A Scottish man's dream trip to Thailand turned into a nightmare when his ex-partner cancelled his passport.
This led to his detention at the airport and deportation to the UK.
Arrested and deported upon arrival in Phuket
William Barr, originally from Inverkeithing in Scotland, was stopped by immigration officers upon arrival in Phuket and then deported to the UK before his holiday even began.
“I handed over my passport and was shocked when the Thai police officer told me it was reported stolen.
Suddenly, everything broke loose and I found myself in a cell for 10 hours without knowing what was happening to me.
It was crazy, they treated me like a criminal and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to go home."
The Scot's ordeal began when he flew into Edinburgh Airport with a friend, boarding a Qatar Airways flight.
After a three and a half hour layover in Doha, the two men took their connecting flight to Phuket.
But as soon as Barr presented his passport for a routine check, the Thai security system triggered an alert and he was immediately taken into custody.
Barr, who had spent 1,845 euros on the trip, was horrified when his luggage was confiscated for three hours amid fears that something had been planted in his belongings.
See also: Prohibited items in Thailand: what not to pack in your suitcase
He was then told he had to pay 3,000 baht (about 80 euros) before being checked into a return flight to Doha, escorted through the airport by two security agents.
“I walked through the airport with two men in suits, and everyone looked at me like I was a common criminal.
I had to get on the plane before everyone else, and I was the last one to leave.
I never saw my passport again until I landed at Edinburgh Airport on Monday, where it was permanently confiscated.
Authorities in Edinburgh later confirmed that his passport had mysteriously been reported lost on October 1, 2024, and Police Scotland launched an investigation into the incident.
The truth comes out: her ex's revenge
In a recent development, the Scottish Sun reported that Barr's resentful ex-partner, Rosie Wood, 31, had cancelled the Scot's passport just as he arrived at the airport.
Wood admitted to the crime, admitting that he canceled Barr's passport in a fit of anger, knowing it would ruin his long-awaited trip.
The court heard Ms Wood was left "furious" after Mr Barr planned his sunny getaway.
In a fit of revenge, she used an online application system to falsely report her passport lost or stolen, setting off a chain of unfortunate events.
Trial in Scotland: ex-partner sentenced
At Dunfermline Magistrates' Court, Ms Wood admitted causing Mr Barr "annoyance, inconvenience and needless anxiety".
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Knapp revealed that Mr. Barr, who had planned to spend two weeks in Thailand, was shocked when airport officials told him his passport had been declared invalid.
Although he denied the accusations, Mr Barr was returned to the UK.
Upon his return, Barr contacted the police to investigate the incident.
Investigators traced the fraudulent passport cancellation to Wood's broadband internet account, directly linking her to the crime.
Wood later admitted in an interview with officers that she did this "because he left her children" and admitted she was "furious."
Although she realized her actions were "stupid," she felt there was nothing she could do to repair the damage.
Ruined vacation and limited compensation
Barr, who estimates he lost "around 2,882 euros" due to the loss of his holiday, was devastated by the turn of events.
Defence lawyer Shona Westwood described Ms Wood as "deeply sorry" and highlighted her "precarious financial situation".
Sheriff Mark O'Hanlon described the incident as "serious", particularly because Mr Barr had lost all of his holiday entitlement, and imposed a community service order on Ms Wood.
She was sentenced to 12 months of supervision and 167 hours of unpaid work.
Due to his financial difficulties, the amount of compensation was capped at 577 euros.
This case, which illustrates how far resentment can go in a couple, deprived William Barr of his long-awaited vacation.
She also points out that travel document fraud can have dramatic consequences, far beyond a simple romantic dispute.
A case that also demonstrates the strictness of immigration controls in Thailand, where a simple report can be enough to ruin a trip.
See also:
Booking.com Scam: Family's Thailand Vacation Turns into a Nightmare
Nightmare retreat in Thailand: sentenced after being attacked
Trip to Thailand turns into medical and financial nightmare
Thailand tourist's nightmare: jailed for expired visa
Source: The Thaiger
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8 comments
This case shows two absurdities: in Scotland, a passport cancellation system that is too fragile, allowing a jealous ex to block a citizen's life; in Thailand, a reaction that is too rigid, where people are locked up and expelled without investigation.
Result: double injustice for the victim.
I hope the Scotsman will sue his government, because these failings could have very serious repercussions.
If the state allows such errors, it must also compensate the victims: that one's ex is punished is one thing, but public responsibility remains.
There is still something that escapes me in the reasoning and conclusions of the immigration police: how could the police at Suvarnabhumi airport have believed for any longer that the passport was "lost" or "stolen", when the person holding this passport, and listed as such on the pages of the document as well as their photo, was indeed the one in front of them?
In other words, how can we believe that a person "steals" his own passport, declares this theft or loss just before arriving at the airport of his destination (so he should have made this declaration while he was on the plane, on September 1st and not on October 1st as stated in the article!), and then presents himself with this same passport at the immigration control of the country in question???
And there isn't even a senior officer on site, who is supposed to have some knowledge of criminology and some experience in police investigations, who might have been struck by this???
Absurd isn't it...Sherlock?
But no, a stolen passport IS a stolen passport, and therefore the person who has this passport in his possession is necessarily the thief, even if this "thief" is the person to whom this same passport belongs, just as a Thai policeman IS and REMAINS, in all circumstances, a Thai policeman, recognizable by what?... but by his uniform obviously!!!
Elementary, my dear Watson!
Come on, move along, there's nothing to see here!!!
Hello Hansson,
The case took place on October 1, 2024, and the article returns to it after the recent trial.
Ah OK, I understand this date better... what a circus!!!
Now the question is how did she get a passport that wasn't hers cancelled?
For me, this is the main problem and, unless I am mistaken, it does not seem to be mentioned in the article.
Only the person holding the passport should be able to report it stolen or lost.
Hello,
This case is revolting.
That this "lady" was able to have a passport that was not hers cancelled is totally unacceptable.
At a time when we can no longer do anything without first identifying ourselves online…!?
Further convictions are needed.
Such abuses are not only serious because of their consequences.
What about the causes?
The furious revenge of a neglected woman does not explain everything.
The UK becomes a deterrent.
We discover it every day.
Echo
FYI, the embassy can issue a temporary passport for a few days and if you're lucky, they can even replace your passport within a few hours.
…hence the quote:
“When a woman decides to take revenge on a man, the devil himself sits down and takes notes!”