The first Australian prisoner has departed for home under a transfer treaty with Thailand signed last year, a Thai corrections official said yesterday.

John Doran, 34, will serve two years in an Australian jail after his transfer from a Thai prison, where he has already served six years.

Doran, who contracted tuberculosis while in jail but has since recovered, was convicted of falsifying documents and sentenced to eight years. He departed for Perth on Thursday.

Fewer than 10 other Australians are serving terms in Thai prisons, mostly on drug charges. _ AFP

Archived from Bangkok Post - Picture By: Ian Cugley News Ltd