An Aussie mother stages a sit in at the Thai Parliament to complain about rampant corruption in Thailand. The victim is her son Jack Hansen-Bartel a former studentsof the New International School in Thailand (NIST) who was savagely beaten in a police controlled party bar in Koh Samui.
The two accused are Chinese Americans Raymond Chang and Ryan Wang both former pupils of the Shanghai American School. As a result of the attack, in which a heavy object is thought to have been used, Jack had to have millions of baht in surgery and corrective surgery to his face.
The prosecution of the two young Americans seemed to be going ahead – and then after the father of Raymond Nobu Chang, the millionaire father of Chang(jnr) flew in the world reversed on Jack – a scholarship pupil, who had been looked after by his divorced mum for 15 years in Thailand.
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| Chang (left0 behind. Wang (right) |
Police on Koh Samui now wanted to charge Jack with common assault (for which the fine is under US$100). They even flew a policeman to Bangkok to interview and charge him. Cost a minimum of US$300 – and the Samui police do not have the cash and would never waste it on a normal case.
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| Raymond Nobu Chang |
Even the National Council for Peace and Order expressed concerned and they witnessed the occasion – but did nothing.
Neither did the police, prosecutor, Interpol, the Australian Embassy, the Thai National Human Rights Commission (stripped of its powers) or if they did it was not enough.
So Annie Hansen went it alone relying heavily on donations. It is a tribute to her tenacity that the case got this far. Her adversary Raymond Nobu Chang made much of his cash out of Microsoft, attended the John F Kennedy School at Harvard, and has pulled out all plugs.
Unknown to her even her lawyer (the last of many) agreed that Raymong Chang and Ryan Wang did not need to turn up for their trial for serious offences – while Jack has to fly from Monash University in Melbourne, where he is studying, to attend his trial for a misdemeanor, which of course he is contesting.
The defendants claim they went to the assistance of a damsel in distress – Tiffany Turner – a former student at he International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo. Hansen-Bartel was harassing her, they claimed. CCTV coverage of five hours at the club shows at the night in question in June 2014 the opposite.
In desperation it seems Raymond Chang’s father has now got the courts to turn the spotlight away from his son and is now blaming Ryan Wang for the attack.
There goes a school friendship.
Annie’s sit in in Parliament attracted a lot of attention in the Thai language press – but none in the English language newspapers in Bangkok who like to protect the country’s image abroad.
It’s another step forward in her battle. She has won the moral and ethical war. Unfortunately in the Thai justice system morals and ethics are low on the pecking order.
The case of Jack Hansen-Bartel was first raised on Andrew-Drummond.Com and has been widely followed by the Australian media.
Among numerous other cases the site also first highlighted the case of the Vard family – robbed of seven houses by a crime syndicate involving lawyers, a bank, money lenders and police. That case was also taken up by the media in Ireland and Thailand and continues to be monitored.
And then there is the case of Vanida Boongeon whose Pakistani husband was murdered in Chaiyaphum and police hid the file and did not even send the results of the DNA tests of the killer’s blood to the public prosecutor. (update soon).
And the case of Chris X who was blatantly falsely accused of child sexual abuse in Pattaya – by a system that financially profited from arrests. He now is suing in the US.
Our campaign also brought Police Sergeant Uthai Dechachiwat to account for the murder of Leo del Pinto in Pai, Northern Thailand.
And we have seen fake lawyers Scot Brian Goudie and American Drew Noyes jailed for three years for defrauding a 78-year-old woman and 2 years for extortion. And we have sent Noyes on the run because the Thai system allowed him bail after his conviction.
We have been blocked in Thailand by the government which does not use the courts and we are always under attack – currently from boiler room operators – so your support is always needed even it its only moral.
But right now Annie still needs help to continue her fight. Go to Justice for Jack
Thailand is a complete farce, Something has to be done about the rampant corruption of the 4th world country. They call themselves buddhists but they have no shame,Morals or anything remotely decent in this world.
"What has religion got to do with this, Billy Black?
It shows the hypocrisy in That's… And budism is not a religion.
Sorry, "that's" should be Thai's Spelling error on my part.
And "Buddhism" is not spelt "budism."
What has pedanticism got to do with this Steam?
Boycotting Thailand is the only way and good luck with that
See Boycott Thailand at facebook. Of course the sex industry will always keep the male foreigners flocking.
https://www.facebook.com/Boycott-Thailand-309929045861980/
Jack should not attend court and stay safe from Thai injustice in Australia. Annie should be careful as this is a ruthless, human rights abusing and murderous military junta and mafia style police she is embarrassing. BTW Jack's father is never mentioned; is he Thai?
Ms. er, " Annie" ( no last name? ) has a tough mountain climb ahead of her. Unfortunately, I doubt anyone has the perseverance to change the Thai perception of foreigners as aliens and not quite equal to themselves.
Meanwhile, evidence mounts by the hour that Tw*tland is an absolute sh*thole which is a bit satisfying as more and more comments on all media outlets reflect this perception. Even Thai Visa Forum which in the past was avidly sterilizing poster's opinions can no longer control the blatant lack of respect most resident foreigners now display routinely. Yee haaaaaa.
Judging by your ThaiVisa-like references to Thailand I wonder if you know what "blatant lack of respect " means?
Jack's mother's name is mentioned several times in this thread.
This is a funny comment and so so true. Only seems to be one blinkered individual and I would say blinded over blinkered
In Thai eyes we are only 'farang' and nothing more. Many foreigners have tried in vain to change the system, but this will not happen. Thailand is only for Thai people, and this mindset is intrenched in the fabric of Thai society.
That mindset is entrenched only in blinkered foreigners.
Re; In Thai eyes we are only 'farang' and nothing more. Many foreigners have tried in vain to change the system, but this will not happen. Thailand is only for Thai people, and this mindset is entrenched in the fabric of Thai society. Response: That mindset is entrenched only in blinkered foreigners.
While this statement may be a simplistic view of Thailand, I would not agree with the response that it is a view “only” held by foreigners with blinkers. There is just too much support for this view. Since coming to Thailand 12 years ago I have heard this statement over and over again, in one form or another, from so many credible farangs. Sure you will be told by the Neils Colovs and the Drew Noyes of this world that Thailand is the place to invest your money, but outside those who have a vested interest in the success of Thailand, there are very few farang who believe they will be treated fairly. You only have to look at the jet ski scams targeting foreigners, the stabbing of foreigners with a slap on the hand with a 500 baht fine, the reneging of contracts both privately and at the government level knowing full well that the foreigner has little or no recourse (eg. Land office issues a chanot in a foreigners name and then invalidates it 10 years later), or more recently a new scam involving one year retiring visas targeting quality farang tourists. This scam involves converting a 30 day entry visa, to a 3 months visa, to a one year visa.
Correct, I would not trust my own shadow here in Thailand. Here because its convenient and cheapish,other than that my escape route is planned,dogs too.
Good on ya Annie. Best of luck, which you'll need of course, against people allergic to the truth.
Judging by 30 million visitors to the country in 2015, Thailand is not only for Thai people the guest.
Believe it or not, corruption happens to my Thai family (by marriage too), so only the elite come out unscathed.
Kudos to Andrew for ferreting out the farang expat rats.
Andrew, do you realise what an insult it is to the rational adults who follow you and comment here to have to have their comments vetted before they appear then, in the meantime, have to read offensive slurs like HorseDoctor's description of Thailand that you allow through?
Well Bob sometimes I am uncomfortable with posts here. But I try not to impose too much even when bigots come on. The person you refer to is clearly dissillusioned but I am not sure it is to me to delete everything she writes. I tend to delete when private rows start taking place. Sometimes of course belatedly.I of course do not want to emulate ThaiVisa.
Speak for yourself Bobby. Vetting is normal. Accept it or remain frustrated. Up to you.
Rational is subjective. Bias precludes rational thinking..
She should also have a sign written in Thai (and bigger writing) next time.