News Forum - Australian drug trafficker breaks silence on hellish 7 years in Thai prison

[Thaiger]

An Australian woman convicted of drug trafficking has broken her silence about her hellish seven years behind bars in a maximum-security prison in Bangkok, Thailand. Holly Deane-Johns was spared the death sentence and handed 31 years in prison in 2003 after pleading guilty to attempting to post 10.6 grams of heroin from Thailand to Australia …

The story Australian drug trafficker breaks silence on hellish 7 years in Thai prison as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Khunmark]

Sure, the living conditions for inmates in Australia are much better than Thailand, but there’s also zero chance of a royal pardon. Let’s hope this women woman receives no financial gain from divulging her experiences, although that would be wishful thinking.

[Fanta]

25 minutes ago, Khunmark said:

Sure, the living conditions for inmates in Australia are much better than Thailand, but there’s also zero chance of a royal pardon.

She didn’t receive a royal pardon. She was in a Thai prison from 2000-2007, transferred to an Australian prison and was released on parole in 2012. 12 years served of a 31 year sentence ain’t so bad. 

[Khunmark]

21 minutes ago, Fanta said:

She didn’t receive a royal pardon. She was in a Thai prison from 2000-2007, transferred to an Australian prison and was released on parole in 2012. 12 years served of a 31 year sentence ain’t so bad. 

There’s a good argument for the original sentence being waaaay over the top; given the small amount drugs identified. But yes, 19 years is a heavy discount.

[BJoe]

She got what she deserved.    Criminals should pay for crimes within the country they were committed, and subject to the conditions application to the population. It’s amazing how westerners feel that they can flaunt a country’s laws and receive “entitled” treatment. 

[Fanta]

10 minutes ago, Khunmark said:

There’s a good argument for the original sentence being waaaay over the top; given the small amount drugs identified. But yes, 19 years is a heavy discount.

She was smuggling a Class 1 drug from Thailand so her goose was cooked. Drug crimes in Thailand are deemed as crimes against society (many victims) whereas murder, rape, theft etc are treated as crimes against individuals hence the disparity in sentencing. 

[HolyCowCm]

Although 10.6 grams is not so much, the end result is that 10.6 grams could do some pretty big damage to many people, and the bottom line is she took the chance and she lost at such a high cost. Lucky she isn't dead with a bullet in her back from the executioner for back in that day.

[Khunmark]

1 hour ago, BJoe said:

She got what she deserved.    Criminals should pay for crimes within the country they were committed, and subject to the conditions application to the population. It’s amazing how westerners feel that they can flaunt a country’s laws and receive “entitled” treatment. 

 

41 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Although 10.6 grams is not so much, the end result is that 10.6 grams could do some pretty big damage to many people, and the bottom line is she took the chance and she lost at such a high cost. Lucky she isn't dead with a bullet in her back from the executioner for back in that day.

Given the horrendous conditions of the prison where she served the earlier part of her sentence, it doesn’t seem extraordinary that she wanted to be extradited to Australia. If I was in her position, I’d want the same.

[HolyCowCm]

47 minutes ago, Khunmark said:

Given the horrendous conditions of the prison where she served the earlier part of her sentence, it doesn’t seem extraordinary that she wanted to be extradited to Australia. If I was in her position, I’d want the same.

On the bright side she learned how to speak Thai.

[Pinga]

3 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

On the bright side she learned how to speak Thai.

How will that help her in Australia? I doubt she'd ever be able to go back to Thailand, assuming she even wanted to.

The scary thing in all of this is there is zero leniency in Thailand for such offenses. In this case she was guilty, but given how jealous/crazy some girls can be in Thailand - what if one slipped something in your baggage before a flight? you'd be done for, no questions asked.

[Pinetree]

Tough sxxt lady 

[palooka]

4 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

On the bright side she learned how to speak Thai.

But nearly useless to her as she will be blacklisted for entry to Thailand.

Sadly, the prime years of her life were wasted.

[Australitis]

This story doesn't add up. No sign of remorse. 5x6m cell, quite big, but 130 women in it, no way - stacked like sardines? How do you "lose your place" if you go to the toilet, the best place would be on top of the pile. So to lose it, everyone will unpack themselves and put you at the bottom of the pile? And so many other apparent lies in there, a typical Aussie fefail. Yes, of course prison should not be comfortable, and in Thailand it certainly isn't! But she gets to die her hair black when packed like sardines?! PS: Corby was right to ignore her letter, and that's an entirely different matter.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Australitis
Forgot to mention

[Fanta]

7 hours ago, Australitis said:

This story doesn't add up. No sign of remorse.

She is a heroin addict that previously did 6 years in Australian prisons. Why show remorse when prison time is the cost of doing business? 

7 hours ago, Australitis said:

5x6m cell, quite big, but 130 women in it, no way - stacked like sardines? How do you "lose your place" if you go to the toilet

Overcrowding is endemic in Thai prisons because of their misguided policy of imprisoning all drug offenders vs rehabilitation.

[Pinetree]

14 hours ago, palooka said:

Sadly, the prime years of her life were wasted.

Sadly?  I don't feel sad for her, she made her bet and lost.  Let it be a lesson to others. 

[HolyCowCm]

17 hours ago, Pinga said:

How will that help her in Australia? I doubt she'd ever be able to go back to Thailand, assuming she even wanted to.

The scary thing in all of this is there is zero leniency in Thailand for such offenses. In this case she was guilty, but given how jealous/crazy some girls can be in Thailand - what if one slipped something in your baggage before a flight? you'd be done for, no questions asked.

One can always go to Thai places and restaurants in other countries. Australia has maybe 100k Thai people there? And just like in the USA say in Southern California they have a Thai town in Sydney and many temples too. You can amuse yourself with the language if you really want to. Jealous crazy girls? Yikes, possible if you get mixed up with one, and even possible if she is owned by the you know who and sets you up. But very very unlikely in your luggage on departure but while here just watch your back, but never met anyone who had it done to them in my over 30 years here.

[HolyCowCm]

16 hours ago, palooka said:

But nearly useless to her as she will be blacklisted for entry to Thailand.

Sadly, the prime years of her life were wasted.

Yes wasted life for a measly 10 grams. Wonder if she was narced off. Back in those days of early 2000 probably was easy to send stuff by mail. Don't hink they required id as they do now and with all the cc tv making it virtually impossible now

[Fanta]

2 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yes wasted life for a measly 10 grams. Wonder if she was narced off. Back in those days of early 2000 probably was easy to send stuff by mail. Don't hink they required id as they do now and with all the cc tv making it virtually impossible now

“In August 2000 she was arrested in a Bangkok post office, trying to mail a small parcel of heroin to Australia. Another 15 grams of heroin was found in her Bangkok apartment, while a swoop of a friend's home found 110 grams. The pair had been snared in a two-month surveillance operation by the Thai narcotics squad, sparked by a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police.“

https://www.theage.com.au/national/a-hell-away-from-home-20051009-ge10nz.html

[HolyCowCm]

5 minutes ago, Fanta said:

“In August 2000 she was arrested in a Bangkok post office, trying to mail a small parcel of heroin to Australia. Another 15 grams of heroin was found in her Bangkok apartment, while a swoop of a friend's home found 110 grams. The pair had been snared in a two-month surveillance operation by the Thai narcotics squad, sparked by a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police.“

https://www.theage.com.au/national/a-hell-away-from-home-20051009-ge10nz.html

Well that completes the rest of the story. Got greedy and thought untouchable. Caught with enough to do a lot of damage to the public.

[PATRIQUE]

Now the last - bigger -  Heroin Dealer , connecting his Export Buiz to Australia I am aware of working of Thai ground .....

was kind of a Thai politician , correct ?

So , and I personally do not think this is a worldwide exception .

Now if we would try and not believe that these small time dealers like this lady are the real evil dealers ,

and focus forces on getting the real players who play their game uninterrupted for decades

we would all see a truth which we shouldnt believe to be the truth , because the truth is very ugly in this scenario

[Aussieroaming]

I'm glad she survived but she deserved jail time.