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British bail jumper Lee Pipe is arrested in Patong

Phuket Police Nab American Wanted in California

Sunday, May 20, 2012
PHUKET: An American man working in time share is on his way to Bangkok today in a police truck after being arrested in Phuket on an international warrant.

Michael Anthony Matos, 46, accused in California of possession of drugs and sexual assault, was arrested at 6pm on Friday in Nanai Road, Patong.

He arrived in Thailand in August 2010 and his three-month visa was never renewed, Immigration officers said. His passport expired last year and he had no work permit.

Mr Matos appeared in Phuket Provincial Court yesterday and was fined 1800 baht for his visa and work offences. Today Immigration officials picked him up on Phuket for transfer to Bangkok then California.

In a separate case, Lee Pipe, 44, from Britain was arrested at 4.20am on Friday as he sat having a beer in Soi Happy Road, off Soi Bangla in Patong.

Mr Pipe was granted bail on January 12 last year but failed to appear in court on March 10 to answer a charge of possession of a quantity of ya bah methamphetamine.

An arrest warrant was issued and Mr Piper was picked up on Friday.

Comments

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"An American man working in time share"
And the company, that is paying him, for sales? Anything to report about them?

Posted by ??? on May 20, 2012 15:30

Editor Comment:

No answer was forthcoming when we asked Immigration

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Hey, i'm no angel but i work half the year and relax the other half, don't bother anyone and only commit the odd motoring offence. In phuket these days there are farangs scrounging money, stealing, selling drugs. Maybe there should be more random checks of people to weed out the bad ones and ship them off back to wherever they're from.

Posted by sateeb on May 20, 2012 17:00

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"No answer was forthcoming when we asked Immigration"
mmmmh, asking the wrong people, maybe? As far as I know, the workpermit is not a immigration job. That is only important for the immigration, in case you want a extension of stay on a wp. b/c of the wp, they check for 4 Thai and your minimum salary (50k or more). Also 4 Thai (urban legend!) aren't needed, for a Company with a farang-wp, nor 50(+)k minimum salary. The labor office don't ask for this! So you see, it's a question of competence.
Asking the labor office could help a bit, don't you think? Or: The police. Did they forward information to the labor? ;-]

Posted by ??? on May 21, 2012 08:56

Editor Comment:

We're content to leave the interpretation and enforcement of the law to those whose job it is, ???

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@sateeb
Definitely, I agree with your comment as too many farangs are living illegally at the expenses of those legally registered and paying full taxes.
Today and may be the next coming seasons as Europe is nearly in recession, a lot of businesses will be fighting for survival therefore those illegals must be cleared of Phuket

Posted by Whistle-Blower on May 21, 2012 10:46


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