Frenchwoman fined, jailed and deported for vaping

[buksida]

Cecilia Cornu, 31, was in Phuket for a family holiday in January and was caught by Karon police holding an e-cigarette on Jan 30 whilst on a scooter with her fiancée as her parents and brother followed behind.

Cornu claims she was stopped by four police officers who snatched the e-cigarette and demanded B40,000, which she refused to pay.

She claims she was then arrested and taken to Karon Police Station where officers tried to bully her into paying a bribe.

Cornu was charged, her passport confiscated and a trial date set for Feb 11. Her return flight was scheduled for the following day.

She posted bail of B100,000 and was released the same day pending trial.

On Feb 11 Cornu attended Phuket Provincial Court where she was convicted for the offence and says she was fined B827 (23 euros). She was then sent to Phuket Immigration for what she thought was to collect her passport.

Upon arriving at the immigration office, she was informed that she would be transferred to Bangkok for deportation.

Cornu was then taken to Bangkok where she claims she spent four days and three nights in a prison cell shared with 60 other women in dire conditions where she had to sleep on a hard, dirty floor with no sheets or mattresses before returning home to France.

Cornu claims the ordeal cost her a total of approximately 8,000 euros (B286,000) in legal fees and travel expenses.

Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/frenchwom ... -70535.php

Great to see Thai police have their priorities in order.

[oakdale160]

Cecilia, be sure to tell your friends in France how much fun it is to vacation in the Land of Smirks.

[RCer]

If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime.

There has been more than ample advertisement by the Thai Government and chatter on boards that vaping is illegal in Thailand.

[Dannie Boy]

If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime.

There has been more than ample advertisement by the Thai Government and chatter on boards that vaping is illegal in Thailand.

Very true, it’s just a pity that the BIB don’t display the same enthusiasm for catching drunk drivers, speeders, driving without helmets or license etc, etc


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[Pleng]

There has been more than ample advertisement by the Thai Government and chatter on boards that vaping is illegal in Thailand.

Yes the first thing you see when opening any tourist brochure is a big red warning about the dangers or vaping, isn't it...???

I doubt the average two week holiday maker has been listening to Thai Government announcements or hanging out on expat forums.

[caller]

Nor has the average Thai, amongst whom, vaping is on the increase, from my observations.

There's no hope for Thailand ever changing where the law and judiciary are quite literally, a law unto themselves.

[handdrummer]

Are the e-cigs imported illegally or made here? I've seen several Thais smoking them. Can you buy them in shops under the counter or on the street?

[Big Boy]

When my brother was here, it was very under the counter, with people keeping look-out.

[europtimiste]

She was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Her mistake was vaping on a scooter. Everybody could see.
So many people are vaping and that must be the first tragic case.

[StevePIraq]

If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime.

There has been more than ample advertisement by the Thai Government and chatter on boards that vaping is illegal in Thailand.

Quite correct, authorities have to enforce existing laws. It is a shame others are not enforced adequatley but maybe that is because it is another department that enfoces them such as the traffic department which seems to only exist on public holidays.

[HuaHin61]

other countries, other customs and other laws

why do many tourists think they do not have to care about country-specific laws?

[HHTel]

I have some sympathy with visitors who 'vape'. Thais (and others) are seen every day vaping in public without a care in the world leading people to think that it's the status quo.

[Big Boy]

Thais (and others) are seen every day vaping in public without a care in the world

Therein lays the problem. A police force content to sit under a shady tree and wait for the crime to come to them.

The laws are fine, but because of the unlikelihood of being caught, people don't believe they are real crimes e.g. how many helmetless Farangs would ride a motorcycle without a helmet and often a licence in their own country? In the unlikely event you ride under the wrong shady tree, you aren't dealt with by the law - you pay a few Baht in tea money instead.

I know a few who publicly vape. They know they are breaking the law, but know the police don't do proactive policing.

In this case, from what I've read, the lady refused the tea money route, leaving the police with 2 options, let her go, or apply the law. She was unlucky - they applied the law.

[Nereus]

Cornu claims she was stopped by four police officers who snatched the e-cigarette and demanded B40,000, which she refused to pay.

If this is true why hasn't the "big joke" spoken out?

On Feb 11 Cornu attended Phuket Provincial Court where she was convicted for the offence and says she was fined B827 (23 euros). She was then sent to Phuket Immigration for what she thought was to collect her passport.

For me, anyone that smokes ANYTHING in public deserves the full weight of the law, but where does it say the police can demand 40,000 Baht?

Cornu was then taken to Bangkok where she claims she spent four days and three nights in a prison cell shared with 60 other women in dire conditions where she had to sleep on a hard, dirty floor with no sheets or mattresses before returning home to France.

Is this part of the law as well? Or is it just the usual Thai BS?

[Big Boy]

Cornu was then taken to Bangkok where she claims she spent four days and three nights in a prison cell shared with 60 other women in dire conditions where she had to sleep on a hard, dirty floor with no sheets or mattresses before returning home to France.

Is this part of the law as well? Or is it just the usual Thai BS?

I just assumed that as she'd paid her 827 Baht fine, she was now a convicted criminal (I agree a trivial crime). As such, I'm sure the law permits deportation of convicted criminals from other nations. Failure to deport could have seen her commit another similar heinous crime