‘IF ANDREW DRUMMOND IS FORCED TO LEAVE THAILAND CROOKS WILL BE FREE AND WITHOUT SCRUTINY’
A report on the website Phuketwan today says British journalist ‘Andrew Drummond is irreplaceable’. And it adds that if he was forced to leave Thailand ‘the crooks will be free to continue their shakedowns and rip-offs, without scrutiny’.
The report is a part of a series by the online site based in Phuket to mark World Media Freedom Day and is written by Alan Morison, who with a colleague Chutima Sidasathien as well as Andrew Drummond and human rights activists Andy Hall, is under attack from people taking advantage of Thailand’s Computer Crime Act and Criminal Libel Laws.
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| Caught in Vietnam |
Phuketwan also reports that Andrew Drummond ‘has exposed killers, paedophiles and rip-off merchants of all kinds in a decades-long career as a foreign correspondent in Asia – including Gary Glitter’.
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| Glyn Croft – former member of ‘Charlie Richardson gang’ surrendered to Drummond and was sent back to UK |
Do not of course believe that if Andrew Drummond leaves Thailand that the crime figures will shoot through the roof.
No such claim has been made by Andrew Drummond that he is actually reducing crime.
In fact most of the cases he investigates are not recorded on Thai crime statistics.
But certainly, he says, he can make life very uncomfortable, for people who come from abroad to commit crimes in Thailand.
“It’s up to the foreign police forces to deal with their own criminals who come to Thailand. But in general they are involved with crooks who have already committed crimes abroad and are wanted back home.
“They also get involved in international narcotics matters.
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| Alan Morison – being sued by naval officer over award winning Rohingya coverage |
“But if foreign crooks decided to get involved in crooked business here quite often the Thai police will either not understand, or not care as they are merely ripping off other foreigners, and with the language problems they sometimes cannot tell which foreigner the villain is. Foreign criminals are as a rule not so dumb as to cheat Thais.”
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| Walter ‘Whacky’ Douglas recently sent back to UK |
Andrew Drummond who as a journalist has attracted about in Thailand 2/3rds of the number of all libel suits in England and Wales for almost any given year, has been winning his cases – but at a cost. Thankfully he has been supported by readers.
The Phuketwan says he is looking longingly towards Britain. That’s true because, he says, Thailand cannot offer his children a good enough education.
To read the story on Phuketwan go here.
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| Brian Goudie, exposed criminal, plying his trade in Thailand as a ‘British barrister’ and appearing in courts all over the country – is in fact convict E0000274 in Australia. |
Apart from keeping tabs on foreigners murdered in Thailand Drummond also tracked down Gary Glitter in Vietnam, where he was arrested, jailed and later deported on child sex abuse charges.
Among his first stories involving foreign criminals were the cases of Tony Clements and Glyn Croft in Pattaya.
These two, formerly associated with the ‘Charlie Richardson’ gang in the UK, began an enforcement business in the resort.
Clements was shot dead and subsequently Glyn Croft approached Andrew Drummond to give himself up to the British authorities (He had absconded from jail in the UK).
Croft’s particular forte in the UK was to roast his victims over two bar electric fires. As these did not exist in Thailand he had to find other means.
One of Drummond’s adversaries and a subject of one of his exposes is Brian Goudie (above) was jailed for six years under the name Brian Goldie in Australia but in Thailand re-invented himself as a British barrister. He is currently on trial for posing as a barrister to defraud a 75-year-old woman out of almost US$300,000.
More recently after Drummond interviewed Walter ‘Whacky’ Douglas in Samui – a man long associated with organised crime – he was arrested in Koh Samui and sent back to the UK by Thai police and officers of the National Crime Agency.
Andrew, this country needs you more than you can imagine. Without exposure the above characters would still be on the run, raping children and conning people out of their life savings. Where is Brian? Has he disappeared? Has he repaid the money he was ordered to repay?
When you have time could you once again list the upcoming trials for the people you have exposed. I know you have done this before but I can not find it. I believe the Drew Noyes extortion trial is this month.
You really are a brave man and you do it for no rewards, you only do it because it is the right thing to do. A very rare quality. You are my hero. You can hold your head high.
To all those who have thought about donating to this cause but haven't, please now is the time to do so. Don't let these criminals get away with destroying innocent lives any longer.
Corruption hates publicity, so maybe you could start naming the judges in these trials just to keep everybody honest. You have done a great job in publicizing these cases so far which will make it a lot harder for these criminals to escape justice.
Thank you Sir.
Drew Noyes and David Hanks claimed you libelled them because a poster to this blog referred to them as pimps, despite the fact that David was a proud owner of a brothel in Australia when it suited him and that Drew Noyes was involved with beer bars in Pattaya I believe. And perhaps Cupids gay bar.
In Drew Noyes newspaper, a "Jomtien hotel owner" called you a wanker. This was also published on his website. Regardless of whether or not we can prove that Drew Noyes was using the name Mangus Evans to hide behind, can you not claim that Drew Noyes, as Chief Editor, has in fact libeled you? He was responsible for the newspapers content, just as you are responsible for what you allow on this blog.
What a thing to publish about yourself…..so much for objectivity and distance from the reporting you're doing about your situation.
Your numbers are going to drop quicker than a Patong bar girls panties…..who wants to see self aggrandizement from an investigative reporter?
Given the enormous sacrifices the "investigative reporter" has had to make in the interests of all honest foreigners here in Thailand, to call it self aggrandisement misses the point.
The fact is that due to Thailand’s Computer Crime Act and Criminal Libel Laws foreign criminals are able to victimise innocent people almost all of whom lack the resources and experience to defend themselves.
The "investigative reporter" has made a personal stand way beyond normal on behalf of us all and needs support. How else will he get that support?
As the old saying goes, "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".
I suspect the 'visitor count' is will head north again once Somchai returns to court.
I can sort of understand your point of view Bill.
Phuketwan is fortunate in that being sued by the military has attracted the attention of the Thai media and international outlets as well. Andrew Drummond's longer struggle against evil deserves attention, here and abroad. And if AD doesn't occasionally make the point that his cause is just and his pockets are not deep, then who will? It's high time other media outlets got interested. He has exceptional courage and that's a rare virtue these days.
Alan Morison
I agree Unknown. It's time others start writing about Andrew Drummond's story to spread the word about both the criminals in our midst and the archaic defamation laws in Thailand.
If that happens, perhaps the Thai people will start to realize how these foreign criminals abuse the Thai judicial system and institute change.
From PC in UK
Facebook, I follow you religiously! Then I went on your site
Hate scummy bastards and you always had integrity and were on the right side. Sounds like you’re in a horrible situation
Gunboat Bill, what a name to call yourself. Royal Marine i suppose.
The above was interesting to me. For years we have had to put up with an unbearable, annoying Noise. Nothing, and nobody could shut it up, some tried. But now, while not completely gone, it has been turned down significantly. A newspaper, and planned television and radio are done and dusted. If the readership numbers here were a stock price, you would have many happy investors.
The readership is even higher than the imagined/claimed 500,000 readers that used to crowd around a newspaper that only printed 2,000 or so copies.
If you are so brave Gunboat, why don't you do something about the noise instead of complaining. Put up your real name. Be brave Gunboat.
What makes you think I've not done something about Noyes, Claes?
Being critical of the presentation of an article is vastly different than not supporting AD's efforts.
Most journalists, from what little I understand, don't write about their own accolades but rather have another journalist with a bit more perspective do it.
Be brave Claes and remember that disagreeing about one thing doesn't mean someone disagrees with everything.
Well, what's the latest news in the Three Stooges drama or can't you report on it anymore? When are they in court again?