Swede With Heart Disease Thrown In Thai Prison: Overstay In Paradise

[Companero1961]

That is my experience too. There are other reasons, that they handeld him in this kind and to send him out. Maybe they was looking for him before and so he went to the hospital. With a serious heart problem and in needing treatment and medicine, normally you can not

stay 16 days in this circumstances than, I would say. That is not realistic. No friends looked for him ? He went to the police and not to his embassy or the immigration ? Why ???? Nobody was with him, when he went to the police station ????

Come on.... it is a fairy tale but not a horror story, like this...... [

quote name=lockman' timestamp='1315034608' post='4670416]

OK, he was in violation of the law, but sought help, trusting that being forthright and honest would be at least rewarded with objective behavior and a financial.

Instead, he got what he got. The post that stated "lost in translation" has something there, yet one wonders what was going through the minds of the arresting officer that resulted in this decision.

Be irresponsible and under the influence and healthy: Shove a tuk tuk driver and get put into a coma by Thai citizens

Be responsible and sober and near death: Go on overstay because you are in hospital, and immediately report upon release, and go to jail.

But He didn't do that " When Kent Melmblom was discharged from the hospital, knew that his visa expired. One week after discharge, he went to the police " And go to the Police???

No you go to immigration IMMEDIATELY upon release.

Been here awhile now and immigration has been fine and very helpful to most so long as you STAY legal;, but try to cut corners, etc gets nasty fast.

[Richard4849]

It doesn't matter if he went to the wrong place / people. He went to the police and they should have guided him correctly.

That is what we all expect and receive in all civilised parts of the globe.

Here it isn't. Civilised.

Lawless. Useless. Hopeless. It is.

And so some poor unfortunate, law abiding person is illegally detained [fact] and subjected to extortion [fact]. The culmination of this is bribery of a lawyer and some police officers in order to gain his freedom. The dead left to rot in cells. Match that if you can. At least the Nazis tried to hide the bodies.

It is an absolute disgrace. It is what can happen to you if you fall foul of the law. And it will be you as all foreigners are seen as submissive cash cows once the police have you in custody; behind bars; at their mercy. When money is involved the Thais are ruthless. There is no morality but there is an over powering greed that knows no boundaries.

Note the cautious words of the embassy who cannot deal with Thailand or expect anything to stop or improve any time soon.

The place is simply lawless. Pattaya most certainly is.

No official figure there ever responds in shock or determination to act in the right and proper manner when such incidents as this one occur.

There is no hope of change nor is there any hope of a facility existing that can ride in on a white horse and rescue the victims. The Pattaya consul, Howerd Miller, has been involved in two cases in his short tenure and woefully been incompetent in helping. To call him useless would be to flatter him. Holes and heads offers some explanation as to his inertia.

You must be mad to stay in Pattaya other than to prove you're an accident waiting to happen.

Not a single one of the things you quote as a "fact" is indeed a fact. The only fact I see is that the guy illegally overstayed his visa and didn't straighten that out with immigration as he should have. Everything else happened, in fact, as it should have, according to the law.

[rotary]

I wonder what the "real"story is?

[sydneyjed]

IAmazing how it only cost him 30,000baht...don;t you just love them!!!!That's the only thing that pays here...Us!!!!!

Poor bloke. Done up like a kipper.

Another way in which it pays to stay healthy in Thailand.

[vpi78]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

they would be put in a cell, asked what they would like to eat , and if they wanted a lawyer, the lawyer would get him bail and then the government would give hime a house and money every week until his family could join him from pakistan ................or wherever , they would then get british passports , get arranged marraiges for the kids and bring the in-laws too,.......no visa runs needed as we take care of our asian brothers,......welcome to the UK !.........What about your country richard ?

If he is Kenyan, then gets put on welfare, given a driver's license and sent on his way to be drunk while driving.

[dominique355]

This story need to be shown overseas, and Thailand need a serious black eye over this. I do not care what the circumstances are, this is completely unjustifiable. The only way changed happen here, is if Thailand loses face worldwide. The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues. Where is the Anna Hazare of Thailand? Do the Thai people care, at all? Does the government care, or even acknowledge these issues, in the slightest manner? Who is going to be held accountable for this latest travesty?

The only way to hold someone accountable in Thailand is to make him loose his face in front of the whole world, like impounding an aircraft... or throwing in jail the owner?

[LJW]

Yep, there is more to this story for sure,,,

[Richard4849]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

they would be put in a cell, asked what they would like to eat , and if they wanted a lawyer, the lawyer would get him bail and then the government would give hime a house and money every week until his family could join him from pakistan ................or wherever , they would then get british passports , get arranged marraiges for the kids and bring the in-laws too,.......no visa runs needed as we take care of our asian brothers,......welcome to the UK !.........What about your country richard ?

If he is Kenyan, then gets put on welfare, given a driver's license and sent on his way to be drunk while driving.

In my home country, you would be held in a cell until being deported. You would then face a ban on returning for between three and ten years -- that's IF you were able to secure another entry visa.

Sounds like fair dinkum to me.

[Member]

As it's not even a developing country (things simply don't develop here, 'maipenrai' is written on our forehead) Thailand has a long, long way to go before getting rid of the status of Third World Country.

Too be honest, personally I don't believe in a better future for this country anymore.

[FarangBuddha]

According to the gossip in Swedish he's a "manager" connected to some really bad guys in Sweden.

There's something else in this story.

Agree...it's a pretty good bet that there's much more to the story than is being told. Did anyone at the Swedish newspaper bother to get the police's side of the story? However, the standard advice if one has an overstay issue is to go to an immigration office or directly to the airport and to stay clear at all costs of the police.

[scorpio]

at first glance i believed his story but on hindsight why the f*** would anyone go to the thai cops with an overstay problem ? i would be straight to the airport with the heels hitting the back of my head !!

story stinks of something much bigger !!

[osiboy]

What happened to this swedish guy is terrible, no doubt about that. But I start to be a little be sick of all the comments stating that' only money counts here in Thailand'.We simply forget that it's quite convenient for us - the farang living in Thailand- to know that, if we will be in some kind of trouble in the future, we will be able to get out of it just paying somebody.When I do something wrong on the road with my car I am happy to get out of it with a 300 bath bribe, whereas in my country it would cost me 200 euro....Thailand is not the wild west or a country where we are constantly harassed by police in order to bleed financially.This having been said, IF the details about what happened to this swedish guy are correct, yes, it was awful, but I have some doubts: in Thailand USUALLY hospitals always assist farang who are hospitalized and whose visa is expired.

Furthermore there are SPECIAL detention centers for farang who overstay.Last but not least police always inform the embassy if they detain a foreigner.So, many points which are not clear in this story.

Amazing Thailand!

Or whatever crap they're saying now.

where do you get your info from ? i can tell you100% ,that the police here DO NOT inform the embassy when they detain a foreigner, i dont know if they are suppose to,..... but they dont , NOT in all cases for sure,........ especially when they are bribing you , why would they ? they are extorting money from you , they ARE the mob , they can do as they please with impunity , nobody to answer to , .........leaving dead bodies in a cell for 2 days ???? ,.... still hoping he would come up with some more cash i expect , life is sooooo cheap here , maybe the top brass will 'ASK' them to stop using cells as a mourge.....................disgusting behaviour , i cant understand why the EU & USA dont put pressure on thais concerning human rights , time this BS was exposed to the world , are they waiting for a" miracle "???.................. AMAZING !

Edited September 3, 2011 by osiboy

[tim73]

This story sounds very fishy. You do not go to any police station to sort out overstay problems, you go to the immigration office. You pay the fine and in case of emergencies like hospital visit they will give you seven day emergency extension visa. I'd bet also the hospital would do this automatically or at least give papers for immigration to you at checkout.

[Fookhaht]

This story sounds very fishy. You do not go to any police station to sort out overstay problems, you go to the immigration office. You pay the fine and in case of emergencies like hospital visit they will give you seven day emergency extension visa. I'd bet also the hospital would do this automatically or at least give papers for immigration to you at checkout.

Just to make sure everyone is clear here: Immigration IS the Thai Police. Same Same.

[anterian]

Why did he wait a week after getting out of hospital? Why did he go to police not immigration? Why did the airline allow him to board in such a disreputable state?

[bristolgeoff]

does seem strange that he went to the police first ,since he knew the score.something is held back but will we ever know

[elektrified]

The usual knee-jerk reactions without knowing the full story.

+1

[KimoMax]

Wow, this guys Intelligence Quotiant ( IQ) sure comes into question.

He found a way to get transportaion and a Airplane ticket from Pattaya to the BKK airport, but failed to take care of his Personal Hygeine Necessities and Clothing before embarking on a long distance flight back to Sweeden ????????????????

Yea, we all just show up at the Airpot AS IS, Unshowered, Dirty inappropriate clothing after spending several days in a foreign Jail

[zydeco]

The usual knee-jerk reactions without knowing the full story.

Yea, and I'm sure there was another side of the story to the Bataan Death March, too. Inhuman treatment is inhuman, no matter the circumstances surrounding it.

[zydeco]

I've been in Thailand less than six months and I already know a lawyer I could call if I ever get in trouble. An immigration lawyer with connections to the imm office/department. I would NEVER walk into the police station and try to fix this on my own! Call the lawyer, let her take care of it. You'd think people would be smart enough to do that.

And YOU just might not be as smart as you think you are. Maybe you should wait until you're in a fix before you start crowing about well prepared you are.

[Richard4849]

Wow, this guys Intelligence Quotiant ( IQ) sure comes into question.

He found a way to get transportaion and a Airplane ticket from Pattaya to the BKK airport, but failed to take care of his Personal Hygeine Necessities and Clothing before embarking on a long distance flight back to Sweeden ????????????????

Yea, we all just show up at the Airpot AS IS, Unshowered, Dirty inappropriate clothing after spending several days in a foreign Jail

The implication, I think, is that he was TAKEN to the airport in the back of a police paddy wagon.

[Hermes100]

( please exuse my rant's,I have been having a few)

I am sure the story is genuine because I know so many like this.

I hope this is looked at closely and something done.More thing's need to be checked. The gent will have no trouble getting back in and I hope he can put this behind him.

Thai police by and large are a joke! hideously untrained and incapable bunch of dressed up bully boys gangsters!

I could say the same about every country in Asia and the third world .All country's in fact.

There is only- not- good, bad, awful types of government.

The thing that concerns me is- 1- thing's do not seem to be improving here as the same pace as the bribes being paid out. And who suffers?

I think I could speak for many when I say it is probably the sort of local Thai most of us have come to know and like.The normal, happy,easy going type. I truly feel sorry for all those hardworking people who have to suffer at the appalling staus quo.Who have to get up early,suffer a bad education and medical treatment and some, to have to sell themselves.

Not the ego-based , false high class who see often do not give a dam_n about that fellow country man and hate the farang because they either do not fear them or show them for what they really are and do not subscribe to their rather questionable way's( ghost's, monks who tell you not to do this on friday- and that bit of advice will cost you 100baht please) and also because they know many thing's that local's do not. But of coures they are lying ...,there are so many banned book's and other bits of history that give the very false illusion of national probe which can be used to manipulate the masses. What is said about the truth? It set's one free.

So, where is it here? If truth set's one free the not true does the reverse. How many local's truly know about what and who are banned here. A senior british police man with a proud record.Why ban him? Why is that book on world war two banned? Who was it who said " never bow to me, if you do, all is lost? Is it not almost tragic and for some amusing that the person who said that receives the most bow's!

One problem is that, outside of thailand, thailand really is bad at being bad. One can almost respect a dare devil jewellery theif when he steals all the diamond's, hurt's nobody, leave's no mess.Who can respect a thug who bully's money out of the weak..it's just so lame.

But this power exist . Very well in fact. And that is why thing's are not improving

Many, not all ( I must be clear on this. But unfortunately corruption and threat's carry much weight here.) of the rule maker's are like this.

2- far worse than the first. The people here ( the ruling elite) know how they are looked upon. A bit of a joke. And do not seem to care.

In a nutshell and not to mix word's. Thailand look's great on the outside.Rather like a syphilitic whore. Good to look at, but avoid going in too deep unless you are well protected.Again, most around here are like that. Some of it can be ascribed to direct colonalism .Colonolism commited two evil's.

1- the west came.

2-Again,far worse, it left!

It left a people wanting to be something they can never be.

So, they copied the good part's and left out that which does not suit them.

I wish they would reverse everything.

they got a taste of what they want.So they wear clothes that do not suit them, read hi-so mag's, have endless confernces that mean nothing ( expect more bils for the tax payer) ,give general,s ( including those who retire. but still outrank others!) awards when they cannot even quote clauswitz )and just kep making the same old mistake's.

It's a mess, national pride on over rated nothingness giving a illusion of Independence( to rally the masses so they will keep local ethic Thai leaders rich and not some western power's.Who they would no doubt,unfortunately be far off better with. Who put;s the most effort's into improving this country? Less drug export, better human right's,better trained professionals, less elephant's on the street's,more orphanage's-

The west(.It has to, to stop Thailand selling itself,again, to a "bad power"),

a childlike obsession with money and "class", known the world over for the ladys and corruption,a philosphy that somehow has become a religion( that is about as close to its true teaching's as madonna is to mozart), a ruling elite that is so great that we are even treated to rather homely family movie's ,who is super rich and powerful and, best of all, the kicker................ we cannot question it!

I mean, you have to give credit where credit is due. I suppose it is easy when you have no moral's and will do anything to stay in power and make all the rule's.Let's make ' do not question the rule's, if you do, you are not a proud thai..who has done,well,,,mmm).just do as your told" a rule, tie it in with nationalism, edit,rewrite history,ban that bit of info and this bit.

it remind's me of the bible, " it must be true" it is written"! You must have faith( trust something without a shred of evidence. Never a single tiny bit) Who honestly does that? Answer- people who,regardless of where from, never progress their lot.

Thai's ( and so many other's)are not loaded with the right "software ".( nobody realy is, but some know this and are doing something about this) A very small part of this may be nutrition. In order for this country to improve the software needs to be upgraded. Imagine seeing a mess of dirty water on the floor.It need's to be fixed. But the water is leaking out of a locked room .To solve it we need to go in. But we cannot! It's not allowed,it's forbidden,it's wrong, do not question-its rude!

And so, time after time again, as history is proving the water keep's spilling back. What is needed is a proper education system.We need to see that the people who make the rules are those affected by them. One that teaches from a non biased standpoint and allow's the discussion of everything.One that teaches us to use the best tool we have already inside us- our brain!

on that note-

Right off for another double, my word the new john black double is good.

[zydeco]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

In my country? The USA? They actually used to give you home mortgages. The government still gives you an earned income tax credit (read: cash stipend) for all of your children, legal or illegal, real or fake. You also enter into the census for purposes of political redistricting, so that you sort of receive political representation based on your racial identity. Your children entitle you, as an illegal alien head of household, to acquire, distribute and spend all welfare funds, including WIC, food stamps, housing, etc. And if you're in a couple of Texas border towns, the official language is even in your homegrown Spanish, if you're from a latin country. In other words, you get everything but the key to the city and sometimes you get that, too, on Cinco de Mayo.

Next question.

[Richard4849]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

In my country? The USA? They actually used to give you home mortgages. The government still gives you an earned income tax credit (read: cash stipend) for all of your children, legal or illegal, real or fake. You also enter into the census for purposes of political redistricting, so that you sort of receive political representation based on your racial identity. Your children entitle you, as an illegal alien head of household, to acquire, distribute and spend all welfare funds, including WIC, food stamps, housing, etc. And if you're in a couple of Texas border towns, the official language is even in your homegrown Spanish, if you're from a latin country. In other words, you get everything but the key to the city and sometimes you get that, too, on Cinco de Mayo.

Next question.

We're talking about someone who is out of visa status. You're talking about a completely different situation (and quite inaccurately, I might add).

[samran]

love these threads.

A tabloid article with so many holes in it I wouldn't know where to start.

In response, we have 7 pages of conspiracy theory claptrap by desk jockey's who take tabloid journalism seriously, and who, like the subject of the OP, are probably serious contenders for this years Darwin Awards in their own right.

[Nisa]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

In my country? The USA? They actually used to give you home mortgages. The government still gives you an earned income tax credit (read: cash stipend) for all of your children, legal or illegal, real or fake. You also enter into the census for purposes of political redistricting, so that you sort of receive political representation based on your racial identity. Your children entitle you, as an illegal alien head of household, to acquire, distribute and spend all welfare funds, including WIC, food stamps, housing, etc. And if you're in a couple of Texas border towns, the official language is even in your homegrown Spanish, if you're from a latin country. In other words, you get everything but the key to the city and sometimes you get that, too, on Cinco de Mayo.

Next question.

We're talking about someone who is out of visa status. You're talking about a completely different situation (and quite inaccurately, I might add).

Doesn't really matter since he is talking out of his a@@ and just about nothing of what he says is a reality in the USA.

[freedom4life]

What's wrong with the government/authority in this country? This man should never have been treated this way. Land of smiles? ...what's behind the smiles? :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhvKM2hk4YE

[Richard4849]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

In my country? The USA? They actually used to give you home mortgages. The government still gives you an earned income tax credit (read: cash stipend) for all of your children, legal or illegal, real or fake. You also enter into the census for purposes of political redistricting, so that you sort of receive political representation based on your racial identity. Your children entitle you, as an illegal alien head of household, to acquire, distribute and spend all welfare funds, including WIC, food stamps, housing, etc. And if you're in a couple of Texas border towns, the official language is even in your homegrown Spanish, if you're from a latin country. In other words, you get everything but the key to the city and sometimes you get that, too, on Cinco de Mayo.

Next question.

We're talking about someone who is out of visa status. You're talking about a completely different situation (and quite inaccurately, I might add).

Doesn't really matter since he is talking out of his a@@ and just about nothing of what he says is a reality in the USA.

Good point. I'm not even sure why I bother with people on this forum half of the time.

[yogi100]

I've been in Thailand less than six months and I already know a lawyer I could call if I ever get in trouble. An immigration lawyer with connections to the imm office/department. I would NEVER walk into the police station and try to fix this on my own! Call the lawyer, let her take care of it. You'd think people would be smart enough to do that.

Not everyone is as clued up and as shrewd as you. What pickles has she gotten you out of so far?

[osiboy]

Amazing Thailand!

Or whatever crap they're saying now.

And the Swed's still keep coming by the droves, it shows how many swede's read newspapers and dont care, just hope for the best.

Must be nice to have a holiday not knowing if you are coming back home in one piece.

are you saying that swedes are in more danger than other nationals ?...... we can all read, and we all keep coming back for more ! ,.........does anybody care ?