Drug Cases in Thailand
As we continue our blog posts about drug laws in Thailand, the entire Thailand Bail team would like to remind those reading this article that the drug laws in Thailand are not predictable, they are applied liberally, and the jail sentences are long. Please stay away from narcotics while living in or traveling through Thailand. Thailand Bail is the only law firm in Thailand dedicated to fighting drug charges, and we have successfully defended clients possessing anything from 1 pill of methamphetamine drugs to over 100 grams of the same substance. While we do not condone drug use in Thailand, we understand that many drug charges in Thailand are the result of bad decisions, not bad people.
The One Who Sells, Tells
Many times, the clients we represent for drug cases in Thailand have purchased a small amount of narcotics from someone at a party, at the beach, or even from a friend. Unfortunately, we have found that many of these small-time drug dealers are working together with police as informants. Many stories start out the same way, as follows:
The so-called “Bangkok Hilton” is usually associated with the Bang Kwang Prison in Nonthaburi: “So, tell us what happened.” Defendant: “Yeah, we were at this party, I’m not even sure where. We had some drinks and then my friend’s friend came to the party and asked if I wanted some ya-ba or ya-ice. I said yeah whatever, and gave the guy 1500 baht for some. We were having a good time, but then wanted to go to another pub, so we were walking down the street, and the police stopped us and searched us. They found a small amount of meth in my pocket, and just arrested me because they said I was acting suspiciously.
Thailand Bail sees this scenario play out frequently. What is happening here is that the person who sold the drugs then went to call the police to keep an eye on the buyer. Once the buyer exited the club, he was arrested. Why does this happen? Many times informants are trying to work off jail terms for themselves or for friends / family, and they may have been offered some sort of deal to inform on buyers of drugs. We see this happen all over Thailand, Bang Kwang Prison is typically reserved for prisoners whose cases have been finalised, Pattaya, usually, and the judgment comes down from the Court of First Instance sentencing them to a lengthy prison term, and Chiang Mai. The best thing to do following an arrest for drug possession is to contact Thailand Bail immediately. We need only a few details about your situation, and we will be there to bail you out. The sooner you can be bailed out, the more options we have for your defense in the Thai courts. Obviously, no one wants to go through the Thai legal system for 6-12 months for a small drug possession charge. We will see to it that this does not happen. Read some of our success stories for more details on how we have successfully defended people on drug charges or other criminal charges in Thailand.
