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| Goulet, left, fingers Noyes and Boonsu , who boasted high police contacts |
The Australian director of a beauty and health clinic in Thailand told a court today how he feared for his life after opening a new branch in the Thai resort city of Pattaya.
Michel Oscar Goulet, 60, formerly of Alligator Creek, Townsville, Queensland, said the American publisher of a local newspaper, called on the pretence of selling advertising – but promptly told him he would have to hand over 7 million baht protection money as his premises were about to be raided.
The publisher Drew Walter Noyes, 56, an American previously of North Carolina, California and New England, and publisher of the Pattaya Times told Mr. Goulet not to worry he knew some high police figure and his wife, the Editor of the Pattaya Times, would soften them up over dinner to lower the bribe.
Both Drew Noyes and Wanrapa Boonsu deny charges of attempting to extort cash out of the Thonglor clinic.
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| Goulet at the Thonglor Clinic |
The first meeting at the Thonglor Clinic took place on March 7th 2012 when Drew Noyes arrived at the Thonglor Clinic with two Thai men in plain clothes but the discussion about advertising was short and no prices were discussed before Drew Noyes asked to speak with Goulet, now of Thonglor Soi 25, Bangkok, in a private room.
“He told me ‘I am here as a friend to warn you that this clinic will be raided by the police – the two men were downstairs’. He continued that it would not be done today because it was a holiday.
“I told him. Thank you for the information and the meeting was over.
“The next day he called me so say he knew some high up police figure and that I should go to his office to discuss how to prevent any further problems and offer protection from police.”
He said he was asked to go to Drew Noyes’ – PAPPA Law Office – another of the American’s businesses but Noyes told him not to bring his lawyer.
At the office he met Noyes, Wanrapa Boonsu, known as Kung, and a Thai man in plain clothes.
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| Noyes and Boonsu |
“Drew Noyes said clinics that get raided usually have to pay 7 million Thai baht – AU$226,566 – to receive protection from the police. I said I cannot afford to pay that much. I will go out of business.
“Drew Noyes said ‘We can re-discuss this. My wife, Kung, knows the police and we will try to lower the bribe and soften them up over dinner tonight. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it’.”
The following morning Goulet said he met Noyes in the ‘’Pig & Whistle’ restaurant in Jomtien for breakfast at 9 am.
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| Pig & Whistle |
“Drew Noyes said the price had dropped to 2.3 million from 7 million Thai baht (AUS$74,494)
“I did not say yes or no because I needed to talk to the shareholders but it was a Saturday and the banks were closed. So I told him I would call and let him know of my decision.
“After that I had a meeting with my own lawyer and he advised that I log a complaint with the police on grounds of extortion.”
While he was logging the complaint Kung called and asked if the money was ready.
“By this time the police were listening in because I turned on the speaker of my phone.
“I told them I was still in Central (Department Store) getting the money out of the bank.
“Shortly afterwards Drew Noyes called and asked if the money was ready.
“Kung called again to arrange a meeting at the News Steak Restaurant where Drew Noyes was having dinner.
“I said to Kung ‘I will call you back when I have the money’. The police told me to arrange some money so they could arrest him for extortion. I put 100,000 (AU$3,240) baht in a bag..briefcase.”
At the restaurant police, he said, told him not to enter until they gave him a signal, he said.
When he was given the signal undercover police were already in the restaurant. Goulet said he saw Drew Noyes and Kung with two other people. One was Melbourne businessman David Hanks, who was a patient at his clinic. He did not know the fourth person, a male European.
“I gave the briefcase of money to Drew Noyes. Then one of the policemen showed his badge and said: ‘You are all under arrest. Put your hands on the table.’
“Drew Noyes then grabbed his phone to make a phone call; the police stopped Drew Noyes and confiscated all phones.”
Asked by the prosecutor why he lodged the complaint Mr. Goulet replied:
“I was scared. I was scared for my life. I did not want to be the victim of extortion. I have even hired bodyguards. I Googled his name and saw a lot of negative reports about him in America and elsewhere.
“I had never met him before he came to my office.”
The case was adjourned until June 11/12 by Judge Panyo Mokkomakul.
Drew Noyes’lawyers presented the Judge with a portfolio showing Noyes pictures with many local police chiefs, and politicians.
Footnote: The Pattaya Times claims to be a partner paper of the Bangkok Post. It has carried Bangkok Post advertising supplements. Drew Noyes has claimed a readership of 500,000, ten times that of the Bangkok Post. This is unlikely. Most of the content is dedicated to eulogies on local politicians and police and much of the rest is lifted from the internet.
Black Case 3921/2555
For afficionados of Drew Noyes who says, well I do everything, from beating up my children to being high on speed I cannot recommend his drummond blogspot website enough as a supreme example of what low level of foreigner in Thailand I am up against.
* A child support case for a nine-year-old girl brought against Drew Noyes by a former mistress has been postponed until February 26 at Chonburi Family Court.
* Judgment will be given on February 15th at Pattaya Provincial Court in a libel case brought by Andre Machielsen, a seasonal Father Christmas whom Drew accused of being a drugs dealer.
* Drew Noyes and Wanrapa Boonsu, will have to appear in court on March 9th to face charges in Pattaya Provincial Court of fraud in connection with allegations they pocketed cash to be used to pay off the Thai girl friend of Dutchman Theo van der Schaft.
"Drew Noyes' lawyers presented the Judge with a portfolio showing Noyes pictures with many local police chiefs, and politicians." Hahahaha modes operandi for him “do you know who my friends are?” If they knew he tries hiding behind them they drop him like a rock. The plaintiff will receive all documents of this trial and he should as a matter of fact forward the pictures to the "influential" people being used. I am sure Sonthia Khunploem was in one of the pictures, but if he appreciates to be associated with a Phsygo just after his own father was arrested is doubtful, as with the Pattaya Mayor. Was Niels Colov not a character witness, or is this planned for the future? I might use my personal line to inform some of them now it is still hot. Will this Kung woman be treated as an accessory to this crime? Up to the next court case Drew, one day they get sick of your face as with so many do.
The prosecutor should step up to the plate on this one. Surely a portfolio of photographs is inadmissible. If a few pictures were all that were needed to prove innocence people like Robert Maxwell, Conrad Black and Jeffrey Archer would all be innocent as new born babes.
Character testimony should only be allowed in person, in open court and under oath.
Even then facts are facts and any previous good character (if any)is no excuse for felony.
Neither Robert, Conrad, or Jeffrey were Thai and were not tried in Thai courts. This case involves Thais as well as farangs given Noise's alleged contacts so is being done the Thai way.
Western methods do not apply.
He always produces this portfolio of pictures. He has 24 witnesses (character) listed in his defence. That will be interesting. Outside the court he approached a number of people, who told me they felt uncomfortable with it. What he allegedly said to them I cannot report.But security blocked him from Mr. Goulet.
I hope Niels is a character witness..the prosecutor could then question him about his fake UNESCO award and go from there….
Interesting part is why did David Hanks – who was been with Noyes at every recent court case and who has been hasstling me – sign up for treatment at the Thonglor Clinic the week before this alleged sting went down.
I'm surprised that this case was adjourned for four months after just one day of testimony. Perhaps this was just the preliminary hearing to see if there's enough evidence to go forward with a trial.
It's worrisome since the lives of the witnesses are in danger until this is resolved. Based on the crazy rants on DN's anti-AD blog, the defendant is writing like some unbalanced person and then responding to his own posts in the comments with even wilder statements.
Swift justice is needed here.
I arrived early at the Pattaya Provincial Court to attend the court hearing. Neither names of the Plaintiff nor Defendant were shown on the main listing of trials to be heard that day. I proceeded to the “Court Correspondence Desk” and was greeted by the lady who recognized me from the day before. I was advised that Drew Noyes was in custody at the Nong Palai prison. Fortunately a friend of Drew Noyes was standing by and, to cut the story short, another friend had just been talking to him in person 30 minutes prior to the event. Of course there were pursuant cries of foul play of spreading rumors. The friend of Drew Noyes and I were advised that the case was to be heard in court room #2. By the time we found court room #2 we had been moved to court room #3. You may ask did the confusion stop here … not a chance!! To the best of my knowledge there were 3 cases to be heard that day in Court#3 – an inheritance dispute, an extortion case, and a felony case. Between 9am and 10am there was a parade of lawyers and administrators entering and exiting the court room. To the best of my knowledge there was confusion as to which cases were to be heard first. It was decided that the inheritance case would go first and the extortion case second. The lady involved in the felony case was sent back to the holding cell (that must have been frustrating).
The proceeding and testimony in this extortion case went as accurately documented in this article. However, I would like to add some personal observations during and after the hearing. During the hearing the plaintiff was not only under pressure giving testimony (as translation was involved the same question was asked multiple times) he was also subject to interruptions from people entering/exiting the court, mobile phones ringing and people talking loudly in the public gallery. About half an hour into the proceeding even the Judge had enough and gave a stiff warning to the 2 gentlemen sitting behind me. Once the Plaintiff had given testimony, the Judge abruptly advised that the case would resume in April (different to the finalized date of June 11). Of course there were rumors floating around that foul play were behind the delay in the trial, however, from my close proximity to the defendant group I believe they were just as surprised as anyone else. They were expecting the case to go 2 days. After the trial I grabbed one of the court translators and reviewed the trial listings posted outside the 3 court rooms. Not one showed the extortion case. Although I am not as naive to say that there is no possibility of something going on behind the delay, I believe in this case the scheduling had been messed up. A classic example of the right hand not knowing what the left had is doing. When I read articles of Thais circumventing the legal system because of lack of confidence and trust, situations like this do not help.
DN's only defense is to name the policeman and other officials wanting that 7 million baht bribe for protection. Maybe the judge didn't want DN naming names until those corrupt people are out of the picture and thus postponed the trial.
It's equally likely of course that DN made up or exaggerated the threat of raids in order to extort money. Why would the cops go through DN to get their money? That makes no sense.
If DN is planning on revealing a bunch of corrupt cops then he cannot be resting easy until June.
I believe the police issue in this matter has been resolved.
Could you expand on this?
A policeman has been transferred.
The police issue is not relevant. It was the Noise that allegedly demanded the money. The courts will concentrate on that. No mileage there to involve the Thai police.
This is better than Eastenders or Corrie!!
Someone please show the judge the,
"… Only American Lawyer certified to practice in Thailand.." crap ad from Teak door.
It "drew" me in for a costly trip to Pattaya, for nothing.
You get harassed, AD? Wonder if DN is my telephone text message harasser, too?
It's one thing for a farang to extort money from another farlang by doing something like threatening to publish some lies. That's a pure farang issue.
However for Drew to bring in the Thai police, it makes it much worse for Drew as he is insulting the very organization he claims to be his friend. All the sudden the story is about a farang seriously disrespecting the government of Thailand itself.
And all this spoken in open court for everyone to hear. Shocking.
Wish I got messages from Drew.
Sam……
I've had several over the months to my FB account libelling Andrew….it's the usual mix of self promotion, denial and fantasy……..
Really you wouldn't……..
Judging by the increasing frequency and wilder content over at Drummond watch I'd say he's fairly rattled right know….maybe just maybe justice will be done in this case…
Well he is certainly rattled. His behaviour at recent cases shows his nerves are going. One time he forgot to bring his jacket – adorned with Thai royal badges. And his pal Hawaian Jerry has been crying into his beer at pubs in Jomtien – when not dating woman on Thai Love Links. Seems to go everywhere with David Hanks as his 'bodyguard'.
As for the blogspot site – he has of course denied it and pretends not to hav anything to do with it. Trouble is he cannot trust his 'staff' not to talk and one already has given statement.
Two of the articles are almost verbatim rants that Drew has given me over the phone.
Apparently now comments have to be approved by moderators before they're posted. I wonder what Drew Noyes is afraid of?
Just been to visit the alternative blog , Drew is realy a sick individual.. If he was a soi dog you would put him down to be kind.
Yes – he is burning the midnight oil with a self-consuming passion. While the clock is ticking slowly – there is something inevitable about his charade.
Frustrating that the Judge did not provide a reason for the postponement of the trial, puts the creditability of justice system into question. All the same it would not surprise me if Drew Noyes sells his assets and leaves the country before June 11. Why take the chance? Not the first time that this would have happened.
I doubt he will leave. The court must also consider that he is claiming Thais are involved. Whether on his side now or not, they may owe him favours.
The judge did provide a reason – other cases to judge.
Re: The judge did provide a reason – other cases to judge.
Works for me … (smile). Based on the number of cases to be heard that day in court #3 (an inheritance dispute, an extortion case, and a felony case), I think the reason is more than valid. Lets say hearing all 3 cases would have been ambitious!! The Pattaya Provincial Court, similar to the Pattaya Immigration Office, seems overloaded and unable to meet the current needs. Sign of the times unfortunately.
I don't suppose it helps that the court gets bombarded by vexatious litigants like Drew Noyes and these daft libel cases.