Prominent British rights activist Andy Hall, fearing for safety, leaves Thailand

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Exclusive: Prominent UK rights activist, fearing for safety, leaves Thailand

By Alisa Tang

 

Andy Hall. File photo

 

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Prominent British rights activist Andy Hall left Thailand early on Monday, saying he feared for his safety amid legal problems and growing harassment from companies that have been "irrational, vindictive and aggressive".

 

Hall, who has worked on the rights of migrant workers in Thailand for 11 years, has recently faced defamation lawsuits by companies he has accused of labour violations.

 

"The situation is not good right now," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone on Sunday before his flight, speaking from Mahachai, a town near Bangkok and the centre of Thailand's seafood processing industry.

 

Full story: http://in.reuters.com/article/thailand-rights-activist-idINKBN1310XA

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2016-11-07

[Thechook]

No place for human rights in Thailand, the people are a commodity of the Thai hiso and thier companies. 

[jabis]

I'm quite sad to say I was expecting this reading his latest endeavours. Another one muzzled.

[Somtamnication]

The state of this country with regards to this issue and other "rights" is very very troubling. 

[Thailand]

And the Thai Visa survey showing that 50% of members had also considered leaving Thailand came as a surprise to many? 

[Kerryd]

No doubt he will write/publish more in the future. He'll just be doing it from a place where he won't get thrown in jail for speaking the truth.

[greenchair]

Pleased to hear he is safe and not going to be another dead foreigner. 

I was expecting to pick up the paper, with him as front page dead news any day.

Good luck andy hall. 

 

[JAG]

Perhaps, as well as talking about hilarious boxing matches between pensioners, The Mirror, (UK mass circulation newspaper) could take up this case?

[simon43]

Although my own situation is absolutely insignificant when compared to that of Andy, (and the previous Andrew), it was corruption and the lack of rule-of-law that also caused me recently to leave Thailand after 15 years, fearing for my own safety and a 'fake' criminal charge.

 

Like Andy, some years ago, I was also subject to a criminal charge, which means that you are unable too leave the country, nor work, until the case against you has been fully resolved.  That can (and did in my case) take years and a fair amount of money to resolve.

 

It is much easier to fight your corner whilst outside Thailand.  As for me, when flying international out from Myanmar, I now chose routes that avoid changing in Bangkok.

 

 

[cumgranosalum]

I think many who post on TV can sympathise with this man, to a greater or lesser extent we all feel the might of the Thai authorities every time we speak..........Once out of Thailand I too will again feel free to write/say/post whatever I like.

[jamesbrock]

2 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

I think many who post on TV can sympathise with this man, to a greater or lesser extent we all feel the might of the Thai authorities every time we speak..........Once out of Thailand I too will again feel free to write/say/post whatever I like.

 

There is a reason I've been relatively quiet these past few days...

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, Thechook said:

No place for human rights in Thailand, the people are a commodity of the Thai hiso and thier companies. 

Humans, nearly everywhere in the world, are called human resources, another glorified name for commodities for local and international companies and their overpaid and overvalued "managers".

[selftaopath]

2 hours ago, jabis said:

I'm quite sad to say I was expecting this reading his latest endeavours. Another one muzzled.

Yea.... democracy Thai style. No wonder so many smiles.... such a joke. 

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post has been removed. 

[tilaceer]

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

And the Thai Visa survey showing that 50% of members had also considered leaving Thailand came as a surprise to many? 

 

50% of 572 members had considered leaving.

[MaxLee]

When FACE and INFLUENTIAL STATUS stabs you in the behind....

Amazing Thailand.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[simon43]

It is perhaps worth explaining how 'easy' it is to cause a foreigner to be barred from leaving Thailand.  It doesn't require a Court of Law to seize their passport, nor does it require any presentation of accusation or evidence to that Court or the poilce.

 

All it requires is filing of a charge with the police of a criminal act committed by that foreigner, such as stealing 50 baht.  Stealing is a criminal offence, not a civil offence.

 

After registering the charge with the local police (costs 30 baht I seem to recall to file a charge), it is a very simple process to then visit your local immigration office and ask that a bar be placed on the foreigner leaving the country. The immigration computers at all airports and border crossings are linked together and check for those trying to enter Thailand who are barred from doing so, and for those trying to exit Thailand who are barred from doing so.

 

Voila!  Once you name is on that list of foreigners barred from leaving Thailand, you cannot leave the country (by legal means), without going to a Court of Law to try to get the charges dropped or resolved.

 

It is the ease by which anyone (Thai or foreigner) who has a grudge against another person can get that person's name added to the immigration computer blacklist that makes a complete mockery of the due process of law.

 

 

[Loaded]

The lack of a consistent justice system is a sacrifice we need to make to live here. We're not going to change them.

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, greenchair said:

Pleased to hear he is safe and not going to be another dead foreigner. 

I was expecting to pick up the paper, with him as front page dead news any day.

Good luck andy hall. 

 

Like a balcony mishap?

[maxman71]

7 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

 

Have a bad start to this morning did you?

My morning is going just fine, thank you. The topic at hand is how Mr. Hall's morning is going, and it appears from this article it is not going well for him. Or are you having reading comprehension issues ??? There is help available for you. The first step is realizing you have a problem. Get on it. 

[Deepinthailand]

27 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

 

Have a bad start to this morning did you?

Actually I guess on hearing the news he had a good start to the morning.

[phantomfiddler]

Smart move, Andy !

[pogal]

Asia (and perhaps the world in general) is getting that way nowadays: 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/myanmar-times-journalist-fired-fiona-macgregor

[worgeordie]

When you are fighting an unwinnable battle,even when your cause is just,

and you are in the right,better to move on,and continue the fight from a

place of safety,the alternative is to spend years in a Thai jail,for what ! 

speaking the truth.

regards worgeordie

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps, as well as talking about hilarious boxing matches between pensioners, The Mirror, (UK mass circulation newspaper) could take up this case?

he was lucky to get out alive. any more publicity and they would have bumped him. guy deserves a medal for surviving 11 years trying to help the thousands of foreigners who get treated like s#it in thailand.

[Canceraid]

Thailand is going to the pits, its beyond slavation. Time for all decent expats to leave and really for all decent foreigners to stop coming here. Decent humans should boycott thai products if they are using slave labour.

 

[StefanBBK]

10 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

When you are fighting an unwinnable battle,even when your cause is just,

and you are in the right,better to move on,and continue the fight from a

place of safety,the alternative is to spend years in a Thai jail,for what ! 

speaking the truth.

regards worgeordie

This sums it up very nicely. 

[Bkk Brian]

So sad, Andy was on borrowed time in Thailand, getting out while he could was the only way to be safe. I admire the work he did but personal safety has to be his priority

[Deepinthailand]

8 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

When you are fighting an unwinnable battle,even when your cause is just,

and you are in the right,better to move on,and continue the fight from a

place of safety,the alternative is to spend years in a Thai jail,for what ! 

speaking the truth.

regards worgeordie

Just,  right, place of safety, truth.  Your words your opinion.

TRUTH.  is told by many people there versions of the truth that is.

PLACE OF SAFTEY. or just another headline grabber (I refer you to truth).

RIGHT. who is right (I refer you th truth)

JUST. a provocative word easily used to defend oneself or ones actions (I refer you to truth).

Not everything is black and white and Truth is whatever you/he/she belives it to be.

20 people can witness one incident there will be 20 True accounts of the incident all diffrent.

[mettech]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

It is perhaps worth explaining how 'easy' it is to cause a foreigner to be barred from leaving Thailand.  It doesn't require a Court of Law to seize their passport, nor does it require any presentation of accusation or evidence to that Court or the poilce.

 

All it requires is filing of a charge with the police of a criminal act committed by that foreigner, such as stealing 50 baht.  Stealing is a criminal offence, not a civil offence.

 

After registering the charge with the local police (costs 30 baht I seem to recall to file a charge), it is a very simple process to then visit your local immigration office and ask that a bar be placed on the foreigner leaving the country. The immigration computers at all airports and border crossings are linked together and check for those trying to enter Thailand who are barred from doing so, and for those trying to exit Thailand who are barred from doing so.

 

Voila!  Once you name is on that list of foreigners barred from leaving Thailand, you cannot leave the country (by legal means), without going to a Court of Law to try to get the charges dropped or resolved.

 

It is the ease by which anyone (Thai or foreigner) who has a grudge against another person can get that person's name added to the immigration computer blacklist that makes a complete mockery of the due process of law.

 

 

So it seen very fragile situation for any of us being in thailand it seen so easy to screw anyone up.

So what happen if the guy being charge with a dubious charge fight it but his stay come to expire will he be going to jail forever for 50bht??