If you have been blacklisted in Thailand because of a marijuana case, then this article is for you. The blacklist in Thailand is a little-known area of Thailand’s criminal and immigration laws, especially now that there were significant changes made in 2021-2022. The decriminalizing of marijuana (also known as pot, ganja, or cannabis) in Thailand has made news across the globe, and for good reason. As many of you reading this article know, even simple possession of marijuana in Thailand leads to being blacklisted for 100 years (in most cases). Many of you who received and retained the paperwork from your marijuana case in Thailand would have noticed being classed according to Section 12(7). Section 12(7) is a catch-all classification for those who are persona non grata in Thailand. This includes foreigners who have had marijuana cases in Thailand.
Viktor Bout, the Russian businessman who was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2008, is finally on the way home after it was announced that President Biden of the USA agreed to a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout and WNBA basketball player Britney Griner. The news came as somewhat of a surprise after the matter went quiet for a few months from mid-2022 until today, 08 December 2022. This is major news for Viktor Bout who spent almost 3 years in the Bangkok Remand Prison (in the Klong Prem Prison Complex) and then almost 12 years in the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City and then finally in Marion USP in Illinois, USA. From his arrest in March 2008 until now has been almost 15 years, in what was one of the largest profile extradition cases involving Thailand in history. Viktor Bout, having won his extradition case in the Court of First Instance (The Criminal Court in Ratchada, Bangkok), lost the appeal.
Many people misunderstand what a criminal defense lawyer in Thailand can do for you if you were arrested in Thailand and are going through the courts. Thailand’s criminal law is based on the Criminal Code of Thailand as well as other laws. These include the Computer Crimes Act, the Narcotics Act, relevant anti-money laundering laws, as well as other laws in Thailand. However, an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Thailand can clearly explain all of this to you in order to help you make the right decision for your
This latest post from the lawyers at Thailand Bail focuses on yet another new drug law in Thailand. If you have not yet read about the Narcotics Act of 2021 (2564), then we suggest you read this previous post, which you can find here. However, this post today is about the brand new law that was enacted just yesterday on 09 June 2022 in regards to marijuana, also known as ganja. Thousands of drug suspects have been released from Thailand’s prisons because of this new law, and your friend or family member’s case may also benefit.
Many people contact Thailand Bail and ask, “am I blacklisted in Thailand?” This article has been written to address this question and help you find out if you are blacklisted from entering Thailand. For some foreigners, it is possible to find out if they are blacklisted by looking at a few basic details. However, for most people, this method will not provide any answers, so a more in-depth check will have to be done. Of course, there are different lengths of blacklist, as well as many different reasons for being blacklisted. This article will examine each type, and this information should help you understand if you are blacklisted from entering Thailand.
As some of you may know, there is a new drug law in Thailand. The new Narcotics Act of 2564 (2021) was passed and came into force last month in December 2021. The new drug law in Thailand is a benefit for many people in prison in Thailand for drug cases. One of the best aspects of the new Thai drug law is that it provides opportunities for much lower sentences compared to the previous sentences given for drug cases. For example, given the very low limit of 0.375 grams for the charge of possession with intent to sell of a class 1 narcotic, many defendants in drug cases in Thailand were
Some very good news for prisoners in Thailand was just announced today. After the 1st Thailand prisoner amnesty was enacted in July 2021, a 2nd amnesty has been made official to commemorate the birthday of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. This has been published in the Royal Gazette of Thailand on 05 December 2021. This is very welcome news for the many prisoners in Thailand who are eligible for the amnesty. It is estimated that over 100,000 prisoners will receive some sort of benefit from this recent amnesty. It could also mean that some prisoners in Thailand will have just received the 1st Thailand prisoner amnesty’s benefits, and will now receive a 2nd round of reductions. Thailand Bail estimates that several thousand prisoners in Thai prisons in Bangkok will have their sentences reduced or be released from prison immediately.
FROM DEATH SENTENCE TO DISMISSAL OF ALL CHARGES: THAI SUPREME COURT RULES ON LUKE COOK AND TYLER GERARD NARCOTICS CASE
The case has been completely dismissed by the Supreme Court after 19 months of consideration since the death penalty verdict from the Court of Appeals. The defendants, Australian Luke Joshua Cook and American Tyler Gerard (AKA Tyler Joseph Fulton Sheen Gerard), after almost 4 years and 6 years behind bars respectively, are out of prison, out of Thailand, and back home. We believe this is a major win for our firm, for our clients, and for Thailand’s legal system.
We have included some facts about the case below:
Mr. Luke Joshua Cook and Mr. Tyler Gerard were both originally arrested for this case in December 2017. It has been almost 4 years since then. On 09 November 2018, the Court of First Instance (Rayong Provincial Court) read the verdict, sentencing both defendants to death. The decision was appealed, and the verdict was read by the Court of Appeals, Region 2, on 26 February 2020 and 19 March 2020 for Mr. Luke Joshua Cook and Mr. Tyler Gerard respectively. The death penalty was upheld for both defendants.
Our law firm Thailand Bail then represented both Mr. Luke Joshua Cook and Mr. Tyler Gerard in the Supreme Court appeal against the death penalty they received from the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeals. We started working on the appeal to the Supreme Court after the death penalty verdict was given in February and March 2020.
On 14 September 2021, 19 months after the verdict from the Court of Appeals, we represented both defendants in the judgment day hearing based on our appeal to the Supreme Court.
The judgment on 14 September 2021 was a complete dismissal of all charges, which were importation with intent to sell and possession with intent to sell of a significant quantity of a class 1 narcotic – crystal methamphetamine.
We assisted with their swift deportation, and both Mr. Luke Cook and Mr. Tyler Gerard are now back in their respective home countries – Australia and the United States of America.
Should you have further inquiries about this case, we are happy to provide additional information by email at info@thailandbail.com
As Thailand Bail wrote about in the previous news post on the amnesty for prisoners in Thailand (July 2021) we can confirm that prisoners who were eligible under this amnesty are no starting to be released. For example, the first group of prisoners, including foreign prisoners and Thai prisoners, were released at the end of August as part of the first group. All prisoners in the Thai prison system must go through a 2-week training course before being released.
After much speculation and rumour, the latest amnesty for prisoners in Thailand has been announced. Coinciding with the birthday of His Majesty, as well as the Asahna Bucha Buddhist holiday, the official announcement has just been made, which is the subject of this Thailand Bail news article. This news will come as a relief to prisoners in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chonburi, Koh Samui, Phuket, and the rest of Thailand. The announcement
