Thai Prison Visits: Samut Prakarn Prison

Thailand Bail continues its profile of the various Thai prisons that we work at. In this article, we are featuring the Samut Prakarn Prison, located outside Bangkok to the east. Despite the Samut Prakarn Court being located fairly close to Bangkok, the Samut Prakarn Prison is located quite a distance away from the city. It takes approximately 1-2 hours from various parts of Bangkok, depending on traffic. On the way to visit this prison, you will notice how rural the landscape becomes. Once you arrive, you will have to register to visit the prisoner who you are coming to see. Standard registration documents are needed, and you will have Read more

Thai Police Search: What You Should Do If the Police Want to Search You

Recently, there has been a lot of news about foreigners being stopped and searched on the streets of Bangkok, predominantly on and around Sukhumvit Road. While it is not as widespread as some online sources are making it out to be, it is important to address the question of what to do if the Thai police want to stop you and search you. Below, we offer some basic tips on what to do if you encounter a situation like this whilst in Read more

Getting Arrested in Thailand: 5 Tips to Follow If You Need Bail

While most people who travel to Thailand come for the interesting culture, beaches, and food, others take their travels too far. Getting arrested in Thailand is not on travelers’ or expats’ to-do lists, but it does happen. With more and more random police searches happening throughout the Sukhumvit Road area of Bangkok, more and more people will likely be in need of legal assistance. Sometimes, people are able to talk to the police, show their passport, and go on their way, avoiding getting arrested in Thailand and going to Thai jail. However, many foreign travelers are not aware of all of the rules, regulations, and laws of Thailand, and may make some bad decisions, which lead to arrest. This article has been Read more

Limited Hours of Service During the Holiday Season

As we approach the holiday season, Thailand Bail would like to announce our limited hours of service during this time. We think it is important to take time and reflect on 2014 and look ahead to 2015. Accordingly, please take note that we will be providing limited service during the holiday season, which will last from December 23 – 28, in observance of Christmas, and from December 31 – January 01 in observance of the New Year. We understand that legal emergencies do happen sometimes, so we will still be checking email during the holidays. If you have an emergency that needs immediate attention, please use the contact us page on this website, and Read more

Southern Bangkok Criminal Court

Thailand Bail was recently working on cases at the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court, and we wanted to share a bit of information about the court for those of you who are planning to visit the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court on your own or with a lawyer. The court itself was established in 1989 to deal with the increasing number of cases that were going through the court system in Bangkok and the time in which it took to complete the cases. In order to alleviate the Civil Court and Criminal Court’s case load, the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court and the Southern Bangkok Civil Court were opened together. When the court was first set up, it was used Read more

Australian Attorney-General’s Department Works with Thailand Bail

Thailand Bail is pleased to announce our working partnership with the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on a case involving a serious oversees criminal matter in Thailand. The Australian Attorney-General’s Department and the consular services section of the Australian embassy in Bangkok do impressive work for Australians who face difficulties while in Thailand. We regularly coordinate with them and inform the various government agencies of our progress on the criminal defense case we are working on. While a challenging legal matter to undertake, our solicitors are well-experienced in handling similar cases, and we have already achieved impressive milestones including having charges dropped and other charges reduced. This case remains a serious one, with the potential sentence being life in prison. We Read more

Drug Cases in Thailand

As we continue our blog posts about drug laws in Thailand, the entire Thailand Bail team would like to remind those reading this article that the drug laws in Thailand are not predictable, they are applied liberally, and the jail sentences are long. Please stay away from narcotics while living in or traveling through Thailand. Thailand Bail is the only law firm in Thailand dedicated to fighting drug charges, and we have successfully defended clients possessing anything from 1 pill of methamphetamine drugs Read more

Drug Laws in Thailand

Southeast Asia, and Thailand in particular, have very stringent laws regarding drug use, production, and sale. Being convicted of selling certain narcotics can still technically bring about the death penalty in Thailand, although spending decades in prison is a more likely result, as case history shows. Like Western countries, there are different categories of drugs in Thailand. For example, being charged with possessing a small amount of cannabis (1 gram) could result in bail being given and receiving a short prison sentence, but possessing that same amount of crystal methamphetamine (“ya-ice”) could result in bail being rejected and receiving a sentence that lasts for several years. Sometimes, it does not even matter if drugs are found on your person; simply being in the same room or the same vehicle as someone with a large amount of drugs can be enough to charge you with the same crime. If you are with a friend or partner, be sure that you know what kind of person he / she is, because Thai Read more

Thai Court Procedures

Getting arrested in Thailand can be a confusing experience both for the person arrested, as well as for the family of that person. After Thailand Bail bails out one of our clients, that person must still go through the legal proceedings in the Thai Criminal Court. While each and every case is unique and different, there are some similarities in the procedures of a Thai court that you should be aware of. Without understanding the legal process, it is impossible to successfully defend against it. Most other Thai lawyers will hide these details from their clients, because they think that keeping you in the dark will force you to keep them. However, we at Thailand Bail believe that the more you know, the more likely you will be to choose us for bail and criminal defense legal services. The following article Read more

Educational Trip to Hong Kong

Part of Thailand Bail’s legal team, as well as one of its international case specialists, recently went on an educational trip to Hong Kong to study the legal system of Hong Kong, comparing it to the legal system of Thailand. The trip took place over the course of 3 nights and 4 days, and Thailand Bail’s legal team was able to tour parts of the courts and prison system, as well as discuss Thai law with lawyers in Hong Kong. Thailand Bail’s lawyers were able to see a world-class city by staying in the famous Central district. The legal team visited the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeals, which is situated in a small park next to a cathedral. The trip ended with a visit to the southern peninsula of Stanley, where the notorious Stanley Prison stands. Some of Hong Kong’s most Read more