British grandad locked up in Thailand claims he was beaten, robbed and sexually abused in jail

[justaphase]

All prisoners are stripped and searched on entering jail here. And robbed of what exactly? You have nothing.. No money is used inside. Looks to me like he's just jazzing his story up a bit. Especially the beatings. It just doesnt happen. <deleted> I say.

[sweatalot]

as others said, there seem to be more to this case than indicated

on one hand he says that he does not know what he did wrong and on the other hand he says they tried to force him to sign a confession.

I would submit the confession they tried to get him to sign should give him an indication of what they think he did wrong.

yeah, like the confession the Burmese had to sign in Koh Tao

[Dodgydownunder]

I believe the British granddad. After all, he is an old defenseless foreigner all by himself and Thai woman died.

As some of you have noted, when a Thai drives recklessly and kills innocent people, usually nothing of consequence happens but a foreigner

gets crucified every time.

Many of you laugh these events off believing it can't happen to you. You can stay here and wait your turn.

I am in this country not by choice. There is no doubt, level of violence and severe animosity towards foreigners has escalated dramatically over the years.

Even my wife said she is scared to go out.

We would feel safer and much more respected in another country as soon as my contract ends.

It wont happen to me....I dont ride motorbike or car.

Live under the radar

dont wear gold around

rent appartment

dont walk around tourist traps at 2am

dont confront Thais in angry or threatening manner

10+ years for me and still going strong.

Being on the opposite pole to your thinking, i spend a lot of my thinking how fortunate i am to live here.

best of luck for your next port of call, but unless its someplace not of this Earth, i fear you will soon find something to fear in the next utopia.

The very things you listed above to keep you going strong. as you say, display an inherent fear of this place to me.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Dodgydownunder

[tuanku]

as others said, there seem to be more to this case than indicated

on one hand he says that he does not know what he did wrong and on the other hand he says they tried to force him to sign a confession.

I would submit the confession they tried to get him to sign should give him an indication of what they think he did wrong.

Would have been in Thai with no (independent) translation available. He would have been a fool to sign it not knowing what it said. His mistake seems to have been to go to the police after getting out of hospital, no doubt with British preconceptions of a fair and impartial force of professionals - a concept that often falls down even in UK and has no meaning here.

[gemguy]

Unfortunately for those incarcerated in the jails and the prison system here in Thailand they are subjected to some truly crude and rude conditions.

While most of the people agree that a prison incarceration should be one that makes the prisoner suffer for their crimes the end result of that collective mentality results in an abundance of real life horror stories to be told and considered....truth be told.

The prison system in any country is a measure of the countries collective mentality concerning law and order while Thailand is still somewhat in the dark ages concerning how they deal with convicted criminals and how they are addressed and how they are treated while incarcerated.

There are numerous countries with even worse prison conditions while hell does exist if you are incarcerated in those prison in those countries.

Here in Thailand the conditions are Bad but not the worst of worst if you compare them to the known conditions suffered by all to many people languishing in dismal prison conditions throughout the world.

Meantime the Thai prison system has to be improved a whole lot while the prison system here in Thailand is never seen as an important issue needing to be addressed while the allotted budget for prisons and correctional facilities is dismally small as compared to the amount of people being arrested and prosecuted and finally incarcerated.

Each successive government has always talked tough on crime and the need to crack down on crime but they seldom if ever address the other half of the equation relevant to how they are going to handle and contain all the criminals and law breakers that are going to be incarcerated as part of their increased law enforcement activities.

There has never been a plan to deal with all the people that will or could be imprisoned resulting in some notably miserable conditions suffered by all to many that are not hard core criminals while their only crime was smoking some marijuana or some minor criminal activity that they were involved with.

The Thai government at present and all the governments before have never had a well thought out plan concerning how to deal with those that are convicted and imprisoned.....and I do not think they ever will as their collective attitude and collective mentality is one of no one really cares and no one wants to speak out on the issue let alone actually address that issue....that is until they are incarcerated themselves and find they have no voice at all while no one to speak on their behalf and no one addressing the problems associated with over crowded prisons with hellish like conditions suffered by all too many and more so by many others.

You all just hope you never suffer the Thai prison system regardless of your thoughts or opinions about law enforcement and how criminals should be handled because, like the man in the OP, that could be you behind prison bars one day.

Cheers

[sweatalot]

"Dave voluntarily went to a police station to tell officers he had been involved in the crash. He was told there was no record of the incident ...."

Does that mean: Whatever happens to you whatever is done to you in Thailand -

by all means avoid the police ?

[sweatalot]

If he was 18 I might believe he was sexually abused, but 68 really ?

Grandad has been kissing the blarney stone ... lol. Joking aside, its hard to take this individual serious. Playing the victim with the expectation of receiving some form of special treatment. Maybe he is hoping that someone will have sympathy for him and send him money/food. Who knows?

So you're sure he is lying and deserved what happened to him?

How do you know - do you think he acts like you would?

scum

[Koosdedooes]

I believe the British granddad. After all, he is an old defenseless foreigner all by himself and Thai woman died.

As some of you have noted, when a Thai drives recklessly and kills innocent people, usually nothing of consequence happens but a foreigner

gets crucified every time.

Many of you laugh these events off believing it can't happen to you. You can stay here and wait your turn.

I am in this country not by choice. There is no doubt, level of violence and severe animosity towards foreigners has escalated dramatically over the years.

Even my wife said she is scared to go out.

We would feel safer and much more respected in another country as soon as my contract ends.

It wont happen to me....I dont ride motorbike or car.

Live under the radar

dont wear gold around

rent appartment

dont walk around tourist traps at 2am

dont confront Thais in angry or threatening manner

10+ years for me and still going strong.

Being on the opposite pole to your thinking, i spend a lot of my thinking how fortunate i am to live here.

best of luck for your next port of call, but unless its someplace not of this Earth, i fear you will soon find something to fear in the next utopia.

So your living in a state of constant fear you mean ?

[geriatrickid]

I believe the British granddad. After all, he is an old defenseless foreigner all by himself and Thai woman died.

As some of you have noted, when a Thai drives recklessly and kills innocent people, usually nothing of consequence happens but a foreigner

gets crucified every time.

Many of you laugh these events off believing it can't happen to you. You can stay here and wait your turn.

I am in this country not by choice. There is no doubt, level of violence and severe animosity towards foreigners has escalated dramatically over the years.

Even my wife said she is scared to go out.

We would feel safer and much more respected in another country as soon as my contract ends.

FRENCH NATIONAL not Thai.

Her French partner is the one reportedly pushing the case. He wants justice.

[geriatrickid]

I think this account holds some truth to it. In prison, inmates run what happens inside and guards only watch and, as in this case, the guards perhaps are as evil as the inmates.. What bother me so about this is that this guy is probably in jail just because he is a foreigner. I have read so many instances where death has occurred due to negligent driving yet, the Thai never seems to go to prison for it. A good example is this recent case where the guy drove 200 kph and crashed into the back of a car killing to students. I don't see him even looking at a charge for their deaths, only his bad driving. Pathetic to see double standards across the board with foreigners and Thai.

Welcome to the Land of Two Smiles !!!! Falang and Thai !!!

What does that have to do with the case? The deceased was a FRENCH national wasn't she? France is in Europe. It is part of the EU.

[Ajahnski]

as others said, there seem to be more to this case than indicated

on one hand he says that he does not know what he did wrong and on the other hand he says they tried to force him to sign a confession.

I would submit the confession they tried to get him to sign should give him an indication of what they think he did wrong.

Or, just as in Koh Tao, the police knew someone with money wanted this wrapped up quickly. I've dealt with Thai police as a victim, and it takes a lot to get them off their lazy asses. If you do get them to move, they want to be finished as easily as possible. My bet was that the prison treatment was initially supposed to be a way to soften him up so that he'd sign a confession in exchange for more lenient treatment.

[metisdead]

Posts containing off topic generalizations have been removed as well as the replies.

[ehs818]

I'm pretty sure the "confession" they urged him to sign was in Thai, not English. NEVER sign anything here you can't understand.

[mihalis]

I'd expect that's the kind of thing that happens in thai jail.

There has to be a deterrent do most of the population other than just the term of the sentence.

I suspect the suicide/ murder rate especially somewhere like Bang Kwang a lot higher than will ever be publically known.

When people scream foul of a light sentence given to some crimes, I think the Thais know even a 5 year sentence can actually be a death sentence

In a Thai Jail, ajahaahahahaa, it happens in all jails, no only in Thailand...

[DerringDo]

When a friend of mine was checked into immigration detention in BKK he was given 100 baht of his cash back after the strip search and powdering. Once he got into his cell a nice man offered him 'protection' for 100 baht. Stay was relatively peaceful after he paid whilst waiting for the wheels of 'justice.'

Money IS used in many Thai jails.

[mihalis]

We need to remember we are not equal here , its not good old England.

Good old England treating everyone equal, ahaahahahahahah, My English mates must be telling lies !!

[snowgard]

I like this comment from him:

Driving at night, Dave said he collided with another bike, which didn’t have its lights on, carrying three people who weren’t wearing helmets - a French man and woman and a local.

After being knocked unconscious, he was left with broken ribs and severe cuts and bruises. He said he nearly lost an eye in the incident and has been left suffering terrible memory loss.

But what the other do wrong him remember very good!!! lol

Also I am missing the part that the police informed the embassy about the accident wich they do all the time if a farang had a accident and stay in hospital.

And the police informed the embassy that they locked up a Brit!!!! The embassy look inside the case and help to find a lawyer ....???

Or do the british embassy nothing for help???

[Khon Kaen Dave]

If this is true,its horrific,however if its not,then maybe this is being put up the the back of the Hua Hin incident.Crest of a wave,and all that.

But if it is the truth,what will we hear next? That a Brit grandad has been murdered behind bars?

Oh! sorry! no! we will ever hear that one.It will be quickly covered up and buried.

[wabothai]

I don't know what the true situation is with this bloke but the fact is any foreigner who drives or rides without some sort of insurance in Thailand is a moron!

try them insurance boys to pay out. and go in discussion when there is no understanding of what is said and written.

Insured my car 22.000 baht, all damages payable. 2 years later, asked them to pay for damages rats caused to my car by eating rubber parts, not a big amount.

A definite no, with a huge thai smile, no only accident.

Edited May 2, 2016 by wabothai

[snowgard]

When a friend of mine was checked into immigration detention in BKK he was given 100 baht of his cash back after the strip search and powdering. Once he got into his cell a nice man offered him 'protection' for 100 baht. Stay was relatively peaceful after he paid whilst waiting for the wheels of 'justice.'

Money IS used in many Thai jails.

And this nice man is living now 3 years in a immigration detention center cell and offer his service??? Come on man!!! Hahahaa,,,,,,,,,

And tomorrow it's raining nuggets? :-)

[jacko45k]

Darn, and I thought jail was one of the few remaining safe places.

[samran]

Something not right here...

Three people not wearing helmets on the other bike with no lights on are involved in an accident with this single bloke, and he is the one facing charges?

Either the frenchies are being extremely litigious or this bloke isn't telling us something. The charges against him, though in Thai, should have been available to him. A translation could have easily been done.

Also nothing to stop him from pressing charges against the french if he is so in the right.

Not saying this guy didn't have a bad experience in jail, but something smells fishy about the story.

[Tchooptip]

Horrific account, but another situation where you feel you don't have the whole story.

Yeah, the part missing here is how much did the French scum pay the police. This is how it works, folks, and this is what needs be known. This is what the world needs to know, that this is just another third world country where corruption is the rule

Newbie 4 posts but already: "how much did the French scum pay the police" I'll call that fast TV integration!

Edited May 2, 2016 by Tchooptip

[juice777]

I am sure I met him last year, but I can't remember the whole story he told me, seemed like a nice bloke and I felt like he was hard done by

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[BlackJack]

OK

so he is charged and then bailed

all in one day

what happened?

why did he stay in jail?

[apalink_thailand]

I keep a lawyer on speedial. Just in case. As far as I know, you can still get legal representation before signing any police documents in Thai. I could be wrong. Lawyers...weigh in with comments.

[Maggusoil]

I think this account holds some truth to it. In prison, inmates run what happens inside and guards only watch and, as in this case, the guards perhaps are as evil as the inmates.. What bother me so about this is that this guy is probably in jail just because he is a foreigner. I have read so many instances where death has occurred due to negligent driving yet, the Thai never seems to go to prison for it. A good example is this recent case where the guy drove 200 kph and crashed into the back of a car killing to students. I don't see him even looking at a charge for their deaths, only his bad driving. Pathetic to see double standards across the board with foreigners and Thai.

I have a friend who lived here for 30 years and constantly complained of little else but the 'double standards'. In everything.

I know in our area recenlty a drunk Thai in a car crashed into 2 ladies on a motorbike and the son of one of them, killing the ladies. He didn't go to jail at all. It cost him 20,000 for each lady, and that's it. End of story. That is the price of a life for Thais in our area. Unless we do the deed of course.

[spidermike007]

From what I have heard, the prisons in the US are as bad, or worse. So, not sure the Thai prisons deserve special mention. I know one guy who spent some time in prison here, and he was kept separate from most of the other inmates, and did not have anything like this happen to him.

And as far as him being treated worse than other Thai drivers, it is all about the cash. He did not have the money to buy his way out. It is that simple. That is Thai justice. Got cash? You can walk. Don't have cash? You will serve time.

[Hawk]

If he was 18 I might believe he was sexually abused, but 68 really ?

His claims of sexual abuse are total bull*shit! Every time he came back from court he would have been stripped searched, that is normal proceedure for all jails.

Most jails have a few ladyboys, or young boys who sell their services, so no Thai would ever want to "play" with a dirty, smelly, old foreigner.

Prisoners steal, that is normal, and attacks only happen if the person breaks the rules or really upsets the other inmates. Fighting in jails is dealt with harshly by the prison officers.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Hawk

[Sealbash]

We need to remember we are not equal here , its not good old England.

And that is why there are no Thais in prison?