Bomber Thompson Thai twist: Bizarre relationship with deported woman revealed
BOMBER Thompson’s bizarre relationship with a deported Thai national has been revealed — with the woman speaking for the first time about their close bond.
Fiona Byrne
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BOMBER Thompson’s bizarre relationship with a deported Thai national has been revealed — with the woman speaking for the first time on Saturday about their close bond.
Rachanai Sarach has boasted on social media that she and the footy legend — now facing a host of drug charges — are in love.
She posted numerous images taken last year of the pair together in Australia and Asia.
When contacted in Thailand on Saturday, Ms Sarach confirmed she knew Thompson.
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“Mark very good for me,” she said about the support Thompson offered her while she was in Melbourne.
Asked if she wanted to marry him she said: “Yeah, I what (want).”
Repeated attempts to contact Thompson over a number of weeks about his involvement with Ms Sarach have failed.
Just how Thompson came to know the mysterious Ms Sarach during her time in Melbourne is unknown.
But their connection drew Thompson on to the radar of police who were investigating Ms Sarach.
One source confirmed Thompson came to their attention as a friend of hers, but there was never any suggestion he was involved in criminal activity.
Ms Sarach erased all trace of Thompson from her social media on Saturday night. But images seen earlier included the comment: “My love, we will love each other forever.”
In February she posted above a memory montage of the pair sharing happy moments: “Nothing much, just say love husband: I love you.”
On another she wrote: “Oh I miss you so much.”
All her comments were translated by the Sunday Herald Sun from her original Thai-language postings.
Ms Sarach is understood to be the woman, identified by The Footy Show last week, whom Thompson tried to visit at the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre in December.
He was refused entry to the centre on December 26 after staff became concerned that he was possibly affected by drugs.
He returned on January 2 and 3 and was successful in his attempts to see her. During one of those visits he left the woman $5000 in US and Australian dollars and a phone.
Later on January 3, she was deported to Thailand.
Two days later police executed a search warrant on Thompson’s Port Melbourne property.
Police found methamphetamine, ecstasy, LSD and MDMA in plastic bags during the raid.
Some of the drugs were found in a locked room which, police alleged, only Thompson had access to.
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More than 830 grams of MDMA were found, along with digital scales, ice pipes, deal bags and prescription drugs. Also uncovered were details of financial transactions between Thompson and co-accused Thomas Windsor, who was living there.
Thompson’s defence barrister David Hallowes, SC, said the trafficking charges would be vigorously defended and that he did not expect Thompson would serve a jail sentence.
Thompson’s alleged drug problems have hit the headlines recently, but there have been concerns about him for more than a decade.
He left Essendon in 1997, went to North Melbourne as an assistant coach then led Geelong for a decade, including the Cats’ drought-breaking 2007 flag.
But there were concerns that his personal life was out of control when he was at Geelong, and his sudden departure after the 2010 season to return to Essendon as an assistant coach shocked the football world.
He took over from James Hird as senior coach in 2014, as a result of Hird’s suspension over the supplements scandal.
When Thompson left Essendon at the end of that year, he had been flagged as a candidate for the vacant Gold Coast Suns coaching gig, but missed out as rumours swirled that he was battling an illicit drugs problem. Some friends said they had serious concerns about him.
Thompson addressed the elephant in the room during at interview on 3AW in 2015.
“Some people have said some horrible things over the time that clearly aren’t right,” he said.
“Yeah, I’ve heard about it, and it’s funny how you go from the top of the ladder to the bottom pretty quickly. That’s just footy.
“It hurts a little bit, but I’ve just got to accept it and just get on with it and try and do the right thing and work my way back into the system — if that’s what I want to do.”
Thompson took on a job as a commentator on 3AW after missing out at the Suns. But despite being a “great bloke” to be around, he struggled with appointments.
“He wasn’t the most reliable guy, he would turn up late,” one radio source said.
Thompson parted ways with 3AW at the end of 2015, but continued with his Fox Footy role, which ended this year. He was regularly booked to speak at sportsmen’s nights across the state.
But sometimes he didn’t turn up.
And when he did, he spoke so openly about things that happened at Essendon, some in the audience wondered if he was OK.
Despite his on and off employment, Thompson has remained a wealthy man because of his property investments. He made almost $7 million last year on a deal on land in Armstrong Creek, on the outskirts of Geelong, for which he paid just $400,000.
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