'missing' Swiss Student Discovered In Ranong Prison Pleads Guilty

[webfact]

'Missing' Swiss student discovered in Ranong prison pleads guilty

Phuket Gazette

Ms Janisch pled guilty to a charge of theft in a Ranong Court and received a one-year suspended sentence. Photo: Travelfish

PHUKET: -- The Swiss student, who was thought to be missing for a month before being found in Ranong Prison, has pleaded guilty to the theft charges levied against her after she balked at an immigration overstay fine and stole an immigration officer’s camera.

newsjs

When Tscherina Nora Janisch, a 22-year-old Swiss exchange student, refused to pay a three-day visa overstay fine, she was arrested by Ranong Immigration officers (story here). While officers were processing her arrest, Ms Janisch picked up an immigration officer’s Canon PowerShot A640 and put it in her pocket.

At the time, Ms Janisch denied that she had stolen the camera.

However, Ms Janisch pleaded guilty in the Ranong Court on February 9, the Phuket Gazette was told by a court officer.

“She received a 6,000 baht fine and was sentenced to seven months in prison,” the officer said.

“However, because she pleaded guilty, she received a one-year suspended sentence,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ilty-20283.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-02-19

[Rionoir]

Gonna make some man's life a real treat some day... haha

[laurentbkk]

so over stay 3 days and steal a camera ...7 months prison for Farang ...

Kill a British couple on the road .... free on bail for a Thai

No need for explanation ...... that is called 2 speeds outrageous justice .....

[Mosha]

Shouldn't this be in the Krabi forum? as this concerns Ranong, and the Krabi Forum covers the Andaman coast.

[bunta71]

Shouldn't this be in the Krabi forum? as this concerns Ranong, and the Krabi Forum covers the Andaman coast.

Are you the one who always reminded the teacher that she forgot to assign us homework at the end of the day? I always crack up at the wannabe mods....

[deesquared]

What does a 1 year suspended sentence mean?

[asdecas]

It means that if she doesn't commit any more offences in Thailand within one year, she will not go to gaol.

[Barabbas]

So now she doesn't have to worry about visa extension and all?

[realenglish1]

For the life of me I cannot understand the mentality of someone who would even risk what this woman risked. I know from time to time we have issues with Thai people That is the cultural devide but to try and steal a camera is stupid To try and steal a camera from an Emigration officer is moronic .

I would have been better to just pay the overstay and go Now she had to sit in prison and pay a 6,000 baht fine

Lady take a hard look in the mirror

[Briggsy]

Maybe she did do it. Maybe she didn't steal the camera.

But if you are told, plead guilty and you'll get a suspended sentence and get out of this prison and plead not guilty and the trial could last for 2 years during which time you will be held in custody, what might you do?

Be like a Thai, once you get in serious trouble,deserved or not, with the authorities here, pay them off at the first opportunity. It is the Thai way.

The poster who said she has been in prison for 7 months is incorrect, it's 7 weeks.

[TommoPhysicist]

What does a 1 year suspended sentence mean?

It means if you confess to anything they want, you get to go home straight away.

(You also have to withdraw any accusations of police sexual assault while you were held incommunicado)

[TommoPhysicist]

For the life of me I cannot understand the mentality of someone who would even risk what this woman risked. I know from time to time we have issues with Thai people That is the cultural devide but to try and steal a camera is stupid To try and steal a camera from an Emigration officer is moronic .

It was an obvious 'fit up' get the idea?

Young women traveling alone are prey for all sorts of men and of trouble.

[Hedghog]

I wonder if she enjoyed her stay.

Certainly a memorable one,

[julemanden]

So now she doesn't have to worry about visa extension and all?

Was thinking, that maybe she plead guilty so she could leave Thailand, i'm sure she was told she would only receive a suspended sentence.... I do think i would have done same thing is was in her shoes

[Jimi007]

Shouldn't this be in the Krabi forum? as this concerns Ranong, and the Krabi Forum covers the Andaman coast.

Isn't Ranong a bit closer to Phuket than Krabi? Not sure, of the exact kilometers between the three. I just know that Ranong is on the Phuket side of the Phang Nga Bay. But yes, pretty stupid to be caught with an immigration officer's camera when she refused to pay an overstay fine...

[Potosi]

so over stay 3 days and steal a camera ...7 months prison for Farang ...

Kill a British couple on the road .... free on bail for a Thai

No need for explanation ...... that is called 2 speeds outrageous justice .....

Yet we can visit Thailand without prior visa, and Thais can't visit us. Not that I'm unhappy about it, on the contrary. The regulations are not tight enough yet for people like these.

[Briggsy]

It's not 7 months, it's 7 weeks.

Please do not requote incorrect facts.

[bender92]

so over stay 3 days and steal a camera ...7 months prison for Farang ...

Kill a British couple on the road .... free on bail for a Thai

No need for explanation ...... that is called 2 speeds outrageous justice .....

Her sentence was suspended.

[Jimi007]

It's not 7 months, it's 7 weeks.

Please do not requote incorrect facts.

Sorry, but her sentence, according to the article was 7 months and a 6,000 Baht fine. Please read the article before re misquoting what may or may not be fact.

The article states: However, Ms Janisch pleaded guilty in the Ranong Court on February 9, the Phuket Gazette was told by a court officer.

“She received a 6,000 baht fine and was sentenced to seven months in prison,” the officer said.

“However, because she pleaded guilty, she received a one-year suspended sentence,” he added."

[allan michaud]

Maybe she did do it. Maybe she didn't steal the camera.

But if you are told, plead guilty and you'll get a suspended sentence and get out of this prison and plead not guilty and the trial could last for 2 years during which time you will be held in custody, what might you do?

Be like a Thai, once you get in serious trouble,deserved or not, with the authorities here, pay them off at the first opportunity. It is the Thai way.

The poster who said she has been in prison for 7 months is incorrect, it's 7 weeks.

Will she be back in the news tomorrow for refusing to pay 7 weeks additional overstay?

[britpop]

simple, follow the rules and regulations of the country your in as a tourist, visitor or legal alien and all should be well, crazy to me how someone could be so reckless and stupid, but that would be great advise in a so called normal country, but to do it in a country infested by corruption takes it to insanity. stealing a government officials personal property, beggars belief!!!!!, could you imagine having her as a travel companion, "just carry this package for me", silly silly girl!!!!!!

[rollrunna]

no this is too stupid to be real...... the girl must have been aware that she was due to pay 3 days overstay fine...and as she was travellin alone (. ?. ).she whould have been ultra carefull... swiss travellers are not usually vagrants, and would probably be carrying her own better camera... and the officer's camera was just within pickupandputinmybagbecauseno-one is looking distance...yeah right..i will not speculate other than to say that she may have felt she had to plead guilty after being under sever duress, or she is a complete Moron..

[Loptr]

This is what happens when you tug on Superman's cape. You get banged up over someone losing face and have to grovel for your freedom. The whole story is preposterous.

[ppmacready]

Lets hope we and other tourists now get to hear her side of the story.

Without the threat of repercussions, I'm very sure it will be different to the Thai version!

[Briggsy]

It's not 7 months, it's 7 weeks.

Please do not requote incorrect facts.

Sorry, but her sentence, according to the article was 7 months and a 6,000 Baht fine. Please read the article before re misquoting what may or may not be fact.

The article states: However, Ms Janisch pleaded guilty in the Ranong Court on February 9, the Phuket Gazette was told by a court officer.

“She received a 6,000 baht fine and was sentenced to seven months in prison,” the officer said.

“However, because she pleaded guilty, she received a one-year suspended sentence,” he added."

It does indeed, Jimmy. My apologies.

I was confused because she actually spent 7 weeks in custody, assuming she has now been released.

[BradinAsia]

Maybe the judge took one look at her face and just did have the heart to send her back to prison.

I don't want to be unkind, but she does look as if she is a few bricks short of a load.

[Dante99]

So now she doesn't have to worry about visa extension and all?

Was thinking, that maybe she plead guilty so she could leave Thailand, i'm sure she was told she would only receive a suspended sentence.... I do think i would have done same thing is was in her shoes

The article seems to be about the theft case. There may be another case regarding the overstay which could send her to the immigration detention center for deportation. That is what seems to happen when someone is caught for a crime while on overstay.

[Jimi007]

It's not 7 months, it's 7 weeks.

Please do not requote incorrect facts.

Sorry, but her sentence, according to the article was 7 months and a 6,000 Baht fine. Please read the article before re misquoting what may or may not be fact.

The article states: However, Ms Janisch pleaded guilty in the Ranong Court on February 9, the Phuket Gazette was told by a court officer.

“She received a 6,000 baht fine and was sentenced to seven months in prison,” the officer said.

“However, because she pleaded guilty, she received a one-year suspended sentence,” he added."

It does indeed, Jimmy. My apologies.

I was confused because she actually spent 7 weeks in custody, assuming she has now been released.

I remember reading at one point that her mother came and bailed her out of jail. But it seems this young woman does indeed have an outstanding mother, as she came to her daughter's rescue and made her stay and have to account for herself in front of the court. I'm sure she's learned a very valuable lesson. One I learned myself at age 18 in a foreign country. Thanks mom, for bailing my ass out as well! Never went there again!

Cheers! I still love happy endings!

[guruofvinyl]

I would speculate that the real story is something like this: She overstays her visa and the Immigration guy tells her the fine and she gets angry and starts moving her mouth without much thought. She insults them, causes a commotion etc. She is put into a room to calm down. I don't think that a camera would be laying around the room. But maybe it was or maybe not. But she pissed off the Immigration people. And they took revenge. Then she is scared and she says she is sorry and they work out a deal to end the matter. There also might have been a sexual aspect to this and the camera incident is a smokescreen.

[Jimi007]

I would speculate that the real story is something like this: She overstays her visa and the Immigration guy tells her the fine and she gets angry and starts moving her mouth without much thought. She insults them, causes a commotion etc. She is put into a room to calm down. I don't think that a camera would be laying around the room. But maybe it was or maybe not. But she pissed off the Immigration people. And they took revenge. Then she is scared and she says she is sorry and they work out a deal to end the matter. There also might have been a sexual aspect to this and the camera incident is a smokescreen.

You are probably right that she pissed of the immigration officers by not paying what is required by law and written for all to see. The rest of your post is pure conjecture and a bit ridiculous! Have you ever been to the Ranong Immigration Office? It is very busy. They don't have time to deal with idiots. The over stay fines are very clear. Always have been. She acted like a twit and had to have her mom come and bail her ass out. She hopefully learned a lesson. I've been through that immigration many times years ago and never had any problem, as I abided by the law and did my visa run on time.