Brit Faces Two Years In Thai Jail For Being 'rude'.

[animatic]

She does seem wonderfully pneumatic.

And Simon seems to have gotten a REALLY raw end of the stick on this one.

On a more serious note this guy appears to have been stitched up by official incompetence, no doubt they will have laws in place that prevent them from being sued.[/quote]

Well if that were NOT the case, then the whole bureaucracy would resemble PTP now.

Third string trainees trying to run the ship while Cap'n Queg rants on.

[thaiwanderer]

was simon working in phuket?

[Texpat]

My guess it was the Issan tart that got 'im stitched up.

(Was she wearing that shirt at the airport?) Seems she forgot her whitening cream and likely wasn't throwing about enough na kha's to the exhultant immigration police.

That and calling the immigration officers <deleted> idiots.

Yeah, there's that, too.

[Sabum]

He didn't call anyone a fuc_king idiot! Stop lying.

[sriracha john]

was simon working in phuket?

Presuming he was completely compliant with the requisite WP regulations...

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

[ClaytonSeymour]

After reading Simons telling of events I am seriously ashamed to be classified as an expat and share ANYTHING in common with most of you posting on this thread, it makes me sick that I would ever be mistaken for one of you. Thailand truly does attract mostly the scum of other nations to live here doesnt it? Yes..... you are a far worse person than everything you tried to pin on Simon.

Well guess what, when it comes to the politically correct, do-gooders, liberals etc. - the feeling is mutual; I actually hate such people.

He didn't call anyone a fuc_king idiot! Stop lying.

Were you there? No. Perhaps it's someone else who's lying.

Presuming he was completely compliant with the requisite WP regulations...

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

Good point. If he wasn't, perhaps he'll find himself on another charge.

[Sabum]

Perhaps he's lying? Whats wrong with you? Dont want to take the word of the person that was actually there but rather just make up whatever you like and call him a liar?! Seriously, WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?

[Briggsy]

Perhaps he's lying? Whats wrong with you? Dont want to take the word of the person that was actually there but rather just make up whatever you like and call him a liar?! Seriously, WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?

As an earlier poster pointed out, many of Simon's detractors are in a state of denial. By slating him as a trouble-maker who has brought his woes upon himself, they are kidding themselves that gross injustices perpetrated by government officials could never happen to them. In summary, they don't want to believe what has happened. They are probably over on the thread about the Swiss journalist who spent a night in the cells saying that is his own fault and the girl who had her arm chopped off by the still-employed policeman brought it on herself by being out after midnight.

Gross injustices do occur here and can happen to just about anybody who does not have good connections. Application of the law is often ill-disciplined and arbitrary and every police department (immigration are police) will protect its own.

[brahmburgers]

what's the current situation - is Simon still in the slammer?

Whatever scuzzy publicity Thailand is getting from this - it deserves.

I was in the night bazaar in Chiang Rai last night, Saturday prime time, and only a few farang strolling around - where ordinarily there are hundreds. Vendors looked bored and sad.

[Briggsy]

what's the current situation - is Simon still in the slammer?

Whatever scuzzy publicity Thailand is getting from this - it deserves.

I was in the night bazaar in Chiang Rai last night, Saturday prime time, and only a few farang strolling around - where ordinarily there are hundreds. Vendors looked bored and sad.

He spent 21 days in prison. He is now in limbo, unable to leave Thailand, out on bail, his passport confiscated, unable to work, just waiting for his court hearing at the end of April.

[mc2]

what's the current situation - is Simon still in the slammer?

Whatever scuzzy publicity Thailand is getting from this - it deserves.

I was in the night bazaar in Chiang Rai last night, Saturday prime time, and only a few farang strolling around - where ordinarily there are hundreds. Vendors looked bored and sad.

mostly cos of the world economic problems

but negative publicity surrounding farangs in thailand sure doesnt help

[PhilHarries]

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

Good point. If he wasn't, perhaps he'll find himself on another charge.

Interesting point, but if he's working WITH, and training, a BRITISH champion and it happens to be in Thailand does he need a work permit? Thailand, Phuket in this instance, was merely the location of the training camp. It could, of course, be argued that he was taking the job away from a Thai but if the WP regulations extend that far there are many other Asian nations geared up for marshal arts he could choose from.

[grantbkk]

For those calling for reparations from Thailand for Simon, they should push the blame and responsibility more towards to British government for giving bad answers to Thai Immigration. If everyone who was arrested illegally in Thailand received cash the "sin tax" would go up again and negatively impact us all.

Has anyone see the damage sustained by Simon from the beating he says he got from the police?

Why has almost everyone deserted Simon? The champion he was training maybe could throw him a few bones? On a hunch, could anyone get Simon's arrest record in the UK? It would be interesting to see what he has been accused of in the past. Let's see if there have been past misunderstandings. If he's clean I will send some money to his fundraiser website as soon as it goes online. Someone reading this is probably sitting in the police station right now. Let's check him out.

[Journalist]

was simon working in phuket?

Presuming he was completely compliant with the requisite WP regulations...

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

Are you trying to get on his Facebook list so you can find more info to incriminate him with?

[sriracha john]

was simon working in phuket?

Presuming he was completely compliant with the requisite WP regulations...

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

Are you trying to get on his Facebook list so you can find more info to incriminate him with?

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Perhaps he's lying? Whats wrong with you? Dont want to take the word of the person that was actually there but rather just make up whatever you like and call him a liar?! Seriously, WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?

As an earlier poster pointed out, many of Simon's detractors are in a state of denial. By slating him as a trouble-maker who has brought his woes upon himself, they are kidding themselves that gross injustices perpetrated by government officials could never happen to them. In summary, they don't want to believe what has happened. They are probably over on the thread about the Swiss journalist who spent a night in the cells saying that is his own fault and the girl who had her arm chopped off by the still-employed policeman brought it on herself by being out after midnight.

Gross injustices do occur here and can happen to just about anybody who does not have good connections. Application of the law is often ill-disciplined and arbitrary and every police department (immigration are police) will protect its own.

Spot on.

[ballpoint]

After reading Simons telling of events I am seriously ashamed to be classified as an expat and share ANYTHING in common with most of you posting on this thread, it makes me sick that I would ever be mistaken for one of you. Thailand truly does attract mostly the scum of other nations to live here doesnt it? Yes..... you are a far worse person than everything you tried to pin on Simon.

Quite. You should all be ashamed of yourselves - for judging people on appearances.

The 37 year old Asian woman who has had a sawn-in-half Graf Zeppelin attached to her chest is named 'Natalie Michelle'. She has 1200 Facebook friends. Join her freakshow !

Therein lies the problem. When the army gets its muslem insurgency observation blimps back he'll be free to go.

[Sabum]

For those calling for reparations from Thailand for Simon, they should push the blame and responsibility more towards to British government for giving bad answers to Thai Immigration. If everyone who was arrested illegally in Thailand received cash the "sin tax" would go up again and negatively impact us all.

Has anyone see the damage sustained by Simon from the beating he says he got from the police?

Why has almost everyone deserted Simon? The champion he was training maybe could throw him a few bones? On a hunch, could anyone get Simon's arrest record in the UK? It would be interesting to see what he has been accused of in the past. Let's see if there have been past misunderstandings. If he's clean I will send some money to his fundraiser website as soon as it goes online. Someone reading this is probably sitting in the police station right now. Let's check him out.

GO READ THE LINKS, you obviously haven't which is why you and a bunch of other LAZY readers have such bizarre and out of line opinions. Go take your "hunch" and get informed!!!

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

YOU TOO! Go read the links! Anything seems possible with this guy? What horrible acts did this man commit to get that kind of judgement? Riiight the ones YOU MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD, but surely those shouldnt count should they? SHOULD THEY? Why do people post on this thread without reading all the information, completely ignorant thing to do. I ask again, what did Simon do to deserve a statement that "anything is possible with this guy". You won't answer....

[thaiwanderer]

THE FACTS:

2. He is a martial arts instructor that was in Phuket actually working with and training a Bristish Champion

Good point. If he wasn't, perhaps he'll find himself on another charge.

Interesting point, but if he's working WITH, and training, a BRITISH champion and it happens to be in Thailand does he need a work permit? Thailand, Phuket in this instance, was merely the location of the training camp. It could, of course, be argued that he was taking the job away from a Thai but if the WP regulations extend that far there are many other Asian nations geared up for marshal arts he could choose from.

yes

but he didn't

[brahmburgers]

what's the current situation - is Simon still in the slammer?

Whatever scuzzy publicity Thailand is getting from this - it deserves.

I was in the night bazaar in Chiang Rai last night, Saturday prime time, and only a few farang strolling around - where ordinarily there are hundreds. Vendors looked bored and sad.

mostly cos of the world economic problems

but negative publicity surrounding farangs in thailand sure doesnt help

my point also: The nasty scenario with Simon is just a blip in a bigger cumulative blot on Thailand's reputation. Bad things happen everywhere, it's just with Thailand, bad things seem to be happening more often lately, and weirder also (head dangling on a string from a bridge, etc).

Some things aren't going to change much for the better, such as a plethora of drunk driving deaths at Songkran and at New Years - yet there are some other things which can be readily changed, such as stopping 2-tiered pricing based on physical appearance, and Thai Imm policies that make simple things difficult. Actually all Thai bureaucracy (across the board) makes hassles out of processes that could readily be hassle free. I'm currently facing a long drawn out bunch of bureaucracy to get a 2nd hand motorbike in my name. The paperwork (required for the bike) is the same difficult-to-get paperwork I presented last month to get two different vehicle licenses. It's a thousand unnecessary hassles like that which make Thailand increasingly unpleasant place to try to reside.

Thai authorities know ten thousand ways to make things more difficult, costly, and time consuming, but they show scant willingness or ability - to try to make things less hassle-laden - for farang or for their own ilk. In the case of Simon, Thai bureaucracy went a few steps further (in their anger and retribution) and made his life hellish.

[sriracha john]

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

YOU TOO! Go read the links! Anything seems possible with this guy? What horrible acts did this man commit to get that kind of judgement? Riiight the ones YOU MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD, but surely those shouldnt count should they? SHOULD THEY? Why do people post on this thread without reading all the information, completely ignorant thing to do. I ask again, what did Simon do to deserve a statement that "anything is possible with this guy". You won't answer....

Sure I will... because since the OP was written this story has gone just about every "possible" way with this guy.

As well, not wishing to impede your frothing rant, but my post was simply in response to someone suggesting I might be looking at his own website account to find something negative and my logical response to that query was that one wouldn't expect to find something there... but as there seems no limits to the next quirky twist for this story to go, it's, indeed, possible there is.

[GungaDin]

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

YOU TOO! Go read the links! Anything seems possible with this guy? What horrible acts did this man commit to get that kind of judgement? Riiight the ones YOU MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD, but surely those shouldnt count should they? SHOULD THEY? Why do people post on this thread without reading all the information, completely ignorant thing to do. I ask again, what did Simon do to deserve a statement that "anything is possible with this guy". You won't answer....

Sure I will... because since the OP was written this story has gone just about every "possible" way with this guy.

As well, not wishing to impede your frothing rant, but my post was simply in response to someone suggesting I might be looking at his own website account to find something negative and my logical response to that query was that one wouldn't expect to find something there... but as there seems no limits to the next quirky twist for this story to go, it's, indeed, possible there is.

John, you're good at finding and posting news stories.

Why not stick to something that you are good at!

[sriracha john]

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

YOU TOO! Go read the links! Anything seems possible with this guy? What horrible acts did this man commit to get that kind of judgement? Riiight the ones YOU MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD, but surely those shouldnt count should they? SHOULD THEY? Why do people post on this thread without reading all the information, completely ignorant thing to do. I ask again, what did Simon do to deserve a statement that "anything is possible with this guy". You won't answer....

Sure I will... because since the OP was written this story has gone just about every "possible" way with this guy.

As well, not wishing to impede your frothing rant, but my post was simply in response to someone suggesting I might be looking at his own website account to find something negative and my logical response to that query was that one wouldn't expect to find something there... but as there seems no limits to the next quirky twist for this story to go, it's, indeed, possible there is.

John, you're good at finding and posting news stories.

Thank you, ... but What??!!?! and add even more turns and dipsy-doodles to the trail???!!?!

There's been enough already for nearly 750 posts just based on what's been already posted...

[C4Chilli]

what's the current situation - is Simon still in the slammer?

Whatever scuzzy publicity Thailand is getting from this - it deserves.

I was in the night bazaar in Chiang Rai last night, Saturday prime time, and only a few farang strolling around - where ordinarily there are hundreds. Vendors looked bored and sad.

Hundereds??? Whenever I've been there can't really say I've seen that many farangs strolling about for quite a while now.

As for Simon it was a very unfortunate situation which escalated beyond the point of no return as far as the Thai immigration were concerned.

Thai immigration not used to the concept of a black English guy.

British Embassy gearing up for their weekend so checking the validity of a passport too much trouble.

Simon unaware of the culture in Thailand that showing any form of disrespect to Thai officials is a definate no no.

Who was most wrong?

Well that's what this debate is for...

I think at the end of this, if things are as Simon says, he'll get a fine and be sent packing.

[Sabum]

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

As well, not wishing to impede your frothing rant, but my post was simply in response to someone suggesting I might be looking at his own website account to find something negative and my logical response to that query was that one wouldn't expect to find something there... but as there seems no limits to the next quirky twist for this story to go, it's, indeed, possible there is.

Sorry man but saying HE is likely to post something to incriminate himself because anything is capable from HIM sure sounds alot like you are saying he's so unstable and horrible that he could be capable of further terrible or stupid acts.

[Sabum]

Since so many people have trouble clicking links here are Simons words

Thursday, 5 March 2009

black briton in Thai jail for being rude

I have read many forum coments about my situation. Most of them realistic . Some have been accusing and nasty, generally because they have been ill-informed by media reports or tailored statements.

Here is my remenition of the events that I have been writing an hour and a half after it all began.

Read and judge as you please

Thank you

Going to Thailand with my travelling companion all went smoothly.

It was on the return home that it went pear shaped

With my white colleague, our bags were checked in, our passports checked and boarding passes issued. Straight through to imigration and my friend successfully presents his passport. My turn. The official glanced at it and handed it over her shoulder to her colleague in almost one automatic motion. To a monotone mutter a male takes it and brashly points to a chair implying that I should sit on it.

For an hour and a half of the two of them and his supervisor constantly re-checked my passport with an old magnifying glass. Every ten to fifteen we would ask if the plane is going to wait for us. They responded every time with ' The plane won't leave without you. We have to authorise that. We are just checking some-thing with the passport.

Five minutes before the plane's scheduled departure time of 01.50 we asked again and one of the women actually shouted at us to sop asking as she afirmed again that we would board the flight. After an hour and a half 9as oppossed to the conceived half an hour) , five plane staff run down frantically, speak to three and then demand our baggage numbers from us. They wouldn't answer why so we didn't give it to them. Then they said

"Because you two aren't getting on the flight." We begged to let my colleague on the flight as the issue was with me and my friend has a baby girl at home. They refused, we pleaded again and again untill they relented and let him board. The plane is authorised to leave without me. I asked them over and over to tell me what is going on or to let me speak to some-body who would explain to me. They avoided eye contact. They actually responded by ignoring me, turning their backs and mimicking.I shouted "You think I'm a fuc_king idiot ?."

Not until a week later when the fallout of this incident was at its ugliest am I taught about the Thai culture and the extreme ramifications of that interaction

Phuket had been good for me as holiday though to be absolutely honest I was often at my whits end for the endless staring and dumbfouded fascination on that many of the host nationals had in droves whenever they saw me. It was a regular imposition, incredibly isolating, prominant and annoying. Having said that, weighed against the weather, the constant ease and simplicity of tourist life with the currency, it was well worth it.

Coupled with me towering over these much shorter people, stocky, with an english accent and an air of solid self assurance that these people had not seen before their learned responses weren.t equipped to deal with my stature.The 'Thai visa' ex-pat internet forum states, 'Foreigners should avoid actions or words that may cause a Thai to lose face in public. Their giggling was a nervous smoke screen and veiled attempt to make me lose face instead of them. :an irrational reaction to an irrational confrontation. as I stormed off I saw that the adjoining check point staff were frozen to the spot, staring at me like scared rabbits.

The general concencus is that Thais still operate within the colour cast system. They aparently despise the foreiners in general who they perceive as a necessary evil good for nothing but the imperialist buck.The given theory is that the dark skinned faces that pass through the airport are generally directly from the African continent and passing through on a false passport .( Having said that I haven't seen or meet one)

I walked away flanked by staff ; the female supervisor trailing with "Sir you cannot leave this area" and half a dozen security who made no effort to stop me as they were generally about eight inches shorter than me an two thirds of my weight. In fact I was to stride up to a man outside the airport who was wearimng a jacket stating 'airport police' and demand of him "Are you a policeman. ?" He scurried away

The information desk attendant was no help either. I asked her for a policeman or superior airport but she succmbed to the associated larger group of her own cultural type that were surrounding me. She consequently mumbled evasively

I asked the two original staff members in the case for their identification, pen cocked. The man said "What do you want my name for" and the woman mocked me to her surrounding colleagues with the presentation of an i.d badge which I later discovered was a type i.d worn by airport related workers and not a personalised i.d

Eventually i found the head immigration officer. He was adamant that I did not look the age I stated .After three hours of 'aparent' checking I was arrested for using a false passport with the assurance of a phone call and 'internet' use when i get to the police station

After seven hours of being refused water, food, a phone call and being teased in the jail I awarding myself some attention. Taken into a room , my case officer began

"Where are you from ?"

"London"

"Don't lie to me. I can send you back home or I can send you to London"

Having counted fifteen black people in the eight weeks that I've now been in this country, and the real fascination I drew in public whereby people even ran off to collect their friends to look at me. Indeed many Thais , in a country where the legal minimum wage is equivalent to four pounds a day have never travelled beyond their local suburb. I can only imagine that this officer had neither spoken to nor ever entertained the possibility of a black englishman. He simply didn't believe me.

I had a phone conversation with a british embassy representative who effectively sealed my fate. suggesting that I go to prison for a weekend as it was nearly Friday pm and everybody would soon want to wrap up for the weekend.He was discarding. I cringed, thinking 'I'm sure he's seen my picture and knows i'm black. Bang goes empathy . The fact that I look like a real bruiser in my photo probably translates to him as a black urban crook prospecting his criminal sub culture in a fresh country.

Hours later I was escorted to the back of a pick up truck handcuffed to a local and bound for the court jail. We sat in the back with my luggage and the driver shouted at me specifically to run. He did this twice then loaded his gun in the air as a threat. When we got to the court, still cuffed, a guard took a strap to the local and beat him about a dozen times and struck me twice. I couldn't help thinking that if I were white would he'd acknowledge my imperial national status..

The weekend in prison became four days before I saw a british embassy representative who enthused that I should be released by day six. By day eleven I was told that the authorities had discovered that my passport was genuine so the police were going to probably charge me with insulting an immigration officer by using the 'f' word at the airport when I shouted at them. i was to be held up to 84 days pending court.

I am now out on bail and what you have read gets more and more unimaginable.Then I was scared. now, you have no idea

[thaiwanderer]

Read and judge as you please

Thank you

the guy is an idiot

[animatic]

If he wasn't getting paid in Thailand he wasn't working in Thailand.

He was just advising someone on their training privately.

If he accepted pay in Thailand then work permit rules apply.

[Sabum]

Read and judge as you please

Thank you

the guy is an idiot

Care to elaborate? What he posted seems pretty straightforward, what you posted smacks of idiot more than anything I've read.

[sriracha john]

One would hope he's intelligent enough not to post incriminating information on his own account... but then, anything seems possible with this guy.

As well, not wishing to impede your frothing rant, but my post was simply in response to someone suggesting I might be looking at his own website account to find something negative and my logical response to that query was that one wouldn't expect to find something there... but as there seems no limits to the next quirky twist for this story to go, it's, indeed, possible there is.

Sorry man but saying HE is likely to post something to incriminate himself because anything is capable from HIM sure sounds alot like you are saying he's so unstable and horrible that he could be capable of further terrible or stupid acts.

Please understand that there is a major difference between saying something is possible to happen and saying something is likely to happen.

I've also never said that anything he did was terrible or stupid.

Is he unstable? That's certainly possible.

Was he wrong for doing "anything" he may or may not have done? That's also certainly possible, if for no other reason than the series of subsequent events that have occurred to him.

Despite the commonality of it nowadays, not everyone is really suitable to become an international traveler, particularly if they fail to consider all the possible ramifications for their actions that may occur while traveling internationally.