Repatriation to the UK

I learnt that this entry was marked as a "draft"; i.e. Pending publishing. In all likelihood this may well have been my doing and not that of Wanda and Jake or my Editor emeritus, JCS of Chiang Mai. Being unused to this level of technology I'm bound to drop a few clangers. Whatever the cause, it has now available for scrutiny. The problem being is that it was likely entered at some time around 2012, and we are now in the latter part of 2017. I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion if you are viewing the blog in chronological sequence.

At some stage during their incarceration all Britons will consider whether to repatriate from Thailand back to the UK. After cursory research the majority reject the facility. Those that feel that possibly they have an advantage by doing so formalise their intentions by requesting that Mrs Dufall of the Embassy initiates the request by contacting the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) – a division of the UK Ministry of Justice overseeing the incarceration of offenders in British Prisons. 

We British inmates in Thai jails have been told by Mrs Dufall that this is the official process and nearly all accept this verbal statement. However, this is untrue. An applicant, such as myself, is free to submit their intention directly to NOMS and therefore bypass the British Embassy.

What is impressed on us is that NOMS can arbitrarily decide, without stating any reason whatsoever, to reject the application. Whilst this contingency is permitted for by the UK/Thai repatriation treaty, I find it impossible to accept that a British Civil Servant could wilfully exercise the prerogative, without having (as one of my supporters stated) “A bloody good reason to do so” Even then the said Civil Servant would be required to divulge the justification.

That the charity Prisoners Abroad (P.A.) emphatically bolster this conceit is a sad reflection on their impartiality. P.A. Goes on to imply that NOMS could easily prevent a British National repatriating on the basis that the applicant can not demonstrate existing familial ties with other full nationals back in the UK. This is Bollox.

I freely admit that when it comes to the UK's Ministry of (In)Justice and its foreign service the Foreign and Commonwealth Office I adamantly debate the lack of any form of willingness to serve the best interests of their paymasters, the British Taxpayer. The term “jobsworths” comes to mind. One only has to reference the recent case of Stephen Ingram and Xi Lin and Mrs Dufall's refusal to acknowledge that they were being imprisoned illegally by the Royal Thai Police to concur with my argument (http://www.andrew-drummond.com/tag/stephen-ingram/).

Andrew's entry is well worth a read and I recommend that you do so. However, Andrew has to be circumspect, given the problems farangs can experience in Thai courts on civil matters. I, on the other hand am not so severely curtailed. A much fuller account was vouchsafed me by a former Consul in the embassy, which was verified by other, also very credible, sources in BKK. Consider this brief addendum:

After several days in the (Pink) Hot Bed Airport Love Hotel, whilst their ATM cards were under escorted excursion with the Thai Filth, Stephen and Xi managed to escape. Thinking that they would be safe in the embassy compound on Wireless road they headed there. Upon arrival they were taken to see Kuntz who was horrified that these alleged felons had added to their list of offences by escaping. She wasted no time - and this is verbatim - and told them to "Fuck Off out of the embassy". Kuntz covered her Ronson and her share of the "dibs" by immediately 'phoning the police colonel in charge at the arresting cop shop. No sooner had they gone through the embassy gate the filth pounced and took them back into custody. GGJ

It's for this reason that I advise anyone who falls foul of the local constabulary overseas that the very last action one should take in these circumstances is to contact the British embassy. It will invariably worsen a situation. But, don't just take my word for it, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC! GGJ

As such I can only accept one explanation as to why they persist in giving wrong information regarding repatriation – Control.

By sowing the seeds of doubt that it is not automatic for our Government to accept us back into a British gaol, Mrs Dufall wields a very large Damoclean Sword to ensure our compliance with how she interprets British Foreign Office policy towards UK Nationals in Thai jails. That this has been successful for many, many years is evident from a recent request under the Freedom of Information Act to NOMS. In it the question was asked:

“Since the 6th February 1991 when the United Kingdom - Thailand Prisoner Transfer Agreement came into force, how many UK citizens have the UK Government refused to repatriate from Thai prisons to UK prisons and for what reasons?“

The answer which came back was:

“Since Bilateral Agreement on the Transfer of Offenders and on Co-operation in the Enforcement of Penal Sentences between the Kingdom of Thailand and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland came into force in 1991 the Ministry of Justice has not refused any British citizen’s application for repatriation to the United Kingdom.“

Contrary me, daring to be different, refuses to comply with Mrs Kuntz Dufall's directive. Lets see if I'm the first to be summarily rejected by NOMS.