Phuket Police: Aussie Arrest No Laughing Matter

[Tony121]

Why refer to thai wages BECAUSE ITS THAILAND not England not Australia THAILAND the crime happened in THAILAND.

The bar has thai staff how do you know that the owners won't take that money out of the girls wages, because they didn't stop someone from stealing it. Yes this thailand and things work differently,

One thai girl i now used to clean rooms in a small hostel she had to make sure everything in the room was ok before the customer checked out on one occasion she failed to notice they has stolen the remote for the air conditioning, THB 1,500

which was taken out of her wages.

[simon43]

Ovenman asked:

So again I ask... where were they during all of this?

Well, I can't answer personally because I wasn't patrolling that night. But since there are usually only 2 foreign TPVs on duty each night in the whole of Bangla road and the surrounding streets, it is not surprising if this incident was missed. If the tourists (or bar staff) did not call 1155 to summons the patrolling officers to the bar, then those officers might have been streets away at the time...

We can only try to help when we are aware of the incident

Simon

[carlthailand]

Getting a lot of bad press in OZ

What are the headlines?

Increase in exports of aussie thiefs to asian countries has grown 3% this year

Stealing is now a crime in thailand.

Thailand has issued a travel warning to all its nationals that people are now being arrested for stealing and is not a laughing matter like in oz.

Well, England got rid of the theives to Australia now looks like we are sending them off else where.

I run a pub in Australia and all my patrons know I wouldn't stand for them stealing a bar mat but I don't think we would go to the extent they have in Thailand.

I think the story is not quite all there. Bit like an iceberg.

Carl

[aussiejosh]

And can anyone believe what is printed in newspapers anyway??

SHE IS A THIEF IN THAILAND, EUROPE, AFRICA, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES AND EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!

SHE IS DOING SO MUCH HARM WITH HER DISRESPECT TO THIS COUNTRY AND TO HER OWN COUNTRY !!

What is your problem? Down syndrome? Something severe like that?

IF YOU LOCKED EVERYONE UP WHO COMMITTED PETTY CRIMES LIKE THIS IT WOULD COST THAILAND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DETAINING, PROSECUTING AND JAILING THEM; AND REMOVE USEFUL MEMBERS OF THE LABOR FORCE, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT IT DECREASES TOURISM AND CASH FLOW THROUGH THE ECONOMY DUE TO POOR PRESS IN A RELATIVELY IMPORTANT ECONOMY IN TERMS OF TOURISM FOR THAILAND. UNDERSTAND?

Please try reading and understanding the much more informed and intelligent opinions of others before attempting to form your own 'complex' ideas and opinions... if thats what your attempting.

[Gudge]

All I know is what I have read and from what I have read it seems the woman was drunk and got very abusive towards the bar staff and police when confronted about the towel. I am not knocking Ozzies or brits but from what I have seen many times here in Pattaya many of them get very abusive and hostile when drunk and something doesnt go there way. I have seen fistfights and brawls break out in Pubs when soccer matches dont go the way some people want. If this is the case I dont feel sorry for her and I dont condem the police for acting the way they did.

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Probebly trying to help someone who was inocent!!!

Not trying to argue innocence or guilt here, but look how FKN petty this is. <deleted> is wrong with you, if everyone was locked up for petty crap like this 50% of the population would goto jail at some point in their lives. YOUR AN IDIOT. Even stupid people 2,000 years ago had that idea ingrained into them. Who was it that once said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone?", if this was the sin you are talking about i can guarantee 100% of us are sinners in this metaphoric example.

I think the chaps name was Jesus, now his dad (the big guy) sent another one of his mates to set up a few examples of how to behave in life and one of his little rules was "THOU SALL NOT STEAL"

May be you have misinterprited the sentiment in the comandment and yours reads "THOU SOULD NOT GET F*****G CAUGHT AND IF YOU DO, START CRYING"

[carlthailand]

Getting a lot of bad press in OZ

What are the headlines?

Increase in exports of aussie thiefs to asian countries has grown 3% this year

Stealing is now a crime in thailand.

Thailand has issued a travel warning to all its nationals that people are now being arrested for stealing and is not a laughing matter like in oz.

Some more kangaroo tabloid headlines:

*The Australian government applauds the Thai police for not enforcing the law

*Local woman makes precendence. Swearing at law enforcers in Thailand is now legal

*Innocent Sheila didn't say F*** You, she did instead say Frog Who? (Mr Kob was the arresting officer)

*"I was fleeing that rabid dog outside the bar, not the cops!" pleads Sheila

*"I thought the price of the bar rug was 60baht, not $60" weeps Sheila (Her bill was 620B, so so what)

[aussiejosh]

Getting a lot of bad press in OZ

What are the headlines?

Increase in exports of aussie thiefs to asian countries has grown 3% this year

Stealing is now a crime in thailand.

Thailand has issued a travel warning to all its nationals that people are now being arrested for stealing and is not a laughing matter like in oz.

Well, England got rid of the theives to Australia now looks like we are sending them off else where.

I run a pub in Australia and all my patrons know I wouldn't stand for them stealing a bar mat but I don't think we would go to the extent they have in Thailand.

I think the story is not quite all there. Bit like an iceberg.

Carl

The worst that would happen is they'd end up in the drunk bin but still home the same day just feeling a little sorry for themselves. Instead of now embarrassing obviously honorable men... I mean, don't you feel just warmth and security as you see our uniformed officers patrolling our streets? They're so moral and up hold the law as best as anyone can when acting purely in self interest.

And no the headlines are making fun of the corrupt legal system and the ineffective police force here which makes more use of its materials trying to gain and extra buck for the individual and not actually improve the community.

Edited May 20, 2009 by aussiejosh

[andy1308]

Seems to me that all she has to do is file a report and be done with it. So, why doesn't she?

[RigPig]

Hmm...its all been said and I haven't the time to read all the post. What I want to know is whats with the confiscating the passport bit? Was it surrendered freely so she could get bail (or otherwise remain locked up) or was it lawfully taken by the police? I understood that a passport belonged to the issuing government of the particular country. Under what circumstances can the police confiscate your passport if this is indeed the case? I can see no reason why she couldn't report the passport as stolen and get the he_ll out of dodge on a temporary replacement (theoretically).

Just a thought

Where do we stand in this country with our passports? We are supposed to carry them with us at all times which can be a bit impracticable but I believe it is the law.

[zepplin]

The silly cow deserves everything she gets except the cash handouts from the Australian media.

yeah right ,like to see you in that situation,bit pissed, and your silly friends play a joke on you.you would be shitting your pants and crying for your mum.and to the stupid aussie bar owner-hope you have an empty bar and go broke.wanke_r.

[ThaiEye]

Theft of something worth the equivalent of two week wgaes.

Resisting arrest.

Verbally abusing the law enforcers.

Petty crime, why lock her up?

Chaps, what country in the world would not bang Sheila up for the offenses she committed?

[dknight]

Som Nam Na...

I have been to Thailand countless times, and each of those times - without fail, I have seen a bunch of Australians and/or other nationalities behaving badly and treating the Thai community with the lowest of respect. The Thai people work hard for their money and obviously don't appreciate theft as a 'practical joke'. These people need to use more common sense. You are leaving Australia to VISIT a very different country with different morals, culture, people and traits. While we might think it's a big "ha-ha" stealing a bar mat, The locals obviously do not.

How in the hel_l is it a slight against Thailand for an AUSSIE to steal a <deleted>' towel from another AUSSIE's bar??

I'm amazed at some of the things I read on these kind of boards... people happily doling out harsh prison sentences for the most ridiculous of incidences. We're talking prison-- 2-5 years (potentially) for stealing a TOWEL?! Think about it. I mean, really think about it. Living in a shithole of a cell, sharing a toilet with scumbags, living in your own filth for years, being separated from your home, family and job, no friends, not speaking the language of the other inmates, up to 5 years of your life robbed from you... for stealing a bit of cotton the guy probably got made in a Chinese factory for $5 a piece-- the cost of one of her cocktails?! I mean, Jesus people...

Are you completely whacked in the head or what?

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Theft of something worth the equivalent of two week wgaes.

Resisting arrest.

Verbally abusing the law enforcers.

Petty crime, why lock her up?

Chaps, what country in the world would not bang Sheila up for the offenses she committed?

austrailia because the jails would be full and the streets empty!

Edited May 20, 2009 by ohdearohdearohdear

[fred2007]

Sara: How was your visit to Thailand?

Jane: Great! Look what I stole, a bar mat from the Aussie Pub in Phuket.

S: That's so cool? Are you allowed to take things that don't belong to you?

J: If you're a foreigner, you can do anything!

S: Really?

J: Yah! If you get caught, you simply complain that you're being persecuted because you're a foreigner.

S: That's so cool.

J: It is cool! Why should we follow laws in a foreign country?

S: What about the people who say what you did was wrong?

J: They're just a bunch of moralistic haters. They don't know me - they shouldn't judge me!

S: You go, girlfriend! Stinking' A!

J: STINKIN' A! I am so cool. Besides, Australia was stolen by the English, and they put all of their criminals here. So, I'm just getting back to my cultural roots.

S: That's so true, and it is so cool!

J: Stinkin' A, it is cool.

S: You are so cool to think that I'm cool.

J: You're cool, just being you

Good one but unfortunately true

You two should seriously go suck on the end of a pistol. Your ignorance is astounding...

How about this, if we locked up everyone who did something silly at this EXACT same level, the minor little pranks and stupid things that people do to each other from time to time how many people would be locked up in prison... and then how much of a detriment to society would that be due to the loss of labor and skills in the workforce and community?

Are the two of you so narrow minded and short sighted that you can't see in this case the police here have stepped over the line in order to gain in the short term to be met with someone ignorant of the corrupt legal system here, ended up detaining them and want to drag it out because now they have been found out for the douche bags they are they want to save face.

The funny thing is its getting more press and more convictions than actual crimes and problems in this country. Complete and utter joke, of course no one will be held accountable for anything now. Police are probably hoping the media coverage dies down so they don't have to back down publicly. I wonder what Abhisit thinks about this.

EPIC FAIL THAILAND, epic fail.

So we are ignorant, well maybe you should book a flight to the middle east and try to do the same thing you would get your hands chopped of for stealing. I don't like the BIB either but they are not the one's who started that nonsense. I lived in OZ for 33 years and I still love OZ but the aussie tourists must be the worst one I have ever encountered. Case closed

[ohdearohdearohdear]

Som Nam Na...

I have been to Thailand countless times, and each of those times - without fail, I have seen a bunch of Australians and/or other nationalities behaving badly and treating the Thai community with the lowest of respect. The Thai people work hard for their money and obviously don't appreciate theft as a 'practical joke'. These people need to use more common sense. You are leaving Australia to VISIT a very different country with different morals, culture, people and traits. While we might think it's a big "ha-ha" stealing a bar mat, The locals obviously do not.

How in the hel_l is it a slight against Thailand for an AUSSIE to steal a <deleted>' towel from another AUSSIE's bar??

I'm amazed at some of the things I read on these kind of boards... people happily doling out harsh prison sentences for the most ridiculous of incidences. We're talking prison-- 2-5 years (potentially) for stealing a TOWEL?! Think about it. I mean, really think about it. Living in a shithole of a cell, sharing a toilet with scumbags, living in your own filth for years, being separated from your home, family and job, no friends, not speaking the language of the other inmates, up to 5 years of your life robbed from you... for stealing a bit of cotton the guy probably got made in a Chinese factory for $5 a piece-- the cost of one of her cocktails?! I mean, Jesus people...

Are you completely whacked in the head or what?

Easy answer DON'T STEAL THINGS THAT DON'T BELONG TO YOU

[LOb]

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.

Just simply typical of the police in this country. The whole country only wants our money and doesn't really want us to be there for our charm. I am glad to be back in a civilised country after spending years there and I think more and more tourists are beginning to think that way too. I hope the lady gets back to see her kids soon as.

[TheLaughingMan]

It's getting very trying reading through countless misogynist posts over and over again. That means woman hater to those of you lacking education.

I am reading many awful things but the one that sticks in my mind and really irritates me is this:

People keep calling her a thief, it has already been established many times that not only did someone else confess to the "crime" but they have video proving that the accused did not steal the mat. So please stop posting that the accused is a thief and deserves everything she gets. This statement is completely illogical when it follows the multitude of statements that she is not the one who stole it.

[jboras]

Som Nam Na...

I have been to Thailand countless times, and each of those times - without fail, I have seen a bunch of Australians and/or other nationalities behaving badly and treating the Thai community with the lowest of respect. The Thai people work hard for their money and obviously don't appreciate theft as a 'practical joke'. These people need to use more common sense. You are leaving Australia to VISIT a very different country with different morals, culture, people and traits. While we might think it's a big "ha-ha" stealing a bar mat, The locals obviously do not.

How in the hel_l is it a slight against Thailand for an AUSSIE to steal a <deleted>' towel from another AUSSIE's bar??

I'm amazed at some of the things I read on these kind of boards... people happily doling out harsh prison sentences for the most ridiculous of incidences. We're talking prison-- 2-5 years (potentially) for stealing a TOWEL?! Think about it. I mean, really think about it. Living in a shithole of a cell, sharing a toilet with scumbags, living in your own filth for years, being separated from your home, family and job, no friends, not speaking the language of the other inmates, up to 5 years of your life robbed from you... for stealing a bit of cotton the guy probably got made in a Chinese factory for $5 a piece-- the cost of one of her cocktails?! I mean, Jesus people...

Are you completely whacked in the head or what?

Yes mate! We are living in a shitty Counrty Thailand and we must bow our heads and just get on with it! Until they (Thais) have a proper government here and a proper police force (probably not in our life time or the next) ... that's the way it is... @#!KED! But we choose to stay here and others choose to visit so ..... enjoy the shit!

[chuang]

Come on, she was caught with the cookies in her mouth....and all you people do is to blame everyone except the thief....

Besides which country on earth considers stealing as a joke...Australia....

She was caught red-handed and police was called....the owner of the bar is also an Aussies, if this is not serious but just a joke then the Aussies owner would not have call the police..........she must have been abusive towards the law that make them so cheezeeeeeee off........

Oh yeah, I have seen many abusive Farang and the ways they treat the locals........

[LivinLOS]

Once again I ask, where were the oft-mentioned Foreign Tourist Police Volunteers when all of this chaos was occurring? Isn't providing assistance to foreigners during this the very sort of incident the reason usually given for why that they exist?

NO, the creation and the existence of the foreign tourist police is for show and publicity purposes only.

That Thai power and influence games and the selling of visas..

Lets not forget the important bits.

[aussiejosh]

Everyone would goto jail if it was this easy...

[handydog]

She is not a cow! In fact, some of her happy snaps show her to be quite a pleasant & buxom wench.

She is using a well-known law firm to extract as much (1) publicity & (2) cash out of a tawdry little event.

She is, with good make-up and clothing, quite photogenic - read all about it in the women's magazines.

Her recalcitrance has set up her beautifully to have a big earn from press and Television - so no sympathy for her, she is just earning income.

No different to the average Thai Bar-girl...

Seems the media and the general public have been sucked into her antics. The whole subject is barely news-worthy

[LivinLOS]

I hope the self righteous police colonel will investigate just how this farang named Woods came about owning a bar in Phuket and if he is properly paying his share of all taxes. Sounds like some law may be stretched here. License laws need to be enforced and hours of operation in the Australian Bar demand to be scritinized due to the questionable behavior of customers that Mr. Woods cannot control.

I will pay three times the actual cost of a "bar mat" for the bar and during the grand re-opening I will give the first 500 paying customers a free Australian Bar "bar mat" as a commemorative gift.

yep and amazing how he loves to brag about the fact that he steals tv signals from PNG so he can show the aussi football matches in his bar so he can boost his business --- well i hope that very very few expat and visitiors will be spending money in his bar from now on - think its about time someone did take a look at the way this bar business is set up and how much tax is being paid -- hope he revenue is high - he has to stock up on bar towels - just incase some tries to steal another one

People keep pushing this.. Yet the fact is Australia network (which is what people keep commenting about correct ??) is available FTA if you know where to look.

[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.

Just simply typical of the police in this country. The whole country only wants our money and doesn't really want us to be there for our charm. I am glad to be back in a civilised country after spending years there and I think more and more tourists are beginning to think that way too. I hope the lady gets back to see her kids soon as.

I think that it is important that she gets back to see her kids and she can explain to them that she was held by the bad police for stealing a $5 beer mat that is why the poor children have been made to wait for the return of their parents who did not take them on holiday with them.

The typical police action of any country even if they don't speak the same language is to arrest THIEVES, maybe not in your civilised country.

[bkkbound04]

perhaps they didn't spend as much money as was expected in the ausie bar either on drinks or tipping, perhaps they were offered the chance to purchase a bargain beer mat at $60 <deleted>? and laughed off the con

if they had been abusive in the bar and had been causing problems then why weren't they asked to leave before the theft took place? maybe their money was of more importance at the time

it is well known that a high % of foreign bar owners have a dislike for foreign women, even though their own mother is usually non thai these foreign bar owners often profess their dislike of ferang women, their personality, body build, way they age etc etc etc

..many of these types of "ex pat" will miss the fact that they are actually ratbags that don't possess any conversational skills, have a black hole of a personality and few are handsome men lol but that has no bearing on why non thai women aren't attracted to them..in their own minds if they can have a relationship in thailand or with a thai woman then surely this prove that all non thai women are evil lol

so with this in mind it does seem strange that this has escalated to this point but i'm pleased the story has gained international press

thai police are a farce and the more they & how they conduct themselves are covered by foreign media then i can only hope that improvements in their conduct can be expected in the future..though i won't hold my breath

my own experience of thai police..i caught a paedophile in an internet cafe openly browsing child porn twice, the first time i caught him i was restrained by people in the cafe as the paedo ran out the shop(i was very angry) the 2nd time a few weeks later i saw him in another cafe and immediately called the police...they took over an hour to attend and when we approched the paedo was again openly looking at child porn on the net,...when he saw the police he immediately turned the pc power off and removed a flash drive thingy(which i now suspect was used for storing his filth)

the police reaction to this ? nothing, they were more interested in looking at copied cds at the police station(to listen to music) we only attended the station afeter i insisted

comments police gave me before relasing the paedo without charge "it's only looking picture" this not crime" "this not your country" this thailand"

i only hope that more international press highlights the crap that thailand covers, it may actually force the hand of the higher powers in the country and push a real improvement through, the ratbags the country attracts and the failings of the police alongside their corruption are out of control & needs to be addressed

[TheWorldandI]

Well, England got rid of the theives to Australia now looks like we are sending them off else where.

I run a pub in Australia and all my patrons know I wouldn't stand for them stealing a bar mat but I don't think we would go to the extent they have in Thailand.

I think the story is not quite all there. Bit like an iceberg.

Carl

Yep,

Aussie, Aussie

Aussie comes to Thailand

Aussie goes to Aussie bar

Aussie pulls a dumb move on "ex" Aussie lover

"ex" Aussie lover cant take it.

Simple facts.

I have heard of a swedish couple behind bars in the same Phuket for pulling such a dumb move; Theft from "ex" boyfriend store. Anyways theft is theft and whoever she did it to got her.

This is an example to all you out there who take revenge by following your "ex" to a place you think you could as well go and "FHU". Yes, Thailand is "NO JOKE" as mentioned earlier.

Edited May 20, 2009 by TheWorldandI

[frogz]

Speaking as a longtime professional journalist, the original article above from the Phuket Gazette is a pure piece of C**P.....

I have no idea what the lady really did or didn't do. But.....

--the article totally fails to have the police even minutely address the key issue in the case: that friends of the woman claimed then and are reinforcing now that she knew nothing about it and it was a joke they played on her. True or not, the police commander doesn't even touch that subject in the article.

--the article quotes the police commander as saying his men did what they did originally because the owner of the bar insisted on pursuing the case. Then later, the article directly quotes the owner of the bar as saying he doesn't want to pursue the case. So which is true? The owner originally wanted to prosecute and then changed his mind later? Or the police commander is misrepresenting the original position of the owner. The article doesn't give you a clue.

--the first paragraphs of the article says the police detained the woman for stealing the bar rag... Gee, I don't believe she's admitted guilt or been found guilty in any court. So how about, for ALLEGEDLY stealing at least.... unless innocent until proven guilty got lost somewhere along the way.

Any way you cut it, all of this over a bar mat is a ridiculous overreaction -- unless the woman involved really did something to hack off the local BIB.... There were some hints of that originally, but the latest accounts seem to suggest that wasn't the case.

My verdict is... Phuket Gazette.... crappy journalism, if you can even call it that.

I totally agree with your comments. Is the Phuket Gazette a tabloid style newspaper in the sense that it is there to sensationalise rather than inform? I can't say I have ever visited the Pucket or read the rag, but it does seem that the journalism isn't great for precisely the points that you make about the above article.

[hazz]

He is right this is no joking matter is so many ways.... sad sad country

For the 'respect the law or pay the consequences crowd' you are right but how many of you are criminals. Thai laws regarding the definition of work are so broad as to make all of us living here without work permits criminals. So for those of us committing the crime of expending energy by breathing without a wp.... lets just hope the police continue to ignore our criminal behavior.

[citsadmin]

Would you try and steal something on sale in a pub worth $60AU in your home country?

Would you run away from the police in your home country?

Would you verbally abuse the police in your home country?

What kind of 'mother' is she?

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

Understand what you are saying but what is right is right. Her friends should be the one in trouble not her. Honestly anyone siding with either side in this case is an idiot. The facts aren't here at all and both parties are probably telling there side of the story meaning the one who stole the towel (or what ever it was) and the local piglets that don't want to lose face. This so petty for any country, to have to stayed in jail for this type of incident. Maybe Thailand should become Burma #2.

Should have been a fine for there actions and get on with your day. Now it has turned into another blow for the tourism for Thailand.

Maybe this is what the Thai people want there so embarrassed about the political situation and all the other silly embarrassing acts of their own here. You can just feel the animosity towards foreigners here now, that they are taking it out on anyone, each other and the farangs.