Police Raids In Chiangmai Bars For Playing Music

[Turdcat]

I have recently been told of three bars being hit by undercover police for playing music, "unlicensed ???", in the Chiang Mai area. The bars are raided by five to ten individuals in plane clothed and they ask for 60000 baht to avoid going to jail. In the first case, a good friend had his place hit by five people. The situation was apparently resolved quickly when several people jumped up and started taking pictures of everyone involved and threatened to post them all on the net with "Corruption in Thailand" as the topic. The second was an individual I spoke to yesterday, also a foreigner, said a Thai came into his place and asked if he would play some Thai music while he sat down for a beer. Within a few seconds of the music beginning, ten plane clothed individuals came in and took pictures of the computer he was using and said he also would have to pay 60000 Baht to avoid jail. He did pay the fine on the spot. The third case was a bar where they were playing live music, Thai owned, apparently without a permit. They also asked for money. When refused, the cops took the instruments from the band members. This incident is sketchy as it was friend of a friend of friend……[

I know these are not the only cases of this happening but it appears to be a trend in the Chiang Mai area recently. All appear to be cops and direct payments are the goal.

Anyone hear anything else????

Edited August 2, 2009 by Turdcat
Set font and size to default for readability. Crossy

[Tywais]

Two topics in the CM forum:

Copyright Police and What's the name ...

[verydumbubba]

Tea Time in Thailand

Bubba

[dale8]

Hello, I have heard of this in many different cities in Thailand as the boys in blue need to pay some bills too. Bars are an easy hit for them, and it is much better for the BIB to "fine" the bars with foreign owners because they all have more money. It is good to have all the paper work for the licences at hand as it would only open the door for the police. All bars that play music need a licence for both Thai and foreign music, or they could pay the bills for more BIB. Cheers.

[bojo]

Hello, I have heard of this in many different cities in Thailand as the boys in blue need to pay some bills too. Bars are an easy hit for them, and it is much better for the BIB to "fine" the bars with foreign owners because they all have more money. It is good to have all the paper work for the licences at hand as it would only open the door for the police. All bars that play music need a licence for both Thai and foreign music, or they could pay the bills for more BIB. Cheers.

They play on foreigner 'fear' factor, (going to jail and left to rot and so forth) and our naivety.

regards Bojo

[garycm]

I have recently been told of three bars being hit by undercover police for playing music, "unlicensed ???", in the Chiang Mai area. The bars are raided by five to ten individuals in plane clothed and they ask for 60000 baht to avoid going to jail. In the first case, a good friend had his place hit by five people. The situation was apparently resolved quickly when several people jumped up and started taking pictures of everyone involved and threatened to post them all on the net with "Corruption in Thailand" as the topic. The second was an individual I spoke to yesterday, also a foreigner, said a Thai came into his place and asked if he would play some Thai music while he sat down for a beer. Within a few seconds of the music beginning, ten plane clothed individuals came in and took pictures of the computer he was using and said he also would have to pay 60000 Baht to avoid jail. He did pay the fine on the spot. The third case was a bar where they were playing live music, Thai owned, apparently without a permit. They also asked for money. When refused, the cops took the instruments from the band members. This incident is sketchy as it was friend of a friend of friend……[

I know these are not the only cases of this happening but it appears to be a trend in the Chiang Mai area recently. All appear to be cops and direct payments are the goal.

Anyone hear anything else????

yes. many bars have there computer taken where they play the music from. Pay on the spot or at the police station. My thai friend had to pay 12000 b

[sabaijai]

One solution is to play streaming music from Internet radio stations, which is not illegal.

[HalfSquat]

One solution is to play streaming music from Internet radio stations, which is not illegal.

Would they accept that?

Couldnt you then setup your own internet radio station at home and stream the music to the bar?

[sabaijai]

That wouldn't be the same, legally. An Internet broadcast from AOL, for example, already has rights requirements in place. A restaurant owner in CM last weekend told me the rights police are OK with this.

[heazille]

Considerably more than 3 bars have been "visited"

They have been around 3 different times now in the last 3 months in our Soi alone,

In our Soi (the wife runs a small place) they have "fined" at least 6 places a minimum of 12,000 baht each with some paying 30,000 baht.

some have even been targeted twice.

This was after one place being asked for 100K!! when told did not have that amount of cash they were invited to use the atm, the card limit was 30,000 baht,

I will let you all guess what the fine was in the end!!

Last time around (we were fine as I purchased a license from 1stop, e mail me for details if you need them) one place hit for the second time did indeed get upset and started taking photos.

The licence people in Bangkok would also like to know who these "police" are as they know nothing about them and quite obviously do not see any of the "fines" that have been collected.

There official advice is simple.

A: They should have official id

B; They will have a letter from the licensing company explaining the visit.

C; ALWAYS keep a camera ready (with batteries!!, sorry jeff ) especially if you see a Black Fortuner with Chiang Mai Plate 9097

D; do be polite

As soon as the cameras started rolling they will indeed scarper.

I did also send full details to the Chiang Mai Mail but they to date have shown no interest in this story at all.

Cheers

Richard

Chiang Mai

[Shuguk]

I have recently been told of three bars being hit by undercover police for playing music, "unlicensed ???", in the Chiang Mai area. The bars are raided by five to ten individuals in plane clothed and they ask for 60000 baht to avoid going to jail. In the first case, a good friend had his place hit by five people. The situation was apparently resolved quickly when several people jumped up and started taking pictures of everyone involved and threatened to post them all on the net with "Corruption in Thailand" as the topic. The second was an individual I spoke to yesterday, also a foreigner, said a Thai came into his place and asked if he would play some Thai music while he sat down for a beer. Within a few seconds of the music beginning, ten plane clothed individuals came in and took pictures of the computer he was using and said he also would have to pay 60000 Baht to avoid jail. He did pay the fine on the spot. The third case was a bar where they were playing live music, Thai owned, apparently without a permit. They also asked for money. When refused, the cops took the instruments from the band members. This incident is sketchy as it was friend of a friend of friend……[

I know these are not the only cases of this happening but it appears to be a trend in the Chiang Mai area recently. All appear to be cops and direct payments are the goal.

Anyone hear anything else????

From yesterdays Daily Mail in the UK.......You think Chiang Mai has problems???

Music police have told a grandmother to stop singing behind the counter of the corner shop where she works - or pay for a licence.

Sandra Burt began serenading customers at the A & T Food Store in Clackmannan, near Stirling, after the owners were contacted by The Performing Right Society and told they would have to pay an £80 annual fee to keep the radio on in the shop.

They decided not to bother and now 56-year-old Sandra sings tracks 'from anyone from The Noisettes, to the Rolling Stones' as she stocks the shelves and weighs customers' purchases.

A song and dance: Sandra Burt's musical outbursts at the A & T Food Store have been deemed 'live public performance'

One delighted regular has even compared her voice to Amy Winehouse.

Now, however, the PRS, which collects royalties on behalf of music industry bosses and artists, has told her that her 'spontaneous outbursts of joy' constitute live public performance, and she could have to pay annual fees of 'four figures'.

Gareth Kelly, music sales advisor for PRS, said that Mrs Burt was getting up to 'mischief' to get round the radio licence fee.

He said: 'Using any copyright material in your store, without paying for it, is illegal.

'It doesn't matter whether you're singing a Robbie Williams track, or listening to a Robbie Williams track, you still have to pay for it.

'She could be fined for not having a live performance licence, and if the fine isn't paid, then she could potentially be taken to court.'

The PRS said that Mrs Burt could be judged to be giving daily performances, which would require individual daily licences, taking the annual cost up to 'four figures'.

Mrs Burt, a Rolling Stones fan, said she was shocked by the attitude of the PRS.

She said: 'I come from a very musical family. My husband is a drummer in a pipe band, and even my two-and-a-half year old grand-daughter is always singing.

'I sing all the time, and I often don't even know I'm doing it. It's just a spontaneous, happy thing.

'They'd have to put tape over my mouth to stop me singing these songs. Even if they threatened to take me to court, I don't think I could stop singing. I'm just a naturally happy person.

'Nobody that comes in the store complains about me singing. I love singing and think it's cruel that PRS would try and stop me from doing it.'

Assistant manager of the store Dale Alexander said they had been contacted by the Performing Right Society to say their business could be fined if they were caught listening to a radio without a licence, so Sandra decided to entertain the staff and customers instead.

Mr Alexander, 29, said: 'Sometimes you can go half an hour without seeing anyone in the shop so the radio was a wee bit of company.

'It was really just for the staff. It is not like we were putting on a concert. The rules have been in for a while but the PRS have been targeting small shops recently, and with the recent huge increase in the drinks licence to stump up it is just too much to pay extra for.

'It helps that Sandra actually likes singing the oldies from the sixties and that sort of thing, and she is quite a good singer.'

Mrs Burt, who has worked in the store for four years, added: 'I have always sung in the shop but it is so quiet now without the radio on, that I'm singing all the time.

'I'll basically just sing anything that comes into my head, and then Dale will start singing along with me, and people in the shop will say 'Oh I know that song too', and they'll start singing along too. It's a happy store.

'It's ridiculous. What's the world coming to when Big Brother wants to charge you for singing a wee tune?'

The Performing Right Society said it was within its rights to charge for all copyright music played or performed outside of the home. The not-for-profit organisation distributes the royalties to the writers and publishers of the songs.

[gpdjohn]

From yesterdays Daily Mail in the UK.......You think Chiang Mai has problems???

Music police have told a grandmother to stop singing behind the counter of the corner shop where she works - or pay for a licence.

Sandra Burt began serenading customers at the A & T Food Store in Clackmannan, near Stirling, after the owners were contacted by The Performing Right Society and told they would have to pay an £80 annual fee to keep the radio on in the shop.

They decided not to bother and now 56-year-old Sandra sings tracks 'from anyone from The Noisettes, to the Rolling Stones' as she stocks the shelves and weighs customers' purchases.

A song and dance: Sandra Burt's musical outbursts at the A & T Food Store have been deemed 'live public performance'

One delighted regular has even compared her voice to Amy Winehouse.

So, her voice sucks ..no wonder they have decided to leave her alone.