Confessing To A Crime

[jimbim]

It seems that Thai suspects confess before they reach the police station. In fact, I am not sure I've seen a story in the local press about a minor (non-influential) criminal who has reached court pleading innocent.

I asked a Thai friend a couple nights ago about this and he said "they confess because they did it." Not sure if that's the generally held public opinion, but seems to be.

I am curious if anyone knows what rights a crime suspect actually has, and if a defence of "confession under duress" has been used, if it can be used.

[PvtDick]

The courts routinely halve fines and prison sentences if you plead guilty; this is one reason why guilty pleas are so prevalent. If they've got the goods on you, and you know it, might as well own up and get a discount.

[jimbim]

True, as well as for helping the police, turning in your accomplices, etc.

It also suggests the police in Thailand are more efficient than those in the West.

Heaven knows, they don't always get their man. But when they do, it's the right one.

[phormio]

What about coercion ?

Ir is well known that Suspects in the "war on terror" are being shipped to Thailand for "Interrogation" (hehehahaheheha).

Persuasion of a sort is used in the LoS ?

After all they killed a large number of drug dealers during the recent crackdown.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What about coercion ?

Ir is well known that Suspects in the "war on terror" are being shipped to Thailand for "Interrogation" (hehehahaheheha).

Persuasion of a sort is used in the LoS ?

After all they killed a large number of drug dealers during the recent crackdown.

And they'll knock off more dealers in the next clean 'em up program that is set to start again shortly.

[medicinebox]

Then the dead dealer's will be replaced by new dealers, as when a tree falls the canopy is open and the sun allows new trees to grow.

Sad cycle of life..

[thaiwing]

Then the dead dealer's will be replaced by new dealers, as when a tree falls the canopy is open and the sun allows new trees to grow.

Sad cycle of life..

Chainsaw sorts that out.....then Re-seed with education and tendance

[Ajarn]

The courts routinely halve fines and prison sentences if you plead guilty; this is one reason why guilty pleas are so prevalent.  If they've got the goods on you, and you know it, might as well own up and get a discount.

Yes, but you can change to guilty plea at any point before judgement is made and still get the half-off deal, so why be in such a hurry to admit it?

I'd say coercion is the rule of the day with most suspects. Witnessed a couple of such interogations. No torture seen, but the cops play good cop bad cop quite aggressively. Strong encouragement to follow their (the cops) lead. 'I don't know' never seems to be acceptable, answered each time by a slap up against the head, at least in one case I saw. I was there to translate for a friend who'd been busted with (and from) a Thai guy for buying pot. The cops were quite tough on the Thai guy until he gave up some more names...

By the way, my friend got off with a 50,000 baht fine (the max fine for class V possession offense) and deportation, which he was quite happy with...

[medicinebox]

Then the dead dealer's will be replaced by new dealers, as when a tree falls the canopy is open and the sun allows new trees to grow.

Sad cycle of life..

Chainsaw sorts that out.....then Re-seed with education and tendance

Ok why not chainsaw all the drug dealers instead of shooting them. That might be a better deterent. Yes, I see where you're coming from.

[phormio]

The courts routinely halve fines and prison sentences if you plead guilty; this is one reason why guilty pleas are so prevalent.  If they've got the goods on you, and you know it, might as well own up and get a discount.

Yes, but you can change to guilty plea at any point before judgement is made and still get the half-off deal, so why be in such a hurry to admit it?

I'd say coercion is the rule of the day with most suspects. Witnessed a couple of such interogations. No torture seen, but the cops play good cop bad cop quite aggressively. Strong encouragement to follow their (the cops) lead. 'I don't know' never seems to be acceptable, answered each time by a slap up against the head, at least in one case I saw. I was there to translate for a friend who'd been busted with (and from) a Thai guy for buying pot. The cops were quite tough on the Thai guy until he gave up some more names...

By the way, my friend got off with a 50,000 baht fine (the max fine for class V possession offense) and deportation, which he was quite happy with...

Are there any legally guaranteed rights such as exist in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution(which is currently under assault, but still has a last-full-measure left in it) ?

I would think that a lot of cops make a good living off busting farangs with dope and getting a little pre-arrest fine money before letting the perp go. Probably have agent provacateurs getting farangs interested and busting them for the ,what's the expression, 'tea money' .

[Ajarn]

The courts routinely halve fines and prison sentences if you plead guilty; this is one reason why guilty pleas are so prevalent.  If they've got the goods on you, and you know it, might as well own up and get a discount.

Yes, but you can change to guilty plea at any point before judgement is made and still get the half-off deal, so why be in such a hurry to admit it?

I'd say coercion is the rule of the day with most suspects. Witnessed a couple of such interogations. No torture seen, but the cops play good cop bad cop quite aggressively. Strong encouragement to follow their (the cops) lead. 'I don't know' never seems to be acceptable, answered each time by a slap up against the head, at least in one case I saw. I was there to translate for a friend who'd been busted with (and from) a Thai guy for buying pot. The cops were quite tough on the Thai guy until he gave up some more names...

By the way, my friend got off with a 50,000 baht fine (the max fine for class V possession offense) and deportation, which he was quite happy with...

Are there any legally guaranteed rights such as exist in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution(which is currently under assault, but still has a last-full-measure left in it) ?

I would think that a lot of cops make a good living off busting farangs with dope and getting a little pre-arrest fine money before letting the perp go. Probably have agent provacateurs getting farangs interested and busting them for the ,what's the expression, 'tea money' .

Sure, lot's of snitching going on, and it ain't all from Thais, either. A few farangs in the snitching business here, too. Some fairly well-known farang names, too. And the snitching isn't always about true stuff, either. Another reason why I steer clear of most foreigners here

When I first came here, one of the larger motorcycle rental shops used to scam and rip off foreign customers. One way was to plant a bit of herion on the bike, then later send a friendly cop around to your GH for a 'spot inspection' of the rental bikes, and, low and behold, one of them has some dope on it...The cop then tries to get as much as he can from the foreigner, in cash, jewelry, or whatever. One Japanese kid got caught in such a shakedown, but had the sense (or stupidity) to stash a small tape recorder in his shirt pocket to record everything. I listened to it. The kid ended up giving up his jewelry and having to wire his Pop for some more money. And the motorcycle shop was where the money was later paid to the cop (still in business in their same location on Kothchasarn road). This same shop would also sometimes steal their own bikes from the GH where you registered, and then collected the 40,000 baht for another bike from the unsuspecting foreigner who reported the 'missing' bike.

In the case of my friend who got busted for pot, the guy who dealt it to him was later arrested for selling, and he offered up the farang before they even got him to the station, according to the arresting cop. He also snitched on other Thais. This is typical of drug busts, from what I've seen and read.

[PvtDick]

As everyone knows, there are no routine Customs checks on exiting Thailand. Ever wonder how they find those people attempting to smuggle drugs out in hand cream containers?