shygye Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Link The Prime Minister says all available consular assistance is being provided to a Melbourne woman arrested in Thailand for allegedly stealing a bar mat. Mother of four Annice Smoel, 36, of Montrose in Melbourne's outer east, spent four nights in a four by four metre jail with three other inmates before being released on bail. She was arrested by undercover police after leaving the Aussie Bar in Phuket with friends while celebrating her mother's 60th birthday. Thai police confiscated her passport. Lawyer Bernard Murphy said Ms Smoel was denied a request to return home to see one of her daughters who is in hospital in Melbourne. "Since the time of her arrest, one of her children has been hospitalised for appendicitis and when she made an application to the court to return home her request was denied," Mr Murphy said. She is required to report to authorities every two weeks as a condition of bail and it is expected to be 14 weeks before her case is heard in court. "She has received legal advice that suggests that if she is found guilty of night-time theft in Thailand, she faces two to five years' imprisonment," Mr Murphy said. "Annice Smoel is an innocent woman. She has not committed a crime, she did not place the bar mat in her bag, nor did she leave the premises of the bar with it in her bag. "This is a dire situation and we are calling on the federal government to urgently intervene to ensure she can return home to her family." "I've just been advised about this, the Foreign Minister and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are on top of this case," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters in Melbourne. "They are providing every level of consular assistance to the family and the individual concerned." He said the consular assistance provided to Australians was practical and provided as quickly as possible. "We take seriously that job. There are 1 million Australians at any one time officially working or travelling in hundreds of countries around the world," he said. "Let all the facts be established first." Ms Smoel told Radio 3AW that the consulate had provided her with a list of lawyers but had told her that the consulate could not interfere in legal proceedings. "I explained to them that I am innocent but they said that the Thai Government hasn't decided that yet. Until I've been to court I haven't been proven innocent,'' Ms Smoel said. She now faces up to five years in jail and said she was scared she would not see her daughters - aged six, eight, 11 and 12 - for years. "I get very scared when I see police. I'm just trying to keep it together, so I can get home," she said. Thai police say she had stolen a bar mat and put it in her handbag. Didn't do it Ms Smoel told Radio 3AW this morning that she didn't do it. She said a friend had confessed to police that she had done it and there was video evidence proving her innocence. "There was video evidence in the bar. I was nowhere near the handbag," she said. "One of the girls involved went down to the police station on Sunday morning and confessed to the crime and apologised and they [Thai police] told her to go away. They didn't care. "Apparently the police have 48 days to investigate the crime. "It's a just a really slow and crazy system." ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 more from the original article: "Aussie Bar owner Steve Wood said Ms Smoel had "[color:red]rubbed the wrong people the wrong way"[/color]. He said patrons regularly tried to steal the bar's beer mats, which were on sale for $60, and were usually spoken to by staff. But Mr Wood, who was not in the bar the night of the arrest, said police had this time caught Ms Smoel's friends in the act. He told Radio 3AW, Ms Smoel had [color:red]fled when approached by police[/color] and was later spotted at a beach and walked to Patong police station where [color:red]she abused the police chief[/color]. Ms Smoel said police had confiscated her bag and she was having difficulty communicating with police and lawyers. "The toilet makes you feel sick just to look at, no toilet paper. "They would bring food twice a day. It was [color:red]food from the street[/color]." _______________________ Another case of perceived tourist immunity, from common, decent behaviour? What's wrong with street food? Cheers Coss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTO Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Don't disagree Coss - but is this what Thailand needs right now? Looks like the police thought they'd get paid quick,, the Aussie owner may have been a dick as well and now . . . . . more great PR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 stupid cow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted May 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Well, Steve Wood did not witness any of the incident! He was not at the bar nor at the police station. The real crime is charging $60 AUD for a beer mat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 And I agree with you, LOS doesn't need PR like this, but then neither does Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carew66 Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 $60! Incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Phuket police do seem to have a problem with some farangs lately....odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Steve Wood may not have been there but I still would have thought that someone would have to lay a charge for stealing their personal property first or is it the case, in Thailand, you don't need the owner to press charges? Anyways, this seems more ludicrous then the les majeste law. A cause for aggravation because the offense happens at night. Well, I am sure it won't do the Phuket Aussie bar's reputation any good either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 What is a $60.00 beer mat look like? What is the price for a glass of beer at this bar? Where is this bar so I know not to go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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