Good Samaritan pays big fine to free popular garbage collector from jail

[Globeman]

I am going to speculate that by the way daughter is hugging pops in the photo, he must be a good guy.

Most daughters love their dads, even if they are mass murderers. A lot of dogs love their a**hole masters, too.

[Thaddeus]

The headline reads like a feel good story. How can that policeman in the photo not feel bad.

Maybe he does, ambivalence is not easy to display correctly.

[Mr Wimpy]

Forget about the fairness of his sentence. It basically comes down to one thing. Extortion. Which seems to be an acceptable part of life to many in Thailand.

[mike324]

The guy was selling used and old CDs, you are allow to do that in any western country. Don't the cops have better things to do? Why don't they try arresting those selling dvds and porn on sukhumvit? oh wait, they don't dare because their boss gets a cut from those illegal sales. How ironic.

[SoFarAndNear]

The guy was selling used and old CDs, you are allow to do that in any western country. Don't the cops have better things to do? Why don't they try arresting those selling dvds and porn on sukhumvit? oh wait, they don't dare because their boss gets a cut from those illegal sales. How ironic.

He was an easy target for the arrest qouta so Thailand can show results of arrest for copyright infridgement. The big fake movie and software sellers are paying too much to get arrested.

[Globeman]

Keep in mind that this is what happens to people who have no money or no friends in high positions in Thailand.

With money and friends in high positions you can almost do everything you want, just pay some money under the table and off you go!

What did the judge think when he send this 'poor' guy to jail?

Not so much a thought process, as a general vague feeling of contempt for the poor, and ensuring that they are kept "in their place". In the westerner's egalitarian-trained mind, a hard-working garbageman is a more noble creature than some rich prick born into stolen wealth who has had everything handed to him his whole life. In Thailand it is completely the opposite, and it is hard for us foreigners to get our heads around it sometimes.

[cup-O-coffee]

I am going to rank this right down there with "Platoon of military commandos arrest rice farmers, way out in the countryside, gambling with their pittance".

Score two on the "HUB" of irony.

[JOC]

I am going to speculate that by the way daughter is hugging pops in the photo, he must be a good guy.

Most daughters love their dads, even if they are mass murderers. A lot of dogs love their a**hole masters, too.

Mr Bitter & Twisted

Why not let a good story thread remain just that??

There are plenty of other threads, where you can spew your venom!!

[tingtong]

The guy was selling used and old CDs, you are allow to do that in any western country. Don't the cops have better things to do? Why don't they try arresting those selling dvds and porn on sukhumvit? oh wait, they don't dare because their boss gets a cut from those illegal sales. How ironic.

in fairness, those old, used CDs were most probably pirated CDs when new also...and being used doesn't make them legal copies.

it isn't against the law, even in Thailand, to sell used, original CDs, or whatever for that matter.

however, what the disgusting thing is, that a whole floor in panthip plaza exist selling pirated Cds...

but, of course they know who to bribe and will continue.

the lesson here...if you don't pay your bribe, you mess with us, and will have to suffer the consequences.

[wandasloan]

The benefactor, or rather her foundation was named yesterday, why it is suddenly 'anonymous' seems a bit of a mystery.

Not really. Channel 3 named the princess' foundation as the benefactor. That has not been confirmed by any other news outlet, and the foundation is not saying. As of the current time, Channel 3's report remains exclusive, and other news outlets have actually mentioned other names. Whoever did it is trying very hard to remain anonymous.

[MrY]

Saphan Sung District Office director Kanchana Charbsuwan also showed up at the court later in the morning to pay the fine with money from Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda.

I don't for a minute believe this to be true. Just a base publicity stunt. They had plenty of time before to intervene and inject some sense into this comedy.

[DogNo1]

Well, Thailand is not the only country where rich and privileged people are contemptous of the poor. It happens all over the world, including the USA. Watched Faux News lately?

[Globeman]

I am going to speculate that by the way daughter is hugging pops in the photo, he must be a good guy.

Most daughters love their dads, even if they are mass murderers. A lot of dogs love their a**hole masters, too.

Mr Bitter & Twisted

Why not let a good story thread remain just that??

There are plenty of other threads, where you can spew your venom!!

Who's spewing venom? I'm just trying to keep things real... I think this guy got screwed over, and he most probably is a good guy, but daoyai was posting speculative irrelevant bulls**t. BTW, there are plenty of other threads where you can go to live in a sentimental fantasy land...

[jaapfries]

Incredible. I really don't understand the charges. If the CDs were in the garbage, that indicates that somebody bought them legitimately somewhere. That means the winged monkeys have already collected their royalties, piece of the action, etc. So why is it a crime to recycle them?? The people who do sell copied cds, etc, don't seem to go to jail, I wonder why?? At 200 baht per day in prison to pay off the fine, this poor guy would have spent the rest of his life in prison.

Just hazarding-a-guess, but it seems to me that this poor chap did NOT have the benefit of a proper DEFENSE, as required by the Thai Constitution. The charge against him: Selling CDs ? ? ? These were second-hand CDs and not "pirated-goods". If the "authorities" take a quick look on all the web-sites offering used CDs, they will be able to bring charges against millions of people who are, in Thailand, guilty of this offence . . . . . . ridiculous ! ! !

I reckon this guy should file a suit against the Police AND the Court for Tbt. 100 million: in my country he could only win ! ! ! !

[maidee]

ignorance is a bliss in thailand

so what about all those illegal cd sellers in ALL THE SHOPPING MALLS?

and, did this story started by the policeman who arrested him and maybe demanded an unfair share of the deal , just for being a policeman ???

Edited November 16, 2014 by maidee

[ratcatcher]

Garbage collector donates Bt20,000 to justice fund

November 21, 2014 5:19 pm

The garbage collector, who escaped jail with help from a good Samaritan, Friday donated Bt20,000 to the Justice Fund of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department.

Surat Maneenopratanasuda escaped imprisonment after a good Samaritan paid a fine of over Bt100,000 slapped on him after he was convicted of selling old CDs. Surat said he also got Bt20,000 in public donations so he wanted to give in to the fund to help other poor people.

The Nation

What a role mode.

[jabis]

This guy's got some really good karma - hope it comes around tenfold to him in the future as well

[gemini81]

ludicrous, with all the better-off pirate sellers hogging up space. Any judge who decides this is the one who should be incarcerated for such a foolish verdict. With all disrespect your Honor.