Hi I'm a first time offender in Thailand , currently staying in mae hong son, I got caught for a few days a ago with 5 grams of cannabis in my pocket, I'm waiting for my court day, and I had to pay 15000 baht in bail. Am going to get deported from Thailand, or am going to have to go to prison. Maybe anyone knows a good lawyer around mae hong son are or changmai. Thanks for any reply

Fined and deported is my guess

Even for that little... I don't mined a fine but getting deported

Here's a case from last year:

Caught With Weed

Slap on the wrists....maybe a few weeks jail time. Deported? Nah not likely.

A fine but I do not think they will deport you but if you break the rules you have to expect the punishment wish you luck in that you only get a 30,000 baht fine and a slap on the wrist

And wake up - your not in Kansas Toto...

I think it may depend on what visa you are on. Non-O, little chance of deportation, tourist visa or visa exempt stamp, the risk increases.

This is IMHO, and I would certainly seek legal advice in your case, if only for assurance.

Good luck

Hey thought my reply went through.... another try:

As long as the case has not reached the court yet you can try to reach an 'understanding' with your friendly policdeman, something like in the area of the bail. Ask him/them if there is anything they could do for you but don't mention the word money or cor....... I assume the case has not reached the prosecutor yet, if it does you would have to pay him of too.

Result of it is that your case would be just closed and no info send either to prosecutor nor to court. Once it is at the court you cannot do such deals anymore.

5 g is a trivial amount, so everything could be easily settled at the very beginning meaning our friendly policeforce.

Don't trust a lawyer. I actually know a good and trustful one in your area but you might want to need him only if the police does not want to reach a deal after your first approach. Cheaper for you. If it does not work you might want to get one (you are in smokers paradise Pai right?). The advantage of a lawyer is that they know that he knows all the tricks so they will not play the game of trying to get a ridiculous sum from you (they might want however to put your lawyer into that lovely scheme, that's why you need a trustful one...)

Good luck!

A hefty fine and deportation.

The fine could be any amount and not able to pay or buy himself out, will result in a long stay at a Thai stink hole prison, where even the rats and flies avoid due to the extreme foul hygiene conditions.

Whatever, the OP`s days are numbered in Thailand or maybe turned into a living hell.

Hope he has a bottomless pit of cash at hand and a darned good lawyer who won`t be cheap?

a fine of around 20K-30K, and a criminal conviction, with having to report every 3 months for tests(not sure if applies to foreigners also)

Very possibly deported

The quicker you can sort it out, the better off you'll be. The longer things drag on, the more people who get involved, the more it'll cost in all respects. Ask if you can register a plea and pay a fine now.

It's already gone to far and I'm waiting for court while they kept my passport

And here on a 90 days touris visa.... I'm happy to pay any fine.... Just that I want to avoid jail and getting deported

The thing is that in Thailand the punishment is disproportionate to the crime and the spectre of it being an imprisonment offence is a total anathema to most West Europeans. In England using hash has virtually become a rap on the knuckles job by the police. It is now a paltry offence to use, although dealing is not.

By contradiction, it's use seems widespread in LOS and although the circle of my existence here does not bring me into contact with 'smokers,' I did once have a close run thing, the memory of which sends shivers down my spine.

I am often in the habit of drifting into the Bkk. Soi 7 Beer Garden for a couple of lunchtime drinks and a read of my newspaper. I find the little girlies there convivial, charming and helpful, although only in a social sense. They fetch my paper, my beer and the rest of my shopping usually in return for a meal in the fish complex opposite. Usually a few gather and I just listen and watch and pay.

One day it was one girl's birthday and they (about six of them) wanted to 'party' and asked if they could do so in my apartment as "ours are too small." It was ok for me and I provided the beer (naturally) and some music as that was all that was needed. Or so I thought.

Next thing the windows were all opened up. the air-con turned up high and old newspapers were tucked under the door.

My apartment soon became a smoke-filled den of illegality and I realised just exactly why they had wanted to use my place.

With a few beers inside me, I meekly let it all hang out, although not touching the stuff myself.

When they all soon left I had a late afternoon siesta. The lingering smell quickly infiltrated my nostrils when I awoke and the realisation of what had happened slowly dawned upon me.

If, and it's not too big an if the fumes had infiltrated the corridor. If, and it's not too big an if it had been reported then I would have taken the rap full on.

Reading this thread has reminded me of this experience and of the possible and horrible consequences for me should the my indiscretions have been exposed.

Good luck OP, but it seems that you have a lot of fellow 'sinners' in LOS and that the Draconian punishments on offer fail to deter.

What do you mean waiting for court? Have you received a formal accusation paper or not? Has it gone to the prosecutor yet or not? How many days ago has it happened? Are you first time offender? What have you so far discussed with the police?

Some info is needed if you want us to help

It's already gone to far and I'm waiting for court while they kept my passport

And here on a 90 days touris visa.... I'm happy to pay any fine.... Just that I want to avoid jail and getting deported

You do know you need a lawyer right?

Unless they want to make an example out of you, you will not be going to jail, but deportation is almost certain unless you can find. A really fancy lawyer with good connections in immigration.

If it was 1 gram or so it's easier but almost 1/4 of an ounce is much harder

Your Embassy will have a list of lawyers they can share with you. You should make them aware of your situation in any event.

I got caught 5 days ago ... Paid bail on the 3 rd day and have to go back every 12 day that's all I no ,,,,,, and they kept my passport

I think it's gone past the police and its in the hand of the prospector and I'm a first time offender, and I'm here on 90 days tourist visa

All I had was 3.30 grams of weed and 2 grams of mix tobacco and weed,,, which is sent to lab. For check up

It's already gone to far and I'm waiting for court while they kept my passport

And here on a 90 days touris visa.... I'm happy to pay any fine.... Just that I want to avoid jail and getting deported

Have a read of the content at the URL regards the process of bail and your passport. Keep the Embassy person up to date regarding your status, get their 'phone number and email address. Follow what you lawyer says, with the application of common sense. I had a Thai family member, arrested for drug possession, who did not listen to his lawyer & it ended up costing him a lot more money.

http://www.thailandbail.com/bangkok-lawyer-pattaya-lawyer-can-help-locate-your-passport-for-bail/

keep safe...

I already paid 20000 baht and they told me I need to go and see the court every 12day for nearly 2 months and then they will deport me.... Is thru ,,, am I going to have to pay more in fine. And if I get deported, how long will that be. And who decide that?

I already paid 20000 baht and they told me I need to go and see the court every 12day for nearly 2 months and then they will deport me.... Is thru ,,, am I going to have to pay more in fine. And if I get deported, how long will that be. And who decide that?

On top of the 15,000 for bail?, what was the extra 20k for?

Sorry it's just the 15000 baht and nothing else yet

Chances are very high if you get deported that you will get blacklisted as well. They are notorious with drugs here as you obviously know. Within the recent years immigration in Thailand has upgraded a lot...so getting a new Passport or even changing your name does not mean you can get to Thailand again. Once Blacklisted that is almost it. If you did not manage to buy yourself out with this case than I dont see a possibility to buy yourself out from the Blacklist.

A friend of mine got caught with about the same amount as you 6 years ago on Koh Phagnan.

He didn't let it get that far. Paid 1,000 Euros before he was formally charged. Released from the police station and was free to continue his holiday.

You alway's have the chance to buy your way out before it becomes formalized.

If you want to mess with drugs in Thailand you should be prepared to pay a bribe or pay an equivalent amount in fines and lawyer fees.

The amount my friend paid in bribe was around the same amount that it would have cost him in the above fees.

Standard procedure will be that you appear before court in due course.

You will most likely only be fined (when 1st offense).

If unable to pay the fine, you will have to do jail time at a rate of 200 Baht/day to pay of the fine.

Your biggest problem will be in the fact that when convicted of a criminal offense (which cannabis possession is), after paying your fine (and starting the procedure for recuperating your bail money), your file has to be forwarded to immigration, for cancellation of your permit to stay.

This results in a de-facto deportation, but not necessarily being blacklisted.

In case of a serious offense it will also be likely that they demand that you will be deported to your country of origin and not just a neighboring country.

It will be be useful to have a friend or trusted person who can arrange an air ticket for you, because once your permit to stay is cancelled you do not have any opportunity for being let out on bail again. You will be put straight onto an airplane.

The only possibility will be that "somehow" your file will not make it to immigration, it is normally the duty of the arresting police station/officer to do this after your conviction. Immigration is not electronically linked to the police system, so unless they are actually notified of your conviction, they would never know.

Standard procedure will be that you appear before court in due course.

You will most likely only be fined (when 1st offense).

If unable to pay the fine, you will have to do jail time at a rate of 200 Baht/day to pay of the fine.

Your biggest problem will be in the fact that when convicted of a criminal offense (which cannabis possession is), after paying your fine (and starting the procedure for recuperating your bail money), your file has to be forwarded to immigration, for cancellation of your permit to stay.

This results in a de-facto deportation, but not necessarily being blacklisted.

In case of a serious offense it will also be likely that they demand that you will be deported to your country of origin and not just a neighboring country.

It will be be useful to have a friend or trusted person who can arrange an air ticket for you, because once your permit to stay is cancelled you do not have any opportunity for being let out on bail again. You will be put straight onto an airplane.

The only possibility will be that "somehow" your file will not make it to immigration, it is normally the duty of the arresting police station/officer to do this after your conviction. Immigration is not electronically linked to the police system, so unless they are actually notified of your conviction, they would never know.

Which takes him again to getting well connected lawyer, who can see the process through and perhaps delay file being transferred or god forbid file gets lost.

Prison sentence is a possibility even for the first timer for 2 reasons

1. The amount of drugs

2. If they wanted to make an example out of him or he does not use a lawyer.

If you recall not so long ago, there were a few people who got caught DUI and were jailed for short period, and that hardly ever happens

Some bad luck man. I had a friend who smoked regularly in apartments, in guest houses, in hotels. Smoked around high-up heads of police, though they were friends with the guest house owner. That guest house always had clouds of pot smoke coming out into the street. Anybody who drove by could easily smell it.

Hopefully America's FORCED attitude towards pot (due to economy) will rub off on Thailand. I haven't smoked in over two years and happy for it, but pot being illegal is probably one of the dumbest laws ever.

A hefty fine and deportation.

The fine could be any amount and not able to pay or buy himself out, will result in a long stay at a Thai stink hole prison, where even the rats and flies avoid due to the extreme foul hygiene conditions.

Whatever, the OP`s days are numbered in Thailand or maybe turned into a living hell.

Hope he has a bottomless pit of cash at hand and a darned good lawyer who won`t be cheap?

How can you be so sure of your assessment of the situation when others seem to be convinced that this guy/gal will get off lightly with a roughly Baht20.000 fine? I am asking not to argue the point of course, but to know the reasoning behind your conviction.

And not to rub salt in the wound here but I wonder how anyone could be so lacking in "awareness about possible consequences" that they might use these illicit drugs in Thailand, even though I know a certain percentage do this.

40 years ago in Thailand, I never worried about having a Taxi driver find a bit of green grass along the roadside, not from my lawn, to smoke up a storm until I did not know where the Taxi was headed, and did not care, but these days I think I would need to be even more cracked than I am to smoke what the OP might have been smoking.

So why your conviction that you are more right about the OP's upcoming conviction and incarceration?

I think this might be interesting to hear.

Thanks!!