MARCH NEWS!!
Enough is Enough!!!!
Sah-what-dee readers!!
(Did you remember the “Thai” for hello from last months Newsletter?)
First off!!, an update on last months news, before I go onto new beginnings.
Concerning my Judicial review:-
The Ministry of Justice have now served their defense on us. They did request we grant them a little extra time after their deadline, and we did so.
I hope this stands us in good stead for a fair hearing. I am afraid I can’t comment on our findings of their defense, as I don’t want to tip anybodies hand, or tempt fate, as I feel I am already pushing _hit up hill.
No other News yet concerning the Judicial Review.
We are still waiting on the single Judge who now has to decide if my appeal can go before a full hearing or not.
This waiting game don’t get any easier, even though I’ve had almost 5 years of practice.
All I can say, “is it should all be finalized in the next 6 months or so.
As you all know from previous months Newsletters:- December 5th 2007, an amnesty was announced in Thailand (for which I did qualify) Yet another month passed and the Home Office London, has still to confirm in writing what exactly the reduction in sentence I received.
Friends still in Bangkwang Prison
It would still be a comfort to get it in writing from the Home Office London and have it finalized and have at least one less worry put to rest.
On my visit front here at
I am still reveling in my parent’s weekly visits to me:-
An inspiration and a pillar of strength you both are to me Mum and dad, your weekly 2 hour visit is the highlight of my week, what courage and strength you both unselfishly possess, always putting others before yourselves even in the most dire of circumstances of your own personal tragedy.
“A perfect example to us all you both are”.
Other visitors this month “Mick and Pat” who like my parents always put others before themselves, “thanks for your support over my past years of imprisonment”.
So good to now be sitting face to face, cheers Aunt Pat and Uncle Mick much appreciated!!
Nick and his ever beautiful wife Nong also made their second visit to me since being back in
Out of the blue and a top surprise came my best mate George and my two other great mates Jim who made numerous visits to me while in Thailand and Krunch “ Nice one chaps, good to see you all”
Also in this moth Max my solicitor and Carla.
Max you made a good impression on me and I am very impressed with the work at Moss Solicitors of Loughborough on my behalf so far www.moss-solicitors.co.uk
Carla!! On a professional and personal level you’re just the best we (I and my family) were given just the BEST friend in you we could wish for HUGE THANKS CARLA!!
Concerning Lek (my wife) we submitted this our (3rd ) third appeal on Lek’s settlement visa (application for reconsidering, grounds and the determination) before the march 17th deadline as stated in last months Newsletter.
March 26th we received notice the application for review to the tribunal has been granted.
A good sign readers!!
But with (3) failed settlement visa applications already!
I dare not disclose any of the details, we now have a 6 – 8 months wait for the first stage reconsideration of this appeal.
Like I said, it is a good sign as it was a senior immigration Judge who granted this.
This whole Visa affair has me so down and depressed!!
I still don’t see how it’s possible to refuse the wife and the mother of two English Citizens.
As you all know from previous Newsletters, our plan was to have Lek and Oak in England last June (2007), giving Oak over a year to learn English and adapt to English culture before starting school this august 2008.
Everything is now in disarray to say the least!
What we took for our natural given right as
I just want my wife and son here in
Enough is Enough!!!
Next month I will have been in prison 5 years foe what the powers would be obviously consider the horrendous crime of the century I committed:-
Less than one ounce of class A drugs in my own home. For all you Tobacco smokers out there, I had the equivalent in weight of those 25 gram packets of hand rolling tobacco many of you buy.
To the powers that be!!, Give my family a break will you?
More and more each day now, I feel I am being pushed into a corner and very soon there will be only one option, to go public with everything I have.
What other option do I have? – “I see none”.
I keep telling myself to be patient and something has to give soon. Surely we are all due some good news?
Okay lets change the subject!, as I am starting to sound like a stuck record.
March 31st I started work here at Rye Hill Prison:-
I pull apart and strip down computers, printers, keyboards and various other electrical goods for their scrap.
A tedious job where every component has to be un-screwed or hammered apart and the plastic, metal, circuit boards, aluminum, copper wire all have to be sorted into separate lots. It’s hardly a big move, but after the past 3 ½ months locked in my cell the best part of each day, its probably better I am doing something.
To be honest, I enjoyed the solitude of being locked away alone in my cell.
I guess years of overcrowded conditions of Thailand prison where every minute of every day half a dozen fellow prisoners are always within arms reach, even when you are showering, shiting or sleeping there’s no door to close, no privacy at all!!
Years of no space to myself or a moment in private, has made me relish my time here in a cell to myself.
But the reality is I was becoming more and more isolated and less and less social.
4 months has passed since I left Bangkwang prison
I was (I am ) more accustomed to Thai Culture and Thai ways than I am my own culture here,
In
Whenever I would sit alone they would all assume I was sad or angry with them.
Sitting alone I would get a constant stream of Thai friends coming over, interrupting my time out, all doing their utmost to cheer me up.
I could never seem to convince them, I was in fact enjoying time alone with my own thoughts and we English people often did this. They just didn’t get it or understand it and whenever they saw me alone in my thoughts, they saw it their duty as my friends to come over and cheer me up, as they were convinced I was sad or homesick etc. etc.
Thai people are extremely social people and have no sense of personal body space, Thai’s are always touching, sitting so close they are almost on top of each other. Where as we English have definite clear boundaries when it comes to your own personal body space.
I relish a cell to myself, but I think a Thai or most Thai people would dread it, preferring the dormitories (cells) of Thai prison.
I miss a lot about Bangkwang prison though!, most of all I miss my so many friends of so many Nationalities I left behind there.
In truth
By far the best part about being back is my daily telephone calls and weekly visits with my parents.
Once Lek and Oak are here, I’ am sure
Wishing you all good health and happiness, see you well!! Write you next month
Steve Willcox
bravenet.com