British academic detained in Thailand after exposing official as plagiarist

[webfact]

Dr Wyn Ellis: British academic detained in Thailand after exposing official as plagiarist
KASHMIRA GANDER

THE INDEPENDENT

Dr Ellis has been accused of threatening Thai society

BANGKOK: -- A British academic, who exposed a Thai official who had plagiarised his work, is being held at a detention centre in Bangkok over allegations he is a threat to national security.

Officials at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport stopped UN agricultural consultant Dr Wyn Ellis on Thursday 3 September,BBC News reported.

“I was told that I had been blacklisted as a danger to Thai society,” he told The Telegraph from the immigration holding centre.

“It’s ridiculous and I am hoping the immigration department will clear this up on Monday," he said.

The authorities attempted to deport Dr Ellis, who has lived in Thailand for 30 years, to Norway from where he arrived, but he refused to leave, according to The Telegraph.

His detention comes after Dr Ellis won a long-running plagiarism battle with the Thai government, which has raised questions about the country’s attitude towards intellectual property and whistle-blowers.

In 2008, Dr Ellis complained to Thailand’s elite Chulalongkorn University after he noticed that a dissertation submitted by Supachai Lorlowhakarn, the then director of Thailand's National Innovation Agency (NIA), had largely been copied from a report he had written for the country’s International Trade Centre.

Full story http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dr-wyn-ellis-british-academic-detained-in-thailand-after-exposing-official-as-plagiarist-10489026.html

-- THE INDEPENDENT 2015-09-07

[Seastallion]

General! Where are you? Here's BLATANT corruption and malfeasance and misuse of position. Not to mention the education corruption side of it.

If you want any credibility, arrest this Supachai immediately, release Dr Ellis immediately with profound apologies and compensation, and send a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated.

I predict that this is another thread in which all TVF members will been in agreement and outraged at this travesty.

[rkidlad]

Oh, Thailand. You really know how to shoot yourself in the foot.

[steffi]

How is exposing somebody who copied his work considered threatening Thai Society?

[aussieinthailand]

He's not a threat to Thai security, he's just slapped the so-called National innovation agency (NIA)'s face, in court, now the vindictive nature of a few elite it seems has pulled a few strings and trying to get back at him for having the audacity to stand up for himself.

Now there's some innovation for ya.

Not just copy bags n billabongs.

Only half the story yet again, how about the independent finish the story and tell us what is going on.

[canuckamuck]

If foreigners keep winning court cases against Thais for intellectual property theft I can see how that will threaten the country. It is good they made an example of this Dr. Ellis for making a Thai official lose face.

[ChrisY1]

Good luck to him on this issue.......

Plagiarism is wide spread here in Thailand......(India possibly worse) and to expose it can be eventful as it often is used for the writer to gain status....

[pinkpanther99]

The only thing Dr Ellis is guilty of is causing a senior and powerful Thai to lose face - which for some is the ultimate crime.

It is absurd to call Dr Ellis some kind of threat to Thai society or national security.

This, as with everything else in Thailand is all about corruption, corruption, corruption.

Read the background on the original case involving Wyn Ellis: http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/fry_in_thailand.php?page=all

[noitom]

Preposterous and shocking.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

UK academic held at Thai airport

By Jonathan Head

South East Asia correspondent

A UK academic has spent the last four days in detention at an airport in Thailand over a dispute arising from a UN report he wrote nine years ago.

Agricultural consultant Wyn Ellis was stopped at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and told he had been reported as a threat to national security.

It is a twist in an extraordinary saga which shows problems over protecting intellectual property in Thailand.

It also highlights the dangers of exposing well-connected Thai officials.

Dr Ellis, who has been working with the UN on sustainable rice production, was stopped at immigration at the airport.

In 2008, Dr Ellis, who is originally from Swansea, spotted a dissertation on promoting organic agricultural products, in particular asparagus, that seemed familiar.

On reading it, he realised a lot of it had been copied from a report on a year-long study he had conducted for Thailand's International Trade Centre two years earlier.

On further investigation he realised that nearly all of the dissertation had been copied from other sources; only in 14 pages out of 161, he says, could he not find clear evidence of plagiarism.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34169104

-BBC 2015-09-07

[Confuscious]

This is Thailand.

Ellis caused a higher ranked official to lose face and therefore also the Thais themselves.
This kind of aliens are not welcome in Thailand.

For the people in TV who thinks or hope that Generaal Cha-Cha-Cha will step in and admit that there is a lot of coupruption going on, you can wait \until Christmas, Eastern and New Year will be on the same day.

[EnzoRippo]

Has his country any embassy in Bangkok?

[trogers]

Maybe that Thai official really did not copy Dr. Ellis's work.

The person paid by the Thai official did...

[jaidam]

If the "corruption busting" junta had any sense of shame, they would be hanging their heads in it right now. Sadly, they don't, corruption is viewed as normal so long as it is their own team doing it. It's all proof that the coup was a mistake - a mistake in the sense that although the Shin cabal needed removing, to replace it with another same-same me first bunch was a bit silly.

[Robroona]

He's not a threat to Thai security, he's just slapped the so-called National innovation agency (NIA)'s face, in court, now the vindictive nature of a few elite it seems has pulled a few strings and trying to get back at him for having the audacity to stand up for himself.

Now there's some innovation for ya.

Not just copy bags n billabongs.

Only half the story yet again, how about the independent finish the story and tell us what is going on.

Andrew Drummond has been reporting on this man's story for a long time now. There are even videos on the net showing his car being attacked by motor cyclists with a huge rock---- while on his way to court to hear his latest not guilty verdict.

Shocking indictment of how things work over here

[Bluespunk]

The truth shall not set ye free.

[steffi]

About time the British embassy warned Thailand that they will slap a travel advisory on Thailand if he is not released immediately.

[Hornell]

As plagiarism starts at school and continues throughout university and business, I suppose no-one saw anything wrong until the good Dr exposed the deceit! Amazing really!

[AyG]

From the Guardian's version of the story:

"My home has undergone surveillance by individuals with false ID and false number plates, anonymous letters, long-running tax inspections, investigation of my Thai citizenship, 480 telephone death threats, and rock attacks on my car."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/06/uk-academic-wyn-ellis-bangkok-airport-supachai-lorlowhakarn

[15Peter20]

If the "corruption busting" junta had any sense of shame, they would be hanging their heads in it right now. Sadly, they don't, corruption is viewed as normal so long as it is their own team doing it. It's all proof that the coup was a mistake - a mistake in the sense that although the Shin cabal needed removing, to replace it with another same-same me first bunch was a bit silly.

Indeed. And most of the less naive posters here - as well as most Thais, in my opinion - knew well at the time that this would be the case.

[Bluespunk]

How is exposing somebody who copied his work considered threatening Thai Society?

He's exposing the truth and holding a high ranking official responsible for their deceitful behaviour.

Dangerous precedents.

[Prbkk]

This is the same case that caused a young American jouranlist to flee from Thailand ...5 or 7 years ago.

[Lunchbob]

I wonder what penalties the university should face for granted a phd to a plagiarist and then defending it or hiding it? In a way this a golden moment to keep the tide of honesty moving jn the right direction. Keep washing out the corrupt, vindictive, small minded losers who slow down positive change. I hope they will grant Mr. Ellis citizenship by way of apology.

[clockman]

What we intend to forget. Is we have first world standards. Enough said!

[Wilsonandson]

All this over an essay on asparagus. Maybe asparagus is under threat and is a national security issue. I hope the Federal Bureau of Asparagus are on the case. Amazing asparagus Thailand.

[selftaopath]

SERIOUSLY!!!! Thailand.

Please pull your head outta your ass.... for once. You might enjoy the view (of the real world).

[Briggsy]

Here is a picture of the plagiarist, Supachai Lorlowhakan.

Watch out if you see him. He might get someone to throw a rock through your windscreen, get you locked up, deported or even worse.

[Charlie Croker]

Oh the irony

National Innovation = Plagarism

[Prbkk]

THES story from 2013

https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/death-threats-in-thailand-for-uk-whistleblower/2006659.article

[BritTim]

Has his country any embassy in Bangkok?

He is British. The UK Embassy staff "... is unable to give you legal advice and therefore maintains a list of English speaking lawyers ...". The British media are his best chance of applying pressure.