Irish man facing 50 years in Thai prison for 1kg Cannabis Sale to Police

I feel sorry for the lad as it's not a joyride in their prisons, even though I assume there is a foreigner's wing in the prison.
But tbh he knew the risks and still went ahead...

All that said, if they'd only legalise cannabis they'd get more tourists and more income.

osarusan wrote: »

Even if we accept that these headlines actually mean smugglers being caught is rare (which I don't see any reason to accept), that might just as easily mean that most smugglers go undetected as it might mean that they are being deterred from attempting to smuggle drugs.

Well no, smugglers being caught probably isn't rare, but tourists receiving harsh sentences for drug smuggling appears to be rare, which is why I suggested that these harsh sentences act as a deterrent to any tourist who might think of smuggling drugs in Thailand. I'm sure they're more than aware of the possible consequences.

Of course it could mean too that many tourists smuggle drugs undetected, but if they're willing to risk that opportunity, then it's only appropriate IMO that they be sentenced in accordance with Thai laws on drug smuggling.

What I've always found perplexing though, is that the will is there to enforce harsh sentences upon tourists for drug smuggling offences, yet the same will to impose harsh sentences upon tourists engaging in the child sex trade in Thailand just doesn't seem to be there. I think if the same deterrent was there for child sex offences as there is for drug smuggling, Thailand would experience a significant drop in it's tourism industry.

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

at least the Thai authorities valuation of the pot is the same as what he had planned to sell it for,

if it were Ireland, the value for the kilo would probably be €1,350,000

Sergeant Gerry Boyle: ' You lads always announce seizure of drugs worth a street value at $10 million or $20 million or half a billion dollars. I wonder what street it is you're buying your cocaine on, because it's not the same street as I'm buying my cocaine on.'

Giuliana Screeching Shoehorn wrote: »

Do people about the subject in question before commenting on it here?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly do. Do you?

He bought and sold a kilo of cannabis in Thailand, so he didn't really transport anything (presuming you mean 'traffic').

Had you read what I wrote, you wouldn't have to presume anything. He actually did transport something, a kilo of cannabis, and he was caught trying to sell it. I would have said traffic if I thought he was trying to get it out of the country like those two Irish idiots abroad that got caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Peru in spite of knowing the possible consequences then too.

It's not particularly rare at all and the only reason he's in the headlines is he's 23 and Irish, instead of a thai local.

It's particularly rare for tourists to be caught smuggling drugs in countries like Thailand as most people are aware of the penalties if they are caught. It wouldn't matter if he was 46 and British (I think there was a case recently of a middle-aged British man in the news having been caught for smuggling in Thailand), and the reason he made the headlines is because his relatives or someone else wanted to highlight his case in the media to appeal to the Thai authorities for leniency.

Perhaps if he dons a bra in prison, Colin Firth might come to his rescue*




*Bridget Jones reference