Missing Swiss Student Tourist Alive And Well, In Thai Prison

[mcnad]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

[mcnad]

so you get bail for murder, rape and other serious offences, yet you steal a 5000 baht camera and go to jail.. comical

I'm laughing on the inside...really.

[Lancelot]

Silly girl, the overstay was easily handled, all she had to do was pay and that would have been it, but pocketing an Immigration officer's camera, big mistake.

If she did it that is.

Exactly, she is accused of stealing a camera- she has yet to be convicted.

Scary about the lock up and her family not knowing her where abouts.

[FDog]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

Of course. But why would they really need to. All they have to say is that it was in her pocket and she stole it. She didn't even need to have it really.

If she is a real pratt they just see a camera on the table and decide to say she stole it. Police against her, no chance for her.

But even if she did steal it, or try too, the real issue is locking her up and not notifying the embassy or allowing her to contact anyone. That is the terrible thing.

Police should only make the arrest, they aren't supposed to mete out summary justice. That is not their role. Well in theory anyway.

[jamhar]

Something smell like fermented crab here. One wonders how long she would have remained in the lockup if her family didnt search for her.

Agreed, this one fails the smell test.

Problem is, i don't know which direction the smell is coming from, or if its from both! I don't buy the camera story, but its pretty risky to arrest visitors and deliberately breach protocol by not notifying anyone.

[lizardtongue]

Firstly I think there is more to this story than reported, the girl's side has not been aired and why would the immigration officer have a camera on his desk? Where did he appropriate it from?

Secondly the question arises on how they come up with the figure of 130,000 THB bail? The Thai actor who shot and killed a 'friend' in a car park a few days ago was initially released on 200,000 THB bail!

I do not agree with her actions (if totally true), she must of really pissed off the immigration guy to be charged with overstay!

It will be interesting to see if her side of the story is published!

[SOTIRIOS]

.........1st degree murder...(video proof)..300,000 baht bail....

...........'overstay'....and 'theft under $100'..(alleged).....130,000 baht bail.....

.........Thai 'justice'.......

[enrico2]

Did I miss something?

Where is the evidence that this young lady stole a camera, and is now or was required to pay 130,000 baht for its replacement?

I'd like to know what kind of immigration officer can afford a 130,000 baht camera to sit in his/her office - cos a top Nikon with zoom lens and additional lenses is only 70K !!!

-mel.

I will never believed this story...you telling me a student from Switzerland went inside an interrogatory room at Immigration to stole a camera? Are you out of your mind?

Well done Thai police, keep up with the good jobs!!!!

[mcnad]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

Of course. But why would they really need to. All they have to say is that it was in her pocket and she stole it. She didn't even need to have it really.

If she is a real pratt they just see a camera on the table and decide to say she stole it. Police against her, no chance for her.

But even if she did steal it, or try too, the real issue is locking her up and not notifying the embassy or allowing her to contact anyone. That is the terrible thing.

Police should only make the arrest, they aren't supposed to mete out summary justice. That is not their role. Well in theory anyway.

Well if she could prove that the camera was hers then it would look really bad on the arresting police officers. If I were her, and the camera were really mine, you better believe the first chance I got to speak to my family I would tell them to get a copy of the receipt/invoice so that I could provide it to my attorney. In fact, it seems pretty risky if the police really did try to plant it on her. Like I said, the owner of the camera can be found out easily. The police would have to feel pretty confident that she wouldn't be able to prove it's hers in order to try to plant it on her.

But yes I agree about locking her up and not contacing anyone for her. That is inexcusable.

Firstly I think there is more to this story than reported, the girl's side has not been aired and why would the immigration officer have a camera on his desk? Where did he appropriate it from?

Secondly the question arises on how they come up with the figure of 130,000 THB bail? The Thai actor who shot and killed a 'friend' in a car park a few days ago was initially released on 200,000 THB bail!

I do not agree with her actions (if totally true), she must of really pissed off the immigration guy to be charged with overstay!

It will be interesting to see if her side of the story is published!

1.) Why do you think it's so odd that an immigration officer would have a camera on their desk? There are a million reasons the camera could have been there. Maybe there was a staff party? Birthday Party? Immigration officer just got back from vaca and wanted to show everyone the pics? Seriously...

2.) The $130,000 bail seems a bit excessive especially when you compare it to example you listed. But if she did really steal the camera, she tried to steal it from an immigration officer! I can image they would slap her with the highest bail they could out of spite. Not saying it's right, just saying that's the way things work here.

3.) She would have been charged overstay no matter what. She could have crawled on her hands and knees kissing arse like there's no tomorrow and it wouldn't have made a difference. What pissed them off was the fact that she refused to pay it (which she admitted to).

[FDog]

Does immigration usually set the bail amount? Just asking.

[nicton]

It could be possible that the Swiss embassy was well notified but as in other case not show up. I know a case where they not contacted a prisoner for more than 4 weeks. And this prisoner was put with no guilt in jail. During this 4 weeks the police helped a "person" to steal all his belongings of more than 1 mio bath. TIT and TIS (switzerland).

Anyway I doubt this girl has stolen a cheap camera as I know a lot about the doing of officials, specially if they lost face.

[mcnad]

Did I miss something?

Where is the evidence that this young lady stole a camera, and is now or was required to pay 130,000 baht for its replacement?

I'd like to know what kind of immigration officer can afford a 130,000 baht camera to sit in his/her office - cos a top Nikon with zoom lens and additional lenses is only 70K !!!

-mel.

I will never believed this story...you telling me a student from Switzerland went inside an interrogatory room at Immigration to stole a camera? Are you out of your mind?

Well done Thai police, keep up with the good jobs!!!!

Are you saying just because she is a university student from Switzerland that automatically means she can't do something stupid? George Bush graduated from Yale, and he lied to a whole country just to go to war. Bill O'Reily graduated from Harvard and look at the nonsensical dribble that springs forth from his mouth. I know those are extreme examples, but it shows that you can't assume she's innocent just because she goes to a decent university.

[Bluespunk]

Silly girl, the overstay was easily handled, all she had to do was pay and that would have been it, but pocketing an Immigration officer's camera, big mistake.

If she did it that is.

Before I started using the mobile service I went to the Ranong office for my visa extensions and 90 day report, I simply could not see them locking someone up without good reason.

Well maybe, but something about this story seems off. I'd like to hear this women's side of the story, she might have a very different series of events to relate. Why was no one aware of her imprisonment for so long? Why wasn't her embassy informed?

[MEL1]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

So you would take all receipts for everything you have bought, or invoices, on a visa run, assuming you would have to do one?

You think that kind of information is easily presentable to immigration, at a border point?

You soon changed your tune!

Previous posts suggest you were all against her, but then a turn around. I wonder why?

-mel.

[wans]

seems to me that even in thailand she would have gone to court the next day and be given a months jail, since she has done that she should be free to go

[Basil B]

Is there not some international agreement to inform foreign embassies/consulates if on of their citizens has been detained?

Even if she refused to give them her name and nationality, they had her passport...

[chutai]

I'm not sure why anyone should think that people aren't capable of the strangest things. I remember a BBC documentary about Klong Prem , where a British bloke was serving a sentence for nicking the police camera whilst being held for questioning - he was caught shoplifiting I think. These things happen for whatever bizarre reason.

[rookball]

its weird enough to see someone refusing to pay the 3 days overstay fees, top of that stealing a camera when one is gonna face potential deportation.

something is not right, could be with the girl but must be real naive and had a heck of a arrogance to pull this off

[slipperx]

That's interesting. 130,000 baht was the bail my ex Thai wife had to stump up for several counts of fraud. Something wrong with he bail system, something wrong with the police required reporting system, something just wrong!

[TomTao]

Silly girl, the overstay was easily handled, all she had to do was pay and that would have been it, but pocketing an Immigration officer's camera, big mistake.

If she did it that is.

Before I started using the mobile service I went to the Ranong office for my visa extensions and 90 day report, I simply could not see them locking someone up without good reason.

Well maybe, but something about this story seems off. I'd like to hear this women's side of the story, she might have a very different series of events to relate. Why was no one aware of her imprisonment for so long? Why wasn't her embassy informed?

I agree that it would be good to hear her side as well.

[mcnad]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

So you would take all receipts for everything you have bought, or invoices, on a visa run, assuming you would have to do one?

You think that kind of information is easily presentable to immigration, at a border point?

You soon changed your tune!

Previous posts suggest you were all against her, but then a turn around. I wonder why?

-mel.

1.) No, I wouldn't take all my receipts on a visa run. But I would know where to get them as soon as I had access to them. I'm saying if the camera was hers, she should be able to prove that in court very easily. At some point she would be allowed access to an attorney or an embassy rep who could get a hold of the receipt/invoice for the camera.

2.) I didn't change my tune at all. From the beginning I said she should have been allowed a phone call to at least contact her family. But in this case, I really do think she was just being a pratt. She refused to pay her overstay (which she admitted), and then she allegedly stole a camera. In this case I believe what immigration has to say. Of course if she proves that the camera is hers then I will gladly eat crow.

[ppmacready]

Serves her well.

I am happy that Thailand is not as lax as Switzerland in regards to petty criminals.

On the other hand, living as a honest citizen in Switzerland is a huge pain in the ass.

Thata reply is a joke. Right?

[Genericnic]

Did I miss something?

Where is the evidence that this young lady stole a camera, and is now or was required to pay 130,000 baht for its replacement?

I'd like to know what kind of immigration officer can afford a 130,000 baht camera to sit in his/her office - cos a top Nikon with zoom lens and additional lenses is only 70K !!!

-mel.

The Canon A640 was introduced in 2006 and is now discontinued. If she was hot for that camera, she has no taste.

David

[rayw]

Of course the girl was very silly and deserved to be put into jail, her own fault if this story is true as it reads.

However there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for the Thai police to not have immediately reported it to the Swiss Embassy with her full passport details. That is a diplomatic inexcusable act (or lack of an act) by the Thai immigration police concerned and should be investigated at the highest government and international diplomatic level too. I have heard stories of this sort of thing happening before, whether true or not I cannot tell of course, but two things must happen as I understand it to comply with international law as to foreign nationals being arrested. One is that the charged person must be allowed a phone call or two to contact her relatives or their embassy, and secondly the foreign nationals embassy must be informed that one of their nationals is being held in jail. Either of those two actions not being carried out is a criminal offence in itself as I see it and needs reporting to the highest authority.

No point in coming back with a silly comment like "Yeh well This Is Thailand" as I am fed up with hearing that one and I honestly don't care if it is bloody Thailand or Timbuktoo as the international laws have to be followed in any internationally respected nation, or face diplomatic consequences at the highest level. That is all irrespective as to what the crime is or how guilty the accused is of course. So I hope some action is taken over this case and then maybe this sort of thing may just stop happening in future. Sure it may well be a rare occurrence, and probably is, but even a single one off occurrence is totally intolerable and completely inexcusable in my eyes and those of most decent folk too. Some heads need to roll over this case if all is true as reported..

Most of us happily living here fully respect and do our very best to comply with Thai law, but in return the law enforcement officers should respect it equally as much too, if indeed not more so with it being their job to enforce Thai law.

[Soi Sauce]

Look thru her possesions. All kids have cameras now. Bet u hers is worth more than the bib one she alledgely stole

Why would she steal one?

[jvs]

Most cameras have images on them,easy to figure out who took the pictures and where.Even when deleted it can be made visible.

[sprq]

Heck, I thought perhaps I could make a difference in the forum discourse by pointing out early on the probability that none of the "facts" are correct.

You were too late. The usual hang 'em high gang got in first, judged her guilty as charged, and ran with their prejudices.

Anybody who takes this report as an accurate description of an actual theft was born yesterday.

[mcnad]

Heck, I thought perhaps I could make a difference in the forum discourse by pointing out early on the probability that none of the "facts" are correct.

You were too late. The usual hang 'em high gang got in first, judged her guilty as charged, and ran with their prejudices.

Anybody who takes this report as an accurate description of an actual theft was born yesterday.

Really? Let's see, we're dealing with a foreigner vs. thai immigration/police. I would think the usual hang 'em high gang are the ones who are blaming the thai immigration officers and police, not the foreigner (as is what usually happens on these forums when it involves foreigner vs. thai).

[MEL1]

I imagine it would be rather easy to prove who owns the camera. A receipt, a credit card or bank statement showing the transaction, some kind of invoice (online or otherwise), etc. can easily be presented in this day and age.

So you would take all receipts for everything you have bought, or invoices, on a visa run, assuming you would have to do one?

You think that kind of information is easily presentable to immigration, at a border point?

You soon changed your tune!

Previous posts suggest you were all against her, but then a turn around. I wonder why?

-mel.

1.) No, I wouldn't take all my receipts on a visa run. But I would know where to get them as soon as I had access to them. I'm saying if the camera was hers, she should be able to prove that in court very easily. At some point she would be allowed access to an attorney or an embassy rep who could get a hold of the receipt/invoice for the camera.

2.) I didn't change my tune at all. From the beginning I said she should have been allowed a phone call to at least contact her family. But in this case, I really do think she was just being a pratt. She refused to pay her overstay (which she admitted), and then she allegedly stole a camera. In this case I believe what immigration has to say. Of course if she proves that the camera is hers then I will gladly eat crow.

I would know......

as soon as I had access to them......

She should be able to.......

Do you live in Thailand, per chance?

She was locked up by immigration immediately....... do you know what that REALLY means???

Where's Nisa, when we need her for the good cause....

-mel.

[surangw]

up to the time the embassy and news media got involved she probably could have paid her bail ( ransom) and been on her way home.