British Couple Fights Bangkok Airport Extortionists

[endure]

Heard a story before about similar things happening to an asian tourist (a singaporean if I recall correctly) who alledgedly had an extra carton of cigarettes put in his/her shopping bag and assumed it was a gift or a promotion. Result: stamped out of Thailand with "Thief" in the passport.

Has anyone ever actually seen a passport with 'Thief' stamped in it? I've read this before and find it hard to believe.

[CRUNCHER]

Kitsch22 They were not released as you said, they were brought to a hotel until their money came in. Were you under the impression they were doing all this willingly?

They were bailed, according to the Sunday Times. They were detained on the night of Saturday 25 April and held in police custody until the morning of Sunday 26 April when they met the fixer from Sri Lanka who arranged bail in the sum of 100,000 Baht. Thereupon they were allowed to leave and were accommodated in an hotel. Although the police retained possession of their passports it is unclear whether or not residence at the hotel was a condition of their bail. What is clear is that they were sufficiently free to be able to walk out of the hotel on Monday 27 April and travel to the British Embassy and then (apparently) return voluntarily to the hotel after that. They flew back to UK on 1 May.

No "kidnapping" there; just extortion.

Kidnapping might be a strong word, but if they were completely free to come and go why did the need to "sneak" out of the hotel. There arre a lot of things in this story that are not clear and a lot that needs greater explanation.

[Brigante7]

What surprises me most in all of this is the attitude of the British Embassy.

Basically refusing to get involved, and the only help offered is giving them a Thai lawyer, whose advice is to stay in Thailand and fight the case

I have lived here over 10 years, and fortunately speak enough Thai and have enough friends/contacts etc, etc, that it would be highly unlikely something like this would go very far.

But if you were here on holiday, you pay the money and get out of Dodge.

Anyone who has been here any amount of time, we all know how the system works, which is why the embassy's naivity surprises me.

Having said that, maybe it doesnt. Cushy job, dont rock the boat etc

British Embassy= Chocolate Fireguard

Said it 100 times and I'll say it again, the british embassy are as much use as a chocolate fire guard.

Brigante7.

[JimsKnight]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

I'm not shocked in the slightest, the place is the worst embassy in Asia in terms of attitude and aid given.

All it's good for is the Ambassador and his cronies to do the cocktail circuit once a month and clink glasses at the tax-payers expense.

What do you expect from an embassy that employ's no British Workers and the consul there is next to useless.

I shopped in King Power very recently and would not of expected them to pull a low-scam like this.

Now I'm boycotting them and stocking up on molboro lights prior to my airport flights.

They inflate prices on everything and the airport itself is 10x more corrupt than DM ever was IMO.

Here's the link showing the comments:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6590584.ece

A fair few people are now shunning Thailand in protest...

Edited June 28, 2009 by JimsKnight

[davee58]

Good luck to Stephen and Xi.

They look like decent people, what a terrible thing to happen.

There seems to be no argument against the fact that they were framed by "officials", a very dangerous state of affairs, But I share the general opinion that nothing will get done about this.

Sadly Thailand seems to be going "down the crapper".

This story is Now reported in "The Nation"

Edited June 28, 2009 by davee58

[brahmburgers]

8k pound is a massive amount! They should have fought it if they were innocent, why did they pay? did they steal it? giving in to these scams/extotions will make it continue! if you get in trouble you call your embassy and take it from there, REMEMBER INNOCENT UNTILL PROVEN GUILTY. Things need to change in Thailand

'innocent until proven guilty" is a western proclivity, not a commonly held legal concept in Thailand. Like other tourists caught in a tangled spiders web, they know they're being scammed, they're being harangued by cops (or people who represent themselves as authority). They're scared, They're tired, they can't use their native tongue to nuance the conversation (just phrases like "not true" or "won't pay", - and they're being forcefully told, "either pay the money, or go to jail, maybe long long time." Another nail in Thai tourism, indeed. Kudos to the most recently scammed couple - for going public with the story. Who will be next?

This is not the first time people have been jailed under strange circumstances after visiting King Power

This is the sort of company king power are,

That's slanderous. I think unless you have something better than your cigarette anecdote and have evidence of company instigation of or acquiescence to any related activity you should take it back .

Seems to me the owner of Kingpower would be extremely upset about all this.

If I were the complainant I'd be straight on the blower to him.

Seems like he'd be the best person to get things done and get heads chopped if he were sent the relevant information. John

What about the head honcho at the Airport? I know they change heads every few months, but they sorely need someone with cojones who can stand up to all who work at the airport, including King Power boss, head of police/security, and all who are working under them. Even if it has to go all the way up to Abhisit, there has to be someone who can get to the bottom of what's going on with this sort of scam - and seriously punish those responsible. Perhaps what's needed is an 'outside agency' with teeth, who are not entwined in the airport's web of intrigue.

Incidentally, the imbroglio regarding the Rohinga boat people who were allegedly towed out to sea and abandoned to die - was featured on CNN for tens of minutes last night. Abhisit himself was interviewed, and said he would investigate and find out whether there was wrongdoing - and if so, the culpable would be disciplined. It was also noted that it's Thai military personnel who are doing the formal investigating (of Thai military involvement).

Those familiar with Thailand can guess what's going to transpire. Stalling and denials will be the main course. The final outcome might be a tepid reprimand of a few, with one or two getting posted to inactive posts with full salaries and pensions.

[jonclark]

After reading this story I've decided I am going to scam and cheat Thais at every opportunity I get. Do unto others and they shall do unto you

[dominique355]

British couple fights Bangkok airport extortionists

Two tourists were held by an airport gang until they paid up £8,000

Stephen Ingram and Xi Lin were falsely accused

of stealing from a shop at Bangkok airport. Photo: Michael Sheridan

A British couple who were falsely accused of shoplifting in Bangkok airport and were forced to pay £8,000 in bribes to secure their release are to take legal action for compensation.

...

They were accused of taking a Givenchy wallet worth £121 from a King Power duty-free shop and were handed over to the police. An official release order from the local Thai prosecutor’s office subsequently conceded there was no evidence against them.

...

A spokesman for King Power duty-free said the company had strict rules for evidence to be submitted to the police in shoplifting cases, but added: “We cannot control what happens after that.”

-- timesonline.co.uk 2009-06-28

Although it happend at a King Power store, there is no involvement of King Power itself. Let's not suggest it is or call for boycots etc.

What are you talking about? Of course King Power was involved. If some one is accused of stealing, only the owner of the stolen good can accuse or press charges and that was King Power.

And these lame excused "we cannot control what happens after" doesn't get them off the hook. They, King Power through it's employees started the whole thing. So clearly they are involved.

[Kf6vci]

Everybody should boycott or avoid king power shops, anyway it's always more expensive than on the streets.

KP has an outlet next to the Pullman Hotel. What a crazy business model. Rather than paying the duty and then offering the wide range of liquor and cigarette brands for say now 700 Baht, they o n l y cater to folks leaving the country.

When Marlboros cost 675 in supermarkets per carton, surely KP could import Western brands for dale @ 700 or 750?

BTW, Customs stopped me once at the gate (arriving) and once at an elevator (after clearing Customs, in the Arrivals Hall), both times frisking my luggage. Never saw an ID, they wear black and hold red hand held radios... Does anyone know their authority, or is this yet another scam?

[apetley]

Maybe Thaivisa.com can ask it's contacts at 'The Nation' why they are not covering a Thai story that is already in the British press.

If 'The Nation' are not interested I think that will speak volumes of where their loyalties and investigative priorities lie.

King Power will only put a stop to this sort of scam when it is out in the public domain and starts to hurt their own bottom line.

I just spoke with The Nation newsdesk, and this story is now online:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06/28...al_30106228.php

Well done, the more this gets aired the better.

[JoeThePoster]

Why do Thai police need outsourced interpreters? With their budget and numbers couldn't they muster up one real policeman in every spot that speaks decent English?

Sigh. Guess it's time to take the Pattaya kidney theft scam seriously now.

[Brewsta]

This is not the first time people have been jailed under strange circumstances after visiting King Power

This is the sort of company king power are,

That's slanderous. I think unless you have something better than your cigarette anecdote and have evidence of company instigation of or acquiescence to any related activity you should take it back .

Seems to me the owner of Kingpower would be extremely upset about all this.

If I were the complainant I'd be straight on the blower to him.

Seems like he'd be the best person to get things done and get heads chopped if he were sent the relevant information.

John

"Seems like he'd be the best person to get things done and get heads chopped if he were sent the relevant information."

John, I admire your trust in the KP owner and staff - look forward to seeing what happens.

But maybe we are in LOS, not Never-Never Land?

rgdz,

Brewsta

[xylophone]

I strongly disagree with the poster who alleges that "tourism is responsible for only 6-percent of the Thai economy". That certainly begs the question, now doesn't it? Additionally, I must assert that unreported and untaxed earnings in the entertainment areas certainly can't be measured, so we really don't know how much tourism contributes to the economy.

But, to the point, it really begs the question to assert that Thai police crimes of all kinds against foreigners affect only tourism, and have only a 6-percent impact risk if left unchecked. Those crimes also affect the decision of world-class businesses that may choose to place their factory in some other third world hellhole instead of Thailand. Those crimes certainly affect the decisions of retirees who cannot even buy land here, and who must grovel and jump through hoops to keep their visas current.

Thailand already has enough "designed-in" negative issues (land ownership, visas, etc.) There are less desirable countries working very hard to compete with Thailand. I would not want to live in Cambodia, or the Philippines, or Malaysia, which is why I am here instead of there, but it would certainly be wonderful if Thailand would correct some of the crazy issues like land ownership, visas, and etc., which could easily be modeled on the practices of many of its more foreign-friendly neighbors. Thailand is a very desirable place to live, on balance, so expats, tourists, retirees and investors continually put up with the nonsense, much of which does not exist in neighboring countries.

But, at what point do the scales tip? The Thai government cannot continue to ignore Police crimes against foreigners. There is a lot more than six-percent at stake here, when you add up tourism, foreign investment, foreign retirees, and perhaps even exports. I encourage all of you to Google the "Don't Buy Thai" campaign of about 15 years ago. Different issue, but Western pressure worked then and perhaps it can work again now.

Judge Dredd

I agree wholeheartedly....6% my a** Just on any given night, the number of foreign visitors strolling down Sukhumvit or Patpong probably use enough taxi drivers, hotels, waiters, maids, hair stylists, tattoo artists, bar girls, flower sellers, food vendors, and consume enough bottles of alcohol to represent adding at least one 0 to the aforementioned figure..and that's without shopping

Although the statistics state that Tourism is resp for 6% of the GDP. Services as defined as "tourism/banking/finance account for 45%. So if you take into consideration the points in the above two posts plus the % incorporated in the "Services" category, you are talking BIG numbers.

Wake up Thailand........don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg!! Too late probably, as alreadywitnessed by the drop off in visitor numbers!!

[goonerthegooner]

Look at it this way,too date there have been 8,273 readers of the story,lets say they tell 30 people they know,plus another 30 by internet,thats well over half a Million people that know about this scam.

And that is a BIG HOLE in the pockets of KP.through lost revenue.

Also,having been a member of Thai Visa for a long time now,funny how we NEVER get any replies from those LAZY, NO GOOD FOR NOTHING,IDLE BAS@ARDS IN THE BRIT EMBASSY. Probally out getiing pissed as normal on tax payers money,they should remember THEY ARE CIVIL SERVANTS,first and foremost.

I would like too hear the reply from The UK Amb in Bangkok has got to say on this matter

[imaneggspurt]

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/tag/stephen-ingram/

Are we talking about THEE Mr Drummond who used to prop the bar up in the old after hours drinking haunt " The Harbout Bar ' nr Cowboy.

Gin and Tonic if im not wrong !! any many of em ,lol Those were the good old days.

Yes ,thatll be him, nothing wrong with a hands on approach to his research,.

[Bisto]

Read from start to finish.

This scam is clearly being run with executive knowledge from inside KP targets have to be made up one way or the other. Don’t even walk in to look around.

Were not KP running a two for one lately at least when I went through end of May they were advertising 2 bottles of various plonk for the price of one. With various other offers at two for one.

Personally I never buy anything there as I’ve seen over the last 7 years of coming and going there is no value there.

Yes the scams are getting more frequent in Bangkok, as I have witnessed personally.

Not the land of smiles as we are led to believe but the land of scams.

Not all Thai people are scammer’s most Thai’s I have met over the years are quite decent people.

sad and angry

[imaneggspurt]

I strongly disagree with the poster who alleges that "tourism is responsible for only 6-percent of the Thai economy". That certainly begs the question, now doesn't it? Additionally, I must assert that unreported and untaxed earnings in the entertainment areas certainly can't be measured, so we really don't know how much tourism contributes to the economy.

But, to the point, it really begs the question to assert that Thai police crimes of all kinds against foreigners affect only tourism, and have only a 6-percent impact risk if left unchecked. Those crimes also affect the decision of world-class businesses that may choose to place their factory in some other third world hellhole instead of Thailand. Those crimes certainly affect the decisions of retirees who cannot even buy land here, and who must grovel and jump through hoops to keep their visas current.

Thailand already has enough "designed-in" negative issues (land ownership, visas, etc.) There are less desirable countries working very hard to compete with Thailand. I would not want to live in Cambodia, or the Philippines, or Malaysia, which is why I am here instead of there, but it would certainly be wonderful if Thailand would correct some of the crazy issues like land ownership, visas, and etc., which could easily be modeled on the practices of many of its more foreign-friendly neighbors. Thailand is a very desirable place to live, on balance, so expats, tourists, retirees and investors continually put up with the nonsense, much of which does not exist in neighboring countries.

But, at what point do the scales tip? The Thai government cannot continue to ignore Police crimes against foreigners. There is a lot more than six-percent at stake here, when you add up tourism, foreign investment, foreign retirees, and perhaps even exports. I encourage all of you to Google the "Don't Buy Thai" campaign of about 15 years ago. Different issue, but Western pressure worked then and perhaps it can work again now.

Judge Dredd

I agree wholeheartedly....6% my a** Just on any given night, the number of foreign visitors strolling down Sukhumvit or Patpong probably use enough taxi drivers, hotels, waiters, maids, hair stylists, tattoo artists, bar girls, flower sellers, food vendors, and consume enough bottles of alcohol to represent adding at least one 0 to the aforementioned figure..and that's without shopping

Although the statistics state that Tourism is resp for 6% of the GDP. Services as defined as "tourism/banking/finance account for 45%. So if you take into consideration the points in the above two posts plus the % incorporated in the "Services" category, you are talking BIG numbers.

Wake up Thailand........don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg!! Too late probably, as alreadywitnessed by the drop off in visitor numbers!!

IT falls on deaf ears, THEY DONT CARE ,

[Jungian]

I find it a little hard to believe the British embassy didn't help in any way, if this happened to me and the American embassy responded in that way I assure you they would be the ones needing a lawyer not me.

[popshirt]

Another rule is added to my list of "how to survive living in LOS" : NEVER enter a King Power shop !

[bellachg]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

From the article:

"The Foreign Office said consular officials had offered to raise the case with the Thai authorities at the time but had been asked by the couple not to intervene."

That's plausible.

Sneak out of the hotel and travel to the British Embassy to ask to see someone in order to ask them not to do anything

Another thing which is implausible, at the police station they posted bail and after posting bail they had to "sneak out" of the Motel. Once you have posted bail you are free to go anywhere you like, only you cannot leave the country because your passport has been impounded.

Also, everybody is talking that the article was put into their shopping bag as a free gift. Is this a fact? Nowhere in the newspaper reports was this mentioned. For those, who talk about a "kidnapping", they were taken to the police station first, posted bail and then were taken to the Motel, so it was not really a kidnapping.

It would help a lot if the newspapers came forth with a lot more factual details about the case.

[mommysboy]

Everybody should boycott or avoid king power shops, anyway it's always more expensive than on the streets.

Thats true, seems everywhere in the world some people think just because you are buying in a duty free it will be cheaper, WRONG, i bought mouthwash in the LHR Boots and when i queried why it was more than on the high st they replied, ,"the overheads are more in here ".

Well it was certainly more expensive for these 2.

It's an absolute disgrace. Thailand is really bearing it's teeth, and it aint a big smile, and for that matter never was.

[mommysboy]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

From the article:

"The Foreign Office said consular officials had offered to raise the case with the Thai authorities at the time but had been asked by the couple not to intervene."

That's plausible.

Sneak out of the hotel and travel to the British Embassy to ask to see someone in order to ask them not to do anything

Another thing which is implausible, at the police station they posted bail and after posting bail they had to "sneak out" of the Motel. Once you have posted bail you are free to go anywhere you like, only you cannot leave the country because your passport has been impounded.

Also, everybody is talking that the article was put into their shopping bag as a free gift. Is this a fact? Nowhere in the newspaper reports was this mentioned. For those, who talk about a "kidnapping", they were taken to the police station first, posted bail and then were taken to the Motel, so it was not really a kidnapping.

It would help a lot if the newspapers came forth with a lot more factual details about the case.

Oh yeah, it didn't happen, they stole it.

It's all made up.

The scammers don't exist.

Everybody's lying.

Times hasn't got anything better to do.

Mai pen rai. There's no corruption in Thailand.

Are you for real? one of the scammers has even admitted !!!!

[RichardM]

Sorry, but is this story true?

1. If they TOOK the wallet, have to pay the bribes so they later on could get the passports back with a paper from “ prosecutors and police stating that no charges were to be brought against them.”

OK, of course wrong to be able to bribe police but Thailand (and most countries on these globe) is NOT U.K, or Sweden, Denmark and so on. In most countries you can pay for your small mistakes as speeding, shoplifting, wrong - but facts of life.

They could just stay here for another 3-4 months, waiting for the case to come up to court. Now they paid and could leave after a couple of days. At home in U.K they should than keep there mouths shut instead they went to The Times (wouldn’t The Sun been better…)

2. They DIDN’T TAKE the wallet. As in the article saying, FALSELY ACCUSED…

Why did they than pay at all ? A lot of money, also in U.K, without any guarantees for getting the passports back? To an interpreter, and not even a Thai…? It’s well educated people...

Sorry, but I don’t believe that ANY policemen would just take a foreigners passport, at least not in Thailand maybe in Zimbabwe, without any evidence like copy of film from CCTV cameras or the wallet itself in a pocket and no receipt…

Now days it’s very popular for newspapers, both here in Thailand and abroad, to blow up this kind of stories. Lived here for many years and don’t want to defend police or the legal system here, but don’t believe everything you read in the press.

NO SMOKE WITHOUT A FIRE…

[doggie888888]

Shocking how the British Embassy offered them jack sh*t in the way of help ?????

From the article:

"The Foreign Office said consular officials had offered to raise the case with the Thai authorities at the time but had been asked by the couple not to intervene."

That's plausible.

Sneak out of the hotel and travel to the British Embassy to ask to see someone in order to ask them not to do anything

Another thing which is implausible, at the police station they posted bail and after posting bail they had to "sneak out" of the Motel. Once you have posted bail you are free to go anywhere you like, only you cannot leave the country because your passport has been impounded.

Also, everybody is talking that the article was put into their shopping bag as a free gift. Is this a fact? Nowhere in the newspaper reports was this mentioned. For those, who talk about a "kidnapping", they were taken to the police station first, posted bail and then were taken to the Motel, so it was not really a kidnapping.

It would help a lot if the newspapers came forth with a lot more factual details about the case.

Bellachg, I agree with you. The couple are presumed innocent, as the authorities have said there is a lack of evidence. Everything else is really speculation unless the newspaper provided more details like how did the couple come to be in possession of alleged stolen articles?

I am also not convinced there is indeed a scam going on at the airport (this does not mean that it does not exist nor am I saying there is no corruption in Thailand). I have shopped there many times and I know of many others who have also done so...I have never experienced nor heard first hand (not hearsay like somebody knew somebody who knew somebody who got scammed) of anyone who has been scammed as many posters here seem to believe. Surely as a matter of good practice, everyone keepstheir receipts nowadays and where samples are given, one makes sure they are put into the bag by the staff at the counter, and most cashiers counters have cameras zoomed in on them nowadays.

Surely more info or facts need to be gleaned (hopefully the couple's legal action will shed more light) before we all assume that there is indeed such a scam that involves airport, major retailer, police, etc etc etc. I believe some British newspapers have been known to sensationalise some issue and then conveniently drop it quietly after more info comes to light that casts doubts on the original story in the first place; so believe what you read in the papers if you must but with a pinch of salt perhaps?

[TheLaughingMan]

I find it a little hard to believe the British embassy didn't help in any way, if this happened to me and the American embassy responded in that way I assure you they would be the ones needing a lawyer not me.

You need to stay up to date, the British embassy has a reputation and history for doing worse than nothing, sometimes actually aggravating a situation with their lack of willingness just to do their job.

Sorry, but is this story true?

1. If they TOOK the wallet, have to pay the bribes so they later on could get the passports back with a paper from " prosecutors and police stating that no charges were to be brought against them."

OK, of course wrong to be able to bribe police but Thailand (and most countries on these globe) is NOT U.K, or Sweden, Denmark and so on. In most countries you can pay for your small mistakes as speeding, shoplifting, wrong - but facts of life.

They could just stay here for another 3-4 months, waiting for the case to come up to court. Now they paid and could leave after a couple of days. At home in U.K they should than keep there mouths shut instead they went to The Times (wouldn't The Sun been better…)

2. They DIDN'T TAKE the wallet. As in the article saying, FALSELY ACCUSED…

Why did they than pay at all ? A lot of money, also in U.K, without any guarantees for getting the passports back? To an interpreter, and not even a Thai…? It's well educated people...

Sorry, but I don't believe that ANY policemen would just take a foreigners passport, at least not in Thailand maybe in Zimbabwe, without any evidence like copy of film from CCTV cameras or the wallet itself in a pocket and no receipt…

Now days it's very popular for newspapers, both here in Thailand and abroad, to blow up this kind of stories. Lived here for many years and don't want to defend police or the legal system here, but don't believe everything you read in the press.

NO SMOKE WITHOUT A FIRE…

You seriously need to learn where it is you live, this kind of thing is totally a regular occurrence here, police do take passports with no evidence and they do scam and extort people that are innocent.

[Lancelot]

What amazes me about Thailand is how quick the Thais are at locking someone up for the most trivial of crimes. Is everyone assumed to be a lowly criminal? Is there no respect for 'guests in their country'? One would expect to be treated better that a lowly criminal, especially as its probably cost you quite alot of money to get to Thailand in the first place?

Thats why Thailand is so safe mate; the ever vigilant Thai police being proactive and locking up suspects even before they can commmit a crime.

Excellent work

[TheLaughingMan]

King Power has a history of doing things like this. I posted links but people are too lazy. A retired high official from a neighbouring country (Malaysia?) was recently forced to pay a large sum of money because the staff put a pack of cigars on his merchandise at checkout, his wife assumed it was a free gift they were giving them and had it put in the bag. After that is it was a nightmare.

[TheLaughingMan]

"after a frightening ordeal in which they said they were threatened and held against their will at a cheap motel on the airport perimeter until they had handed over the money."

Enough with the bullshit that they were not kidnapped.

[sunholidaysun1]

OK . 8000 quid , lets say at 50 bht to the pound = 400,000 bht . Out of that they had to pay the bail money - 100,000 bht each. So what was the other 200,000 spent on .Then there is the refund that they didnt get of their bail money , 200,000 bht back.

Looks like Mr Sri Lanka has a lot to answer for ? But he wont be found , hes playing at home with his pet Tiger , Tamil.

[Motoon]

Sorry, but is this story true?

1. If they TOOK the wallet, have to pay the bribes so they later on could get the passports back with a paper from " prosecutors and police stating that no charges were to be brought against them."

OK, of course wrong to be able to bribe police but Thailand (and most countries on these globe) is NOT U.K, or Sweden, Denmark and so on. In most countries you can pay for your small mistakes as speeding, shoplifting, wrong - but facts of life.

They could just stay here for another 3-4 months, waiting for the case to come up to court. Now they paid and could leave after a couple of days. At home in U.K they should than keep there mouths shut instead they went to The Times (wouldn't The Sun been better…)

2. They DIDN'T TAKE the wallet. As in the article saying, FALSELY ACCUSED…

Why did they than pay at all ? A lot of money, also in U.K, without any guarantees for getting the passports back? To an interpreter, and not even a Thai…? It's well educated people...

Sorry, but I don't believe that ANY policemen would just take a foreigners passport, at least not in Thailand maybe in Zimbabwe, without any evidence like copy of film from CCTV cameras or the wallet itself in a pocket and no receipt…

Now days it's very popular for newspapers, both here in Thailand and abroad, to blow up this kind of stories. Lived here for many years and don't want to defend police or the legal system here, but don't believe everything you read in the press.

NO SMOKE WITHOUT A FIRE…

What a load of crap...Being here many years you should know better.

This is an elaborate scam and brings in a lot of money. Don't even think that it has no involvement from the upper level...

I'll be happy to do my duty free shopping in Singapore. Avoid KP for a while now and will continue to do so.