Fish-feeding Russian tourist jailed in Phuket

[johng]

She didn't "have her liberty denied for 2 days", she didn't pay her bail for 2 days, she had a choice.

so she wasnt locked up in the police cells for 2 days ? maybe they kept her in a 5 star hotel with a guard at the door to prevent her running away.
And of course one should always carry a spare 100,000 baht in cash at all times in just in case.

[pumpjack]

im discusted at these people  !!! 

 

 

[MikeTexas]

I didn't even know it was illegal to feed the fish.

[joecoolfrog]

20 hours ago, stevenl said:

The Russian tourist could have read the signs in Russian.

 

And the tour operator could/should point out it is not allowed to feed the fish. But did they do this?

Are there signs ?

[gdgbb]

40 minutes ago, johng said:

so she wasnt locked up in the police cells for 2 days ? maybe they kept her in a 5 star hotel with a guard at the door to prevent her running away.
And of course one should always carry a spare 100,000 baht in cash at all times in just in case.

Yes, she was locked up but that was because she didn't pay her bail money,  no one deprived her of her liberty except for her, she was free to go anytime she met bail requirements.

[gdgbb]

12 minutes ago, malt25 said:

Oh ! so you have access to a lazy 100,000 24/7 ? Wow, a HiSo.

Bail money NOT at risk ????   You poor naïve gullible man. I spose you believe in the tooth fairy as well.

Yes, yes, I know. Smart arse reply coming.

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't but I didn't say that I had and that would be irrelevant anyway.

Bail money is not at risk unless the accused doesn't show up as required. 

 

" You poor naïve gullible man. I spose you believe in the tooth fairy as well."

Judging by your comment about naivete, gullibility and the tooth fairy, I take it that you have experience of losing bail money after meeting all bail requirements, yes?  Let's hear about it then.

 

If you consider factual and logical comments to be "smart-arsed" that is your prerogative.

[Oligabba]

13 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

Yes, she was locked up but that was because she didn't pay her bail money,  no one deprived her of her liberty except for her, she was free to go anytime she met bail requirements.

You seem determined to justify what happened. Are you so one eyed that you cannot see  the complete stupidity of this case, particularly when compared to many more serious crimes with trivial penalties?

[gdgbb]

 

6 minutes ago, Oligabba said:

You seem determined to justify what happened. Are you so one eyed that you cannot see  the complete stupidity of this case, particularly when compared to many more serious crimes with trivial penalties?

Where did I say that I don't think that the case is stupid? 

 

What I am doing is commenting on what happened and on what other members posted (as opposed to misinterpreting and twisting what happened) which is the whole point of a forum, isn't it?

 

What is the point of saying that other crimes that you, subjectively, think are more serious have trivial penalties when no penalty has even been given in this case?

Edited February 23, 2017 by gdgbb

[ourmanflint]

22 hours ago, DNPBC0 said:

I did a 'quick and dirty' Google search..  As I now understand it, the issue seems to be  all about the preservation of coral reefs.  Algae grows on coral, and, if it is not controlled, the coral dies.  Fish normally eat the algae and keep it from taking over the reef.  If fish are given an alternative and more attractive food (eg bread), they eat less of the algae, and there is less chance that the algal growth will be safely controlled . We need a marine biologist to confirm all this . However, even if it is correct, I do wonder how far tourists know about the prohibition on feeding fish in regulated areas and how far they understand the rationale for the prohibition.  In the circumstances, I entirely agree that the present  response of the authorities to infringements of the ban is well over the top.

The logic behind it is nonsense. The fish that eat algae off coral such as Tangs and other specialised algivores are not the same ones usually fed by tourists, these are usually such things as sergeant majors, the blue/yellow striped ones, and other omnivorous damselfish. 

[maximillian]

2 hours ago, gdgbb said:

"Spread the story all over Russia..."

Ironically, that's probably the best suggestion that's been made so far!

 

"Thailand's injustice and crazyness !'

Let's wait and see, no justice, or injustice, has been meted out yet.  The chances are that the worst that will happen to her is she will get a small fine and then her friends will get their bail money back.

 

 

 

It's injustice, it's unfairness, it's inequity, it's unrighteousness, it's wrongfulness with or without a verdict of a Thai court. Even to fine her 500 Baht for feeding the fish would be injustice, considering the thousands and thousands of tons of garbage deposited in the sea by Thai people. She did not do any harm to anybody. Whenever any of us is buying a fish on the market, he is doing more harm to sea life. Not ?

[jippytum]

This tourist is very hard done by .Last year i was in Sri Lanka and the tourists where encouraged to feed fish and turtles that swam close to shore. In some local parks and moats in Thailand stall holders sell fish food for tourists to feed the fish .Hard to know right from wrong .Personally i would fine local  people for feeding soi dogs and pigeons .

[ukrules]

This is a whole new level of retarded behaviour by whichever buffoon is in charge of the area.

 

Even I'm surprised by this and i takes quite a bit to surprise me these days.

[off road pat]

On 2/22/2017 at 9:08 AM, Mango Bob said:

I wonder if a Thai person would have to pay that much in bail to get out or even charged.

I guess this is a rhetorical question ? because we all know the answer to this !!!

[alfalfa19]

3 hours ago, gdgbb said:

There has been no penalty so far.

 

Perhaps none of those circumstances will apply to this woman, it is not unlikely that she may have planned her holiday to, coincidentally, stay long enough for her court date anyway.

riiiiggggtt.   and it's not unlikely she planned  to spend two nights in a thai jail as part of her vacation as well, correct? what a wonderful, authentic slice of thai life vacation she planned in advance.   how clever is that?  wow!

 

edit:   i've looked at some of your other posts after posting my response to you.  it's clear that you are a troll, and delight in getting other members riled up with your asinine comments.  

Edited February 23, 2017 by alfalfa19

[balo]

I speak Thai, read Thai, and read the News every day. But I had no idea that it was illegal to feed fish in the sea. How could a tourist possibly know this? Why can you feed fish in the Chao Phaya River but not near Koh Racha? I expect that the judge will dismiss this insane case.

I think the story is wrong. There was a Chinese tourist arrested for collecting live fish in a bottle atvthe same spot. He also ended up with 2 days in jail. Maybe she was collecting live fish ?

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, malt25 said:

Oh ! so you have access to a lazy 100,000 24/7 ? Wow, a HiSo.

Bail money NOT at risk ????   You poor naïve gullible man. I spose you believe in the tooth fairy as well.

Yes, yes, I know. Smart arse reply coming.

You make a smart arse reply, but some people have more decency.

[free123]

ok feeding fish is a crime in thailand...what next to come  ?  some suggestions : shaking somebody's hand after 1 pm, eating icecream while crossing a road, wearing a blue t shirt on Wednesday s , running after a bus, carrying two suitcases at the same time but only on uneven days...etc etc...the possibility s are endless...maybe I am heavy criminal and not even knowing...soon the thai police will teach me charging couple of millions so i can get out of the hole they throw me in before...beware there is scum who dances after midnight...

[farcanell]

On 2/22/2017 at 3:36 PM, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Ahhh they have invented a new way to milk more money from all their quality tourists, crafty. 

Amazing Thailand.... it just keeps getting better and better!

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, gdgbb said:

That doesn't make any sense either, she has not been fined B100,000!

Not yet.... but the law seems to allows for 1 year, or 100,000 or both... so I'm betting she won't see any of the bail paid back on 6 march ( I think that's when it goes to court)

 

im wondering if she brought the bread with her, or bought it from the boat.

[quadperfect]

Its getting really weird here.

[fvw53]

9 hours ago, jolive said:

So fish feeding is a crime in Thailand?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I can understand such prohibition in a zoo but in the open sea where you can swim 

[johnno2]

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 3:38 PM, johng said:

Absolutely disgusting  I hope this gets the worldwide media attention it deserves.

There is a "share" link on the story. Share it on your facebook, I did

[Essaybloke]

Held in a cell for 2 days for...for... feeding fish....

It's not often that words fail me....but....... 

[harleyclarkey]

These utterly pathetic and idiotic fools make the Keystone Cops look like a Sea Six team.

 

It actually defies belief!!

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, gdgbb said:

No overstay is charged for being detained by police after the expiration of a visa.

Er, I was being facetious.....

[wvavin]

Speechless!

[Gandtee]

5 hours ago, gdgbb said:

The only reason that she spent two days in jail is because she didn't come up with the bail money quick enough.   It's a shame that you are confusing reality with stupidity.

Stupidity? Is not having Bt100,000 stupidity? I would suggest the police who created this fiasco are more deserving this label.

[ezrider62]

On 2/22/2017 at 2:36 PM, canopus1969 said:

<deleted>' amazing 

Yes, <deleted> amazing!

[Retiredandhappyhere]

On 2/22/2017 at 3:47 PM, gdgbb said:

She hasn't received any penalty yet, she has to appear in court first for that to happen.

 

Excuse me!  She has already spent 2 nights in jail and had to part (even if just temporarily) with 100,000 bahts, suffered some unjust humiliation and is not allowed to leave the country until the court hearing in March.   Unless she was intending to stay in the country longer anyway, she could be involved in additional living expenses, until her passport is returned and in any event her holiday in "Amazing Thailand" has been ruined.

 

Whatever the outcome of the TRIAL, you can be sure that she will never come back to Thailand again and the resulting publicity of this ridiculous case will deter many more potential tourists from coming as well.

 

Thailand has an uncanny knack of spending millions advertising for more tourists and then by one stupid "over-the-top" act, undoing the planned good work. Publicly arresting the elderly bridge players was another classic example.

[farcanell]

37 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Stupidity? Is not having Bt100,000 stupidity? I would suggest the police who created this fiasco are more deserving this label.

They will happily escort you directly across the road to the 7/11 teller machine.

 

which is not to say that the bail is ridiculously high, considering they have confiscated her passport, and may need the money to extend her stay here.

 

ah.... but the fine may be 100,000, and they can't have her spending that, can they?