OCTOBER NEWS!!
“Going Home?”
Hi Readers!
Yet another month goes by, and no word on Lek’s settlement visa appeal, no word from the Governor of Bangkwang Prison on my request for 2 day a month consecutive visits.
I had hoped this month would bring good news on the visa for Lek, but no! It’s really starting to be a major worry; the longer it goes the less confident I am on a successful outcome.
October 8th Oak turned 4 years old, I made up 2 small parcels of chocolate and sweets, “my own style of a mini selection box”, kids receive at Christmas, all kindly sent into me by various friends, pen pals for me to re-send onto Oak.
In fact I do this every Monday and have done so for the past 2 years or more, but this week being his special birthday he had an extra parcel! Thanks Fiona, Clare, Nicki Tee-Rack for the things you sent for Oak. My mum, dad, sister and my niece Megan all sent parcels to Oak from
Of course Oak’s birthday parcels and cards were sent out early from England because of the present Royal Mail postal strikes, despite this many of Oak’s birthday parcels arrived early!
No change of Oak waiting until October 8th to unwrap his present he tore them all open each day as they arrived and then demanding his birthday cake, how is he for cheek?
For once Lek didn’t give in to the little Terrorists demands and Oak had to wait for the cake on his birthday party October 8th. I can’t believe 4 years has passed since Oak was born and just how much he has grown in recent years, still as hypo-active as ever, he still remains my main source of strength to get through this.
How Lek copes raising Oak alone is all credit to her and not forgetting her mum whose love and dedication to Oak is also quite remarkable!
Oak really is a charmer and a half and at certain times you have to wonder if he is in need of a Exorcism. Yes! The little Terrorist is still living up to his name, but grows more and more adorably cute by the day!
Readers remember June News 2007 where I mentioned David McMillan author of the exceptionally well written book “Escape”
Well David sent me an email, this lifted my spirits so much, here’s what the author David McMillan had to say: “Hi Steve, I read with interest your website pages this week. (And pleased of course that you enjoyed the book), I wrote of my time in K.P. prison- those with the shared experience are those whose opinion value mast.
I am collecting material for a story (
Nice one David! You’re spot on! About the ludicrous application of the UK-Thai exchange treaty and I sincerely hope your story on it receives a lot of publicity and helps the UK Government see sense on humanitarian grounds and they finally do something about it. Over the past years here in Thailand I’ve read numerous articles all critical of the British Embassy Bangkok Thailand in their handling of visa applications, with my wife settlement visa refusal and her appeal waiting to be heard, it’s all extra worry I am going through right now, as if I and my family don’t have enough to worry about already!
Here’s part of a recent article I read:
The British Embassy has announced new rules for applicants in Thailand wishing to go to the UK for a period longer than six months – along with a warning that those who fail to fulfil the requirement will automatically forfeit the 30.000 baht plus fee £500 (in my wife’s case)
Applicants now need to obtain a certificate confirming that they are free from infectious tuberculosis (TB) before submitting their visa application. Categories of applicant affected by this new requirement include settlement visa cases.
The Embassy has specified only two clinics in
Applicants are warned: “Please note that those failing to submit a certificate at the time of application will be refused and the visa fee not refunded”.
This new ruling has added to the barrage of criticism of visa services. One British National who plans to take his Thai wife to the
He goes on “And if someone sends in their application without the certificate, the application will be refused and the visa fee not refunded. Mistakes are not allowed. Even though you didn’t know about the new rule, they’ll forfeit your visa fee!
“British Embassy visa fees are the same if you apply in Manhattan or Tokyo, so the British Embassy in Bangkok with its more modest local costs must do pretty well out of the visa cash cow. But money’s not the main issue. Maybe
For several years, the Embassy in
A leading Travel Magazine, Travel Trade Report, joined the chorus of criticism recently in its “Viewpoint” when it commented slightly tongue-in-cheek on the long queue of Thai travellers” who have to stand outside (the Embassy), rain or shine, until the Brits inside have enjoyed their third tea break of the morning”.
The magazine expressed some sympathy to applicants so frustrated and stressed out by the entire process that they resort to bad language. “As for the bills” it adds, the Embassy is on a good wicket with its non-refundable clause. A visa has to be one of the only services in the world you pay for even if it is denied.
Claiming that some 60.000 Thais are denied a visa each year, the magazine says: “The British visa section has to be the worst advertisement for British tourism ever invented.
Despite all the British Embassy hype about transfer date being top secret! One of the guards here at Bangkwang calls me to the office and promptly announces to me as I walk through the door, “You go home”, what did you say I ask him in Thai language as I sit down at his desk, where he proudly shows me the paperwork of my transfer and all it’s details. I cant believe my eyes November 6th I will be transferred to HMP Wandsworth,
Ringing my mum and dad that week and telling them an exact date I am coming home! (Well to prison in England) was the best news and feeling, so so long I’ve waited to be able to give them good news of course my mum and dad were delighted, I got so choked up I could hardly speak (a wave of emotions took over me) over 4 ½ years waiting for this moment and I could hardly speak for the tremendous emotions and relief I was feeling. It was if the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders, more than anything I felt so good for my parents and my family’s sake, part of their nightmare was soon to be over. The worst part of all this for them is the permanent worry they have to live with knowing I am living in a
The infamous Bangkwang Prison better known as “The Bangkok Hilton” is known through out the world for all the shocking and horrific conditions we have to endure here.
This reputation has haunted my family and loved ones for years many of them can not bring themselves to even look at this my web-site as I’ve clearly designed it to shock people into hopefully bringing about the change to us prisoners imprisoned here.
I don’t do this lightly as I am fully aware of by portraying the appalling conditions here I also make this whole ordeal worse on my family. But if we are to bring about change for the better and understanding the system here as I do, I firmly believe this is the only way to bring about that change by showing and telling the truth from behind these walls.
Without wanting to sound pessimistic of this great news of my transfer, I wont believe it until I am sitting on the aeroplane high in the sky over Thailand, for this is Thailand and any kind of hiccup is possible, my years here and experience has taught me to always expect the un-expected and always prepare for the worst case scenario.
I feel very anxious, and I don’t feel good about all the friends I will be leaving behind here. It might sound crazy but now my time is almost here, in many ways I don’t want to go. I never thought I would say that and even crazier is I will miss this place. I feel more like I am leaving home than I am going home! More important than ever now is Lek my wife visa appeal is successful; let’s hope there’s good news on that before I transfer! All that’s on my mind now is Lek’s settlement visa.
To all you people out there who’ve supported me in various ways I thank you all kindly it’s you who got me to where I am now my news letters will continue and the next one will hopefully be written by me from an English Prison and more important than anything I hope to be writing you Lek and Oak are now also settled in England. My new Prison address will be published on my website A.S.A.P. Wandsworth Prison my first port of call is only an allocation Prison and I shouldn’t be there long, before being moved to a Permanent address and its then I will contact you all.
Sincere thanks to you all
Steve Willcox
bravenet.com