A friend in Thai jail

[bust]

I know a guy who has just spent 7 years in Klong Phem before being extradited to Italy. Aussie guy, Thai wife. He got pinched on a narcotics charge with they never officially charged him with, just kept him there on a conspiracy bullshit. The guy was guilty as shit but they could never find a scrap of evidence to convict him. So they just kept him locked up because basically they didn't like him. The Italians however did have evidence and I believe he just receieved 14 years. Never visited him but a few mates of mine did. He told them the Thais were easy to deal with in there, the big problem was the Nigerians. He would sometimes have to get himself thrown into solitary for attacking a prisoner to prevent being killed by them. This guy is a complete lunatic but saw them as a major threat to his well being.

[limbo]

Assuming the web link accurately summarizes the charges against him , it seems as though there is only one legitimate charge against him (unless you consider "being a member of a secret society", whatever the hell that means, to be a crime), and that charge is extortion and attempted murder.

 

That is a serious matter anywhere. But if the website's summary of the case against him provides an accurate and complete summary of the case against him, it doesn't sound as though much evidence has been provided to back up the charges.

 

All I know about this matter is what I read on the website, but what troubles me is that it fits a pattern here. Maybe there is plenty of evidence to back up the charges and the site just conveniently fails to mention that evidence (I don't know), but the vagaries of the legal system here are very troubling.

 

I am not familiar the case against this guy, but I am familiar with the business world here. Right now we are seeing attempts to enact laws that will criminalize companies that are currently legal and force foreigners to divest holdings in companies that are legal under current law. No one disputes that the proposed amendments to the Foreign Business Act, if enacted and enforced, will be applied to retroactively force foreignors to sell off their previously legal holdings in Thai companies.

 

That is not right. When these sorts of changes to the law are given serious consideration, it calls the integrity of the entire system into question. And when the integrity of the entire system is legimately called into question, it means you have to question charges against a guy that may or may not be totally justified.

 

Gadfly,

 

To the best of my knowledge, the site summarizes the charges against him accurately.

 

It's not extortion and attempted murder but threatening and extortion, no where does it say attempted murder.

 

The problem is that there is no evidence so far provided by the Thai juridical system to back anything up. That's the frustrating part.

[limbo]

My guess is the Thais are pressuring Crispin to give evidence against Pramual Somwong and others who were doing some dubious land deals on Samui. Since Limbo doesn't want us to discusss his guilt or innocence in the matter the point is kind of mute.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/20/national/national_30009141.php

 

Chuck,

 

He was areested in the same time frame that this case started to play and I have my thoughts over why he was arrested but it involves smoke and screens.

 

It's almost unavoidable that his guilt or innocence will be discussed by bringing this whole matter up, but that is initially not why I posted. I posted to point out his situation and that he needs help. Feel free to discuss, ideally in a different thread.

 

To answer your question, to the best of my knowledge, Khun Pramual's name has not been (publicly) mentioned in this case.

[limbo]

The fact that the guy was charged with an arm load offences, almost all of which have now been dropped, makes me wonder if any of the charges are valid. For all I know, they may be. But it looks a bit like they are hanging on to the last of the charges if only to save some sort of face.

 

That's the same thought that his (few) friends are having that still stand with him.

 

Bail at 5 million, a bit over the top for the charges that he's facing.

 

[limbo]

I thought about retiring outside of the U.S. one day to some place like LOS but frankly, once you leave the west, the rule of law becomes a bit murkier.

If I lived in LOS I'd stay clear of anything that would remotely be construed as illegal. Sometimes just plain old bad luck do you in.

As for this Crispin guy, his being jailed seems dodgy to me but that's without benefit of all the facts. This won't hold up in a court of law or public opinion but knowing what I know about Limbo and how honest he is, I trust his opinion. Plus Limbo is a gooner...that in itself is enough.

 

Hope things work out for the good.

 

Hi Steve,

 

Thanks for the :thumbup: There's a cold one waiting for you on Samui.

 

[chuckwoww]

I can't comment on Crispin's guilt or innocence because all I've heard is rumours. I think that would be the first question on people's minds though if he is looking for sympathy and help.

 

All I know for sure is that a friend of mine got screwed out of a large sum of money in a land deal on Samui and he's not getting any help. I warned him but he didn't listen.

[limbo]

Fully agree that people will ask themselves whether he's guilty or not and most likely act accordingly.

 

On that land deal, was Crispin in any way involved?

[chuckwoww]

I don't know if Crispin was directly involved or not. There were a lot of people pushing land deals around Lamai at the time. Maybe they even thought it was legit. Pramual was very involved. Selling park land was the main issue I think but who knows what really goes on with land on Samui? He was arrested at the same time but not held. I don't know what happened to him.

[Steve]

i've said this before and i'll repeat it, i've seen a docu about us state prisons and based on admitadly weak knowledge on thai and american prisons i'd rather do porridge in a thai prison regardless of squat loos and the food, american jails look like hell!

Spot on as our English friends say. Primarily the state prisons and the federal prisons for violent offenders. If you are a first offender in a white collar crime, you can usually get into 'Club Fed' (nickamed to be like Club Med), low security, even congugal visits sometimes, and you're in there with corrupt politicians, Wall St.cheats and tax evaders. However, state prisons are a total different kettle of fish. Raping is commonplace and in California there are lots of race riots. Its harrowing the stories I've heard from first hand accounts. Kept me from not doing too much as a kid. I'd rather be in a Thai jail myself...no question about it. However, that being said, jail, no matter where is still terrible. Even moreso if you're innocent.

[Evel_Penivel]

I have a trip coming up to LOS and I will try to arrange to visit Crispin.

 

But was (is) he really a member of the Bandidos? The Danish Bandidos were into some seriously heavy stuff back in the 1990's, like murders, bombings and firing anti-tank rockets at rival gangs. Not at all what we usually think about Scandinavians. Dansih law enforcement still has a lot of scores to settle.

 

He wouldn't be the first guy to pay very, very heavily for doing a favor for, or even associating with, the wrong people.

 

Evel