Former British soldier jailed for 50 years in Thailand for drug dealing

[pjmansions]

Like it or love it, those are the rules they are well publicized and everyone coming to Thailand knows perfectly well the penalties for drug supplying are severe, funding his time in Thailand selling drugs is not smartest career move but I do not have any sympathy for him, I do think 50 years I severe but those are the chances you take when you make dangerous lifestyle choices.

[NoshowJones]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

So you think alcohol vendors or bottle shop owners should get death as well. Since alcohol kills nore people then drugs

There is nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. The same cannot be said about drugs.

[halloween]

After 5/6 years I would imagine he will get a Royal Pardon 50 years is a hell of a long time only last week did I read a report of a Thai who mowed two Brits down and killed them got a 10,000 baht fine and a suspended prison sentence of two years.

Some years ago I had family in prison for drug charges. At that time, royal pardons were NOT given for drug sentences, and they served almost all their sentence with some good behaviour reduction. Not sure if that still applies.

[jerojero]

Dumb ass. 'Nuff said.

[Fullstop]

Naughty Ex British soldier with drugs that can kill people.

Naughty Ex Thai Police General with an unregistered, undeclared gun that can kill people.

Which one will receive official help to avoid a justified jail sentence ...?

Stay tuned to this channel!

[Deli]

He did not say ' sorry ' and promised to go to meditate... that's the punishment.

Or he just ran outta change when got caught ?

[sprq]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

There's always one barbarian who straight away comes up with this kind of stuff.

If you can't understand the issue, don't do the comment.

[NoshowJones]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

So you think alcohol vendors or bottle shop owners should get death as well. Since alcohol kills nore people then drugs

There is nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. The same cannot be said about drugs.

Why not ?

Millions of people take drugs for recreational purposes and lead perfectly normal lives - not everyone goes onto descend into crack dens !

You have a point, but how do you compare soft drugs with hard drugs. If this guy was dealing hard drugs for his own personal gain,

then he deserves all he got. otherwise, the sentence is too steep.

[BobbyL]

No real sympathy from me, but as other people have suggested it's an absurd sentence.

People walk away with fines here for killing people, so 50 years for 200 pills is scandalous, I bet most of the African lads on Sukhumvit are carrying more than that each night.

[NoshowJones]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

And those hiso in Thailand who do death directly get away scot-free.

Yes, but that is the way it is here, and it is so wrong.

[hellohello123]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

So you think alcohol vendors or bottle shop owners should get death as well. Since alcohol kills nore people then drugs

There is nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. The same cannot be said about drugs.

Why not ?

Millions of people take drugs for recreational purposes and lead perfectly normal lives - not everyone goes onto descend into crack dens !

I know a few regular marijuana takers. Been doing since they were teenagers. 1 has his highs and lows (he also drinks alot so who knows what is contributing ) the others seem completely normal

I also know of a few every now and again cocaine users and all of them are super achievers (like decaprio in wolf of wall street)

On the other hand i know a few people who are f'ed up on alcohol.

I dont condone illegal drug use. I only do social alcohol and caffeine. Id be very worried for myself if i started needing a beer at 9am or had to drink coffee/energy drinks to function throguhout the day

Edited July 1, 2015 by hellohello123

[sailblue]

they are waiting for the money offer, this guy and his father have been around Pattaya party scene for years. They will not have the bucks the Police are asking. They are no doubt asking for millions.

[Blackfox]

It seems many believe he deserves what's come for him yet 50 years is way too extreme.

I have an addictive personality.

I don't condone his behavior and the ramifications that may occur should someone perish by his hand or more so by his supplier but, certain personalities will make irrational decisions even when aware of potential consequences.

The penny would have dropped now for the poor lad.

200 E's puts him at the fringe of this illegal industry.

His mental and physical health will slowly diminish in Klong Prem.

I used to know 2 English lads socially who have passed away in there.

He will have a hard time even if only serving 20% of that time.

If me, I'd beg for a walk around the back without the blindfold.

Edit to note: if you are correct sail blue that he and his father are immersed in the Pats party scene then he's well and truly <deleted>.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Blackfox

[hawthorne]

As most cases show 8 years in a Thai prison is usually the time actually spent regardless of the sentence for drug dealing. 8-12 years spent will certainly damage this individual mentally and change him forever. Prison stories in Thailand are not much of a deterrence for foreigners it seems. Anyone that chooses to deal knows the risks so how can you have sympathy on such an individual? Makes me wonder how anyone sees this opportunity and says yes it is worth the risks.

[Artisi]

I have no time whatsoever for drugs or drug dealers, however do the crime do some time but 50 years is over the top.

[halloween]

Have you ever had ecstasy? It is actually quite fun. Statistics suggest it is actually very safe unless you live in a country like Australia where the right ingredients are not used. Selling ecstasy is hardly in the same category as dealing ice or heroin. I do agree with the 'if you cant't do the crime do the time' bit but not the scum reference.

So does Oz have incompetent chemists, or is this some sort of secret recipe?

When you buy an illicit drug from a dealer, do you know what's in it, or do you take his word? Does he know what's in it? Besides the "cutting" materials ranging from glucose, flour, powdered milk through laxatives to talcum powder or ground dry wall (Calcium Carbonate), there may impurities produced in the manufacturing process, degraded product, and "sweeteners" such as Benzocaine, Lidocaine (dental anaesthetic) or Levamisole - an anti-parasitic dog wormer.

Enjoy.

[chuang]

I have known of others who got caught with much more and jailed only only few years...here 200 pills for 50 years.....no i dont condone drugs...

[dotpoom]

So, come on members of the hang 'em high club, what are you waiting for?

I was waiting for the computer to warm up...

more seriously, this is disproportionate to the crime committed by far. and there hundreds of

other cases that people got away with much with less jail time,

Thai justice, much can be said about it, being fair, above board and proportional are not

what I would have described it...

let's hope that an appeal in front of other non hanging judges will reduce the term significantly....

Does injustice not exist everywhere (just talking in general, nothing to do with this case). Back home in Western Europe a market trader got 6 years for wrongly declaring the type of garlic he was importing from China to avoid paying higher custom's duty. A woman got 9 months for stealing a bottle of milk...and it goes on and on...But the bankers and those with money, power and connections (like developers who built shoddy houses in the boom years to keep up with the demand, those houses are today falling down around the people living in them) get away with all sorts of crime. I doubt if it will ever change but that is a negative statement and I would much prefer to be positive,.

Edited July 1, 2015 by dotpoom

[spidermike007]

I do not want to sound too cynical here. But, 50 years for 200 tabs of x? Is that insanity? I cannot help but think the only difference between this guy, and the average Thai drug dealer who is busted and walks free, was the lack of cash to buy the judge and/or prosecutor. That is about it, in a nutshell. Four tabs per year. Ridiculous. Murderers are walking free. The little slime bucket who mowed down a dozen people in the minivan, walks free. The creep red bull son, who mowed down a cop walks free. Thaksin walks free. Anna Reese walks free. Where is the justice in the Thai judicial system?

[gyrosman]

So, why don't they do the same to Thai drug dealers?

[opalred]

wife relation in and out jail all the time usually 2 or 4 years about same amount of drugs

but another relation got 4yrs cutting down trees near his village//?

[mommysboy]

Dumb ass. 'Nuff said.

I agree, you've already said quite enough.

[Scouse123]

So he will do 8 years max and then be sent back to the UK to serve another 3 or 4 and then paroled to go about his business!

No, he will have to serve one third of his sentence before consider for a prisoner repat.

Then once at home (if he survives) he will only serve a short time in prison because of the severity of this punishment.

Wrong,

I am sorry but you are in an area where I am well versed. The law changed around mid 2000. I answered earlier in this thread what he will get.

When a sentence of 50 years or life is imposed, it is 8 years before they can apply to be repatriated, on a 25 year sentence it is 4 years. It usually takes an additional 6 to 9 months for paperwork to be formalized after this period. Very few prisoners receive a King's pardon for drug offenses.

On lower sentences, such as 4 or 6 years, it is the equivalent of one third of the sentence before they are eligible to apply to be repatriated under Thai law.

Once home, he will not serve a quick sentence and then released, that is not how it works and is not how the Thai/UK treaty works. He will serve" half of the balance " of the sentence remaining minus any good behavior class of days and minus any royal decrees or amnesties given.

He will still receive amnesties from Thailand whilst in a UK prison as he is there being held under a Thai conviction. His sentence cuts under amnesty are subject to the class of prisoner he was when he was repatriated. There are six classes, outstanding, very good, good, standard, bad and very bad. These determine the cut under an amnesty. For example if the cut is 1 year in four for an outstanding class of prisoner, a very good prisoner would receive a cut of one year in five and so forth. Prisoners in the bad and very bad class receive nothing.

The half of the remaining balance has been agreed by the two nations in a treaty and other nation states have different treaties with Thailand, some a lot better.

Any change in UK law means it must also undergo a treaty change and the two countries must both be in agreement to it.

[rametindallas]

Why not ?

Millions of people take drugs for recreational purposes and lead perfectly normal lives - not everyone goes onto descend into crack dens !

You have a point, but how do you compare soft drugs with hard drugs. If this guy was dealing hard drugs for his own personal gain,

then he deserves all he got. otherwise, the sentence is too steep.

Too bad you didn't post #15 or you would know it is beginning to be used as a medicine.

This if from the US DEA website: http://thedea.org/statistics.html

Yes, this guy was a real menace to society. /sarcasm

BTW, The US DEA classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 or 'hard' drug alongside heroin and crack cocaine.

Fatalities

Most of the people that show up in the ER, even those in genuine medical danger, will make a full recovery. Most...but not all. In recent years in the US, the greatly increasing rate of MDMA use has made deaths a somewhat regular occurrence. Listening to the government 'drug experts' you might think users were dropping like flies. The truth, as usual, is less grim than the drug warriors would have us believe:

Deaths involving MDMA (from districts reporting to SAMHSA):

Year:

1994 - 1

1995 - 6

1996 - 8

1997 - 3

1998 - 9

1999 - 42

2000 - 63

2001 - 76

.

Edited July 1, 2015 by rametindallas

[HerbalEd]

First !! .................. I hate drug dealers !! ...............

OK ... fair enough. But be consistent. Do you also hate people who sell alcoholic beverages?

[Porkster]

So, come on members of the hang 'em high club, what are you waiting for?

What more can be said except Som Nom Naa AI Saat

Just deserts [emoji13][emoji13][emoji13][emoji13][emoji13][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[hansnl]

Indonesia, Singapore, and now Thailand seem to like to punish farang.

Death penalty and excessive prison time are just what judges like to give to non-asians.

Be forewarned, guys and girls, we are easy prey!

[Blackfox]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

Have you ever had ecstasy? It is actually quite fun. Statistics suggest it is actually very safe unless you live in a country like Australia where the right ingredients are not used. Selling ecstasy is hardly in the same category as dealing ice or heroin. I do agree with the 'if you cant't do the crime do the time' bit but not the scum reference.

Yes I have mate.

Coincidentally, my Thai wife and I were on a ferry from Circular Key to Manly in early April. We passed a private party on a commercial boat in the Harbour full of early 20 year olds parting it up.

I thought of days gone past with a smile.

The next day in the media, many of these party goers were taken to hospital after popping E's of inferior quality.

I was a young lad here in Thailand and throughout the Indian subcontinent in the early/mid 90's. They were the days of 100% MDMA, not the shit sold these days under the same brand name.

No-one I knew lost the plot. There were Doctor's, Lawyers and Pharmacists in the making I was friends with. Two I've maintained contact with are leading very successful and happy lives.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Blackfox

[CNXTim]

To author ANDY RICHARDSON Klong Prem is " rat infested" and you know this to be true - HOW?

For sure Thailand is known to be, and is incredibly tough on convicted drug dealers. As for folk here who say he will be out in 4-5 years, how do you know this?

​So many knowledgeable people on this meeting place. /sarc

[connda]

Think on the bright side: If he was in Indonesia, he would have gotten a chest full of lead from 50 paces.

Actually, not that long ago he would have got a back full of lead from a table mounted Heckler-Koch machine-gun here in the LOS.

If he's lucky, in a few years he'll be transferred to England to serve his sentence.