Chinese top visa holder summoned and fined over distorted claims about Bangkok’s notorious Nana

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Chinese top visa holder!

What does that headline mean?  Do we have a new high level VIP type visa?

Yes, we do.  But it is not new, it's been available for many years.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

RTP and immigration keep shooting themselves in the foot.

This blog on Nana would have just blown over in a couple of days, not they've blown it wide open.

It will be all over China faster than Covid was.

Totally agree. Whilst this woman was obviously trying to gain 'followers' because she is an 'influencer' and that was her intent.

Now this will get international attention and make immigration/RTP look worse than they already are?

I mean OK tell her to careful what she is saying etc, but fined, possible deportation and blacklisting? Its like she killed somebody??

 

[wombat]

so by extension does that mean all the YouTubers sticking cameras in peeps faces are working without a work permit?🥷

[Liverpool Lou]

5 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Now this will get international attention and make immigration/RTP look worse than they already are?

I mean OK tell her to careful what she is saying etc, but fined, possible deportation and blacklisting? Its like she killed somebody??

No, it is like the consequences of contravening the conditions of a visa by working illegally.  Killing someone doesn't mean deportation.

[kingstonkid]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourist police on Thursday night in the Nana area of Bangkok interacting with happy and smiling foreign tourists, including many women, who felt safe and secure in the famous, although somewhat notorious nightlife district, which is considered very safe and well policed. (Inset top left) Chinese social media influencer Zi Yu Wang from her video posted on Tuesday the 5th of December, which presented a distorted view of Nana.

Chinese social media influencer, Zi Yu Wang, who entered Thailand on an exclusive Thai Privilege visa, faced possible deportation after being summoned over a Tik Tok video that distorted the facts about Bangkok’s vibrant Soi Nana nightlife area. In the end, Immigration Bureau officers charged and fined her for breaching a Royal decree on labour by carrying on a business in Thailand without a licence or work permit. It came after authorities cracked down on her alleged defamation, stirring debate on the balance between personal freedom of expression and protecting the country’s image.

A Chinese social media influencer who came to Thailand to do a hatchet job on the kingdom’s foreign tourism industry, particularly Bangkok’s Nana nightlife district, has found herself summoned, charged, fined and warned off by Immigration Bureau police who informed her she could be facing potential deportation for breaching the kingdom’s strict labour laws.

 

In the last 48 hours, smiling tourist police have been seen mingling with happy tourists, many of them grinning and cheerful Western women in the city’s somewhat notorious Nana nightlife area rebuffing distorted claims made by 28-year-old Ms Zi Yu Wang, a successful Tik Tok influencer, who entered Thailand on an exclusive and very expensive Thai Privilege long term visa.

 

In what is being seen as a draconian move, Thai authorities moved this week to summon, charge and possibly blacklist the Chinese social media influencer on Tik Tok, Ms Zi Yu Wang, who arrived in the country on November 2nd last using the exclusive ‘Thai Privilege’ long term visa and was in the country legally.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

 

Full story: Thai Examiner 2023-12-09

 

- 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.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

If you are an asian or African lady and you are dressed nice and standing along the street between Suk and Badshah on that side of the street you are going to get approached.  It is the main chain of friendly ladies.  If she were to go to the Ruamchit Hotel and stand out front the same thing would happen 

 

the catch though is if you are a lady that is probably the safest part of the city to be standing.  

 

I don't care what city you are in if you stand or walk in the stroll you are going to get approached.

 

JUST SAY NO and people will walk away.

[RandolphGB]

Soi 4 has lots of hotels that many tourists will book without knowing the street is a gutter full of the absolute dregs of humanity. 

 

Any woman walking alone there is not safe and faces being ogled, groped and accosted by all manner of dirt bags, particularly those from the Sub Continent and Middle East.

 

She was highlighting the problem and trying to save other women from going there by mistake.

 

But as usual, Thais are thin-skinned to any kind of criticism and arrest the messenger, rather than fix the actual problem. 

 

Why don't they want to fix the problem? Because police profit from crime all along Nana and Sukhumvit. 

 

They don't police criminals, they protect criminals. In many cases, the police are the criminals, and own the same bars.

 

It will never change, as it's deeply embedded in Thai culture from the very top to bottom.

 

 

[kingstonkid]

35 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

If I were a sexy woman---rather than the stud muffin I am---I would feel safer on Soi 4 near Nana than most other places in the world. The place is filled with knights in shining armor, anxious to prove their mettle and save damsels in distress. If a woman was grabbed and pulled away---as the Chinese "Influencer" said she feared---a hundred men in that very public place would come to her rescue. There's never going to be a Kitty Genovese anywhere near Nana Plaza.

 

In the "few" times I have walked near or into NEP, I have seen smiling Chinese female tourists heading into Billboard or some other agogo anxious for an experience. Plenty of young Chinese couples, too. I've seen giggling Chinese women slipping 20 baht notes into the bikini bottoms of women on stage.

 

Maybe one Chinese tourist getting shot by a crazed kid in Siam Paragon scared off other Chinese visitors, but the thrill of seeing an open and vibrant nightlife area is going to attract both male and female Chinese tourists, being herded by a guy carrying a pennant, just like Walking Street in Pattaya has long done

 

Queue the tour busses; Nana is going to get even more crowded.

Forget about knights in shining armour would you want to upset any of those lades along the soi in public?  I have a feeling it could be dangerous.

[sambum]

3 hours ago, mot said:

 Why is Nana not the best place for single women and female tourists? Maybe because they would be ignored by the male assistance!! Do you have any exemple of a female tourist having  troubles in Nana? Of course not! The area is safe, I don't particularly like thais authorities but the chinese lady is lying. 

   And Bangkok and Nana or Patpobg is ten thousand time safer than any place in France, the country where I'm living. I'm not joking. Paris is dangerous for both women and men and in any area. Even small towns and villages are dangerous today. 

 

Have to agree with your final paragraph. I come from a small city in England, and it has slowly deteriorated over the years as far as public order is concerned.

One street in particular which used to be a very popular shopping area is now completely full of pubs/bars, night clubs, and takeaways.

The other disturbing thing is that on a weekend - from 6pm on a Friday night -  barriers are erected at each end, and it is closed to traffic, including buses and taxis. This area has become a type of "Dodge City", which is notorious for violence and troublemakers, and I doubt if there is one weekend that goes by without a spate of "anti social behaviour"

 

On the other hand, I have lived in Thailand in one of the tourist resorts fot nearly twenty years and have literally never seen a fight! I am not saying  that they don't happen, (I did see two Thais facing off at each other over a minor traffic dispute , but it was resolved after a lot of posturing and intervention by the local taxi drivers!!! ) but I frequent bars and restaurants regularly, so I am not deliberately keeping out of harm's way. so I guess I am fortunate, but I certainly feel safer here than my old hometown in England!

 

 

 

.

 

. 

Edited December 9, 2023 by sambum

[Fr87]

This is so petty on on both sides it beggars belief.

 

The woman is obviously and clearly looking for clicks and views.

 

The Thai authorities played it all wrong. Again

 

Despite it's chaotic vibe this area is totally safe for women although in this toxic era of women - she feels she has a right to go anywhere in the world and not be approached or bothered. This is a public area and she must have known exactly what soi4 is about. That's why she was there.

 

Irony is most guys would want to love her not mug her.

[Sig]

8 minutes ago, Fr87 said:

This is so petty on on both sides it beggars belief.

 

The woman is obviously and clearly looking for clicks and views.

 

The Thai authorities played it all wrong. Again

 

Despite it's chaotic vibe this area is totally safe for women although in this toxic era of women - she feels she has a right to go anywhere in the world and not be approached or bothered. This is a public area and she must have known exactly what soi4 is about. That's why she was there.

 

Irony is most guys would want to love her not mug her.

Funny thing is, she's likely to make a large jump in her viewership from all the publicity.
She's gonna be making even more money off of her videos now. lol
Controversy will end up making her even more popular. Most won't see a big problem with what she did and she'll gain a ton of Chinese sympathizers and she'll be raking in a lot more money than she had to pay in any fine.

[sqwakvfr]

So she is a thigh quality Elite Visa holder?  Someone paid 600,000 Baht for her Elite  Visa.  Otherwise why is she an online seller and/or YouTube influencer?  Gotta sella a lot of stuff online or get a lot views on YouTube to make 600,000 Baht. If she gets deported then I guess no refund for the Elite Visa.  

[baipaibkk]

You need to see the true. Thailand need to fix the problem before the next influencer come. 

[Fr87]

6 minutes ago, Sig said:

Funny thing is, she's likely to make a large jump in her viewership from all the publicity.
She's gonna be making even more money off of her videos now. lol
Controversy will end up making her even more popular. Most won't see a big problem with what she did and she'll gain a ton of Chinese sympathizers and she'll be raking in a lot more money than she had to pay in any fine.

 

She was also on some big ticket visa and living in some fancy building. Then.. does Thailand want more bad press with Chinese? So, this is going nowhere. Very poorly played by cops. Should have just had a quiet talk with her.

 

I do fully support her posting whatever she thinks and being a woman - FEELS about the place either true or not.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Fr87

[ujayujay]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourist police on Thursday night in the Nana area of Bangkok interacting with happy and smiling foreign tourists, including many women, who felt safe and secure in the famous, although somewhat notorious nightlife district, which is considered very safe and well policed. (Inset top left) Chinese social media influencer Zi Yu Wang from her video posted on Tuesday the 5th of December, which presented a distorted view of Nana.

Chinese social media influencer, Zi Yu Wang, who entered Thailand on an exclusive Thai Privilege visa, faced possible deportation after being summoned over a Tik Tok video that distorted the facts about Bangkok’s vibrant Soi Nana nightlife area. In the end, Immigration Bureau officers charged and fined her for breaching a Royal decree on labour by carrying on a business in Thailand without a licence or work permit. It came after authorities cracked down on her alleged defamation, stirring debate on the balance between personal freedom of expression and protecting the country’s image.

A Chinese social media influencer who came to Thailand to do a hatchet job on the kingdom’s foreign tourism industry, particularly Bangkok’s Nana nightlife district, has found herself summoned, charged, fined and warned off by Immigration Bureau police who informed her she could be facing potential deportation for breaching the kingdom’s strict labour laws.

 

In the last 48 hours, smiling tourist police have been seen mingling with happy tourists, many of them grinning and cheerful Western women in the city’s somewhat notorious Nana nightlife area rebuffing distorted claims made by 28-year-old Ms Zi Yu Wang, a successful Tik Tok influencer, who entered Thailand on an exclusive and very expensive Thai Privilege long term visa.

 

In what is being seen as a draconian move, Thai authorities moved this week to summon, charge and possibly blacklist the Chinese social media influencer on Tik Tok, Ms Zi Yu Wang, who arrived in the country on November 2nd last using the exclusive ‘Thai Privilege’ long term visa and was in the country legally.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

 

Full story: Thai Examiner 2023-12-09

 

- 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.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

They always find a “reason” to deport foreigners!

[kingstonkid]

4 minutes ago, Sig said:

Funny thing is, she's likely to make a large jump in her viewership from all the publicity.
She's gonna be making even more money off of her videos now. lol
Controversy will end up making her even more popular. Most won't see a big problem with what she did and she'll gain a ton of Chinese sympathizers and she'll be raking in a lot more money than she had to pay in any fine.

If you go to her tiktok page there is nothing but crap 

 

She was is tryi8ng to generate clicks the easy way just like a lot of guys do taking vid on walking street.

 

Her mistake was in her choice of words.

[fondue zoo]

 

Siam still doesn't understand how the internet works.

[bigt3116]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Immigration Bureau officers charged and fined her for breaching a Royal decree on labour by carrying on a business in Thailand without a licence or work permit.

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Immigration Bureau police who informed her she could be facing potential deportation for breaching the kingdom’s strict labour laws

 

What about the other million Youtube "bloggers" ?

[bamnutsak]

What was a relatively minor video, which most would never have seen nor heard about has been blown way out of proportion, and of course, it has gained even more attention.

 

I think I've seen at least seven different takes on various Thai authorities weighing in on potential punishments, which only draws more attention to the issue.

 

AFAIK she was expressing an opinion, about her perceived sense of feeling unsafe. Surely people are allowed to express an opinion?

 

Headline: Thai authorities claim entertainment zones providing sexual services are far more safe than the rest of the country.

 

I'm half-expecting that Thai sex workers will become part of a new Soft Power campaign?

 

Honestly, what's next? Someone complaining about the weather, or the air quality? Cart them off the the IDC immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

[Spock]

3 hours ago, Dcheech said:

 

That is what is so freaking brain dead about this. Thailands first response is the heavy handed vindictive approach so dear to the Thai PuYai mentality. Only confirming to her fans and many more potential Chinese tourists, Thailand is an unsafe place to visit. That's a winner.

 

 

Who cares? Less Chinese tourism ensures the utilitarian principle of greatest good for the greatest number is upheld.

[kingstonkid]

3 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

Siam still doesn't understand how the internet works.

Siam is still trying to figure out automobiles and democracy.  

 

The challenge is that you have a small group at the top and a large but relatively quiet group at the bottom.

 

In between you have the people who have no idea how to do anything but play solitaire or WhatsApp on their computers or smartphones.

That still believe in the good old days when Thailand was a power in SE Asia.

Where the monks were to be revered and held to high esteem

Anything that was not in the true sense of the Bhuddist life they were brought up in was wrong.

The oldest son was responsible for looking after his parents as they got older.

Basically, the good old days.

 

The small group at the top may not be that smart, but they hire people who are and know how to use ignorance or nostalgia as a means to keep control.

 

Consider why so many people support the military and revere it.

 

It is going to take a few decades to get over this.  Many countries are in the midst of this in Asia and I fear in Africa also.  

 

India is gong through this change.  Pakistan is going through it as women get access to the internet and thereby the world.  

 

In the 90's the 3 biggest letters feared  were M T V.

[Walker88]

6 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

AFAIK she was expressing an opinion, about her perceived sense of feeling unsafe. Surely people are allowed to express an opinion?

 

Headline: Thai authorities claim entertainment zones providing sexual services are far more safe than the rest of the country.

 

I'm half-expecting that Thai sex workers will become part of a new Soft Power campaign?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her opinion, I suspect, was geared more to generating clicks than any actual fear. Maybe there are some unsavory looking characters on Soi 4, but it is quite safe. Her greatest fear came from someone asking her how she was doing, which is hardly threatening. She then fantasized about "What if he had grabbed me and pulled me away!" Well, he didn't, and wasn't about to do so. She might have worried instead "What if I had a heart attack and ambulances couldn't get to me because of the crowded streets?" THAT would be a legitimate concern, not some guy grabbing and pulling her away.

 

As for Thai sex workers, they ARE very much a part of Thailand's soft power, like it or not. Even when Chinese tour groups were coming en masse before Covid, they always paraded down Walking Street as part of their 'experience', sometimes even entering an agogo. I would guess a million single men come to Thailand each year not really planning to visit all the temples. Japanese location managers, who enjoyed their scouting visits to Thailand, recommended setting up factories in Thailand that ended up employing millions of Thai workers. It wasn't just the tax breaks that attracted these firms. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese 'salarymen' come each year during Japan's Golden Week, and not only to play golf.

 

While I'm sure all AN members came to Thailand for the temples or to study the predominant faith, lots of people visit specifically because of the reputation Thailand has for beautiful and available women. The Chinese woman's video will not discourage anyone---Chinese or otherwise---from visiting. In fact, if anything it will encourage visits. Maybe the cops and Immigration know that, so with a wink wink they are making an issue out of her video.

[chuang]

I believe her...

[paulikens]

I thought the privilege visa only brought in the quality tourists they wanted.

[bamnutsak]

6 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Her opinion, I suspect,

 

While we are all free to make assumptions about her opinion I think/hope we all agree she should be free to express it without retribution.

 

7 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

As for Thai sex workers, they ARE very much a part of Thailand's soft power, like it or not.

 

Well then, the Soft Power Committee should be out there promoting the Thai sex industry. My guess is that they won't be doing this. 

 

FWIW I think this "Soft Power" trend is nonsense. "Soft power" evolves naturally and cannot be "dictated".  So I agree with you that the Thai Sex Industry is representative, along with temples, food, and beaches, of the great Soft Powers of Thailand.

 

 

The authorities could have just let this one pass away, but instead, everyone is talking about it still. There seems to be some sensitivity about the perception of safety right now, but I'm not sure hyping this incident and prosecuting the Chinese woman is the best approach towards ameliorating those potential concerns among potential tourists.

 

I'd attempt to make peace with this woman, that is the middle path, in hopes that she is more positively inclined towards Thailand once she returns to China.

 

 

 

 

[Wrwest]

A couple of thoughts came to my mind. 1. Oops. Charging her for working internet media has potential implications for many doing internet work here. 2. I'm thinking she should be charged with defaming (causing loss of face) of all the businesses in Nana ... I do think she needs to learn about Thai ways. She walked directly into Thai cultural differences. Not that "the game" is not on in the Peoples Republic of China from my experience during my two trips there.

[Walker88]

6 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

While we are all free to make assumptions about her opinion I think/hope we all agree she should be free to express it without retribution.

 

 

 

As most know, some opinions cannot be expressed freely in Thailand, and there are even laws on the books prohibiting some opinions. Also, defamation lawsuits in Thailand need not be based on false statements, but rather if a statement, even a true one, results in someone's loss of face.

 

The topic of nightlife and what it encompasses is kind of like fiat money: everyone knows it's really worthless, but we all agree to suspend our disbelief and let the system keep working. Everyone knows prostitution is a major component of Thai culture, and not only among foreign visitors, but collectively the powers that be agree to pretend it doesn't exist, all the while enjoying the many benefits it brings to the country.

[redwhiteandblue]

It's good to see ASEANnow taking an impartial and unbiased stance.

[bizboi]

6 hours ago, DudleySquat said:

To think that I was about to write a letter to the editor of the B*****Post, what should I do? Should I now be wary if someone from the Brown Boys doesn't like what I write?

If you’re talking lies and making crap up and selling goods illegally I would think you should!!! Wouldn’t you?

[impulse]

1 hour ago, bigt3116 said:

 

 

What about the other million Youtube "bloggers" ?

I think the charges were related to  selling stuff online, not fishing for clicks, likes, and other intangibles.

 

If she didn't register that business, she was also not paying VAT and income taxes.

 

I think YouTubers are safe as long as they don't sell a tangible product.

 

That said, I'd make sure my ducks were in a row before I'd start besmirching the country.

[mokwit]

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I think YouTubers are safe as long as they don't sell a tangible product.

Seems Imm are now specifically saying monetising social media is work and thus require a wok permit If Pattaya News is reporting/interpreting correctly.

 

'The Royal Thailand Immigration has warned foreigners who are doing online content in Thailand that they might face legal action if they do content that is not real and could hurt the positive Thailand tourism image. They also reminded foreign nationals that although producing content or filming Livestreams, etc., Was not illegal in public places by itself, monetizing the product or selling things online without a work permit was illegal for a foreign national.'

Edited December 9, 2023 by mokwit