Stupidity a Major Draw to Thailand

artmonkeylawson 150x150 Stupidity a Major Draw to Thailand

I don’t know what it is about Thailand but besides the cultural tourists and of course the sexual type there seems to be a certain amount of stupidity drawn to Thailand.

The idiot that claimed to have killed JonBenet Ramsey decided Thailand was the place to go and then of course you have Gary Glitter who recently tried to gain entry into the country after a stint in Vietnam’s jail system. I mean really, if you are a convicted pedophile with a penchant for Asian children you might want to rethink your travel arrangements.

Then there are the really smart people that try to smuggle things into or out of Thailand. For the most part it’s usually cigarettes, booze, or football jerseys as all these things are cheap and can turn a good profit on the other end. There is a high probability of being caught and the fines are steep in Thailand as well as abroad.

So, today I bring you the story of two above average stupid American women who decided they were going to smuggle a small rhesus monkey from Thailand to America.

In November of 2007 after e-mail correspondence with a man in Thailand, confirming that he could get her a rhesus monkey, Gypsy Lawson and her mother who live in Washington state decided to make the trip to Thailand and smuggle the monkey home.

Besides the fact that the rhesus monkey is an endangered species and illegal to transport without permit it is also a known carrier of viruses and parasites that can be transmitted to humans. Usually the only reason a permit is given to transport rhesus monkeys is for medical research. The movie Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman centered around a rhesus monkey smuggled into America that did carry an infectious disease and the outcome was bad.

The pair went to Bangkok last November and took delivery of the monkey which they then sedated and hid under Lawson’s shirt so she could pretend to be pregnant. They made it through customs at the airport in Bangkok and again at LAX.

Their downfall was the culmination of stupidity. The day after Christmas last year Lawson decided to take the monkey to a local mall for some after Christmas shopping deals and while in a clothing store told a sales person the whole smuggling story. The sales person, who had a brain, called the authorities.

The Feds paid a visit to Lawson’s house and found the monkey along with detailed journals, e-mails, and pictures of the whole affair. Gypsy Lawson and her mother Fran Ogren were convicted in a Federal court on Friday.

If you are planning a trip to Thailand be sure to take a lot of pictures and bring back a lot of trinkets…but please leave the wildlife where they belong. And if you happen to know that you are stupid, please stay home and make it a better world for the rest of us.

sig1 Stupidity a Major Draw to Thailand
Related Posts with Thumbnails

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
4 Responses to Stupidity a Major Draw to Thailand
  1. Mike
    December 10, 2008 | 9:30 pm

    There are a lot of stupid people out there and that includes the idiots that are festering in the Bangkok Hilton having decided that the Thais are not interested in stopping the illegal drugs trade.

    It never fails to amaze me the risks so called tourists will take when visiting LOS. This post should serve as a warning to all.

    Mikes last blog post..The Entrecard Love Affair Ends for MTF.

  2. Talen
    December 11, 2008 | 1:09 am

    I probably should have said something about drugs but if someone is stupid enough to try and smuggle drugs into or out of Thailand they get exactly what they deserve…a trip to the monkey house.

    Just for anyone reading this that thinks it won’t be too bad keep in mind that there are Thai’s that will sell you drugs and then call the police on you. If you like pills you’ll love the fact that you’ll do a year in jail for every pill found on your person.

  3. Hoo Don
    December 12, 2008 | 9:01 pm

    On my last visit to Thailand in September I had my hand luggage searched for cigarettes and alcohol before reaching Immigration, and passing through Passport Control I was stopped and my suitcase scanned. This was the first time I had been stopped in 20 plus visits but it was nonetheless reassuring to know the Thai officials were doing a more efficient job. The scan on my suitcase revealed 4 bottles of alcohol but the official just gently reminded me of the allowance and waved me through. My trip next week will be conducted within the proper limits, 1 litre of alcohol, 200 cigarettes and no monkey.

    Hoo Dons last blog post..Cheese And A Steady Squeeze

  4. Maureen
    December 13, 2008 | 12:15 pm

    Wow, that was stupid. It’s a bit scary that she got through customs. I can’t believe a monkey would really look like she is pregnant. I bet it wasn’t healthy for the monkey to be sedated that long either- People are sometimes pure idiots. I don’t get it.

    Maureens last blog post..Recession Proof Industries- What is the best?

Leave a Reply


Wanting to leave an <em>phasis on your comment?

Trackback URL http://thailandlandofsmiles.com/2008/12/10/stupidity-a-major-draw-to-thailand/trackback/