Thread: Visiting Thai Prison

Originally Posted by English Noodles

The only charges that still stand against bkkandrew are the flouncing charges.

and that's a death penalty offense,

Should I visit him, he might like that

Leicester dad bids to cut 33 year Thailand drug sentence
Ben Goldby
Aug 30 2009

BOSS TAKES HIS EARLY RELEASE FIGHT TO LORDS

A MIDLAND dad jailed for 33 years for drug possession in Thailand is taking his fight for early release to the House of Lords.

Businessman Steven Willcox, 45, received the harsh sentence after being caught with a small amount of ecstasy and cannabis while working in the Far East.

As part of a treaty agreement he was allowed to return to the UK in 2007 to serve the remainder of his sentence at Rye Hill prison, Warwickshire.

But he will not even be considered for release until 2020 – even though he would have received just 12 months jail for similar drugs offences in Britain.

Willcox, who has never seen his six year-old son, Oak, as a free man, had an appeal for early release under the Human Rights Act turned down by the High Court last month,

But his Thai wife, Lek, and mother Valerie have vowed to continue to petition the British government about his case, which could eventually end up in the European courts.

A family spokeswoman said: “His mother and the rest of his family would like to say that they are fully supportive of Steven.

“They accept Steven has done wrong, but he has been punished for the actual offence he committed.

“They hope that justice will eventually prevail and that Steven’s sentence will be adjusted in line with the offence he actually committed.”

Willcox, from Blaby, Leicestershire, was arrested while working in Koh Samui, Thailand, in 2003.

Carla Riozzi, a lawyer for Leicester-based Moss Solicitors, said: “Steven was a normal guy who was running a real estate business with his partner.

“He got involved with drugs, but only for his personal use. Police searched his property and found small amounts of ecstasy, cannabis and some Class A drugs but there was never any dispute that it wasn’t for his own use.

“Had he been charged in England, he would have been tried and convicted of possession, and would probably have been looking at 12 months in jail and certainly no more than four years, a sentence which is only imposed in the most extreme cases.

“In the UK there would have been no distribution charges. But over there he pleaded guilty to distribution to get a lesser sentence as he was facing the death penalty, and working on the advice of his Thai solicitor.”

Willcox was originally given a life sentence, later reduced to 33 and a half years in view of his guilty plea.

He served four years in a Thai jail, before being transferred back to the UK.

Because he confessed to the crime he cannot appeal against his original conviction. So his lawyers are using the Human Rights Act in a landmark appeal against the length of sentence.

“We went to the High Court to try to get him released under Article 3 of the Human Rights Act,” Ms Riozzi said.

“We’re now waiting for leave to go to the House of Lords to consider our appeal against the High Court decision not to release Steven.

“If necessary we are prepared to go all the way to the European Courts to fight this case.”

sundaymercury.net

I would no sooner visit a prisoner than stick pencils in my eyeballs.

Originally Posted by English Noodles

The other time I visited the prison was to do some private research...

Neat 'code' - so, did they allow visitors to see you...?

Originally Posted by SiLeakHunt

Bang Kwang is famous or should that be infamous as the Bangkok Hilton however the Thai translation is “Big Tiger” because it eats people.

The first line is a classic, the first two 'facts' it states are bullshit.

Firstly Klong Prem Prison is sometimes called 'The Bangkok Hilton', the only people who refer to Bangkwang in this way are usaualy smelly backpacker types with dreadlocks.

Secondly, though Bangkwang Prison is certainly referd to as 'The Big Tiger', a name brought about by it's reputation of the prison system there literaly eating humans, the translation of the Bangkwang (บางขวาง) name in to English is certainly not 'Big Tiger', it is simply named after the area it is located, Bangkwang, in the same way as if it had been located in Bang rak it would be called Bang Rak Central Prison, or in Bang Na it would have been called Bang Na Central Prison. Bang (บาง) just means a settlement or village.

Originally Posted by English Noodles

n. Bang (บาง) just means a settlement or village.

<cough, cough, pedant mode on>A settlement, village, or district beside a watercourse. Bang Kwang means something like "the blockage beside the river", there was probably a sandbar or something similar at one time near the site the prison is now on.

I've never read that 'Damage Done' book. Though I have been told it may be a bunch of OTT shite made up to sell a book in the same way 'Bravo Two Zero' was.

Anyway, I visited an inmate at Klong Prem a few times. He was living in the same apartment building as me when he was arrested. His biggest complaint was the boredom, and the shit food. Was always happy to have visitors though.

Originally Posted by English Noodles

a name brought about by it's reputation of the prison system there literaly [sic] eating humans.

Literally? Sounds like my kind of prison -- eco friendly, self sustaining, non polluting ...

Got any fotos?

Originally Posted by bkkmadness

Still gotta be said takes a lot of effort to write a whole book so full marks for that, but don't give up the day job just yet.

It also takes a lot of effort to dig a ditch

writing a book and self-publishing requires effort and a bit of cash

whatever rocks your boat

Originally Posted by Mid

As part of a treaty agreement he was allowed to return to the UK in 2007 to serve the remainder of his sentence at Rye Hill prison, Warwickshire.

Originally Posted by Mid

“We went to the High Court to try to get him released under Article 3 of the Human Rights Act,” Ms Riozzi said.

this pisses me off., cos next prisoner will have no chance of a transfer cos of this selfish cvnt.

^ KW has a point. This could hurt others in the future. I don't think LOS officials will look well upon this.