Kratom-grower's jail term upheld in electrocution case
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Court of Appeals has meted out a three-year jail term to an elderly woman for causing the death of an intruder who was killed by an electric fence she had put up to protect her home-grown kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which is on the narcotics list, in 2011.

Thongdee Jamsri, 73, accepted the ruling but said she planned to ask for a royal pardon.

Her daughter cried upon hearing the verdict, saying the convict has many chronic diseases.

The case against Thongdee started in 2011. Last year, the lower court sentenced her to three years and four months in jail. She appealed.

The Court of Appeals, however, yesterday upheld the guilty verdict and jail term, though with a reduced imprisonment period. The woman was denied a suspended jail term because she had earlier been prosecuted for possessing kratom.


-- The Nation 2013-09-27

This a difficult one to judge. It's very unfortunate.

She'd have been better off buying a Ferrari and driving it at high speed around her property. Seems to work when wanting to avoid prosecution.

Two issues here.

Why is Kratom illegal? It has more to do with economics than with the effects of the drug, which are significantly less severe and harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.

"M. speciosa is indigenous to Thailand and, despite growing naturally in the country, has been outlawed for 70 years and was originally banned because it was reducing the Thai government's tax revenue from opium distribution."

I believe the death was caused by the "intruder's" own actions. I am sure he didn't wander onto the property by accident. If it's not your property, STAY OFF! If it doesn't belong to you, HANDS OFF! Is that too difficult to understand? Apparently among some people, it is.

Jail term for growing illegal drugs maybe. (don't know enough about this drug)

For killing an intruder with an electric fence naughty girl go home and turn down to voltage to seriously maim only. Have a nice day.

This a difficult one to judge. It's very unfortunate.

She'd have been better off buying a Ferrari and driving it at high speed around her property. Seems to work when wanting to avoid prosecution.

And using that Ferrari to hit and drag a cop to his death for 300 meters through the streets of Bangkok. She would have beat the rap for sure. And she might have assured her victory by colluding with the investigators.

I think to remember that when this news article about a person died on the fence came out this whole forum was raving about hanging the owners of the house on the highest tree.....

Now they know it is an elderly woman (and also appears she does it to protect an illegal substance) 2/3 first reaction are blaming the intruder and to let her run free.

I think you guys are too long in Thailand and start measuring with different sizes, maybe a job application at the local BIB's office?

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Growing Kratom is illegal. Being an elderly woman doesn't make it right.

I am looking at the picture and see the average Somchai caught red handed.

Two issues here.

Why is Kratom illegal? It has more to do with economics than with the effects of the drug, which are significantly less severe and harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.

"M. speciosa is indigenous to Thailand and, despite growing naturally in the country, has been outlawed for 70 years and was originally banned because it was reducing the Thai government's tax revenue from opium distribution."

I believe the death was caused by the "intruder's" own actions. I am sure he didn't wander onto the property by accident. If it's not your property, STAY OFF! If it doesn't belong to you, HANDS OFF! Is that too difficult to understand? Apparently among some people, it is.

If only life was so simple. First off, the crime of trespassing is not punishable by death, so it is considered (by people who aren't nut cases) to be excessive. This is why "man-traps", such as a shotgun hooked up to a barn door are illegal in most countries. The argument "Well, he shouldna oughta bin there in the the first place!!" doesn't wash in court ... Man-traps are also illegal because children, drunk or mentally impaired people, dogs, firemen, police with legitimate warrants and other innocents are endangered by them. It is considered by most reasonable people to be excessive - perhaps even reckless - to allow an electric fence to act as judge, jury and executioner. It may be your property, but it isn't a private country where you can just make up your own poorly conceived laws just because they sound right to you.

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

She should have taken a short trip to Singapore and developed a cold, thereby escaping the wrath of the court.

Seems to work for some people.

Two issues here.

Why is Kratom illegal? It has more to do with economics than with the effects of the drug, which are significantly less severe and harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.

"M. speciosa is indigenous to Thailand and, despite growing naturally in the country, has been outlawed for 70 years and was originally banned because it was reducing the Thai government's tax revenue from opium distribution."

I believe the death was caused by the "intruder's" own actions. I am sure he didn't wander onto the property by accident. If it's not your property, STAY OFF! If it doesn't belong to you, HANDS OFF! Is that too difficult to understand? Apparently among some people, it is.

If only life was so simple. First off, the crime of trespassing is not punishable by death, so it is considered (by people who aren't nut cases) to be excessive. This is why "man-traps", such as a shotgun hooked up to a barn door are illegal in most countries. The argument "Well, he shouldna oughta bin there in the the first place!!" doesn't wash in court ... Man-traps are also illegal because children, drunk or mentally impaired people, dogs, firemen, police with legitimate warrants and other innocents are endangered by them. It is considered by most reasonable people to be excessive - perhaps even reckless - to allow an electric fence to act as judge, jury and executioner. It may be your property, but it isn't a private country where you can just make up your own poorly conceived laws just because they sound right to you.

Is it necessary to jail her to punish the crime and serve society? Don't think so.

At least they didn't give her 50 years or something.

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

Well, mere trespassing is one thing. Home invasion is another, and if you invade mine I WILL pronounce sentence, and your lifeless body WILL be found holding some deadly weapon... So here's a simple, very easy to understand, tip.....DON'T.

Is she not in the wrong to start with? Age doesn't matter here she knew what she was doing was wrong..

Many gates in Issan are hooked up to the house mains at night.

Many electruction in Thailand are blammed on ghost.

Two issues here.

Why is Kratom illegal? It has more to do with economics than with the effects of the drug, which are significantly less severe and harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.

"M. speciosa is indigenous to Thailand and, despite growing naturally in the country, has been outlawed for 70 years and was originally banned because it was reducing the Thai government's tax revenue from opium distribution."

I believe the death was caused by the "intruder's" own actions. I am sure he didn't wander onto the property by accident. If it's not your property, STAY OFF! If it doesn't belong to you, HANDS OFF! Is that too difficult to understand? Apparently among some people, it is.

If only life was so simple. First off, the crime of trespassing is not punishable by death, so it is considered (by people who aren't nut cases) to be excessive. This is why "man-traps", such as a shotgun hooked up to a barn door are illegal in most countries. The argument "Well, he shouldna oughta bin there in the the first place!!" doesn't wash in court ... Man-traps are also illegal because children, drunk or mentally impaired people, dogs, firemen, police with legitimate warrants and other innocents are endangered by them. It is considered by most reasonable people to be excessive - perhaps even reckless - to allow an electric fence to act as judge, jury and executioner. It may be your property, but it isn't a private country where you can just make up your own poorly conceived laws just because they sound right to you.

Is it necessary to jail her to punish the crime and serve society? Don't think so.

At least they didn't give her 50 years or something.

The problem is that the old lady would be totally ignorant of the legal principles behind her conviction - "My property, I can protect it how I want." It's like landlords here who think they can still wander into the house you rented because it belongs to them (not getting the finer point that they surrendered that right when they accepted the rent)...

Would have been nice if she was warned first. And did she know the voltage was lethal?

But the fact remains that she erected a man-trap in an illegal and irresponsible manner that killed a guy. Old lady or not... she is culpable to some degree. It isn't "necessary" to jail anyone - it serves little purpose beyond removing that person from society - but incarceration is the best punishment we've come up with so far... what would you suggest?

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

Well, mere trespassing is one thing. Home invasion is another, and if you invade mine I WILL pronounce sentence, and your lifeless body WILL be found holding some deadly weapon... So here's a simple, very easy to understand, tip.....DON'T.

So you shoot someone who is trying to enter your front door then when you see they are drunk or recognize them as being a locally mentally impaired person you will place a kitchen knife or one of your old guns in their hands and tell the police 'it was self defence 'i wuz juuurst defendin ma property officer ping (sound of spit hitting the can). You will be telling me you are a devout Christian from the USA next. God must have so much fun with those lot when they queue up at the pearly gates "nope sorry, turn left and take your weapons with to the last door on the right along, that's it down there, yes, just follow those Muslim terrorists, maybe that jacket will be unnecessary.... it's a bit warm in there you know'.

Her daughter cried upon hearing the verdict, saying the convict has many chronic diseases.

Unlucky. I see a lot of 20 something year olds in our town with chronic diseases. They started on kratom, graduated to yabba and majored in crack. It is at this moment a classified illegal drug in a country where drug laws are among the most severe in the world. Stupid!

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

Bit harsh for a toddler who is just trying to recover his ball that has bounced into your garden.

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

Well, mere trespassing is one thing. Home invasion is another, and if you invade mine I WILL pronounce sentence, and your lifeless body WILL be found holding some deadly weapon... So here's a simple, very easy to understand, tip.....DON'T.

Whoa! ... hold your testosterone there, babalooey. You reinforce my point... If you shoot someone (Though I suspect you'd be more likely to rip someone's arms from their sockets and beat them to death with them, if only because it is more fun)... you are making a decision based on the situation, as opposed to putting up an unsupervised electric fence that kills all comers...

Hang on though, are you saying you'd place a deadly weapon in my lifeless hand regardless of whether I had one or not? Gosh, that's me warned. I had been thinking of invading your home to see if you had anything good in the refrigerator, but if you are that big a sociopath, you done clean scared me off now.

But hang on again... I know you are absolutely certain that you would prevail in such a situation, but what if you slip on a banana peel and miss the shot, and fall and bang your head... then your unarmed home invader took the gun from you and finished you off? You'd wish then you'd erected the electric fence, eh?

Seems Thailand courts are getting about as rediculous as those in the USA. The thieves and no-goods can sue (and win) when they get hurt breaking, unlawfully, into my property. When will the madness end? The police can't and don't stop burgurlaries and if you do call for help, you are placed on a waiting list and they will get there as soon as they can (usually 3 hours after the thieves have left............

Yes, you should be able to plant land mines around the perimeter of your property and blow the legs off anyone who crosses the property line without permission. If someone tries to burgle your house, or peek through your windows, it is your god-given right to blow that person to smithereens and hurl the bits 100 feet in the air in a spray of blood - even if you aren't there. That'll learn 'em.

Well, mere trespassing is one thing. Home invasion is another, and if you invade mine I WILL pronounce sentence, and your lifeless body WILL be found holding some deadly weapon... So here's a simple, very easy to understand, tip.....DON'T.

Whoa! ... hold your testosterone there, babalooey. You reinforce my point... If you shoot someone (Though I suspect you'd be more likely to rip someone's arms from their sockets and beat them to death with them, if only because it is more fun)... you are making a decision based on the situation, as opposed to putting up an unsupervised electric fence that kills all comers...

Hang on though, are you saying you'd place a deadly weapon in my lifeless hand regardless of whether I had one or not? Gosh, that's me warned. I had been thinking of invading your home to see if you had anything good in the refrigerator, but if you are that big a sociopath, you done clean scared me off now.

But hang on again... I know you are absolutely certain that you would prevail in such a situation, but what if you slip on a banana peel and miss the shot, and fall and bang your head... then your unarmed home invader took the gun from you and finished you off? You'd wish then you'd erected the electric fence, eh?

Nope, he will have one of those kinda guns on 'Mission Impossible' that if it's the wrong palm print on the grip and finger print on the trigger the gun will morph into a pair of high explosive handcuffs, but then his laser scanner and guillotine would prevent your entry through the front door anyway. I pity when Mrs Miggins comes arrives in the neighbourhood and brings round a plate of friendship brownies..............scan scan wooosh! "now be quick theyrrrrre woooman, take them thar brownies and pass me that there axe to put in Mrs Miggins hand...dang!

@GJ: Silly & specious. Well, unless my front door opens onto Soi Cowboy or Walking St. LOL. Try again Player1.

@Globe: Nope, skipping the electric fence & taking my chances on the banana peel (but, gee, couldn't THAT be considered a "man-trap", too?)

Doesn't matter how old the criminal is, if you don't want to do the time then shouldn't have done the crime..,..

And don't forget the RPG's incase the perp's are trying to make a break for it on their motorbikes. That will learn them good! Kablooooey!

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A citizen taking the law into their own hands is a sign of a failed system of law enforcement

If there's one thing you must never do in the land of slimes, its to expose the inadequacies of those above you in the pecking order

I f you decide to go for a nocturnal walk around here you have a very good chance of getting shot. And people think that Isaan is boring.

If she was given jail time already, why is she walking free to court?

Is there freedom on bail when waiting for appeal ?

Thongdee Jamsri, 73, accepted the ruling but said she planned to ask for a royal pardon.

She doesn't look like she could string a washing line out let alone a working electric fence ...just possibly someone gave her a hand

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