Stop And Search In Nai Harn

[madmitch]

Yesterday night the BIB were stopping motorcyclists close to Nai Harn Lake and searching them.

A Canadian man was unfortunate/stupid/foolish (please insert your own word) to be caught in possession of one joint with a weight of 0.9 grammes. He was also unfortunate in that the police were not in bribe taking mode last night and he ended up in a cell at Chalong police station. It was not a set up; he had bought the joint three days previously in Patong.

Worse, his passport was with a travel agent and unobtainable until after midday today. He actually got it in the nick of time; literally two minutes later and he would not have been able to attend court today and would have had the pleasure of another night in the very unpleasant cell in Chalong.

He went to court with his girlfriend who tried to pay bail but this had to be done by a Thai and after a fairly lengthy process my GF became the bail guarantor, again with minutes to spare before the counters close. A night in the prison had been beckoning. He was released on 10,000 baht bail at about 5pm this evening.

He's a tourist who was planning to go to Vietnam next week. That's now out of the question as the court has his passport and has to report to the court every twelve days. Unless the Canadian Embassy can intervene, it'll be at least one month before the court appearance, probably nearer two as the joint has to go to Bangkok for formal examination, which takes a while, plus there's Songkran coming up.

One simple mistake can ruin a holiday and I have posted this as a warning to anyone, tourists and expats, that may consider carrying illegal substances on their person, even minute amounts.

Edited March 17, 2010 by madmitch

[seanocasey]

people never learn, this guy's life is screwed.

[ozymandious]

wow that really sucks. Sorry to be him. Too bad the powers that be decree this mostly benign weed to be tantamount to something as destructive as yah-ba.

[ScubaBuddha]

It is strange how people come here with the idea that there is lax laws towards casual drug use when compared to "back home", but it's just not true. For example in California now you can grow pot legally at home. The local cops come round to sign off on it and everything. Granted you need a prescription put there is now a cottage industry of Doc's gladly willing to provide that for a fee. It is technically still illegal under federal law, but Obama recently announced he was backing off state approved growers. By contrast there are womens prisons full of young girls doing serious time for possessing one tablet of ya ba.

Even when caught red handed smoking a joint, many cops issue a warning (and in some liberal cities this is actually the official position) but the worst a cop can do is write you what is essentially equivalent to a traffic ticket and send you on your way.

[shawndoc]

It is strange how people come here with the idea that there is lax laws towards casual drug use when

Its because everything else here isn't enforced. Obvious prostitution at nearly every bar. No enforcement of driving laws and vehicle safety standards. Questionable enforcement of building codes and health codes. Its easy how someone might get the idea that the drug laws aren't enforced as well.

And from what I've seen, they come down way harder on farangs for minor drug violations than Thais.

[Valentine]

Years ago a friend of mine left Phuket bound for Singapore. After having a few drinks before departure he forgot about the joint in his pocket & was nicked in Singapore. Spent 3 months in Changi prison for his indiscretion.

Harmless or not, being caught with marijuana or any other drug in your possession will not be treated in the same way as it is "back home".

[stevenl]

And from what I've seen, they come down way harder on farangs for minor drug violations than Thais.

Look at the post above yours. Plenty of people, Thais, in jail for possession of drugs. Hardly any foreigners, only for smuggling.

[KarenBravo]

Silly boy should have stashed his joint in his underpants.

[katabeachbum]

And from what I've seen, they come down way harder on farangs for minor drug violations than Thais.

Look at the post above yours. Plenty of people, Thais, in jail for possession of drugs. Hardly any foreigners, only for smuggling.

Prisons crowded with thai drug prisoners. Since sentences are long on drugs, probably more than 50% serving sentences are thai drug criminals

Find it unbelievable a farang would ride around with a joint in a country with drug laws like LOS. Lucky he wasnt in Malaysia or Singapore though

[gpdjohn]

people never learn, this guy's life is screwed.

฿2500 fine and 30 days probation.

[katabeachbum]

people never learn, this guy's life is screwed.

฿2500 fine and 30 days probation.

no probation for farang. usually deportation after fines and time is done

[LivinLOS]

Unlikely to get time for a joint, even here.

[Peterocket]

A gram is a fair sized joint....

[ozymandious]

A gram is a fair sized joint....

Ohhh that's funny

a 1 Baht coin weighs 3grams

[billythehat]

And from what I've seen, they come down way harder on farangs for minor drug violations than Thais.

Look at the post above yours. Plenty of people, Thais, in jail for possession of drugs. Hardly any foreigners, only for smuggling.

So there's plenty of Thai's in Thai prisons...mmm..who would've thought that?...

Anyway, isn't this the same guy as described as an Aussie on this running thread below?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Australian-Tourist-Phuket-Drugs-Ra-t348582.html&st=50

[madmitch]

And from what I've seen, they come down way harder on farangs for minor drug violations than Thais.

Look at the post above yours. Plenty of people, Thais, in jail for possession of drugs. Hardly any foreigners, only for smuggling.

So there's plenty of Thai's in Thai prisons...mmm..who would've thought that?...

Anyway, isn't this the same guy as described as an Aussie on this running thread below?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Australian-Tourist-Phuket-Drugs-Ra-t348582.html&st=50

Same guy. Phuket Gazette wrong.

[ozzieovaseas]

Same guy. Phuket Gazette wrong.

Ok, so your saying the gazette got it wrong?

So the guy is actually Canadian? not Aussie?

How can these supposedly professional journos consistently get stuff like this wrong

[gpdjohn]

฿2500 fine and 30 days probation.

no probation for farang. usually deportation after fines and time is done

Actually, probation for "farang" is quite common. Even a guy done for heroin up in the north was given 30 days probation and a 2500 baht fine last year. ( search for it on TV as he wrote a thread on what happened to him. ) And no deportation.

( According to my uncle, lead prosecutor for the Office of Narcotic Control Board, this is the most common punishment given to low level drug offenders. Thai or "Farang"

I did ask him on what the 30 day probation entails and he stated "just don't get into anymore trouble" )

So, needless to say his life is not screwed, just a small bite in his ass..and a small delay in his travels.

[madmitch]

Ok, so your saying the gazette got it wrong?

YES

So the guy is actually Canadian? not Aussie?

YES

How can these supposedly professional journos consistently get stuff like this wrong

DUNNO

[mikebike]

no probation for farang. usually deportation after fines and time is done

Probation for farang is a regular occurrence... stay out of trouble and community service (regularly giving blood will do)... only a completely rude idiot would get jailed for this "crime".

Does anyone else think that "Richard (Dick) Beaver" sounds like an interesting pseudonym for someone not in possession of a passport? Although the beaver is Canada's national animal there are only 21 "Beaver" families listed in the Toronto phone book (out of 2.5 million listings)... Sounds like a grift to me...

[Hobc]

They must be watering down the coffee at the Sauna Bar.

[katabeachbum]

no probation for farang. usually deportation after fines and time is done

Probation for farang is a regular occurrence... stay out of trouble and community service (regularly giving blood will do)... only a completely rude idiot would get jailed for this "crime".

Does anyone else think that "Richard (Dick) Beaver" sounds like an interesting pseudonym for someone not in possession of a passport? Although the beaver is Canada's national animal there are only 21 "Beaver" families listed in the Toronto phone book (out of 2.5 million listings)... Sounds like a grift to me...

well, he did get jailed, and then released on posted bail. and I bet he will be deported, if lucky on existing ticket not having to buy a new one

[drum]

its about time the police took some action on dope smokers,Ive noticed more and more young Thia males smoking Shiite on the side of the lagoon ,

[splorff]

No sympathy- sorry. This is entirely self inflicted.

[Peterocket]

A gram is a fair sized joint....

Ohhh that's funny

a 1 Baht coin weighs 3grams

Not funny at all to be honest, he paid 500 baht for it.

[PST]

I would very much doubt he paid 500 baht for a single joint,never heard of that.He most probably bought 500 bahts worth of weed 4-5 grams,and rolled a joint with just under a gram in.

PST.

[madmitch]

I've just posted a long reply on the thread in the Thailand News Clippings if you are interested in the outcome of this case. No idea how to link so maybe there's someone that can do it. If not have a search.

[fiddlehead]

Can't find it.

Couldn't you just copy and paste it here.

(or the URL to where it is?)

thanks

[stevenl]

Here.