Video: Black tourist taken off the street in Pattaya for not having his passport

 

 

A video published on the Facebook site of "Rak Siam News" showed a black man being confronted by immigration police in the Jomtien area of Pattaya.

 

In a brief altercation an immigration official suggests that he has the power to arrest the apparent tourist because he does not have his passport with him. 

 

"You don't have your passport," he says. "I can take you to immigration". 

 

The black man - believed to be from Cameroon - suggests that his passport is elsewhere before agreeing to go with the officers. 

 

The immigration officer grabs his arm as he is led away.

 

Ruk Siam News said that three people were arrested in Soi Yen Sabai in the Phratamnak 2 area. 

 

One was from Cameroon, one was from Laos and another was of unspecified nationality who was rambling and drunk. 

 

 

Local immigration chief Somprot Sirisukkha said it was a job well done. Those arrested had cooperated with his men. 

 

The news media said that immigration in the resort were acting on the orders of deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan and the new head of immigration Maj-Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn. 

 

Source: Rak Siam News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-18

 

Just now, webfact said:

another was of unspecified nationality who was rambling and drunk. 

He was obviously on a very long nature hike, unable to get to his destination.

 

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

He was obviously on a very long nature hike, unable to get to his destination.

 

It's Jomtien so he is bound to be Russian and a very close friend of Comrade Smirnoff, or, if times are tough, he has been imbibing deoderant or some other household product containing alcohol.

Well he could have told them his passport was in the hotel room, but it seems to me he didnt know if he had a passport.

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

Black tourist taken off the street in Pattaya for not having his passport

He just looks black because of all those high visibility jackets surrounding him.

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

... and another was of unspecified nationality who was rambling and drunk. 

I guess that was me but I wasn't arrested and I have absolutely no clue who the other two guys were.

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

One was from Cameroon,

I guess walking while black IS an issue here after all.

15 minutes ago, balo said:

Well he could have told them his passport was in the hotel room, but it seems to me he didnt know if he had a passport.

He says  his passport is in his bag at the hotel  which is "just there"...

and "no I don't walk with my passport at this time"

 

So why on earth they dragged him off to immigration  instead of going to the "just over there" hotel room to look in his bag ?????????

7 minutes ago, johng said:

He says  his passport is in his bag at the hotel  which is "just there"...

and "no I don't walk with my passport at this time"

 

So why on earth they dragged him off to immigration  instead of going to the "just over there" hotel room to look in his bag ?????????

Because....

 

(see post #7)

He says  his passport is in his bag at the hotel  which is "just there"...
and "no I don't walk with my passport at this time"
 
So why on earth they dragged him off to immigration  instead of going to the "just over there" hotel room to look in his bag ?????????

The first post says his passport is " elsewhere". Doesn't have to be his hotel room.

2 minutes ago, balo said:

Doesn't have to be his hotel room.

Ok, so you haven't watched the video in the first post ?

Some months ago a top immigration officer confirmed to the media that tourists don't  need to carry their passports around 24/7   though police can ask to see it at any time...obviously  a persons passport  is not very likely to be found at the immigration office.

three people were arrested but the headline is black tourist.. not professional at all. last week it was black criminals but they all had visas... stop being racists and provide the right news

15 minutes ago, johng said:

He says  his passport is in his bag at the hotel  which is "just there"...

and "no I don't walk with my passport at this time"

 

So why on earth they dragged him off to immigration  instead of going to the "just over there" hotel room to look in his bag ?????????

I don't have either my passport all the time and this is plainly another arbitrary rule in Thailand against tourists and foreigners in general. This rule is plainly making passport theft easier in forcing their guests to carry it all over.

 

They should rather hand over an easily carried paper or document, with the duration of stay. Some claim a phototocopy of the Passport is enough etc etc...but if you bump into an unfriendly officer who hates farangs and tourists (and there are a few), one could be in stew with a photocopy.

 

Just plain excessive bureaucracy and harassment from Thai immigration once again. And No...I would definately not approuve of having a bunch of chaps with flashy jakets or golden wings come and start fumbling in either my hotel room or any other place and who knows use the opportunity to extort a bribe or even steal something ?.....I mean how does one know what some of these chaps are capable of ?

Ok, so you haven't watched the video in the first post ?

No I'm on my tablet so can't watch videos. If the black man said he left it in his hotel room they should let him go and get it, his room was probably just around the corner.

6 minutes ago, johng said:

Some months ago a top immigration officer confirmed to the media that tourists don't  need to carry their passports around 24/7   though police can ask to see it at any time...obviously  a persons passport  is not very likely to be found at the immigration office.

yes I remember that too I never walk with my passport only a copy of it 

I had last year get my passport stolen 

Nightmare I had to go Bkk and order a new one 

Price all together 7000 b 

Maybe he was walking on the cracks in the pavement ...

 

 

Whilst  have no issues with racial profiling if a certain people committ more crime per percentage than other races - i.e. stopping and searching young black men in London currently - I believe that every person should be  given the opportunity to address an issue before arrest. If this man says his passport was in his room, he should be walked to the hotel and the passport should be found - Or not as may or may not be the case. Then he should be arrested.

 

 

 

 

I think Thai immigration reads TVF, and because of the biased and racist attitudes expressed on this forum by many members, I suspect that immigration has concluded that crackdowns and profiling of black visitors to the Kingdom is tacitly approved of by the general expat community.

 

In my opinion, this is looking more and more like racial harassment and profiling. The foreign community here needs to start speaking out against this unequal treatment which goes against Western values that all people should be treated equally. Thailand also needs to reflect on how they treat visitors may negatively impact how Thais are treated and received abroad.

For the next few months while operation "black eagle" is in full effect black people renewing their visas must use original docs (no copies) and have a letter from the local police station stating they are not a criminal or the application will be rejected.

53 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

I don't have either my passport all the time and this is plainly another arbitrary rule in Thailand against tourists and foreigners in general. This rule is plainly making passport theft easier in forcing their guests to carry it all over.

 

They should rather hand over an easily carried paper or document, with the duration of stay. Some claim a phototocopy of the Passport is enough etc etc...but if you bump into an unfriendly officer who hates farangs and tourists (and there are a few), one could be in stew with a photocopy.

 

Just plain excessive bureaucracy and harassment from Thai immigration once again. And No...I would definately not approuve of having a bunch of chaps with flashy jakets or golden wings come and start fumbling in either my hotel room or any other place and who knows use the opportunity to extort a bribe or even steal something ?.....I mean how does one know what some of these chaps are capable of ?

Free Tattoo stamped on forehead on entry to Thailand  should do the trick, I believe the Germans tried this in recent history.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Black tourist taken off the street in Pattaya for not having his passport

 

A video published on the Facebook site of "Rak Siam News" showed a black man being confronted by immigration police in the Jomtien area of Pattaya.

 

The black man - believed to be from

 

Three references to the guys skin color for some reason by the news report. Have you sunk this low? A brief review of the FB link has no such reporting of this style and simply refers to the guy as from Cameroon which should suffice in this day and age.

10 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

 

Three references to the guys skin color for some reason by the news report. Have you sunk this low? A brief review of the FB link has no such reporting of this style and simply refers to the guy as from Cameroon which should suffice in this day and age.

It is also interesting that the phrase "taken off the street" was used. This phrase is most often used in the context of "taking criminals off the streets." The author of this article is subtly associating a black tourist from Cameroon with criminality with this choice of words.

1 hour ago, balo said:

No I'm on my tablet so can't watch videos.

You must have some pretty strong medication.

The $64 dollar question is:  if he had a good clean photocopy of his passport and recent visa stamp would they have let him go?  Or if he had said clearly, my passport is in my hotel, I would be glad to take you there and present it"  would they have let him go?

2 hours ago, MJKT2014 said:

 

Three references to the guys skin color for some reason by the news report. Have you sunk this low? A brief review of the FB link has no such reporting of this style and simply refers to the guy as from Cameroon which should suffice in this day and age.

I have heard the Thai girls sometimes when watching a music video say "chocolate man looks good".  A somewhat accurate description of some people's skin color.  But it is not commonly used in the west to describe a person of African Descent

5B  copy  worked For Me when check in Pattaya..... 

Note to self. Avoid suntan.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

4 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

 

 

In my opinion, this is looking more and more like racial harassment and profiling. The foreign community here needs to start speaking out against this unequal treatment which goes against Western values that all people should be treated equally.

 

But this is East, Western values are just that, Western. 

One of the Western values is that while visiting foreign land, we respect their culture and ways of life. This is Thailand, not USA.

 

Also, stopping a black man is no more racist than stopping and detaining Lao citizen during same raid, maybe we should not see racism lurking behind every corner, black guy is obviously not Thai, good enough reason for Immigration to stop and ask passport, just like they ask  whites, Asians and Marsians.