1 minute ago, balo said:

Very strange , somehow I think there is more to this story. 

 

Deportation only because of 1 e-cigarette? 

 

 

Deportation only because of exposing extortion ?

10 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Got to say I am staggered by the volume of but 'other people do it too' responses!!

Good luck with that line as your defence if you ever cross the law in any country!!

 

 

 

 

Try in a civilised country:

 

"But 'other people pay bribes too".

7 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Try in a civilised country:

 

"But 'other people pay bribes too".

Wouldn't try it anywhere, other peoples similar actions are no defence for your action of breaking the law - period

Most of us left that attempt at a get out in kidergarten

this will hurt tourism's hip pocket...

she won't be the first, nor the last hitting the vapour trails back to home...

13 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Deportation only because of exposing extortion ?

or because she miscalculated and ended up on overstay?

2 hours ago, pellets said:

SHE was jailed...

No she wasn't

The French woman may have asked for it.....of course I want there to confirm it, but they get mighty

uppity with the rest of the world when they think their  liberte egalite fraternite are under threat.

That's asking for trouble when dealing with a thai copper, wen grovelling and saying sorry is the only sane response.

 

I was once on a bicycle using a pedestrian crossing....as I crossed over to the pavement on the other side real slow, this French woman refused to get out of the way. Arguing, raising her voice, saying this is not a path for you etc etc.

She left me no choice....I said %$#^ off madame and peddled away leaving her startled.

 

 

On 2/27/2019 at 5:59 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I've always maintained... smoking can be dangerous to your health and welfare.... especially in Thailand!

 

It was vaping!  However I appreciate you don't know the difference.

3 hours ago, jgarbo said:

Vaping is not yet legal. Should they give her croissant? Or wait till it explodes in her face?

 

If the croissant has not yet exploded, the authorities should be called.

On 2/27/2019 at 11:28 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Hate to say this, but it's the bitter truth...

 

She would have been better off, financially and otherwise, if she had just paid the original alleged 40K bribe request....

 

Presumably, no court visit, no multi day stay in IDC, no deportation on her record, and probably no substantial extra travel expenses home, as presumably she could have kept her original return flight arrangements.

 

Not saying it's right. It isn't. Just saying, look at the result of her choice of standing up for herself.

 

And what will that kind of attitude end us all up with - police demanding large sums of money (like 40000 Baht) for minor infringements (like using an E-cig). This sort of corruption only survives when weak people allow it by caving in to it. Same as paying ransoms to kidnappers - if no payments were ever made then kidnapping would be pointless and soon not be a problem (if for money). Those police will now be more careful but know there are many more weaklings to scam. 

She absolutely did the right thing as she was in the wrong. The massive problem she had was the absurd deportation. This is the bit I would not have even considered when dealing with the police at the roadside. Missing her flight was bad enough. Of course you are absolutely right she would have been far better off but it would be interesting to know how it would have turned out if the police had just done their job properly because they knew there was no point asking for a bribe as no-one would pay it. 

15 minutes ago, chang1 said:

And what will that kind of attitude end us all up with

How about working harder to stay on the right side of the law ????

3 minutes ago, 473geo said:

How about working harder to stay on the right side of the law ????

...and therefore not paying bribes....

2 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

...and therefore not paying bribes....

While accepting there are services that require payment by negotiation ????

Which judge ordered this woman be deported?

3 hours ago, 473geo said:

Wouldn't try it anywhere, other peoples similar actions are no defence for your action of breaking the law - period

Most of us left that attempt at a get out in kidergarten

She was wrong to carry or use a vaporizer - I fully agree.

But I don't quite understand your reply.

 

What should she have done after being caught with that vaporizer?

Pay the 40.000 bribery money and thereby committing a far more serious offence?

 

Put yourself in her place. Would you not think 40.000 is over the top for a vaporizer?

Would you not think that things could be sorted out?

The judge sorted it out..... 827 baht.

 

As a tourist she most probably had no idea of how the mafia operates here or the Thai obsession with face saving. Maybe she had not yet lost her rozy glasses?

1 minute ago, oldhippy said:

She was wrong to carry or use a vaporizer - I fully agree.

But I don't quite understand your reply.

 

What should she have done after being caught with that vaporizer?

Pay the 40.000 bribery money and thereby committing a far more serious offence?

 

Put yourself in her place. Would you not think 40.000 is over the top for a vaporizer?

Would you not think that things could be sorted out?

The judge sorted it out..... 827 baht.

 

As a tourist she most probably had no idea of how the mafia operates here or the Thai obsession with face saving. Maybe she had not yet lost her rozy glasses?

I got stopped by the UK police 1 am in the morning I nipped down an unlit side street on my walk back from a party and had a pee - cost me two weeks salary - expensive pee!! it used to cost a penny when public WC were provided. No point in complaining I put myself in the frame and got done!! No point in crying about it.

I wish they had offered me a deal, on my CV until spent, as a conviction, having a Pee in a public place!! I wonder if it is the same for the French girl regarding a conviction?

51 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

55 minutes ago, 473geo said:

How about working harder to stay on the right side of the law ????

...and therefore not paying bribes

First point - she was on holiday and quite possibly would not have thought vaping is illegal. Most Brits I have told about this law do not know. She may have even bought it in Thailand where they are sold openly.

Second point - you don't even have to have broken a law to have a payment demanded, although I have never experienced this myself.

 

11 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I got stopped by the UK police 1 am in the morning I nipped down an unlit side street on my walk back from a party and had a pee - cost me two weeks salary - expensive pee!! it used to cost a penny when public WC were provided. No point in complaining I put myself in the frame and got done!! No point in crying about it.

I wish they had offered me a deal, on my CV until spent, as a conviction, having a Pee in a public place!! I wonder if it is the same for the French girl regarding a conviction?

And the moral of your story is ????

 

1 minute ago, chang1 said:

First point - she was on holiday and quite possibly would not have thought vaping is illegal. Most Brits I have told about this law do not know. She may have even bought it in Thailand where they are sold openly.

Second point - you don't even have to have broken a law to have a payment demanded, although I have never experienced this myself.

 

Hearsay can be dangerous, in our conversation, you and I, 100% of the people involved have never had a payment demanded.

2 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

And the moral of your story is ????

 

Learn by your mistakes and move on.

30 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

And the moral of your story is ????

 

The moral of his story is, he can now freely pee on the street in Thailand with no stress. ????

 

As long as he does not vape, it's all good.

9 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Hearsay can be dangerous, in our conversation, you and I, 100% of the people involved have never had a payment demanded.

Not as dangerous as letting your guard down and ignoring the countless reports of it happening to others. 

1 minute ago, chang1 said:

Not as dangerous as letting your guard down and ignoring the countless reports of it happening to others. 

You speak as though negotiation is something to fear - at times a mutual agreement can be the best way forward.

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 11:21 PM, darksidedog said:

And yet there are still vendors of them in markets all across the country. I understand that the law is the law, but this seems ridiculously excessive. Paying a nominal fine to the court, should have been the end of the matter, the deportation being to my mind unnecessary and over the top. I am pretty sure that will be another large number of potential tourists now going somewhere else instead. Amazing work Thailand! Shot yourself in the foot again.

This is a clear case of an extortion attempt gone wrong.

There should be an official complaint to the victims embassy and to the minister of police.

I see falangs vaping all over the place and at my local golf club where they sit around the pool and happily vape away.

Staff don't care, it is also illegal to smoke in bars etc, now but do I see my friends sitting next to me stop, as I do not smoke, NO, they don't and Thai's and visitors to LOS smoke away at will, just as the Thais and Falangs ride bikes around with no helmets on, 2/3 children without protection often riding in the wrong direction, smoking and talking on a cell phone.

 

This deportation is lost face over a bribe gone wrong and seemingly went right to the courtroom

Shame on the perps of justice you make a joke of Thailand.

 

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

Hearsay can be dangerous, in our conversation, you and I, 100% of the people involved have never had a payment demanded.

You were never "asked" for a bribe?

Did you ever visit Thailand?

 

1 minute ago, oldhippy said:

You were never "asked" for a bribe?

Did you ever visit Thailand?

I've stayed with the police in Thailand ???? as an invited guest not for breaking the law

2 minutes ago, 473geo said:

 

I've stayed with the police in Thailand ???? as an invited guest not for breaking the law

?

7 hours ago, pellets said:

Yes, vaping should absolutely be an important part of a "family hliday"... (or not...?)

How about extortion, incarceration for several days in a filthy cell on a hard floor, and very expensive deportation... get some perspective! Vaping is recognised in pretty much every civilised country as a much healthier alternative to cigarettes (which she wouldn't have been fined for).

 

And smoking on a family holiday? I have many happy memories of family holidays when I was young, and I don't begrudge the fact that my father enjoyed a few cigars on them. Certainly didn't influence me to start smoking. 

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

I got stopped by the UK police 1 am in the morning I nipped down an unlit side street on my walk back from a party and had a pee - cost me two weeks salary - expensive pee!! it used to cost a penny when public WC were provided. No point in complaining I put myself in the frame and got done!! No point in crying about it.

I wish they had offered me a deal, on my CV until spent, as a conviction, having a Pee in a public place!! I wonder if it is the same for the French girl regarding a conviction?

I doubt you'd have wished for the "deal" they offered the French woman - it was a lot more than two weeks wages. It was about three months average salary in Thailand, for something that isn't even an offence in any other tourist destination. 

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

You speak as though negotiation is something to fear - at times a mutual agreement can be the best way forward.

When entering into a negotiation it is always better to have as much information about the other side so you can weigh up how hard to negotiate. Knowing I can be deported for such a minor discretion means we are in a much weaker position than I thought. I feel there must be more to this story than we have been told. Many foreigners do far worse crimes without being deported.