Bangkok police was checking for weed

[problemfarang]

I think 2 or 3 days ago. I was at Sukhumwit and saw cops were walking around and randomly checking farangs bags and everything.. yes, everything with no reason. 

 

They stopped some farang ladies and started to search their bags.. everything they have on them. And yes, found 2 marijuana in a marlboro box. Cops take the bags from them, give back their IDs and likewise things in the bags, but kept the other stuff. Gave back the marlboro. And gave some kind of an official paper to them and told them to come to the police station to take back the things. Took their pics with passport and so on and let them go. 

[Bday Prang]

all sounds a bit strange to me

[marcus111]

Very Very Strange....

I think fake news...!!!

[problemfarang]

i saw it and its on tiktok too one of the girls was recording them

[Excel]

14 hours ago, marcus111 said:

Very Very Strange....

I think fake news...!!!

Or fake cops

[Bangel72]

Its being very openly sold every couple of hundred meters on Sukhumvit and making very brisk trade. Never seen police randomly stop and search anyone unless they are acting a bit doolally, which may have been the case here.

[JeffersLos]

14 hours ago, marcus111 said:

fake news

 

4 minutes ago, Excel said:

fake cops

Fake girls? 

[bamnutsak]

On 7/25/2022 at 8:45 PM, problemfarang said:

but kept the other stuff.

Can you describe this "stuff"?

 

It seems strange for the police to confiscate materials, then require the tourists to come to the station to pick it up?

 

Would be nice to know what the piece of paper said?

 

 

22 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

i saw it and its on tiktok too one of the girls was recording them

Found one short video from @Bescry, seemed innocuous. No mention of cannabis.

 

Mole-hill. At best.

 

 

[problemfarang]

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

Can you describe this "stuff"?

 

It seems strange for the police to confiscate materials, then require the tourists to come to the station to pick it up?

 

Would be nice to know what the piece of paper said?

 

 

Found one short video from @Bescry, seemed innocuous. No mention of cannabis.

 

Mole-hill. At best.

 

 

i dont know i was not close to the scene, but watched from a distance. i dont know that was the video or not on tiktok i didnt check the user name or else. The story happened as i told and thats all i saw. Maybe there was some other things in the story which i dont know between the girls and the police. i told the story how it looked like from where i was walking. But i clearly saw the marijuana roll coming out from a marlboro box. i think there were 2 because the cop clearly raised it to the air so all could see and then took the pictures with their passport. then i left the scene because had something to do. it was evening time, probably around 19:00 ish

[daveAustin]

Bit dodgy for cops to be pulling people for carrying (given the high up warnings they've had about making a fuss); I mean one can even board a plane with it in a bag. Perhaps they think they got it from a random vendor. Lighting up in public is of course illegal.

[Mr Meeseeks]

10 hours ago, Bangel72 said:

Its being very openly sold every couple of hundred meters on Sukhumvit and making very brisk trade. Never seen police randomly stop and search anyone unless they are acting a bit doolally, which may have been the case here.

I've been stopped and searched a number of times on Sukhumvit, Thong Lor cops are notorious for it.

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Bit dodgy for cops to be pulling people for carrying (given the high up warnings they've had about making a fuss); I mean one can even board a plane with it in a bag. Perhaps they think they got it from a random vendor. Lighting up in public is of course illegal.

It is but when have the Police ever cared about the law when they are out extorting foreigners?

[chrischronic]

They were looking for Marijuana joints because maybe they were smoking it on the street in an alley behind a building while walking etc. That seems a reasonable reason to stop and search if someone reported or they saw. 

You did say randomly but were they the only ones stopped? 

[bamnutsak]

IMO, the police need to give a warning for foreign tourists found to be smoking cannabis in public, for first-time "offenders".

 

The laws, such as they are, are not well publicized. The edict against public consumption, and potentially annoying others, is barely a month old, is only published in Thai in the Royal Gazette (not required reading by tourists as of yet).

 

No need to create PR problems. Issue a written warning, or hand out an infographic on the current "laws".

 

TAT needs to step up and issue broad warnings about Cannabis consumption. Oh, and not changing the rules daily would be a help too.

 

 

 

 

[freedomnow]

Home delivery bypasses all that ?

[Pork Pie]

25 minutes ago, freedomnow said:

Home delivery bypasses all that ?

 

Also saves you from having to meet with known drug dealers. ????

[problemfarang]

1 hour ago, chrischronic said:

They were looking for Marijuana joints because maybe they were smoking it on the street in an alley behind a building while walking etc. That seems a reasonable reason to stop and search if someone reported or they saw. 

You did say randomly but were they the only ones stopped? 

I think you are right. 

I think police were walking in that soi and yes randomly. But when i think of now i didnt see they checked any other but there were 5 of them and no motorbike or car were around. 

[BritManToo]

Best never to carry.

Delivery to your home, smoke in your home.

[Kinnock]

Police around Asoke junction and Thong Lor area are infamous for hassling tourist.  Spot searches, drug tests, asking to see passports ..... they are just looking for a reason to extract a bribe.

 

Uniformed beggars.

[Mr Meeseeks]

23 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

IMO, the police need to give a warning for foreign tourists found to be smoking cannabis in public, for first-time "offenders".

 

The laws, such as they are, are not well publicized. The edict against public consumption, and potentially annoying others, is barely a month old, is only published in Thai in the Royal Gazette (not required reading by tourists as of yet).

 

No need to create PR problems. Issue a written warning, or hand out an infographic on the current "laws".

 

TAT needs to step up and issue broad warnings about Cannabis consumption. Oh, and not changing the rules daily would be a help too.

 

 

 

 

Thong Lor Police are a law unto themselves, wholly corrupt and don't care.

[Mr Meeseeks]

21 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Police around Asoke junction and Thong Lor area are infamous for hassling tourist.  Spot searches, drug tests, asking to see passports ..... they are just looking for a reason to extract a bribe.

 

Uniformed beggars.

Correct. Thong Lor and the adjoining Lumphini are notorious for their behaviour. They are however where all Thai policemen aspire to be posted as they are in the most affluent areas of the city. ????

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

On 7/27/2022 at 9:29 PM, daveAustin said:

Bit dodgy for cops to be pulling people for carrying (given the high up warnings they've had about making a fuss); I mean one can even board a plane with it in a bag. Perhaps they think they got it from a random vendor. Lighting up in public is of course illegal.

Is there any evidence of high ups warning the police?

[BritManToo]

11 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Is there any evidence of high ups warning the police?

Yes, there was a news release from Anutin saying he's punish any police arresting people for cannabis possession about 3 months back. Shortlly after there was a report of 'granny' being arrested for 4 cannabis plants in her garden and a few days later the arresting police were all removed from active duty.

 

Since then the police got the message and there were no more arrests.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxjyj/thailand-legalize-cannabis-plant

 

If you search for "police-briefed-on-cannabis-law-changes" you will find a story stating police will be unable to arrest anyone possessing cannabis.

[BritManToo]

40 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

If you search for "police-briefed-on-cannabis-law-changes" you will find a story stating police will be unable to arrest anyone possessing cannabis.

Would also point out this story also says 'extracts' will be removed for testing (no arrests), and the people concerned told to report to the police station at a later date for the test results and possible action.

 

So it appears the OP would be correct if the police found 'extracts' on the tourists.

 

[LarrySR]

On 7/28/2022 at 11:59 AM, Kinnock said:

Police around Asoke junction and Thong Lor area are infamous for hassling tourist.  Spot searches, drug tests, asking to see passports ..... they are just looking for a reason to extract a bribe.

 

Uniformed beggars.

YEP, they even stop random taxies and pull the foreigners out for a search. 

[zyphodb]

On 7/28/2022 at 11:59 AM, Kinnock said:

Police around Asoke junction and Thong Lor area are infamous for hassling tourist.  Spot searches, drug tests, asking to see passports ..... they are just looking for a reason to extract a bribe.

 

Uniformed beggars.

Uniformed Thieves might be closer to the mark I'd say...

[ChaiyaTH]

Of course they will start checking, smoking weed and using non-medicinal approved products carries up to 25,000 baht fine and/or 3 months jail. Why does nobody seem to be able and read a 2-3 sentence law?

 

The only reason they do not check at populair selling places, is because they make a nice donation already. Otherwise this is the future milk cow where you likely get away with 5K if being smart of 10-15K if a newbie loud tourist.

[problemfarang]

14 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Of course they will start checking, smoking weed and using non-medicinal approved products carries up to 25,000 baht fine and/or 3 months jail. Why does nobody seem to be able and read a 2-3 sentence law?

 

The only reason they do not check at populair selling places, is because they make a nice donation already. Otherwise this is the future milk cow where you likely get away with 5K if being smart of 10-15K if a newbie loud tourist.

traffic alcohol check got one of my friends. the new law says 10.000 baht fine and im not fully sure but directly prison. So my friend called his wife and his wife talked with them like 5 min and then the police asked 7000 but they agreed on 5000... and he left the scene in his car. Actually he was lucky because the top ranked police was only sergeant so it was easy for the police to arrange this 'deal' otherwise he had no chance.  

[Nickelbeer]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:13 PM, Bday Prang said:

all sounds a bit strange to me

No, sounds like EXACTLY what I would expect from the RTP.  Take advantage of murky laws to squeeze tea money out. Decriminalization took a major bite out of the ability of police to cut deals

based on weed possession.

[Denim]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:55 PM, Mr Meeseeks said:

I've been stopped and searched a number of times on Sukhumvit, Thong Lor cops are notorious for it.

Yup, you could walk around there wearing nothing but a jock strap but they would still want to check what you were carrying. Just don't walk around in that area unless necessary.