Phuket Police: Aussie Arrest No Laughing Matter

[David006]

Not a good situation with a "war of words" and both sides digging in to their positions. The Thai police colonel defending his men's actions and the Australian press making the story front page news (which I am in favor of.)

What ever went down, it looks like the Phuket authorities are not backing down on this one.

This may not be about a bar towel..maybe it's about the proprietors' lack of funding to the "policemans' ball"........

as for the reporting in Phuket Gazette....well ...sort of like junk mail without the coupons....

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Not a good situation with a "war of words" and both sides digging in to their positions. The Thai police colonel defending his men's actions and the Australian press making the story front page news (which I am in favor of.)

What ever went down, it looks like the Phuket authorities are not backing down on this one.

This may not be about a bar towel..maybe it's about the proprietors' lack of funding to the "policemans' ball"........

as for the reporting in Phuket Gazette....well ...sort of like junk mail without the coupons....

The coupons will arrive soon in the form of 20% reductions in the value of property in Thailand

[thaibreaker]

This only comes down to one thing; money.

The owner will press charges, and the case will be settled long before it goes to court.

The "abuse" is also a way to get something out of it for the police too.

This is how it goes down in Thailand, it`s all about the money.

Sad but true, and the lack of falangs nowadays doesn`t exactly help the situation.

[Duangta]

"Governor Wichai said he felt very sorry for her and considered she was not at fault.

He wondered why the Australian owner of the Aussie Bar would allow a dispute to develop with a fellow Australian. "

(Phuketwan)

[ohdearohdearohdear]

"Governor Wichai said he felt very sorry for her and considered she was not at fault.

He wondered why the Australian owner of the Aussie Bar would allow a dispute to develop with a fellow Australian. "

(Phuketwan)

Excelent statement; Save Face & Blame someone else!!!!!

A public relations coup first time I ever heard a politition save his backside!!!

[jfchandler]

Two young Thai girls were hanged to death by house robbers the other day. Guys who shoot people to death are running around the country free. Influential people do their best to rob the country blind.

And amid all this, the Phuket police and an Australian owned bar decided to turn the tiniest molehill into a ridiculous, embarrassing mountain--all over a bar cloth. Even if the woman knowingly took the mat (and there seems to be very little evidence so far that she had any knowledge of this), the case doesn't deserve the treatment she received.

As others have pointed out, if the Thai police did the same for everyone who broke some law to that extent (and again, there's not much evidence produced so far that she did), I think virtually the whole country would be in the lockup.

How the Australian bar could let the situation get so far out of hand is hard to understand. This is definitely the kind of attention and reputation a business owner doesn't need at any time, and especially now. Whoever was in charge that night at the bar, you really gotta wonder, what were they thinking???

[David006]

"Governor Wichai said he felt very sorry for her and considered she was not at fault.

He wondered why the Australian owner of the Aussie Bar would allow a dispute to develop with a fellow Australian. "

(Phuketwan)

Because he remains here trying to make a living with the local constabulary looking on...... she will be back in in the wilds of East Melbourne sucking back VBs and telling her story......

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Two young Thai girls were hanged to death by house robbers the other day. Guys who shoot people to death are running around the country free. Influential people do their best to rob the country blind.

And amid all this, the Phuket police and an Australian owned bar decided to turn the tiniest molehill into a ridiculous, embarrassing mountain--all over a bar cloth. Even if the woman knowingly took the mat (and there seems to be very little evidence so far that she had any knowledge of this), the case doesn't deserve the treatment she received.

As others have pointed out, if the Thai police did the same for everyone who broke some law to that extent (and again, there's not much evidence produced so far that she did), I think virtually the whole country would be in the lockup.

How the Australian bar could let the situation get so far out of hand is hard to understand. This is definitely the kind of attention and reputation a business owner doesn't need at any time, and especially now. Whoever was in charge that night at the bar, you really gotta wonder, what were they thinking???

Probebly they were thinking that the beer mat belonged to the owner of the bar and that it was being stolen !!

[Duangta]

"Governor Wichai said he felt very sorry for her and considered she was not at fault.

He wondered why the Australian owner of the Aussie Bar would allow a dispute to develop with a fellow Australian. "

(Phuketwan)

Excelent statement; Save Face & Blame someone else!!!!!

A public relations coup first time I ever heard a politition save his backside!!!

Agree! Though everything I have read and learned so far about the Governor (he was just transferred to Phuket and will retire very soon) seems to be OK, he throws the ball to someone else now (after getting phone calls "He intervened in the case after receiving telephone calls earlier today from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and the Foreign Ministry.").

[jmw]

This story cannot be good for Thailand. Anyway you slice it, it doesn't add up to more than trivial. Then to have the police actually defend it as reasonable, makes it look even sillier, and them silly, to boot. "

If I were the police captain, I'd personally pay the bar owner for the silly mat just to let it go. Classic case of burning dollars but saving pennies.

[holidaze]

I've read this post from start to finish. What the hel_l are most of you people on????? Crack freaking cocaine???

Who cares who stole the mat. The woman had possesion of an item that clearly did not belong to her. I don't give two flying rats <deleted> how many bloody kids she has and what she's missed out on.

How about conducting herself in an orderly and respectful way, when in someone elses country.

Aussie pranks don't wash anywhere but in Australia.

Theft is theft - Black and white - No grey areas.

Whoever put the dam_n bar mat in the supposed friends bag is a dumb bitch.

41 year old Pommie? If not sure whinge like one!

It is on the news now:

Paid $30 fine, passport handed back and suspended 6 month Jail for pleading guilty!

Fine paid by Mayor of Phuket!!!!!!

SO ALL OVER!

I don't believe that was whinging. Not 41 and also not a Pom.

Personal shots mean nothing.

Facts are facts.

It sure as shit will not stop me returning to Phuket.

Change your "Judy1968" it's a dead give away!... If you want to appear younger

Great minds think alike. Will do.

[fiddlehead]

Lots of opinions on what happened. Only a few know.

BUT, there is supposedly a video.

They are probably trying to decide right now how best to cash in on the video.

It should be quite the youtube sensation when it does get released.

I say she knew it was in there. (just a guess of course, that's all we can do at this point)

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Lots of opinions on what happened. Only a few know.

BUT, there is supposedly a video.

They are probably trying to decide right now how best to cash in on the video.

It should be quite the youtube sensation when it does get released.

I say she knew it was in there. (just a guess of course, that's all we can do at this point)

Blockbuster movie in 6 months !!!

[jfchandler]

[quote name='ohdearohdearohdear' date='2009-05-20 17:34:22' post='2749005'

Probebly they were thinking that the beer mat belonged to the owner of the bar and that it was being stolen !!

Yes...the woman clearly had the mat in her purse. But who put it there (who stole it) is the unanswered/unclear question. You seem content to ignore that issue.

I assume next time you have a hang nail, you'll remedy it by cutting off your hand....or better yet...your entire arm.

[jboras]

Sorry The bar owner is 100% the victim of the stupid Thief.

Where do you find the comparisum with other stupid tourists losing their shirts to Thai girls. I find that I hear the same story every day with just the names changed about guys giving their fourtunes to Thai girls (you would think that most of them would have known about how much a wife/girlfriend will cost them from their previous divorce settlements in far off shores prior to comming to Thailand).

I totally agree with you! 100%

But we never learn... these girls are nice aren't they!

Even though they cant talk, no brains, neither have we for mixing with (we does not include you; me and mates a few score who got the same teatment..), cant cook, etc etc.. but heck which foreigner in Thailand is looking for that? Just want true love! no matter the price or the buffalo they salavge ... which turns out not to be a buffalo at all but a shrew business woman! Like one said; I am a sales woman, I have nothing to sell so I sell myself! Good one!

[Junglejumbo]

There are better beaches to go than in Phuket...The Phils, Malaysia, Maldives, Canaries, East Coast of Africa...OK. they may not have the farang style bustling pubs but look at the problems that brings...stay at the Gold Coast if you're looking for noise..

Personally if I was married I would never stay in Thailand. The country is one of the most corrupt in the world and most of the people are FAKE and see farangs as a source of money only (although not all of course)....

I rank in NO.2 after Nigeria. I am excluding Somalia because it doesn't have a govt and Burma because I don't have any examples...Previously I ranked Thailand in third spot at No.3 after Indonesia but my recent experience there tells me Thailand has deteriorated while Indonesia has improved.

[jackdanielsesq]

The perp just got released on a grand bail !!! Baht!!!

She must be icking herself - where it hurts

BR>Jack

[RickBradford]

Trust the Aussie media to go into full-on vomit-making mode...

Ms Smoel’s four daughters yesterday made a heart-wrenching plea to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to bring their mum home.

"Please, please, please Mr Rudd, let our mummy come home," said 12-year-old Zhian Smoel on behalf of her sisters Daisy, 11, Zoe, 8, and Lilly, 6

[taxin]

Lets also take note that she pleaded GUILTY ! Everyone who says she didnt do it can now see that she did. You were all wrong ! She pleaded guilty to theft in a court of law (although not the laws of a country that you would wish for).

Why didnt she just admit it straight away instead of causing all this trouble ?

Personally I would jail her for lying about her mates playing a prank !!

[jboras]

I don't believe that was whinging. Not 41 and also not a Pom.

Personal shots mean nothing.

Facts are facts.

It sure as shit will not stop me returning to Phuket.

Change your "Judy1968" it's a dead give away!... If you want to appear younger

Great minds think alike. Will do.

Great catch you in Phuket. I am the drunk falang with Tatoos all over dancing like a nut on the dance floor! Just ran a bottle of Restoria through my hair! trying to squeeze into tight jeans and if I had hair on the back of my head it would be a pony tail, Take a pick! have fun ... life's too short!

[justaskdan]

“My Mom went to Thailand and all she brought back for me is this lousy Bar Mat!!” T-Shirts are now available from the Ozzy Bar for 60$ !!!!! Includes free bar mat.

[Jingthing]

Pleading guilty in Thailand does not carry the same meaning as western countries. Not saying she was or wasn't guilty, but a plead here means nothing. (Let's make a deal!)

Of course, we all need to respect the Thai justice system while we are in Thailand. The same way we must respect a grizzly bear in our midst. Don't mess with it and avoid at all costs, you will get bitten.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Jingthing

[caf]

Sorry, wrong ! Ive just come from there, place is buzzing, packed with Aussies, more people than usual for this time of the day (3pm). Lots of high spirits, jokes, laughing and taking lots of photos, mainly involving beer mats. Had to re-order more stock as they cant keep up with beer mat sales.

Every single Aussie in there is supporting the bar and Thailand in general. Not one person is supporting the thief and are all agreeing that she stole, she got caught and should accept the consequences. Note: YES, these are AUSSIE customers in the bar saying this.

Sorry to disappoint you doom mongers, just giving you the facts as & when they happen.

NOT TRUE

One of my news feeds quotes him as saying his phone has been red hot with complaints. His own words. I suggest members check out these facts independently and don't necessarily rely on posts here solely.

[CqK]

Have a look at the beer mat, they are nice and on sale in the Aussie Bar:

This was stuck in her bag as a gag . . . and she was totally unaware of it?

Come on, guys! Unless the models displaying said bar towel are dwarfs this is a bath towel were talking about.

[carriemai]

Why do the tourist areas of this country continue to be policed by those who have never been trained/educated in dealing with situations regarding pissed up tourists here in Thailand on they're hols, thus giving plenty of opportunity for some jumped up little Boy In Tight Brown to arrogantly assert himself, with no understanding of dealing with these very easily diffused situations with any degree of competency?

And look where it's got Thailand AGAIN. All over the bloody newspapers from whichever country aforesaid miscreant abides. Does anyone, anyone at all get the fact that 'bad publicity is better than no publicity' does most certainly not apply to toursim. Same goes for the arrogant buggers at Thai Immigration in tourist areas. No, they don't have to put up with disrepectful behaviour, but there again, neither should we!

The arrogant little buggers in tight brown should have shown the famous 'jai yen yen' and called the Tourist Police, who should have at least shown a modicum of restraint when dealing with lapses of intercultural interraction. Where do they/you think we are? Not some woebegon sharia law ruled outpost.

Thailand grew and bloody grew on it's reputation of easily attained R&R garnered from the war/invasion of Vietnam. (Notice no farang male is ever indicted on solicitation of prositutes apropos the 'anti' prostitution strictly adhered to and enforced, here).

It seems to me that many of the posters here forget how, when were first arrived, got a bit out of order after a beer or several, and have become all cencorious and 'Thai' over your countrymen/women, on their fortnight holiday doing the same. This particular woman was 'accused' of 'stealing' a bar towel for christ's sake, not stabbing his girlfriend/interfering with a rose selling minor or indeed, pulling a gun on someone who cut him up a the traffic lights, shooting a business rival to death.

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Probebly they were thinking that the beer mat belonged to the owner of the bar and that it was being stolen !!

Yes...the woman clearly had the mat in her purse. But who put it there (who stole it) is the unanswered/unclear question. You seem content to ignore that issue.

I assume next time you have a hang nail, you'll remedy it by cutting off your hand....or better yet...your entire arm.

Not going to cut my hand off (as they would in many middle eastern countries for theft) however the beer mat in question seems to have been the hard rubber type and being about thre quarters of a metre in length "may be" it was not noticed by the now self confessed thief (I refere to the court judgment here).

I have run many businesses all over the world and the problem with theft is that it affects everyone; the honest customer, the staff and most important my self, the honest customer has to pay more to cover the actions of the thief, the staff get less money because of the costs incured by the thief and most important me as the business owner has to pay for the dishonisty of the thief.

I think that I am not ignoring the issue but addressing it.

[ratio]

I've read this post from start to finish. What the hel_l are most of you people on????? Crack freaking cocaine???

Who cares who stole the mat. The woman had possesion of an item that clearly did not belong to her. I don't give two flying rats <deleted> how many bloody kids she has and what she's missed out on.

How about conducting herself in an orderly and respectful way, when in someone elses country.

Aussie pranks don't wash anywhere but in Australia.

Theft is theft - Black and white - No grey areas.

Whoever put the dam_n bar mat in the supposed friends bag is a dumb bitch.

Very well said thank you

Iv'e been to the bar a few times like many others,man there are cameras everwhere ,On the top level the guy keeps an eye on the screens just incase people don't agree with the bar tabs. I understand she has kids and the rest of the feel sorry for me stuff,but it doesn't matter how much you drink you must rember this is not your local drinking hole.; One day tourist will understand all countries have differnet rules.Shit go to mexico or china and play up,As for friends playing a prank would of better to a male strip bar.

[Zombienation]

Two young Thai girls were hanged to death by house robbers the other day. Guys who shoot people to death are running around the country free. Influential people do their best to rob the country blind.

And amid all this, the Phuket police and an Australian owned bar decided to turn the tiniest molehill into a ridiculous, embarrassing mountain--all over a bar cloth. Even if the woman knowingly took the mat (and there seems to be very little evidence so far that she had any knowledge of this), the case doesn't deserve the treatment she received.

As others have pointed out, if the Thai police did the same for everyone who broke some law to that extent (and again, there's not much evidence produced so far that she did), I think virtually the whole country would be in the lockup.

How the Australian bar could let the situation get so far out of hand is hard to understand. This is definitely the kind of attention and reputation a business owner doesn't need at any time, and especially now. Whoever was in charge that night at the bar, you really gotta wonder, what were they thinking???

Nice post, fully agree.

[phil2]

I put bar mat in bag: friend

A woman who placed a bar mat in a friend's handbag in a Thai bar says it is ridiculous and appalling that the Melbourne mother of four is facing up to five years' jail over the prank.

Annice Smoel, 36, has made an emotional plea for help from the Federal Government after she was charged with theft and spent four nights in jail over the practical joke that backfired in the Phuket club.

A woman, identified only as Kate, said this morning she was one of the friends who confessed to police and staff at the Aussie Bar that she had put the mat in Ms Smoel's bag while Ms Smoel was elsewhere in the club.

"It was just a prank," Kate told radio 3AW.

"She did not [know about it]. She was at the other side of the bar at another table with a group of people."

Kate said Ms Smoel was crying in the bar and at the police station after she was confronted over the incident, but denied she had abused police as alleged by the bar's owner.

If the friend was actually playing prank, I think she would have told the victim to look into her bag before leaving the bar. The so called friend has no excuse whatever in this case. This is simply not a case of prank. The so called friend actually wanted to steal the mat, but didn't want to put it in her own bag for fear of being caught.

She said one of the other women in the group had told police that Ms Smoel had not been responsible for putting the bar mat in her bag, but the police were not interested in her confession.

"I was standing back watching from the other side of the glass [at the police station] ... [Ms Smoel] was not being abusive to anybody," Kate said.

"She was very upset, she was crying, she was very confused and emotional as to what had just happened. It was very full-on, there was a lot of bar staff and police and everyone was in our faces.

"It is absolutely ridiculous, it is just appalling."

Ms Smoel's lawyer Bernard Murphy also denied his client was abusive to police.

Her passport confiscated, Ms Smoel was released on bail after four days in jail but might have to wait in Thailand for 14 weeks before she appears in court.

Mr Murphy told the Nine Network that the behaviour of the Thai police has been ridiculous.

"We're hopeful that the Thai authorities will listen and understand that their behaviour to date has been completely ridiculous," Mr Murphy said.

"To lock up this Melbourne mother for what's effectively 18 days for the theft of a bar mat, which other people have admitted doing, seems simply crazy."

He said Ms Smoel had told him that she was not abusive to police.

"I have spoken to her and I've spoken to her friends and they all deny it," he said.

"She was tearful, she was very upset but, I must say: who cares?

"This is a woman who was arrested wrongly, she was a charged with a crime she didn't commit.

"She had had plenty to drink and if she did get upset that would be entirely understandable."

Since her arrest early this month, Ms Smoel has missed being with her eldest daughter, who had emergency surgery for appendicitis, and the 11th birthday of her second-eldest.

Her brother-in-law Gary Smoel, who with his wife is caring for the children while Ms Smoel's husband supports her in Thailand, said the 12-year-old was too upset to go to school.

Two other friends, who were travelling with her to celebrate her mother's birthday, have apologised in a sworn statement for hiding the bar mat in what they called a "silly" joke.

The women, named Samantha and Jodie, said in the statement that police were told Ms Smoel was unaware when they placed the mat in her bag.

They said police initially let her go, but she was stopped later by bar staff and sent to a police booth.

"What started off as a very silly joke has turned into a very serious matter and for that we are sincerely apologetic," the women said.

Yesterday, Ms Smoel described her horror at her time in jail. She said she believed she and her friends had been targeted because they were women "on our own" without a man to talk to police about a bribe.

"If there had ... been a man with us to do that for us, then that would have been done and that would have been the end of it."

She said she was not made aware that her husband, Darren, and mother were negotiating for her release.

"I just felt scared and hopeless and alone," she said. "If they wanted to teach me a lesson, they have well and truly done it."

But Aussie Bar owner Steve Wood told 3AW that he was told police had chased Ms Smoel to the beach, and that she had been disrespectful to a senior policeman.

"I think it's more an attitude problem than a crime problem," he said.

Mr Wood said the bar had not pressed charges over the missing mat, which he said was worth $50 or $60.

Darren Smoel said he would not return home without his wife.

Late yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australian authorities were providing consular support and had contacted the Thai Government.

Premier John Brumby said the State Government was doing all it could to bring Ms Smoel home.

"She's a Victorian and we want to get her back," Mr Brumby said.

-- smh.com.au 2009-05-20

[Zombienation]

As an aside, but related, my taxi driver just the other day said...

"Most Thai's don't like farang"

He then went onto talk about how most Thai's will happily rip off farang. He said he didn't. He further said that Thai's don't rip each other off as much, although he admitted it does happen.

I replied by saying that we bring a lot of money into the country. He ignored that bit....

I gave him a small tip over the meter price. He seemed happy.