Claire Johnson detained in Thailand pleads for help from detention centre

Friends remain “extremely concerned” for a Gold Coast cosmetic tour queen detained in Thailand after posting frantic messages on social media

A GOLD Coast cosmetic tour queen is desperately trying to flee Thailand after being detained for more than a week.

Claire Johnson sent frantic text messages to a friend on Monday, but hasn’t been heard from since.

Her friend Juliet Potter believes Ms Johnson, 46, the managing director at Cosmetic Holidays International, may have been detained because of visa issues.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing assistance to “an Australian woman detained in Thailand”.

Claire Johnson, right, organises cosmetic surgery tours to Thailand. Sarah Kennedy, left, has just returned from overseas. Pic by Luke Marsden.

Ms Johnson, who also describes herself as medical tourism promoter, photographer and freelance journalist has been detained since January 8 after apparently overstaying her visa.

According to Ms Potter, Ms Johnson — a mother of two — was due back in Sydney on January 8, but was detained and has been in a detention centre in Bangkok ever since.

Ms Potter believes Ms Johnson might have “outstayed her visa by accident”.

Ms Johnson’s social media page has not been updated since January 8. It normally has regular posts per day.

Ms Johnson’s latest post reads: “All grand adventures end with a big bang!” adding a gun emoticon and a quote saying ‘i feel like im in season 5 of my life and the writers are just making ridiculous shit happen to keep it interesting.’

She answered concerned friends with: “Some pretty serious stuff went down. I’m flying in Saturday (12) talk to you next week.”

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Claire Johnson. Pictures: Jack Tran

Claire Johnson

An acquaintance of Ms Johnson’s told the Bulletin it was “strange” she hadn’t posted to her social media account for a few days.

“I hope she’s OK and I wish her well, she seems to run into bad luck a bit,” she said.

Ms Potter said: “Claire went overseas to travel and work for a year, and was on her way back through Thailand to come home to Sydney.

“After her divorce, she basically sold everything and went overseas by herself, and it was time for her to come home back to Sydney. She was going to stay in a flat I have when she got home. I was excited to have my friend back … but looks like that’s not happening any time soon.”

Ms Potter, who works at a Sydney PR firm, said Ms Johnson was asked to pay a fine by police and have a current plane ticket booked in order to leave the country. It is understood another friend of Ms Johnson’s paid the 3000 Baht fine ($A130) and put her on a Garuda flight on Saturday 12th January to return back to Sydney.

Hannah & Claire Johnson Pic: (c) Regina King

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But Ms Johnson claims she still unable to leave the detention centre on the weekend.

“Help me,” Ms Johnson’s text to Ms Potter read. “Call yhe (sic) media.

“Help. Goita (sic) go. Theu (sic) r taking my phone cant talk. So scared.”

Ms Potter, who has transferred $900 to Ms Johnson since last week, believes her friend could be in “great trouble” in the detention centre.

“I feel like I should’ve done something sooner,” she said.

“I’m extremely concerned for her … God knows where she is and who she’s with. There’s just no detail on where she is.

“She’s a very attractive woman and I am concerned for her. She just needs to come back home.”

Cosmetic Holidays International provides a range of cosmetic surgery holiday packages in Thailand.

Ms Johnson also hosts Botox parties with a qualified doctor after a surge in demand for at-home cosmetic injections and in 2015 introduced a lay-by system for cosmetic surgery clients.