Ashley Oosthuizen: A South African's journey from drug smuggling to teaching in a Thai prison

Ashley Oosthuizen, the young woman from George who is imprisoned in Thailand after being found guilty of drug-related charges, is not wasting her time behind bars and has been a teacher to inmates for the past two years.

The Cape Argus recently reported that Oosthuizen is one of 81 000 inmates who will receive the royal clemency on the King’s birthday, with 12 739 prisoners to be released, and thousands more to have their sentences reduced.

Oosthuizen was employed as a kindergarten teacher on Koh Samui island after leaving her home in George in 2018.

When Oosthuizen lost her job, Tristan Nettles, her now estranged boyfriend, offered her a position at a restaurant  called Hot Biscuit where she designed the branding for the business.

In October 2020, Oosthuizen accepted a package by delivery man on behalf of someone else and this was filled with 250 grams of MDMA (Ecstasy) and she was arrested.

Oosthuizen has remained resilient behind bars, and has continued teaching.

Her mother, Lynn Blignaut, said she was educating inmates, some who had never set foot inside a classroom.

“Ashley has been teaching for two years now,” said Blignaut.

“She is teaching both primary and high school learners.

“There are Thai adults that do not have education at all and others who only have primary school.

“She was teaching English classes two times per week and now it has been changed to three classes a week and she will teach 30 people.”  

Blignaut earlier explained that the pardon meant one year off every seven years of a prisoner’s sentence.

She said they were praying that she may be selected for electronic monitoring at a later stage following her pardon period.

“I’ll also go to Samui to go and find out about transferring her back to Khoi Samui Prison where she was imprisoned after her arrest and she was there for about a year," she said.

“This will mean I can get to see her every day with visits.

“Also about possible electronic monitoring

“Koh Samui is a district prison on the island.

“When a prisoner has five years or less left of their sentence they might be considered.

“Royal Pardon is given each year on the birthday of the king."

Oosthuizen’s sentence was reduced earlier this year from 33.4 years to 13.4 years after Blignaut completed a legal petition together with an appeal to the Supreme Court in Thailand.

The charge of “International Drug Smuggler” and was also changed to "Possession".

She has already served 4.7 years - totaling 8.7 years left to serve.

Blignaut bravely sold her business in George and moved to Thailand.

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