SOURCE: Pattaya Mail: September 7th 2007 edition:

South African caught red-handed with stolen cameras

Wayne Michael Niwemack was caught red-handed trying to steal cameras from a shop in Central Festival Business Center.

Police have arrested a South African man who was caught stealing cameras from a shop in Central Festival Business Center.

Mrs Suwadee Sri-Amdee, the 25-year-old manager of the Konica shop at Central Festival Business Center in North Pattaya, reported to police during the early afternoon of August 27 that a foreigner had snatched two cameras from her shop and run away.

Officers caught the man as he ran out of the store, and found on him an Olympus digital camera that had a retail value of 14,990 baht and a Panasonic digital camera, also valued at 14,990 baht. He was taken to Pattaya Tourist Police Station 4, where he was identified as Wayne Michael Niwemack, 42, of South Africa.

Suwadee said that Niwemack had entered her shop and asked to look at two cameras. While she was explaining them to him in detail, he suddenly took the cameras and ran away. She shouted for help before hurrying to notify the police, whose timely arrival caught the thief red-handed.

Pol Lt Col Suwan Un-Anan, inspector at the 4th Tourist Police Section in Pattaya, said that policy emanating from the top command of the Royal Thai Police and the Tourist Police was aimed at apprehending foreign criminals operating in Thailand.

Pol Lt Col Suwan Un-Anan, inspector at the 4th Tourist Police Section in Pattaya, said that policy emanating from the top command of the Royal Thai Police and the Tourist Police was aimed at apprehending foreign criminals operating in Thailand.

Surely the policeman's job is to apprehend ALL criminals, charge them and prove the offences to an extent warranting conviction.

Targetting 'foreign' criminals smacks of discrimination.

The average copper is more likely to be able to identify local crooks than crooked foreigners.

I would agree with identifying people who have been lebelled 'persons of interest' by their foreign police counterparts, but that is as far as I would accept such instructions. May be poor translation from the Thai original.

Maybe not, the local tourist police seem much more interested in

catching foreign criminals than they do assisting tourists in distress.

I think the serve and protect days are pretty much over. Foreign

victims of assault or theft don't seem to warrant nearly the same

amount of attention which only increases the incidence rate.