Criminal checks on sicko teachers in Thailand

[ghworker2010]

The following article reports an old 'sick in the mind' Australian scum arrested in Ubon R (Isan).

http://www.smh.com.au/world/convicted-child-abuser-peter-dundas-walbran-arrested-teaching-at-thai-school-20151206-glgply.html

This scum bag has a history of abusing children and managed to get a job at a big school in Isan- after being deported from Indonesia.

Don't they do criminal checks on farang applying for jobs at schools in Thailand? When you applied for a teaching job did they do a criminal check on you?

[lopburi3]

He was in Thailand as a New Zealander. And his record appears to have been clean in that country and Oz never put him on there list of offenders.

[alex88]

I tried several times to show my police clearance certificate to my school and they just brushed it off as irrelevant. I went to the trouble and expensive of getting a criminal record check done and they are simply not interested in it.

[alex88]

He was in Thailand as a New Zealander. And his record appears to have been clean in that country and Oz never put him on there list of offenders.

He was on the Australian sex offender register as a result of his crimes in Indonesia. This type of crime is borderless for citizens of most Western countries. Actually I see now the article says he was ordered to register but didn't.

Usually if you commit a crime like this overseas you get re-convicted and sentenced again in Australia. I'm surprised that didn't happen.

Edited December 9, 2015 by alex88

[lopburi3]

And the fact OZ failed to take action he was able to obtain NZ passport without issue. It is not just Thailand that is amiss.

[angsta]

Nobody in Ubon suspected anything?

[Suradit69]

A discussion is already under way here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/877218-convicted-child-abuser-peter-dundas-walbran-arrested-teaching-at-thai-school/?utm_source=newsletter-20151209-1513&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[smotherb]

Hmmm, it seems rather common-place for schools to overlook basics with NES teachers like criminal checks, proper credentials, ability to speak English . . .

Perhaps the Thais doing the checking lack English ability and it would be an embarrassment if they did not understand what they should have checked.

[gerryBScot]

Lopburi has already made it clear this is not a uniquely Thai problem. Google Southbank International School in London, charging £25,000 per year for fees, for an example of another horror story. Bear in mind that the UK has some of the most comprehensive screening systems anywhere for this kind of thing. These guys are determined and will find out every chink in the armour and exploit it.

[Suradit69]

Hmmm, it seems rather common-place for schools to overlook basics with NES teachers like criminal checks, proper credentials, ability to speak English . . .

Perhaps the Thais doing the checking lack English ability and it would be an embarrassment if they did not understand what they should have checked.

"Perhaps the Thais doing the checking lack English ability and it would be an embarrassment if they did not understand what they should have checked."

The urge to find imaginary reasons to Thai bash becomes more convoluted by the day.

I guess by your logic the British Parliament, the BBC and Met Police all suffer from poor language skills which resulted delayed response to complaints of kiddie-fiddlers in their midsts for decades ... not to mention other facilites where those allowed access to children should be vetted as a matter of course.

Among other major incidents in modern UK history, child abuse has been recorded on a substantial scale at a number of schools, hospitals, and care homes, and organised sexual abuse or sexual trafficking rings were revealed to have been active in Plymouth,Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, Derby, Telford and elsewhere.

[tinat]

"Don't they do criminal checks on farang applying for jobs at schools in Thailand? When you applied for a teaching job did they do a criminal check on you?"

You just want checks on Western caucasians ? STOP using the word "farang" to mean foreigners - it does not.

[bazza40]

"Don't they do criminal checks on farang applying for jobs at schools in Thailand? When you applied for a teaching job did they do a criminal check on you?"

You just want checks on Western caucasians ? STOP using the word "farang" to mean foreigners - it does not.

If it doesn't mean foreigner, what does "farang" mean?

[tinat]

"Don't they do criminal checks on farang applying for jobs at schools in Thailand? When you applied for a teaching job did they do a criminal check on you?"

You just want checks on Western caucasians ? STOP using the word "farang" to mean foreigners - it does not.

If it doesn't mean foreigner, what does "farang" mean?

Western caucasian

[lostinisaan]

I do have both, the criminal check from my country of origin, plus the one from the Royal Thai police headquarters in Bangkok.

When I read that these checks should be made on farang, it makes me feel sick. A farang is a white Caucasian guy, male, or female.

None of the four schools wanted to see a criminal check. Here's a great example how some schools are dealing with child molesters.

There's an Indian English teacher in his mid-twenties at my former school. . The Indian "teacher" got caught with a P. 5 girl on the toilet a year before, but the director decided that it was gossip and nothing happened.

The incident happened before I started at this school. Unfortunately, did the same guy get caught again in one of the toilets after 10 months. This time, there's no excuse and when I met the girl's teacher, she's kindly asking me to help her to write his "Immediate dismissal letter." It was clear that he'd done that on campus and somebody said that he's seen with the girl on a weekend day. Easy to do the math?

The "teacher" received his dismissal letter after 20 minutes, signed by two witnesses, but neither was the police involved nor did anybody inform the parents, what happened to their daughter.

The guy was so insane that he came back after only two days to ask the head teacher if he could get some documents issued to make him to a volunteer teacher of that school.

The mentioned head teacher even started to write some documents, but only stopped doing so because I told her that she'd be part of his criminal activities if she'd do so.

The same guy then opened an orphanage in the middle of Ubon Ratchathani and as far as I know is he still doing this now.

It turned out that the girl was a facebook friend of our son and I've heard details what this pervert was doing to her.

Sorry, wanna throw up now.

I drove to the Tourist Police, tried to explain what has happened, but nobody seemed to be interested in doing something against this gentleman.

[smotherb]

Hmmm, it seems rather common-place for schools to overlook basics with NES teachers like criminal checks, proper credentials, ability to speak English . . .

Perhaps the Thais doing the checking lack English ability and it would be an embarrassment if they did not understand what they should have checked.

"Perhaps the Thais doing the checking lack English ability and it would be an embarrassment if they did not understand what they should have checked."

The urge to find imaginary reasons to Thai bash becomes more convoluted by the day.

I guess by your logic the British Parliament, the BBC and Met Police all suffer from poor language skills which resulted delayed response to complaints of kiddie-fiddlers in their midsts for decades ... not to mention other facilites where those allowed access to children should be vetted as a matter of course.

Among other major incidents in modern UK history, child abuse has been recorded on a substantial scale at a number of schools, hospitals, and care homes, and organised sexual abuse or sexual trafficking rings were revealed to have been active in Plymouth,Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, Derby, Telford and elsewhere.

Are you actually trying to argue the point that Thais lack English skills, or that background checks for teachers here are often overlooked?

Worse yet, you assert my stating those two facts—facts even the Thais admit--equates to Thai bashing.

Even more disconcerting is your analogy of British child abuse with the Thai lack of teacher background checks. That bit of drivel is even weaker than your Thai bashing allegations.

[duanebigsby]

There haven't been any police background checks required for foreigners up till now.

Because a Brit kiddy fiddler was caught teaching in Thailand, UK citizens are being asked for the police checks from their home country.

I'm not sure how it works but a fellow teacher got around it by getting his B visa in Malaysia instead of the usual Laos

If you're African of course they put you through the ringer and demand every police check in the book. Black people get the 3rd degree to work here.

I'm not sure Thai teachers are subject to background checks, but I think all teachers,no matter from where, should have police record checks.

[JGV]

This situation has happened before

Teaching establishments are more interested in getting the farang started and then creaming a slice off the top as part of the tea money reward. 40 thousand claimed as expenditure 20000 paid to farang - this is monthly salary

This issue of paedophiles hasn't the same seriousness here until an incident on your doorstep occurs

[jingjai9]

As I understand this issue of background checks, it is not up to the school to check. It is in the visa process. When someone applies for a work visa and work permit it is part of that process. I was told as recently as Friday that background checks have been done for the last couple of years. How consistently and thourougly these checks are done is another question.

A background check can be done without the knowledge of the school. In America, if your service to a school district lapses by as little as one day, a new criminal check is required. What I hated about this was that is was 67.00 bucks a pop - out of my pocket.

[Loaded]

In Chiang Mai a police check is required before the MoE issue a permission letter (that's our description of this letter). A permission letter is nearly always needed by Thai consulates and embassies to support a non-imm B visa application for teaching. The embassy or consulate may also request the police check. A home country or Thai police check works. It's very straightforward to get a Thai police check.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Loaded

[Loaded]

This situation has happened before

Teaching establishments are more interested in getting the farang started and then creaming a slice off the top as part of the tea money reward. 40 thousand claimed as expenditure 20000 paid to farang - this is monthly salary

This issue of paedophiles hasn't the same seriousness here until an incident on your doorstep occurs

Would you like to support this claim with evidence?

I don't mean "dave told me at the pub" evidence. I mean real examples of this happening.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Loaded

[dean008]

Evidence regarding Bangkok government schools, I think it is a known fact that many if not most agents and schools are corrupt to the core, if you want paperwork to prove it then dream on, its all circumstantial

I knew a couple of schools that used a particular agent, who underpaid, paid late, stole tax payments.... as a result the average teacher lasted under 1 month, but the director refused to cancel the contract with the agent, why?

They employed 4 teachers and paid 35k over 11 months (385k pa), whereas they previously (before the agent crawled onto the scene) paid 40k over 12 months (480k pa)

so in this case 380,000 thai baht was "saved". The school directors are not stupid and do not award contracts to agents and allow them to make 380,000 + without getting something in return. Where do you think the money went?

back to the topic.

My school requested a UK child protection check on me (I forget the specific name), but when I told them the cost approx 5000 thai baht and that I was happy to complete the test, but had no intention of paying, they decided it suddenly didn't matter, and they still sorted out the right visa and work permit.

This situation has happened before
Teaching establishments are more interested in getting the farang started and then creaming a slice off the top as part of the tea money reward. 40 thousand claimed as expenditure 20000 paid to farang - this is monthly salary
This issue of paedophiles hasn't the same seriousness here until an incident on your doorstep occurs

Would you like to support this claim with evidence?

I don't mean "dave told me at the pub" evidence. I mean real examples of this happening.

[Loaded]

Evidence regarding Bangkok government schools, I think it is a known fact that many if not most agents and schools are corrupt to the core, if you want paperwork to prove it then dream on, its all circumstantial

I knew a couple of schools that used a particular agent, who underpaid, paid late, stole tax payments.... as a result the average teacher lasted under 1 month, but the director refused to cancel the contract with the agent, why?

They employed 4 teachers and paid 35k over 11 months (385k pa), whereas they previously (before the agent crawled onto the scene) paid 40k over 12 months (480k pa)

so in this case 380,000 thai baht was "saved". The school directors are not stupid and do not award contracts to agents and allow them to make 380,000 + without getting something in return. Where do you think the money went?

back to the topic.

My school requested a UK child protection check on me (I forget the specific name), but when I told them the cost approx 5000 thai baht and that I was happy to complete the test, but had no intention of paying, they decided it suddenly didn't matter, and they still sorted out the right visa and work permit.

This situation has happened before

Teaching establishments are more interested in getting the farang started and then creaming a slice off the top as part of the tea money reward. 40 thousand claimed as expenditure 20000 paid to farang - this is monthly salary

This issue of paedophiles hasn't the same seriousness here until an incident on your doorstep occurs

Would you like to support this claim with evidence?

I don't mean "dave told me at the pub" evidence. I mean real examples of this happening.

So Dave told you that a school saved money so that must mean the saved money went into the director's pocket. Stop listening to Dave.

You really don't know what you are talking about. I have been involved in the auditing process of several schools and every baht that comes in needs to be accounted for and the auditors are very experienced at spotting corruption. Corruption does exist but not to the extent Dave told you over a few changs. There are lots of Daves in Thailand. Most are idiots.

[tinat]

"I knew a couple of schools that used a particular agent, who underpaid, paid late, stole tax payments.... as a result the average teacher lasted under 1 month, but the director refused to cancel the contract with the agent, why?"

If the average teacher lasted less than a month, how were they paid late ?

[GOLDBUGGY]

You thoughts on having Criminal Record Checks on people who are entrusted in the care of Children or Young Adults, is sound and very logical, but also very difficult to do.

This Sicko Teacher for example must have worked in his Home Country first for many years, perhaps as a teacher, before he started working Overseas as a Teacher. If he did not start his dastardly deeds until he started working Overseas and even served time in a foreign prison, it would be difficult to tell. Having a Criminal Record Check from his Home Country then who not give you the complete picture.

His Home Country is only going to show his Criminal Record in that country and not everywhere else. There is not many countries that share this information. The only ones I know for sure are the United States and Canada, for Immigration when crossing the Border, but even then if your Criminal Record has been Pardoned, before your first entry, it will not show up. I also don't think the Local Police have access to this information and only the Border Patrol.

This is how and why people with Criminal Records for Sexual Abuse with a Child can enter Thailand in the first place. Unless you are wanted by Interpol they would never know this. You would pretty well need a Criminal Record Check for every country he worked in, lived, or even visited, for every day of his life, which as you know is not possible. Even then if he was Pardoned, it would not show up. If he committed a crime in another country, he surely isn't going to tell you that. So in reality there really is no way we have right now to track all this down and get the information one needs.

[tinat]

"Even then if he was Pardoned, it would not show up"

I should hope not ! do you know what pardoned means ?

[aarontendo]

Never been asked for a background check, offered it at two jobs third one just didn't bother. Par for the course here it seems.

[smotherb]

"Even then if he was Pardoned, it would not show up"

I should hope not ! do you know what pardoned means ?

It sure doesn't mean you did not perpetrate the crime. A pardon is an official act of forgiving a crime.

[tinat]

"Even then if he was Pardoned, it would not show up"

I should hope not ! do you know what pardoned means ?

It sure doesn't mean you did not perpetrate the crime. A pardon is an official act of forgiving a crime.

"The granting of an unconditional pardon fully restores an individual's civil rights forfeited upon conviction of a crime and restores the person's innocence as though he or she had never committed a crime."

Therefore, if you are pardoned, that offence should not show on a criminal background check.

[ghworker2010]

recent update..

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/12/14/aussie-pedophile-arrest-prompts-farang-teacher-crackdown

[CharlieH]

Troll style post removed.