article states that she's from South Africa, so the US-Thai amity agreement for business is not in force here.

 

However, the article also says...

Quote

The GoFundMe page says Ashley started Hot in the Biscuit, a breakfast and brunch restaurant on the island.

[ ... ]

While Ashley was at work, a package was delivered and addressed to her former boss. She signed for the package, but didn’t open it and set it aside.

–Why is her "former boss" using her business address – "former boss" is probably not a head master from one of the island's International Schools – is the "former boss" related to "Hot in the Biscuit"?

I would think there is more details to the story, than the article and Go Fund Me-page reveals...????

[sherwood]

Just sent the Cops 200000 baht to hold the stupid cow in the clink. Pot is ok but this chick? what's next.

Joking and truth be known, I do not care.

[Kerryd]

5 minutes ago, khunPer said:

I would think there is more details to the story, than the article and Go Fund Me-page reveals...????

Yeah, the other article says she was "backpacking" around and then started working in a bar, where the package was delivered. No mention of a restaurant.

I always keep in mind that GoFundMe's are meant to tug the heartstrings so that people will give more generously. Which could result in stories being "modified" to make them more presentable. Especially those that may not know what it's like in Thailand.

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Teachers at an international school can earn more than 100K a month.

Not a 21 years old teacher on Samui, where the international school fees are very modest, compared to Bangkok's hi-end institutions – I know the fees – about 40k a month is more in the level for a young skilled teacher; I'm however not sure if you can qualify for being a "skilled teacher" in an international school at age 21.

[silent]

6 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

The package was intended for someone else. As it's written on it. Let's not engage in wrongful arrests. That's a criminal offence these days. 

The fact that she signed it simply proves that the package got delivered. That's all. It's very unfortunate that the coppers are mentally challenged over here. 

not going through the whole thing now to see if anybody else caught it, apparently the $30,000 goal was reached as of the 21st. .

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

My pals in the UK (cocaine drug dealers) always used to operate deliveries like this (Red Star Parcels).

Package delivered to your address with another person's name on, put on the side for a week, then open if they weren't raided.

Gave them plausible deniability, police stakeouts could only afford to wait 3 days

True, many packages are shipped through normal mail like this, correct address but alias or other recipient name.

In most countries this would get you ff the hook with a good lawyer... but TIT.

[chuang]

Which criminal admits it's crime....LOL

[Blue Muton]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Teachers at an international school can earn more than 100K a month.

At 19 years old with therefore almost certainly no degree and therefore no work permit?

[flexomike]

3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Teachers at an international school can earn more than 100K a month.

not at nineteen years old they don't

 

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems you just discovered the weak spot in her case.

Some of us actually know what farang teachers get paid.

Wonder if she's got a work permit for the restaurant?

Obviously the cops knew the drugs had been delivered ( they don't go around raiding restaurants on the off chance of finding parcels with drugs ).

Seems she was set up. I could speculate on the obvious reason, but that would be a conspiracy theory, so won't.

Yes indeed, a possible set up - the thought came immediately to my mind.

[2 is 1]

5 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

How do open a restaurant being on a teachers salary for 2 years?

2 plastic chair + table + som tam cup. 500 bth!

[SePl]

She is an idiot but free her ! People making any problem for any drugs are even worst idiots !

[2 is 1]

10 minutes ago, SePl said:

She is an idiot but free her ! People making any problem for any drugs are even worst idiots !

If story is true what make her idiot? I have sign up many peoples package so i have to be idiot also. Hmm.. maybe i am but not coz sign up! Only idiot don't know hes idiot!

[Ginger Tea]

Two videos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[n00dle]

4 hours ago, AlfHuy said:

You have quite a knowledge about this stuff????

sadly, no, he doesn't.

Furthermore he lacks the ability to read. The amount is clearly stated as tablets not grams. 1 tablet or dose, if it were particularly high quality may contain .1 of a gram, but likely significantly less.

 

[faraday]

30 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Ashley does not even have a bank account so please explain how she can order anything

Don't believe that for a moment.

Used a Bitcoin wallet.

[FritsSikkink]

4 minutes ago, faraday said:

Don't believe that for a moment.

Used a Bitcoin wallet.

Wonder how the school paid her.

[Oldie]

36 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Face book reply from the owner of the restaurant: 

Author

7) NO DRUGS OR ILLICIT MATERIALS were found at her house or her work place OTHER THAN the unopened parcel address to Dave Rensburg who is the South African that I bought the business from and who used to be our very good friend.

???? The delivery man pressured for her to sign this package WHILE she was serving customers DURING her shift and when she SAW IT WAS addressed to someone she has known for years she simply signed her name, put the package down, and got back to work before awhile later the police raided the shop where they found nothing else at all. 9) There is no Ukraine/UK connection. I am in Ukraine attending MEDICAL SCHOOL. There was a package sent to Dave Resnburg from the UK. The two have NOTHING in common

Dave Resnburg from South Africa and Dave Resnburg from the UK. A farang girl without bank account working as waitress. A police that arrives pretty soon after the parcel was delivered. Whatever - an interesting story. I hope we will get further information. 

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

A foreigner cannot legally start a small restaurant in Thailand.

Wrong

[ukrules]

In case like this I've found that a number of posters will come along and post their opinions and judge the person guilty / condemn them without a single shred of evidence.

 

Remember, the police are the Mafia in Thailand, especially in the vile and extremely corrupt places like Samui.

 

I've seen someone who I know personally pilloried on this site a few years ago even though I know for sure he did nothing wrong and the case against this particular Thai national in the end went nowhere because it was false, there were still many pages of comment on here though saying he's a corrupt and should be in prison....

 

Don't believe a word you read.

[BritManToo]

Just now, ukrules said:

In case like this I've found that a number of posters will come along and post their opinions and judge the person guilty / condemn them without a single shred of evidence.

I flicked over to their FB page and instantly judged them.

[Mak25]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Obviously the cops knew the drugs had been delivered ( they don't go around raiding restaurants on the off chance of finding parcels with drugs ).

Seems she was set up. I could speculate on the obvious reason, but that would be a conspiracy theory, so won't.

 

6 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

This stinks why did the Police think to raid her place?

 

I guess this was a so called controlled delivery. The parcel came from abroad, customs flagged the parcel (they often use x-ray and sniffer dogs), handed over to the police who then staged the delivery to make an arrest.

[samsensam]

6 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

This stinks why did the Police think to raid her place?

 

 

no it doesn't. it's very possible for the package to be identified as carrying drugs by a customs sniffer dog, alert customs official, random checking of packages by post office/customs staff or from a tip off. once a package is identified as containing drugs, especially if it is a large amount, it is allowed to proceed to it's destination/addressee and the police take appropriate action. happens in many countries and is to be applauded as effective action by customs and police working together.

 

now other matters;  while she could have a TEFF certificate at 19 she is extremely unlikely to have a degree, so how did she get a work permit? did she have all the correct documents to open and run a business?

playing devil's advocate, it would be very easy for her to tell her 'contact' to address the package to her boss so that if the police did come round she would have, albeit weak, plausible deniability.

 

that's not to say she could have had all the relevant immigration and legal documentation to teach and subsequently open a business here. but many questions remain unanswered. 

[Tony125]

9 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Just as well her eyes have been blurred out, very hard to recognize now - lol.

The eyes are notblured out on the GoFundMe   page.

[Tony125]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems you just discovered the weak spot in her case.

Some of us actually know what farang teachers get paid.

Wonder if she's got a work permit for the restaurant?

Obviously the cops knew the drugs had been delivered ( they don't go around raiding restaurants on the off chance of finding parcels with drugs ).

Seems she was set up. I could speculate on the obvious reason, but that would be a conspiracy theory, so won't.

Wow, some of you guys must be so old that your brains can't think of  answers to simple questions. Here lets see if I can be of asistance.

1. She is from South Africa but has a restaurant serving American breakfast. Amazing, let me inform you that you don't  have to be American to know how to cook American Breakfast. My first Thai  GF I sent to culinary school here in Thailand and she can cook  American, Italian and Thai foods. There is a French Restaurant in Pattaya that all the cooks (Thai and Foreign) had to train for a min 3 months in France to cook there. She could have hired cooks  who know how to cook American ,South American or other foods listed on their menue.

2. How could she afford to open a restaurant on a teacher's salary? How about  her family, friends  , boyfriend, girlfriend lent her the money or she had an inheritance?

3. She could have easily been set up. When I was in the  US Army on post in Texas there was  a coffee  house that catered to us Northern boys as the owner (girl) was from NYC.. locals put  marijuana in her car in order to get  her placed closed down. They didn't know we had CCTV cameras installed in and around the shop. After the bust we showed copies of tape and informed locals if anything happened then or in the future the individuals plainly seen planting the drugs would be released to NY Times and other news  outlets , place was never bothered again.

4. I don't know about South Africa but in US you can atake college courses in High School and graduate early with enough points to finish a degree early, also there is a TEFL course in Phuket which will give you a bachelor's degree for teaching English in 2 years.

[ronaldo0]

It stated on the original gofundme post that she signed a confession that was written in Thai . If so she will be basically found guilty and it will be in the system already so no way to fix it . If she gets bail then best thing she could do is run but I doubt they will give her bail unless she pays 1-2 million bht being a foreigner. 
Unless by some miracle they find the guy whose name is on the package and he confesses ???? then she will be doing 4-8 years I would say . After a few years she might be allowed to serve the rest in her home country prison .

[Tony125]

5 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

It stated on the original gofundme post that she signed a confession that was written in Thai . If so she will be basically found guilty and it will be in the system already so no way to fix it . If she gets bail then best thing she could do is run but I doubt they will give her bail unless she pays 1-2 million bht being a foreigner. 
Unless by some miracle they find the guy whose name is on the package and he confesses ???? then she will be doing 4-8 years I would say . After a few years she might be allowed to serve the rest in her home country prison .

You want to reprint or link to the GFMP that says she signed a confession in Thai?  It siad she signed to recieve the package not a confession.