'Missing' tourist turns up in prison

Published: 23 Jan 2013 at 08.00
Online news:

A 22-year-old Swiss woman reported missing last month has been found in the custody of Ranong police.

Nora Janisch Tscherina last made contact with her family on Dec 22. She arrived in Thailand on Dec 8.

Worrying about her safety, Ms Tscherina's mother posted information about her daughter on websites and social media, which prompted the Tourist Police Division to search for the 22-year-old.

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bonzo
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Discussion 21 : 28 Jan 2013 at 16.0721
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Funny how they never try to pull this type of Shinola with our Chinese “guests”.
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ATNN
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Discussion 20 : 28 Jan 2013 at 15.4820
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Stop putting tourists in jail for minor offenses and letting convicting criminals run the entire country by proxy!
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bangmodken
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Discussion 19 : 28 Jan 2013 at 13.5919
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For 1 month,3 months & 6 months visas,you actually lose a day or two for each month. Might be the same for a 15 day visa. You only get 14 days.
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pquinlan
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Discussion 18 : 28 Jan 2013 at 13.5218
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So called 15 day visas are not issued starting the time you get the visa until 15 X 24 hour days later, say at noon on 8th Dec until noon on 23rd Dec. They are issued counting the day of issue as day one, so the 15 days would be up on the 22nd December, but at midnight on that date.

So, how had she overstayed her visa as she was arrested on 22nd? Even if the dates above are not reported correctly, and she had overstayed, the usual remedy is a 500 Baht per day (official, ie with a receipt) fine. The fact she has been jailed and there is a frankly incredible story about her trying to steal an officer's camera, all smells very, very fishy.
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NorDevil
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Discussion 17 : 28 Jan 2013 at 13.5017
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Another scam by the police ? The first thing they would when arresting a foreigner is to take away all his/her things and as they know she overstayed her visa they must have her passport ? Why did the Thai police not notify the Embassy ? and it would be interesting to know when her visa ran out . . . . before or after she was put in jail and forgotten ?
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ricardo
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Discussion 16 : 28 Jan 2013 at 12.5916
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This seems like a case of police making up charges to suite themselves. Hope the Swiss embassy people are better at protecting their own peoople then most of the other so call big western country embassies that just let their people rot in Thai prisons.
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siamitude
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Discussion 15 : 27 Jan 2013 at 19.4915
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Stop putting tourists in jail for minor offences and releasing Thai rapists on bail!
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Modin
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Discussion 14 : 23 Jan 2013 at 22.0014
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the rules are if you come in by land you get a 15 day stamp which really means 14 days. If you come by air on arrival you get a 30 day stamp. If you get a sticker from an embassy abroad you can get a 60 day with an option to extend to 90 day

she obviously came overland

and ranong is a border post where people stamp in and out by heading by longtail boat to burma and then back again

why on earth she would steal a camera is beyond me, especially from a cop,it sounds doubtful and I would assume she was stiched up somehow

I can personally attest that ranong has quite a few scammers operating there just like all the border towns
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leon
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Discussion 13 : 23 Jan 2013 at 16.0413
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Takes a long time to find out somebody is in yail , Ranong police have no contact with custom and other outhority,s out of Ranong??
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CMfarang
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Discussion 12 : 23 Jan 2013 at 14.5112
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Disc.5. They count the day you arrive as day 1 so the 15 day visa is actually stamped as 14 additional days (8 + 14 = 22)
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