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

[caf]

You are absolutely correct about that presumption. They would be screaming bloody murder! It is a fact of life that the Thai

people are scared to death of farengs. It manifests itself in many, many peculiar ways. But an outward disdain for foreigners,

and an omnipresent belief in our inferiority is something that all foreigners who live here have to contend with. Though I realize

it is an unpopular, and fabulously incorrect thing to say, the Thai people may have been better off, had they been colonized. I

am convinced they would be far more cosmopolitan, far more tolerant, less xenophobic, more open minded, and perhaps far

more progressive as a result. Just look at the neighboring countries that suffered that fate.

You mean open minded like you :lol:

Stunning insight - shouldn't you be on the Daily Mail board ??

Oh and just noticed your last statement - must have missed it due to the tears of laughter. Neighboring countries ?? Burma, Laos, Cambodia are shining examples of the good colonization can do......

Spidermonkey was referring to the thai fear of farangs and their xenophobia.

On his closing point he did not mention any country. And you did not mention Singapore. A better examople

Singapore is a one-party state with no press freedom. Hardly a beacon of democracy. Great economy and a water supply dosed with Prozac by the look of it. And xenophobia ain't a national character trait exclusive to Thailand

Technically not a one party state, there is an "appointed" opposition party to make up the numbers; but i agree what you're saying. Not as xenophobic as Thailand though and they don't fear foreigners

[Buchholz]

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.

No sale.

The article is from November 13th, 2010.

This thread is about someone locked up for the past 3 months.

[Melpomene]

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

You are absolutely correct about that presumption. They would be screaming bloody murder! It is a fact of life that the Thai

people are scared to death of farengs. It manifests itself in many, many peculiar ways. But an outward disdain for foreigners,

and an omnipresent belief in our inferiority is something that all foreigners who live here have to contend with. Though I realize

it is an unpopular, and fabulously incorrect thing to say, the Thai people may have been better off, had they been colonized. I

am convinced they would be far more cosmopolitan, far more tolerant, less xenophobic, more open minded, and perhaps far

more progressive as a result. Just look at the neighboring countries that suffered that fate.

You mean open minded like you :lol:

Stunning insight - shouldn't you be on the Daily Mail board ??

Oh and just noticed your last statement - must have missed it due to the tears of laughter. Neighboring countries ?? Burma, Laos, Cambodia are shining examples of the good colonization can do......

Spidermonkey was referring to the thai fear of farangs and their xenophobia.

On his closing point he did not mention any country. And you did not mention Singapore. A better examople

And i was referring to his crass generalisation - some Thais are xenophobic, just like some Brits, Americans, Russians etc etc, whilst some are not.

Last time i checked the map though Singapore doesn't share a border with Thailand

Edited December 9, 2010 by Melpomene

[caf]

You are absolutely correct about that presumption. They would be screaming bloody murder! It is a fact of life that the Thai

people are scared to death of farengs. It manifests itself in many, many peculiar ways. But an outward disdain for foreigners,

and an omnipresent belief in our inferiority is something that all foreigners who live here have to contend with. Though I realize

it is an unpopular, and fabulously incorrect thing to say, the Thai people may have been better off, had they been colonized. I

am convinced they would be far more cosmopolitan, far more tolerant, less xenophobic, more open minded, and perhaps far

more progressive as a result. Just look at the neighboring countries that suffered that fate.

You mean open minded like you :lol:

Stunning insight - shouldn't you be on the Daily Mail board ??

Oh and just noticed your last statement - must have missed it due to the tears of laughter. Neighboring countries ?? Burma, Laos, Cambodia are shining examples of the good colonization can do......

Spidermonkey was referring to the thai fear of farangs and their xenophobia.

On his closing point he did not mention any country. And you did not mention Singapore. A better examople

And i was referring to his crass generalisation - some Thais are xenophobic, just like some Brits, Americans, Russians etc etc, whilst some are not.

Last time i checked the map though Singapore doesn't share a border with Thailand

No-one said it did share a border. The op did not for example mention Malaysia, which thailand does border. I took his point about "neighboring" countries not as literally as you. The Thai government itself compares the country with other Asean countries not just those it borders. Though I am surprised you needed to refer to a map to check Singapore's location.

Xenophobia is a generalisation of course but hardly crass. Most Thais are xenophobic and there are reasons in their educational system and in their history for that.

Comparisons with Brits or Russians are not relevant as excuses of a thai apologist

[Buchholz]

This has certainly been one of the longest threads that I have read, but does not seem to have produced anything meaningful.

[caf]

This has certainly been one of the longest threads that I have read, but does not seem to have produced anything meaningful.

It has kept people informed, one of the strengths of thaivisa

But yes credit must go to his benefactor and to Andrew Drummond for bringing this into the open. Nothing would have happened if it were not for his blog

And we have had a discussion on whether Singapore has a land border with Thailand just to muddy the waters ( For the pedants, Phuket has no land connection with mainland Thailand either )

[dude007]

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

There, you surely made the best point of the forum...

No one (being longe enough in Thailand) can imagine anything worse than that.

[Tolley]

Unfortunately I don't find this news story at all surprising.

Firstly don't expect that consular personnel be they British, Australian or whatever to come rushing to your aid should you come a cropper in a foreign land. They won't. They are underpaid, understaffed and have very little authority in whatever country they happen to be posted to. You are really on your own or dependent on family or friends.

Secondly, the Thai police force is in no way equipped to deal with foreigners with mental health issues and/or drug and alcohol problems. Heck they can't deal with Thais with these sort of issues. The police themeselves are underpaid, untrained and lacking the facilities and back up care to deal with these sort of issues.

Of course it is a disgrace but it should not come as a surprise.

[atyclb]

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.

Many alcoholics and drug addicts are intelligent. As they deteriorate over time their intelligence is used for survival and drinking/drugging. Intelligently well though out invented stories, lies, scams, anything at all. Friends and loved ones often become emotionally exhausted and financiall drained and may stop "enabling". enabling only prolongs the road to sobriety since money and a place to stay are all/paramount the alcoholic sees in life.

When the pain of feeling the consequences exceed the perceived pleasure of drinking, then he/she may seek sobriety. To stop enabling is actually the kind loving thing family/friends can do, as harsh as it may seem.

IMO, in this mans case, The Brit consular service could get local Thai authorities to deem him incompetent and perhaps can be shipped to UK for placement in a care facility. From what I have heard, it is not uncommon for Thai facilities to handcuff or chain the mentally ill regardless of nationality, unless the family is connected or has the money for different treatment.

I am amazed how a private citizen can accomplish way more on her initial attempt than could a honorary consul over time.

Amazing Thailand

Amazing Honorary Consul

Edited December 9, 2010 by atyclb

[theoldgit]

Many Thai in jail suffer worst. Who cares. 1 Brit, and it make head lines.

I cannot think what this post is meant to purvey. Are you trying to inform us that you personally do not care, or that all the people who have responded in this thread have problems because they do care for fellow human beings? Are you angry that people seem to bring up this, just because he is British?

Remember theoutrrage when the Rohingas were abandoned, and then wonder why westerners do actually care about human suffering and Thais appear not to.

I think SamritT has made a very valid point. If a Thai person is in prison and treated badly nobody, apart from maybe the family, is unduly concerned, what goes on behind the prison walls concerns nobody, it's the Thai culture, that's not a criticism just a fact of life.

That a foreigner is treated in such a way, and I suspect a lot worse than the average prisoner, then of course people get concerned, the outrage on this forum proves that. People would be aware that foreigners in prison in their home countries will treated the same as local prisoners, and the buck would not to be passed onto the prisoners embassy.

I don't think SamritT is showing any sign of anger at all, just stating a fact, indeed I've yet to see this forum full of criticism of the way Thai's are treated in prison.

[OzMick]

Apologies to Phil Collins, but "Just another day in paradise......." If you remember, the song was actually about ignoring the plight of the homeless in their own country.

Look at this from a Thai viewpoint. This man is a foreign national who has broken any number of Thai laws including re-entering after being deported, he appears to have serious drug addiction and mental health problems, and he is a definite detraction to a tourist area. Reasonable that he should be arrested if only to get him off the street (for his own and the general good), but he now requires intensive and expensive treatment at facilities that may not even exist or at least are crammed to capacity with Thai citizens who have first dibs, and rightly so.

Is their a police budget for this type of case? Probably not, there's not much of a budget for more important problems.

His own country doesn't appear eager to rush to his aid. What do you expect them to do? Does the embassy have a budget for this sort of case, and even if they did, are facilities available? I gather that they will not repatriate, and that this is a common attitude.

Before you slang off at embassy staff or Thai police for their action/inactions, please try to come up with a workable solution. I fear that Tracy may have volunteered herself into a position that is a constant drain of funds with no end in sight.

[Scott]

Numerous posts deleted and posters will receive formal warnings. Please stay on-topic.

[Mr lamai]

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

There, you surely made the best point of the forum...

No one (being longe enough in Thailand) can imagine anything worse than that.

Agree fully! Its sad the once rich countries spend money on bail out other countrys just to be next in line begging for the same after a while. This BS has gone to far and we humans are clearly beeing sacrificed.

I say EU can make and prepair a goodiebag kit for ppl who needs it.Stuffed with shampoo,soapbar,toathbrush/paste,and a set of clothes plus some Euro coins eqvalent to what a guy/woman makes on a coffiebreak in Brussels.

Iam so freakin pissed at what my taxmoney being used at.

99,99% of a country population dont need a foreign embassy.Let the 0,01% who needs it pay for the cost.They can surely afford it.

[Bagwan]

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......

What? No petit fours? Will not a few cases of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1995 (450 UKP per bottle)  be made available for the favoured, over privileged few? Whatever is the UK Government doing with the money that they save by freezing my State Pension, insisting that I continue to pay UK Income tax, and by moving to somewhere more agreeable to myself, save on a free TV licence, a free bus pass and me not using NHS resources? 

The truth of the matter is that NO UK Government gives a rats a*se about people who after a lifetime of labour and contributing to the economy find that as a native of the country  the immigrants are catered for better than themselves, and because they chose to live in a country with more equable weather,. are disenfranchised and, if they follow the local rules, feel safer in the cities after it gets dark.  I support the view that most politicians of any stripe are self serving; The Thais are just more honest and blatant about it.  

       

[lannaman]

He's now been rescued it seems - http://www.andrew-dr...it-in-hospital/

Well done and congratulations to that good lady for helping him. Brit embassy officials are a disgrace to St.George.

[pogal]

Amazingly there are farangs in this situation often in Thailand. Embassies vary to the response of police (or other requests from the Thai authorities) to do something.

NZ and Canadian Embassy has been good in the past, UK and US not so good. African embassies are the worst from my experience.

Beatings and inhumane treatment are all too common in Police cells and prison cells. Thai or foreign, this is one place where everyone is treated equally (inhumanely). But most people don't care because they believe the people in these places deserve to be there. Only truly religious or humane groups will bother to help them.

I have seen a Canadian man beaten badly in a cell. He was very mentally ill but the police misunderstood him and so laid into him with batons. His whole body covered in large bruises. Really sad to see but I was happy that the Canadian embassy seemed to care so much about him.

I think embassies should be FORCED to accept responsibilities of homeless and mentally ill people; fly them home and let their own governments take care of them.

[spectrumisgreen]

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

More to the point, if it happened to a Thai in the UK, there would be uproar from the Brits, even more than any Thais living there, as we tend to CARE !!!

[pogal]

By the way are there any groups that help people in BKK?

Does anyone have their contact details?

I know of at least 5 farang who are homeless and living in the streets (for the last few years!)

[Bagwan]

This topic should be "We deserve better treatment than others in spite of how we behave because we are British"

The fact is there are tens of thousands of decent good Burmese illegal immigrants imprisoned under terrible conditions in Thai Jails

with no medical help. I am much more concerned about helping them than I am about a fellow Briton just because he is British.

Well said, particularly when a lot of the blame for the fate of Burma can be laid at the door of the UK.  After receiving much needed help and assistance against the Japanese invaders, in particular from the Karen,  the UK Government of the day turned their backs on them and abandoned the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San   Worth a read.

[apollo13]

Many Thai in jail suffer worst. Who cares. 1 Brit, and it make head lines.

Your Buddhist compassion shines like a light bulb in a power cut.

Edited December 9, 2010 by apollo13

[Arkady]

He's now been rescued it seems - http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2010/12/08/saved-by-an-angel-pattaya-brit-in-hospital/

This horrific story has taken a turn for the good with the intervention of the lovely dea ex machina from the Mellisa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation. Well done Tracy. Also good job Andrew for publicising it.

Even though I suspect that the British Embassy may not have been fully informed about this, it is as well that Brits at home realize that help from the embassy will be quite limited if they get into trouble in Thailand. The embassy has to deal with countless cases of Britons who show up without funds or return ticket, expecting to be bailed out and sent home. As far as I know the embassy can now only provide them with an internet phone to call anywhere in the world free to get someone to send them money and advise them to ask for charity at temples, if they have no funds left for food or accommodation. Many rot for 100 days in Pathum Thani jail paying off overstay fines at the rate of a day of incarceration equals 200 baht of the overstay fine and then have to wait in the Immigration jail in Suan Plu until some one sends money for their air ticket home. I was once in the Bangkok consulate at 10.00 a.m. when two heavily tatooed Brits arrived absolutely stinking drunk to apply for emergency funds, which they obviously thought would be like tapping into a free ATM machine. After kicking up a racket in the waiting room with loud tuneless singing for a while, they were ejected very politely back onto Wireless Road by the Gurkhas without even getting to see a consular officer and advised to come back when they had sobered up, much to the relief of everyone else in the room.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Arkady

[morejunk]

All of you you haters should think that anyone could develop mental problems and bottom out. Sh!t happens. You don't know the facts that led up to this guy's situation. Who are you to judge?

It seems that not everyone knows that Howard Miller resigned from the Tourist Police Volunteers, effective upon becoming the Honorary Council on 1 Aug 2010. Howard pursued and accepted the honorary council job and it's obligations for his own reasons. Whether paid or unpaid is not the issue.

Howard is still running the Pattaya One news website and the associated newspaper. He and or his reporters probably have daily contact with the Soi 9 police, Tourist Police and Immigration Police. Hard to understand if there could be any reason why he would not have been knowledgeable from the start that this person was being held in Pattaya's lockup.

It appears the British Embassy isn't doing anything for this guy. He may be in the gutter, but he is still a British subject and therefore deserves their help. Perhaps a proper explanation from Howard is in order since he is their Honorary Council and Pattaya is his territory.

[Brunel]

What exactly are you guys expecting the consulate to do?

You are abroad, you are not in the UK anymore.

The [consul]ate is also abroad; not in the UK anymore. That is one of the reasons the consulates exist. What do you think they are [supposed to be] there for?

[Chopperboy]

Well it would seem a private citizen came to his aid.

Here in Chiang Mia the British consulate is next to useless also. I personally know of two cases where a British citizen needed help and was turned away. Thankfully a Christian organization helped them out.

I think thats being a little harsh - he's good at organising Hi-So parties...

[raylo]

This has certainly been one of the longest threads that I have read, but does not seem to have produced anything meaningful.

- UK Consul/Embassy at fault

- police fault

- Thai society fault

- stop whinging, and, I am not whinging, you are

- go home if you don't like it here (the usual comment)

I have neither the full facts, nor the solution, but for any person to be treated this way, regardless of nationality, is a disgrace, but it happens in many countries, not just LOS.

I guess it was not all that long ago that Western nations considered this sort of treatment to be normal too, so let's not blame the host country too much. They are still better than China.

Just be glad that this sort of event can be reported upon in a (relatively) free society.

Thank you for a rational statement.

DOnt worry your statement and my thank you will get a few irate readers going.

[Master Chief]

This is how embassies and honorary consulates work with these repeatedly "returning social cases".

First I must mention that "embassies and consulates are established by the foreign ministry of the representing country. By official representatives through the acting/hearing of the government of one state and in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the embassy/consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the people of the country to whom he or she is accredited and the country of which he or she is a representative".

So far straight forward, serve and protect their countrymen!

They will be there to assist if you lose your money or property, passport, have an accident, get arrested or loss of life. But these are very restricted duties.

- Loss of money or property.... Contact the local police and report the incident, contact your insurance provider, contact your financial institute, contact your lawyer if further assistance is needed.

If these actions fail, then you can contact your embassy or consulate for assistance.

The embassy or the consulate will not provide you with money or replace your property, if you need means of contact to your family or friends (to ask for financial assistance) this can be provided.

If all of these actions fail, you can borrow money (depending of country) for travel home. Not to continue your holiday or living abroad status!

# you left your home country on your own free will and must take responsibility for such by yourself.

The embassy or the consulate, are not a social care institutes!

- Loss of passport, renewal or temporary passports…… yes of course! Report the loss of passport to the local police and bring the police report with you to your embassy/consulate. Other administrational duties are welcome.

- Accidents…. Contact your insurance provider, contact you family and friends, contact your embassy/consulate of your current status.

International hospitals do have international staff helping out with many issues, (talk friendly to them, they are great helpers.)

- Arrested…. Contact your lawyer, contact family and friends (some cases will not do this?) contact your embassy/consulate.

Embassy/consulate will not provide with legal aid if crimes committed by yourself. If you are arrested due to other reasons, then maybe legal aid can be provided (depends on country)

In prison food, utilities, hygiene articles are not provided by embassy/consulate. You must rely on family and friends for this.

- Death… Family or friends must contact your insurance provider and contact your embassy or consulate.

In general embassies or consulates do not pay for repatriation to home country, this is a case for the insurance provider. The local authorities and the embassy/consulate will do the legal paper works.

This is how it worked also during the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Some countries paid for this, but in general, no!

#These are the general rules and regulations(with variations)embassies and consulates follow.

When travel to Thailand you must have a return or outbound travel ticket, sufficient financial means for your stay in Thailand, have adequate insurance policies and common sense as a visitor to a foreign country.

For these visitors who visit Thailand with mental or physical illness, may come here for reasons hard to explain, could be nice climate, good friendship, easy style of living, no social ranking or distance to domestic problem! Same as all other “healthy” travellers reason to visit or stay in Thailand.

Every country with Thailand as a tourist destination has cases with citizens not able to care for them self. Every country has their cases of these repeatedly "returning social cases".

Most hard hit are those whom have extended vastly the hospitality from family and friends, not able to have financial funds to stay on in Thailand. Leading them to be asked to leave hotels or rentals. Living on the street or at nearby temples.

Police will arrest them if they are first time offenders for overstay of visa, the embassy/consulate will be contacted. Thai immigration will place them in their arrest, awaiting court sentence and deportation. Travel tickets must be provided by the offender. Respective country embassy/consulate will be contacted by the local police to inform about their case. If the embassy/consulate manages to get the fines paid and provide with tickets paid by the offender/family/friend then the offender is deported back to country of origin.

If the embassy/consulate cannot find funds for fines and travel tickets for the offender then further problems come fast. Thai immigration arrest facilities are not meant for long stay prisoners.

So the offender will be sent back to the police station. The police station will now face problems with the mental illness that the offender has, everything from suicidal, self-mutilation, dress of naked, aggressive behavior to police staff and cell mates, hygienic disabilities, self-starvation, malnutrition or medical conditions. The offender will be sent to a local hospital care, from there the offender walks out to care for themselves again, as the local police have hard time to care for these cases.

Now, if the offender gets his fines and travel tickets paid, then deported back to country of origin. All well if the case not decides to visit Thailand again, again.

To, humanitarian persons or organization taking care/helping in cases like these. They are wonderful people in their efforts to help people in distress and are very appreciated by all parties.

But, embassies/consulates cannot by their country policies and local laws rely on these activities, nor by officially contact them or support them, as this would conflict with mission policies and local laws that foreign embassies and consulates must abide to.

Hope this may clear some of the issues in this treads case and mentioned Thaivisa tread.

For clarification, I am not involved in any foreign mission here in Thailand.

[Brunel]

All of you you haters should think that anyone could develop mental problems and bottom out. Sh!t happens. You don't know the facts that led up to this guy's situation. Who are you to judge?

It seems that not everyone knows that Howard Miller resigned from the Tourist Police Volunteers, effective upon becoming the Honorary Council on 1 Aug 2010. Howard pursued and accepted the honorary council job and it's obligations for his own reasons. Whether paid or unpaid is not the issue.

Howard is still running the Pattaya One news website and the associated newspaper. He and or his reporters probably have daily contact with the Soi 9 police, Tourist Police and Immigration Police. Hard to understand if there could be any reason why he would not have been knowledgeable from the start that this person was being held in Pattaya's lockup.

It appears the British Embassy isn't doing anything for this guy. He may be in the gutter, but he is still a British subject and therefore deserves their help. Perhaps a proper explanation from Howard is in order since he is their Honorary Council and Pattaya is his territory.

Well, the British Embassy is becoming - or intent on becoming - less relevant by the month - not to be taken too literally. Outsourcing of visa processing to an Indian firm, whilst the British staff spend much of their time twiddling their thumbs; then 'outsourcing' of passport applications to Hong Kong; now the recently departed ambassador - granted, not notable for his achievements - is replaced by a Charge d'Affaires. Although the dictionary definition of a charge d'affaires is 1) deputy to the ambassador [which we don't have]; 2) the diplomatic representative of a state, in a minor country .....

[raylo]

All of you you haters should think that anyone could develop mental problems and bottom out. Sh!t happens. You don't know the facts that led up to this guy's situation. Who are you to judge?

It seems that not everyone knows that Howard Miller resigned from the Tourist Police Volunteers, effective upon becoming the Honorary Council on 1 Aug 2010. Howard pursued and accepted the honorary council job and it's obligations for his own reasons. Whether paid or unpaid is not the issue.

Howard is still running the Pattaya One news website and the associated newspaper. He and or his reporters probably have daily contact with the Soi 9 police, Tourist Police and Immigration Police. Hard to understand if there could be any reason why he would not have been knowledgeable from the start that this person was being held in Pattaya's lockup.

It appears the British Embassy isn't doing anything for this guy. He may be in the gutter, but he is still a British subject and therefore deserves their help. Perhaps a proper explanation from Howard is in order since he is their Honorary Council and Pattaya is his territory.

Exactly. Another rational statement.

Careful wolfie

[raylo]

Many Thai in jail suffer worst. Who cares. 1 Brit, and it make head lines.

Agreed except for the "who cares". Someone should but not just because he is a Brit

[IanForbes]

This man is under the care of police. He was found sleeping under cars in in nearby Jomtien and was found to be on overstay.

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. Thai police say he is unfit for court and do not know what to do with him.

If the above is an actual fact then why did the man not STAY deported and not allowed back in Thailand? Why was he allowed to return? He is a vagrant and should not be Thailand's problem. The deplorable conditions he is living under ARE a problem, but every guest of Thailand should understand that there is a very real possibility that they could wind up in jail if they do not follow the countries laws.

I can't go to some Islamic country and start flaunting their laws. I would wind up in a similar jail... barbaric or not. I shouldn't jump into a snake pit and then complain I got bitten.