PHUKET: A Canadian engineer who says his passport is being wrongly held by Thai officials also claims he will soon run out of money and will die, yet Canada's embassy refuses to help.
The man, Tim Rooney, 52, tells his story in a compelling 7 minute 33 second YouTube video in which he claims: ''Maybe when you are watching this, I'll be dead.''
The video, headlined 'Canadian Citizen Might die in Thailand,' begins with Mr Rooney switching on the camera.
''Hello everybody,'' he says. ''This story is about how you can be left to die in Thailand with no help from the canadian embassy or the Thai government.''
He relates how he has been living in Thailand for 13 years and is a Canadian citizen whose work as an oil industry engineer takes him around the world.
After advertising a computer for sale online in 2011, Mr Rooney said he got into an email argument with a German man in which swear words were used. He was arrested for defamation as a result.
He said the case appeared to be settled until this year when he was again arrested, this time by Immigration, and ''thrown in jail with Thai murderers, rapists, criminals . . . let go on bail for 60,000 baht and they kept my passport.''
He said a prosecutor decided the defamation charge would be dropped and the bail money and his passport would be returned in 30 days.
''Went back in 30 days, and instead of getting it back I was informed that the German guy had gone to the prosecutors' board and although the prosecutor had dropped the defamation charge they were going to charge me with an 'insult' charge, which carries a 500 baht fine, 15 dollars,'' Mr Rooney said.
''Then I could have my passport back, and again this would take another 30 days.''
Mr Rooney said when the day came, he went back to the prosecutor's office expecting the case would be resolved.
''Again the prosecutor said that this German man had gone back to the board of prosecutors and appealed that decision. So now the charge stands again and the prosecutor says I have to wait another two months.''
He said he had been assured the charge would be dropped but the process would take two months.
''My problem is now that I need two major surgeries that I need to go back to Canada for,'' he said.
One surgery, he said, was on a leg that will be amputated if he doesn't have surgery. Mr Rooney said he was a diabetic.
''I have no money for food, I have no money for rent, I have no money for insulin, I have no money period to wait another two months to get my passport back so I can return to Canada, have my surgeries and work again as an engineer and build up my bank acount.
''I want to let everybody know that the canadian embassy absolutely does nothing to help you.
''If you send an email in Thailand you could end up in jail unless you have a lot of money to pay the police off in the first place - which I didn't and I won't.''
He said he had no choice except to go to the media. The Canadian embassy could not help with medicine or food, he said.
''I hope the world gets to see this and sees the injustice that can be done by your embassy and by the Thailand Government.
''Thank you for listening and . . . if I don't get any help I don't expect to be alive past the next two weeks.
''The Thai Government knows it and the Canadian Government knows it. I told them I cannot live more than two weeks. That's all the food I have . . . and maybe when you are watching this, I'll be dead.''
He adds before switching off the camera: ''Thank you everybody. I hope this doesn't happen to you.''
In response to the YouTube video, viewers have shown a degree of scepticism. Mr Rooney has responded to say he is not a scammer and is not looking for money donations.
The video was posted on October 2. Phuketwan has asked envoys at the Canadian Embassy for comment.
Canadian Says He Gets No Help from Embassy
A Canadian man who has lived in Thailand for 13 years says he faces death and is getting no help from his embassy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr_sxrKnOnc/
The man, Tim Rooney, 52, tells his story in a compelling 7 minute 33 second YouTube video in which he claims: ''Maybe when you are watching this, I'll be dead.''
The video, headlined 'Canadian Citizen Might die in Thailand,' begins with Mr Rooney switching on the camera.
''Hello everybody,'' he says. ''This story is about how you can be left to die in Thailand with no help from the canadian embassy or the Thai government.''
He relates how he has been living in Thailand for 13 years and is a Canadian citizen whose work as an oil industry engineer takes him around the world.
After advertising a computer for sale online in 2011, Mr Rooney said he got into an email argument with a German man in which swear words were used. He was arrested for defamation as a result.
He said the case appeared to be settled until this year when he was again arrested, this time by Immigration, and ''thrown in jail with Thai murderers, rapists, criminals . . . let go on bail for 60,000 baht and they kept my passport.''
He said a prosecutor decided the defamation charge would be dropped and the bail money and his passport would be returned in 30 days.
''Went back in 30 days, and instead of getting it back I was informed that the German guy had gone to the prosecutors' board and although the prosecutor had dropped the defamation charge they were going to charge me with an 'insult' charge, which carries a 500 baht fine, 15 dollars,'' Mr Rooney said.
''Then I could have my passport back, and again this would take another 30 days.''
Mr Rooney said when the day came, he went back to the prosecutor's office expecting the case would be resolved.
''Again the prosecutor said that this German man had gone back to the board of prosecutors and appealed that decision. So now the charge stands again and the prosecutor says I have to wait another two months.''
He said he had been assured the charge would be dropped but the process would take two months.
''My problem is now that I need two major surgeries that I need to go back to Canada for,'' he said.
One surgery, he said, was on a leg that will be amputated if he doesn't have surgery. Mr Rooney said he was a diabetic.
''I have no money for food, I have no money for rent, I have no money for insulin, I have no money period to wait another two months to get my passport back so I can return to Canada, have my surgeries and work again as an engineer and build up my bank acount.
''I want to let everybody know that the canadian embassy absolutely does nothing to help you.
''If you send an email in Thailand you could end up in jail unless you have a lot of money to pay the police off in the first place - which I didn't and I won't.''
He said he had no choice except to go to the media. The Canadian embassy could not help with medicine or food, he said.
''I hope the world gets to see this and sees the injustice that can be done by your embassy and by the Thailand Government.
''Thank you for listening and . . . if I don't get any help I don't expect to be alive past the next two weeks.
''The Thai Government knows it and the Canadian Government knows it. I told them I cannot live more than two weeks. That's all the food I have . . . and maybe when you are watching this, I'll be dead.''
He adds before switching off the camera: ''Thank you everybody. I hope this doesn't happen to you.''
In response to the YouTube video, viewers have shown a degree of scepticism. Mr Rooney has responded to say he is not a scammer and is not looking for money donations.
The video was posted on October 2. Phuketwan has asked envoys at the Canadian Embassy for comment.
Expat Tells of Impending Death in Thailand
Canadian Says He Gets No Help from Embassy
A Canadian man who has lived in Thailand for 13 years says he faces death and is getting no help from his embassy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr_sxrKnOnc/
Something wrong here, to be defamation you have to make the defaming comment to someone OTHER than the person defamed. If saying something in public always preface it with "in my opinion," by law you are entitled to your opinion.
Posted by DSI Watcher on October 16, 2013 09:52