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

[Porkster]

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!

Easy "Prey"???

You make it sound like farangs are being picked on? LoL

Boo hoo, there's a big FO sign at the airport... Nuff said

Edited July 1, 2015 by Porkster

[Ghostnigel]

He must have known the risks....harsh penalty i know, but its only a 50 stretch, it'll fly by.... he'll be back dealing by the time he's..er, 76.

Wake up, he's a f'ing drug dealer <deleted>...

[Porkster]

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

Welcome to TVF !

We got lawyers, professional drivers, even a few who say they're hardcore racing drivers! [emoji99][emoji99][emoji99][emoji23]

You name it, they're on TVF... I just come here for mere entertainment

[z42]

A despicable sentence by any standards. Selling gear here is lunacy, but 50 years for a few E's which are mostly a pretty safe drug is shocking. The judge obviously is making an example and is not making everybody equal under the same law. How can the judiciairy get away with sentencing on a whim

[connda]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

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

Dealing cigarettes is dealing DEATH (legal)

Dealing alcohol is dealing DEATH (legal)

Dealing marijuana is dealing DEATH (legal in WA, CO, and OR states and various EU countries)

Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[WhizBang]

He knew the risks when he started dealing. I am sure he was all billy big balls when he was raking in the cash.

I have very little sympathy for him, but 50 years is ridiculous. A straight 3 year stretch would be more appropiate.

Agreed. The sentence is out of proportion to the crime.

[Jai Dee]

One flame post and reply have been removed from this thread.

[DLang]

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!

Actually not.

The UK is one of the only Western countries that has a glitch in its repatriation legislation. If returned to the UK he does his Thai sentence. It is not adjusted to a similar UK sentence.

Many British prisoners and their families have appealed for this law to be altered.

As a result, UK prisoners often don't appeal to be sent home to do their sentence there, instead they wait to be pardoned by the King after 10-12 years, then go home free.

[Tchooptip]

The sentence appear to follow a similar methodology to the pricing structure for entry to National Parks in Thailand.

Probably true, on the other hand Thailand do not need to import drug dealers from abroad, they have enough natives already, so more understandable than overcharging tourists.

[RigPig]

I don't know why they don't just write the laws here in English as they obviously don't apply to Thai people!

Because then people would be able to understand and question them.....

[Ghostnigel]

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

.

That's it then, problem solved....take us much drugs as you like, then end up in hospital, let the doctors make you better, or die.....thanks, see you again next week Doc!

[thaiguzzi]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

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

3rd post in... Note the capital letters used... Could be front page sensationalism from the Mail/Mirror/Sun et al... Yawn...

[Srikcir]

Thai sentencing is completely erratic and inconsistent.

Sentencing without meaningful guidelines is virtually random based entirely on the personal judgement of the sitting judge. This is particularly so in a judicial system that lacks jury trials.

It's typical in 3rd world countries. Why?

The lack of adherence to rational sentencing guidelines constrains accountability and transparency of justice. It makes the judicial system more responsive to government policy and more vulernable to outside influence.

Erratic and especially long-term sentences afford judges an excuse for inappropriate judgements. It also provides opportunity for corruption to "shake down" the convicted to negotiate a more lenient sentence away from public scrutiny.

For example. A Bangkok policeman was senetenced to 1,765 years in prison for embezzling Bt512,342 in fines. But reduced to the legal maximum of 50 years because of a "useful" confession. The Nation 2012-07-11

[Scouse123]

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.

Correct!

[RigPig]

The thing with crime, and this includes drug dealing, is that nobody ever expects to get caught.

No matter what, this is excessive punishment. I don't know how long he will actually spend in jail, I suspect he could get transferred to a UK jail within 5 years, but the punishment here does not fit the crime.

British guys in Thai jails have a harder time than many other nationalities as they get no support from the UK government. There are charities that can help, but basically he will need to depend on help from friends and family outside for even basics like food and basic medicine etc.

Much as I dislike drug dealing, I feel sorry for this guy.

Would you still feel sorry for him if any of your family died because they were using drugs supplied by a dealer?

If there was no drug dealers, almost every type of crime would be reduced.

and AJAYDEE, you cannot say that bartenders can be compared with drug dealers, alcohol is not a drug if drunk in moderation.

Or if drugs were legal and controlled there would be no dealers, that would work too !!

[bangkok2013]

Like someone said earlier ,drugs attract certain people ,and that will never change .Drugs have been around for thousands of years, i know Thais who got caught selling Ja ba ,and they only got 2 years .

Normally you can make a deal with the cops ,and walk away. What happened to this young man?

might as well shoot him, if they are gonna take his life like that.....

[Tchooptip]

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!

A drug dealer forewarning his peers

By the way you forgot Malaysia they executed a lot of people recently for drug dealing, beware!

[kovaltech]

The sentence appear to follow a similar methodology to the pricing structure for entry to National Parks in Thailand.

The raison for the harsch sentence is more obvious... he took the job from a Thai dealer, they needed to set an example...

[Toknarok]

There have been no Royal pardons for drug offences since 2000. This may well change as the Thai Government is considering revamping the prison system where 80% of the inmates are convicted of drug offences.http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/clean-up-scheme-signals-new-approach-to-overcrowded-thai-prison

Should the Thai authorities consider sending him back to the UK to complete his sentence surely that would be better than serving his time in the Bangkok Hilton. He would (if of good behaviour) most likely be sent to an open prison where he could have priviliges such as home visits over weekends.

[elgordo38]

"E" isn't particularly dangerous, addictive or destructive. Most truly civilized countries wouldn't be too concerned with this crime.

You think methamphetamine mixed with caffeine is not particularity dangerous ?

Ecstacy is supposed to mainly comprise MDMA, back in the 70s marketed as the 'love drug', but now often mainly made up of amphetamines.

The 50 year sentence seems extraordinary, especially as he pleaded guilty, was it commuted from a death sentence? Anyone know if it was an importation or drugs acquired locally. Hopefully the guy will get sentence reductions in the coming years. Does HMG arrange repatriation after a certain period to serve time in UK prison?

I am not a Brit but why should he be transferred to a British prison and there to become a burden on the English taxpayer for 50 years. I am no great lover of China but they seem to have the perfect answer to this kind of crime.

[elgordo38]

Drug dealing is against the law, and the penalties can be severe here...And people should understand that.

But somehow, justice has gone seriously wrong here when this guy gets a 50-year sentence and the Red Bull kid who killed a cop is never even prosecuted, much less, convicted or sentenced.

Thai people get far less, sometimes just a few years, for actually killing other people. But this guy gets a 50-year sentence. It's not right.

I agree the Red Bull kid should have been convicted in absentia and Thailand should have at least gone through the motions to get this kid back. I have trouble taking the new PM at face value when he lets this slip under the rug.

[beowolf2012]

50 years most be a mild sentence if he had be a Thai city cent there will only be death penalty, but serve 10 - 20 yers in thailand before he can be sent home UK.

Drug delling is the worst crime ever and i can only say rest in peace. He not death yet but nearly the same.

[Tchooptip]

an opportunity to thank the americans' ridiculous "war on drugs" - which, after 30 plus years has accomplished little else but filling prisons with

non-violent offenders. stop making laws which limit individual freedom and responsibility.

Are you saying NO violence is related to drugs or use of........?

Probably the best answer

[Jonmarleesco]

'Mrs Caswell said: “I got the call this morning from his lawyer. I am just devastated - I am finding it hard to function at the moment.' Lucky it was Thailand, not Indonesia.

[Porkster]

"E" isn't particularly dangerous, addictive or destructive. Most truly civilized countries wouldn't be too concerned with this crime.

You think methamphetamine mixed with caffeine is not particularity dangerous ?

Ecstacy is supposed to mainly comprise MDMA, back in the 70s marketed as the 'love drug', but now often mainly made up of amphetamines.

The 50 year sentence seems extraordinary, especially as he pleaded guilty, was it commuted from a death sentence? Anyone know if it was an importation or drugs acquired locally. Hopefully the guy will get sentence reductions in the coming years. Does HMG arrange repatriation after a certain period to serve time in UK prison?

I am not a Brit but why should he be transferred to a British prison and there to become a burden on the English taxpayer for 50 years. I am no great lover of China but they seem to have the perfect answer to this kind of crime.

Well I AM a Brit and I totally agree with you

With a bit of luck he'll die of AIDS after sharing the needle of heroin he'll become addicted to... Scumbag drug dealers

They all deserve to have copious amounts of what they sell injected into their veins... Let's be rid of the scum

[slapout]

as mentioned its the inconsistency of the sentence imposed by a judge. this inconsistency is in line with the social/moral concpts as practiced throughout the country. the 10 commandements made life and decision making much simpler, then lawyers , religious leaders etc expanded and used their interption to screw the system up futher

the orginal 10 concept may work if there are only few options for punishment, death, life hard labor on penal farm, 5 year and finally 1 year attitude adjustment farm. the bulk of the offenses would likely fall inthe last 2 within a short time. solving labor shortage lay abouts, religous shysters, civil servent corruption, etc.

[fareastguy]

Hit, kill & drag a cop down the street with your Ferrari you get freedom
Hit and kill a sleeping cop you get to go home the same night
Pedal 200 ecstasy pills you get 50 years !!

[NoshowJones]

The thing with crime, and this includes drug dealing, is that nobody ever expects to get caught.

No matter what, this is excessive punishment. I don't know how long he will actually spend in jail, I suspect he could get transferred to a UK jail within 5 years, but the punishment here does not fit the crime.

British guys in Thai jails have a harder time than many other nationalities as they get no support from the UK government. There are charities that can help, but basically he will need to depend on help from friends and family outside for even basics like food and basic medicine etc.

Much as I dislike drug dealing, I feel sorry for this guy.

Would you still feel sorry for him if any of your family died because they were using drugs supplied by a dealer?

If there was no drug dealers, almost every type of crime would be reduced.

and AJAYDEE, you cannot say that bartenders can be compared with drug dealers, alcohol is not a drug if drunk in moderation.

Or if drugs were legal and controlled there would be no dealers, that would work too !!

That could be the case, I don't really know, I have not got an opinion on this yet, I would need to know more about it.

[Jonmarleesco]

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

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

Calm down ! You've got more chance of being hit by lightning than dying through Ecstacy. Alcohol is far more dangerous and has way more far-reaching implications.

50 years is a ludicrous sentence !

50 years or 50 months; unless he tossed a coin to decide which drug would likely result in the least punitive punishment, it is irrelevant.

[Nobb]

Do not do the crime if you can not serve the time! Only problem is that when one leaves some one else will take his place and that will probably be a Thia drug dealer!

Edited July 1, 2015 by Nobb