webfact Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 BBC journalist faces five years jail for Thailand reporting A British journalist with the BBC faces up to five years in a Thai jail after a lawyer brought a criminal defamation case against him over an investigation into fraud on a popular tourist island. Rights groups say the case exposes how Thailand's broad defamation and computer crime laws scupper investigative journalism and make it difficult to expose wrongdoing in a country where corruption is endemic. The prosecution was sparked by a September 2015 report by Jonathan Head, the BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent, looking at how two foreign retirees were scammed out of their properties in Phuket. Full story: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/bbc-journalist-faces-five-years-jail-thailand-reporting-065223772.html -- YAHOO! News 2017-02-23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reigntax Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 And these imbaciles believe they have created the environment to encourage foreign investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceanbat Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 This country is a joke. OB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksidedog Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 And this is exactly how a bunch of shysters managed to get rid of Andrew Drummond. They piled numerous spurious complaints against him, becasue he was revealing who these con men were, and what they were doing. Each rubbish complaint required hundres of thousands of baht in bail, and they kept doing it until he ran out of money and had to leave to stay out of jail. The BBC is known for its impartiality and accurate, well researched journalism. Thieves do not like being brought into the spotlight, and this is simply an attempt to shut Jonathan up, so they can continue to screw people over. I agree that Thailands laws on defamation and Computer crimes are utterly absurd and really only benefit, in their current form, predominantly those the laws are supposed to protect the innocent public from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Good luck Mr. Head. You really stepped on a hornets nest with this story. Exposes so many Thai scams in one story. Can't have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkidlad Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Bring this into the international light. Let foreigners see that investing money here is a massive gamble and the house always wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Allen Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Time for so-called "diplomats" to get medieval on Thai government officials. It's gone far enough. Defamation, Lese Majeste etc. Non-Thai residents should be immune from prosecution under these insane statutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoon Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 (edited) If you are thinking of telling anyone about the endemic/systemic lying, cheating, corruption, political/corporate criminality, etc in Thailand bear this in mind: "Thailand’s top court Thursday dismissed a criminal defamation claim against a labor rights activist over jurisdictional issues, but he still faces jail time from a conviction in another complaint brought by a pineapple processing company. The Supreme Court ruled that Briton Andy Hall, who has campaigned for years in Thailand for the rights of migrant workers from Myanmar and other countries, could not be tried in Thailand because the plaintiff had no power to prosecute him over comments made in another country. The charges were filed over comments made to the Al-Jazeera television network three years ago in Myanmar." Edited February 23, 2017 by Enoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tukkytuktuk Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 And this is exactly how a bunch of shysters managed to get rid of Andrew Drummond. They piled numerous spurious complaints against him, becasue he was revealing who these con men were, and what they were doing. Each rubbish complaint required hundres of thousands of baht in bail, and they kept doing it until he ran out of money and had to leave to stay out of jail. The BBC is known for its impartiality and accurate, well researched journalism. Thieves do not like being brought into the spotlight, and this is simply an attempt to shut Jonathan up, so they can continue to screw people over. I agree that Thailands laws on defamation and Computer crimes are utterly absurd and really only benefit, in their current form, predominantly those the laws are supposed to protect the innocent public from.Andrew Drummond amateur journalist with website and twitter account, nothing like Jonathan Head from the world renowned BBC. I shouldn't worry it will be a repeat of the Andy Hall trial. If found guilty a suspended sentence and a fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick dasterdly Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I suspect the end result will be the same as with Andrew Drummond and Andy Hall - Jonathan Head is being warned to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 With all the talk of ' reform ' by the padites and their military friends it's a real pity that the defamation laws are not on the top of the reform list. It's a crazy situation whereby anyone who exposes a well connected thief doing something criminal is themselves likely to be the one who ends up with a heavy fine or jail sentence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark131v Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Don't worry we will have a few junta huggers along shortly to attempt to justify the unjustifiable.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 The truth shall not set you free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 (edited) Posts containing offensive language have been removed. Edited February 23, 2017 by metisdead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark131v Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said: The truth shall not set you free. Very true, unfortunately LoS is cess pit where there is precious little in the way of honour or justice and it appears that the better educated (aka moneyed Thais or most successful tea leaves!) where absent on the day that rare commodity was issued... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainarong Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 (edited) Just muzzle the press, well lets define that, the international press, the locals have shown time and again they've no balls so they don't count, however having known a good reporter ruined by the Military Hi-So for disclosing some filthy habits of some Junta generals a long time ago and perhaps some old time reporters still remember, I understand ......................................... Edited February 23, 2017 by chainarong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seismic Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 If i understand correctly you can be charged under the computer crime act just for creating a link to the original story ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allstars Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I swear I will NOT speak the truth and nothing else but NOT the truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Plenty of negative stories for journalists around the world to run about Phuket daily for the next 2 years. No need to make anything up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilsonandson Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I suspect the end result will be the same as with Andrew Drummond and Andy Hall - Jonathan Head is being warned to leave.Has that Andrew Drummond fella left Thailand? Really? As Fred Flintstone says "Yabba dabba do!" Great news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark131v Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Just now, Wilsonandson said: Has that Andrew Drummond fella left Thailand? Really? As Fred Flintstone says "Yabba dabba do!" Great news! Yes indeed, always good when an investigative journalist leaves a corrupt dictatorship as that will certainly make the place a fairer and safer place...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonw8uk Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 The defamation laws here runs a close second to the 'talking about the unmentionables' law, and it really hobbles the country in making real progess. Its sad that the laws only protect those that ought to be exposed, those that run the country, and those that influence the people in power. Even though all of them are rich beyond belief, its never enough to take their stranglehold off, and let the country flourish. Even more sad that they know it, and yet still continue to open defamation cases against people who tell the truth, rather than address the issue c#nts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onemorechang Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 The truth always hurts the weak. Amazing Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the guest Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I think if they jail him it will send a very clear message to foreigners not to get involved with Thais or their politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tso310 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Didn't they try and get him on similar charges after the aifrport takeover a few years ago. Probably can't repeat what the story he posted said but the BBC moved him to Turkey until it was safe to return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallander4 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Message is clear : Do not buy property or Invest any money at all in Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonewolf99 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Strange - just logged onto BBC World internet and there is no mention of this....................... But I always thought that any news reporter here foreign or local was sailing close to the wind every time they tried to report anything. Have we all forgotten so quickly that it was only to be "good news"....or else !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfarang Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 4 hours ago, Oceanbat said: This country is a joke. OB Farlangs in Thailand know the score, buying land and businesses in their Thai wives names does not let them off the hook under the law. Can`t feel any pity for that guy at all, he took a gamble on trust and lost as so many others do in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotheruser Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 3 hours ago, dick dasterdly said: I suspect the end result will be the same as with Andrew Drummond and Andy Hall - Jonathan Head is being warned to leave. Hopefully he stays and does the time. Not because he deserves it but so people see how insane the people that run this country are. If he gets 5 years that makes news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGareth2 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 surprised it is not being reported by the BBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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