Thai Rath online have taken up the case of a Englishman who was deported and blacklisted from Thailand after an argument with neighbors in Phuket several years ago.
Life turned upside down for John David Young who had lived in Thailand for two decades. Now his children that he was looking after have a variety of problems and are missing their dad.
Thai Rath reported that an increasing number of foreigners are making roots in Thailand but when things go wrong it may be their children that suffer if they are deported or blacklisted.
In the case of Mr Young they said that he had started a sports bar business in Phuket. An initial relationship with a Thai woman had turned sour and she had fled abroad to marry another man – leaving him with a boy to look after who is now 14.
Thereafter he had a second relationship and a daughter with another woman who subsequently left him too and went to live in Pattaya. The girl was also being looked after by Mr Young and is now seven years old.
But things really took a turn for the worse when an argument over noise at one Halloween caused a fight between Mr Young and his female Thai neighbor and her foreign husband.
Though Mr Young suffered a broken arm and other injuries he was the one who was charged with going into the neighbor’s house to cause trouble.
He was given sentences on two charges totaling 3 years in jail that was reduced by half on admission. This was suspended but he was deported leaving the children separated and in the hands of friends and relatives.
In the intervening time the son has had emotional problems and run away from home and the daughter is in a situation where she lives near a bar and there are reports that she is upset at school.
Teachers said she misses her dad and wants him to come home.
A welfare group has taken up the case saying that they have the best interests of the children at heart and think that Mr Young should be allowed to return to Thailand. They have made representations to the interior ministry and immigration and the matter is being looked into.
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindthorn was also contacted on behalf of the children but while Her Royal Highness appreciated the plight of the children she said in a letter to the family that the matter must be dealt with according to the law.
Mr Young is reportedly now living in Malaysia. A friend has taken the children to visit him both there, in Singapore and in Bali over the last few years but Mr Young is desperate to return to Thailand that he considers home.
Thai Rath said that having the children live in the United Kingdom was not an option as they did not have UK passports. It was claimed that Mr Young had some problem regarding living in his homeland though this was not adequately explained in the story.
But the bottom line was that Mr Young had been parted from his children who he was taking care of, the children were suffering and that many people both Thai friends and Thai officialdom and a family lawyer were fighting for his return to the kingdom.
He had been blacklisted but this was essentially unfair; justice should be done in the case, reported Thai Rath online.
Commenting on the case immigration chief Nathatorn Phrosunthorn outlined in a separate story that there were essentially two reasons why people might be deported.
Simply put, he said, there were those that committed crimes abroad who were deported and there were those that had committed crimes within Thailand.
In the case of Mr Young the court had decided that after he broke the law he should be deported. If the court had decided that he should remain in the kingdom then immigration were bound by that decision, he said.
Nathathorn commented further that when five years had passed Mr Young could apply to return.
If anyone is having any similar problems with visas or overstay, or are worry about being blacklisted, feel free to contact Pattaya One at our facebook page or go to our website. Our expert team of lawyers are able to help with almost any situation.
Sources: Thai Rath, Thai Rath
