Australian mother faces jail over suspected theft of bar mat in coughet, Thailand

[NM]

From news.com.au:

AN Australian woman jailed in Thailand for stealing a bar mat says she is innocent and has been treated unfairly.

Mother of four Annice Smoel, 36, has been detained in Thailand for 14 nights, four of which she had spent in a four by four metre jail cell with three other inmates before being released on bail.

 

[dot]

From news.com.au:

Doesn't Indonesia have some old boat hulks lying around for these sort of criminals - then they could send them off to some distant land like Australia... Oh wait, that's been done before hasn't it!

14 days in jail and still on bail for a bar mat, that's going a bit overboard...

 

[samh004]

14 days in jail and still on bail for a bar mat, that's going a bit overboard...

Especially if the video evidence alluded to in the article proves her innocence, and of course her friend taking credit for the crime.

I think all this needs is some heavy diplomatic pressure, whether they then go after the friend, or just drop the issue and look grumpy, is up to them.

 

[NM]

Bar mat 'thief' offered bribe

More info from News.com.au:

THE family of an Australian woman facing five years in jail for allegedly stealing a bar mat admits it tried offering money to Thai authorities in order to gain her release.

 

[moa999]

I would have thought she was probably very lucky not to end up in hospital with broken bones as well.

For all the smiles in the LOS, the local certainly know how to turn on a farang when they think someone has been stealing or doing something wrong.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Unfortunate situation yes...but I am not sure the situation is fully as painted.


As a group they did steal...and the lady in question after exiting the building was actually running away when apprehended for the second time by the police.

Now she claims it was due to the rain, and was allowed to leave (in which case why did the police give chace?)...but if you are interviewing someone......and they run..

Now was it as now claimed...a joke...or perhaps did someone in the group fancied a "free" souvenir and their friends handbag was perhaps the right size with theirs being too small?

Now I don't think that there was anything premediated in it...but when a group is typsy sometimes the law does get bent.


We have all done it...but if it is the case..this time they got caught out in a land where the rules are different.

 

[Mal]

Based on this quote from the News.com.au article:

""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."


Hmmm. Could well be the case, then again it could be yet another herring.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Based on this quote from the News.com.au article:

""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."


Hmmm. Could well be the case, then again it could be yet another herring.

She also reportdely abused the Australian Consular staff when they first approached them.

 

[Soundguy]

Sounds like a Jetstar feral-class customer.

OK, OK, only kidding!

 

[Mal]

OK, OK, only kidding!

Hmm, if everything is true, she's not much different to some of the other tourists we 'export' to island resorts in Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji etc. Makes me cringe really.

 

[drron]

Yes the local reporting is that she first assaulted the undercover police officer who apparently was just trying to give her an official warning.She then took off,chased and arrested and then abused the chief of the local police.I think even in the suburbs of Melbourne that would get you arrested and the hearing would be unlikely to occur in less than 3 months.
It does seem like a typical case of someone who doesnt think local rules and sensibilities apply to her and that there are no consequences for bad behaviour.

 

[dot]

As the day goes on, it is certainly looking like there was a lot more to the incident and Ms Smoel may have acted very stupidly in allegedly assaulting multiple police officers and insulting the courts. I feel embarrassed now about the glib nature of my earlier comment....

 

[samh004]

I saw it twice on the news tonight, and both times the Australian press failed to mention what is being widely reported on the web. The abuse, running from police, etc...

 

[Dave Noble]

Plus the other reported thing in that she refused to sign a police statement thing that would have allowed it just to go to court and be completed

Dave

 

[NM]

Plus the other reported thing in that she refused to sign a police statement thing that would have allowed it just to go to court and be completed.

It would interesting to know what was included in the statement she was asked to sign? Was it a confession statement? Did it include details of her alleged resisting arrest and abuse?

 

[oz_mark]

Plus the other reported thing in that she refused to sign a police statement thing that would have allowed it just to go to court and be completed

Dave

If, as has been reported, the statement was written in Thai, I would think you would be, at the very least, a bit hesitant in signing it as well.

Anyway, this morning was the criticism of the Autralian governent and consular staff in dealing with the issue. It always perplexes me in cases like this, when families say the government should be doing more. Exactly what do they think the government can do?

 

[codash1099]

A real lesson here in not believing the story (or rather the part of the story) that the media feeds us.

My first reaction was "do the Thais want tourists or not?". I now think "no one wants the sort of tourist being described in the additional information".

 

[simongr]

Exactly what do they think the government can do?

Send in the troops?

Could someone explain to me what exactly a bar mat is? Are we talking one of those towel like things that get draped on the bar to catch spillage?

 

[oz_mark]

Send in the troops?

Could someone explain to me what exactly a bar mat is? Are we talking one of those towel like things that get draped on the bar to catch spillage?

Yes, the one that runs along the top of the bar.

 

[serfty]

Yes, the one that runs along the top of the bar.

The inset here has a similar mat: