British Couple Fights Bangkok Airport Extortionists

[beerchang]

Cheers Bow (are you from Bow? Me mum was born within the the sound of the bells.)

Er Bow Bells are located in Bow Church in Cheapside which is nowhere near Bow.

Anyway enough pedantry.

What seems to have been overlooked here is that in the case of the couple and the wallet, the guy practically admitted to the accusation being genuine because he told the reporters that the scam started at the Police Station, not the airport.

Also the Irish lady has admitted to not paying for the lipstick and taking it out of the store, albeit unintentionally.

The outrageous extortions were solely down to the events after the arrest. There is not much solid evidence that KP is involved.

LOL. Cheers bow. Mum born there. I've never been near the place, just heard of cockneys born within the sound. Not pedantic, informational. Cheers!

[Astropuppy]

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

Finally the voice of reason!!!!!

King Power is so over-priced it is only the "rich" or ignorant who will be doing the shopping there in the first place. The best advice was given: wait until you are in the city. Duty-free savings will not make up for the price gouge on most things at the Airport.

[LaoPo]

Poetic justice?

The AoT board yesterday also approved a management plan to collect an extra 989 million baht in rent from the King Power group, which runs duty free shops at the airport. AoT demanded the extra rent after Suvarnabhumi airport found King Power's duty free outlets took up more retail space than stated in its contract with AoT.

Today's Post

Source ?

989 million Baht would be around € 20 Million or around US $ 29 million EXTRA RENT....???

LaoPo

[caf]

Poetic justice?

The AoT board yesterday also approved a management plan to collect an extra 989 million baht in rent from the King Power group, which runs duty free shops at the airport. AoT demanded the extra rent after Suvarnabhumi airport found King Power's duty free outlets took up more retail space than stated in its contract with AoT.

Today's Post

Source ?

989 million Baht would be around € 20 Million or around US $ 29 million EXTRA RENT....???

LaoPo

How did they find about the extra retail space that they weren't paying rent for?

Did someone take a video showing KP staff walking suspiciously around the extra space where their goods were on display? Was there any change of outer clothing involved? Was the Sri Lankan not around to negotiate ?

[JetsetBkk]

Source ?

989 million Baht would be around € 20 Million or around US $ 29 million EXTRA RENT....???

LaoPo

Google is your friend, LP:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2121...at-city-airport

[LaoPo]

Source ?

989 million Baht would be around € 20 Million or around US $ 29 million EXTRA RENT....???

LaoPo

Google is your friend, LP:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2121...at-city-airport

I know...

But if someone (Maejo Man in this case) posts an article it is Thaivisa's policy that a source is mentioned.

Especially in the case of Bangkok Post it is a sensitive issue because BKK Post demands so and also only the first 2 sentences of an article from their website/newspaper.

It is not up to the readers/members to start guessing or googling to find out where a quote is from.

LaoPo

[sykdevil]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

[mrtoad]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

[mrtoad]

Poetic justice?

The AoT board yesterday also approved a management plan to collect an extra 989 million baht in rent from the King Power group, which runs duty free shops at the airport. AoT demanded the extra rent after Suvarnabhumi airport found King Power's duty free outlets took up more retail space than stated in its contract with AoT.

Today's Post

Source ?

989 million Baht would be around € 20 Million or around US $ 29 million EXTRA RENT....???

LaoPo

Maybe Sri Lankan Tony is undertaking the negotiations.

[ozzieovaseas]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

ow gaaawwd...does anyone in their right mind believe a thread like this could be going for 35 pages and not have any previous referances to the footage...wake up and give us something new!!

[swifty5x5]

Shop Kingpower

[animatic]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

What! How could we NOT have seen this.

KP 'agents' have been periodically bringing this to our attention for quite some time.

One problem is this doesn't prove anything, horribly bad footage and inconclusive.

And it is re-accusing people found NOT GUILTY by the Thai authorities,

YET KP IS TRYING TO ACCUSE THEM AGAIN IN THE COURT OF WORLD OPINION..

Ever hear of Double Jeopardy?

Face saving is better served by STOPPING the SCAMS.

Maybe then business might start coming back... might.

The pud is already will in the wringer now, hard to stop the winding up now.

[caf]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

What! How could we NOT have seen this.

KP 'agents' have been periodically bringing this to our attention for quite some time.

One problem is this doesn't prove anything, horribly bad footage and inconclusive.

And it is re-accusing people found NOT GUILTY by the Thai authorities,

YET KP IS TRYING TO ACCUSE THEM AGAIN IN THE COURT OF WORLD OPINION..

Ever hear of Double Jeopardy?

Face saving is better served by STOPPING the SCAMS.

Maybe then business might start coming back... might.

The pud is already will in the wringer now, hard to stop the winding up now.

I concur with yourthoughts.

But what does " the pud...." mean. sorry you lost me

[brahmburgers]

I heard of KP's extensive over-use of airport space many months ago - possibly over a year ago, in the newspapers.

Is it just now coming to a head? You would think that, as soon as it was realized (by airport authority) that King Power would rectify the situation a.s.a.p. Is KP intentionally thumbing its corporate nose at AOT? Doing business in Thailand can sometimes be weirder than a cross-eyed San Bernadino valley girl on quaaludes.

I think we can file this somewhere between the hundreds of stolen trolleys at Suwanbum (Security guard to boss: "Uh, I thot I saw something odd these past 13 weeks, but I didn't think to do notin about it. I thot the nice people just wanted to roll the carts in to their trucks and drive off. Now that I think some more, maybe there was sometin wrong.")

.....and the hiring of a bunch of thugs with steel bars to go one night and violently raize an entire city block in the middle of Bangkok.

Amazing Thailand, indeed!

Edited August 6, 2009 by brahmburgers

[toptuan]

How did they find about the extra retail space that they weren't paying rent for?

It came to light when Swampy opened and there weren't enough restrooms to go around. The architects checked the drawings and discovered that there are indeed more restrooms on the blueprints than existed on opening date in the airport.

Further investigation revealed that King Power had built over the front of the entrances to many restrooms to get more retail space. Making money on the backs of poor bladder-bursting passengers who've just deplaned.

Busted!

[sunsamourai]

How did they find about the extra retail space that they weren't paying rent for?

It came to light when Swampy opened and there weren't enough restrooms to go around. The architects checked the drawings and discovered that there are indeed more restrooms on the blueprints than existed on opening date in the airport.

Further investigation revealed that King Power had built over the front of the entrances to many restrooms to get more retail space. Making money on the backs of poor bladder-bursting passengers who've just deplaned.

Busted!

That's 'beautiful'

[JoeThePoster]

Further investigation revealed that King Power had built over the front of the entrances to many restrooms to get more retail space. Making money on the backs of poor bladder-bursting passengers who've just deplaned.

Thanks for that interesting tidbit.

Next time my stomach starts growling at Swampy, I'll just take a dump in a Prada handbag at King Power.

[jacobbells]

Did anyone see the CCTV footage of the couple stealing? Its up on King Powers website, along with 2 other stealing incidents.

Here is a direct link to the British couple - British Couple Stealing Footage

You can also visit King Powers' homepage - King Power Homepage

What! How could we NOT have seen this.

KP 'agents' have been periodically bringing this to our attention for quite some time.

One problem is this doesn't prove anything, horribly bad footage and inconclusive.

And it is re-accusing people found NOT GUILTY by the Thai authorities,

YET KP IS TRYING TO ACCUSE THEM AGAIN IN THE COURT OF WORLD OPINION..

Ever hear of Double Jeopardy?

Face saving is better served by STOPPING the SCAMS.

Maybe then business might start coming back... might.

The pud is already will in the wringer now, hard to stop the winding up now.

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

[Thai at Heart]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

You wouldn't be taking this point of view if it happened randomly to you. The judgement is made and it states there was no case to answer. The evidence from the tapes PROVES absolutely nothing, and the only evidence afterwards is completely anecdotal.

If the procedure had been that they had been taken to the cop shop, let out on bail, tried and found guilty or not guilty I certainly wouldn't have an issue with it. Squirreling people away in hotels and telling them they can pay their way out of it is extortion and a complete abuse of the system.

Corruption like this exists because of secrecy and these foreigners have called the system's bluff. The issue in my eyes is not that the people may or may not have something, it is that there is a slick organised system allowing police officers to subvert the system for significant personal gain and there appears to be absolutely no reaction from the authorities.

[manu69manu]

Why do we British always get caught. Everytime!!!

[Oberkommando]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

They have a certificate from the Thai Police stating they are entirely innocent of the alleged offences.

[nisakiman]

Further investigation revealed that King Power had built over the front of the entrances to many restrooms to get more retail space. Making money on the backs of poor bladder-bursting passengers who've just deplaned.

Thanks for that interesting tidbit.

Next time my stomach starts growling at Swampy, I'll just take a dump in a Prada handbag at King Power.

Now that would make for some interesting CCTV footage!

[Bisto]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

You wouldn't be taking this point of view if it happened randomly to you. The judgement is made and it states there was no case to answer. The evidence from the tapes PROVES absolutely nothing, and the only evidence afterwards is completely anecdotal.

If the procedure had been that they had been taken to the cop shop, let out on bail, tried and found guilty or not guilty I certainly wouldn't have an issue with it. Squirreling people away in hotels and telling them they can pay their way out of it is extortion and a complete abuse of the system.

Corruption like this exists because of secrecy and these foreigners have called the system's bluff. The issue in my eyes is not that the people may or may not have something, it is that there is a slick organised system allowing police officers to subvert the system for significant personal gain and there appears to be absolutely no reaction from the authorities.

Your observation of events are clear and to the point.

We all know how things are done in Thailand by keeping this matter in the public's and authority's eyes we may bring about

some hope of change that in itself would be cause for celebration.

Oh i know Thailand is not Farang land customs are different Ect: Ect: but then if we can not trust the authorities who can we trust.

[Benjie]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

You wouldn't be taking this point of view if it happened randomly to you. The judgement is made and it states there was no case to answer. The evidence from the tapes PROVES absolutely nothing, and the only evidence afterwards is completely anecdotal.

If the procedure had been that they had been taken to the cop shop, let out on bail, tried and found guilty or not guilty I certainly wouldn't have an issue with it. Squirreling people away in hotels and telling them they can pay their way out of it is extortion and a complete abuse of the system.

Corruption like this exists because of secrecy and these foreigners have called the system's bluff. The issue in my eyes is not that the people may or may not have something, it is that there is a slick organised system allowing police officers to subvert the system for significant personal gain and there appears to be absolutely no reaction from the authorities.

called their bluff? What by paying them loads of money, waiting until they got back to the UK and then crying to a newspaper.

This discussions been done to death, however hopefully all parties will get their commuppance, The police involved, the couple who stole (who's gonna hire these people with videos of them stealing all over the internet) and kingpower if they have any involvement.

[toptuan]

Further investigation revealed that King Power had built over the front of the entrances to many restrooms to get more retail space. Making money on the backs of poor bladder-bursting passengers who've just deplaned.

Thanks for that interesting tidbit.

Next time my stomach starts growling at Swampy, I'll just take a dump in a Prada handbag at King Power.

I guess this is why the Devil wears Prada. . .or at least Prada will smell like the devil. . .

Edited August 6, 2009 by toptuan

[caf]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

You wouldn't be taking this point of view if it happened randomly to you. The judgement is made and it states there was no case to answer. The evidence from the tapes PROVES absolutely nothing, and the only evidence afterwards is completely anecdotal.

If the procedure had been that they had been taken to the cop shop, let out on bail, tried and found guilty or not guilty I certainly wouldn't have an issue with it. Squirreling people away in hotels and telling them they can pay their way out of it is extortion and a complete abuse of the system.

Corruption like this exists because of secrecy and these foreigners have called the system's bluff. The issue in my eyes is not that the people may or may not have something, it is that there is a slick organised system allowing police officers to subvert the system for significant personal gain and there appears to be absolutely no reaction from the authorities.

called their bluff? What by paying them loads of money, waiting until they got back to the UK and then crying to a newspaper.

This discussions been done to death, however hopefully all parties will get their commuppance, The police involved, the couple who stole (who's gonna hire these people with videos of them stealing all over the internet) and kingpower if they have any involvement.

Read the thread Benjie. Don't over-react before you post.

The video does not show them stealing.

They did not cry to a newspaper

Both a foreign minister and the Thai ambassador in London have been involved.

A Thai court could not hear the case or convict because of the police statement saying they were innocent and other written evidence including a bank transfer. You need to read the whole thread and maybe that posted elsewhere on the internet.

One good thing has come out of this though. Because everyone now wants to convict on the basis of video evidence, some people have been hoist by their own petard. Perhaps there was a video taken of some construction workers building some retail outlets where toilets were planned to be built.

[jacobbells]

Oh no.... yet another farang criminal apologist who continues to make excuses for a couple of cry-baby thieves. It's usually only criminals themselves who feel pity for other criminals.

You wouldn't be taking this point of view if it happened randomly to you. The judgement is made and it states there was no case to answer. The evidence from the tapes PROVES absolutely nothing, and the only evidence afterwards is completely anecdotal.

If the procedure had been that they had been taken to the cop shop, let out on bail, tried and found guilty or not guilty I certainly wouldn't have an issue with it. Squirreling people away in hotels and telling them they can pay their way out of it is extortion and a complete abuse of the system.

Corruption like this exists because of secrecy and these foreigners have called the system's bluff. The issue in my eyes is not that the people may or may not have something, it is that there is a slick organised system allowing police officers to subvert the system for significant personal gain and there appears to be absolutely no reaction from the authorities.

called their bluff? What by paying them loads of money, waiting until they got back to the UK and then crying to a newspaper.

This discussions been done to death, however hopefully all parties will get their commuppance, The police involved, the couple who stole (who's gonna hire these people with videos of them stealing all over the internet) and kingpower if they have any involvement.

Read the thread Benjie. Don't over-react before you post.

The video does not show them stealing.

They did not cry to a newspaper

Both a foreign minister and the Thai ambassador in London have been involved.

A Thai court could not hear the case or convict because of the police statement saying they were innocent and other written evidence including a bank transfer. You need to read the whole thread and maybe that posted elsewhere on the internet.

One good thing has come out of this though. Because everyone now wants to convict on the basis of video evidence, some people have been hoist by their own petard. Perhaps there was a video taken of some construction workers building some retail outlets where toilets were planned to be built.

Ha.... "The video does not show them stealing" what a jerk of a comment Nah... just shows the thief stuffing a 100 quid wallet in her handbag and darting out.

"They did not cry to a newspaper" what another jerk of a comment Nah... they just went banging on the door at The Times.... boo hoo - "Do you want this story, i know it's a bit boring but with your paparazi journos you should be a able to spice it up ten fold - by the way... how much you gonna give me for this story, that Ozzie bar matt thief got 5,000 dollars for hers".

[Thakkar]

Ha.... "The video does not show them stealing" what a jerk of a comment Nah... just shows the thief stuffing a 100 quid wallet in her handbag and darting out.

"They did not cry to a newspaper" what another jerk of a comment Nah... they just went banging on the door at The Times.... boo hoo - "Do you want this story, i know it's a bit boring but with your paparazi journos you should be a able to spice it up ten fold - by the way... how much you gonna give me for this story, that Ozzie bar matt thief got 5,000 dollars for hers".

Regardless of their guilt or innocence, once under police custody, there were not treated right.

If there was a case against them they should have been charged and tried. Instead they were intimidated and made to pay £8000 before being released without charge.

[Benjie]

No one is saying that it's right that police take bribes, however this couple clearly proclaimed their innocence, In which case it WOULD have been a much worse thing that happened.

People have trouble finding compassion for the couple when the video clearly shows them as professional thieves. I believe they were blackmailed after being caught, but what was the alternative to paying off the police - 6 months in Jail?

I don't think the police should blackmail people BUT if they do I'd prefer it to be the guilty people like these guys.

[Benjie]

No one is saying that it's right that police take bribes, however this couple clearly proclaimed their innocence, In which case it WOULD have been a much worse thing that happened.

People have trouble finding compassion for the couple when the video clearly shows them as professional thieves. I believe they were blackmailed after being caught, but what was the alternative to paying off the police - 6 months in Jail?

I don't think the police should blackmail people BUT if they do I'd prefer it to be the guilty people like these guys.