'HELL ON EARTH': Brit traveller spent nightmare week in cockroach-infested Thai prison because handwash leaked on his passport

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Big girls blouse !! Get over it you will survive.

Been there done that, i survived.

Thai prison at least he had a mat to sleep on, i had to sleep on the concrete.

Run home to mummy she will take care of you.

 

Your posts are usually less bitter..

 

Because you broke the law and endured prison it does't mean that others should simply 'get over it'

 

IMO he was treated extremely unfairly... It appears he didn't overstay, Thai Immigration could have easily granted him an extension, time to acquire emergency travel documentation or travel home to secure a new passport, instead they treated him like a criminal - which he isn't. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oldlakey]

4 hours ago, JAG said:

My understanding  is that he travelled to Vietnam  from Bangkok, was refused entry because of his damaged passport,was returned to Bangkok where he was again refused entry ( and a further 30 day entry ).

 

It would be very interesting to know how he approached the immigration officials in both countries.  I rather imagine that has a  lot to do with how he was treated. 

Yes I smell a distinct lack of the old greenback properly positioned to ease the proceedings 

[DKNY77]

You want to read about hell on earth ,,,read the book ' 4,000 Days: My Life in a Bangkok Prison'' by Warren Fellows...horrific

 

[Old Croc]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Your posts are usually less bitter..

 

Because you broke the law and endured prison it does't mean that others should simply 'get over it'

 

IMO he was treated extremely unfairly... It appears he didn't overstay, Thai Immigration could have easily granted him an extension, time to acquire emergency travel documentation or travel home to secure a new passport, instead they treated him like a criminal - which he isn't. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your opinion is based on his side of the story only, as told to The Sun!!

You dismiss the Viets, the Thais and the British Embassy as being involved in some sort of illegal conspiracy to make this wonderful guy's life a Hellhole!

Some people on here are so gullible I would like to talk to them about some cheap land I have for sale, the chanote will be sorted out soon.

[jcsmith]

5 hours ago, tomwct said:

Looking at this guy with his tank top and tattoos, I would have refused him entry into

Yeah because everyone with tattoos has to be a criminal of some sort right? Get over yourself.

[Jools]

Just another example of why it is reasonable to hate Thai people. Morality does not exist here. There are more reasonable ways of sorting out things like this than the way it was done. The cruelty of everyday life in the Land of Scum is beginning to resemble North Korea.

[JHolmesJr]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Big girls blouse !! Get over it you will survive.

Been there done that, i survived.

Thai prison at least he had a mat to sleep on, i had to sleep on the concrete.

Run home to mummy she will take care of you.

 

I am curious…what did you do time in a thai prison for….did you run over someone in your wheelchair?

[Gillyflower]

  If he is complaining about the detention centre, then life in the army must have been like living in a 5 star hotel.  He's an ex-soldier.

[oldlakey]

4 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

I am curious…what did you do time in a thai prison for….did you run over someone in your wheelchair?

555555555

Now now Sir,

5555555555555555555555

[bbbbooboo]

Yep ,tank top and tattoos will impress every time

[thaibeachlovers]

Has to be more than a "bit" of handwash on his passport. Must have obscured something important.

[RED BARON]

He asked for it, he has got it.

He has no idea. This detention room is heaven in hell.

[CNXBKKMAN]

That place would have been 200 baht a night on Khao San Road. 

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Your opinion is based on his side of the story only, as told to The Sun!!

You dismiss the Viets, the Thais and the British Embassy as being involved in some sort of illegal conspiracy to make this wonderful guy's life a Hellhole!

Some people on here are so gullible I would like to talk to them about some cheap land I have for sale, the chanote will be sorted out soon.

 

Valid point - but his story is not far fetched. 

 

Arrived in Vietnam and refused entry a his Passport was unrecognisable as soap had leaked onto it. 

Flew back to Thailand, who would have him flagged as a 'refused entry' 

Thailand 'could' have given him another 30 day Visa Exempt Stamp (as is legal when doing an 'Air-side turnaround') but for some reason chose not to. 

 

I wonder what that reason was ?

 

[Shawn0000]

51 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I think it is interesting reading to read the comments in the SUN.

 

A couple of points that are brought up.

 

1.  Where do you get a 600 pound a week job in SE Asia?

2.  I think that there would be less crud and stuff if they looked after the facility.  They being the inhabitants.

3.  If he was refused entry to Vietnam due to his passport then it is not a Thai issue.

4.  The on ly reason that he would be detained in an immigration facility is if he was OVERSTAY.

 

I think the scenario is more in this line.

 

He attempted to go to Vietnam with a passport and 30 day visa that had expired.  

Thai officials detained him because he was overstay and either did not want to pay or could not pay for the overstay fine.

He stayed the number of days to pay for his overstay and was able to fly out to the UK.

He is just a (sorry to say) another idiot or as quoted in the SUN "muppet" that thinks his excrement does not smell and that he is above the law.

Being military I have slept in barracks that would have been a lower standard that\n those facilities.

 

I might direct those that feel sympathy to the dictionary you can find the word between Sh!t ans syphilis.

 

 

 

1. Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and in many private schools throughout SE Asia, Thailand included, for instance jobs at Harrow pay rather well.

2. The man spilled something on his passport, the crud that caused this problem is hardly the responsibility of the government.

3. Yes it is!  If he you are refused entry to a country then you will stay in the country you are trying to exit from, in this case Thailand. 

4. He became an overstayer due to being sent back to Thailand, read the article, it's only 5 sentences.

[Old Croc]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Valid point - but his story is not far fetched. 

 

Arrived in Vietnam and refused entry a his Passport was unrecognisable as soap had leaked onto it. 

Flew back to Thailand, who would have him flagged as a 'refused entry' 

Thailand 'could' have given him another 30 day Visa Exempt Stamp (as is legal when doing an 'Air-side turnaround') but for some reason chose not to. 

 

I wonder what that reason was ?

 

You're the one making all the assumptions, why don't you come up with one.

Who knows what the guys status was when he departed Thailand to Vietnam.

[Colabamumbai]

This guy has no idea what prison is like, he was in a detention center. If he thinks that he was going to earn 600 pounds a week teaching, he is dreaming.

[JAG]

3 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

 

If I understand correctly, since he never was allowed to enter Vietnam he would not have completed the exit from Thailand -- on return his exit would have been cancelled.  (i.e. if you go through immigration and fail to board the plane they will reverse / cancel the exit).   I am surprised he was not granted something like a 7 day extension where he should have been able to get emergency travel documents to at least travel home.

Perhaps my second paragraph - the way in which he approached the immigration official is why he wasn't given the 7 days.

 

Let's face it, coming to the end of a shift gazing at passports for 6 hours, and someone polls up who thinks his damaged passport is "a bit of a larf" then maybe that is why he got put in detention. 

 

Just surmisng of course. ..

[Shawn0000]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Valid point - but his story is not far fetched. 

 

Arrived in Vietnam and refused entry a his Passport was unrecognisable as soap had leaked onto it. 

Flew back to Thailand, who would have him flagged as a 'refused entry' 

Thailand 'could' have given him another 30 day Visa Exempt Stamp (as is legal when doing an 'Air-side turnaround') but for some reason chose not to. 

 

I wonder what that reason was ?

 

 

You only get another 30 days if you leave Thailand, as he was not accepted in Vietnam he did not technically leave Thailand and would not have been given a new visa.

[Chivas]

I suspect that should he want/decide to fly back to Thailand in the future he simply wont be accepted after that photo report.

He <deleted> up simple as.

[Andrew65]

9 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

You only get another 30 days if you leave Thailand, as he was not accepted in Vietnam he did not technically leave Thailand and would not have been given a new visa.

Yes, but the Immigration officer stamped him out of Thailand, presumably on the same passport and on the same day.

The passport must have been defaced by the cleanser between Bangkok - Vietnam, ie it must have been good enough to exit Thailand for the Immigration Dept.

It looks like his passport number has been pixilated for the photo/security reasons, not part of the water damage.

Also British passports (probably most others aswel) are machine-readable.

Something sounds a bit strange!

[Kabula]

Another lesson to be learned.

 

Always, place your passport in a plastic, sealed holder to protect it.

 

Airlines will refuse you to travel if the passport is damaged as they do not want to foot the bill to bring you back if rejected by the destination country.

[oldlakey]

22 minutes ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

That place would have been 200 baht a night on Khao San Road. 

I more than pleased that I am unable at this time to either confirm or deny that statement

[billd766]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Big girls blouse !! Get over it you will survive.

Been there done that, i survived.

Thai prison at least he had a mat to sleep on, i had to sleep on the concrete.

Run home to mummy she will take care of you.

 

He did and made the local newspaper as well.

 

The bleaters were out in force there too.

[kingalfred]

6 hours ago, tomwct said:

That wasn't a Thai Prison, but looks like a nice clean detention room. If the British Emabassy had issued him a new passport in a timely manner he probably would have spent 48 hours. Looking at this guy with his tank top and tattoos, I would have refused him entry into

Vietnam. If you dress and act properly you will be treated with respect rather than being put in a detention room.

wow. so you believe its what you are dressed like that determines if you get arrested and go in detention , You would refuse entry,,, sad person

[oldlakey]

14 minutes ago, JAG said:

Perhaps my second paragraph - the way in which he approached the immigration official is why he wasn't given the 7 days.

 

Let's face it, coming to the end of a shift gazing at passports for 6 hours, and someone polls up who thinks his damaged passport is "a bit of a larf" then maybe that is why he got put in detention. 

 

Just surmise ng of course. ..

Yes, I quite understand 

[Old Croc]

7 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

You only get another 30 days if you leave Thailand, as he was not accepted in Vietnam he did not technically leave Thailand and would not have been given a new visa.

Rubbish.  Being refused entry elsewhere and returned to country of departure as per IATA regulations, doesn't reinstate a visa or permit. The landing country will make a new decision on entry, based on current facts, which may include the reasons for entry refusal elsewhere, I don't know why he wasn't given a 30 day on arrival, but the Thais found reason not to do so.

[rbmcn]

4 hours ago, hansnl said:

Dosent?

Now, what could that mean?

It is either one of- (1) first person plural of French word " to dose", or (2)a typo. 

Maybe hansnl was dosing as he/ she typed.???

 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, timewilltell said:

Quite amazing the superior attitude by so many egoists on here. The guy had an unfortunate spillage and whilst he might have taken more care does that really deserve being locked up for a week? Where was the Embassy at this time? 

The lack of consulat assistance or rather the grindingly slow pace of it is painful to learn and an eye opener as to their utter contemot for their citizens - tattoed or not.

 

I am not sure if this applies to ALL airlines using Thailand but

 

Liquids, aerosols and gels

Following the terrorist attempts to blow up several aircraft during flight using homemade explosives at London-Heathrow Airport in 2006, the European Commission adopted additional rules on aviation security to address this newly-identified threat.

 

If it was hand/hair gel that got onto his passport why were they let through baggage check?

[Shawn0000]

25 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Yes, but the Immigration officer stamped him out of Thailand, presumably on the same passport and on the same day.

The passport must have been defaced by the cleanser between Bangkok - Vietnam, ie it must have been good enough to exit Thailand for the Immigration Dept.

It looks like his passport number has been pixilated for the photo/security reasons, not part of the water damage.

Also British passports (probably most others aswel) are machine-readable.

Something sounds a bit strange!

 

It doesn't matter if they can read it, if the photo page has damage they can refuse it.