Swede busted for selling chewing tobacco without work permit

[SiSePuede419]

"How to Become A Millionaire"...

1) Sell something that dumb people are easily addicted to.

2) Make sure that's not illegal

[bkkcanuck8]

5 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

I can see, in theory, that smuggling could be 2 offences, one in the country of origin, and one in the importing country.  But I think that in practice, the offence is usually tried where the offender is caught.  Then, there is the scale of the operation, which is undoubtedly way too small for any international action.

 

But the head scrather I meant is in the headline:

Swede busted for selling chewing tobacco without work permit.

 

I think it would be illegal to sell chewing tobacco full stop without some form of license.  And the real offence is probably importation/smuggling.  And, despite their being ample evidence, he is charged with working illegally on a retirement visa, which, to choose a wrong metaphor, is rather small beer.

 

 

 

I disagree.  Canada sent someone down to the US to face trial for mailing marijuana.... to American customers.

They likely just don't want the headache of housing a foreign criminal in prison.... Fine, deport, blacklist.

Edited November 17, 2017 by bkkcanuck8

[mommysboy]

10 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

I disagree.  Canada sent someone down to the US to face trial for mailing marijuana.... to American customers.

They likely just don't want the headache of housing a foreign criminal in prison.... Fine, deport, blacklist.

 

I just don't think it is very likely in this instance or find the reasoning you supply particularly compelling.  Canada/USA work closely.  And of course, this was a straightforward case of someone being arrested for a serious offence in another country, and then sent to that country to face trial.

 

In any case, that was not what my own confusion was about.

[observer90210]

21 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

"How to Become A Millionaire"...

1) Sell something that dumb people are easily addicted to.

2) Make sure that's not illegal

AliExpress seems to have taken you by the book !

[slippery snake]

3 hours ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

So what is the penalty for trading without a work permit? I am guessing it wasnt a big business. A fine , he gets deported, jail? A greater punishment than illegally storing fireworks 1000 baht?

they talking about  one year in jail or a 100,000B fine just for smoking on the beach,,   then this has got to go for at least 5 years jail time or a million B fine...

better he ride his motorbike with no helmet, up the street the wrong way at night with no light...  probably 1,000 B fine.. ?

[phantomfiddler]

From my experience it has always been a farang who, for some strange reason in their f*c*e* mind, has caused problems for some other farang. Some of them get a cash reward, which puts them at the bottom of the lowlife troupe

[mommysboy]

2 minutes ago, slippery snake said:

they talking about  one year in jail or a 100,000B fine just for smoking on the beach,,   then this has got to go for at least 5 years jail time or a million B fine...

better he ride his motorbike with no helmet, up the street the wrong way at night with no light...  probably 1,000 B fine.. ?

I don't know. There is no indication when it comes to farangs.  Generally, speaking the more lenient ways of dealing with things tends not to happen.  I suppose it would leave the Thais open to corruption/bribery allegations. It appears that where farangs are concerned they play it by the book, and issue stiff penalties in addition.

[ianf]

I know enough farangs on retirement visas in Chiang Mai working and running businesses.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

There are reportedly foreigners engaging in boiler room and property fraud in Thailand who are noted "pillars of the community" ... I wonder why they are never targeted?

 

Because they have enough funds to be invisible to the authorities. It was always so, and always will be.

 

[mommysboy]

11 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

From my experience it has always been a farang who, for some strange reason in their f*c*e* mind, has caused problems for some other farang. Some of them get a cash reward, which puts them at the bottom of the lowlife troupe

Yes, I think there would be a 'good citizen' reward.

 

In that case, I'd rather be a bad one.

[nasanews]

Informants are human filth unless in terror cases.

[ronrat]

The grass can probably add this to a few bars in Soi 6, the sp bookies around LkMetro and the bridge players on his CV. May you get what is coming to you.

[bkkcanuck8]

27 minutes ago, nasanews said:

Informants are human filth unless in terror cases.

Yes Mr Mafia.  

[oxforddon]

I can assure everyone that the Training Manuals and Operation Manuals of the un-paid Foreign Police Volunteers strictly forbid doing any undercover work such as described in this story. There may be very separate paid freelancer informants of a number of kinds or just an individual used once in this specific sting operation.

[miamiman123]

The undercover foreigner wanna be FBI was likely caught himself, and they are using him in return for a light sentence. 

[dibley69]

5 hours ago, spermwhale said:

Even stranger... why would a foreigner target this guy and go to the police to set up a sting with them? 

Normally they are already in trouble with the police and are asked(forced) to grass up foreigners to help clear the trouble they are in. Alternatively they are ex. traffic wardens with chips on their shoulders and were probably bullied at school, either way they are foolish to think the Thais care about them cos they too know they are grasses!!

[watcharacters]

2 hours ago, observer90210 said:

As cited in the topic of the article, if Thai law enforcement is using farang informants, I would be suspicious in public, if an unknown friendly farang starts discussing national politics and tries to chat up the unwary to get their opinions.

 

 

 

Be especially careful  about who is standing near you in public and check over your shoulder frequently

[observer90210]

1 minute ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

 

Be especially careful  about who is standing near you in public and check over your shoulder frequently

Definatey, thanks for the advice... I will if there are some ladyboy bars in the surroundings !

[impulse]

3 hours ago, smx1313 said:

I recall reading about your question on news story on Thaivisa several years ago.

Thai police would go to internet cafes (remember those?), round up all the foreigners and check what they were doing on the computer.

They were specifically looking for ebayers selling Thai goods overseas, travel writers, remote workers, poker players, programers, any kind of income earning activity done online.

 

Doing it from a public internet cafe or shared workspace is just asking for scrutiny from the popo. 

 

My brain leaks and I don't remember a specific incident, I just recall pondering how they could go about cracking down if they decided to get serious, as it seemed lots of loopholes were slamming shut at the time.  But there's no telling what I said years back, since a little memory leaks out every time my head hits a pillow.

 

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, nasanews said:

Informants are human filth unless in terror cases.

 

Come back to Thailand after a trip and find a dodgy foreigner has moved into what used to be your bedroom, abusing your kids and working through what used to be your best scotch.  Or invest a good chunk of your life savings into a foreigner friend's business and have him stiff you then laugh in your face.   Or any number of situations where foreigners make their neighbors' lives miserable.

 

Unlike back home, the law isn't going to protect you , so some "non-linear" methods may be called for.

 

I'm not saying that's what happened here, but there have been several times in my Asian adventure when I would have been justified to hire a hit man when the law failed.  Getting them deported for WP violations wouldn't even have brought us close to being even.

 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, oxforddon said:

I can assure everyone that the Training Manuals and Operation Manuals of the un-paid Foreign Police Volunteers strictly forbid doing any undercover work such as described in this story. There may be very separate paid freelancer informants of a number of kinds or just an individual used once in this specific sting operation.

Yes,   rules and regulations,  are respected and adhered to at all times.

Rules and regulations are the corner stones of Thai law enforcement.

PS,       I  doubt anyone did,   RTFM.  or ever cared about it.

Edited November 17, 2017 by stanleycoin

[Netease]

5 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Farang police informer! Another cunning stunt.

Did you mix the last to words up

[genobkk]

Well what is worse someone selling tobacco or someone comng people saying they are an investment banker?   Someone that is really taking personal training jobs from other Thai who do that job very well or some old Dude selling a few tobacco products?   one working permit but he does modeling work, personal training, says he is an investment banker, on one site he gruaduated from Oxford on another from Auckland. Who is more dangerous?    My point is one guy is likely to have people protecting him, the other did not. 

[NorthernRyland]

5 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Chewing tobacco is banned in Thailand.

Banned are you serious? I bring back a bag with me when I go home once a year but never tried to buy any here because I assumed it's impossible to get, but banned like it's illegal??

[balo]

To me, this seems like good warning to those people that work online, play poker online, write travel blogs for months on end on line.  The Thai laws about working in Thailand can be interpreted by the Thai authorities in ways you may not like. 

Not the same thing, if you have business outside the kingdom and communicate on your computer with someone there , you're a digital nomad and are not breaking any laws in Thailand. This guy was selling products in Thailand , to customers in Thailand, completely different.
I am a digital nomad myself, and I am not afraid of any problems.

[Briggsy]

58 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Banned are you serious? I bring back a bag with me when I go home once a year but never tried to buy any here because I assumed it's impossible to get, but banned like it's illegal??

You are smuggleman.

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, balo said:

 

Not the same thing, if you have business outside the kingdom and communicate on your computer with someone there , you're a digital nomad and are not breaking any laws in Thailand. This guy was selling products in Thailand , to customers in Thailand, completely different.
I am a digital nomad myself, and I am not afraid of any problems.

Yes, but he's right about the authorities interpreting some laws the way they want.  Mostly it's about small stuff and nobody challenges.  To my mind though, the internet is largely a safe haven when there is no actual Thai client, or the delivery of a product for instance.

[lometogo]

I feel so much safer now, not having to worry about another demented and dangerous Swede snuff seller. 

[FarangJon]

Thai Police got once more a big fish

[Cheops]

6 hours ago, Naamblar2014 said:

Thai love Thai

 

Foreigners don't love foreigners

 

Thais have that going for them.

Foreign snitches should be ashamed

Thai love Thai? 

I don't know how long you stay in Thailand, but Thai definitely do not love Thai! Most Thai love foreigners more than Thais. I'm not talking about bg's loving foreigners or the Thai and foreigners residing in the tourist areas. I'm talking about foreigners working and integrated in Thailand.

 

One look during driving a car in a busy area and you will know that most Thais do not care for other Thais. That's when their real personalities come into play.