Teen facing years in Thai prison over '$100 airport crime' learns his fate after 'bad mistake'
The mother of a teen who is facing the prospect of spending years in a Thai prison has insisted her son 'is not a thief'.
Natasha Rainger is now stuck in Thailand until at least September with her 18-year-old Loukas after he was arrested and charged with 'theft in an airport'.
Speaking to LADbible, the mortified mother has now revealed the steps that they have taken in an attempt to make amends for his 'error of judgement'.
Loukas was taken into custody by immigration officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on 16 July while he was 'literally about to board' a flight home to New Zealand after a month of travelling.
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He had been exploring the Southeast Asian country with his best pal for a number of weeks and on 3 July, he caught a flight from Surat Thani Airport.
While navigating airport security, Loukas claims that he was 'rushing to get on the plane' and erroneously picked up an object that was in the security tray he was using that didn't belong to him.
The item in question was a women's wristwatch from the brand Swatch, which is thought to be worth roughly $100 (£43.60).
Loukas has since claimed that he thoughtlessly 'picked it up and shoved it in his pocket' with his other belongings, in what he characterised as a 'stupid mistake'.
"I knew I should’ve handed it straight to staff, but I made a stupid mistake," he told New Zealand outlet Stuff. "I guess to be totally honest - it didn’t register much - the watch.
"I didn’t even think of that watch for any time on the rest of the trip. It didn’t even come into my mind."
After arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport to board his flight back home, he was pulled aside by officials who informed him there was a warrant for his arrest in relation to the incident.
The teenager said he was subsequently 'detained overnight in Bangkok, then shipped on a 10-hour train ride all the way back down south to Surat Thani to be placed in a high-security provincial prison'.
What the watch's owner has said
"That's where the real nightmare kicked in," he added.
Natasha previously said it was 'like torture' being unable to speak to her son, but the pair were finally reunited on Wednesday (22 July) after Loukas was granted bail - and he emerged from jail with a shaved head.
The mother and son now have to remain in Thailand until the legal proceedings come to a conclusion following his trial, which is set to begin on 4 September. If convicted, he faces up to five years behind bars.
Authorities in New Zealand confirmed they are assisting the Tauranga teen in a statement shared with LADbible on Friday (24 July).
Natasha has now opened up about her family's ordeal and explained that the woman who the watch belonged to 'does not want to press any charges'.
It was previously reported that a female passenger travelling from Surat Thani airport on 3 July removed her wristwatch and put it into an airport inspection tray at 8:30 am during security checks, before it was then mislaid.
She then apparently didn’t realise she hadn’t picked it back up, leaving it on the tray. The woman filed a complaint to initiate legal proceedings, with police gathering evidence before a warrant for arrest was obtained on 10 July.
Werabhat Hemthansarp, managing partner at Phuket-based Lawyer Republic, previously said that he had been in contact with the woman on Loukas' behalf.
"I have been told the watch was around $80 to $100 on Ebay, and the watch has been returned to her, and she has also received an apology from Loukas in prison," Hemthansarp told Stuff.
"I have been told that she accepts the apology and will accept $1,000 (£435.90) in compensation, which I said I would pay."
And Natasha has since offered some further context on the conversations shared between them and the woman.
Speaking to LADbible about Loukas' legal troubles, she said: "He didn’t simply pocket [the watch], he saw it with his things, was rushing to get on the plane and yes, he picked it up."
'He is not a thief'
"Bad mistake, he’s learnt his lesson, he is so remorseful for picking it up," she went on. "He is not a thief - but a loved son, grandson, brother, college student and friend of many, who have all written letters of support."
Natasha said he has also received 'hundreds of emails' from people across the world offering messages of support - but there have also been some 'awful' comments too.
"We are very distressed by the situation and can not believe the awful things people on the net feel they need to say," the mum went on, before explaining that the woman has forgiven Loukas.
"He made a bad error of judgement - the woman has accepted his heart felt apology and does not want to press any charges and we have set up a compensation amount that she has agreed on.
"Not everything you read is accurate."
Loukas' aunt, Melissa Pronk, has launched an online fundraiser on GiveALittle to help the family afford the costs of staying in Thailand.
Topics: Crime, World News, Travel, Prison
Olivia Burke