Big Trouble In Tourist Thailand

[LivinLOS]

In case anyone thought they recognised the Paul Harrisson fella.. Hes the one that maced the Kateoys when out of uniform as per

LADY BOYS ACCUSE PATTAYA FOREIGN POLICE VOLUNTEER OF ASSAULT : Pattaya Daily News

Then ran home and got changed into uniform at 3am to show up at the cop shop. Doesnt look at all the worse for wear in this ??

I think we all know full well what the ladyboys are like. If what I have seen ladyboys capable of doing then it is a wonder he didn't use cyanide gas!!.

Saw the link.....wouldn't fancy tangling with the babe/guy in the beige. Looks a right tough nut.

Got to remember that these guys/volunteers are dealing with the dregs and situations that we avoid like the plague. They have to go in and deal with it night after night. I wouldn't have the stamina nor stomach for this at all. I admire them for it and am glad it is they, and not me, doing this thankless job.

Erm..

Mace / pepper spray are illegal weapons in Thailand.. Not to be carried by civilians.

He was off duty and out of uniform.. Then runs off home puts the uniform on to appear at the cop shop (worse for wear by the look of it all)..

So TVP's are allowed to attack people with banned weapons.. No charges.. No problem.. Just because thats how they read the situation ?

[britmaveric]

^Well twas a Beach Rd ladyboy - some of them are vile creatures of the night.

[Muppetbkk]

I watched the programe when it aired and can say that there are no 'making Thailand look nice' scenes...the jet-ski scenes were definitely staged...and after reading the following anyone caught helping make this film are going to end up in some serious shit! It was TV making at it's worst ....

Police furious over 'staged' video nasties

Widely distributed video recordings of foreign tourists reputedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents have been made to damage Thailand's tourism reputation, authorities say.

The producers of the video clips - shown on British cable television and YouTube - and the victims of the alleged scams have denied the accusation.

...

Bangkok Post

Source: www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/23902/police-furious-over-taged-video-nasties

Everyone just calm down. Let's not get all worked up over this.

Normal for a thread like this, which is why I stopped posting here a while ago.

I suggest everyone watch the program first before getting excited. Althernatively, we welcome people who reside in Pattaya to come and speak to us face-to-face about what we do. We are more than happy to explain everything, but not on chat forums anymore.

Enjoy the show!!!

[britmaveric]

^Thai officials are delusional as always - evil farang trying to make thailand look bad. Take responsibility and stop spouting rubbish. If you take decisive action and stop these muppets from taking advantage of tourists this would be a positive thing. However lets stick are heads in the sand attitude only makes them come off worse.

Apart from the jetski debacle - Thailand has come off good IMHO. The show for the most part is about knob head foreigners who get themselves in trouble.

[Matan]

^Thai officials are delusional as always - evil farang trying to make thailand look bad. Take responsibility and stop spouting rubbish. If you take decisive action and stop these muppets from taking advantage of tourists this would be a positive thing. However lets stick are heads in the sand attitude only makes them come off worse.

Apart from the jetski debacle - Thailand has come off good IMHO. The show for the most part is about knob head foreigners who get themselves in trouble.

It's like watching children. "I was tricked into doing it by the evil foreigners!" "It's a conspiracy to destroy tourism in Thailand by someone who stands to benefit!"

The obsession with face is sure helping out here!

[mrtoad]

^Thai officials are delusional as always - evil farang trying to make thailand look bad. Take responsibility and stop spouting rubbish. If you take decisive action and stop these muppets from taking advantage of tourists this would be a positive thing. However lets stick are heads in the sand attitude only makes them come off worse.

Apart from the jetski debacle - Thailand has come off good IMHO. The show for the most part is about knob head foreigners who get themselves in trouble.

I'd have to agree that some of the "characters" haven't exactly covered themselves in glory. Morons like some of them shown really shouldn't be allowed to have passports.

As for Thailand, and it's reputation let's see how many more scams get unearthed as this progresses, I don't think it has shown it in a good light either.

[harleyclarkey]

Mmmm. probably is as the cops found a good stash of dosh in the hotel room they shared and he was seen on CCTV on the getaway ( ) scooter. The dad is a bl--dy disgrace to even think of involving his son in this. He must be a real low life. Anyway...the kid had to have been waiting quite some time between the report and the cops arriving.

Please tell me you are not serious with this comment concerning whether or not the young lad is guilty!! Well the reports say 100K in the hotel room which at the time was about £2000. Does that constitute enough money to prove you are a criminal? When I used to come over here a few years ago visiting the woman that is now my wife, I regularly travelled with£6-8K in cash in my bag. Since when has money in your room made you a criminal? !00K baht is hardly a significant amount of money. It is possible the son knew nothing about his Dads life of crime out here in Thailand.

100k is not a lot ..only when you don't have it. Then it is.

When you take into account; PHUKET CITY: A father, mother and son from the UK have been charged with using fake electronic cards to withdraw more than 100,000 baht from ATMs while on holiday in Phuket.

Capt Supachai Petchkul of Phuket City Police Station today told the paper that police received an anonymous phone call at 1:40 am yesterday reporting that two foreign men were behaving strangely.

Police arrived to find Mark Hubert Veerasawmy, 44, and his son Sonny, 19, withdrawing cash from the bank's ATM. Both were wearing small white masks that covered the nose and mouth, Capt Supachai said.

Also;

The three, described by police as a family, have refused to give any details about how they obtained the fake bank cards, except to say that they bought them off a man named “Peter”, Lt Col Chakaphol said.

Along with the withdrawel slips (easily proved to have been fake or skimmed cards) and the fact he was waiting for his father who was right beside him committing the crime....I'd say there is a probable (as I already said) chance he was in on it. O, and the wife as well who was waiting in the hotel room and was seeing to be carring a black bag by a witness and coming back empty handed. The husband phoned her from the jail and the police found no skimmers or encoders. Strange that she happened to take a walk with a big black bag that she "lost", just as the police were arriving?

Do you honestly believe the kid knew absolutely nothing about the crimes being committed? Anyway as I said the father is the true low life by exposing his son to this. He must really love him.

We are not the judge and jury here....just a forum for expressing our opinions. My opinion is that he is probably guilty.

Edited September 16, 2009 by harleyclarkey

[Travel2003]

Having followed this Thread since the first post, and also watching the attached movie clips.

I think the volunteers are doing a decent job, and I think of whatever reason the individual volunteer has for doing this, they are a more asset than a liability to have around.

If I happened to end up in trouble, and being innocent, it would, if I could have one of the volunteers to talk to as well, not harm. I think it would help.

Im sure that the vast majority of the volunteers are doing this for anything else than personal gain and so call power trips.

So all in all, I believe they being there is for the better, and not worse.

You have my vote.

[edh]

When are the remaining episodes going to be aired?

[britmaveric]

Every Mon Nite for another 6weeks.

[snuggzzz]

I can only speak for the Phuket foreign TPVs..

'Arrest' is a formal procedure whereby the person being placed under arrest is cautioned etc 'I am arresting you for xxx, you do not have to say anything etc etc'

Phuket foreign TPVs do not have that authority, but they do have authority to detain or restrain a person until a formal arrest can be made by a Thai police officer. That is exactly the same authority that any citizen has in the context of 'citizen's arrest' (which is not really an arrest in the above definition).

I have detained and/or restrained persons on a few occasions, (when they have been complete tw*ts and their actions likely to incite a slap or worse from others...). I have never arrested anyone because I have no authority to do so, and that process has been left to my Thai police colleagues.

Can't really speak for other volunteer groups. Would be nice if we were all singing from the same hymnsheet

Simon

The definition of Arrest : Is the taking or restraing of a person from his or her liberty. So in actual fact you have 'arrested some people...!!

[GungaDin]

'Muppetbkk' date='2009-09-16 22:44:19' post='3016645'

I watched the programe when it aired and can say that there are no 'making Thailand look nice' scenes...

the jet-ski scenes were definitely staged...and after reading the following anyone caught helping make this film are going to end up in some serious shit! It was TV making at it's worst ..

-----------------------

Prove it or shut up! & yes, you're a Muppet

[patrickinpattaya]

Hi everyone, I enjoyed the program, I found it entertaining. I've lost count how many times I've been out at night in Pattaya and I don't recall ever seeing a pissed up Brit fighting. I've seen a couple of ladyfellas knockin lumps out of each other. The program does show Thailand in a bad light and I think it'll encourage more "larger louts" or "cu*ts" as I affectionately call them to come over.

I can't remember how many times I've been out in Nottingham ciy centre on a saturday night and I dont recall ever NOT seeing a scrap.

I personally feel safer out in Pattaya than back home in the UK. I think the tourist police are a good idea I think they should be better equipped to deal with the public , maybe they should be fully trained police officers as the only real problem is that a few of them in pattaya go on a power trip when in uniform

[simon43]

Snuggzzz, I am not talking about the layman definition of 'arrest'; rather the legal definition of the word in the context of the procedual duties of a police officer. Arrest is not the same thing as restraint in that context.

Anyway, it's OT to this thread

Simon

[cyb]

Hi everyone, I enjoyed the program, I found it entertaining. I've lost count how many times I've been out at night in Pattaya and I don't recall ever seeing a pissed up Brit fighting. I've seen a couple of ladyfellas knockin lumps out of each other. The program does show Thailand in a bad light and I think it'll encourage more "larger louts" or "cu*ts" as I affectionately call them to come over.

I can't remember how many times I've been out in Nottingham ciy centre on a saturday night and I dont recall ever NOT seeing a scrap.

I personally feel safer out in Pattaya than back home in the UK. I think the tourist police are a good idea I think they should be better equipped to deal with the public , maybe they should be fully trained police officers as the only real problem is that a few of them in pattaya go on a power trip when in uniform

Most of Thailand is safer than the uk, But there is bad places both in the uk and Thailand in fact all the world.

[bannork]

No wonder Thais despise some farangs, that pathetic Brit lout whimpering after urinating on the taxi, not only uncivilized but also a coward.

The possessing the boyfriend's cannabis case was sensationalism at its worst, constant camera flashes to cops holding batons, bars on cells, menacing music, pure tabloid trash. Everybody knows Thailand's drug laws are severe, the girl should have her passport withdrawn for 5 years for stupidity. And in the end she gets off, so all ends well.

[LivinLOS]

^Well twas a Beach Rd ladyboy - some of them are vile creatures of the night.

So that makes it OK to carry illegal weapons and use them as you see fit ??

[007]

Police arrived to find Mark Hubert Veerasawmy, 44, and his son Sonny, 19, withdrawing cash from the bank's ATM. Both were wearing small white masks that covered the nose and mouth, Capt Supachai said.

Wait! Aren't such masks worn by half the Thai population because of H1N1??

[LivinLOS]

^Thai officials are delusional as always - evil farang trying to make thailand look bad. Take responsibility and stop spouting rubbish. If you take decisive action and stop these muppets from taking advantage of tourists this would be a positive thing. However lets stick are heads in the sand attitude only makes them come off worse.

Apart from the jetski debacle - Thailand has come off good IMHO. The show for the most part is about knob head foreigners who get themselves in trouble.

It's like watching children. "I was tricked into doing it by the evil foreigners!" "It's a conspiracy to destroy tourism in Thailand by someone who stands to benefit!"

The obsession with face is sure helping out here!

And the actual reaction on the street to bad press ??

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Scamming-Leg...ed-t298359.html

They have given thieves a uniform so the police know who to collect the kickbacks from !!

[caf]

I can only speak for the Phuket foreign TPVs..

'Arrest' is a formal procedure whereby the person being placed under arrest is cautioned etc 'I am arresting you for xxx, you do not have to say anything etc etc'

Phuket foreign TPVs do not have that authority, but they do have authority to detain or restrain a person until a formal arrest can be made by a Thai police officer. That is exactly the same authority that any citizen has in the context of 'citizen's arrest' (which is not really an arrest in the above definition).

I have detained and/or restrained persons on a few occasions, (when they have been complete tw*ts and their actions likely to incite a slap or worse from others...). I have never arrested anyone because I have no authority to do so, and that process has been left to my Thai police colleagues.

Can't really speak for other volunteer groups. Would be nice if we were all singing from the same hymnsheet

Simon

The definition of Arrest : Is the taking or restraing of a person from his or her liberty. So in actual fact you have 'arrested some people...!!

Correct, in the Uk anyway. But Thailand has a further definition of restraining you BEFORE formal arrest, which is more like the Western caution. Except there is no actual caution and you are not always told why you are arrested until you asked to sign a police report of the incident in Thai..

[jackr]

No wonder Thais despise some farangs, that pathetic Brit lout whimpering after urinating on the taxi, not only uncivilized but also a coward.

Yep, he was a right sad git... the type that should be deported on the spot along with the two mercs. The boyfriend of the bird with the weed was also a tit. On the jet-ski incident, don't reckon that was staged. The marines wouldn't be risking their careers over that and even if it were, the lad who purportedly crashed the jet-ski certainly wasn't in on it. JJ may have come across as acting but he was obviously getting off on it and that's how many of that type behave in those situations - speaking a bit of English, a bit of muscle behind him, and he thinks he's Genghis Khan... the type of clown who needs to be taken out of his comfort zone on his tod and then asked if he has a problem one on one.

Last time I was in Pattaya 3 or 4 years ago, couldn't help but notice couple of yankee VP strutting around like they owned the place and really putting themselves in a bad light. Howard, on the other hand, looks like a decent enough chap and seems to be doing a good job, so can't see where the animosity is coming from toward him.

[nemomil]

Here is the full text of the UN statement re Thailand's legal and Justice system.

My own personal experience is that the UN report is spot-on. I have personally writen to K. Abhisit the Prime Minister asking whether the failings of officials and the abuse of the legal process is reflective of government policy and asked him to intervene to right the wrongs that I have suffered.

The answer has been silence.

Khun Abhisit has said that everyone in Thailand must obey the law but in practice that seems to exclude those who enforce the law.

Shouldn't he be addressing the failings in the system?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AS-261-2006

October 20, 2006

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

THAILAND: False criminal cases much more than a problem of money

An October 17 article in the Bangkok Post reported that the Ministry of Justice there has to pay hundreds of millions of Thai Baht in compensation to people who have been wrongfully prosecuted for crimes they did not commit.

The law providing for compensation, the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act BE 2544 (2001), arises from the 1997 Constitution of Thailand, which the military abrogated on September 19. Among relevant provisions, section 246 held that

"Any person who has become the accused in a criminal case and has been detained during the trial shall, if it appears from the final judgement of that case that the accused did not commit the offence or the act of the accused does not constitute an offence, be entitled to appropriate compensation, expenses and the recovery of any right lost on account of that incident, upon the conditions and in the manner provided by law."

According to the Post, the head of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection has urged criminal investigators to get proof before arresting suspects, because his department has to pay out 250 million Thai Baht (USD 6.7 million) for 2890 cases of false charges from last year alone. As its entire annual budget is only 420 million Thai Baht (USD 11 million), it will spread the payments over two years, leaving the question hanging as to where the money will come from to pay those persons who claim compensation this year. The director, Charnchao Chaiyanukij, was quoted as saying that,

"I would like to call on state officials involved in investigating the cases to collect clear evidence before making arrests, because wrongfully charged people, to whom the government has to pay compensation, account for more than 30 per cent of the cases deliberated."

Where large numbers of serious criminal cases can be clearly identified as resting on false charges, something has gone awfully wrong. While the development of a law and office for payment of compensation to victims of state injustice in Thailand under the 1997 Constitution is laudable, the issue cannot stop there. It is not just a matter of compensation and the problems that it is causing for the limited budget of a small government department. Rather, the claims for compensation are symptomatic of deeper ailments in the entire criminal justice system. These demand many more serious questions. They include the following.

What is wrong with the supervisory system of the police?

Criminal investigation is central to policing. Where large numbers of persons are being arrested, charged and tried without evidence, it means that there are serious defects in the police. The organisational structure of the police should guarantee supervision of investigators by superiors, and scrutiny of their work before it is used to deprive someone of his or her liberty. If the problem of false charges in Thailand is to be addressed, it is necessary to deal with this failure of supervision. It is also necessary to address long-recognised structural problems in the police force that have arisen due to its being built on principles of self sufficiency rather than centralised state support and control.

What percentage of cases is deliberately fabricated?

Among the wrongful serious criminal charges, while a certain number may simply be due to careless police work, others will have been deliberately concocted against innocent people, in exchange for cash or other favours. The police in Thailand are almost universally recognised as thoroughly corrupt and frequent users of torture and other means to extract confessions and falsify material evidence. They also have strong links with the crime world. Under these circumstances, it is not sufficient to urge investigators to check the facts before submitting a case. This may simply lead to more sophisticated falsification of evidence, particularly where the charges are serious, as in the cases demanding compensation from the government. The real issues go to the nature of justice and society in Thailand. Is the level of criminal intimidation in the society so high that the guilty persons cannot be prosecuted and innocent ones used instead? Are the police so heavily influenced by criminals that they will sooner falsify cases than seek to locate and charge the culprits? How can these deep institutional and social problems be addressed?

What is wrong with the laws and procedures on evidence?

The 1997 Constitution brought with it many reforms aimed at improving the delivery and management of criminal justice in Thailand. It contained specific provisions on the getting of evidence before arrest and inadmissibility of confessions obtained through torture or other illegal means. Notwithstanding, the judicial system in Thailand has still tended to rely disproportionately on police and witness testimony. This makes it easy for police to lodge wrongful charges against innocent persons. One important way to address this imbalance is to place a greater emphasis on forensic evidence, particularly when obtained by independent professionals. In Thailand, the Central Institute of Forensic Science has been a pioneer in this field; however, as it has challenged the established authority of the police it has been subject to heavy attacks and its work unnecessarily hampered. Much more needs to be done to develop the institute and the laws and procedures to admit and utilise reliable forensic evidence from reputed experts in conjunction with testimony. As Thailand is a modern and advanced society with more resources compared to many other countries in Asia, there is no acceptable reason for its criminal justice system to be left behind. Much more attention must be paid to scientific methods of investigation and the bringing of specialist testimony into the courts in Thailand.

What is wrong with the public prosecution?

The responsibility of the public prosecutor is to review cases before taking them to trial. However, it is widely known that in Thailand the prosecutor acts with little independence and relies almost exclusively upon whatever is given by the police or other criminal investigators. The prosecutor is not involved in the investigation work, except in some special cases. One person working for the office has described it as a "meatball factory": whatever it gets, it grinds up and serves to the courts without question. The unprofessional behaviour and lack of independence of the prosecutor's office also is a serious barrier to addressing the high number of false cases going to the courts.

The announcement by the director of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department that his agency is struggling to pay off the large number of compensation claims lodged by wrongfully charged persons needs to receive widespread attention in Thailand. It is not simply a matter of budget; it is a matter of justice.

The Asian Human Rights Commission urges all concerned branches of government to pay serious consideration to his request for evidence-based investigations, rather than evidence-free investigations, and examine the wider implications for their work. Above all, deep institutional defects in the police must be tackled: these have been known and studied for decades but are as yet among the biggest obstacles to the rule of law in Thailand. The AHRC also calls for widespread discussion about the problems among concerned professionals, which could be spearheaded by the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the National Human Rights Commission. They know the problems well, and are in a position to respond to them directly and concertedly. Only this way can the needed institutional solutions be found, and the costs of compensating victims of systemic injustice thereby be reduced.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

[cyb]

Every Mon Nite for another 6weeks.

If you are lucky brit.

We still have not word (confirmation) on how many were finished, So as of yet how many will be broadcast.

I hope all have being done and will be broadcast in the future.

[moskito]

still wondering, for every vehicle one needs normally something like a DRIVING LICENSE....only for jet ski you need nothing?

I heard and read about a lot of accidents with these dangerous things, when they will ban it from public beaches? Patong is dirty enough,

nobody needs this stinkers. Thousands of tourists annoyed by the noise for the fun of some ..... (find your own word)

[Mark Wolfe]

The director of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, Charnchao Chaiyanukij, was quoted as saying,

"I would like to call on state officials involved in investigating the cases to collect clear evidence before making arrests, because wrongfully charged people, to whom the government has to pay compensation, account for more than 30 per cent of the cases deliberated."

Wow, so three out of every 10 arrests are of innocent people. That speaks volumes.

LivinLOS:

Mace / pepper spray are illegal weapons in Thailand.. Not to be carried by civilians.

He was off duty and out of uniform.. Then runs off home puts the uniform on to appear at the cop shop (worse for wear by the look of it all)..

So TVP's are allowed to attack people with banned weapons.. No charges.. No problem.. Just because thats how they read the situation ?

I agree with this completely. I was thinking, "What would happen to someone like me, for instance, if I had tried to break up a fight between ladyboys and a female streetwalker with a generous helping of pepper spray? Do you think I would be allowed to go home and put it past me, as it appears has happened with the fake copper?

I mean seriously, even under the most generous interpretation this is assault.

I think this highlights one of the problems with volunteer "police": the power can go to your head. This is why I mentioned in an earlier post that these guys cruising Walking Street give me the willies. If law enforcement is applied correctly, one should get a feeling of safety when they go by, instead of a sense of dread. The attitude I see from them is one of, "We are the badass foreigners who have the authority to do what you all can't."

And why would this group be so sensitive about someone surreptitiously filming them if they are doing nothing wrong? It looks very much like, "We will allow you to film if we know about it so we can put on our game face; otherwise, we might be acting normal and what occurs might be misconstrued or cast us in a bad light."

The other thing that puzzles me is this: Are you telling me that in all of Thailand there are not half a dozen English-speaking Thai policemen (real police) who could not be posted to beats on Walking Street? That's ridiculous. The very nature of having volunteers to do the work of police is extremely odd. Part of any police training in these beats must be cross-cultural understanding -- it's not like Thais are incapable of dealing with people from outside their country. To a certain extent, I think the existence of the volunteer forces is an insult to the Thai police. It implies that they cannot handle this task, which of course they could.

Or, to look at both sides, perhaps the Thais feel that we foreigners are such odious creatures that they want nothing to do with us and would rather sit around in the station house watching TV than actually having to deal with drunken alien bastards.

What do you think?

By the way, this whole notion of "citizen's arrest" is absurd. No one actually believes in this as a functioning reality.

[hughben]

Does anyone know how much a Jet Ski costs to buy?

Not as in your face as the one that made the final cut, but here is JJ ripping off some US Marines (that never made the cut):

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGbbGs2clMU...feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiKr6VVy4Ac&NR=1

Wonder how much the Police (who were looking on) received?

[nemomil]

The director of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, Charnchao Chaiyanukij, was quoted as saying,

"I would like to call on state officials involved in investigating the cases to collect clear evidence before making arrests, because wrongfully charged people, to whom the government has to pay compensation, account for more than 30 per cent of the cases deliberated."

Wow, so three out of every 10 arrests are of innocent people. That speaks volumes.

That's only the ones who, against all odds, have been able to establish to the satisfaction of the Courts that the police and prosecutor have got it wrong. Consider those who have been wrongly convicted and it speaks not only volumes but full libraries.

Worse, there is absolutely no one to complain to in Thailand (a point also made by the UN Human Rights Commission).

I have personally written to Khun Abhisit the Prime Minister, 6 months ago, about the failure of the Chief of Police and the Attorney General over a period of 2 years, to respond to documented evidence asking for enquiry into the law being used as a weapon of extortion. I have had the same response from him. That is none.

I asked the PM to "demonstrate that the wrongful conduct of some of its officials and the failure of others to address injustice and abuse of the legal process is not reflective of government attitude in Thailand".

I, perhaps naively, becuse of the way he projects himself publicly, expected a response. It seems that my question has, however, been answered by the lack of response from the P.M.

So, I will ask again. Please Mr. Abhisit, respond to the matters I have brought to your attention.

[KevinBloodyWilson]

The director of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, Charnchao Chaiyanukij, was quoted as saying,

"I would like to call on state officials involved in investigating the cases to collect clear evidence before making arrests, because wrongfully charged people, to whom the government has to pay compensation, account for more than 30 per cent of the cases deliberated."

Wow, so three out of every 10 arrests are of innocent people. That speaks volumes.

That's only the ones who, against all odds, have been able to establish to the satisfaction of the Courts that the police and prosecutor have got it wrong. Consider those who have been wrongly convicted and it speaks not only volumes but full libraries.

Worse, there is absolutely no one to complain to in Thailand (a point also made by the UN Human Rights Commission).

I have personally written to Khun Abhisit the Prime Minister, 6 months ago, about the failure of the Chief of Police and the Attorney General over a period of 2 years, to respond to documented evidence asking for enquiry into the law being used as a weapon of extortion. I have had the same response from him. That is none.

I asked the PM to "demonstrate that the wrongful conduct of some of its officials and the failure of others to address injustice and abuse of the legal process is not reflective of government attitude in Thailand".

I, perhaps naively, becuse of the way he projects himself publicly, expected a response. It seems that my question has, however, been answered by the lack of response from the P.M.

So, I will ask again. Please Mr. Abhisit, respond to the matters I have brought to your attention.

Did you really expect an answer the first time? Or the 101st time?

Do you really expect an answer this time?

Do you really think Abhisit is different? Just because he is pretty and can speak English and because his habitual lies sound more convincing or sincere?

Abhisit is no different to any of the other 'status quo must prevail' glove-puppet politicians in Thailand, except perhaps that the unseen hands are further up his back.

[ronz28]

JJ and his crew of thugs have heavy Lao accents. Are they even Thai citizens or just criminals from Laos extorting money from tourists in Thailand?

Edited September 17, 2009 by ronz28

[simon43]

Ah yes, of course JJ and his crew arn't even Thai! So we can blame those nasty Lao people for many of these problems. JJ is luk-kreung? Blame the farang then!

Simon