UPDATE | Ashley Oosthuizen closer to freedom as Bangkok prison transfer raises parole hopes

A possible transfer to a larger prison in Bangkok could bring George woman Ashley Oosthuizen one step closer to freedom, with her family hoping the move will open the door to parole.

Oosthuizen, 27, has been serving a prison sentence in Thailand since her arrest in October 2020 and is currently being held at Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison.

According to her mother, Lynn Blignaut, Oosthuizen has applied to be transferred to a larger facility in Bangkok.

The potential move could be significant because the family hopes it will allow Oosthuizen to apply for parole.

Parole hopes

According to the George-Herald, in order to qualify for parole, Oosthuizen needs Thai sponsors – Thai citizens who own property such as a house or land.

Blignaut said a pastor and his wife have agreed to assist Oosthuizen as sponsors.

Thai prisons reportedly have until September to submit nominations for parole. The relevant authorities will then consider the applications and determine who is granted parole.

If Oosthuizen is not considered during the September process, her family believes she could have another opportunity to apply in February.

For now, the family is waiting to see whether her transfer application is successful.

From a 100-year sentence to less than 10 years

Oosthuizen was arrested on 8 October 2020 at the restaurant where she worked after signing for a parcel containing drugs.

The package was reportedly addressed to someone else, and Oosthuizen has consistently maintained that she did not know what it contained.

She was initially convicted in a case involving international drug trafficking and received a lengthy prison sentence.

Her legal battle subsequently went through several stages.

An initial sentence of 100 years was later reduced on appeal to 33 years and four months.

The Supreme Court issued its final ruling on 27 March 2025, reducing her sentence to 13 years and four months and changing her conviction from international drug trafficking to possession of drugs.

Royal pardons have since reduced the sentence further.

Under a 2025 Royal Pardon, her sentence was reduced to 11 years and six months.

A further royal pardon announced on 3 June reduced it by another year and seven months, bringing the sentence down to nine years and 11 months.

Taking her time already served into account, Oosthuizen’s remaining sentence was estimated at approximately four years and three months following the latest reduction.

Family remains hopeful

Despite the years of uncertainty, Blignaut said the family remains hopeful that her daughter will eventually be able to return home.

“We are thankful for every reduction and every small step forward,” Blignaut said in a recent lengthy Facebook post.

“It has been a long and painful journey, but we continue to trust that things are moving in the right direction for Ashley. We are grateful for the support and prayers we have received.”

Blignaut said the family’s hope ultimately rests with God and that Oosthuizen has asked people to continue praying that she will be able to return home soon.

Oosthuizen has spent much of her sentence at Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison, where she is currently the first Westerner being held at the facility.

A move to Bangkok could now represent another important step in her long-running effort to secure her freedom.

Meanwhile, an ongoing BackaBuddy campaign with a R350 000 stated goal, has raised R231 917 as at the time of publishing.