Mushroom-picking couple released after 18 months in Thai jail

[webfact]

Mushroom-picking couple released after 18 months in jail
By Coconuts Bangkok


ABOVE: Udom Sririwhatevs breaks down during sentencing that ordered him and his wife to prison for 15 years. Photo: Channel 3 News

BANGKOK: -- A middle-aged couple infamously sentenced to 15 years in prison for plucking a few mushrooms for their dinner table from a protected forest was released recently.

Udom Sirisorn, now 53, and his wife Daeng Sirisorn, 50, were released 17 months after they collapsed in tears during sentencing, images of which stirred a public outcry over an unjust system at the time.

After their release, reporters went to catch up with them only to find out they are doing worse than ever.

"Now I don't have a job. I used to work in construction, but now I'm not strong enough for the work," Udom said, explaining that just before being jailed, he was hit by a truck and sustained a brain hemorrhage which did not receive proper care behind bars.... [read more here]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/06/16/mushroom-picking-couple-released-after-18-months-jail


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-06-16

[Always18]

More proof - if it were needed - that Thailand remains a sick, third world, joke.

In the main article there's mention of them now appealing in some way to the Kalasin Court of Justice.........well, good luck with that!

[cloudhopper]

Well since criticizing a court decision is illegal here there's nothing more to say....

[smutcakes]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

[Robby nz]

They were not charged with picking mushrooms they were charged with illegal logging for they were in an area where an illegal logging gang was working and they got arrested while the loggers escaped.

They ended in jail because they couldn't afford a lawyer to defend them and none of the human rights lot were interested.

From memory they were completely bewildered as to why they had been picked up and had no idea what was going on throughout the trial.

They should never have been charged in the first place let alone convicted.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Robby nz

[ratcatcher]

[robblok]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

If they have been in jail 18 months and the coup happened 22 may.. would this conviction not predate the coup and Prayut.. ? And were they not released early under his rule ?

Anyway.. I doubt anyone would say this is a fair punishment.

[smutcakes]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

If they have been in jail 18 months and the coup happened 22 may.. would this conviction not predate the coup and Prayut.. ? And were they not released early under his rule ?

Anyway.. I doubt anyone would say this is a fair punishment.

I don't know what your getting at, i would of thought someone like you would have been preaching the independence and professionalism of the Judiciary, so it is quite frankly irrelevant who was in power. Unless of course you are insinuating that they are not professional and independent?

[mikemac]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

Think about it smutty, who was in power when they were charged, convicted and put in prison ???????????????????????

[smutcakes]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

Think about it smutty, who was in power when they were charged, convicted and put in prison ???????????????????????

So like Rob you are insinuating that the judiciary can be influenced and not independent........

[lee b]

Well thats put me off mushrooms for good ! I did not hear about the original case so can't really say much about what happened there

[z42]

Sick and wrong on every conceivable level. These guys should be compensated handsomely for every day they spent in jail and every ailment that's befallen them as a result.

I'm not going to criticize the court, merely suggest that those making the decisions hang their heads in utter shame. 2 lives ruined all the while people who've actually killed others escape punishment altogether.

Frankly disgusting if them being released is the end of it. Should only be the start of rectifying the whole rotten episode

[robblok]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

If they have been in jail 18 months and the coup happened 22 may.. would this conviction not predate the coup and Prayut.. ? And were they not released early under his rule ?

Anyway.. I doubt anyone would say this is a fair punishment.

I don't know what your getting at, i would of thought someone like you would have been preaching the independence and professionalism of the Judiciary, so it is quite frankly irrelevant who was in power. Unless of course you are insinuating that they are not professional and independent?

Actually I thought that that was what you were getting at.

[mikemac]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

Think about it smutty, who was in power when they were charged, convicted and put in prison ???????????????????????

So like Rob you are insinuating that the judiciary can be influenced and not independent........

No, I am not insinuating anything, you have a vivid imagination at least.

Spend the rest of the night trying to work out what my comment actually meant.

[smutcakes]

Have trust in the judiciary - PM Prayut

Think about it smutty, who was in power when they were charged, convicted and put in prison ???????????????????????

So like Rob you are insinuating that the judiciary can be influenced and not independent........

No, I am not insinuating anything, you have a vivid imagination at least.

Spend the rest of the night trying to work out what my comment actually meant.

Okay i have thought about it and don't understand what you are saying, so pray tell what difference does it make which power was in charge at the time they were convicted and put in prison? which is what you wrote.

[JOC]

Thailand be ashamed, be very ashamed!!

Meanwhile the cop killing Red Bull heir is sniffing his coke in Singapore....................

[JOC]

^^^^

Robbie, Mike and Smut please take your p**sing-contest somewhere else!!

This thread is not about, who was in power 18 months ago, but about yet another failure by the Thai judiciary system!!

One law for the rich and one for the poor. Sickening!!

[Robby nz]

^^^^

Robbie, Mike and Smut please take your p**sing-contest somewhere else!!

This thread is not about, who was in power 18 months ago, but about yet another failure by the Thai judiciary system!!

One law for the rich and one for the poor. Sickening!!

Don't include me troll.

[worgeordie]

This case proves without doubt,Thailand has dual law system, rough justice for the poor,

and never do jail time for, the rich and influential even if it involves murder,corruption,and

racketeering.very pleased that someone has realized the injustice of 15 years for picking

a few mushrooms for dinner.

regards worgeordie

[chaiyapoon]

Sometimes Thailand feels like it is still a century or two behind.Justice whats that.Still very third world.

[NickJ]

This is a slowly developing nation. It isnt the west. It offers a facade of the west...cars...latest phones.....current soundtrack movies and many creature comforts from home. Its a country that has teeth, where life does not have near the same value at home......Yet countless numbers of idiots here think they are still in England or California....with rights.....Guess what....your fooling yourselves. Wake up.

[BirdsandBooze]

It matters not a jot who was in power when this couple were locked up. Thailand has always had a two tier justice system that favours the rich and powerful and I doubt that will change in the near future, whether the country has a junta or an elected government.

[Happy Grumpy]

Beautiful, Buddhist country.

[Bung]

Think about the stuff like this that goes on to poor people that you dont hear about day after day all around the country. This place has so much injustice going on its mind boggling.

[noitom]

It's astonishing that Thai wealthy and individual rights and senior activists didn't demonstrate and lead a public cause for their release. Given the generosity and humanity of all Thais it is just mind boggling that no Thais would come to their aid.

[Thongkorn]

If they drove a Car and owned red bull they would not even have been to prison.

[Thai at Heart]

An utter travesty and whomever was the judge deserves to be put in a coffin with red ants.

[BuckBee]

Only decent people I spent time with in Thailand were poor & low income workers, the rest are a bunch of thieving lying scum with the very worst in military police & government. total travesty this & shows what idiots you got in the court system ... plenty of well known people who should of been sentenced to 50years but they don't even turn up to court :-/

[Inn Between]

Are the national park forests not protected to serve the good of the people? What better way to serve the people than provide a bit of food that can be foraged without doing damage? Even if one argues that people walking through the forest looking for some mushrooms can cause some damage, is it enough to send them away for 1 and a 1/2 years?

Maybe this indicates where real reform is needed.

[BSJ]

Back home you'd get a $100 fine for doing naughty things in the national park.....unless your doing really naughty things to endangered species then the fine would be serious money with jail time possible.

I'd suggest the judiciary here have a good look at the punishment levied for minor crimes....maybe big crimes too!