Danish Embassy Warns Against King Power Dutyfree

[TIT]

Same old same old. That airport is full of semi official looking con men who wear suits and have official looking badges. They are obviously permitted to be there by the AOT and yet they rip off tousits every day with extortionate 'limosiune' services and a whole host of other scams. A tourist arriving in Bangkok by air needs to be aware of the fact that they are targets. The Bristish embassy are as usual a disgrace. Useless in all aspects when deciding their priorities here in Thailand. As always they don't put their own citizens welfare very high on the list.

Thailand almost never has any good news coming out of it with regards to Tourism. It's a wonder they have any industry left at all. Whether it's scamming, murders (often called suicides), increased charges, worsening visa regulations, and other bad news beyond the fault of Thai people, it's almost never good.

In some ways it's a real shame as normal people here no doubt suffer as tourists go elsewhere and in other ways it's just the way it is. There should be no complaints from Thai people when these same tousists choose other less risky places to go and enjoy themelves.

[midas]

There is another thread in this section about the infamous " Thailand Elite Card "

and the latest is that Thailand Privilege Card (TPC), operator of the Thailand Elite Card is

joining with King Power International, operator of duty-free shops, to offer promotions

encouraging member spending while in Thailand.

You should read this also because its another excellent example of how disingenuous

the Thais really are :-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Perks-Thaila...5&start=175

These are people who have already been duped out 1 million baht and some

are even threatening a class action against the government !!

Maybe this is another way of shutting them up ........lure them into them into the King Power outlet

and them locked up

TIT

[goatfarmer]

The poll at the top of this page is a false dichotomy. YES, there are shoplifters everywhere there are shops. YES, it would appear from the reports that there is extortion going on.

Those who clicked the poll should think again.

Edited July 21, 2009 by goatfarmer

[salty]

Apart from people being scammed I also have sympathy for those lovely polite Thai people doing ordinary jobs and getting paid buttons for them. It is such a pleasure to come into contact with them and those beautiful welcoming smiles.

Edited July 21, 2009 by salty

[grantbkk]

In these tough economic times people still have to eat. The petty thief, the police, the Sri Lankan interpreter and even King Power Duty Free's employees. My last trips a few days ago to Suvarnabhumi showed that people are taking notice of the negative press. I saw two foreign woman shopping in all of King Power Duty Free while scores of employees stood around watching the action.

I kept looking for that imaginary boarder crossing that would signify that I was entering King Power's potential danger zone and I wasn't the only one. The scams will continue and one has to admire the unmitigated gall of the people involved in this very organized criminal conspiracy. When a vacationer or even a business passenger is leaving from an airport they are under stress from all directions often of their own making. Will I make the plane? Will the plane crash? Will my luggage make it? Do I have anything on me that my wife might find showing I was in Thailand for the last week? Have to get a present for my significant other and/or children right now.

These passengers are vulnerable and perfect targets for the "King Power Duty Free Scam". They have to go home or fly to another city for work and a delay is going to cost time and money they cannot afford. It would be obvious even to the new baby panda at the Chiang Mai Zoo that the mystery African, the police and King Power along with the lawyers exist to make as much money from you as soon as possible. The trouble once you are targeted you are SCREWED.

Some of these victims were probably petty thieves. I bet they will think twice before they try to steal for a cheap thrill again. The crime here is the continuing criminal enterprise that the government chooses to ignore. I am happy to see at least someone is trying to warn anyone who goes to Suvarnabhumi could be arrested by just entering a King Power property.

Edited July 21, 2009 by grantbkk

[david96]

Documentation on these posts concerning alleged thefts by foreign travellers.

2 British nationals together, 1 Malaysian, 1 Irish, 1 Danish. Reference to "160 others" is pure

hearsay and is not documented.

"Documented" in this case is only a story by the media. Documentation has not been taken in the form of legal statements.

Remember according to the Embassy warnings they mean that if you leave a shop with something in your possession that does not legally belong to you it is seen as theft as far as

Thai law is concerned and you can be fined/ detained.

This is why your Consulate/Embassy cannot do anything about it, they cannot interfere in the laws of a foreign country, it becomes a "diplomatic"issue.

It might be well not to touch any products and get a shop assistant to serve you. That is what they are there for and make sure all is documented on the sales docket.

Do not walk around with a product in your hand if you think that you could walk outside the shop by mistake. Be aware of where you are. It is easy to make a mistake.

[Paddleshifter]

Just let them do it.. Let them stupid thais drain this country for tourist money.

This story is is soon going hot story in the Norwegian news too!

I said it before. This country has so many types of scams going on, so many bad touts, so many annoying people in the tourist areas trying to get money out you.

people pulling you in every direction when you re out walking.

Jetski people overcharging repairs with 2-300 %

Motorbike rentals overcharging accident repairs with 2-300 %, and this i know as some of the rentals are thais i ve known for long time and i have helped them out with sourcing 2nd hand parts for crashed bikes. Sometimes the parts all included are 50.000 B but they charge the foreigner easily 150.000 before he can get back his passport.

I have laughed and, drinked with these thai rental guys and pretended I think its ok just to see what kind of scams they are doing. I wanted to learn about this and now I know so very well what they do and how big the scams are

Read the story in Bangkok post last week. A long reportage about people being happy when they left Thailand 4-5 years ago and just wanting to go back. Now its a different feeling many are left with.

To the thais; Dont blame it all on the world economic recession or the airport closure. More look into the missing good moral and ethics of many of this countrys citizens!

Good luck with it

Edited July 21, 2009 by Paddleshifter

[tennisontang]

Undecided on whether the couple are guilty or not, but don't believe King Power (as in the company) to be a part of the subsequent extortion attempts by the police.

This year has given Abhisit plenty of reasons for complete police reform from the top down. As much as it's a daunting task it's starting to cost Thailand dearly.

They dont even care about H1N1 Flu. Do you think they will care about all this small matter ?

[siamjimi]

Tourists warned of Thailand airport scam

Bangkok airport duty free

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok's showcase new international airport is no stranger to controversy.

Built between 2002 and 2006, under the governments of then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the opening date was repeatedly delayed.

It has been dogged by allegations of corruption, as well as criticism of the design and poor quality of construction.

Then, at the end of last year, the airport was shut down for a week after being occupied by anti-government protesters.

Now new allegations have been made that a number of passengers are being detained every month in the duty free area on suspicion of shoplifting, and then held by the police until they pay large sums of money to buy their freedom.

That is what happened to Stephen Ingram and Xi Lin, two IT experts from Cambridge, as they were about to board their flight to London on the night of 25 April this year.

They had been browsing in the duty free shop at the airport, and were later approached by security guards, who twice asked to search their bags.

Stephen Ingram and Xi Lin

Mr Ingram and Ms Xi were told they had to pay £7,500

They were told a wallet had gone missing, and that Ms Lin had been seen on a security camera taking it out of the shop.

The company that owns the duty free shop, King Power, has since put the CCTV video on its website, which does appear to show her putting something in her bag. However the security guards found no wallet on either of them.

Despite that, they were both taken from the departure gate, back through immigration, and held in an airport police office. That is when their ordeal started to become frightening.

Interpreter

"We were questioned in separate rooms," Mr Ingram said. "We felt really intimidated. They went through our bags and demanded that we tell them where the wallet was."

The two were then put in what Mr Ingram describes as a "hot, humid, smelly cell with graffiti and blood on the walls".

Mr Ingram managed to phone a Foreign Office helpline he found in a travel guide, and was told someone in the Bangkok embassy would try to help them.

The next morning the two were given an interpreter, a Sri Lankan national called Tony, who works part-time for the police.

They were taken by Tony to meet the local police commander - but, says Mr Ingram, for three hours all they discussed was how much money they would have to pay to get out.

police station

Mr Ingram and Ms Xi were taken to meet the local police commander

They were told the charge was very serious. If they did not pay, they would be transferred to the infamous Bangkok Hilton prison, and would have to wait two months for their case to be processed.

Mr Ingram says they wanted £7,500 ($12,250) - for that the police would try to get him back to the UK in time for his mother's funeral on 28 April.

But he could not arrange to get that much money transferred in time.

'Zig-zag' scheme

Tony then took them to an ATM machine at the police station, and told Ms Lin to withdraw as much as she could from her own account - £600 - and Mr Ingram then withdrew the equivalent of £3,400 from his account.

This was apparently handed over to the police as "bail", and they were both made to sign a number of papers.

Later they were allowed to move to a squalid hotel within the airport perimeter, but their passports were held and they were warned not to leave or try to contact a lawyer or their embassy.

"I will be watching you," Tony told them, adding that they would have to stay there until the £7,500 was transferred into Tony's account.

On the Monday they managed to sneak out and get a taxi to Bangkok, and met an official at the British Embassy.

She gave the name of a Thai lawyer, and, says Mr Ingram, told them they were being subjected to a classic Thai scam called the "zig-zag".

Their lawyer urged them to expose Tony - but also warned them that if they fought the case it could take months, and they risked a long prison sentence.

After five days the money was transferred to Tony's account, and they were allowed to leave.

Mr Ingram had missed his mother's funeral, but at least they were given a court document stating that there was insufficient evidence against them, and no charge.

"It was a harrowing, stressful experience," he said.

The couple say they now want to take legal action to recover their money.

'Typical' scam

The BBC has spoken to Tony and the regional police commander, Colonel Teeradej Phanuphan.

They both say Tony was merely helping the couple with translation, and raising bail to keep them out of prison.

Tony says about half the £7,500 was for bail, while the rest were "fees" for the bail, for his work, and for a lawyer he says he consulted on their behalf.

In theory, he says, they could try to get the bail portion refunded.

Colonel Teeradej says he will investigate any possible irregularities in their treatment. But he said any arrangement between the couple and Tony was a private affair, which did not involve the police.

Letters of complaint to the papers here in Thailand make it clear that passengers are regularly detained at the airport for alleged shoplifting, and then made to pay middlemen to win their freedom.

The Danish Embassy says one of its nationals was recently subjected to a very similar scam, and earlier this month an Irish scientist managed to flee Thailand with her husband and one year-old son after being arrested at the airport and accused of stealing an eyeliner worth around £17.

Tony told the BBC that so far this year he has "helped" about 150 foreigners in trouble with the police. He says sometimes he does it for no charge.

The British Embassy has also warned passengers at Bangkok Airport to take care not to move items around in the duty free shopping area before paying for them, as this could result in arrest and imprisonment.

-- BBC 2009-07-20

What about the tourist police located at the airport - I was at the airport recently and sthere is a very large store-front office on the second level housing the tourist police. I was under the impression that the intention of the tourist police is to intervene for foreigners and represent them in the case of any criminal or legal upset that may be happening. Where were they during this entire ordeal.

[Changnoi2]

This has to be the worst thing I have ever read about Thailand!

[sedeflonga]

Thailand is at its lowest point for decades now. Starting with ex PM Thaksin Shinawat / yellow shirt -airport siege and red shirt- Gas Bomb terror (and much more). Could it get deeper? Yes, it can! lets rip some farangs off! hmm how can we do it without getting our head shaved? Ah Airport! Yeah just when they're on their way home they are most vulnerable. Thailand? MAI PEN RAI, farang forget easy hahaha

Thats the kind of mentality we have here. True, not every thai is bad (and I can certify that, I know sooo many good thai's that I thought its a prank when I read about it a few month earlier).

I WISH there would be a STRONG response from the Thai government to clean that mess up. Let some heads roll for a change and dont think:

MAI PEN RAI

[Metalgear]

^{HAHAHAHA !!! THAILAND.....LAND OF AMAZING RIP OFFS !!}

[Lantern]

There is no way I would buy anything from any duty free shop in BKK airport.

I thought a person was supposed to feel safe in an international airport.

Booked my ticket weeks before this story broke, so will be flying in this weekend but it also may be my last trip to this corrupt country.

I'll spend my $$$ in Vietnam next year.

[groovyc]

At last, an unequivocal warning that it is the Thai police who pose a threat to passengers.

Let the smiling hypocrites that constitute what passes for the authorities in Thailand wriggle their squirming little way out of that one.

Well done the Danes, at least they have laid the allegation where it truly belongs unlike the weasely British embassy who seemingly prize a pusillanimous approach to the Thai over and above their responsibility to their own citizens.

Totally agreed. Its high time embassies find their balls and put an end to diplomatic complacency. Well done, Denmark!

[Publicus]

At last, an unequivocal warning that it is the Thai police who pose a threat to passengers.

Let the smiling hypocrites that constitute what passes for the authorities in Thailand wriggle their squirming little way out of that one.

Well done the Danes, at least they have laid the allegation where it truly belongs unlike the weasely British embassy who seemingly prize a pusillanimous approach to the Thai over and above their responsibility to their own citizens.

Agreed but given the "you can't blame the soooo nice Thai people for anything" brigade on here, one truly hopes that none of them work in positions of influence or the law as doing something about this needs people with backbones and balls. Did anyone really believe that the people behind all these scams are anyone but the scamming, cheating, lying Thais who occupy positions of authority and are largely unaccountable ?

Shame on you who back up these corrupt individuals.

Hear, Hear!!

[horndevil]

Honestly, i want to know what the tourists did to piss off the customs officers in the first place... every time i have had any problem with customs, they are always very polite and explain what you did wrong and at times just let you off with a warning... no need to bribes or threats or any nonsense...

Regarding King Power, only idiots buy anything from there as their prices are stupidly expensive and their service staff are rude and unhelpful.

[LomSak27]

Two or more years ago there were "shakedowns" by police and customs people at SUV (aand CM) reported on this and other forums. The heinous crime of bring in two cartoons of cigarettes or more than one liter of booze and trying to slip through the nothing to declare aisle. Older people were the usual target. They were seperated taken to rooms and raked over the coals for hours, in one case more than a day.

As my parents are in thier 70's, I gave them a briefing and made sure I was there when they arrived. When its your elderly parents, all the TV 'apologists' sanctimonious bleatings don't amount to diddly.

[Publicus]

Well done Denmark. The manure is beginning to hit the fan on this. Apparently the video is now being shown on Thai TV. It looks like the story is getting so big that even the untouchables are getting concerned.

Of course nothing will be done about these crooks. Backhanders/Intimidation/Indifference will see to that. But it is so satisfying that even those lying/cheating bastards at the airport are being seriously put out by the fallout.

Hear, Hear!!

[spidermike007]

I only wish Abhisit would grow a set of balls, so he could do something about these problems. In reality, he is probably the only one who could

actually effect the situation, and cause the people in charge to lose their jobs. In most other countries an organization as corrupt and heinous

as King Power would lose their monopoly for allowing a scam like this to take place. The airport authority chief should be fired, the King Power

CEO should lose his job, and heads should roll. Will that happen here? Of course not. The Thai authorities seem to have no interest in eliminating

corruption. In Malaysia, they set up an anti-corruption commission. Every day they are arresting corrupt officials, and sentencing them to harsh

jail sentences. That is making a statement. That is instilling fear in other officials. Here, they have nothing to fear. They are ignored. It takes an

incident like this, where the courageous Danish Consulate makes a statement and brings this to the attention of the press, to create the potential

for improvement. I hope I am wrong, but it feels like the glory days of Thailand may be behind us, unless someone of courage comes in, and

really makes an issue over the treatment of foreigners, the police corruption, etc.

[Insight]

Undecided on whether the couple are guilty or not, but don't believe King Power (as in the company) to be a part of the subsequent extortion attempts by the police.

This year has given Abhisit plenty of reasons for complete police reform from the top down. As much as it's a daunting task it's starting to cost Thailand dearly.

They dont even care about H1N1 Flu. Do you think they will care about all this small matter ?

The Thai news I watch every morning contradicts your statement.

Bringing it back on topic, this case hasn't had a look-in however.

[balo]

Maybe we all could write a letter to KingPower?

And tell them how we feel , so maybe they will understand that corruption is not the best solution for their business....

Here is the address:

King Power International Group Co., Ltd.

8/2, Rangnam Road

Thanon-Phayathai, Ratchathewi

10400, Bangkok, Thailand

[johnefallis]

Question for Siam Legal or Sunbelt Asia, whatever legal entity is involved with sponsoring with Thaivisa: Is there any possibility of bringing a lawsuit against King Power, Police, the "Translator", etc. and getting a hearing in a civil court where they will have to answer for themselves? Or is this whole place so corrupt that this is not an option? How about a formal complaint/demand for an investigation?

[nakachalet]

as of this moment bkk time 12:31 pm

channel 5, nbt, announced that the case against the two has been closed.

as of now, responsible parties are trying to find ways to send money back to the couple as refund.

bravo to all farangs' efforts.....

[nakachalet]

however,

these was nothing said about those involved in the indispeakable criminal acts.... yet.

perhaps, we need to voice our concerns further yet....

[paulchiangmai]

Undecided on whether the couple are guilty or not, but don't believe King Power (as in the company) to be a part of the subsequent extortion attempts by the police.

This year has given Abhisit plenty of reasons for complete police reform from the top down. As much as it's a daunting task it's starting to cost Thailand dearly.

They dont even care about H1N1 Flu. Do you think they will care about all this small matter ?

This last line I do not want to hear, my daughter has just been released from hospital after being treated for H1N1 and I have nothing but praise for the treatment she received there.

[koheesti]

Well, I'm coming to Asia for 3 weeks...only 6 days of which I'll spend in LOS.

RAZZ

LOS? Land of Scams?

[ChiangMaiThai]

Really disgusting Thai police. Pure and simple greed. Smile while they stab you in the back. I think I prefer the US police who are usually as88oles from the get go.

And King Power has to take some responsibility to tell the police, 'hey she was just showing a friend- leave her alone'.

[Rico3000]

This

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/19/world/sa...the-police.html

bears reading as it gives a good picture of how things work in Thailand. You will notice that the New York Times calls the Royal Thai Police "the largest criminal organisation in the country".

Here you can see a Thai policeman counting his extortion money:-

[Bjerget]

Now the danish embassy also warns agains the King Power/police scam:

It is in danish but is a warning about a danish woman that had to pay 65000 DKK(11000 USD) to police because she showed a lipstick to a friend. Maybe she took the lipstick across the shop border. It is not quite clear

Here is a google translation.

Here is a translation by a Dane:

Danes warned about the airport police in Bangkok.

Be careful if you shop in the shops in the international airport in Bangkok. You risk getting arrested with a demand of bribe by the Thai airport police.

That's the warning from the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, knowing about a younger Danish woman who resently got into problems in the airport.

"Be very careful with the open shops which look like you can move freely around" says Mads Beyer who is deputy chief at the embassy in Bangkok to Denmarks Radio News.

Demand for money

He tells that the woman had taken a mascara or lipstick wanting to show it to a fellow passenger standing nearby. Unknowingly the unlucky woman crossed an invisible shop border

and was taken by the police.

"The police having arrested her and a translator tell her in a very aggressive way that they will need a lot of money to assist her" Mads Beyer tells. He adds that the police

tells her very clearly that it can be a long and difficult procedure if you choose not to pay.

The Embassy does not want to give any details regarding this case, but according to BBC News several tourists are having problems with the airport police every month.

Two English passengers were amongst other things threathened with being thrown directly into the infamous Bangkok Hilton jail, where they would have to wait for a trial for up to two months, if they did not pay 65,000 Dkr. (Pound Sterling 7,000) to the police and the translator for "assistance" with the case.

Woman sentenced for shoplifting

The Dansih woman who was arrested with the make-up in her hand, was sentenced for shoplifting.

The Embassy does not want to elucidate which sentence she recieved, but Mads Beyer tells that the typical sentence is a fine of about 300-400 Dkr. and that you risk

two years suspended sentence.

Beyer recommends people first and foremost not to cross a shop border with anything in their hand. If you are arrested, the tourist has to refuse to give in to threaths from the police if they demand bribes.

-if people get into trouble it will be a good idea to contact the Embassy. We are there to assist when bad things happen, Mads Beyer says.

-I cannot guarantee that you won't have a very unpleasant experience and a scare. But we are in a community founded on the rule of law, and other things being equal

you get legal proceedings. And we recommend that you do not allow yourself to be threathened not to contact your Embassy.

The Danish Embassy will now contact embassies from other EU-countries to find out how big the problem is and find out what might be done about it.

[simcity]

It is our faults:

if we did not posts so many comments about the extortion price KP was charging for items at Bangkok airport in the pass, they will still doing well and not be in need to find a new income