She also revealed she was pregnant, meaning she could give birth in custody. She faces a minimum 15-year sentence, with her baby potentially raised inside Women’s Colony No. 5, a facility lacking standard prenatal medical coverage and private healthcare access.
Her father, Niel Culley, said: “I obviously have no experience in dealing with situations like this and it’s very difficult.” The emotional burden and cross-border legal complexity now surround the family, who are seeking help from both the British Embassy and local legal representatives.
International Implications and Smuggling Trends
Air stewardess Charlotte May Lee, 21, was detained in Sri Lanka where police claim she had £1.15 million worth of kush — a synthetic cannabis strain. She departed Bangkok within hours of Culley, raising the possibility of a coordinated trafficking route, potentially involving Thai drug gangs.
Former Georgian police general Jemal Janashia said the timing and similarities would “greatly interest international drug investigators.”
He added that Thai syndicates may be recruiting vulnerable British women, a tactic that exploits financial insecurity, mental health instability, and lack of access to legal aid or private insurance for international arrests.
The two arrests happened during Thailand’s Royal Ploughing Ceremony weekend — a time when airports are crowded with tourists, giving gangs the opportunity to blend into the chaos.
