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Same scams, same corrupt police, same Phuket


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Posted

This week I received a frantic call from an Australian friend on Phuket.


 

A Thai “friend” of his had offered to return his rented motorbike but had disappeared with it. The owner of the motorbike turned up with the police demanding he pay for a brand new motorbike. The police had apparently made no effort to track down the bike or the man who absconded with it, even though he lived on Phuket. 

My friend offered to pay the rental until the bike turned up, but the police insisted he pay cash for a new one, or he would held in the cells. They had confiscated his passport although he had committed no crime. He asked for time to see if the bike turned up, but the police only wanted cash and offered no receipt. 

He only had returned to Phuket to get a tattoo finished, having avoided the island for more than a decade after being previously cheated by police there.

 

Nothing has changed on Phuket or Patong beach it seems: the same scams, same dirty, corrupt, cash-chasing police. My friend has a brother who is a filmmaker. I have urged him to make a viral video warning would-be visitors of what potentially awaits them on Phuket. Who can you complain to about these matters? The police? This man will probably never set foot in Thailand again, joining the long, long list of people who now spend their cash elsewhere after being extorted by corrupt Thai police. 

He has holidayed in both Cambodia and Vietnam for the last decade without being caught up in this type of nonsense. As of writing this letter, he has not had his passport returned. I suspect that is going to cost him even more than the US$3,000 he has paid the police already.

My advice to people thinking of visiting Phuket is always the same – just do not go there.

 

## Update- It is now clear the owner of the motorbike and hotel owner on Kata was behind this. The bike was indeed returned. She claims it wasn't. My mate offered to go buy a new bike with her, she refused. She wanted cash and the police demanded 67,000 baht although it was a second hand scooter worth maybe 15 to 20k tops. My friend had booked her Hotel in Kata for 6 nights but he said it was nothing like the images online and told the woman this. He stayed a couple of nights and said he was going back to Patong as it was a better Hotel. She was furious with him even though the hotel was empty and had like 2 rooms occupied. He unfortunately had one of her rental bikes and he suspects she just vanished the bike and got the coppers in Patong in on an earn to spite him for leaving her hotel. My friend the tattooist is absolutely livid. I've told him not to go taking revenge and leave it to us to "rectify" this. We go back a long way and I knew he wouldn't do this. I'd name and shame the Hotel as a warning to others but you can't name and shame here. I am going to the beach to sit where it's pure with my friend Pam. Pure and Pam.

  • Haha 1
Posted

At least you can spot them easily now. The King has insisted all police and army have the traditional flat top, shaved back and sides haircut. I work out at a local park where I live and a lot of guys I suspected to be coppers actually are. At least where I live now they never bother me. They see me working out and see I'm clean living so leave me be. The local Police brass try to work out and I've been introduced to the local Colonel in charge who is a walker. Never say much, just play the grey man and keep a low profile. Everyone knows me as that farang guy who works out at the park. Big fitness craze here with cycling and triathlon popular. 

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Posted
2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Wow, what a saga!

Firstly, the friend, an experienced traveler, was disappointed to find his booked hotel didn't look as good as the photos on line, duh. 

So just bend over and cop it? Pay for what was misrepresented.

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Show me a cheap hotel anywhere on the planet that does!  If I read this correctly, he leaves the hotel early, thus depriving them of some expected income, argues with the owner, but retains a bike hired from her!

You think he doesn't know that? We all aint as smart as you obviously.

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 

 

Despite being "schooled" by a Phuket expert about scams, he decides to get a "lacky" to take the bike back rather than return it himself. 

The guy returned it. You seem to be siding with a scammer. The guy who returned it thought he was doing a favor as my friend was sore from being tattooed. What farking planet do you live on where you think it is his fault? Yes, he was tired from traveling, he made an error in judgement, but he's 34 not 74 or whatever you are.

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 

The scam kicks in, the hotel owner obviously knows some police who get in for a cut. No surprises there.

So again, as it has been done for 30 years and is a normal scam, we should all say never mind, just pay up, let's be mugs and let these dirty brown shirt wearing c@nts just do it over and over and over/

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The OP then, for some reason, felt the need to insult Phuket expats, Phuket itself and posters on Thaivisa.

If you feel insulted you might need to harden the fark up princess. I hate the 'blame the victim' and 'I'm so smart it could never happen to me types' you get trolling here.

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 

 

while all the time extolling the virtues of his current Province/city which has a reputation as the murder capital of Thailand and the place to go to hire a hitman.

Now who's using old Phuket born myths. I love the people in Nakhon as they are wonderful people. If you cross them no doubt they are vengeful.

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Also, it's mystifying why he felt the need to talk about haircuts, his workouts in the park and sitting on the beach with "Pure Pam"  !!!

That's the name of the Hotel. You cannot name and shame so I chose to be cryptic. I said the police are now totally recognizable because of the mandatory haircut. That way newbies can remember that if approached by an out of uniform cop. I said I see off duty cops at the park, in the past I never was sure they were coppers but now I know they are because of the haircut. You following now old fella?

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 

Next time, rather than planning exposé films to let the world know about the evils of Phuket, just tell your friend to complain about scams and corruption through the proper channels

Oh just fark off with that, proper channels? You mean the police? You've been on here for a decade and come out with that? You followed the story of Colin Vard by any chance? Try the Chalong coppers and see how well that goes.

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Posted
On 11/8/2018 at 3:20 PM, xylophone said:

Tells you that the BIB are very corrupt here and I know this through the dealings of a friend or two with them.

 

Someone should set up a "sting" with them and film it, then make it go viral...……….may hurt the place in the pocket vis a vis tourists, so that should rattle a few cages!

 

Thieving, lying bastards, most of them. 

Had a friend who got scammed in Phuket, big time hotel development money, for millions by a Thai lady with a Chinese Thai boyfriend he didn't know about till push came to shove. In the end, he was lucky to get away with his life. A sit down was witnessed between Chinese Mob and Thai Military to settle the matter. Police were nowhere in sight except as hit men.

  • Like 2
Posted
5 hours ago, beechbum said:

This is gonna be good.

Favourite bits so far:

They see me working out and see I'm clean living so leave me be.

just play the grey man and keep a low profile. Everyone knows me as that farang guy who works out at the park

...just don't put sugar in his kerwoffee...????

  • Like 1
Posted

 

Old Croc said":

Next time, rather than planning exposé films to let the world know about the evils of Phuket, just tell your friend to complain about scams and corruption through the proper channels

 

And, out of interest,  exactly what do you think that would achieve?

Posted

Logbags, short and sweet, your friend was sore from having a tattoo and had his friend return the bike, ask yourself this, since you cannot see with your blinkers on, if the friend had smashed the bike, i.e. ride it off, would your friend not have to replace the bike.

 

The whole fact of the matter boils down to your friend giving the bike to another friend to return it, yes, this is Thailand and things work very differently than in Oz, streetwise I think not, your friend should have returned the bike at the same time he checked out, matter closed, and too be honest, I don't buy your version of the story, because there has to be more to it to piss the owner of the hotel off to the level that she would involve the cops and the cops get involved, they won't scam someone unless they know there is a reason and when they know that reason they will lock in, as you said, take the passport until the money is paid, ransom, sure, but ah, hello, it's Thailand and if you don't know how the system of corruption works here, it means your very naive, don't get me wrong, I can appreciate your anger/frustration etc etc, but it is what it is and your rant isn't going to change a thing as Thailand has survived as it has for how long, just have a look who is running the place and who is wearing 25 top notch watches while people are growing hungry.

 

If it gets too much, maybe best you look for an alternative country, Phuket, the cops and Thailand won't miss you or your friend as we are all dispensable here.

 

To close, just think if your friend took the bike back himself, do you think he would be in this predicament, sounds to me he sent his friend with the bike back to the hotel and also delivered the message of oh, my friend he not come back to your hotel, now that would have pissed the Thai owner to take the action she did, and he took on a little too much to chew, hence the end result, sometimes you have to face up to your responsibilities and let hotel owners know in person that the hotel is not up to scratch and that he will be making alternative arrangements, I personally have done that and have pissed an owner off, but that was his problem not mine, and what I do now when I book a new hotel, I book for an evening, advising them that if I like the room when I arrive, I will stay a further 6, 13, nights, so as not to be locked into an argument, and as for hiring scooters etc etc, not a chance in the world as insurance doesn't cover me and for a few hundred baht extra, I can have a car.

 

Time to move on, if you can....

  • Like 2
Posted

Rental agreements only cover the person on the contract. He gave the bike keys away so this is not THEFT! same in any country. 

He 100 % has to pay for another bike. But of course is now screaming scam! its hilarious

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