Urgent: Question About Thai Legal System

[MhooNoi]

I apologize if I post this in the wrong forum, but I couldn't find a subforum for legal questions.

I am in need of a quick answer, because I am a bystander in a current legal process.

Here is the situation:

A person I know has been caught six weeks ago with a small amount of drugs.

30k baht were paid for bail.

There has been a court hearing, I understood that the sentence involved two years of suspended sentence.

The person was out (probation?) and had to appear somewhere (probation control?) every 2 or 3 weeks, for six times.

After that period the bail would be returned, so I heard.

Four weeks after the first offense, the person has been caught again with a small amount of drugs.

Now the person is in prison but I don't know for how long.

I have been told the bail is set at 100.000

But I don't know if a bail will do any good?

Is the person guaranteed to return to prison after the court hearing?

What are possible outcomes of this situation?

Is it realistic to expect again a suspended sentence on probation?

[craigt3365]

Is this a Thai person or a foreigner?

Warning: Let's not have this turn into a "hang'em high" thread. OK?

[MhooNoi]

A young Thai person (hence my worries that a life won't be destroyed by a long prison sentence for a single dose of ice in both cases).

I'm just interested in knowing the precise legal situation and possible outcomes.

Thank you in advance

Edited December 19, 2010 by MhooNoi

[Scully]

If it was weed I would fancy his chances however yaa ice is a serious class A and as we all know the Thai legal system's stance on hard drugs especially yaa ice (crystal methamphetamine).

I feel for the young man as it's ruined many a life in Thailand and the States it's only a matter of time before the same problem will arise in the UK.

Best of luck.

[Beetlejuice]

To be honest, if this is a Thai man of no wealth or has no influential contacts who cannot afford to buy his way out and obtain good legal representation, then he’s owned.

Meaning the sentence could be anything according to how the Thai justice system sees fit to deal with him.

Personally I think he will be shut away somewhere behind closed doors in a Thai stinkhole prison and forgotten. So unless his family and friends cough up with a truckload of cash before sentence is passed, the man’s fate is sealed.

I speak from experience having witnessed a similar outcome with a similar case regarding my girlfriend`s nephew. He was threatened with a jail sentence of 50 years. In the end his father had to sell all his lands and we all contributed monies. Cost almost a million baht to get him out of there.

Later on the twonk was caught with drugs again, only this time we washed our hands of him. Not sure and lost interested in the outcome for the second time. That was 3 years ago. Last I heard he is presently rotting away from AIDs contracted by sharing needles somewhere in a Chiang Mai stinkhole jailhouse.

[Mario2008]

It is obvious he violated the terms of his probation and should expect to receive the two year sentence, next to the sentence for his new offense.

If he can get off with a new probation is better ask to a lawyer, and make that an influential one who knows the system well. Him having some village lawyer will do no good.

[chuang]

I speak from experience having witnessed a similar outcome with a similar case regarding my girlfriend`s nephew. He was threatened with a jail sentence of 50 years. In the end his father had to sell all his lands and we all contributed monies. Cost almost a million baht to get him out of there.

Threatened with a jail sentence of 50 years, must be a large amount of drugs involved and getting him out for a million baht is a cheap price to pay....i know of one who was sentenced to 6 years and cut to 3 years for pleading guilty, then out in 2 years for good behaviour...in possession of 60 pills of yaa ba..

Was told to pay bride to be free but was advised by a "poo yai" against it..as he said the paying would never stop..

Also not many BIB are interested as far a drugs are concerned....drugs prevention programmes are initiated by the K..G himself....

Edited December 20, 2010 by chuang

[cdnvic]

One post deleted for profanity

[Thongkorn]

Not so long ago a certain Thai polation , Started a drug clean up , most people where just shot, Things have changed a little , now they just put them in jail, But there attitude to drugs has not changed, i would not like to be caught with drugs In Thailand, if i was falang or Thai. Expect a long prison term, In the past Bailing people was a way of saying ,Do a runner because they keep the big drug mules. It used to be the death sentence. Hope your friend is Ok but i think he is in deep dodo.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Thongkorn

[Cartmanpark]

If you've got serious money, you're pretty much above most laws especially drug laws, however from the story I don't think he's got the money, laws can be pretty tough in Thailand if you've got no money.

[Cartmanpark]

Not so long ago a certain Thai polation , Started a drug clean up , most people where just shot, Things have changed a little , now they just put them in jail, But there attitude to drugs has not changed, i would not like to be caught with drugs In Thailand, if i was falang or Thai. Expect a long prison term, In the past Bailing people was a way of saying ,Do a runner because they keep the big drug mules. It used to be the death sentence. Hope your friend is Ok but i think he is in deep dodo.

I believe that the people who were killed in the "war against drugs" were actually politically motivated executions, the drugs war was just a front to cover it up...I don't want to get into this though, so I'll stop right here.