Discovery Channel adventurer calls for justice for his Thai wife

[webfact]

Discovery Channel adventurer calls for justice for his Thai wife

 

Picture: Thairath

 

BANGKOK: -- The husband of jailed Thai ex-supermodel Yuyee has called for justice and the release of his wife.

 

The hashtag started by Frank Cuesta is #freeyuyee and is trending around the world. There is also a campaign on Instagram calling for the release of the mother of four, Thai Rath reported.

 

The appeal court in Thailand has just confirmed her 15 year 3 month sentence after she was caught at Don Muang airport in 2012 with 0.251 (251 milligrams) of cocaine. She has also been ordered to pay a fine of 1.5 million baht.

 

Frank Cuesta is a vet and adventurer currently famous for the Discovery Channel show "Wild Frank".

 

Many have said that the sentence for the Thai actress was overly harsh especially when compared to others caught with drugs.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-17

[Andrew65]

Overly harsh?

 

These are the penalties for possession/disposal only of a class 2 narcotic, (cocaine).

 

• Up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 – 200,000 Baht or both for disposal or possession for the purpose of disposal. In the case of morphine, opium or cocaine, 3-20 years or a fine of 60,000 – 400,000 Baht if the amount is under 100 grams, or 3-20 years or a fine of 500,000 – 5,000,000 Baht if over

Probably would be harsh by Western standards, but we're not in a Western country.

 

Then again, maybe sufficient "tea money" wasn't forthcoming, and they sound like fairly affluent people, plus she's Thai, so she should have known how it works here.

[beautifulthailand99]

She should have got drunk and killed a lo-so and spent 5 days as a nun.

[Get Real]

Just a little adventurous boy having a tv-show, that believes his small fame can stand above the law. Just bit on it and suck it up. You wife made a choise that left you with the children.
You just should have known who you married from start.

[Somtamnication]

Sad for her four children, but at the end of the day, she did have cocaine on her and she has to pay the price for that stupidity.

[jerojero]

If you're stupid enough to try and cross international borders with illegal drugs, you get what you deserve. She damn well knew the severity of her home country's drug laws. No excuse for her, and him too.... knowing she's got drugs on her while entering the kingdom.

[ezzra]

 

I still remember her posted on a giant billboard on the Asoke-Sukhuvit rd 15 or so years ago, since than she has lived in a tumultuous times with many ups and downs in her life and career and to end up in jail as a drug mule, Oh, what a tangled web we weave....

[jonclark]

9 minutes ago, ezzra said:

 

I still remember her posted on a giant billboard on the Asoke-Sukhuvit rd

15 or so years ago, since than she has lived in a tumultuous times

with many ups and downs in her life and career and to end up in jail as

a drug mule, Oh, what a tangled web we weave....

0.2g hardly makes her a drugs mule. 

 

Drugs and the abuse and consumption of drugs (like alcohol prescription meds and tobacco) is a social not criminal issue.

 

Locking someone up for 15 years for 0.2grams of a substance is utter nonsense. Will this sentence deter other who want to take drugs. Abosoluty not! That much is obvious as ice/yaba and other drug user are continually flooding prisions most being repeat offenders. 

 

Society needs to lool at the issue through a different filter. 

 

Feel very sorry for this young family.

[vadid]

She couldn't care less about her children, knew the risks of being caught with cocaine, but still carried. Double her sentence.

[rkidlad]

You can quote the laws and the penalties as much as young like. At the end of the day, if everyone is receiving the proper punishments for having cocaine, getting drunk and killing someone in their car or shooting people in the head in a nightclub, you'd have a point. But it doesn't happen. 

 

I'd much rather see someone walk or receive a lenient sentence for having a bit of coke than seeing them walk for murder or completey negligent driving. 

Edited March 16, 2017 by rkidlad

[Amras]

5 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

You can quote the laws and the penalties as much as young like. At the end of the day, if everyone is receiving the proper punishments for having cocaine, getting drunk and killing someone in their car or shooting people in the head in a nightclub, you'd have a point. But it doesn't happen. 

 

I'd much rather see someone walk or receive a lenient sentence for having a bit of coke than seeing them walk for murder or completey negligent driving. 

Agreed. Geez I haven't been reading a lot of comments lately, but damn. Most ThaiVisa posters are still the same. High mighty sitting behind their computer. 

 

It's 0.2grams for personal use. Hardly worth 15 years in prison. A significant fine maybe, community service (which would be good in Thailand) but not jail. 

While other's drive unlicensed or drunk and kill 1 or multiple people in car accidents walk away with no more than a sorry, it's pathetic really. 

 

She's not a dealer, she's not selling. 

Remember the only difference between Alcohol and other 'hard' drugs is one is illegal the other isn't. The all ruin a heap of lives, cause violence, dependency and so on. Except 'weed', you'd be hard pressed to find the same amount of negative social consequences of that plant. (Note I don't do any 'drugs' and rarely drink, but I also believe in the choice for other people to do and deal with, the consequences of their own choices). 

 

Asia and their war on drugs....while running people over in the street is more acceptable. I'll never understand it....

[z42]

I can't believe the gall of some posters here actually condemning this women. There are so many red flags in this case, the gear she supposedly had was never actually presented to the court, and her case file had her sign a confession which she said she was forced to sign, and she was denied access to a lawyer at the point of arrest.
Also anyone who knows anything about this drug would know that outside the source countries (south american nations) the likelihood of the end user getting the drug with a purity of above 40% is slim at best (because almost every level dealer cuts it with other substances to bulk it up). So on that basis alone the amount she will have had will have been literally 1 (yes one) grain of salt's worth.

The influential figure story was completely overlooked in court, not even any investigation into that. This whole case stinks to high heaven. Adn what makes it even worse is that actual criminals who have killed or maimed innocent people either in their cars or through intentional acts have not only escaped jail for those crimes, but also certainly done so through acts of bribery / perverting the course of justice (themselves gross crimes in their own right).

 

The random and inconsistent application of the law is a key calling card of a banana republic justice arm. It is sick, indefensible, and morally bankrupt as is. My heart bleeds for all involved in this case, these innocent kids and their father's lives have been destroyed, and for what? I feel sick to my stomach every time i hear about this case, a complete miscarriage and abuse of power.  

[Elkski]

I'm not expert but 0.22grams of coke is maybe 2 snorts?   so that's like a 6 pack of beer.

From Drugs-forum dot  com

 

"  I stick to a gram or less for myself for a night, that
lets me do a decent line every 30 mins. or so for a good 6 hours or so.
That's what I would recommend for people just trying to have fun and
not get hooked on the stuff". 

 

Based on this she has an hour of high there. 

I wonder how many of you guys saying she deserved this take pharma drugs like Oxy or other opiates but think pot of coke deserve 15 years.

  Man that would be a way for way for someone to wreck you life by planting something in your overnight bag.

 

[Amras]

1 minute ago, z42 said:

I can't believe the gall of some posters here actually condemning this women. There are so many red flags in this case, the gear she supposedly had was never actually presented to the court, and her case file had her sign a confession which she said she was forced to sign, and she was denied access to a lawyer at the point of arrest.
Also anyone who knows anything about this drug would know that outside the source countries (south american nations) the likelihood of the end user getting the drug with a purity of above 40% is slim at best (because almost every level dealer cuts it with other substances to bulk it up). So on that basis alone the amount she will have had will have been literally 1 (yes one) grain of salt's worth.

The influential figure story was completely overlooked in court, not even any investigation into that. This whole case stinks to high heaven. Adn what makes it even worse is that actual criminals who have killed or maimed innocent people either in their cars or through intentional acts have not only escaped jail for those crimes, but also certainly done so through acts of bribery / perverting the course of justice (themselves gross crimes in their own right).

 

The random and inconsistent application of the law is a key calling card of a banana republic justice arm. It is sick, indefensible, and morally bankrupt as is. My heart bleeds for all involved in this case, these innocent kids and their father's lives have been destroyed, and for what? I feel sick to my stomach every time i hear about this case, a complete miscarriage and abuse of power.  

 

I feel the same. As much as I love Thailand, the upper echelon's of its society make me angry. Add to that the posters here who jump on the bandwagon all in the name of 'x'. Disgusting.

[aussieinthailand]

Kill nine innocent people in a mini bus but you have a special family name are hi-so and money, you walk free.

Old hungry and poor and pick mushrooms 15 years gaol.

son of red bull and kill a cop, walk free until stat of limitations are up.

Sit on a train to visit Hua Hin and call for transparent investigations of junta park statues, gaol. (red shirt).

Order use of live rounds on protesters, walk free, Suthep.

Click like of FB gaol,,,,,   but only if the junta don't like it.

Remove elected government and break international human rights laws and military courts for civilians, walk free.

Be the wife of a falang and not pay tea money gaol for a very very long time.

And some here still will not see corruption that is in front of them...

Husband needs to be very careful what he say's publicly as he just may find himself in s***t load of trouble in LOS...

 

[jonclark]

47 minutes ago, vadid said:

She couldn't care less about her children, knew the risks of being caught with cocaine, but still carried. Double her sentence.

 

If there is any karma in the world , hopefully today you'll have a nasty car accident. And none of use will care. Peace !

Edited March 16, 2017 by jonclark

[Elkski]

How many of these guys saying her 15 years was a just punishment use prostitutes or even underage?

[Wilsonandson]

Carry a couple of lines of Coke through Swampy and get 15 years in hell or beat to a pulp two old aged pensioners and their son and get 2 years in hell.

Choices.

[craigt3365]

Incredible.  Many times here, you don't even go to jail if you kill somebody.  Even if done with a gun.  Unreal.  Justice at it's worst.

[J Smith]

My god, the Texans come out the woodwork for articles like this!!!   She's in jail cos someone with more clout wanted her there, seems clear enough to me.

[kmj]

1 hour ago, jonclark said:

0.2g hardly makes her a drugs mule. 

 

 

No, but it makes her an Ass...

[brewsterbudgen]

How many of these guys saying her 15 years was a just punishment use prostitutes or even underage?

Using prostitutes is not illegal in Thailand, so I'm not sure what your point is. Underage sex is certainly a crime and a damn sight more serious than 2 gms of coke!

Sent from my SM-A500F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[LannaGuy]

43 minutes ago, kmj said:

 

No, but it makes her an Ass...

and you know the full story do you?  that she upset an 'influential figure'  over an animal and then .5mg was found in her purse?  a mother of 3?  I'd suggest you do SOME research and you can start in the 'other' paper

 

a cruel injustice  

 

BTW it wasn't 251mg  this was added later it was much less but then they said they had 'no scales' at the airport - funny that huh?  READ what it said on her conviction and it isn't 251 it was 5mg

Edited March 17, 2017 by LannaGuy

[mercman24]

stupid harsh sentence.but as said before a Thai should know the consequences of her action, i cant for the life of me wonder why she had to have that stuff on her, when one can go to lower sukhumvit in Bangkok and buy any shit you want, must be brain dead.

[LannaGuy]

11 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

stupid harsh sentence.but as said before a Thai should know the consequences of her action, i cant for the life of me wonder why she had to have that stuff on her, when one can go to lower sukhumvit in Bangkok and buy any shit you want, must be brain dead.

and so you are assuming she knew she had it?  and the 'influential person' she upset, according to the 'other' paper???   unbelievable some posters on here 

 

5mg looks like this

 

even IF she knew 15 years??? my heart goes out to her it really does

 

 

Edited March 17, 2017 by LannaGuy

[chatette]

She is a wildlife protection activist who was arrested and jailed for upsetting vested interests involved in the billion dollar industry of smuggling animals and their parts out of and through Thailand.
The 0.2 grams of cocaine allegedly found in her possession wasn't even in a bag; it's a preposterously tiny amount that you'd need a microscope to find let alone identify. Her jailing is a yet another complete stitch up in a country where law and order is meaningless.

[dinsdale]

0.22g is basically residue in the bag. 15 yrs + Bt1.5 mil. Wonder where that money goes. The 'Justice System' in this country is ludicrous.

[Oziex1]

So she thought she was above the law? Like all the other wealthy, famous Thais who beat the system.

 

What was her real crime? Not paying her respects to the right people no doubt. 

 

Unlike the anti drug hang em high brigade I don't see her as a vicious criminal, they are running the country!

[djayz]

How long until they come after the husband? 

[Rykbanlor]

This forum is still riddled with the sad elderly white male narrow perspective true, but there is hope as I see a lot of positive comments garnering a lot of likes, so it seems there are plenty of us with a slightly more accomodating, realistic and compassionate outlook.

 

Bring the hate!