Danish Embassy Warns Against King Power Dutyfree

[roamer]

The sub-heading reads "British Embassy also warn Suvarnabhumi passengers"....err where ?

Its certainly not official FCO advice, thats here.

God knows they should have been warning people years ago, the prices amounted to robbery.

[truthfulfox]

to samjaidee living in vietnam

in reference to the video shown this evening by channel 5, the video narrator went on to say that the couple was arrested when they were in an eatery, sitting at different tables.

when the man saw the arrest of the lady, he walked away but was later arrested too. the shoplifted item (it looked like a dark wallet to me) was not found on the couple when searched. the missing item from the shop was later found in a trash can.

and in reference to the poll, just set up by thaitv--it needs to be much more specific for the poll to be meaningful. pls have someone from statistics 101 tries his/her hand on it.... lol (i like thaitv ok)

your TV should show the video of the british man when he threw the wallet, or your airport deosn't have cameras , that mean no security then !!!

thai people , you talk but you never prove . hope you got the meaning

[robbo1]

Why go to duty free shops anyway most items are half the price in down town bangkok ???

[WAERTH]

I have serious doubt about the video footage. CCTV always shows date and time and framenumber! It doesn't show this in these videos ...

W

[walterego]

Unfortunately I doubt a private retailer like King Power has the ability or Authority to access that CTV (edit: of the airport outside the store) video it is impossible as it is not the property of King Power.

It is also likely that the frame capture rate also does not capture the frame in wich he discards the wallet thus rendering such a video useless. Fortunately for King Power their CTV did.

[walterego]

Yeah your right perhaps that is not him and her in the video it is some Thais cleverly disguised as a Farang faking the video long after the act so as to protect themselves and the entire Corrupt nation from being brought undone by trying to frame some poor innocent guy for stealing a what? a wallet!

Or perhaps they saw him comming in and quickly video edited some footage inticed him into the store somehow and then set him up! That looks like standard CTV footage to me. more to the point if you are going to fake a video why not fake a time stamp to add credibility.

[jupiler]

See the video about the british couple here.....

And make your own opinion.

I believe King Power!!!

Zappergeck

Looks to me as if she is putting something in her bag - definately! I guess that is illegal everywhere or will it pass in the UK?

Sad how people at once start their racist thai bashing.

And I am a Dane!

That video doesn't prove anything and I don't think she'd be stupid enough to try and steal something IN FRONT of the shop assistant...

And racist Thai bashing..? We are talking about extorsion and kidnapping of tourists by national police here, at the international airport...

True, and when she steps in to the shop, she allready has something in her hand.

This video proofs nothing!

[frankthetank]

See the video about the british couple here.....

And make your own opinion.

I believe King Power!!!

http://www.kingpower.com/2009/popup/pop_case3.html

Zappergeck

Looks to me as if she is putting something in her bag - definately! I guess that is illegal everywhere or will it pass in the UK?

Sad how people at once start their racist thai bashing.

And I am a Dane!

Maybe I am wrong, but it sure looks to me like the lady

in blue is the one who takes the black item, and then deposits it in the dark cupboard.

I have watched and watched, but cannot make out the customer taking it!

Furthermore, if she was gonna steal it, why not do it behind the pillar? Rather than placing it on the counter?

reason for edit: bad spelling again

[Ijustwannateach]

Strange, all these low-post-count users moved to log in and express their support for King Power..... quite a coincidence.... gosh...

[frankthetank]

Strange, all these low-post-count users moved to log in and express their support for King Power..... quite a coincidence.... gosh...

I am certainly in the low post end, but I am with the customer on this!

(I know it wasn't directed at me, but just to add the point)

[sezze]

I bought at King Power before and go in the shops every single time . I wouldn't mind shopping there again if i needed something and the price is right ( i mean lower then somewhere else ) . I saw the footage of the British couple and there was something not right .

If you go in tax free / King Power , make sure your bags are closed completely and every action is clearly visible for everybody/ cams . That way they cannot blame you for something and they cannot ask for money . Is it a scam , maybe but i do not think so . King Power has got a lot to loose if they get expelled from the airport because of scams . I guess in every case there is something wrong , maybe it isn't shoplifting but all their actions weren't completely visible and there was doubt about their actions . What ever is going on , if you haven't done anything DO NOT PAY , and contact your embassy straight away .

[DagonKhan]

Yeah your right perhaps that is not him and her in the video it is some Thais cleverly disguised as a Farang faking the video long after the act so as to protect themselves and the entire Corrupt nation from being brought undone by trying to frame some poor innocent guy for stealing a what? a wallet!

Or perhaps they saw him comming in and quickly video edited some footage inticed him into the store somehow and then set him up! That looks like standard CTV footage to me. more to the point if you are going to fake a video why not fake a time stamp to add credibility.

You obviously know the British couple in question? You know for a fact that the video shows Mr. Amhurst and his wife do you?

[minxwhale]

wow thanks for the link to the videos. very clear about the brit couple.

amazing that the bbc didnt watch that video.

i thought they had more ethics than the press in my homeland USA.

Some of the 'journalists' are on an agenda that involves embarrassing and discrediting the current government no matter what. If Taksin were in charge you would see very different reporting from some of the foreign 'experts' on Thailand.

That's because Thaksin bullied and intimidated the media and even threatened advertisers in papers critical of him.

[TheWalkingMan]

To save everyone time here is one video with all 3 cases: Irish, Indian and British.

TheWalkingMan

[dantilley]

Strange, all these low-post-count users moved to log in and express their support for King Power..... quite a coincidence.... gosh...

Probably because this story has been sent out to the whole of ThaiVisa's database, so everyone knows about it now, no matter how high or low their post count.

[LaoPo]

To save everyone time here is one video with all 3 cases: Irish, Indian and British.

TheWalkingMan

1. the first part: there's NOTHING which proves a theft or anything near it. IF anybody can see something he/she must be bionic with superman's eyes

2. that's the video where a Farang Gentleman buys something and the staff guy puts the item on top of the counter whereby someone else takes that item and disappears from the video; that's all. WHO was that man, who took that item and was he arrested ? What was his name ?

3. The 3rd part is the video of a couple, claimed by Kingpower to be the UK couple.

What we want to know:

Where are the videos of the Irish Lady Doctor and the Danish girl ???

Surely Kingpower must have videos of people who stole from them, right?........ and in that case Kingpower will have no problem whatsoever to show them on their website or even on Thaivisa and/or release the same on Thai television ?

We have patience...lots of it

LaoPo

[lovenim]

http://212.58.226.17:8080/1/low/despatches/87016.stm

Nothing's changed in over 10 years

[ukrules]

http://212.58.226.17:8080/1/low/despatches/87016.stm

Nothing's changed in over 10 years

Of course it hasn't, they are quite happy with the way things are at the moment, if this just blows over then it will be back to business as usual.

I wonder if there's anyone being held against their will at that hotel at the moment.

[Serpico]

Thai authorities have zero credibility.

Is that video faked?

There is reasonable doubt in any case brought by Thai officials. Can't trust em.

[Butterflyman]

I have watched all three video's several times, and can't realy see what's going on or who is doing it. The quality is so low. It is all non-conclusive!

[CHINWA]

Coming here you get rippedoff and now even leaving. Amazing Thailand land of smiles. Ha Ha.Only when they have the chance to ripp you off.Green shirts here we come.

The government should step in quickly though much of the publicity damage is already done. If visitors to the country are arrested their embassy should be contacted at once and an interpreter provided from there. Shops with invisible borders should be categorically told they cannot prosecute anyone unless these borders are clearly marked or the person actually goes to an exit or a departure gate. There is no point in saying that visitors should accept they are in a foreign country since the local officials appear not to be following even Thai law. King Power should make a statement now.

when will Thailand realise that it's reputation as a tourist destination is important because there are other countries waking up to the idea of tourism - vietnam cambodia etc and once Thailand loses it then it will be hard to recover. Maybe the problem is that Thais are taught about how successful their country is - are they ever told how much of that success is due to tourism and people wanting to live there?

I don't want to afirm that there are no scams in KP but, have a look on today's tv news and you will see the video footage of what really happened with the british couple... It's obvious that she STOLE and he was aware of that! Bad luck or the video was edited? Let's wait for their comment now when their act is shown in England!!!

[SoiGirlHunter]

I salute the Danes!!

I for one will seek out a Danish Ham!

They have my deepest respect!

[john b good]

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.

My sentiments exactly.

AND, I am not surprised in the least that another scam has been exposed here in the realm.

BUT!! do not expect there to be any change to the way business is done here.

As for it being Suvarnabhumi what more could one expect from an operation that has been tainted long before construction ever began.

Anyone who hasn't been through Changi in the past year should take a look to see what a real airport looks like but then Singapore is the cleanest country in Asia (# 4 in the world) in terms of corruption, and where does Thailand sit "somewhere around 90th in the world.

[CHINWA]

Strange, all these low-post-count users moved to log in and express their support for King Power..... quite a coincidence.... gosh...

were you looking at a mirror when you wrote that stupid sentence or is just a self description of yourself? everyone is entitled to express thier opinion unless but it seems that you're against that as well!!!

[sunnymarky]

Its about time many Embassies and Consulate gave advice NOT to go into KingPower Duty Free, but more importantly made some represenatations concerning "Royal Thai Police" (In the name of their king?) Is extorting money from Foreigners. Now we expect it on the streets in Thailand but At the International Airport. CORRUPT THAILAND CONTINUES ITS MERRY WAY

[salty]

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.

[chillibilly]

The problem in Thailand is that Thais, whether citizens or officials, are inclined to think that all Westerners are multi-billionaires and deserve being ripped off. That is why there is a dual pricing system and general overpricing. I was recently in Ko Tao in the height of the low season and a geusthouse owner was trying to make me pay 1200 Baht for a small, horrible bungalow with no hot water and a bathroom that looked as though it had been bombed by enemy fire. Even though nobody else was staying in any of his bungalows, he wouldn't lower his prices. So, I went elsewhere and got a nice room from a Western-sensitive owner for 700 Baht. Westerners themselves are certainly in part to blame for this. I don't know how often I see them given tips to establishments that are already blatantly overcharging them by a good 400%. Indeed, I saw Westerners this time even giving tips in a 7-11 convenience store where they had put up the price of a 12 Baht bottle of water to 27 Baht and written out the new price by hand. All 7-11 prices are the same nationwide. Before we can rid ourselves of scams against us, we must first educate our fellow tourists on the correct code of behaviour when they travel abroad.

________________________________

Coming from a "tipping" country and feeling sorry for the Thai workers who are paid peanuts, I occassionally leave a small tip in a restaurant or bar BUT lately I have been seeing homemade cardboard "tip boxes" near the cashier all over the place...travel booking agents, hair salons, even at a clinic. And do you think most of these people know anything about customer service?

[sunnymarky]

Strange, all these low-post-count users moved to log in and express their support for King Power..... quite a coincidence.... gosh...

were you looking at a mirror when you wrote that stupid sentence or is just a self description of yourself? everyone is entitled to express thier opinion unless but it seems that you're against that as well!!!

CORRUPT THAILAND > POLICE < IMMIGRATION< GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS< END OF ARGUMENT

INNOCENCE OR GUILT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY ISSUE

[caf]

Anybody who shops in a duty free shop is silly anyway. The stuff is way over priced and the amount you that you MIGHT save is only pennies. It's much cheaper to shop on line or at home when the goods are sale.

Oh, and as others have already said... Shop lifting happens everywhere in every shop. Breaking laws outside your own country is VERY foolish. You have to accept the consequences of your own actions.

Ian: No one has proved their guilt; there are no videos of the danes or the Irish lady;

Yes shoplifting happens everywhere but thta does not mean it happens in every case.

If there was a poll on supporting exhortion, how would you vote?

I know you love thailand, so do I, but don't support the unsupportable.

[Serpico]

Thai Police are running the famous and highly profitable gem scam too.

This guy and a bunch of his colleagues can be found at the Erawan Shrine every day, scamming tourists.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/...in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/...57616786296908/

They now have posted scammers at every tourist attraction, busy corner, shopping center, BTS Skywalk.. everywhere.

Their goal? To defraud every visitor to Thailand.

Tuk Tuks and Taxies are working for them too.