Saudis Returning From Thailand Face Grilling

[Farma]

Saudis Returning From Thailand Face Grilling

Razan Baker, Arab News

JEDDAH, 13 August 2007 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) did not inform travel agencies across the Kingdom of a ban on Saudis traveling to Thailand and so many Saudis, who visited the country at the beginning of the summer, have returned to face questioning from the Kingdom’s authorities.

Thailand has for the past 12 years been on a list of countries that Saudis are not allowed to visit. The list includes Israel, Iraq and Bosnia. However, for the past three years restrictions on Saudi visitors to Thailand have been eased with many families and youths visiting the Far-Eastern country.

Being an affordable country to visit, many Saudis still continue to apply for tourist visas to Thailand, which are easily obtainable. There are no direct flights from the Kingdom to Thailand. Connecting flights are available in Dubai and Qatar. The Thailand Tourism Commission states it received 9,000 Saudis tourists in 2006. People this summer have once again been asked not to visit Thailand unless for business reasons, a rule that many members of the public are unaware of.

People believe the ban has been reinforced because of men who visit Thailand to drink alcohol, visit prostitutes and then be robbed and at times murdered.

Continued here http://arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&...;m=8&y=2007

[fisherd3]

Saudis Returning From Thailand Face Grilling

Razan Baker, Arab News

JEDDAH, 13 August 2007 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) did not inform travel agencies across the Kingdom of a ban on Saudis traveling to Thailand and so many Saudis, who visited the country at the beginning of the summer, have returned to face questioning from the Kingdom’s authorities.

Thailand has for the past 12 years been on a list of countries that Saudis are not allowed to visit. The list includes Israel, Iraq and Bosnia. However, for the past three years restrictions on Saudi visitors to Thailand have been eased with many families and youths visiting the Far-Eastern country.

Being an affordable country to visit, many Saudis still continue to apply for tourist visas to Thailand, which are easily obtainable. There are no direct flights from the Kingdom to Thailand. Connecting flights are available in Dubai and Qatar. The Thailand Tourism Commission states it received 9,000 Saudis tourists in 2006. People this summer have once again been asked not to visit Thailand unless for business reasons, a rule that many members of the public are unaware of.

People believe the ban has been reinforced because of men who visit Thailand to drink alcohol, visit prostitutes and then be robbed and at times murdered.

Continued here http://arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&...;m=8&y=2007

Largely the same as in London

[mackayae]

Bless their little hearts!

[PhilHarries]

Well they can always visit Kuala Lumpur like many of their regional brothers. There they have all they need - halal food, mosques, booze and prostitutes - a fair bit more expensive than Thailand but what the hel_l they can afford it.

[taxout]

I thought the travel ban came about because the Saudis were unhappy with Thai police involvement in the aftermath of the 1989 jewel heist: the unhappy case where some of the jewels were recovered and returned to the Saudis, who soon discovered they were fakes.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sectio...;m=4&y=2006

http://eng.mol.go.th/related_feb0407.html

[PETERTHEEATER]

I thought the travel ban came about because the Saudis were unhappy with Thai police involvement in the aftermath of the 1989 jewel heist: the unhappy case where some of the jewels were recovered and returned to the Saudis, who soon discovered they were fakes.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sectio...;m=4&y=2006

http://eng.mol.go.th/related_feb0407.html

Correct. That's it in a nutshell.

[Prakanong]

I thought the travel ban came about because the Saudis were unhappy with Thai police involvement in the aftermath of the 1989 jewel heist: the unhappy case where some of the jewels were recovered and returned to the Saudis, who soon discovered they were fakes.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sectio...;m=4&y=2006

http://eng.mol.go.th/related_feb0407.html

Thats what I also thought too and was told by a Saudi guy way back in 97 who I often still see there every so often on his visits - and yes he drinks "black" too!

There are all sorts of rumour too about just who has been see wearing some of the jewellery pieces.

I suppose it stops a lot of poor Thai women being abused as maids in that country though too.

Edited August 13, 2007 by Prakanong

[mackayae]

I thought the travel ban came about because the Saudis were unhappy with Thai police involvement in the aftermath of the 1989 jewel heist: the unhappy case where some of the jewels were recovered and returned to the Saudis, who soon discovered they were fakes.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sectio...;m=4&y=2006

http://eng.mol.go.th/related_feb0407.html

Also, the two Saudi Embassy personnel who were shot and killed in Bangkok at that time.

[jts-khorat]

I have never seen that many Arabs around this time of the year than in this season on the beach of Patong; as they are having completely different spending habits than western guys, at least the jetski operators seemed to be happy, as they were fully booked constantly.

And for the amount of Arabs I could see, comparatively little numbers were visible in the bars.

[LaoPo]

Saudis Returning From Thailand Face Grilling

Razan Baker, Arab News

JEDDAH, 13 August 2007 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) did not inform travel agencies across the Kingdom of a ban on Saudis traveling to Thailand and so many Saudis, who visited the country at the beginning of the summer, have returned to face questioning from the Kingdom’s authorities.

Thailand has for the past 12 years been on a list of countries that Saudis are not allowed to visit. The list includes Israel, Iraq and Bosnia. However, for the past three years restrictions on Saudi visitors to Thailand have been eased with many families and youths visiting the Far-Eastern country.

Being an affordable country to visit, many Saudis still continue to apply for tourist visas to Thailand, which are easily obtainable. There are no direct flights from the Kingdom to Thailand. Connecting flights are available in Dubai and Qatar. The Thailand Tourism Commission states it received 9,000 Saudis tourists in 2006. People this summer have once again been asked not to visit Thailand unless for business reasons, a rule that many members of the public are unaware of.

People believe the ban has been reinforced because of men who visit Thailand to drink alcohol, visit prostitutes and then be robbed and at times murdered.

Rest article here:

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sectio...ategory=Kingdom

LaoPo

[A_Traveller]

12 years, now when was that jewellery robbery?

Regards

[lannarebirth]

That's interesting Lao Po, as I've seen literally dozens of what I believe were Saudi families visiting Chiang Mai in the past few months. Hope they don't suffer the wrath of their authorities for it.

[Mid]

you've been beaten to the punch LP

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1473905

[DirkGently]

The men are busy violating their beliefs with all the whisky, ladyboys and pork. Seen Em! The government is aware and wants to extend its control over its people.

Why do you think that there are groups of women shopping alone.

What it is they buy is beyond me. I don't recall seeing black sheets on sale in Emporium.

[tijnebijn]

That's interesting Lao Po, as I've seen literally dozens of what I believe were Saudi families visiting Chiang Mai in the past few months. Hope they don't suffer the wrath of their authorities for it.

I have seen them as well , allthough i am not sure if they were all Saudis , could well be Kuwaities or something .

The woman dress only in black , they are lots and lots of them vacationing at this time around in Chiangmai.

I have never seen so many before , new quality tourists maybe ?

[Pattayatony]

12 years, now when was that jewellery robbery?

Regards

Some people will not know what you are on about so here's a refresher:

The theft of jewelry worth $20 million from the Saudi Royal Family by a Thai migrant worker led to the jailing of two senior police officers for corruption, The Times of London Reported.

The theft, which caused a diplomatic rift between the two countries, left a trail of bodies as Thai police sought to cash in on the jewelry taken from the royal palace in Riyadh, then newspaper reported.

Police Lieutenant-General Chalor Kerdthes, 64, the man charged with investigating the theft by the migrant worker and with returning the jewels to their owner, Prince Faisal bin Abdul Raish, was jailed for seven years, the newspaper reported. Major Thanee Sridokaub, 45, received the same sentence. Both were found guilty of kidnapping a Thai jeweler who was handling the stolen gems.

Chalor faces further charges of collaborating in the murder of the jeweler's wife and 14-year-old son after a ransom demand of $2.5 million was not met, the newspaper reported. Instead of attempting to solve the case, Thai police saw riches in it for themselves, the criminal court in Bangkok had been told.

Saudi Arabia broke off formal relations with Thailand, withdrawing its Ambassador over the investigation into the theft of the jewelry, which included a blue diamond worth $2 million.

Mohammed Koja, the incoming chargé d'affaires, said the gem would curse all those who illegally handled it, the newspaper reported. It is thought that 17 people died in incidents related to the jewelry theft, making superstitious Thais believe the curse was real.

Of those people killed after the jewelry disappeared, most, it is alleged, were executed on the orders of Thai police officers trying to cover up the fact that while they investigated the theft they pocketed most of the missing items, the newspaper reported.

When the Saudis started investigating the disappearance, a spate of assassinations shook Bangkok. In one day in 1991, three Saudi diplomats, A. Z. al-Basri, the consul, Fahad al-Bahli, an attaché, and Ahmed Alsaif, a telex operator, were murdered outside their homes. Two weeks later a Saudi businessman, Mohammed al- Ruwaili, who had knowledge of who had stolen the jewelry, disappeared.

The jewels, weighing 90kg, were stolen between June and August 1990 from the Riyadh palace by a Thai palace worker, Kriangkrai Techamong, now 46, who packed them in boxes and sent them to relatives in Thailand by DHL parcel post.

When Kriangkrai returned to Thailand, the farmer buried some of his loot and started selling items individually for $30 apiece.

He was arrested and the police seized the remaining jewelry. It was then that most of it disappeared.

Chalor, the investigator, put the items on display in Bangkok announcing a police department triumph. He was even given a medal by the Saudi Government.

The main items, however, were missing and others were later found to be faked copies. One of the pieces of jewelry was spotted on a high-society woman at a Red Cross dinner in Bangkok.

Santi Sritanakhan, a jeweler who was fencing the gems, was kidnapped and tortured on the orders of Chalor. A week later his wife, Darawadee, and son, Seri, were found murdered in a Mercedes-Benz, the newspaper reported. Thai police forensic officers put the death down to a road accident.

Later four men admitted committing the murders on police orders. They had demanded a ransom of $2.5 million from the jeweler. The thief who started it all-Kriangkrai Techamong-is free. He was released after serving two years and seven months for handling stolen goods after receiving two royal pardons.

The jewelry has disappeared and "only Allah and a few people in Thailand" know where it is, Koja reportedly said.

Life in jail has not been bad for Chalor. He has formed a rock group and produced his own version of Jailhouse Rock, the proceeds of which have been donated to prisoners' welfare. He is appealing. "Not all people in jail are guilty," he reportedly said.

Linky Link

I'm not surprised they don't want their citizens visiting Thailand, never mind all the prostitution and boozing.

So thats why Thaksin is having a run of Bad Luck, Maybe he finished up with the Blue Diamond.

[britmaveric]

Wonder if the ban will spread to other muslim countries???

[thaihome]

Wonder if the ban will spread to other muslim countries???

Reaching a bit aren't you?

TH

[LaoPo]

you've been beaten to the punch LP

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1473905

I am so sorry; I didn't see the other topic (didn't look in the Travel Forum...)

Maybe the Mods can merge the 2 topics ?

LaoPo

[Naam]

The men are busy violating their beliefs with all the whisky, ladyboys and pork. Seen Em!

and they all wore a batch "i'm a Sa'udi", isn't it genius?

[Tywais]

Maybe the Mods can merge the 2 topics ?

Done.

[jasreeve17]

Emperor_Tud, thanks for that. I wasn't aware.

Amazing.

[rafval]

The thief who started it all-Kriangkrai Techamong-is free. He was released after serving two years and seven months for handling stolen goods after receiving two royal pardons.

why was he pardoned?