Looking at this I thought of a scenario some may have been exposed to.

What happens if the 'accused' has ran out of money?

They aren't allowed to work are they?

Do they become homeless?

Yes they do. Sadly you hear of people on bail being arrested again after committing crimes one has to wonder how many do it from necessity....

I think if I was looking at a life on the streets, I would consider an escape across the border.

On face value it looks the obvious choice but you need to factor in the following.

If you leave Thailand with a criminal case pending you will certainly be found guilty of the crime in you absence which could lead to extradition problems back in your home country as well as never being able to come back to or through Thailand.

If you are forced to live rough it means you don't have any funds so leaving Thailand just puts you in a new country without any money to live. The days of the FCO covering your airfare home are long gone due to people abusing the help.

Catch 22?

Mr Chestnutt must be loaded to hang around Thailand for years with out a paying job.

Its always a lot easier to judge people when you peer into the glass bowl they are forced to live in. Only Chestnutt knows all the facts of his case

they are giving out a bit more information from Singaporean sources

http://thecourtroom.stomp.com.sg/stomp/courtroom/case_of_the_day/1552494/sporean_businessman_stuck_in_bangkok_over_legal_dispute.html

related topic:

Singaporean suffering the same fate as Lee Chestnutt?

Jaffrey Maharan

BANGKOK: -- Jaffrey Maharan, a Singaporean businessman, has reportedly been stuck in Thailand for three years following a legal dispute in which his ex-landlord accused him of stealing furniture and causing damage to a rental property.

Full story:

Nisa takes the counterview on many threads and then never lets it go. He has no facts. Perhaps he is training for a debating competition. He must have the last word. This thread is like many others he contributes to.

one of the worst Thai 'rose tinted brigade' on here - ignore him/her/whatever

This is just my 2 cents

The Singapore newspaper reported that they have rented for the past few years a small house at USD 750 per month.

Lets assume 2 years at 750 US$ will come to around 15,000 US$. (450,000 Baht)

Add another 20,000 Baht per month for food, electricity and water would be another 450,000 Baht for the past two years.

They had now expenses of 900,000 Baht and that does not include the lawyer fees.

I feel for them both but somehow I think the lawyer that represents them might have given them wrong advise to get this case cleared up quickly. It is not the first time that we expats received wrong advise from our lawyers that wanted to keep the case going for additional fees.

Hope all goes well for them.

This is just my 2 cents

The Singapore newspaper reported that they have rented for the past few years a small house at USD 750 per month.

Lets assume 2 years at 750 US$ will come to around 15,000 US$. (450,000 Baht)

Add another 20,000 Baht per month for food, electricity and water would be another 450,000 Baht for the past two years.

They had now expenses of 900,000 Baht and that does not include the lawyer fees.

I feel for them both but somehow I think the lawyer that represents them might have given them wrong advise to get this case cleared up quickly. It is not the first time that we expats received wrong advise from our lawyers that wanted to keep the case going for additional fees.

Hope all goes well for them.

Yes, but at the risk of re-stating stuff that has been posted several times earlier in this thread, sometimes it's the principle of the thing. It doesn't matter how you calculate the figures if you pay someone something that they are not entitled to under these kinds of circumstances, it amounts to extortion? Apart from the fact that it's almost admitting guilt and what would that do for their future reputation in Asia?

It's possible the lawyer had nothing to do with advising them. I would be surprised if people like this cannot determine for themselves about strategy ( as opposed to legal advice ).

For those people who only seem to be concerned about the opportunity cost of that 500,000 baht I'm sure there will be an opportunity to seek restitution through the civil courts later.

In one apartment I rented in Bangkok, the varnish on the wooden floors had simply worn off in some places but she tried to get me to pay for the entire floor to be re- varnished. Fortunately I simply pointed to the fair wear and tear clause and she backed off.

Varnishing a floor is actually pretty cheap. You pay someone to come into the apartment for a couple of days and clean it up with a belt sander and then apply a layer of varnish / seal. The total cost should be a couple of thousand Baht.

In one apartment I rented in Bangkok, the varnish on the wooden floors had simply worn off in some places but she tried to get me to pay for the entire floor to be re- varnished. Fortunately I simply pointed to the fair wear and tear clause and she backed off.

Varnishing a floor is actually pretty cheap. You pay someone to come into the apartment for a couple of days and clean it up with a belt sander and then apply a layer of varnish / seal. The total cost should be a couple of thousand Baht.

i dont care - give them an inch...etc

" the fair wear and tear clause " - that is why it is in the contract