The British Government has supported moves by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand calling on the Thai authorities to review ‘frivolous’ criminal defamation cases brought against a veteran British foreign correspondent, who has been investigating foreign crime in Thailand.
Britain’s Ambassador Mark Kent and FCCT President Jonathan Head, the BBC’s South East Asia Correspondent have expressed their concern independently to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.
Jonathan Head described the cases as ‘frivolous’ and that Drummond’s case was clear cut example of people misusing the court system to prohibit freedom of the press.
A meeting has also taken place with senior officials of the Thai Supreme and Appeals Courts attended by the FCCT President. Part of the problem identified was poor policing of foreign fraudsters in Thailand.
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| Convicted extortionists posing as business leadersgatecrash National Law Day at Pattaya Court. His is the head to the left and behind the woman in red. His female partner in crime is to thre right of the man in purple shirt – Pattaya Times |
Andrew Drummond has been sued in multiple cases by several foreign ‘businessmen’ – two who have posed falsely as lawyers in Thailand – whom he says make a living out of cheating other foreigners.
Two of the three have been sentenced to jail for criminal convictions of dishonesty and a third, says Drummond, was a former brothel owner in Australia, who was arrested in Thailand in an operation by the Department of Special Investigation against racketeering in Pattaya.
Drummond has successfully fought off all but one case over the last three years – and is appealing that decision.
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| H.E. Mark Kent |
So far, he says, he has been lucky that supporters of his website www.andrew-drummond.com have contributed generously towards defence funds.
The Thai court system does not award costs if cases are brought maliciously and without any substance. It is incumbent upon the defendant to pay lawyers to bring cases to get his costs back and damages. And enforcing court monetary orders can be problematic.
The FCCT issued the following statement today:
“The Foreign Correspondents’ Club is giving its support to journalist Andrew Drummond in his efforts to get a series of criminal defamation cases against him reviewed by the Thai authorities.
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| Jonathan Head |
The number of cases filed by the same litigants, or people connected to them, strongly suggests they are using Thailand’s criminal defamation law to try to stop Mr. Drummond from carrying out his legitimate role as a journalist.
Mr. Drummond has been required by these cases to make repeated bail payments and court appearances in different locations. The questionable backgrounds of the people who have filed these cases should offer sufficient grounds for the Thai authorities to review the cases.
“The FCCT has already expressed its concern over Mr. Drummond’s situation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our position on Mr. Drummond is also supported by the British Embassy.
Misuse of the criminal defamation law to prevent a journalist from working would be a serious infringement of media freedom in Thailand, and the FCCT urges the Thai authorities to investigate the cases against Mr. Drummond.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement last year: “We stand beside reporter Andrew Drummond whose investigative journalism is renowned for shining uncomfortable lights in some of Thailand’s darkest places. We strongly support the right to report without fear of reprisal and categorically condemn the threat of imprisonment he now faces.”
The CPT said that Thailand’s Criminal Libel and Computer Crime Act laws ‘had outrageously allowed imprisonment for ‘mere news reporting’.
Andrew Drummond is a former Fleet Street staffer who moved to Asia over 20 years ago. He formerly worked for the broadsheet News of the World (which he left during the Wapping dispute in 1986), Daily Mail, and Evening Standard and was a founder member of the Observer Film Company having covered SE Asia for the paper’s Foreign Desk. He has written,produced and investigated a number of documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV networks. He currently spcecialises in transnational crime. He is single father who lives in Bangkok with his three children and nanny. His recent reports on the murders on the Thai island of Koh Tao have pushed his investigations website to over 1 million page views a month.
A journalist’s fight against foreign crooks in Thailand
Can you tell us what kind of feedback you got from the meeting today?
Were the people you talked to actually interested or just there to listen and then immediately forget why they were in the meeting?
What's your take?
Well I cannot give details other than to say five people attended and the points of view were well received and assistance was offered.
Congratulations, AD. It looks like you're finally receiving support from places where it matters. Long overdue, and certainly well-deserved.
These guys need to be deported. They are undesirable residents. Two have a long history of frauds and scams and the other also has a dubious background even though brothels are technically legal in Australia.
They have abused Thai laws and ripped of enough people already. This vexatious litigation against Andrew is a disgrace and wouldn't be allowed to happen in a country with a functioning legal system.
Thailand needs to get its act together and jail or deport these reprobates. It would go a long way to restoring some faith in a system most considered corrupt and dysfunctional.
Andrew, well done on mobilising support within the more serious communities in Bangkok.
It must help that Drew Noyes is now convicted and your reporting is vindicated, it has not been off beam or scurrilous but has investigated real criminals preying on people in Thailand.
After years of ignoring foreigners in distress, the consulate seems to be jumping on the bandwagon now there is a comfort zone about not losing their positions for asking questions, but good to see you got the bandwagon rolling.
I thought Jonathon Head would have been long gone after so much negative views and broadcasting on the way the old Government was toppled which seems to be working just nicely
Hmm. I would be a lot more circumspect about the current government. It appeared to have got off to a good start. But the honeymoon period seems to be coming to an end. You seem almost disappointed JH has not gone.
It looks a bit like that I agree, AD. I hope he can continue beyond the honeymoon period at least to some extent. The problem is too big to solve in the short term. It started well but Prayuth is not all powerful. He has had to be careful in Gaw Tao for example. Thailand has never been run only by political parties and the military.
Congrats AD. A shining light indeed. I hope that lowlife larasite Drew Noyes gets put in prison or deported.
First of all, congratulations on what may well be light at the end of the tunnel. Let's hope it isn't illusory and the gathering of the clans in seeming support of your worthy cause actually achieve something.
The issue of the current Thai law upon defamation, and its allied use of the Computer Crime Act, is not one which may be resolved because of its effect upon a farang journalist. Those legislative weapons are too convenient for the Establishment to relinquish easily and I can't quite see the vested interests forsaking them for your benefit. Still, perhaps it is time for progress but in the priority of things here I am not optimistic.
That the British embassy is finally being more proactive is a start.
The issue of costs is crucial to fairness and it is only when they are awarded against these vexatious and frivolous litigants will they desist from their manipulation of the Thai skewed system.