Police swoop is "No Joke" after Pattaya beach trader threatens to shoot Chinese tourist

 

video screenshot

 

A police contingent from Banglamung and Pattaya Tourist police swooped on the beach last night to arrest a crocodile bag trader after a video was posted online.

 

Arrested was Somchai Kraiphan, 43.

 

Suggestions had been made on Facebook on the page of "Wicha tham" that the trader had threatened to shoot the tourist for not buying his wares. The poster called for "Mr Joke" to take an interest.

 

He was clearly referring to Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal the famous crime buster known as Big Joke in the Thai media.

 

Big Joke was busy on a mission to stamp out football betting in the south so Pattaya tourist police chief Piyapong Ensarn took over and went in with Bang Lamung cops.

 

Somchai was hauled off the beach and taken to the local station.

 

He wai-ed to society in the standard apology but asked guides with Chinese tourists to understand that he and his mates are just trying to make money for their families.

 

The Bang Lamung station chief said he would be charged but the nature of the charge was not reported by Pattaya Update News in their Facebook report of the story.

 

Source: Pattaya Update News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-06-20

 

Pattaya bag vendor arrested for intimidating Chinese tourists

By The Nation

 

Pattaya police arrested a vendor on Tuesday night for allegedly intimidating Chinese tourists after they refused to buy his bags.
 

Tourist police in Pattaya and officers from the Pattaya police station arrested Somchai Kraiphan, 43, at a beach road of Na Klua beach at 9.30pm.

 

Earlier, at 11.30am on Tuesday, a tour guide, whose Facebook identity is Wicha Tham, posted a 1.46-minute video clip showing Somchai shouting angrily at Chinese tourists.

 

The clip showed Somchai threaten to shoot the tourists for failing to buy his crocodile skin bags after they asked for discounts.

 

Wicha said in the post that he hoped Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, would see the post and take action.

 

Pol Lt-Colonel Piyapong Ensarn, inspector of the sub-division 4 of the Tourist Police Division 2, said Surchat saw the clip and ordered the arrest.

 

After his arrest, Somchai said he was sorry for what he had done. He said his case should serve to remind other vendors to have patience.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30348181

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-20

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

He wai-ed to society in the standard apology but asked guides with Chinese tourists to understand that he and his mates are just trying to make money for their families.

 

Not even a 500 baht fine this time.

 

I urge RTP to reintroduce said fine as it was a huge deterrent against improper behavior on Pattaya beaches. 

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The clip showed Somchai threaten to shoot the tourists for failing to buy his crocodile skin bags after they asked for discounts.

The Chineses probably do not  understand Thai barter good enough and he got angry. In Thailand if you ask for a discount and are given one it is seen as a done deal. Pay for the discounted item and move on. To be given a discount and not honor the transaction is probably what set him off. Over the top yes but hey zero baht tours piss some locals off.

  And then when the tourists strike a deal they back off. 

Edited June 20, 20188 yr by lovelomsak

Just another example of why Thais continue to behave badly. There is no deterrent. Break the law and there is no consequence. Simple as that.

Sells crocodile bags but crocodile tears are free.

another Grandstanding thai photo opp....

stop this nonsense of people selling on beach people can't sit relaxing they come every minute ask do you want something even if you lay down for a nap they wake you up 

my family is tried of them and ofcores me too 

I can understand the frustration though, first they ship buses full of Chinese here to be fleeced, but small guys can't get in on the action as the system is rigged to get the $ back to China. Authorized fleecers only.

13 minutes ago, The manic said:

I like The vendors ,so do my friends they make the beach a better more interesting place. It the Asian way of life. It's how they survive and feed their families. Just politely say no thanks or May Ow cap and they wI'll go away.  It's their country and culture so if you don't like it leave.

You've convinced me, I'm packing up and moving out tonight! Thanks.

Perhaps a career in something other than sales might be more appropriate for him.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Bang Lamung station chief said he would be charged but the nature of the charge was not reported

I guess a good wai.

Quote

He wai-ed to society in the standard apology but asked guides with Chinese tourists to understand that he and his mates are just trying to make money for their families.

 

what a nice Somchai.

hope he has a fatal accident on the way home. 

3 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

In Thailand if you ask for a discount and are given one it is seen as a done deal. Pay for the discounted item and move on.

But can you return the goods and get a full refund within 7 days?

he and his mates are just trying to make money for their families by threatening to shoot...

 

that's exactly the how and why of a coup by the military

Where is his lisence for sell crocodile bags in the street?

3 hours ago, MrJohnson said:

Just another example of why Thais continue to behave badly. There is no deterrent. Break the law and there is no consequence. Simple as that.

Except that in this case, and so many others, it's not as simple as that, there are consequences!  Didn't you read the article that said he had been arrested and charged?

Edited June 20, 20188 yr by Just Weird

14 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Where is his lisence for sell crocodile bags in the street?

Why do you want to know where he keeps his licence? How does that affect anything?

4 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

The Chineses probably do not  understand Thai barter good enough and he got angry. In Thailand if you ask for a discount and are given one it is seen as a done deal. Pay for the discounted item and move on. To be given a discount and not honor the transaction is probably what set him off. Over the top yes but hey zero baht tours piss some locals off.

  And then when the tourists strike a deal they back off. 

the question is....why do Thais(in general) get so extremely angry when there is a disagreement?

Why is this low or sometimes no tolerance?

Where is this anger getting its fuel?

I don't normally see this kind of anger anywhere else in the world and I been to 50 major countries

28 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Why do you want to know where he keeps his licence? How does that affect anything?

He doesnt have a lisence to sell shit so his bags needs be confiscated then he needs go in jail for sell without a permit and threatening killing people.

But i guess the chinese guide going to be arrested  

56 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Except that in this case, and so many others, it's not as simple as that, there are consequences!  Didn't you read the article that said he had been arrested and charged?

I read the article but it will come to nothing. If nobody is 'encouraging' the police to pursue the case it will go nowhere.

1 hour ago, pattayadude said:

the question is....why do Thais(in general) get so extremely angry when there is a disagreement?

Why is this low or sometimes no tolerance?

Where is this anger getting its fuel?

I don't normally see this kind of anger anywhere else in the world and I been to 50 major countries

It's bottled up,   years of not being able to deal with broken face syndrome.

Take care, it's always bubbling under the surface. 

 

 

55 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

He doesnt have a lisence to sell shit so his bags needs be confiscated then he needs go in jail for sell without a permit and threatening killing people.

 

How do you know that he doesn't have a licence?  Is it a jailable offence if he doesn't have one?

36 minutes ago, MrJohnson said:

I read the article but it will come to nothing. If nobody is 'encouraging' the police to pursue the case it will go nowhere.

Pure speculation.

5 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

The Chineses probably do not  understand Thai barter

Chinese definitely do understand how that works. Ever been to China? Don’t even ask the price if you have no intention of buying,.let alone a discount, which is an expected part of the sport of haggling btw. They get might pissed off if you walk away after engaging the vendor like that.

 

More to the story here which we’re not being told about, no doubt. The guy’s just probably a loon.

Edited June 20, 20188 yr by aircooledflat4

6 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

The Chineses probably do not  understand Thai barter good enough and he got angry. In Thailand if you ask for a discount and are given one it is seen as a done deal. Pay for the discounted item and move on. To be given a discount and not honor the transaction is probably what set him off. Over the top yes but hey zero baht tours piss some locals off.

  And then when the tourists strike a deal they back off. 

You speak absolutely 100% b***ocks. Total nonsense. Never read rubbish like this before. Even on T. V.

How in your right mind can you mitigate the actions of the Thai trader. 

I'm in shitybum airport at the moment and I can not move for lines of Chinese queuing every where so if the vendors are free please send them here.

Troll post and reply removed

7 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

The Chineses probably do not  understand Thai barter good enough and he got angry. In Thailand if you ask for a discount and are given one it is seen as a done deal. Pay for the discounted item and move on. To be given a discount and not honor the transaction is probably what set him off. Over the top yes but hey zero baht tours piss some locals off.

  And then when the tourists strike a deal they back off. 

So if somebody offers you an item for 400 THB (normal price 100 THB) and you ask for a discount and he offers it to you for 200 THB you are obliged to buy it? Where do you get such strange ideas from?

4 hours ago, Just Weird said:

How do you know that he doesn't have a licence?  Is it a jailable offence if he doesn't have one?

Seems u cant even read better stop to twist my words thanks.