Police Say Taiwanese Actor Might Have Been Held Up For Possession of E-Cigarettes

[webfact]

 

by Namo Vananupong

BANGKOK (NNT) - The police are addressing an allegation by a Taiwanese celebrity who said she was searched by Thai police and extorted 27,000 baht in Bangkok this month. The police spokesman said the Royal Thai Police chief has ordered the matter be scrutinized and the police are trying to contact the Taiwanese actor to ask for more information.

 

Police spokesman Pol. Maj. Gen. Atchayon Kraithong addressed the Instagram post by Taiwanese actor Charlene An which alleged she was extorted by Thai police while holidaying in Bangkok in early January.

 

The spokesman explained that according to the post, Ms. An was in a taxi with her friends and the group was searched by police when the taxi reached a police checkpoint.

 

The post alleged people in the group tried to present their visa on arrival (VOA) to the police, who instead demanded 27,000 baht from them. They were only let go after the money was paid.

 

The police spokesman said the Taiwanese actor entered Thailand on December 29 and departed on January 5. The police are reaching out to the actor via the Instagram account which made the post to ask for additional details of the incident.

 

They have also reached out via the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Thailand. Pol. Maj. Gen. Atchayon said no responses have yet been had.

 

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol. Lt. Gen. Thiti Saengsawang said a checkpoint was indeed set up in front of the Chinese embassy in Bangkok on the night of January 4.

 

He said the checkpoint was erected in accordance with a policy to prevent and suppress crime during the New Year’s period. He said police officers who manned the checkpoint reported there was a group of foreign tourists who were held up at the checkpoint for carrying electric cigarettes. However, communication with the group was haphazard at best.

 

The Metropolitan Police chief said the head of Huai Khwang police station, responsible for the checkpoint, has been told to look into the matter. CCTV camera footage from January 3 to 5 will be inspected. The taxi driver will also be asked to come in to provide his account. Witness testimonies will also be collected from the hotel where the tourists were staying.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230127092710983

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

[Adumbration]

More than a decade ago I was extorted at a New Years Eve checkpoint in Thalang Phuket.

 

It was just after dark and they were basically pulling every vehicle over to get as much money as possible.

 

When I drove back past the check point a few hours later (no other route available) it was still set up but no police.  They had taken off to spend their windfall on booze and hookers.

[2baht]

I would tend to believe the Taiwanese!

[Crossy]

Police Say Taiwanese Actor Might Have Been Held Up For Possession of E-Cigarettes

 

Surely the written report from the checkpoint would detail all charges, fines etc. and the confiscated vapes would be in evidence?

 

Oops, sorry, I forgot where we are and who we are dealing with

[FritsSikkink]

22 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

More than a decade ago I was extorted at a New Years Eve checkpoint in Thalang Phuket.

 

It was just after dark and they were basically pulling every vehicle over to get as much money as possible.

 

When I drove back past the check point a few hours later (no other route available) it was still set up but no police.  They had taken off to spend their windfall on booze and hookers.

You were extorted for what?

How do you know what they spend it on?

[owl sees all]

 

Desperation from the police.

[Emdog]

Are there plenty of signs at airports and other points of entry in various languages (including Chinese) that E cigarettes are illegal? Anything on immigration form(s). I don't smoke, so don't know....

But considering how third world Thailand is considering pollutants that go into lungs, most tourists might assume vaping is okay.

[sammieuk1]

All perfectly explained lets mention an Ecig and how lucky she was to the exact fine for such a device on her person in the confusion of misunderstandings ????  

[richard_smith237]

18 minutes ago, Emdog said:

Are there plenty of signs at airports and other points of entry in various languages (including Chinese) that E cigarettes are illegal? Anything on immigration form(s). I don't smoke, so don't know....

But considering how third world Thailand is considering pollutants that go into lungs, most tourists might assume vaping is okay.

Not that I notice, at all.... 

 

Its perfectly reasonable for a tourist to assume something which is legal and widespread in most other nations is also legal in Thailand. 

 

But... the legality of said e-cigs is a complete and utter distraction from the reality of this shake-down. 

 

- Why were they stopped and asked for ID in the first place?

- What purpose does it serve for the safety of anyone that a taxi of tourists is stopped and they are searched ?

 

This was a shakedown from start to finish...

- The Police clearly hoping at first that they did not have their passports with with them, as most tourists wouldn’t... and then they could give an ‘on the spot fine’ but they had passports. 

- The Police accused them of having false stamps... attempted extortion. 

- The Police found e-cigs... crime of the century !!!...   a winning opportunity to extort the tourists. 

 

But as crossy wrote, IF the  BiB found something illegal, where is the official receipt for the fine, where is the report? where are the confiscated illegal items ??? (rhetorical - we know the answer).

[bamnutsak]

"held up". Classic.

 

Interesting how the police version of events has evolved over time, starting with "this didn't happen" through "it may have happened" to "Visa problem", to "fine for illegal vaporizer".

 

"And if you mention extortion one more time I'll have your legs broken."

 

Thank goodness she didn't get the "plastic bag" treatment.

 

Rarely a day goes by without a story of police corruption. Who knew there were so many "bad apples"?

 

 

 

[Seppius]

Down Pattaya way it seems everywhere look people are using vapes, openly sold also

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Rarely a day goes by without a story of police corruption. Who knew there were so many "bad apples"?

They're not bad apples... They’re normal guys just doing what they always do.

 

The corruption is so systemic this behaviour is expected, its ingrained the culture - there is a sense of entitlement that the public owe them money for being police... its almost considered a ‘tax’...  

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, Seppius said:

Down Pattaya way it seems everywhere look people are using vapes, openly sold also

The vape is just distraction from the story to deviate the narrative from corruption to ‘girl was carrying something illegal’..... 

 

Why was she searched in the first place ?

 

Why was a taxi of tourist stopped? asked to show their passports? why were they then searched?

 

Obviously the Police were looking for something illegal... but why were the Police stopping and searching a taxi full of tourists to such a degree ??   

 

... we know the answer of course... the Police were ‘hoping’ the tourists were missing something... perhaps missing their Passports so they could be charged for not carrying them... Then accused of a false stamp...  then searched and found the E-cigs... Boom... Opportunity to make money. 

 

This was a clear shakedown - there is no other explanation, no matter how the police and others attempt to polish this turd and then roll it in glitter. 

 

 

 

[Orinoco]

All will be just a big misunderstanding, tomorrow.

 

 

 

[ikke1959]

soft power to attrack tourists... bring e cigarettes and get free rip off

[roquefort]

Has Asean Now gone all PC? She is an Actress.

[Caldera]

So they didn't extort her for no reason, but to overlook the fact that she was allegedly carrying illegal e-cigarettes?

 

That's still extortion.

Plus dereliction of duty.

Plus corruption. 

[PremiumLane]

4 minutes ago, roquefort said:

Has Asean Now gone all PC? She is an Actress.

you triggered by a change of words? 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Metropolitan Police chief said the head of Huai Khwang police station, responsible for the checkpoint, has been told to look into the matter. CCTV camera footage from January 3 to 5 will be inspected. The taxi driver will also be asked to come in to provide his account. Witness testimonies will also be collected from the hotel where the tourists were staying.

Then hushed up and forgotten about.

[roquefort]

9 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

you triggered by a change of words? 

Absolutely. When words have a specific meaning which everyone understands and they're changed for the sake of political correctness.

[Jackbenimble]

this type of thing is so commonplace that it usually doesn't even warrant reporting on. But make no mistake it happens often and even in broad daylight. 

I was out with a friend last year and he drank 2 pints of beer all night & even spent the last hour drinking water (with a long face) cause he was driving home.........with me as a pillion. On the way home he was stopped and breathalysed - they told him the result was inconclusive but they'd let him go on his way for 30,000thb. He had zero desire to go to the station and wait to take another test but he didn't have 30k thb so he began to negotiate.................it came down to 5k - which I provided after being taken by the Police officer to the nearest ATM on his motorcycle.

Someone somewhere needs to stop this - we both live here but tourists are affected by this too & they don't know that it can be negotiated down if done politely. 

So I would certainly go with the Taiwanese persons version of events.

[PremiumLane]

15 minutes ago, roquefort said:

Absolutely. When words have a specific meaning which everyone understands and they're changed for the sake of political correctness.

actor has a specific meaning, it means someone who acts, so nothing changed. And you do know words and meanings do change over time, right? It isn't some plan, it just happens. 

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, Jackbenimble said:

this type of thing is so commonplace that it usually doesn't even warrant reporting on. But make no mistake it happens often and even in broad daylight. 

I was out with a friend last year and he drank 2 pints of beer all night & even spent the last hour drinking water (with a long face) cause he was driving home.........with me as a pillion. On the way home he was stopped and breathalysed - they told him the result was inconclusive but they'd let him go on his way for 30,000thb. He had zero desire to go to the station and wait to take another test but he didn't have 30k thb so he began to negotiate.................it came down to 5k - which I provided after being taken by the Police officer to the nearest ATM on his motorcycle.

Someone somewhere needs to stop this - we both live here but tourists are affected by this too & they don't know that it can be negotiated down if done politely. 

So I would certainly go with the Taiwanese persons version of events.

IF this is the same equipment I’ve seen..... then the BiB have the ‘wand’ (colloquially termed)... which someone blows into and it recognises the ‘presence’ of alcohol on the breath, but not the amount. 

 

(I’m not sure, but it could be calibrated to read over a xx amount, but is not perfectly accurate). 

 

The follow up is to then go to the station and take an official test and see what the real breathalyser result is and if over, then get processed, if below, then you are free to go. 

 

BUT... the BiB use this ‘wand’ result to extort drivers... they’ll make them wait for hours before going to the station to get breathalysed... (which works in a drunks favour) but not someone who had one or two drinks...    The BiB don’t care about the ‘official result’... they only want to make it as awkward as possible for the driver who’ll give in and just hand over some money.... 

 

IF the BiB did care, they wouldn’t allow anyone to continue driving after handing over money for being DUI... But what happens ? Pay the on the spot bribe, then you are free to continue on driving / riding... 

... this alone proves its ONLY about money. 

 

 

 

[Patong2021]

There is enough reaching and stretching here to complete a phys ed class.

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, Emdog said:

Are there plenty of signs at airports and other points of entry in various languages (including Chinese) that E cigarettes are illegal? Anything on immigration form(s). I don't smoke, so don't know....

But considering how third world Thailand is considering pollutants that go into lungs, most tourists might assume vaping is okay.

In Patong last night on Bangla I saw hundreds in the crowd vaping on e-cigs there were even a few working girls at the bars using them. It was the sweet aroma of cannabis however that was everywhere.

[spidermike007]

Since the police have absolutely no credibility on any level here, she automatically is granted a higher level of believability. And if this has anything to do with e cigs, your honor, I rest my case. That has nothing to do with the public good, and everything to do with the lack of profit generated by the heinous government tobacco monopoly. 

 

And it is likely just a story the cops made up, anyway. They are utterly desperate, having been outed once again. 

[roquefort]

40 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

actor has a specific meaning, it means someone who acts, so nothing changed. And you do know words and meanings do change over time, right? It isn't some plan, it just happens. 

Meanings do not change. Actress still means a female actor. What I object to is the coercion by the woke thought police to prevent anyone using this word. That only 'just happens' if the sheeple allow it to.

[pedro01]

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

So they didn't extort her for no reason, but to overlook the fact that she was allegedly carrying illegal e-cigarettes?

 

That's still extortion.

Plus dereliction of duty.

Plus corruption. 

Not to mention that paying a bribe is a crime too.

 

She had 2 options - the courts, or an illegal bribe. She took the latter. 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

Not to mention that paying a bribe is a crime too.

 

She had 2 options - the courts, or an illegal bribe. She took the latter. 

Perhaps the Police could have doubled-down given her a second fine for bribing a police officer !!!! 

 

 

[PremiumLane]

14 minutes ago, roquefort said:

Meanings do not change. Actress still means a female actor. What I object to is the coercion by the woke thought police to prevent anyone using this word. That only 'just happens' if the sheeple allow it to.

You will find meanings of words can do change. And who is this new police force? What law is preventing you from saying that word? You sound scared