Our Thailand Lawyer Case Study series continues today with a brief analysis of the case of Amelia “Amy” Jacobs, a defendant in a drug case in Thailand. Amy is a half-Thai, half-Caucasian celebrity from Thailand who was arrested with her boyfriend on suspicion of dealing in class 1 narcotics. This Thailand lawyer case study will show how Amy managed to avoid prison time, even if it ended up meaning she cannot return to Thailand for most of the rest of her life. Her lawyer

was also arrested, suspected of having helped orchestrate her evasion of prison. A look into this case will help you understand more about the Thai legal system, Thai lawyers, and Thai police. 

Amy was charged with possession with intent to sell of a class 1 drug, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of the death sentence in Thailand. Amy tested positive for methamphetamine use when she was arrested. In addition, the police found a large quantity of class 1 drugs. Her boyfriend plead guilty, but Amy fought the charge of possession with intent to sell, deciding to only admit to the charge of use. 

The Court of First Instance agreed with her, giving her a suspended sentence (non-custodial; no prison). This was an excellent result for her. After the judgment came down, Amy decided to leave Thailand. Then, in August 2020, the Court of Appeals gave its judgment, reversing the ruling from the Court of First Instance, and sentencing Amy to more than 33 years in prison and a fine of more than 666,000 Thai baht. Did Amy go to prison? No, she is out of Thailand it seems, and did not show up to court. Thus, she is still free. 

From this Thailand Lawyer Case Study, we can see that once you win your case at the First Court level, the court typically allows you to travel outside Thailand again. Now that the defendant is outside Thailand, it is unlikely she will have any issues as long as she avoids Thailand. She legally left with the court’s permission, so the only law she broke was having not shown up to court to hear the verdict from the Appeals Court. 

If you have a major drug case in Thailand, contact the Thai lawyers with international expertise at Thailand Bail.