The Boys In Brown

[soi lurker]

As long as the police are human there will be corruption, it just takes different forms in different places!

Spot On

[jstumbo]

I know that the (BIB) are paid very low wages.

I would not mind if I am pulled over for violating a minor traffic law and then pay a personal fine of 100 BHT approximately to the Officer.

What I do not think is not fair is when they make something up to get your money, or target "Farang driver."

I am sure that no one would have a problem if it was the law that they collected the legal fine and the money went back to government. Make it easy and pay on the spot.

Problem is that with corruption, it spreads. First they just take the tea money to not give you a ticket. Then they go a little farther and pull someone over for no reason, just because they know they can make something up and get some money. Then maybe they take a little money from someone to look the other way about a crime.

Corruption breeds corruption. It is the old slippery slope. Once you start going down that road, it is hard to stop it.

[jstumbo]

One of the cops said he would have to go to court and at that point I excused myself, wondering how cops could arrest people when they couldn't speak enough English to go through the motions.

Ummm you are in Thailand after all. Saying that is like saying that you do not understand how a cop (who does not speak spanish) in the US could arrest someone from Mexico who only spoke Spanish. Cops in the UK cannot arrest non English speaking Germans if the UK cop does not speak German?

[RasiMike]

Interesting comments and I will agree with some, though I must disagree with those that find it unfair that police (here and in other places) give them unwanted attention .......when they place others at risk. I have had traffic cops stop me here on a few occassions for speeding, not keeping left etc and I have opted to take the ticket and pay the fine .....at the station. Sure it is more expensive and time consuming, but I just don't condone corruption.

On one occassion, I was driving through Khorat on the way to Bangkok and was stopped after changing lanes..... no violation, I indicated, no solid line etc - the cops just wanted tea money. I (politely) took the ticket option (B400) which confused them both. I left my licence, backtracked to the station and waited in line with my wife, two year old and 3mth old. After about an hour we were called to the desk where the officer asked what happened... he was confused about the ticket. I explained that I wasn't sure what I did wrong but I came to pay anyway. He scribbled on the ticket, charged me B100 and gave me a reciept. I went back and collected my licence, said thanks and continued on my way.

Anyway, my main gripe and reason for the OP, was the result of me being pis_ed off and not accepting nor liking that someone can come to my wifes property, intimidate her, talk to her like sh_t and then steal from her..... The very same people who, when we have had need of assistance in the past, have chosen not to help. Since my children have arrived, my long appreciation and acceptance of ''third world" police and ''third world" ideals has changed somewhat, so I feel I need to take them elsewhere......I'm not sure why that doesn't make sense to some.

I dunno, maybe I truely am stark raving mad.

Just before you leave drop a letter (in Thai) to the police station, possibly to copied to high ranked police too, saying why you're leaving as you have said above. I'm sure it won't change the force but it might just make some of the police "think" a little about what's been happening.

I wouldn't recommend that. Mike has said that he's leaving extended family behind. The police might retaliate on the relatives.

Too true Klikster, my inlaws will be living here and operating the business....my mother-in-law hasn't been that bad. The family have enough sh_t without the boys needing a reason to drop by. As I have said in another thread on TV, "I don't want to burn any bridges" .

[bannork]

RasiMike - that really sucks.

i had my first semi-unpleasant run in with the police a few days ago.

i took a motorbike taxi from Ekkamai to Suk soi 11 to meet some friends. normally i'd take a taxi but was running late so i though i'd save some time. well it ended up taking longer. just after turning onto Sukhumvit we passed two police officers on a motorbike and within 300 meters they drove up along side us and flagged us over. at first i thought the driver did something wrong but the cops went straight for me and obviously didn't care about him. then i thought it might be because i wasn't wearing a helmet but that wasn't it either. they had me get of the bike and searched me and everything on me. the full pat down, had me take my shoes and socks off, grabbed my balls, everything. then they went through the contents of my pockets(a dvd i was returning to a friend, wallet, ipod, phone, address book, etc.) for about 10 minutes. they held onto my wallet longer than anything else and i was sure i'd get it back a thousand or two short but that didn't happen. they kept us standing on the side of the road for about 20 minutes total while they checked me and my stuff, never checking the motorbike driver, and making various calls over the radio. then they let us go.

i was sure it was some kind of shakedown but they didn't ask for or get any money. i don't really know what to think of the whole thing. the police were pretty nice and never intimidating but i have no idea why this happened. i've lived here 3 years and taken 100's if not 1000's of motorbike taxis with zero problems. what was it that had them single me out?

Exactly the same thing happened to me some 5 years ago, also on Sukhumvit.

Afterwards, I checked my wallet and no money was missing.

No idea why they did it.

3 weeks ago around 9 pm I was walking around the corner of Pra Athit road where it joins the beginning of Samsen road, opposite the semi demolished New World dept store, when 2 cops on a motorbike screeched to a halt and went through my pockets and wallet plainly looking for drugs. I told them I didn't even smoke and after a few minutes let me go. I spoke in Thai to them the whole time.

Walking back after buying a beer, the same cops beckoned me over and asked me to help translate as they'd just busted 3 French hippies for some grass; one of the French guys said he had just a small amount and could he pay now please. One of the cops said he would have to go to court and at that point I excused myself, wondering how cops could arrest people when they couldn't speak enough English to go through the motions.

Talking to a friendly owner of a photo shop nearby about politics, he said the police in Banglampoo were damaging tourism as he had often seen the same motorbike police stop families walking at night and search them. In the typical Thai way he said if they were Africans he could understand it! but to harass western families was plainly foolish.

What has the cop needing to speak english have anything to do with arresting someone with drugs?

They couldn't explain to the suspect in English that he would have to go to the station because marijuana is illegal in Thailand.

If they're going to send out cops to frisk tourists willy nilly as they seem to do in Bangkok they should teach them some basic English first, ie 'you are under arrest' etc. These cops are supposed to be patrolling the area looking out for thieves, checking the areas with red boxes paid for by local residents.

[jbowman1993]

I personally have no issue with the petty corruption in the Thai police - as many have said, it can work for and against you here and it's just part of the experience of living here.

What I find completely unacceptable, though, is when that corruption is escalated and has bigger - more tragic - consequences. When, they are bribed to turn a blind eye to mafia guys supplying beggars with babies (where did they come from?) literally metres away from police boxes on sukhumvit road. When their laziness and corruption is designed to provide a bottle of whisky for their weekend, it's one thing. When it perpetuates or even encourages human misery, that's something completely different.

But as someone said, a country gets the law enforcement it wants. If rank and file Thai people don't care, then it won't change. And I see little evidence of that happening at the moment.

I agree with Bendix. Can I have a cookie now?

[CarlBkk]

They couldn't explain to the suspect in English that he would have to go to the station because marijuana is illegal in Thailand.

If they're going to send out cops to frisk tourists willy nilly as they seem to do in Bangkok they should teach them some basic English first, ie 'you are under arrest' etc. These cops are supposed to be patrolling the area looking out for thieves, checking the areas with red boxes paid for by local residents.

What are those red boxes? There was one attached to a shophouse near my old apartment and I'd see a cop pull up on a motorbike, open it up and take out a piece of paper (maybe a small envelope). The boxes don't seem to be locked.

[Furbie]

Yep, you are not cutout to live in a developing country. It really is not for everyone, and certainly third world police rate up there as one of the major problems.

I can well remember living in a small town in the US south in early 70's, the police were not your friends there and I was terrified of what they could do to you with complete impunity back in those days. Certainly, even today, many people in many US cities view the police with a great amount of fear.

TH

What about the Thais who don't like the corruption? Are they not cut out to live in a developing country?

By my old office there was a great fruit vendor who had a nice niche market selling fruit a little more exotic than your normal pineapple/papaya vendor. Cherries, strawberries, high quality apples - all importaed but at a really reasonable price and all ready to eat as if you were buying a 10 baht bag of fruit. He did quite a good business - that is until the local beat cop started taking a couple of bags of strawberries or cherries every day, effectively killing his margin. Result - end of street vendor business. I am sure there are plenty of these stories.

[TheDon]

RasiMike - that really sucks.

i had my first semi-unpleasant run in with the police a few days ago.

i took a motorbike taxi from Ekkamai to Suk soi 11 to meet some friends. normally i'd take a taxi but was running late so i though i'd save some time. well it ended up taking longer. just after turning onto Sukhumvit we passed two police officers on a motorbike and within 300 meters they drove up along side us and flagged us over. at first i thought the driver did something wrong but the cops went straight for me and obviously didn't care about him. then i thought it might be because i wasn't wearing a helmet but that wasn't it either. they had me get of the bike and searched me and everything on me. the full pat down, had me take my shoes and socks off, grabbed my balls, everything. then they went through the contents of my pockets(a dvd i was returning to a friend, wallet, ipod, phone, address book, etc.) for about 10 minutes. they held onto my wallet longer than anything else and i was sure i'd get it back a thousand or two short but that didn't happen. they kept us standing on the side of the road for about 20 minutes total while they checked me and my stuff, never checking the motorbike driver, and making various calls over the radio. then they let us go.

i was sure it was some kind of shakedown but they didn't ask for or get any money. i don't really know what to think of the whole thing. the police were pretty nice and never intimidating but i have no idea why this happened. i've lived here 3 years and taken 100's if not 1000's of motorbike taxis with zero problems. what was it that had them single me out?

Exactly the same thing happened to me some 5 years ago, also on Sukhumvit.

Afterwards, I checked my wallet and no money was missing.

No idea why they did it.

3 weeks ago around 9 pm I was walking around the corner of Pra Athit road where it joins the beginning of Samsen road, opposite the semi demolished New World dept store, when 2 cops on a motorbike screeched to a halt and went through my pockets and wallet plainly looking for drugs. I told them I didn't even smoke and after a few minutes let me go. I spoke in Thai to them the whole time.

Walking back after buying a beer, the same cops beckoned me over and asked me to help translate as they'd just busted 3 French hippies for some grass; one of the French guys said he had just a small amount and could he pay now please. One of the cops said he would have to go to court and at that point I excused myself, wondering how cops could arrest people when they couldn't speak enough English to go through the motions.

Talking to a friendly owner of a photo shop nearby about politics, he said the police in Banglampoo were damaging tourism as he had often seen the same motorbike police stop families walking at night and search them. In the typical Thai way he said if they were Africans he could understand it! but to harass western families was plainly foolish.

What has the cop needing to speak english have anything to do with arresting someone with drugs?

They couldn't explain to the suspect in English that he would have to go to the station because marijuana is illegal in Thailand.

If they're going to send out cops to frisk tourists willy nilly as they seem to do in Bangkok they should teach them some basic English first, ie 'you are under arrest' etc. These cops are supposed to be patrolling the area looking out for thieves, checking the areas with red boxes paid for by local residents.

I dont, Most first world countries police only speak there native language and also do the same if they suspect them of having drugs.

Also I dont think police really have to explain to anyone that Marijuana is illegal, i mean if you didnt know that then your an idiot

[TheDon]

Police in Thailand are actually nice compared to in Australia.

I said to a cop once, "Yeah mate" and he stares me down saying "Im not your mate" as in he wanted to fight me.

In my teens cops used to pick us up in the park claiming they would take us home but drop us off about 30 mins from our homes on purpose.

Also once i got pulled over the cops pulled out 2 pairs of sissors in my car and telling me they can fine me for having dangerous weapons, they also called there mates and there was 6 police cars and about 15 officers surrounding me making fun. I was giving it back to them so one cop decided to fine me for the sissors which was $550.00. I took them to court and won my case which was good.

Cops in Australia are f..ked, you should see what they do to asian people lol, ive heard some really funny stories and im glad they didnt do those things to me.

You've had some bad experiences with police in Australia - that's unfortunate. Whether there are two sides to your stories, we will never know. However, it is plainly wrong for you to denigrate all police on the basis of your couple of tales of woe. I am not baiting you or having a go at you. I am pointing out that it is unfair of you to generalise based upon a couple of your own experiences. If you want to know the facts, try reading 'How Australia Compares' by Rodney Tiffen & Ross Gittins.

Ive had tonnes, also be fined for speeding without even speeding. There isnt another side of the story, there is alot of nice cops in Oz but there are plenty of arseh_les too.

But I have to admit, if i ever become a cop, I would be the most corrupt cop on this planet

[thaitanic]

I had 6000 baht stolen from my wallet here in Phuket by some Thai delivery guys while I was signing their delivery papers. When I went to the police station the guy in brown just said "I don't believe you" and walked away. Now I know how much backup to expect from the police if I need them... and I keep my wallet hidden whenever I'm in the apartment.

[Jandajoy]

THis seems a bit weird to me.

"A non German speaking cop in the UK cannot arrest a German who can't speak English"

" Thai police should all learn English before they arrest English speakers"

In Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Finland I've been stopped and fined and, on a couple of occassions taken to the cop shop by non-English speaking police. Seemed fair enough. It's their country.

If you're living in a foreign country and you don't speak the local language it seems the height of arrogance to suggest that you shouldn't be busted 'cos you don't speak the language.

Call me a left wing, commie loving tree hugger if you will, but surely the onus is on the visitor to learn the language. Not the other way round.

P.S. I'm more than willing to get involved in bidding for the contract to set up a school to teach all the BIB English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Hungarian, Russian, Arabic, Finnish, Mandarin, Cantonese, 'Stain, and Cockney.

Should be an absolute money mill.

pip pip

[vam-pire]

Greed, corruption, stealing and telling lies are the order of the day.

What a great nation this is.

VP

[tattoodrob]

Greed, corruption, stealing and telling lies are the order of the day.

What a great nation this is.

VP

once you realise this ,which u have ,then its easier to cope here as will be no surprises along the line.its all about the money!!!!!!!!which ever way u look at it.the police are like a private sector police force so you only get what you pay for ,they aint getting off there <deleted> for free.

good luck non believers

[Ping]

THis seems a bit weird to me.

"A non German speaking cop in the UK cannot arrest a German who can't speak English"

" Thai police should all learn English before they arrest English speakers"

In Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Finland I've been stopped and fined and, on a couple of occassions taken to the cop shop by non-English speaking police. Seemed fair enough. It's their country.

If you're living in a foreign country and you don't speak the local language it seems the height of arrogance to suggest that you shouldn't be busted 'cos you don't speak the language.

Call me a left wing, commie loving tree hugger if you will, but surely the onus is on the visitor to learn the language. Not the other way round.

P.S. I'm more than willing to get involved in bidding for the contract to set up a school to teach all the BIB English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Hungarian, Russian, Arabic, Finnish, Mandarin, Cantonese, 'Stain, and Cockney.

Should be an absolute money mill.

pip pip

Constable to armed robber who has just shot and robbed a bank teller. 'Before I arrest you, do you speak English? If not, would you mind waiting until I can find a German speaking bobby? Please?'

Constable to suicide bomber. 'Sorry, I can't shoot you to prevent you from detonating your backpack unless I know you can speak English.'

[jackspratt]

Constable to suicide bomber. 'Sorry, I can't shoot you to prevent you from detonating your backpack unless I know you can speak English.'

Unless, of course, you are Brazilian. And then I can shoot you 8 times, but it is all perfectly forgivable.