Annice Smoel and the missing bar mat!

[Anthony_Mustang]

On the Australian news boards she aint' getting a lot of sympathy from most people except the rednecks who keep crying about that's why I never travel to Asia.

Pretty much anyone who has travelled to Thailand has been saying she has bought this one on herself by being a loud mouth to the cops. Although her friends say she wasn't rude plenty of other people who witnessed it said she was really disrespectful to the cops.

Dumb move.

[f0xxee]

Oh the embarrasment....

I read the report (front page Daily Telegraph, Sydney) and forgetting that I wasn't on the Ladyboyforums, immediately posted a reply to the story, pre-coffee, at 6am thailand time.

I got every single pertinent fact wrong. Lesson: drink coffee first, write second.
I have been trying to get a letter to the editor published for 30 years. (my own private bucket list.)

GUESS WHICH FUCKING LETTER GOT PUBLISHED???

Luckily its a Murdoch paper so people expect to read rubbish.....

[Ivor Biggun]

Well its over now she's paid a fine and been released. http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=7389 I always love the 'this will kill tourism' and 'why not go after REAL criminals BS'. Theft is considered a serious offence in Thailand. I was always taught that when I was in a foreign country I was an ambassader for mine- strangely, drunken rants at coppers never formed part of the briefing! There's a lot of crap and speculation over this , she was in fact only held for two nights and that was because an Aussie lawyer got involved. Will this kill business at the Aussie Bar- will it fcuk, but a Melbourne Lawyer is already going ker-ching!! Sunday papers should be fun this week.

[Guest]

Well I hope a 1000 baht fine and 4 nights of jail wasn't too light for all you "every Australian tourist" are drunken idiots school of thought.

Pacman what media outlets are you watching or reading? All three major news networks have been opening the news with this detainment of a Melbourne mother of three/four, and saying how she got caught up in a harmless prank. Not hardly coming off as the offending party? I'm yet to see anything here portraying her of being guilty.

At least she is coming home, like she should have in the first place. A night in the clink for popping off to the cops in her drunked stupor I can see, but 4 nights detention and holding her passport another two weeks is absurd over a bar mat.

What a sad indictment when people support heavy handed Thai polices actions over something as petty as this. What was her biggest mistake being drunk or not knowing you don't get loud of confrontational to Thais? not everyone is well versed on thai culture, especially the once in a lifetime tourist letting their hair down for the firs ttime in years in some cases. Lucky she doesn't have you, throw the book at her guys judging her, and she is coming home instead of 1-5 years in jail.

[manarak]

but 4 nights detention and holding her passport another two weeks is absurd over a bar mat.

apparently she resisted arrest, fled, and was disrespectful to a senior policeman.
it is an attitude problem.

if I were in the police of a developing country and someone from the US or another "influencial" country wanted to tell me what to do and treating me like an inferior, that person would be guaranteed to stay in the cell for a looooooong time.

our court system tends to only see the hard facts, but attitude is equally important to me.

[robbo]

............anyway stogie just another points score in your bucket is a shit hole equation ...........at least it is if your a pissed up farang chick .........one less farang chick less in LOS............im not complaining!

[pacman]

(Boarhog @ May 21 2009,10:10) Pacman what media outlets are you watching or reading? All three major news networks have been opening the news with this detainment of a Melbourne mother of three/four, and saying how she got caught up in a harmless prank. Not hardly coming off as the offending party? I'm yet to see anything here portraying her of being guilty.

I can't speak for the media outlets on your side of the country, what I heard on the radio was the story & a recording of the Aussie Bar owner saying she had only herself to blame.

He went into detail about how drunk she was, how rude & stupid she was & it allowed the media to make the point without them having to condemn her actions.

I heard the same recording repeated all day, it received some attention on the TV news but they were more careful not to cast aspersions. As you would expect.

If I sounded harsh it is because I have witnessed such stupid behaviour several times on Soi Bangla & I have hoped the day would come that one of these pissed idiots would pay the price for their ignorance.

I think the final result was fine, many people got the message, Annice won't be so silly in future & if a few yobbos elect not to go to Phuket because of the negative publicity, that's a win too.

[Anthony_Mustang]

Silly bitch if she had just suked it up and apologised in the first place (as she ended up having to do anyway) the whole situation could have been avoided.

The papers such as the Telegraph and the pollies where saying one thing but when you looked at the replies online most people didnt' support her at all.

Let's face it the Thai tourist police aren't exactley squeeky clean but they let a hell of a lot slide as long as your polite and show some respect if something does go tit's up.

[Ivor Biggun]

Again, she only spent 2 nights in custody NOT 4. The Aussie Bar is clearly suffering from the effects this 'adverse' publicity and it's obviously killed the business, there were 'only' about 30 people in there this avvy.

[strocube]

Silly twat, sounds to me like she had it coming for behaving the way she did. Seems like she's one of those people who get a few drinks in them, and then act totally bat-shit crazy.
Some people simply shouldn't drink.

[jimslim]

What we got here is a failure .... to communicate .......



Shaking a leaf boss , shaking a leaf .

[guydesavoy]

Initial blanket media coverage in Australia painted her the victim. Then they threw in the 'poor anxious frightened kids waiting at home for mummy' angle. It later transpired that she was abusive to the police and that was her downfall.

Of course mindful of the bad publicity, she was eventually convicted and fined, and the Guv'nor of Phuket, no less, paid the fine himself. Nice photo op  

An interesting point arose when it was revealed that she was observed by 2 'plain clothes' policeman in the bar, and that similar 'thefts' had been intercepted there before...What is it with this bar ? Seems a strange use of police resources to have a few resident 'narcs' staking out the place watching the beer mats

I agree that 2 nights in the clink seems a bit harsh. Maybe they should have put her in with the LBs But she can reflect on that when she gets the big cheque from the media/magazine interviews that will surely follow

[Torurot]

Maybe they were hanging out for exchanges of a different kind....

[Road Runner]

(Torurot @ May 27 2009,11:27) Maybe they were hanging out for exchanges of a different kind....

You mean there's an illegal trade in stubbie holders?

RR.