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

[Sabum]

When he arrived in Thailand there was no problem with his passport and his arrival card must have been correctly filled in.

When he was due to depart Thailand there appeared there was no problem with the airline when checking in, he would have produced his passport and airline ticket and if he had an

electronic ticket he should have had a copy for immigration and customs. It would appear

that he had no problem here. His check-in baggage would have been accepted by the airline

for loading onto his flight.

When he went to go through passport control immigration detected that something was not correct with his passport, it appeared that it may have been tampered with perhaps the

photograph has been altered in some way. The officer decided to detain him for further questioning and checking of the passport. He would have been taken to a place of interview

and asked several questions regarding his passport, if the photograph was a problem he could have supplied a photo ID card such as a UK drivers licence which would have cleared everything up but he may not have had that.

To determine if a passport is genuine or is a forgery would have required the British Embassy

to hold the passport in their possession and examine it. There was no reason for Thai Immigration to doubt that it was not genuine. What they may have suspected that the passport

was not his.

Passports are normally checked when entering a country and they will only detain you if perhaps that passport is on a stop list.

As he was not permitted to board his flight his check-in baggage would have to be removed

from the aircraft before the flight could leave.

Who is holding his passport, seeing that it is the property of the British government it would

be normal for them to hold it, and after it had been proved genuine it would be returned to the holder.

His attitude towards immigration would have reinforced their suspicions of the person they were interviewing.

There is more to this case and the British Embassy knows what it is and of course that information is confidential at the present time.

(It is not what is in the newspaper articles on this subject, it is what has not been mentioned

that is important).

What are you jabbering on about? Why did you just make up an entirely fantastical fairy tale not at all based in reality? Are you daft or just waaaay to lazy to actually research what you are talking about. I suggest you go back and reread this thread clicking on every link available. Why would someone just do this? GAWD this is going to bother me all hour, who the hel_l goes and writes up a fantasy post and for what reason?! Why why WHY?

[ClaytonSeymour]

This comment suggests that you see being Black as a negative thing. You've just proved to us all where you have formed your opinion of Simon.

Of course there are circumstances where being black is a negative thing, but conversely, so can being white. I've actually proven nothing of the sort; if you research my postings you'll find there are plenty of examples, including recent ones, where I've spoke out against white trash - race doesn't provide immunity from my opinion.

The comments of yourself & Simon are the telling ones - you have proven that you have huge chips on your shoulders & along with the PC brigade, liberals & do-gooders, you've been determined to try & turn this into a race issue right from the start.

[GungaDin]

When he arrived in Thailand there was no problem with his passport and his arrival card must have been correctly filled in.

When he was due to depart Thailand there appeared there was no problem with the airline when checking in, he would have produced his passport and airline ticket and if he had etc. etc.

.

What absolute nonsense, greatly flawed and contradictory.

etc. etc......

The only "more" to this case david96 is in your fevered imagination.

Hmm, not bad for a first post.

Would you like to be my lawyer?

What's yr favourite colour, Blue?

cheers

gd

[Blue2]

When he arrived in Thailand there was no problem with his passport and his arrival card must have been correctly filled in.

When he was due to depart Thailand there appeared there was no problem with the airline when checking in, he would have produced his passport and airline ticket and if he had etc. etc.

.

What absolute nonsense, greatly flawed and contradictory.

etc. etc......

The only "more" to this case david96 is in your fevered imagination.

Hmm, not bad for a first post.

Would you like to be my lawyer?

What's yr favourite colour, Blue?

cheers

gd

Why, thank you GungaDin

[Phatcharanan]

What absolute nonsense, greatly flawed and contradictory.

Simon arrived in Thailand with his friend, it is agreed that there was no problem with his passport on arrival.

On departure at immigration control with the same friend he arrived with, an immigration officer (female) took a cursory glance at the passport and passed it to an officer behind her.

The Pattaya senior immigration officer has issued a press release stating that the passport photograph was not correct, that Simon was improperly dressed in his passport photograph, and at the same time criticized British immigration standards and practices.

In any event The British embassy in Thailand have confirmed that the passport was correctly issued, to the British citizen Simon Burrowes.

The officer did detain Simon and his friend, it would appear that Simon and his friend were not taken to a place of interview.

Simon was asked at interview where he came from, and told he could be deported to where he came from, crucially these questions were put to him before the British Embassy had had a chance to physically examine the passport.

You are absolutely right in your assertion that there was no reason for Thai immigration to doubt if the passport was genuine or not, but they did. it is here in particular where your above post is contradictory.

Yes It is generally agreed that Thai immigration did not believe that the passport was his, and the reason given by Thai immigration is that of the photograph.

it is also generally accepted that Thai immigration did not believe that the passport was Simon's because he is a black man with a British passport, and it would appear that you support this position.

Yes passports are normally checked on entry and if there are any problems, the point of entry is where they should be identified and dealt with, by professional and trained immigration staff, particularly in the present global terrorist climate.

If the passport as you suggest was on a stop-list, the British counsel in Thailand would not have confirmed as they have done, that the passport was genuine, and could therefore be returned to the holder. Lets not of course forget the undue delay in their confirmation and communication causing unnecessary suffering to Simon as he was at this time languishing in a Thai prison.

What has been conveniently left out in the above post are the actions of the Thai police after confirmation of the passport, which is that Simon was detained further then charged with being rude to an immigration officer.

As all are aware Simon is now out on bail, and to prevent him leaving Thailand, Thai police have retained his passport.

With regard to his "attitude" toward immigration - and what a loaded word that is - "reinforcing their suspicions of the person they were interviewing". He was asked where he came from and he replied calmly London, at interview. It would appear that he became understandably upset at the behavior of the immigration officer before interview, he received no answers to his reasonable questions, he was mocked and laughed at.

The only "more" to this case david96 is in your fevered imagination.

Same as your imagination. You write as though this is exactly as its gone down. You don,t know, you were not there.

[Blue2]

Same as your imagination. You write as though this is exactly as its gone down. You don,t know, you were not there.

Phatcharanan,

please carefully read what I have written, and you may discover, that it is factual, you can however correct me if I'm wrong.

[PoorSucker]

Same as your imagination. You write as though this is exactly as its gone down. You don,t know, you were not there.

Phatcharanan,

please carefully read what I have written, and you may discover, that it is factual, you can however correct me if I'm wrong.

How did a Pattaya senior immigration officer get involved in something that happened in Phuket?

[sweden4ever]

Right but lets not go crazy and totally forget the sillyness of his "crimes" and "losing control". He shouted one sentence "I'm not a fuc_king idiot" and then immediately went looking for a real police officer to clear things up. Hardly the horrible behaviour so many of you have been and keep trying to pin on Simon. And I will ONCE AGAIN remind you that he did that minor outburst only after so much aggravation it truly appears he actually showed great restraint.

So Simon Says. Simon says alot of things, how do you know he's telling the truth?

How do you know he´s NOT telling the truth????

Edited March 21, 2009 by sweden4ever

[PETERTHEEATER]

A BRITISH man is facing a two-year sentence in a hellish Thai prison for being ‘rude’ to an official.

Voice reader Simon Burrowes, from Wembley, north London, was ending a holiday with a friend when Thai authorities in Phuket airport detained him on January 31, preventing him from returning to the UK.

Immigration officials suspected Burrowes’ passport was a forgery. Speaking to The Voice via phone from Thailand, Burrowes said: “A woman at immigration was looking at my passport and then handed it to the man behind her. I was ushered to sit down whilst he took out a magnifying glass and proceeded to check my passport for half an hour,” he explained.

He was told that he was not getting on the plane and was taken to a detention centre, whilst his friend Matthew was able to fly back to the UK. Burrowes said: “I’m a black man so I’m used to getting hassle at airports, but I was shocked by this.” For three weeks, the 44-year old was held with 126 men in a cramped prison cell.

“Thai prisons are notorious for being some of the worst. There is no privacy. You go to the toilet in the open and there is no toilet paper. There were guys in there that had scabies and were next to me,” said Burrowes.

He contacted the British Consulate, who confirmed his passport was genuine. However, the disgruntled Brit claims that the Consulate should have done more, saying that they took long to react to his case.

“I was disgusted and beside myself. People talk of them [the British Consulate] like they are the cavalry. If you have issues abroad they come charging to help. But they didn’t really help me,” he fumed. Burrowes was later charged with ‘rude and aggressive behaviour’ towards an immigration officer, a claim he denies, and was released on £2,000 bail. He must remain in Thailand until his trial begins on April 26, and his lawyer has warned he could face a two-year jail sentence.

“I have to find some way to sustain myself financially while I am here. I went to Thailand to enjoy the land, learn the culture and spend some money. It’s turned into a nightmare,” he said. Burrowes is hoping that he will soon be able to fly back to the UK.

“If they find me guilty, who knows what will happen. I met people in prison who are doing five years for having two spliffs on them. It’s very difficult to hold yourself up in a Thai prison. I feel very bitter about what has happened,” he said. A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London told The Voice they are

looking into the case.

Link to story here.

I had to Google the meaning of 'spliffs'. Obviously this gentleman knows what they are so it doesn't lead me to belive that he is a squeaky clean as he claims. It is all to easy to use language which may offend the listener in a situation where you are waiting to board a plane and are then held back.

[Jingthing]

Obviously this gentleman knows what they are so it doesn't lead me to belive that he is a squeaky clean as he claims.

Having a saucy vocabulary is not a crime.

[Sabum]

I had to Google the meaning of 'spliffs'. Obviously this gentleman knows what they are so it doesn't lead me to belive that he is a squeaky clean as he claims. It is all to easy to use language which may offend the listener in a situation where you are waiting to board a plane and are then held back.

Of all the stupid and insanely judgemental things to say... I KNOW what spliff means without having to look it up and have used the term, AND I'VE NEVER DONE A SINGLE DRUG IN MY LIFE. In fact I KNOW I'm the squeekiest cleanest person on this board and I knew the word (no alcohol, no drugs, no caffeine, no cigarettes, no ASPIRIN! EVER!) , talk about foolish thinking someone is a druggie because he has a wider grasp of vocabulary than you.

[Oberkommando]

This thread shows Thailand really does attract the dregs.

Some of the comments are so ignorant and misinformed.

Edited March 21, 2009 by Oberkommando

[Patsycat]

I know what a spliff is, but would rather call it a doobie. Rolls off the tongue better...

[Tolley]

Can't believe that some posters are still trying to imply that the British guy brought it on himself and that there must be more to the story etc

Wake up and smell the roses....

I can't say 100 percent but i reckon that racism played its part in this incident as well

The whole thing is a horror story from start to whenever it might finish....

Thailand is starting to get like Dubai for ridiculous prison sentences...

[Phatcharanan]

Can't believe that some posters are still trying to imply that the British guy brought it on himself and that there must be more to the story etc

Wake up and smell the roses....

I can't say 100 percent but i reckon that racism played its part in this incident as well

The whole thing is a horror story from start to whenever it might finish....

Thailand is starting to get like Dubai for ridiculous prison sentences...

Starting?

Why are the sentences in Dubai ridiculous? Ridiculous according to your standards?

If you think that then fine.....don`t go there.

[Blue2]

For all posters who question the truth of this matter on the premise that they or others were not there. This is a dilemma shared by the judge, who will eventually hear this case, that person was not there either.

The world is watching and waiting to see if Simon will receive a fair hearing based on the facts and any evidence of the events as they occurred.

Just one example of fact and evidence - Simon was initially accused and charged with traveling on a false passport and detained in prison.

So the facts are; wrongful arrest and detention based on a false allegation. The evidence, the passport, was declared to be validly his.

Simon was not lying when he told Thai immigration repeatedly that he was British and that he was born in London.

Some on this forum have called Simon a liar. What evidence can anyone in this forum produce to show that he is not telling the truth of the events as they unfolded?

[Tolley]

Can't believe that some posters are still trying to imply that the British guy brought it on himself and that there must be more to the story etc

Wake up and smell the roses....

I can't say 100 percent but i reckon that racism played its part in this incident as well

The whole thing is a horror story from start to whenever it might finish....

Thailand is starting to get like Dubai for ridiculous prison sentences...

Starting?

Why are the sentences in Dubai ridiculous? Ridiculous according to your standards?

If you think that then fine.....don`t go there.

Whether I go there or not is irrelevent to the fact that Dubai is notorious for some ridiculous gaol sentences.

A couple of years ago a middle aged British woman was gaoled for four years for having codeine in her system. Yep that is right and that is despite the fact that it was prescribed for her in the UK.

Note i say in her system as she didn't even have the offending tablets in her possession just in her blood.

There are numerous examples of others running foul of the ludicrous enforcement of laws in Dubai.

[Phatcharanan]

Can't believe that some posters are still trying to imply that the British guy brought it on himself and that there must be more to the story etc

Wake up and smell the roses....

I can't say 100 percent but i reckon that racism played its part in this incident as well

The whole thing is a horror story from start to whenever it might finish....

Thailand is starting to get like Dubai for ridiculous prison sentences...

Starting?

Why are the sentences in Dubai ridiculous? Ridiculous according to your standards?

If you think that then fine.....don`t go there.

Whether I go there or not is irrelevent to the fact that Dubai is notorious for some ridiculous gaol sentences.

A couple of years ago a middle aged British woman was gaoled for four years for having codeine in her system. Yep that is right and that is despite the fact that it was prescribed for her in the UK.

Note i say in her system as she didn't even have the offending tablets in her possession just in her blood.

There are numerous examples of others running foul of the ludicrous enforcement of laws in Dubai.

She was never "gaoled" for 4 years. Get your facts right boy. She was released after documents from her doctor proved it was a prescribed medicine lawfully administered in the UK.

Cleared of all wrongdoing.

[Tolley]

Can't believe that some posters are still trying to imply that the British guy brought it on himself and that there must be more to the story etc

Wake up and smell the roses....

I can't say 100 percent but i reckon that racism played its part in this incident as well

The whole thing is a horror story from start to whenever it might finish....

Thailand is starting to get like Dubai for ridiculous prison sentences...

Starting?

Why are the sentences in Dubai ridiculous? Ridiculous according to your standards?

If you think that then fine.....don`t go there.

Whether I go there or not is irrelevent to the fact that Dubai is notorious for some ridiculous gaol sentences.

A couple of years ago a middle aged British woman was gaoled for four years for having codeine in her system. Yep that is right and that is despite the fact that it was prescribed for her in the UK.

Note i say in her system as she didn't even have the offending tablets in her possession just in her blood.

There are numerous examples of others running foul of the ludicrous enforcement of laws in Dubai.

She was never "gaoled" for 4 years. Get your facts right boy. She was released after documents from her doctor proved it was a prescribed medicine lawfully administered in the UK.

Cleared of all wrongdoing.

Wrong get your facts right.

She was sentenced to four years gaol and spent two months incarcerated.

Plenty of other examples as well if you care to google Dubai and drugs.

Ludicrous anyway and two months in a Dubai gaol would be hel_l.

Herbert Tatham, an adviser with the Poppy Elimination Programme in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and also a consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), copped a 4 year sentence in June 2007 for illegal possession and consumption of 0.6 gm of hashish and 2 poppy seeds. He was arrested at Dubai Airport while on transit from Afghanistan. He was apparently taking the poppy seeds to Canada for experiments as part of his job. As for the wakky bakky, his defence lawyer, Saeed Al Ghailani, said "It was natural that he tested positive for hashish which appeared in his urine test ... since he collects and burns between five to ten tonnes a day." According to The Times, he was pardoned by the ruler of Dubai, and deported to Canada.

Cat Le-Huy was arrested at Dubai Airport because customs officers found him in possession of melatonin according to Daily Mail and BBC News reports. Both reports said that melatonin is available over the counter in Dubai.

There are several reports of a Swiss man in jail for possession of 3 poppy seeds that he brought with him to Dubai after eating a poppy seed bun at Heathrow airport.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Tolley

[Phatcharanan]

Don`t embarrass yourself. She was never sentenced.

Originally arrested for an alleged passport irregularity, blood tests revealed Codeine blah blah blah.

She was then released on bail after 8 weeks, pending the arrival of documentation from the UK. When she finally appeared in court she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Hence, she was never sentenced to 4 years.

[Tolley]

Don`t embarrass yourself. She was never sentenced.

Originally arrested for an alleged passport irregularity, blood tests revealed Codeine blah blah blah.

She was then released on bail after 8 weeks, pending the arrival of documentation from the UK. When she finally appeared in court she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Hence, she was never sentenced to 4 years.

Not according to this source...

In March 2005, Tracy Wilkinson was arrested at Dubai Airport after her urine tested positive for codeine. She was detained in prison until the May 2005, when she was acquitted according to BBC reports. According to other reports, she was found guilty and given a 4 year jail sentence for possession of narcotics. A prescription from her GP in the UK was presented in court which helped secure her release. The irony is that she was caught when leaving the UAE, after having been given codeine at a Dubai hospital for her back pain. There were reports that she was behaving oddly at the airport which prompted the authorities to detain her.

anyway the point remains that dubai has been responsible for some ludicrous sentences and caused a greate deal of suffering to many innocent people.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Tolley

[Phatcharanan]

Plenty of other examples as well if you care to google Dubai and drugs.

Ludicrous anyway and two months in a Dubai gaol would be hel_l.

Herbert Tatham, an adviser with the Poppy Elimination Programme in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and also a consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), copped a 4 year sentence in June 2007 for illegal possession and consumption of 0.6 gm of hashish and 2 poppy seeds. He was arrested at Dubai Airport while on transit from Afghanistan. He was apparently taking the poppy seeds to Canada for experiments as part of his job. As for the wakky bakky, his defence lawyer, Saeed Al Ghailani, said "It was natural that he tested positive for hashish which appeared in his urine test ... since he collects and burns between five to ten tonnes a day." According to The Times, he was pardoned by the ruler of Dubai, and deported to Canada.

Cat Le-Huy was arrested at Dubai Airport because customs officers found him in possession of melatonin

Are you making all this up as you go along? He was asked for a urine sample but was eventually arrested because of the small amount of hashish found in his bag. NOT for the melatonin

according to Daily Mail and BBC News reports. Both reports said that melatonin is available over the counter in Dubai.

There are several reports of a Swiss man in jail for possession of 3 poppy seeds that he brought with him to Dubai after eating a poppy seed bun at Heathrow airport.

I think some laws are great...like the Castle Doctrine in some US states that allow lethal force to be used on home or work-place intruders. Just the mere fact that you THINK they may harm you is enough to blow em away ! Cool !

[Phatcharanan]

Don`t embarrass yourself. She was never sentenced.

Originally arrested for an alleged passport irregularity, blood tests revealed Codeine blah blah blah.

She was then released on bail after 8 weeks, pending the arrival of documentation from the UK. When she finally appeared in court she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Hence, she was never sentenced to 4 years.

Not according to this source...

In March 2005, Tracy Wilkinson was arrested at Dubai Airport after her urine tested positive for codeine. She was detained in prison until the May 2005, when she was acquitted according to BBC reports. According to other reports, she was found guilty and given a 4 year jail sentence for possession of narcotics. A prescription from her GP in the UK was presented in court which helped secure her release. The irony is that she was caught when leaving the UAE, after having been given codeine at a Dubai hospital for her back pain. There were reports that she was behaving oddly at the airport which prompted the authorities to detain her.

You must read comic books for your sources. First you mention she was gaoled for 4 years for Codeine, convieniently forgetting that she was out on bail after 2 months (not very sensational that is it?)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4526759.stm

Then you go on about some guy arrested over Melatonin..when it was hashish. Stop trying to sensationalise.

Fact is with Dubai, its rare for foreigners with small amounts of illegal drugs to even complete the full sentence. Mostly they get pardoned and deported after a while.

[GungaDin]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jeeez! give it a rest fellahs.

[Phatcharanan]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jeeez! give it a rest fellahs.

Done.

Shows how easy it is to hijack a thread .

[david96]

Passport information for British citizens living in Australia.

Follow the links it is very informative.

http://ukinaustralia.fco.gov.uk/en/passpor...olen-passports/

All passport enquiries are directed to the British High Commission

in Canberra. Consulates do not issue passports in Australia.

Note the time to process an application from when received.

This is one of the reasons for issuing documents for travel such

as a document of identity which have limited validity and can be

issued within a very short time frame. One may have to leave on

a flight out of Australia within 48 hrs in some cases.

(In the 1990s passport applications were taking up to 30 days

depending on workloads at the time).

Edited March 22, 2009 by david96

[david96]

What the British Embassy consulate staff can not do for you in Thailand.

Get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings;

Help you enter Thailand, for example, if you do not have a visa or if your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country's immigration policy or procedures;

Give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers;

Get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to Thai nationals;

Pay any bills or give you any money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money, from public funds, which you will have to pay back);

Make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation; or

Make business arrangements on your behalf.

[johna]

Does any one think Simon will plead not guilty at his court appearance ?

I would like to hear the immigration officer's justify their actions, but with a guilty plea we will never have a satisfactory end to this story.

[sriracha john]

Does any one think Simon will plead not guilty at his court appearance ?

I would like to hear the immigration officer's justify their actions, but with a guilty plea we will never have a satisfactory end to this story.

Sure we would.

If he pleads guilty, then he admits to doing whatever he is accused of.

Surely a civil liberties juggernaut like him would never concede to pleading guilty unless he was absolutely guilty.

[clausewitz]

There is more to this case and the British Embassy knows what it is and of course that information is confidential at the present time.

(It is not what is in the newspaper articles on this subject, it is what has not been mentioned

that is important).

And when will this cofidential inforamtion - that you know all about- be released? What is the reason for holding it back?