After three years in Thai prison, John M. Johansen is back in Norway to celebrate Christmas but it's only a matter of time before his case gets appealed on the Thai court.

John M. Johansen lived a good life with his wife and son in Pattaya, Thailand. But the world collapsed when he was accused of drug crimes and sentenced to over 16 years in Thai prison.

On 26 September 2012 - after three years and 22 days - he was deported back to Norway. Without warning, he was taken out from his cell to the court room where the judge read him the acquittal.

He had only a brief meeting with his wife and son before was put on the plane immediately.

The 42-year-old from Nærøy told a Norwegian press that back then he had never looked forward to a Christmas celebration with family in Norway again.

However, his thoughts are most likely be with his wife Monika and son Ingemar (9) - both are still in Thailand - and the fact that the public prosecutor is preparing to appeal his acquittal.

Johansen said that the public prosecutor in Thailand has a total of five months' appeal deadline but he has learned that the court recently gave him more time. “I take that as a sign that the case will be appealed,” he said.

The further fate of Thai legal system will determine Johansen's future, of whether and when he will return to the country. But his true goal is to return to Pattaya and the accommodation he considers his home.

The uncertainty is rather enormous, normally it takes about five years before an appeal will be dealt with in the Supreme Court.

The Norwegian man has engaged in a frank dialogue with many of his friends from Pattaya and others on the forum asiaforum.no. The link to the discussion is

Narkofrikjent vil tilbake til Pattaya.



John M. Johansen ble 3. oktober løslatt etter tre år og 22 dager i Bombat-fengselet for rusdømte i Bangkok. Vi møtte ham på Egon Restaurant i Oslo. Johansen sier han vil tilbake til Pattaya raskt.

Johansen ble i 2009 dømt til 16,5 års fengsel, men ble løslatt etter ankesaken 3. oktober. Tiltalen om besittelse av 50 gram heroin ble da frafalt. Likevel ble Johansen utvist fra Thailand da han ble løslatt.

Johansen (42) var forretningsmann i Pattaya. Han drev Ingo’s bar. Senere drev han rådgivningsfirma. Han var medlem i turistpolitiet en periode. Da han ble arrestert var han ansatt i politivesenet i Pattaya som tolk etc. overfor utlendinger som havnet i problemer med loven.

jsh71 skrev:
Ja det ville da være dumt at at tage til thailand igen, den sag den lugter.

John M. Johansen kan ikke røpe for mye om bakgrunnen for at han ble lokket i en felle og dømt. Saken etterforskes, og detaljene vil han røpe i boka si.