Briton Found Naked, Tied To The Bars Of A Cell In Pattaya Police Station

[Buchholz]

as a Brit this is a disgusting story, i thought consul had been replaced by well kown Pattaya resident, note the omission of hounary, one before same catergory. only decent one was D Covey in Samui. this should cost somebody in Bangkok there job. time they all read the mission statement again.

Wait wait, so the Thai police creates a problem and the UK Embassy/Consul has to solve it?

As far as I know, Embassies do have a strict policy on those cases, and if a UK citizen is "impounded" in a police cell, he may have not been registered.

All the blame goes to the Royal Thai Police and the Pattaya Police in specific; did the victim has aids? was this tested? why was the prisoner naked? did he do that himself? all questions.........and of course no answers.

It clearly staes in the article that the UK embassy was aware of this man and consular assistance was underway. What also is self evident is that this man was shown no empathy or compassion by any of the authorities, be they Thai or foreign. I agree its a disgusting event and one all parties invoved should be ashamed of, there is no justification for this. What is also depressing is the cold black hearted comment by some posters. It was great to see that some cared enough to get involved and resolved the issue.

But no-one cares enough to help before these people end up in a police cell. What have you done recently to help smackheads, crackheads, alcoholics or others? They are sleeping rough around all cities. I don't see anyone helping. How about you start volunteering instead of slating the comments on here. These people choose this way of life.

No one chooses to be mentally ill. It is thrust upon them irregardless of their actions.

To be so cavalier as to assign all his difficulties to heroin, crack, or alcohol is to show the same lack of understanding as his prison hosts.

[Wavefloater]

Come on Howard, waddle down to Soi 9 and do your job. I assume they pay you.

No he is not paid, apart from a tiny honorarium.

As "tiny" is a relative term, and you appear to speak with some authority on the subject, could you please tell us exactly how much he's paid?

I'm not trying to challenge your post, I'm just really curious about how well compensated someone is for officially representing the UK abroad.in this way.

[tropo]

Can you imagine the uproar from Thai people if this happened to a Thai national in the U.K. ?

<FONT size=4 face=Verdana>or the U.S.

Then it would be a human rights violation.

Of course. Human rights are never violated in the UK or US....

[PolPat]

I can only imagine how the Thai authorities are treating Burmese and Cambodians that enter the Kingdom illegally.

[sirchai]

Let's start with a fresh case where the outcome is unknown. I know another Englishman who is here in Pattaya without a passport or a visa. He thinks he's a pretty clever guy, making such remarks as "There is nothing to just going out and spending your money and paying full price for beer, women and other things. But it's a lot more fun to do it on little or nothing. And that's exactly what he does. If you find him in a bar, he asks you for a drink but never reciprocates and his reason for asking is, "YOu have money. I don't." He wound up owing at least three of my friends some money and he's had the opportunity to pay them back as the money owed has been in small amounts up to 1000 baht. Since then he's had a number of jobs. He might have paid the guys back and that would have led to more work for him. I have a good English friend who makes a point of going out drinking with him once a week or so, and of course it's my friend who's always paying the bill. Meanwhile I'm thinking it's inevitable that the Thai authorities will be catching up with this man, and when he gets hauled into the monkey house, what then? The authorities will either expect a huge fine out of him or they are going to want to deport him but who's going to pay his airfare then. My guess is he'd be calling up his loyal drinking partner who would then be faced with one of two choices. 1. Either he lets his pal rot in a cell, or 2. He ponies up the money required to get him back to England or to pay off the authorities and then get a new passport, Thai visa, etc, if this were possible. This man knows fully well what he is doing. He thought he was being clever by not renewing his passport, getting the necessary visa, etc. He's an intelligent educated man. Instead he let the passport expire at least five years ago and I am clueless about when he last renewed his visa. In the meantime he's asked all those around him to bail him out, and this includes at least one Thai girlfriend he shared a room with. She'd go out and sell herself. Meanwhile he left it up to her to pay all the rent, the utilities, etc until she finally kicked him out. So.....who should incur the expense of getting him back to the U.K. when he finally gets found out, 1. The British tax payer, 2. Our mutual English friend who goes out drinking with him on a weekly basis or 3. The Thai government?

He's an intelligent educated man. Instead he let the passport expire at least five years ago and I am clueless about when he last renewed his visa.

Sorry dude, but it doesn't look like he'd be intelligent. Have met plenty of people asking for money, but they'd never buy you a beer, even if they'd won the lottery. I just don't like these people, giving others a bad name without knowing it. And if so they don't give a flying shit.

[sirchai]

Come on Howard, waddle down to Soi 9 and do your job. I assume they pay you.

No he is not paid, apart from a tiny honorarium.

As "tiny" is a relative term, and you appear to speak with some authority on the subject, could you please tell us exactly how much he's paid?

I'm not trying to challenge your post, I'm just really curious about how well compensated someone is for officially representing the UK abroad.in this way.

Oh my god!!! Representing the UK abroad by walking around like real cops? That's insane, sorry.

[Buchholz]

Agree this is a total disgrace and outrageous.

There is a British Embassy rep so called who is responsible for Pattaya and rather than remaining silent he should make a public statement explaining in detail why there was gross neglect in not assisting the British citizen concerned and it fell to the efforts of a private individual to provide help.

I would also pay tribute to the reporter for bringing this story to our attention.

It may well be of course that the so called British Embassy rep or Consul or whatever he is called has from his perspective more important matters to attend to such as his business interests, or chooses to stay mute as there is no answer to a clear case of incompetence etc by Embassy staff or representatives.

Well said.

[anon467367354]

This is reallly a shame on white people.

You mean white people are different? You have just epitomized the essence of ignorance by that asinine retort.

[waza]

Agree this is a total disgrace and outrageous.

There is a British Embassy rep so called who is responsible for Pattaya and rather than remaining silent he should make a public statement explaining in detail why there was gross neglect in not assisting the British citizen concerned and it fell to the efforts of a private individual to provide help.

I would also pay tribute to the reporter for bringing this story to our attention.

It may well be of course that the so called British Embassy rep or Consul or whatever he is called has from his perspective more important matters to attend to such as his business interests, or chooses to stay mute as there is no answer to a clear case of incompetence etc by Embassy staff or representatives.

Well said.

Dito

[raylo]

Sad to see this happen why weren't his family advised

His family either disowned him years ago or are exactly like him. There are tens of thosands of people like this in the UK. They are mostly beyond help. When people like this have whole families just like them. Just visit one of the countless council housing estates in Britain. There's not much th consule can do. In the UK they are left to sleep rough. These people don't want help, they just want to take drugs and alcohol 24/7.

I don't understand why people are shocked. If you see someone like this lying in the street in the UK, or anywhere else, no-one stops to help.

If it's so shocking to you, then do something about helping these people. There are tens of thousand that you could help. In fact the UK has over 300,000 heroin addicts. That's a good place for you to start,

Pattaya - what do you expect?

Here here. I think there are more immediate replies to this article than most others ever see in weeks. If all the UK citizens reading this are so applaed they should contribute their time and money to such cases. Fat chance while their is a beer bar open.

[sirchai]

This is reallly a shame on white people.

Should that mean that people with a different colour can be treated differently?

[sirchai]

Sad to see this happen why weren't his family advised

His family either disowned him years ago or are exactly like him. There are tens of thosands of people like this in the UK. They are mostly beyond help. When people like this have whole families just like them. Just visit one of the countless council housing estates in Britain. There's not much th consule can do. In the UK they are left to sleep rough. These people don't want help, they just want to take drugs and alcohol 24/7.

I don't understand why people are shocked. If you see someone like this lying in the street in the UK, or anywhere else, no-one stops to help.

If it's so shocking to you, then do something about helping these people. There are tens of thousand that you could help. In fact the UK has over 300,000 heroin addicts. That's a good place for you to start,

Pattaya - what do you expect?

Here here. I think there are more immediate replies to this article than most others ever see in weeks. If all the UK citizens reading this are so applaed they should contribute their time and money to such cases. Fat chance while their is a beer bar open.

If it's so shocking to you, then do something about helping these people. There are tens of thousand that you could help. In fact the UK has over 300,000 heroin addicts

Let's make a special forum for the poor heroin addicted guys from the UK.

[Xircal]

The man known to others purely as 'John' growls like an animal and has mental health issues. Sometimes he just sits and says nothing. It's now known he has been deported from Thailand before for overstaying his visa.

While there's no excuse to treat any human being in such a disgusting manner, nobody seems to have asked the question how this hapless individual was able to afford the flight from the UK a second time in order to re-enter Thailand. Did he growl like an animal in the UK airport too? I'm surprised he was even allowed to board the aircraft.

[james24]

Costs them almost nothing to give the guy some food and clothes those guys at the embassy are making English wages in Thailand. The money to supply it even out of their own pockets would be nothing to them.

The advert for a new member of the prison visit team offerred a salary of about 32,000 Baht a month, hardly English wages.

Where did you see this ad...?

Its quite sad that due to the stigma of AIDS someone has to be handcuffed to a cell. If the mental health problem was the danger then he should have been moved and I cannot imagine the embassy not being notified.

The British Embassy, from what I know and being British, are not great at looking after their citizens. If you look at places like Peru and South America where so many abductions, robberies occur there are countless situations where British citizens have taken refuge or help from other countries embassies such as Holland and Germany.

[BigC]

what makes me more sick is that the british embassy must have already known and done nothing. normally the police have to notify the english embassy within the irst 48 hrs of arrest which mean that the embassy has kow for a long time and done noothing. not even send food.

what good is out english passport really for ?

we have one of the highest tax sysetms in the world and nothing comes back to UK citizerns. so where is all out tax money going ???

[brahmburgers]

No one mentions the Brit guy himself. There's probably more to the story.

Granted, he's mentally ill to some degree or another.

However, he may have had tantrums where he aggressively refused assistance. In that case, it's more understandable why he wound up in a deplorable situation. Bad things happen in prison, and even a mentally deranged person can contribute to his conditions.

If he was aggressively keeping people away from assisting himself (tossing feces, who knows?), then it would flesh out the scenario. Even if he's mentally screwed up, does that divorce him 100% from any personal responsibility for his condition? Even a retarded person can be expected to have some degree of personal responsibility.

Perhaps going in there with a hose and a soapy sponge, and sponging him down, dressing him, feeding him, taking him to the shitter, wiping his butt, dressing him up in decent clothes, taking him to the airport with a one way ticket to his home country - is what we expect the consular authorities to do. Any volunteers?

[raylo]

If it is that bad then indeed why are you here and why do you denigrate the country?

Isn't it bad? Perhaps you need to take your head out of the sand.

I'm sure many people come here with rose coloured glasses which start to lose their power as they learn what really goes on.

These type of incidents can lead many to reaccess why they are here.

No head in the sand just a realist. Tell me how many deportees are stcuk here for the rest of their natural life??

People came here of their own volition and unless this guy, mental problems or not, was forced to keep coming back here

then you all have a choice where you live.

It also does not give you the "God given right" to say the country is a sh***ole or something.

Some of us like it here and live here under their rules.

That is of course if you or some of the biggest whingers actually live here

[theoldgit]

Come on Howard, waddle down to Soi 9 and do your job. I assume they pay you.

No he is not paid, apart from a tiny honorarium.

As "tiny" is a relative term, and you appear to speak with some authority on the subject, could you please tell us exactly how much he's paid?

I'm not trying to challenge your post, I'm just really curious about how well compensated someone is for officially representing the UK abroad.in this way.

If I had remembered the exact amount I would have posted it, not trying to be sarcastic just know it's a pretty small amount. I have no authority on the subject I just recall reading the advert when the position was advertised, I seem to recall it was in the region of 8,000 Baht a month, which seems to equate with the FCO information.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/ambassadors/honorary-consuls

[waza]

No one mentions the Brit guy himself. There's probably more to the story.

Granted, he's mentally ill to some degree or another.

However, he may have had tantrums where he aggressively refused assistance. In that case, it's more understandable why he wound up in a deplorable situation. Bad things happen in prison, and even a mentally deranged person can contribute to his conditions.

If he was aggressively keeping people away from assisting himself (tossing feces, who knows?), then it would flesh out the scenario. Even if he's mentally screwed up, does that divorce him 100% from any personal responsibility for his condition? Even a retarded person can be expected to have some degree of personal responsibility.

Perhaps going in there with a hose and a soapy sponge, and sponging him down, dressing him, feeding him, taking him to the shitter, wiping his butt, dressing him up in decent clothes, taking him to the airport with a one way ticket to his home country - is what we expect the consular authorities to do. Any volunteers?

Good point but a woman managed to do this without any problems....

[IMA_FARANG]

Isnt it about time the British honorary consul started to actually help its citizens? I guess if he had been an American their consul would have helped him out long ago?

If you believe that you are extremely foolish. The U.S. embessy will only help U.S. nationals only as long as they are not financially responsible for the U.S. nationals expenses. The U.S. citizen has to bear all the cost, or at least show there is someone who is willing and able to pay for his repariation BEFORE the U.S. embessy will fork out any funds to help the U.S. national.

As for example...if you are robbed, and have no money; the U.S embessy will help you get money transferred to Bangkok from your U.S. bank...but they will charge you for any costs of that transfer. And if you do have the funds to pay for the transfer costs at the time you show up at the embessy, they will want you to pay for the cost of transfering the money BEFORE they help you with the transfer.

About 25 years ago I knew a guy who was drugged and robbed by a bargirl he had taken back to his hotel for the night. She took every cent he had. When he went to the U.S. embessy they told him he could have money tansferred to him through the embessy. The fee for the transfer (at that time) was 500 baht PAID IN ADVANCE. I know because he came to me to borrow the 500 baht he needed for the embessy. Later, when he recieved the money, he paid me the 500 baht he owed me.

[chops]

Hey, I think this guy appeared in the local news a while back. Could it be him?

http://www.pattayada...ors-in-pattaya/

Guy seems to be a druggie.

Edited December 9, 2010 by chops

[theoldgit]

Where did you see this ad...?

On this forum, with a link to the current vacancies section of the British Embassy Website.

[newermonkey]

Isnt it about time the British honorary consul started to actually help its citizens? I guess if he had been an American their consul would have helped him out long ago?

As previously stated there are questions and answers. We just dont what has preceded this.

Get the facts and make a knowledgable comment!

No need to be sharp with me! I am only putting forward a reasonable question to anyone who may have more info on this case than I.

I am sure if you were in trouble, mentally ill, or down on your luck you would appreciate a little help from your government representative, or are you above all that?

So do you have any of the preceding facts?

Edited December 9, 2010 by bonobo
removed bolding

[Wavefloater]

Come on Howard, waddle down to Soi 9 and do your job. I assume they pay you.

No he is not paid, apart from a tiny honorarium.

As "tiny" is a relative term, and you appear to speak with some authority on the subject, could you please tell us exactly how much he's paid?

I'm not trying to challenge your post, I'm just really curious about how well compensated someone is for officially representing the UK abroad.in this way.

Oh my god!!! Representing the UK abroad by walking around like real cops? That's insane, sorry.

I was referring to this post that appeared earlier in the thread.

Posted Today, 01:57

Howard Miller Appointed New British Honorary Consul For Pattaya

http://www.thaivisa....age__hl__miller

BTW, this is a really aggressive forum. Not much fun that way. I guess posting with anonymity make a lot of people act that way.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Wavefloater

[tropo]

No head in the sand just a realist.

You're not a realist, you're an optimist with your head buried deep in the sand.

Bad sh*t happens here but as soon as someone points it out you call them "whingers" and you're on their case to leave.

These so called whingers are not denigrating Thailand. Thailand is doing a good job of that on its own.

Sh*t stinks no matter where you find it.

Edited December 9, 2010 by tropo

[Melpomene]

What Andrew Drummond has reported is an absolute disgrace and a shocking indictment on the lack of care provided by the Thai authorities, they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

It's also an absolute disgrace and shocking indictment on the lack of concern by the British authorities in Thailand, they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

What ?? Don't be so bloody ridiculous old chap - if this guy was a member of the British Club and a thoroughly stand up chappy old Tarquin would have sorted him out. As for helping the masses, golly, that would get right in the way of one's G&Ts on the croquet lawn at 2.30......

Anyhow who's for joining the party at the ambassador's on friday, apparently Lady Helen Fathersley-Smythe is going to be serving up truffles & champagne.

Tally ho......

Edited December 9, 2010 by Melpomene

[raylo]

Isnt it about time the British honorary consul started to actually help its citizens? I guess if he had been an American their consul would have helped him out long ago?

As previously stated there are questions and answers. We just dont what has preceded this.

Get the facts and make a knowledgable comment!

No need to be sharp with me! I am only putting forward a reasonable question to anyone who may have more info on this case than I.

I am sure if you were in trouble, mentally ill, or down on your luck you would appreciate a little help from your government representative, or are you above all that?

So do you have any of the preceding facts?

Ooooh bold print. I am chagrined.

No I dont have the facts and neither it seems does anyone else posting. I am waiting first to see if the truth comes out

Of course I would try for help. I am not as thick as some of the posters.

in the meantime posters knocking the country and the system should pull their heads out of their fundamental

orifice and realise this is not the UK and things like this have been known to happen there and other so called

"first world" countries.

[Bakseedaa]

What Andrew Drummond has reported is an absolute disgrace and a shocking indictment on the lack of care provided by the Thai authorities, they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

It's also an absolute disgrace and shocking indictment on the lack of concern by the British authorities in Thailand, they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

They are on a salary.... paid for by us.... why should they care..!! Gravy train comes to mind...

[raylo]

No head in the sand just a realist.

You're not a realist, you're an optimist with your head buried deep in the sand.

Bad sh*t happens here but as soon as someone points it out you call them "whingers" and you're on their case to leave.

These so called whingers are not denigrating Thailand. Thailand is doing a good job of that on its own.

Sh*t stinks no matter where you find it.

Yeah usually tied up with whingers.

Find a few abuses in the UK and post about them for something to do then I cant say "go home whinger"!

In the meantime if you really live here then do so. And remember if the grass is greener in the UK then it is still

there waiting for you.

[hunghung]

It seems the B consulate is broke rather than incompetent. Of course, it won't say it's broke because of the shame.

If I recall correctly, when the ? shirt took over the new airport 2-3 years ago, the B govt. was the last country to send a charter flight to pick up its citizens (again, looked like it was broke).

For the Thai side, obvious incompetence. Thai officials should have pressed and pressed the B consulate to take care of the matter, threatening to expose the matter if the consulate did nothing.