Oberkommando

Nearly every piece printed in Thailand's English language papers is full of wishful thinking, misinformation, Thai government propaganda and downright lies...

I was in Cambodia over the weekend and the general feeling is the Thais will continue to try to bully Cambodia into submission but the Cambodians are adamant they will not back down.

As if there's no such thing as propaganda or nationalism in Cambodia and Hun Sen is some kind of libertarian.

What you are saying is that they are better at brainwashing their population.

What I am saying is the Thai government is trying to bully a weaker nation to submit to their demands over the Preah Vihear temple dispute and the surrounding land.

Cambodia is in the right here and doesn't need to lower itself to the dirty politics, lies, fraudulent nationalism and the general unacceptable behaviour the PAD and subsequently the Thai government has resorted to over the UNESCO ruling.

Cambodia will give Thailand another bloody nose if fighting starts again and if Thailand escalates the conflict Viet Nam will probably get involved and the Thais are no match for them as history clearly shows.

Trailing the earlier mentioned BBC news report, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm) there were a couple emails from former tourists with interesting scam tales to tell:

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Same happened to me in April this year. The police arrested me and charged me approx £400. There were 5 of us in our group, we purchased 1000 cigarettes at Heathrow, but on leaving the plane at Bangkok the police approached me and told me to keep them in one bag. I did as I was told, and that was the set up, so when I got through customs with the other four people they arrested me and would not accept what we told them. They took copies of my passport and made me sign at least six documents, all in Thai. They would not give me copies so at this moment I don't know what I signed. They escorted me to an ATM. I have been in touch with the British consulate who asked me if I want to make a complaint but I don't want to go to another country and find they have done something to my passport. I will never return to Thailand again, it was the scariest time of my life.

Lynn Ward, UK

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and...

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Another scam at Bangkok Airport is when the Thai customs meet passengers off airplanes from Dubai/Qatar where there is cheap duty free. The customs tell passengers to put duty free items inside their check-in luggage when they take it off the carousel - or they will be prosecuted for smuggling. They then tell people that it will be OK not to show or declare any duty free items. When the passengers reach the arrivals area, the customs pounce and you are arrested and taken to customs head office at BANG NA and told to pay four times the duty or go straight to jail. There is an ATM machine next door to the customs office. Your goods are kept by the officers and they then pocket the money you have paid them and you are free to go without any criminal record.

Paul Grant, London, UK

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There was a long and detailed post in the Airport section of the forum warning of the 'Excise Scam' but it was unfortunately spoiled by the usual suspects and closed by the mods.

A shame, as it served as a good warning of what was really going on at the airport, even if some members are still in complete denial.

If anyone has a link to it or any other it would be appreciated as I can't seem to find it.

The Thai police pick the strangest times to be law abiding--like letting murders loose. I am quite sure that immigration has the right, or at a minimum, no penalty for refusing entry to people suspected of crimes.

That is strange - why couldn't they have been refused entry into Thailand, been held at immigration at the airport for a few hours and sent back to Australia on the next flight out? Happens all the time. That should have given the Aussie police time to tie things together in the courts down there for a warrant.

Because they are Thai-Australian and entered Thailand on their Thai passports.

They are probably already in Vietnam being hidden by relatives . . .

Correct

For sure they are vietnamese australians.

No way they will face justice now.

They are Thai-Australians according to the Australian news networks.

The Thai Government still banging on about this.

Nearly every piece printed in Thailand's English language papers is full of wishful thinking, misinformation, Thai government propaganda and downright lies. Much the same as the nonsense they churn out about the hunt for Thaksin.

I was in Cambodia over the weekend and the general feeling is the Thais will continue to try to bully Cambodia into submission but the Cambodians are adamant they will not back down.

The Thais need to let go and accept the UNESCO ruling.

we've only got the words of two people (who I've seen in a video stealing) to go upon.

Interesting only you can positively identify the couple from the grainy and inconclusive video footage which alone is not sufficient evidence to even identify the alleged culprits, let alone secure a conviction.

How come the professional thieves get the benefit of the doubt?

I see no convictions here.

Indeed, the alleged thieves have proof of their innocence from the Thai Police.

I don't know whether the police extorted money or not, sounds more like a go between offered them an escape after they got caught stealing. Believe me I'd have much preferred to see them being tried in Thailand, rather than bribing people (also a crime) and running off back to the UK and proclaiming their innocence.

A Sri Lankan go-between aided the Police in an alleged attempt at extortion of two alleged shoplifters who were both denied due process and a fair trial.

Additionally, you say you don't know if the Police extorted money yet claim that the Ingrams paid the Police a bribe so you'd do well to get your story straight before posting further.

Whaaaat!? Have you seen the video of her moving the wallet to the other side of the display, opening her bag and putting the bloody thing in her bag? And IF it were me, I would expect a letter stating I was completely innocent after paying...nay, being extorted of £7,500, wouldn't you? Have they been refunded or is that the current 'legal' fee for a letter of innocence?

The Police said the money was bail money and it would be refunded.

As the official Thai Police letter says they are innocent we must assume the couple in the video are not the Ingrams.

The Thai police that you just mentioned in the previous sentence as being corrupt? Surely you must understand that this 'letter' is what their money paid for?

Where did I mention the Police being corrupt?

I said they were alleged to have extorted the couple accused of shoplifting.

Again, the Thai Police said the money they allegedly extorted from the Ingrams was bail money and would be returned.

Besides I don't see a video of the police extorting money

Because it was allegedly done in a hotel room where due process was not followed.

I've only just noticed the irony in the topic title.

I'd expect we won't hear much from the couple again, probably try and keep a low profile now that they've been caught out on video. Must be quite embaressing professionally I would have thought.

More so for the Police involved in the alleged extortion I would imagine.

Especially considering the Police should be there to apprehend and build a case against criminals, and not to assume guilt, bully and intimidate, then try to extort money from the alleged shoplifting culprits.

There's no irony in the topic title either, now the couple has an official letter from the Thai Police stating their complete innocence in these alleged acts.

I would suspect the poor Thais receiving the scholarship couldn't give a stuff what posters here think, they are just happy to have it. If morally challenged why don't you lot complaining award some scholarships with your pure motives, then maybe they don't need Taksin handouts. Put up or shut up.

Also if it pushes the government to match him then many more students are all winners. Ironically the most fervent Taksin haters are here, not in the general Thai public.

Well said.

Your home country driver license with IDP is sufficient to comply with the law and insurance requirements.

A Thai driving license is only good for the game of one-upmanship foreigners play against each other or their unfulfilled desire to be accepted.

Of course as another poster pointed out you might be able to use it to get into the many over-rated and rubbish strewn National Parks and some other places that if they have a dual-pricing policy I'd warrant probably aren't worth visiting.

In continuing to speculate upon whether or not someone actually did steal from King Power, people here are missing the point. The scam is police extortion practised on the guilty and innocent alike without any regard for what may pass for due process of the law in Thailand. In extracting as much money as possible from their victims the police prey upon their quite warranted fear that they could be held hostage to the vagaries of the Courts for over a year.

The extortion racket operated at the new airport for over the past 2 years has involved at least 150 victims netting the local police estimated proceeds of over £2 million.

Frankly, the King Power incidents currently under microscopic examination are red herrings and only serve to deflect attention from the real culprits.

That is why the Danish warning is so important. The Thai Police have quite rightly been accused of systematic corruption within an international forum by a foreign government. Let us not lose sight of that.

In time to come King Power and the Thai Establishment will do its level best to churn out whatever propaganda it can to tarnish the scam's victims in the hope the real issue is obscured.

Don't play into their hands.

Best post on this thread IMO.

my god another falang who bends the rules and then moans stop bringing more cigs into los then your allowed the warnings have been up for the last couple of years and its pretty normal to be stopped

coming down from nong khai hello you broke the law you are at fault if there was a problem you should have phoned the tourist police simple

Still no excuse for extortion though.

Air Asia is running a brand new A330 on the KUL-MEL-KUL route.

Thai is just not worth the extra money IMO.

For me, air travel is merely a product and who is going to pay triple for an identical (or at the very least comparable) product?

Only a total mug.

These shakedowns have been on the go in Pattaya and to a lesser extent, Bangkok for the last several years.

Good idea announcing they are about to issue arrest warrants. Gives the suspects plenty of time to make good their escape, get their stories straight or go into hiding. Or even gives their handlers time to have them silenced.

The farce continues.

Sure one person one vote is a facet of democracy but isnt everyone equal before the law too? Why should Thaksin receive special treatement and not have his day in court the same as every other Thai person? Popularity or wealth should never interfere with this basic in a democratic country or democracy ceases to exist. There are other facets of democracy too.

There are laws designed to protect certain people and other laws are used by and to protect the rich and powerful in Thailand.

There is no equality here in the eyes of the law here and never will be.

How can you guarantee Thaksin a fair trial when he was ousted by a military coup, ostracised and had a propaganda war conducted against him for the last 3 years? Simply put, you cannot.

Saying he should face justice now to serve as an example is laughably hypocritical considering his opponents were unwilling and unable to remove him by the very legal and proper means they now wish to subject him to.

They set the precedent.

Another huge problem is that millions of people like him as PM..Mind boggling.

Quite simple; they were much better off under him and his proxies than they were under the previous Chuan Leekpai Democrat government and under this current majority Democrat coalition.

Thaksin's visit to Malaysia shows yet again the region's other governments aren't concerned about him nor do they fully recognise the current Thai government's charges for extradition and arrest.

but still one is always presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law.

In most justice systems, not all.

In Thailand the accused is encouraged and sometimes forced to plead guilty whether guilty or not to obtain favouritism from the system, to ensure the system and it's cronies do not lose face and to influence the outcome of the verdict.

Thailand's justice system is deeply flawed in many respects, not to mention the lack of a verdict being reached by a jury of one's peers.

All powered by the megalomaniac ego of one giant Narcissus, who just can't give up!

Funny, I thought the same when the coup happened, but of course not about Thaksin.

Thaksin will never serve a day in jail, nor be properly punished for his alleged crimes whether he is pardoned or not, so it's a moot point.

They can't set a precedent by properly punishing one of their own, it will just never be done.

A foreigner can indeed legally own a house.

Like owning a car without wheels, or a plane without wings.

It is being kept alive by the Government to the tune of billions and billions of taxpayers' money.

Only a matter of time now before it collapses completely IMO.

As an aside, I just booked a return flight on Air Asia from BKK to KL then MEL round trip less than 8,000thb inclusive. I was quoted 32,000thb for Thai direct in economy, and I usually fly with them on that route, but I've switched allegiance.

Same with me - I've booked with Air Asia to go to Perth in October - return flight via KL- 7300 baht.

I'm meant to be on a brand new A330 with wi-fi internet.

It's like "oh, this video is in the court for being a kiddy porn, I should try and distribute it to the public so they can form their own opinion".

What a ridiculous, facile and harmful analogy.

That seems really silly to me.

With a little common sense and judgement you will be better off in Thailand than in most cities in the U.S.

No "drive by" shootings in Bangkok...but there are in L.A.

I personally would feel safer walking down Sukhumvit road than walking through Central park in New York. Even at 3 a.m. in the morning (although I probably wouldn't be walking at that time either place.)

There's loads of drive by shootings in Thailand.

Just not gang related.

It is being kept alive by the Government to the tune of billions and billions of taxpayers' money.

Only a matter of time now before it collapses completely IMO.

As an aside, I just booked a return flight on Air Asia from BKK to KL then MEL round trip less than 8,000thb inclusive. I was quoted 32,000thb for Thai direct in economy, and I usually fly with them on that route, but I've switched allegiance.

Thailand's water parks have a history of poor safety.

Last year there were 4 fatalities at Suan Siam (Siam Park City) when the water ride broke. There was another accident on the log ride not long after that, fortunately no-one was killed.