British Tourist Arrested at Phuket Airport for Cocaine Possession

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

The very best drug is a clear head.

 

I agree 100% and I often go for weeks or months without having even a drink...  

It improves clarity of thought...

.... but there is another facet..  with 100's of thoughts at any one time the head can be a very noisy place and I can understand those seeking oblivion, or at least the drunken stupor to dull the senses.

 

I've never taken cocaine, but I find that the times I've taken Marijuana it helps calm those noises within ones head and aids sleep.

 

I like exercise for my clarity... but only certain types....   skiing down a mountainside the 'head is silent' not an alternative thought at all - not a lot can do that other than competitive sports and while I still play, I'm getting too old and the body just doesn't want to keep up.

 

I can understand those seeking alternative highs so, so long as they can handle the 'lows' afterwards and even though its not for me, I think certain drugs such as Marijuana and Cocaine should be legalised.

 

 

[Luuk Chaai]

5 hours ago, ronster said:

Obviously took it with him on purpose.

Utter idiot ! 🙈

 

and think of the mind set ..

 oh yeah ..  I want to sit on a hot sun drenched beach surrounded by russians .. tweeked off my rocker ....

[terryofcrete]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

amidst Thailand’s tropical allure.

 

Enough ! That's worse than "Nestled"

[Confuscious]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

British Tourist's Cocaine Bust Turns Phuket Arrival Sour

 

Picture courtesy of The Private World

 

A British tourist's vacation plans took a dramatic turn as Phuket International Airport became the unlikely setting of his legal troubles. The 42-year-old man faced arrest on February 18 after airport authorities discovered 4.11 grammes of cocaine concealed in his baggage upon arrival.

 

It all began around 5pm in the bustling international arrivals hall, where airport staff picked up on the man’s erratic behaviour. His agitated antics drew attention, prompting a thorough search from customs officers that led to the unearthing of the illicit substance stashed in a plastic bag.

 

While the man's identity remains undisclosed, his situation became a matter of public record as he was escorted to Sakhu Police Station. There, he faces serious charges, including possession and illegal importation of a Category 2 narcotic—his holiday in Thailand now overshadowed by a brush with the law.

 

The incidence of drug-related arrests involving British nationals in Phuket isn’t unprecedented. Earlier this year, law enforcement encountered a British individual engaged in questionable conduct.

 

Under scrutiny during a roadside interaction with Kamala Police, officers found ketamine in his possession, leading to his arrest. This case, like the recent airport incident, highlights a troubling trend where some visitors engage in illicit drug activities amidst Thailand’s tropical allure.

 

While individual details may remain undisclosed, such instances serve as stark reminders of the Thai authorities' zero-tolerance stance on drug offences. Travellers, drawn by the island's famed beaches and nightlife, face severe legal repercussions if caught in possession of narcotics.

 

The police, known for conducting routine patrols and stringent checks, stress the importance of adherence to local laws. Photographic evidence from past seizures, such as images on the police's official social media, underscores the continued vigilance in monitoring and disrupting the illegal drug trade in tourism hotspots like Phuket.

 

British tourists and other international visitors are thus urged to enjoy Thailand responsibly, aware of the legal boundaries that exist to preserve its idyllic landscapes.

 

As authorities maintain their firm grip on preventing drug offences, respecting local laws remains crucial for ensuring a pleasant and lawful stay, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-20

 

 

 

NEWSFLASH
Read a new thread from a Brit about how awfull Thai prisons are in a few weeks.
 

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, Leadidge said:

But really, are the Police that 'sharp'...  How 'agitated' and 'erratic' does one have to behave to draw attention amongst a throng of hundreds of international passengers from different cultures ???

 

In most countries that have a 'green channel' for customs there are trained officers, both covert and overt, who look out for this kind of behaviour. They can pick up quite a lot from body language.

[Dogmatix]

Fly to a country where you can legally buy as much weed as you can handle.  Why bring in this stuff?

[thesetat]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

While the immigration department remains tight-lipped about further details concerning the identity of the suspect or the exact circumstances leading to his arrest, it serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance tourists must maintain while in a foreign land.

I would suspect the reasons ofr their not wanting to provide these details would be because someone warned them he was carrying drugs. 

I have been through the airport arrivals screening so many times i lost count and never have i seen them do more than a cursory scan of baggage which would hardly show a small baggie of 4 grams for them to want to open and search them. 

Jeez! 99% of the times I arrived at that airport the xray screening for baggage was never open and the only place i stopped was to get my entry stamp. 

[dddave]

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

It could be that he just was simply complacent and forgot that it was in his bag....  rather that 'trying to smuggle'.... 

 

Last year I flew from Geneva to Doha with Paracetamol+Codeine mix...

I'd been under the weather and I'd picked up the Paracetamol from Heathrow Airport on my way out to Geneva a week earlier... 

 

It was only upon my arrival in Doha at my hotel that I realised... silly fool, that mistake could have been costly.

 

I wonder how many people inadvertently fly from the UK and Europe with over the counter meds which contain 'additional medication' classified as Cat A and Cat B narcotics at the destination end. 

 

i.e. flying from the the UK to Thailand, the Codeine in Paracetamol+Codeine medication is also illegal. 

Reminds me of the fool last year who handed his passport to an IO at Immigration and a zip of coke fell out from between the pages. It was big in the new for a few days, then disappeared.  I'd be willing to bet an "arrangement" was made.

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

A British tourist's holiday in Phuket took an unexpected turn when he was arrested at Phuket International Airport for allegedly smuggling cocaine into the country.

Numpty

[richard_smith237]

12 hours ago, dddave said:

Reminds me of the fool last year who handed his passport to an IO at Immigration and a zip of coke fell out from between the pages. It was big in the new for a few days, then disappeared.  I'd be willing to bet an "arrangement" was made.

 

Yeah... I recall that...   Exceptional stupidity on a Grade A1 level !!!...

 

Its a shame there are no 'follow-ups' to these stories - it would be interesting to know what happened.

 

But... I also suppose that if there were an 'under the table agreement' then any publicity and information of a followup would have to be quashed for the obvious reasons.

 

It would just be interesting to know if it cost him 20,000 baht or 100,000 baht etc... or if he was simply deported and charged in the UK, or held here.

[dddave]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Yeah... I recall that...   Exceptional stupidity on a Grade A1 level !!!...

 

Its a shame there are no 'follow-ups' to these stories - it would be interesting to know what happened.

 

But... I also suppose that if there were an 'under the table agreement' then any publicity and information of a followup would have to be quashed for the obvious reasons.

 

It would just be interesting to know if it cost him 20,000 baht or 100,000 baht etc... or if he was simply deported and charged in the UK, or held here.

A former reporter in Thailand told me that trials here are very secretive, rarely announced in advance.  Actual trials are apparently quite rare as a sizeable percent of defendants plead guilty at closed hearings as penalties are usually double if a perp insists on a trial.  I don't know if Thailand has a jury system or whether a single or a panel of judges make the ultimate decisions.   I would guess "Judge" is a very lucrative position.

[Purdey]

Couldn't he have found drugs in Thailand? Why import? Coals to Newcastle etc.

[black tabby12345]

Another check in of Quality Tourist at Hotel Ban Kwang(AKA Bkk Hilton)...

[black tabby12345]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

In most countries that have a 'green channel' for customs there are trained officers, both covert and overt, who look out for this kind of behaviour. They can pick up quite a lot from body language.

 

Very true.

They got a hound instinct.

[black tabby12345]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Couldn't he have found drugs in Thailand? Why import? Coals to Newcastle etc.

 

Omitting Travellers' first principal: Study destination before leaving home...

[black tabby12345]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

In most countries that have a 'green channel' for customs there are trained officers, both covert and overt, who look out for this kind of behaviour. They can pick up quite a lot from body language.

 

Especially, eyes.

They often speak louder than words...

[Ironmike]

This is the 2nd British idiot this year to be caught with Cocain in his passport there was another guy in Bangkok exactly the same a few months ago must be something in the water over there. But I do hope he has a few years in the beautiful Bangkok Hilton to grow a brain. 

[black tabby12345]

8 minutes ago, Ironmike said:

Bangkok Hilton 

 

Can check in anytime they like, but can never leave(at will).

Like Hotel California...