Drugs charge Briton faces death penalty

Police waited for more than a year to arrest Mr Bailey

A British man is facing the death penalty in Thailand after being charged with drug smuggling.

Robert Bailey, also known as Robert Neilson, from York, was arrested after police discovered 600 grams of heroin, 500 grams of cannabis and 80 bottles of ketamine at his home.

The seizure was made more than a year ago but police then waited for Mr Bailey to reappear before arresting him at a Bangkok hotel on Wednesday.

Although he faces the death sentence if found guilty of drug trafficking, the punishment is usually commuted to life imprisonment in the case of foreign nationals.

The drugs were found during a raid on Mr Bailey's home in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya.

Lieutenant Colonel Pirom Piyakorn said that police found the drugs packed up and ready to be sent to Mr Bailey in England.

He added: "This is a major case of drugs trafficking."

Mr Bailey was arrested after telephoning his Thai girlfriend who is then said to have contacted police.