The BBC is reporting that Lee Chestnutt, a British expat, has been denied a return visa to the UK following a three-year legal dispute that he thought had already been concluded.
The legal fracas surrounding Chestnutt stemmed from accusations brought by his landlord, who accused the British national of stealing furniture and causing criminal damage to a property he was renting.
Though these charges were dropped in 2011, Chestnutt’s landlord appealed the decision, locking Chestnutt in an ongoing legal battle.
Chestnutt thought that he had obtained the right to leave Thailand this past week, but when his lawyer went to pick up Chestnutt’s exit visa, he found that the visa had been withheld in order to give Chestnutt’s ex-landlord time to form yet another appeal.
While waiting for that appeal, Chestnutt is not allowed to apply for a Thai work permit.
Previous to his ongoing legal troubles, Chestnutt had worked as a chemical engineer. He has been living in Asia for the past 20 years.
