'HELL ON EARTH': Brit traveller spent nightmare week in cockroach-infested Thai prison because handwash leaked on his passport

[Shawn0000]

17 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Rubbish.  Being refused entry elsewhere and returned to country of departure as per IATA regulations, doesn't reinstate a visa or permit. The landing country will make a new decision on entry, based on current facts, which may include the reasons for entry refusal elsewhere, I don't know why he wasn't given a 30 day on arrival, but the Thais found reason not to do so.

 

If you are refused entry and sent back to the immigration that you just exited from then you cannot get a new entry stamp, your exit stamp is cancelled as you effectively never exited, it has happened to me, I know.  Think about it, if you could then all the border runners would not need to enter Cambodia or Loas or wherever they go, they could just get an exit stamp, turn around and enter again, but they can't, if they do that then they just cancel their exit stamp and they are back where they started, still needing a new visa.

[bamukloy]

Hell on Earth eh?

All this demonstrates is how it takes very little talent to make it into a headline nowadays.

the only injustice i can see is the cockroaches had to spend time with this !@#$

[evadgib]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Big girls blouse !! Get over it you will survive.

Been there done that, i survived.

Thai prison at least he had a mat to sleep on, i had to sleep on the concrete.

Run home to mummy she will take care of you.

At one night you ain't exactly Charles Bronson. Some posters spent longer than that in a Sanger

[Bob9]

Many many years ago I questioned why some blokes are just so stupid - doing things that are ridiculously dangerous for not much 'reward'.  This being from a young man that rode and raced motorbikes - but always with full protection. The answer I got was a life-changer moment - a reality check.

 

You will see many such stupid young men all your life.  That is nature at work, culling the male herd - because not all males should breed. Nature knows that if she allows only the stupid males to breed, eventually the herd will die.  Therefore she makes them feel invincible, and when that is added to their stupidity and ignorance - the end result is obvious. Nature always has a plan.

 

When I see young male Thais flying fast between cars on their scooters/bikes, I can see that nature is very busy at work here in Thailand. And when I see backpackers like that idiot in this story, I can see nature is still trying to cull the herd in the West too (go to Thailand and SEAsia - it will be GREAT - have a great time - do anything you want - what could go wrong).

[somchai jones]

For any (non Brits) that don't know, 'The Sun' is a UK tabloid newspaper that is seen as a bit of a joke by most Brits........more of a comic than a newspaper. Safe to say they've put their spin on a story that is already so full of holes it's like a sieve........the dramatic headline did its job of drawing me in but alas as soon as I saw The Sun logo at the top of the 'full story', I administered the pinch of salt it deserved.............yawn........

[GAZZPA]

7 hours ago, tomwct said:

That wasn't a Thai Prison, but looks like a nice clean detention room. If the British Emabassy had issued him a new passport in a timely manner he probably would have spent 48 hours. Looking at this guy with his tank top and tattoos, I would have refused him entry into

Vietnam. If you dress and act properly you will be treated with respect rather than being put in a detention room.

So, his tattoos and dress immediately condemn him to poor treatment? You do know what year it is right? Perhaps we should advise all travellers to wear a 3 piece suit with bowler hat and a full length umbrella at their side.

 

When I travel I don't wear a suit, I wear clothes that are causal and comfortable for travel. I suspect most people do the same.

 

However, i hope that the damage to his passport happened whilst he was travelling to Vietnam and not before or that would have been a stupid thing to do on his part to travel with a damaged passport.

 

 

 

 

[sahibji]

8 hours ago, seahorse said:

Luxury. That isn't even a Thai prison. It's just a detention centre.

and you are paying about fifteen pounds for your upkeep. could have stayed in backpacker place for that price.

[sahibji]

here is a person with a genuine problem and he gets locked up in a detention centre. why did he not try  to travel out to Malaysia or something like that. the other alternative was to go to his embassy.the damage to his document was accidental, so he claims. makes you wonder whether it is is safe to travel at all.

[sahibji]

8 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

So, his tattoos and dress immediately condemn him to poor treatment? You do know what year it is right? Perhaps we should advise all travellers to wear a 3 piece suit with bowler hat and a full length umbrella at their side.

 

When I travel I don't wear a suit, I wear clothes that are causal and comfortable for travel. I suspect most people do the same.

 

However, i hope that the damage to his passport happened whilst he was travelling to Vietnam and not before or that would have been a stupid thing to do on his part to travel with a damaged passport.

 

 

 

 

i still feel the safest course of action would have to go his embassy who would have helped to sort the matter out unless there is something that has not been told in this story.

[alofthailand]

7 hours ago, JAG said:

My understanding  is that he travelled to Vietnam  from Bangkok, was refused entry because of his damaged passport,was returned to Bangkok where he was again refused entry ( and a further 30 day entry ).

 

It would be very interesting to know how he approached the immigration officials in both countries.  I rather imagine that has a  lot to do with how he was treated. 

He was travelling illegally with a defaced passport. A scallywag. A chancer.

[sahibji]

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

That's about six days more than the red bull scum will ever do!

totally irrelevant issue. the regret is that why it happened to this person who claims the damage was accidental and it can happen to anybody.

[gregk0543]

4 minutes ago, sahibji said:

here is a person with a genuine problem and he gets locked up in a detention centre. why did he not try  to travel out to Malaysia or something like that. the other alternative was to go to his embassy.the damage to his document was accidental, so he claims. makes you wonder whether it is is safe to travel at all.

 

His problem is that his passport was damaged midflight. He spent a night held in Vietnam before they flicked him back to Thailand where he came from. He then cannot get back into Thailand. So his only option is to go back to UK which is where he ended up. Could have happened to anyone.

[sahibji]

7 hours ago, tomwct said:

That wasn't a Thai Prison, but looks like a nice clean detention room. If the British Emabassy had issued him a new passport in a timely manner he probably would have spent 48 hours. Looking at this guy with his tank top and tattoos, I would have refused him entry into

Vietnam. If you dress and act properly you will be treated with respect rather than being put in a detention room.

i think you have a very strong point. courtesy and  politeness can earn a  lot of respect.

[alofthailand]

11 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

So, his tattoos and dress immediately condemn him to poor treatment? You do know what year it is right? Perhaps we should advise all travellers to wear a 3 piece suit with bowler hat and a full length umbrella at their side.

 

When I travel I don't wear a suit, I wear clothes that are causal and comfortable for travel. I suspect most people do the same.

 

However, i hope that the damage to his passport happened whilst he was travelling to Vietnam and not before or that would have been a stupid thing to do on his part to travel with a damaged passport.

 

 

 

 

People wear clothes to give out a message. His tattoos and clothes say "I like trouble-I make trouble. Nobody should be showing armpit hair in a public place.  Hand Gel! A pathetic excuse for a damaged travel document.

[sahibji]

2 minutes ago, gregk0543 said:

 

His problem is that his passport was damaged midflight. He spent a night held in Vietnam before they flicked him back to Thailand where he came from. He then cannot get back into Thailand. So his only option is to go back to UK which is where he ended up. Could have happened to anyone.

i am curious why his embassy was not involved sooner and he could have been given compassionate extension of Thai  visa in the interim period. maybe there is something that we still do not know.

[kg1947]

7 hours ago, JAG said:

£600 (ThB27000) a week for an English teacher in Vietnam? I rather doubt it. Not only cock roaches,  but some large very pungent rats are involved in this story!

 

my Vietnamese girlfriend was quoted last year : 1 hr/day, 30 hrs/mo.

private English lesson in pronounciation only for a total of

VND 8,000,000.- ( around USD 400.- )  

[sahibji]

7 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

Looks like the Indians have his back covered   

not much of a help, is it?

[sahibji]

7 hours ago, sipi said:

15 minutes of fame.

there is no fame. more if INFAMY than anything else.

[sahibji]

7 hours ago, JAG said:

My understanding  is that he travelled to Vietnam  from Bangkok, was refused entry because of his damaged passport,was returned to Bangkok where he was again refused entry ( and a further 30 day entry ).

 

It would be very interesting to know how he approached the immigration officials in both countries.  I rather imagine that has a  lot to do with how he was treated. 

i am in agreement with you. there is no genuine issue that a little politeness and courtesy  cannot resolve.

[sahibji]

7 hours ago, greenchair said:

And thanks to the media coverage of being allowed to keep his phone and the way he had used it to criticise the Thai authorities for doing their job. 

I imagine future foreigner will have their phone confiscated, making it extremely difficult for them. 

Ungrateful sod. 

i am afraid that may happen (confiscation of the phone) although human rights fellows may not agree with this action.

[sahibji]

6 hours ago, tomwct said:

This guy is supposed to be a Veterinarian. If it looks like duck, seems like a duck, and quacks like a duck it's not a Veterinarian.

600 pounds per week to teach in Vietnam? If it looks like duck, seems like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's not a Teacher.

I have never heard of a Backpacker Veterinarian. Maybe he's a talented tattooist and going to Vietnam to teach them tattooing.

Now that makes sense, but 27,000 baht per month not per week.

i would not leave my family and my friends for that kind of money to go to a foreign country unless there is some additional agenda.

[dunroaming]

Reminds me of a few "hotels" I have stayed at in Asia except the food looks better.

[Mook23]

6 hours ago, Ianatlarge said:

Just what is wrong with the people here criticizing this backpacker? He was imprisoned for no good reason. Shirt, tats, attitude, none of these are reasons for imprisonment. Perhaps it is officialdom who need an attitude adjustment? It is called justice, where people who have travel problems receive assistance, and people who kill other people on the road go to jail. Not the other way around.

 

What is wrong with them?

Old bitter men syndrome. Its a special kind of chronic ultra-frustration/envy which causes extreme stress and selfhatred. Its often combined with a dysfunctional willy and ingrown toenails. I was told its incurable. Euthanasia is the only solution. ???

 

[wvavin]

Sorry my friend, you don't look like a good guy to anyone. 6-day is a bargain.

[billd766]

35 minutes ago, sahibji said:

here is a person with a genuine problem and he gets locked up in a detention centre. why did he not try  to travel out to Malaysia or something like that. the other alternative was to go to his embassy.the damage to his document was accidental, so he claims. makes you wonder whether it is is safe to travel at all.

 

From what I have read of the story so far, he supposedly flew out of Thailand to Vietnam. Presumably during the flight the gel leaked onto his passport as it must have been OK to leave Thailand. Immigration in Vietnam refused to accept his damaged passport and sent him back to Thailand.

 

Technically he had left Thailand and was stamped out. To enter Thailand once again he needed a good clean passport which he did not have, hence Vietnam rejected him and Thailand would not let him in for the same reason.

 

Because his passport was no good Thailand could not accept him either. What he actually said or did at the Passport control nobody really knows.

 

Unless he could get into contact with the embassy in BKK  to obtain an emergency travel document he was therefore stuck in limbo as no airline will accept him with a damaged passport, nobody knows if he had enough funds to get a ticket back to the UK so Immigration did the only thing that was left and put him in the IDC cells until it was sorted out.

 

The fact that his passport was damaged was down to him alone. Even ETD documents take some to produce plus a ticket back to the UK had to be obtained all of which takes time and NO country wants an undocumented foreigner wandering around an airport so they locked him up.

 

Travel is perfectly safe if you use common sense.

[alofthailand]

7 hours ago, JAG said:

My understanding  is that he travelled to Vietnam  from Bangkok, was refused entry because of his damaged passport,was returned to Bangkok where he was again refused entry ( and a further 30 day entry ).

 

It would be very interesting to know how he approached the immigration officials in both countries.  I rather imagine that has a  lot to do with how he was treated. 

He was travelling illegally with a defaced passport. A scallywag. A chancer.

[ardokano]

6 hours ago, Ianatlarge said:

Just what is wrong with the people here criticizing this backpacker? He was imprisoned for no good reason. Shirt, tats, attitude, none of these are reasons for imprisonment. Perhaps it is officialdom who need an attitude adjustment? It is called justice, where people who have travel problems receive assistance, and people who kill other people on the road go to jail. Not the other way around.

1. he not imprisoned. He be detained.

2. What you mean "NO GOOD REASON"? it mean HAD reason? Good or not good its only IMHO..

3. We do not know HOW " handwash leaked on his passport". maybe it was so bad that it was difficult to identify a real passport or not. Anyway i guess he  can try ask Vietnam immigration not deport him and go another coutry try entry.. as example in HK.. 

4.  He had Mobile phone!!! so Thai immigration be so friendly.. of the place is not clean .. what's the problem? He came to Thailand where deshego .. what you pay is what you get
like Lux- had to go to Switzerland or other countries 

[alofthailand]

33 minutes ago, Mansell said:

What a hilarious load of rubbish.....armpit hair in public! 

This is why I read TV for the absolute idiotic nonsense I read on here.

according to most of you the guy was a complete tattooed idiot and deserved everything that happened to him. And you have all been in worse situations than him, and he was complaining about the 3 star Michelin cuisine.....unbelievable.

Thank God none of you are in charge of a country as there would be executions everyday for tiny transgressions based on your agenda. Probably for showing armpit hair in public, or pubic hair in private!!!!

it sounds like most of you had a compassion bypass when you left your country of origin. Maybe you can't go back because of that. I am off to my hairdresser for a trim on all areas of hair, or another Chang to stifle my laughter......probably a hairy Chang!

The reason people wear shirts etc is not just to block the sight of ugly bodies but block smells also. That is why in all work locations and other similar places people do not wear vests or singlets. It is discourteous and disrepecful to other people. The sure marker of a slob-yob or thicko is the singlet and flip flops attired tourist. When travelling and dealing with officials it pay to be dressed properly. Wearing underwear with a beer logo and showing tedious tattoos does not cut it If you want to wear hard man -tough guy tramp stamps be prepared to be treated as such.

[Deepinthailand]

Trying to look at the passport picture blew it up a bit I can understand why he was refused entry you can't see the date of issue or date it expires properly. Seems very odd it just affected those bits but hey I suppose I will give the benifits of the doubt.

[mark131v]

2 minutes ago, alofthailand said:

Actually you were not supposed to take my comet literally which implied most people are not envious of a dim man who cannot pack his bag properly and in the absence of personality get cheap tattoos. As for youth of today, listen sonny- I don't envy you-I pity you. The last time I saw something so wet and useless it was forming a damp patch on my underpants.

 

Blimey....

That has got to be the best bitter old man rant I have heard for a looong time, are you an American by the way?

Bet you get to see damp stains on your undies on a fairly regular basis but never mind tena have something you can use for that