| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
|
 Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject: Aussie woman in prison for stealing bar mat: Thailand |
 |
|
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25505077-661,00.html
| Quote: |
UPDATE 1.30pm: A MELBOURNE woman facing Thai jail for stealing a bar mat has begged the Prime Minister to help her.
Montrose mother-of-four Annice Smoel says she's �scared, helpless and alone'' and is pleading for the Rudd government to intervene.
She has spent four days in a cramped Thai jail with three other women, described her holiday gone wrong as �totally unbelievable''.
Her husband says the Australian Government is offering little help.
Ms Smoel, 36, is facing up to five years jail in Thailand over the alleged theft of a bar mat from the popular Aussie Bar in Phuket.
Ms Smoel was drinking in the bar with friends when they apparently played a prank on her, putting a bar mat in her handbag....
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
|
| Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| What is a bar mat? A coaster? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
3MB
Joined: 26 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 9:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| reactionary wrote: |
| What is a bar mat? A coaster? |
Thailand is a craphole. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shifter2009
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Location: wisconsin
|
| Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 10:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I wonder what kind of bar towel goes for 60 bones in thailand? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
|
| Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 10:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I actually considered going to Thailand to teach. Not anymore. Makes the Korean legal system look enlightened by comparison. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well that's one bar I won't be visiting should I go to Phuket. But who knows what the whole story is.
LOS is getting dangerously close to biting the hand that feeds. It's a shame that some of the worlds loveliest places can be such minefields. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
visitorq
Joined: 11 Jan 2008
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 1:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Thailand is Burma #2. Seriously. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
patongpanda
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dragon777
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 4:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Get the facts first, people. The woman concerned, allegedly stole from the bar. It is owned by a white Australian called, Steve Wood. He has pressed the charges and seems convinced that she has done the act. There is more to the story than the sanitised press reports. A bar mat or towel was placed in her handbag. If she left the bar or tried to leave with the bag with this article, has not yet been determined yet. However, her friends say they put it in there and that it was a harmless prank. There seems to be some tension between the bar staff and her party. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
| The problem lies in her bad attitude as well as trying to run off. If she'd remained calm, not ran, and owed up to it, then it'd probably be just a minor situation easily remedied. I've known for years that when in Thailand, you better watch how you act and what you say as to not offend locals or you're in trouble. While it's a foreigner running the bar, he has local Thais on his side and is probably dead tired of nonpaying dead beats running off. They are chill most of the time and most tourists have no problems, but if you act up, it's check bin, and if you act up even more, it's local police action backing the local Thais, and if you act up even more, it's jail or a big fine at best in order to be allowed passage. Thailand is best left for mature experienced travelers who know not to get too drunk and high in public and pay attention to detail as it's not the kool Thailand of 10 to 15 years ago according to what I've been reading and thinking. I'm not sure I want to go back, but I know what this woman did was wrong though I think the Thai go too far extremes when they're pissed off by a tourist. I'd say they just should had shaken her up a bit to teach her a lesson on running away and then let her go. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
| dragon777 wrote: |
| Get the facts first, people. The woman concerned, allegedly stole from the bar. . |
She's been held without food for days, and may serve several years in prison.
FOR STEALING A PLACEMAT!
Whether or not she stole from the bar, don't you think that's a LITTLE over the top? I don't care if she stole the stupid placemat or not, it's obvious that Thailand is shooting its own tourism industry in the foot. I hope this story does get printed all around. It needs to be.
Oh, and it says that she freaked-out and ran from the cops, which is stupid and would make some jail time understandable... but YEARS? For a PLACEMAT?? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| dragon777 wrote: |
| Get the facts first, people. The woman concerned, allegedly stole from the bar. It is owned by a white Australian called, Steve Wood. He has pressed the charges and seems convinced that she has done the act. There is more to the story than the sanitised press reports. A bar mat or towel was placed in her handbag. If she left the bar or tried to leave with the bag with this article, has not yet been determined yet. However, her friends say they put it in there and that it was a harmless prank. There seems to be some tension between the bar staff and her party. |
Just wondering where you read this. The report I read (the original link given by OP) seems to say the opposite. For those who know, this is the Herald Sun (a tabloid rag), but still, that would be a pretty big misquote if it were wrong. I'd love to see the unsanitised version if you can provide a link to it.
| Quote: |
But the owner of the Aussie Bar, Steve Wood, told 3AW he believed Mrs Smoel had been abusive toward the undercover police who had stopped her in the bar.
�When they talked to her all they wanted to do was chastise her, and they usually let you go, but she did a runner on them ... the police had to chase her down the beach,'' Mr Wood said.
�When they took her back to the police station, she continued to abuse everyone at the police station including the chief of police and I think this is what the problem is.
�It's more of an attitude problem than a crime problem.''
She was charged with a �night-time theft'' and imprisoned for four days.
Mr Wood said he had not pressed charges.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/melbourne-mum-arrested-over-thai-bar-prank-20090519-bd3r.html
That link someone provided above has a phone interview with the owner of the bar.
Sounds like she brought it on herself... but still.... the idea of keeping her in jail with no food for days, and possibly giving jail time will probably do some serious damage to the Thai tourism industry.
The owner of the bar says he hasn't pressed any charges, but is now upset because people are avoiding the Aussie bar... her slandering has hurt his business, he says. So now maybe he will. His establishment had no hand in it, because the police saw her walk out with the mat and caught her immediately. The owner wasn't even around at the time.
What I don't understand is how a bar mat can cost $60??? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
|
| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I wish every country would punish worthless criminal vermin like that! You wouldn't worry about being shot for basketball shoes, that's for sure! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
