The British Embassy has written to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express its concern over the safety of Dr.Wyn Ellis, a British scientist who has received a series of threats, after high profile court battles with the director of Thailand’s National Innovation Agency.
The Embassy has highlighted the serious of his situation and states it takes the safety of British nationals seriously following attacks on Dr. Ellis’ car and death threats against him.
Dr. Ellis, from Swansea, an expert on organic farming who now works for the United Nations, had previously worked for the NIA and had complained that the director Supachai Lorlowhakarn had plagiarised his work to obtain a PhD.
Lorlowhakarn took Ellis, 57, to court for libel nine times and lost. He has been deprived of his PhD and convicted of forgery. But he was only given a suspended sentence and continues as Director of the National Innovation Agency.
Lorlowhakarn is not named in the Embassy letter nor are we suggesting he ordered these attacks.
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| Erika |
An American reporter Erika Fry who wrote the original ‘plagiarism’ story in the Bangkok Post said she had to flee Thailand because the newspaper came to terms with Supachai Lorlowhakarn while they allowed a case was continuing against her.
A similar incident happened when Andrew Drummond was taken to court by Pattaya businessman James Lumsden who was one of the subjects of his exposé in the Bangkok Post in 2000 in an article headed ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Boyz’. The Bangkok Post came to terms with the defendant. Drummond stayed, fought the case by himself and won it on appeal. In one of the earliest cases of crowd funding he was supported by the British Association of Journalists and crowd cash from journalists in Thailand and the U.K. and newspapers in the U.K. including Associated Newspapers, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers, News International (now NEWS UK), and Mirror Group Newspapers (now Trinity Mirror)
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| James Lumsden (right) |
Dr. Ellis has had a rocked smashed through his car on the way to one of his court experiences. He is being plagued with threatening phone calls, and people have been calling at his estate to make threats with grenades.
While the original letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is confidential. Below is a summary of it from the British Embassy to Dr. Ellis.
“We have written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs detailing the issue experienced by you over the past three years of escalating threats and intimidation against both yourself and your wife.
The belief that this is linked to an individual, against whom you won a court case for plagiarism of your academic work.
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| Supachai Lorlowhakarn |
We have highlighted the seriousness of your situation and that you are presently in the National Anti Corruption Commission Witness Protection Programme.
We have reinforced the point that, we take the safety of British Nationals seriously, and are concerned about the long-running situation faced by you and your wife.
We have asked that your situation and continued concerns be brought to the relevant Thai authorities for their attention, and that they in turn, report back to us what actions they are taking to address your situation.”
BELOW – AN ATTACK ON DR ELLIS’ CAR
Yet again, a case of ''We will speak to them in the strongest terms'' '' We will write to them expressing our displeasure'' ''We have asked that your situation and continued concerns be brought to the relevant Thai authorities for their attention''
But at the end of the day, Sorry, this is Thailand.
I'm not far away from saying enough is enough, and leaving Thailand to the hooks, crooks and bottle-washers. Sadly I love the real Thailand (Even though I stay in Pattaya), I have no children to educate, and I have a Thai wife who would die if I left her(she says).
I have never donated to your cause but the next time you are in Pattaya, email me, we will meet, I will donate personally,( I still don't trust Internet donating) and buy you a Glenfiddich
This case is an absolute disgrace. How often in Thailand do we see this, where some 'big face' is caught red-handed in some dirty deed. Instead of being a man and owning up to the wrong doing, we either get stupid and ludicrous excuses, or like in this case, vengeful actions against the person deemed responsible for the 'loss of face.'
All that these people do is show they lack character, they hide behind a mask of respectability that is a total sham. They are frauds who cheat their way through life gaining positions and status they don't deserve and haven't earned.
It's pretty sad the lengths some people will go to attempting to 'save face,' especially when the face in question obviously isn't worth saving. Stay strong Wyn
You have just summed up everything that AD has been fighting against.I think everyone knows that HIS targets have taken ''vengeful actions against the person deemed responsible for the 'loss of face.'' Your second paragraph describes PRECISELY the people AD is exposing. I only wish we could save more people than the ones that DO get caught in the web of deceit that is acceptable in Thailand
It is very good to see the British Embassy publicly standing up for and backing British citizens such as Dr Ellis and Andy Hall in Burma. Your rights as a European citizen do not cease when you leave Europe nor evaporate when you enter Thailand. I admire both men for their courage in standing up for what is right and I trust that the Embassy remains forceful behind the scenes.
Thanks to everyone for your support. Fingers crossed that the Minister of Science & technology reads this site…. 😉
"Lorlowhakarn took Ellis, 57, to court for libel nine times and lost. He has been deprived of his PhD and convicted of forgery. But he was only given a suspended sentence and continues as Director of the National Innovation Agency".
"Nine Times, deprived of his PhD, convicted of forgery" TIT for sure, does anyone happen to know who he's related to?
"Lorlowhakarn is not named in the Embassy letter nor are we suggesting he ordered these attacks".
Of course not, hearsay is considered unreasonable!
Lorlowhakarn's a shining example of the cultural problems, corruption and a perfect example of the poor academia in LOS.
As many Thais (the few educated ones that is) say "Thailand has to grow up and move forward". Well one has to say Thailand can never be taken seriously when examples such as this sorry tale occur.
As for the British Embassy…they should have written "I'll huff and I'll Puff etc. Blah Blah Blah." as usual going through the motions underpinned with hot air.
I hope you get justice Wyn, but on the asking of who Lorlowhakarn being related to authority in Thailand, are you by any chance related to someone in the British Embassy?
We take the safety of British citizens seriously!!!!
This must have been written by someone on their last day in office.
In all my years in Thailand the only people i have known the British Embassy to help are on a golf course because they do not help people in need. I was even sent an e mail one day asking if i could pay a 45,000 baht fee to get someone out of prison and sent home because he had medical problems. This comment is in parallel with the Thai aircraft comments.
Know what you mean Drew but a bit strong. Most of 'em wouldn't recognise a golf ball in a ten-pin bowling alley. I don't know of any other embassies which do any better – they all seem to have zero budgets for helping people in the shits. Only this week I heard of an Brazilian guy and a Dutch guy, both desperate to get back to their countries after really traumatic experiences here, who were told to provide an email address or a phone number of someone kindly with megacash. And that's it. I suspect the British embassy comes in for extra hammering on this site because many of the victims in dire distress are not-surprisingly Brits. The Wynn Ellis case is a particularly nasty tragedy – this man's a hero in every sense of the word – but it's also true that embassies are not "responsible" for their nationals' safety whilst in the kingdom. The Royal Thai Police have that privilege. In addition to publicizing jet skis and other tourist rip-offs, this is a bald statement of fact that all embassies should be promoting on their websites.
I agree all with Barry Kenyon but note: whilst it always is solely a matter first and foremost for the Royal Thai Police the Embassy does have a duty to protect "your rights". The recent actions of all the Consular officials standing together to highlight the Jet Ski scams in Phuket and Pattaya has had a positive effect and with their combined/ unified efforts continuing, the problem will eventually be solved. The lesson for the European countries is they should be using and standing behind the EU as their “spokesperson” to ensure that their EU citizens rights are not breached. It is the duty of every EU government to “ protect” its citizens from legal intimidation, threats: to require for all EU citizens a due legal process that is transparent, timely, free from abuse and so on. This is not the same as “interfering in the countries legal system”. Whilst difficult for a single EU country to effect this: the converse is no one country is going to give the finger to the EU (and its markets) if the EU raises such issues.
It is time for the EU to be more active in these matters to ensure the rights of all EU citizens are not ignored or broken.
Returning to my above example, a Bangkok prosecutor recently stated that the jet ski scammers should be arrested and charged with extortion, plain and simple. That on its own is positive. Why could the EU not fund a Thai Lawyer to bring a criminal charge of extortion against a “scammer” on behalf of a sample EU victim as a way progressing such matters.
Well said, Barry
You prove there were some staff with balls in the UK embassy and consulate structure that were not afraid to speak their minds and speak the truth.
In answer to your question, sadly no, I have no personal connections with the embassy (wish I had…) We don't know what if anything will result, but the significance of this move lies in the rarity of such action by the Embassy. I'm grateful for their support because it helps shine a spotlight on the issue.
It's quite a coincidence that with the publication of this article by AD, the threatening calls have restarted this morning after a 2-week lull; although the goons that call can hardly speak Thai, let alone English- evidently their boss can…. But today they offered to tell me thier boss' name… for a 'reward'. To which the only possible reply was, "We already know who he is."
The problem when a person of a higher consciousness deals with a person of a lower consciousness, is they often project their own ideals into the situation without realizing they are dealing with a person who lives in a totally different paradigm. They are honest and ethical and live with integrity and a sense of fair mindedness.
The person of a lower consciousness hasn't developed these 'welfare emotions' and often has no intention of keeping a deal made. They see honesty and fair play as a weakness to be exploited. They cheat, steal and defraud with no sense of guilt or remorse. If caught, they will lie, threaten, or try to bribe their way out of trouble. If exposed, they become vengeful and will stop at nothing to silence their critics.
Either admitting wrong doing, or asking for forgiveness, doesn't happen. They will either try to blame a scapegoat or simply deny doing anything wrong. You see this almost daily in Thailand where politicians make up the most preposterous stories when caught in some corrupt deal. They are really showing their lower consciousness, a person of higher consciousness can readily see through these games. Yet, these crooks know when the whole system is corrupt, nobody is going to say anything as they're afraid somebody might shine a light on their own dodgy dealings
Thailand gets exactly the right leaders it deserves, who else can rise to the top of a corrupt system but the most devious and corrupt?
So what can we do when the person we take our complaint to, may well be more corrupt than the person we have a problem with? When the system becomes totally corrupted, the person of a higher consciousness is often tormented by the choice of either turning a blind eye and joining the corrupt, or taking up the fight against corruption which often leads to the events Wyn Ellis has had to suffer.
A large ego or inflated sense of self worth, combined with a low consciousness, creates a person willing to kill to save face or enrich themselves. They will do anything for power, position and money.
So a British citizen has had his work stolen and plagiarised, and is then threatened and violently assaulted in broad daylight, yet all the British Embassy can do is this: "We have written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…" "We have asked that your situation and continued concerns be brought to the relevant Thai authorities for their attention…"
Is this really all you British diplomats in Bangkok are doing to pile on the pressure? I must remind you that a British passport "requires" foreign governments to offer the holder such "protection as may be necessary". If they are not doing it, you have to.
I find it hard to find words to describe a country that is three quarters under water with a thriving economy and strong currency that has finally let the world know they do not want foreigners to be part of their society unless they have the ability to set up boiler rooms,and feed the beast. Thailands road to self destruct is near completion and very soon farang no more and your begging to fill these once great destinations will fall on deaf eats. But not to worry, Montenegro will be there for you