Kiwi’s prison plight ends: Thai hellhole release brings a breath of relief

[webfact]

 

A Kiwi national who thought he was going to die after being imprisoned last year for the possession of drugs can finally breathe a sigh of relief after being released from his Thai hellhole.

 

Ari Michael Salinger, son of prominent New Zealand climate change expert Dr Jim Salinger, was arrested in Patong in September last year for the possession of two ecstasy tablets.

 

The 45 year old, initially released on bail, expected to pay a small fine and then be sent on his way. Instead, the New Zealand national was incarcerated for several months in what he described as a hellhole, his worst nightmare.

Salinger was cuffed, starved and forced to sleep naked on prison floors in Patong, Phuket, and Bangkok prisons. He said, it was worse than any movie depiction and, he thought he was going to die.

“I thought I would be killed.”

 

Ari Michael Salinger. Picture courtesy of Alex Burton

Pre-Covid-19 Salinger moved to Thailand from the Philippines because he believed his cryptocurrency business would thrive in the Land of Smiles, reported the New Zealand Herald.

 

“The business was great when I came here, I made a lot of money and then Covid hit. I was unable to go back to the Philippines to my partner Vanessa and our son.”

 

The Kiwi’s cryptocurrency business tanked during Covid and, as if things couldn’t get any worse, suspicious Patong Police picked up and arrested Salinger as he was leaving his Patong hotel for drug possession.

 

He was carrying two ecstasy pills he now claims weren’t his, even though he initially pleaded guilty to the charges.

 

Salinger claims he was humiliated by Patong Police Station officers.

“In the interview room, they tightened my handcuffs and refused to even let me use the toilet. I have irritable bowel syndrome and they did not care. I told them I’ll have to relieve myself here if they won’t let me use the toilet.

 

“So, six officers took me to the toilet. I requested to have my handcuffs loosened so I could pull my pants up but they wouldn’t let me. I asked for one of them to help me pull them up but they did not offer any help.

 

“They made me walk half naked with my pants down all the way through the public corridors, they pushed me, made me fall over, they were all laughing and taking a video recording. It was very humiliating.”

 

by Bob Scott

Top Picture courtesy of New Zealand Herald.

 

#news

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/kiwis-prison-plight-ends-thai-hellhole-release-brings-a-breath-of-relief

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-10

 

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[Jonathan Swift]

He's obviously old enough to have known better. I feel bad for his suffering, but come on, did he not know about drugs and Thai prisons? Why take those kind of chances? I knew about it long before I came here, and I wouldn't at the time (10 years ago) even go near anyone smoking weed.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Pre-Covid-19 Salinger moved to Thailand from the Philippines because he believed his cryptocurrency business would thrive in the Land of Smiles, reported the New Zealand Herald.

 

“The business was great when I came here, I made a lot of money and then Covid hit. I was unable to go back to the Philippines to my partner Vanessa and our son.”

So he left them in PH to come here and make a fortune?

[kwaussie]

That is just appalling treatment for 2 tablets and certainly a warning for every one else if you didnt already know to keep away from drugs. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

Poor is me... what an absolute tool... more of the "I'm special brigade"

[wombat]

He sounds and looks like a drama queen using poetic license to embellish his story...there must be more to the story than he is telling...no one gets that sort of treatment for 2 tablets 

[Aussie999]

4 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Poor is me... what an absolute tool... more of the "I'm special brigade"

How do you come to that conclusion? If what he says is true, then it's appalling behaviour of the RTP.

[moe666]

29 minutes ago, kwaussie said:

That is just appalling treatment for 2 tablets and certainly a warning for every one else if you didnt already know to keep away from drugs. 

Thats just his side of the story

[Skipalongcassidy]

9 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

How do you come to that conclusion? If what he says is true, then it's appalling behaviour of the RTP.

The idiot had ecstasy pills on him... his decision... his responsibility... entitled attitude got him in hot water ... I personally do not care what happened while he was in prison... he did this.

[jacko45k]

43 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

He's obviously old enough to have known better. I feel bad for his suffering, but come on, did he not know about drugs and Thai prisons? Why take those kind of chances? I knew about it long before I came here, and I wouldn't at the time (10 years ago) even go near anyone smoking weed.

Yes, it does leave one feeling ambivalent.. on one hand thinking 'if you can't do the time' etc, but on the other it is very worrying that what comes over from his tales is there are so many sadists working with the police.  An alternate picture to the beautiful Phuket landscapes. 

[4MyEgo]

49 minutes ago, kwaussie said:

That is just appalling treatment for 2 tablets and certainly a warning for every one else if you didnt already know to keep away from drugs. 

I learnt long ago that there is always two sides to a story.

 

Now do we honestly thing that the cops would waste their time to arrest him for 2 ecstasy tablets, I would think the other side of the story is that he insulted the police, now that could be by his foul mouth or spitting on them.

 

The above said, I don't know the other side of the story, but I got a rough idea.

 

His dad must be real proud of him.

 

His story could be true, but you have to weigh it all up. 

 

[kingstonkid]

25 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

How do you come to that conclusion? If what he says is true, then it's appalling behaviour of the RTP.

Everyone in the world knows that SEAsian prisons just like south American prisons are hell holes.

 

These countries do not look at rehabilitation it is punishment.

 

We also know that embassies can do little

 

If you are famous or have famous parents it means nothing unless you are Thai

 

No sympathy you do the crime you do the time

[ChipButty]

Thai police wouldn't do that, would they? 

[findlay13]

59 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So he left them in PH to come here and make a fortune?

Isn't the point of Crypto currency the fact you do it online from anywhere?

[sirineou]

I am anti drugs , But ruining someone's life over two ecstasy pills is a bit of overkill IMO. A year in that hell hole is punishment enough. Now if he did not learn anything from this and he is arrested again, then all bets are off.  

[OneMoreFarang]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

expected to pay a small fine and then be sent on his way

Maybe he should have managed his expectations.

It's easy to avoid Thai jail. Follow Thai laws. 

[hotchilli]

1 minute ago, findlay13 said:

Isn't the point of Crypto currency the fact you do it online from anywhere?

That was my thinking too....

[OneMoreFarang]

39 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

How do you come to that conclusion? If what he says is true, then it's appalling behaviour of the RTP.

Just look at the picture.

 

[AAArdvark]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

So he left them in PH to come here and make a fortune?

He was lucky. If he had been caught in the Philippines, he could have been shot and left in the street with a note from the police. 

[sqwakvfr]

He was lucky that it was Thailand.  Imagine what he would have faced in a place like Singapore.  Now will the PI let him back since he is now a convicted narcotics offender?  Might have to go back to NZ and get a job.

[arithai12]

The story as told is not quite believable. He moved to Thailand for his crypto business, which is normally not anchored to a specific country. Maybe to pay less tax? But he left partner and children in NZ? Then he became rich, but when business slowed down because of Covid (?) he could not afford flying back to NZ? And he was in possession of ecstasy tablets that were not his.

 

If he wants sympathy for his experience, which surely must have been terrible, he should at least tell a modicum of truth.

[steven100]

if you wanna take drugs in Thailand then you will end up in the HH  (Hilton hotel prison) 

if your a drug user in the Philippines you will get shot most likely.

Drugs are not wanted here,  so if your stupid and are caught .. then jail.

[MikeandDow]

No sympathy, 

[soalbundy]

 Maybe at 45 he should consider a haircut and possibly a bath.

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

 Maybe at 45 he should consider a haircut and possibly a bath.

They wouldn't even let him take a shxt!

[Hanuman2547]

16 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Might have to go back to NZ and get a job.

It appears that he is already back in NZ according to the article and attempting to do just that.

[Aussie999]

50 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

The idiot had ecstasy pills on him... his decision... his responsibility... entitled attitude got him in hot water ... I personally do not care what happened while he was in prison... he did this.

it still doesn't excuse the actions of the RTP

[kennw]

50 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

The idiot had ecstasy pills on him... his decision... his responsibility... entitled attitude got him in hot water ... I personally do not care what happened while he was in prison... he did this.

Probably dint pay up.

[Aussie999]

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Just look at the picture.

 

so you read things into a photo... wow

[Hanuman2547]

9 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

 Maybe at 45 he should consider a haircut and possibly a bath.

I don't know about the bath but he did get a haircut as shown in the photo in the Thaiger article.