"Welcome To Hell" - inside a Thai prison

[BelgianBoy]

limbo said:

Maybe Texascity thinks that Pearl Harbor was a Belgian state?

 

In the early 4tees, nobody actually was hiding but pretty much all European countries got their respective asses kicked by Hitler's brilliant Blitz krieg. A feat he fortunately couldn't repeat too much ever after.

In the process of being over run by Hitler's forces, lots of local soldiers died. Not being Belgian myself, I don't think it needs to be called for to say anybody was hididng behind anything in thoses days, cause they just didn't and people died trying in vain to defend their home turfs.

Thanks for the common sense post.

 

BB

[Guest]

Gadfly1, what is your honest opinion on the latest war on drugs ( I believe this is war #3)?

I really don't know much about the current war on drugs. I recall that the last several drug wars were supposed to totally eradicate Thailand of illicit drugs, so I was under the impression that Thailand was totally drug free. ::

 

Seriously, this government is starting to have serious problems, and its favorite way of addressing those problems is through misdirection and misdirected populism; that is, diverting the public's attention with dramatic gestures that accomplish little and grandiose promises.

 

This is why I find comments such as "if you can't do the crime don't do the time" and pro-law enforcement chest thumping so absurd in a place like Thailand. There really is not much of a connection between (a) the police and ( the law in Thailand. In other words, the "war on drugs" has nothing to do with drugs, criminals or puishment of criminals. From this and earlier threads I am beginning to see that many people who come from countries where the rule of law has real substance really don't understand this about Thailand.

[Guest]

My favorite from my list is ?Thailand ? Economy and Politics? by Chris Baker and Khun Pasuk, but if you don't enjoy economic histories - the best way to really understand a place - you probably won't enjoy this book. I don't agree with all of the conclusions of the authors, but it is a well researched and well written book.

[texascity]

the New York Post had a funny cartoon this am suggesting that the only way to control the current 'France is burning' situition was to call the Germans.

:-o

Imus & Bo decided to open a car dealership in Paris, predicting an increased demand.. seems this incident will increase the demand for battery cars in france!

 

i was picking at BBoy & his defense of Leopold's slaughter of stick wielding natives ..

was just comparing success / attitude against sticks vs modern weapons

 

confession:

.. my O'Family ran from the Brits 140 years ago instead of standing & fighting with sticks / hoes a modern army

[BelgianBoy]

texascity said:

i was picking at BBoy & his defense of Leopold's slaughter of stick wielding natives ..

was just comparing success / attitude against sticks vs modern weapons

it seems to be you still have no clue, I never defended the prick at all, but you seem to have more imagination than knowledge

Back to Thai prisons then.....

 

BB

[jitagawn]

In other words, the "war on drugs" has nothing to do with drugs, criminals or puishment of criminals. From this and earlier threads I am beginning to see that many people who come from countries where the rule of law has real substance really don't understand this about Thailand

 

 

I must say we do share the same point of view.

[robaus]

Possible spoiler ahead. Don?t read on, till book read.

 

I enjoyed the book too - a compulsive read, especially when I think of the poor bastards suffering in Chonburi jail just 30 kms from where I am sitting right now in complete comfort.. Gives me pause to think, if ever I tangle with the MIB - pay up.

 

Two doubts I have about his story::

 

1. If he didn?t kill Holdsworth, who did? Maybe he is not giving us a full account of the fight. I suppose it?s possible that Holdsworth was mugged and killed by someone else as he lay half dazed.

 

2. Why after waiting years to track down O?Connor, and arranging the setup meeting so meticulously, did he not have any clear plan to go to a bank within business hours with some serious heavy paid police/minder support to collect what was owed. him. After all the false promises, to actually spend the night (alone in the end) at the home of such a snaky character doesn?t hold water. With so much money at stake it was virtually asking for trouble.

 

Easy for me to be wise after the event.

 

I hope the guy makes a fortune from the book and possible film royalties to compensate for all those lost year, especially to spite the disloyal Thai gf.

 

I hope O?Connor really did die. A faked death paying off the right people is a neat way to call off the heat.

I know a bloke in Pattaya who fits his description right down to the same twin nationalities.

 

[Bangkoktraveler]

[color:"red"] I know a bloke in Pattaya who fits his description right down to the same twin nationalities. [/color]

 

I have a funny feeling that everybody who reads your comment knows at least one falang or more who fit that profile! [color:"white"]aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa[/color]

[robaus]

It's Ok. The bloke in Pattaya isn't O'Connor. He says his name's Richard Bingham, but that his mates call him "LuckY"

 

.... he didn't half have a posh Pommie accent though!

 

 

[Guest]

There are inconsistencies in his story. But there are a few key facts in his story that would be very easy to demonstrate as false if those facts were untrue. And since he was charged with killing another Farang, and that Farang's family cared enough to confront him, they could easily refute those key facts. In other words, he is taking a big risk in putting some stuff to print, because if he is lying on some of that stuff, it would be very easy to demonstrate he is lying and completely destroy his credibility.

 

What am I talking about? There was not a single witness who testified about the fight. Not one. And there was absolutely no forensic evidence.

 

It is one thing to challenge the credibility of a witness, but it is something else altogether to say there were absolutely no witnesses. To completely destroy this author's credibility, all you need to do is demonstrate that just one witness testified about the fight. According to him, no one did. If he is lying about this, it would be very easy for the authorities or the victim?s family to prove - in another book or a critical article on the book - that he is lying about this very black and white fact. It is very simple: there either was or was not a witness. That doesn't seem to have occurred. Why?

 

There was also no forensic evidence tying him to the murder. This is not a case of competing or incomplete forensics; it is a case of absolutely no forensics. If his is lying about that, and there was forensic evidence, even if that evidence was weak, the authorities and victim?s family again have a chance to completely destroy his credibility. But again, this has not occurred. Why?

 

When someone makes these sorts of claims ? claims that are easily refuted, but are not ? it adds to the author's credibility in his descrption of the Thai justice system. And that is what I focused on.

 

I really don't know if the guy is guilty or not, but there is a bigger issue here. It is very troubling if someone can be convicted of murder when (a) there are absolutely no witnesses to the murder and ( no forensic evidence tying a suspect to a murder. It is very damning of the Thai legal system.

 

If the only evidence is one of this police orchestrated "re-enactments" - which everyone recognizes to be coerced - that is even more damning. Those re-enactments are stronger evidence of police coercion and torture rather than the guilt of a suspect. See the website I posted above on the UN sponsored report on police practices here.

 

In this month's "Farang" magazine there is an article on Dr. Pornthip, Thailand's chief forensic scientist. The article is a bit of a disappointment, but the fact that there is so much friction (at least on the police side) between the police and Thailand's chief forensic scientist speaks volumes. I see this as a much bigger issue.