While 27 year old expat Louis Bentley awaits trial in Thailand for drug charges, his mother back in England is working 12 hour shifts to pay her son’s bills. For his mother, Michaela, the anticipation of waiting for the her son’s February court date, in a country so far from her with laws she’s unfamiliar with, has been “horrendous.”
Louis was arrested by Phuket police back in July and spent 2 weeks in Thai prison. Louis worked as an English teacher in China for 5 years. He took a trip to Thailand, but when the coronavirus outbreak spread worldwide, he stayed.
Michaela told her local newspaper, the Barnsley Chronicle in South Yorkshire, that she believes drugs were planted on Louis after he got in a dispute with a local. He wasn’t able to make bail at first because his “friends” allegedly ran off with his money.
She was able to raise enough money in an online fundraising campaign to pay the bail and other legal fees. But that was back in July and now the more than 9,000 pounds she raised has been spent.
“We’re sending over money to pay for his lodgings, food, gas and electric… I work 12 hours, 4 days a week, to earn money so that I can keep my house going and keep his house going.”
Now it’s just a waiting game. But the time leading up to the trial has been stressful. Michaela’s says her son says gotten depressed and sometimes days he doesn’t answer the phone, leaving her worried because he’s her only source of information when it comes to the trial.
“We’re just hoping for a good outcome when it comes to the trial.”
SOURCES: Yorkshire Live | Barnsley Chronicle
Catch up with the latest daily “Thailand News Today” here on The Thaiger.
Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.
Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.
Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.
18 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Related Articles
18 Comments
-
What drugs
-
He should skip bail. He is likely to be found guilty if they found the drugs on him, regardless, of whether they were planted or not.
Paying bail in Thailand is simply a way of paying a bribe = they know the accused will skip.
The Thais have even let the accused go home for weddings! -
What is known as a golden goose for Thai legal representatives in Thailand Son orDoughter on drug charges other parents money the case will probably be deferred at least four or five times and will carry on foe a year or so all that time mum and dad sending money so remember in Thailand if you are bought with drugs you pay one way or the other.
-
Maybe I’m missing something, but “SO WHAT?”
-
True enough: so what, if he is guilty, but this Thailand,
No jury here. and how long does he wait for trial?
Will he receive a fair trial?
If he could count on that, he should stay and go to trial.
I think he should not trust the judicial system in Thailand and run.-
He’d be welcome in Cambodia with open arms, like all the other dross.
-
He could hide out in the north east with all the other ferang morons.
-
How is Isan and Cambodia any different from the rest of SEAsia? or the rest of the developing world for that matter? It’s the funniest thing to see turds in a toilet arguing who has the most sweetcorn in them.
-
-
-
-
-
With “Friends” like his, he needs no enemies.
-
Obviously, we do not know all sides of the story.
We do not know what the drug was?
When I was in Krabi last year I was in a local Reggie bar with live music and people were openly smoking marijuana and I was told people can have very small quantities for personal use?
arena
So if the local person did plant the drugs it would have to be a sizable amount to be illegal meaning the local would have lost the value of those drugs just to get revenge for an argument?Does the local have money to burn?
That does not make sense?
I might be wrong with the personal use comment above as I do not participate in that arena and so I do not know the rules.
-
“I was told people can have very small quantities for personal use”
Don’t believe everything you are told
-
Even a “small” amount will land you in jail for months or maybe even years. If you are lucky you can “pay” yourself out of troubles but that will cost a small fortune.
-
Jack and Michael
That is what I thought, I don’t touch any stuff like that so no problem for me but I saw it being used in two bars in Krabi and it was all in the open.
I thought let’s get out of there in case I am innocently implicated.
-
-
-
Unless they’re friends I know or a Thai can vouch for’em, I don’t like meeting and hanging with white Westerners because they always wanna score some dope after a few drinks.
-
See, I never meet any farangs like that…
-
-
Thailand is the Land of Smiles
-
Usually, a honest and clean drug bust results in fast court procedures and rulings. The dodgy ones always take many many months.
Know guys being caught for personal use, different drugs, never paid more than 20K bail and 5K court fine with weed, and maybe 50K total with something else.
-
What a stupid boy he is.anyone with half a brain know not to mess with drugs in Thailand serves the lad right. Drugs are for mugs. It’s funny how they always blame other people when it’s solely down to their own stupidity.. then they want everyone else to feel sorry for them
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
What drugs
He should skip bail. He is likely to be found guilty if they found the drugs on him, regardless, of whether they were planted or not.
Paying bail in Thailand is simply a way of paying a bribe = they know the accused will skip.
The Thais have even let the accused go home for weddings!
What is known as a golden goose for Thai legal representatives in Thailand Son orDoughter on drug charges other parents money the case will probably be deferred at least four or five times and will carry on foe a year or so all that time mum and dad sending money so remember in Thailand if you are bought with drugs you pay one way or the other.
Maybe I’m missing something, but “SO WHAT?”
True enough: so what, if he is guilty, but this Thailand,
No jury here. and how long does he wait for trial?
Will he receive a fair trial?
If he could count on that, he should stay and go to trial.
I think he should not trust the judicial system in Thailand and run.
He’d be welcome in Cambodia with open arms, like all the other dross.
He could hide out in the north east with all the other ferang morons.
How is Isan and Cambodia any different from the rest of SEAsia? or the rest of the developing world for that matter? It’s the funniest thing to see turds in a toilet arguing who has the most sweetcorn in them.
With “Friends” like his, he needs no enemies.
Obviously, we do not know all sides of the story.
We do not know what the drug was?
When I was in Krabi last year I was in a local Reggie bar with live music and people were openly smoking marijuana and I was told people can have very small quantities for personal use?
arena
So if the local person did plant the drugs it would have to be a sizable amount to be illegal meaning the local would have lost the value of those drugs just to get revenge for an argument?
Does the local have money to burn?
That does not make sense?
I might be wrong with the personal use comment above as I do not participate in that arena and so I do not know the rules.
“I was told people can have very small quantities for personal use”
Don’t believe everything you are told
Even a “small” amount will land you in jail for months or maybe even years. If you are lucky you can “pay” yourself out of troubles but that will cost a small fortune.
Jack and Michael
That is what I thought, I don’t touch any stuff like that so no problem for me but I saw it being used in two bars in Krabi and it was all in the open.
I thought let’s get out of there in case I am innocently implicated.
Unless they’re friends I know or a Thai can vouch for’em, I don’t like meeting and hanging with white Westerners because they always wanna score some dope after a few drinks.
See, I never meet any farangs like that…
Thailand is the Land of Smiles
Usually, a honest and clean drug bust results in fast court procedures and rulings. The dodgy ones always take many many months.
Know guys being caught for personal use, different drugs, never paid more than 20K bail and 5K court fine with weed, and maybe 50K total with something else.
What a stupid boy he is.anyone with half a brain know not to mess with drugs in Thailand serves the lad right. Drugs are for mugs. It’s funny how they always blame other people when it’s solely down to their own stupidity.. then they want everyone else to feel sorry for them