Farangs Forced To Spy And Snitch For The Police

[FarangForce5]

I got the idea for this topic after reading and replying to a thread about the volunteer tourist police a few moments ago.

I had some close friends get arrested and detained for over 24 hours a couple years back after they got busted for playing a friendly game of cards in one of their apartments. There was money involved in the game of course, but it was a small amount (a few thousand baht) and it wasn't like one of those big organized casinos that you hear/read about getting raided quite often. All the participants were friends except for one who was new to the game and had got invited by someone to join in on the fun that night. It turned out the guy was an (farang) informant for the local police, and several uniformed officers came to the door shortly after the game started.

As everyone was being arrested and taken down to the police cars the informant received a lot of "choice" words from my friends. His responses to them were basically "you guys don't understand, I had no choice" and "I had to do it"

So I am assuming that this guy must of gotten into some trouble with the police himself, and rather than going to jail decided (or was forced) to work for the local police and find other farang they could arrest. Has anyone else here heard of or known any farang informants like this guy? Details of your experiences are welcome...

BTW, my personal feelings are that this guy is a piece of sh*t. Where I come from if you get in trouble with the police you take responsibility for your actions and don't try to weasel your way out of it by getting others in trouble.

[robblok]

I just had to do it .. besides i share in the extortion money from the police too.

[imaneggspurt]

The days of honor amongst theives are over i feel, ill bet a lot of these types sing like canaries when they get a pull,..i heard from a good source that local farang drug dealer was caught recently and offered to do a deal, in pattaya id say its safe to trust no one, tell em bugger all,....

[ukrules]

I recently watched one of those Discovery Channel 'DEA' programs and they were up to the same kind of thing. Someone would get busted and they were given a choice, inform on those higher than them in the 'chain' or go to jail.

Lots of them then proceeded to setup their suppliers, etc. I wonder if they do this in England as well.

[DP25]

I can understand if he's being forced to do this, but this seems very dangerous for him.

[South]

I had some close friends get arrested and detained for over 24 hours a couple years back after they got busted for playing a friendly game of cards in one of their apartments. There was money involved in the game of course, but it was a small amount (a few thousand baht) and it wasn't like one of those big organized casinos that you hear/read about getting raided quite often. All the participants were friends except for one who was new to the game and had got invited by someone to join in on the fun that night. It turned out the guy was an (farang) informant for the local police, and several uniformed officers came to the door shortly after the game started.

BTW, my personal feelings are that this guy is a piece of sh*t. Where I come from if you get in trouble with the police you take responsibility for your actions and don't try to weasel your way out of it by getting others in trouble.

1st paragraph = what they were doing was illegal

2nd paragraph = maybe

Do anything illegal in any country, sooner or later you'll be caught - you've no choice but to accept the consequences.

[FarangForce5]

I had some close friends get arrested and detained for over 24 hours a couple years back after they got busted for playing a friendly game of cards in one of their apartments. There was money involved in the game of course, but it was a small amount (a few thousand baht) and it wasn't like one of those big organized casinos that you hear/read about getting raided quite often. All the participants were friends except for one who was new to the game and had got invited by someone to join in on the fun that night. It turned out the guy was an (farang) informant for the local police, and several uniformed officers came to the door shortly after the game started.

BTW, my personal feelings are that this guy is a piece of sh*t. Where I come from if you get in trouble with the police you take responsibility for your actions and don't try to weasel your way out of it by getting others in trouble.

1st paragraph = what they were doing was illegal

2nd paragraph = maybe

Do anything illegal in any country, sooner or later you'll be caught - you've no choice but to accept the consequences.

Im not denying that the card game was illegal (this will likely be the topic of my next thread as I believe the gambling laws here are a little ridiculous, at least for small, friendly card games) but the my real point of discussion for this thread was intended to be about the farang police informants. The activities of the people arrested because of this guy aren't really relavant. Your point is well taken though...

[cdnvic]

I would think twice about that next thread. We don't allow threads on gambling here.

[FarangForce5]

I would think twice about that next thread. We don't allow threads on gambling here.

Good to know, thanks mod.

[zzdocxx]

Reason for edit: EVERYWHERE ON THAI VISA, NO NEED TO REPOST AN OP early in a thread! USE FAST REPLY button further down. Thank you. PeaceBlondie

[Briggsy]

Sounds to me like the beginning a fantasist plot for a cheesy Sukhumvit/Nana Plaza/CIA/upper echelons of Thai society/police generals as drinking pals/hookers with hearts of gold novel.

[Mosha]

The secret is to have a look out sat by the door where you are plating cards. That's what they do around here.

[OxfordWill]

Yea, cops have informants. This being Thailand makes no difference to this.

[dttk0009]

Eh, gambling is illegal, and 24 hours detention really isn't that bad.

[FarangForce5]

Eh, gambling is illegal, and 24 hours detention really isn't that bad.

Actually they ended up almost getting deported. The chief at the immigration department was pushing heavily for it, but they used some close contacts at a local police station to help get them out of the mess...

[teddy_bare]

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

[rgs2001uk]

Eh, gambling is illegal, and 24 hours detention really isn't that bad.

Actually they ended up almost getting deported. The chief at the immigration department was pushing heavily for it, but they used some close contacts at a local police station to help get them out of the mess...

Actually this is where this story stars to lose its credibility.

Under normal circumstances this is an on the spot fine, or pay a larger one at the local police station.

Why was this not taken care of on the spot or at the local police station?

How did immigration ever end up being involved?

Why were the contacts at the local police station not contacted in the first place?

Suspect the person/persons who related this story to the op may have embellished the facts, probably after having knocked back a few changs.

Sorry another urban myth to these ears.

[Garry9999]

I got the idea for this topic after reading and replying to a thread about the volunteer tourist police a few moments ago.

I had some close friends get arrested and detained for over 24 hours a couple years back after they got busted for playing a friendly game of cards in one of their apartments. There was money involved in the game of course, but it was a small amount (a few thousand baht) and it wasn't like one of those big organized casinos that you hear/read about getting raided quite often. All the participants were friends except for one who was new to the game and had got invited by someone to join in on the fun that night. It turned out the guy was an (farang) informant for the local police, and several uniformed officers came to the door shortly after the game started.

As everyone was being arrested and taken down to the police cars the informant received a lot of "choice" words from my friends. His responses to them were basically "you guys don't understand, I had no choice" and "I had to do it"

So I am assuming that this guy must of gotten into some trouble with the police himself, and rather than going to jail decided (or was forced) to work for the local police and find other farang they could arrest. Has anyone else here heard of or known any farang informants like this guy? Details of your experiences are welcome...

BTW, my personal feelings are that this guy is a piece of sh*t. Where I come from if you get in trouble with the police you take responsibility for your actions and don't try to weasel your way out of it by getting others in trouble.

What are slinkies?

[MB1]

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

Honour amongst thieves is old school but no myth, dont happen no more like it did years ago but most of those involved in criminality lived by a code, THOUGH SHALT NOT GRASS, but the old days have gone and people more and more grass people up to save their own skins, or go for a reduced sentence, maybe even become paid Police Informers..

that said, grasses have been about for years, ever heard the term/phrase SUPERGRASS.?.

Why is a snitch looked down upon , well lets just say that if your not involved with crimminals and criminality then it's up to you if you choose to give information to the police or not, most people do it in complete confidentiallity and even get rewards, in the UK anyway, but these people are looked down upon by some, especially those they have informed on.

A Grass is different to a snitch, a a Grass is someone who is usually involved in crimminal acts or has been but gives information to the police for money as a paid Police Informer or to get themselves out of trouble, a grass is a first class scum bag IMO, the lowest of the low and sometimes lives in fear of their lives if found out to be a grass / Police informer and get their just rewards from the people they grassed if caught up with.

As for the OP's post, yeah your probably right about the person who grassed up for the illegal card game, he probably got himself into some trouble and he is being used by the Thai Police as an informer, I cant see the police paying him though, they dont even pay the Volunteer Tourist Police, by the way, I've played cards for money for years in thailand and have never had a problem with the Police, who knows, maybe my time will come but it seems to me that the Police don't give a flying duck if no Thais are involved in the game, or maybe I have just been lucky..

Edited September 14, 2009 by MB1

[justanothercybertosser]

So I am assuming that this guy must of gotten into some trouble with the police himself, and rather than going to jail decided (or was forced) to work for the local police and find other farang they could arrest. Has anyone else here heard of or known any farang informants like this guy? Details of your experiences are welcome...

Yes, this is very common here.

In every tourist center here, especially in the drug scene, you have that system.

Western addict gets caught, can't pay fine, and is given the choice between often a lengthy prison sentence or working for the cops. Usual set up is selling drugs to tourists so they can be milked.

[FarangForce5]

Eh, gambling is illegal, and 24 hours detention really isn't that bad.

Actually they ended up almost getting deported. The chief at the immigration department was pushing heavily for it, but they used some close contacts at a local police station to help get them out of the mess...

Actually this is where this story stars to lose its credibility.

Under normal circumstances this is an on the spot fine, or pay a larger one at the local police station.

Why was this not taken care of on the spot or at the local police station?

How did immigration ever end up being involved?

Why were the contacts at the local police station not contacted in the first place?

Suspect the person/persons who related this story to the op may have embellished the facts, probably after having knocked back a few changs.

Sorry another urban myth to these ears.

Haha... right. You are clearly another one of the many "fake!" criers on this website. Get a life, loser. Just so you know one of the people arrested was MY BROTHER, a fact I didn't feel like mentioning until you had to start throwing out silly, unproductive accusations. Let me provide further insights to ease your many doubts:

Why was this not taken care of on the spot or at the local police station?

There were several people playing cards, many of whom were too stubborn to agree to fork up bribe money for what they considered to be a very minor and harmless offense. Regardless of this, not every incident is immediately resolved by giving the cops some cash. They have quotas to meet just like any other officer in most countries...

How did immigration ever end up being involved?

They were all taken to court in the morning, found guilty and fined a small amount (I think a few hundred baht each if I remember correctly). They were unlucky in the fact that the Immigration department decided afterward to make an example of these foreign gamblers and press the matter further. They were taken down to Immigration after court and held even longer while the chief (or whatever his high-ranking title was) decided what to do with them. He kept on saying to them that he wanted to deport them, and it is very possible he was making false threats just to scare them. Either way he sure went through a lot of time and trouble to do so...

Why were the contacts at the local police station not contacted in the first place?

The arrest happened late at night and they tried repeatedly to contact their police buddy (actually an acquaintance of mine as well) through the night and into the morning while being detained. During this time many of their girlfriends were allowed to come to the holding cell and give them food, drinks, etc. (my girlfriend even came to take care of my brother), in the meantime there was a few half-naked Cambodian guys in the holding cell next to theirs who were being degraded and forced to do silly things like jumping jacks at the amusement of the officers (that could be a topic for a whole new thread, if it would even be allowed here...) They finally got ahold of him later the next day after they had already been in court and then taken to immigration. Fortunately the policeman (a lieutenant) was able to help persuade the immigration chief to let them slide...

Suspect the person/persons who related this story to the op may have embellished the facts, probably after having knocked back a few changs.

As I already stated, one of the persons who related this story to me was my younger brother. The whole event happened while I was on a flight coming back to BKK from the US, otherwise I would have almost certainly been at the card game myself! About 90% of the other people arrested are either close friends or acquaintences of mine, many of whom retold the events to me on seperate occassions. I don't think they all got together and collaborated on some crazy, made-up story just to pull a prank on me. If they did then they are still continuing to try and convince me to this day, because most of them have stopped playing live card games in Thailand all together since then (before they got arrested most these guys were playing once a week or more)

... and we don't drink Chang

[gpdjohn]

What are slinkies?

Slinky. ( first called Mr. Walker )

[rgs2001uk]

Eh, gambling is illegal, and 24 hours detention really isn't that bad.

Actually they ended up almost getting deported. The chief at the immigration department was pushing heavily for it, but they used some close contacts at a local police station to help get them out of the mess...

Actually this is where this story stars to lose its credibility.

Under normal circumstances this is an on the spot fine, or pay a larger one at the local police station.

Why was this not taken care of on the spot or at the local police station?

How did immigration ever end up being involved?

Why were the contacts at the local police station not contacted in the first place?

Suspect the person/persons who related this story to the op may have embellished the facts, probably after having knocked back a few changs.

Sorry another urban myth to these ears.

Haha... right. You are clearly another one of the many "fake!" criers on this website. Get a life, loser. Just so you know one of the people arrested was MY BROTHER, a fact I didn't feel like mentioning until you had to start throwing out silly, unproductive accusations. Let me provide further insights to ease your many doubts:

Why was this not taken care of on the spot or at the local police station?

There were several people playing cards, many of whom were too stubborn to agree to fork up bribe money for what they considered to be a very minor and harmless offense. Regardless of this, not every incident is immediately resolved by giving the cops some cash. They have quotas to meet just like any other officer in most countries...

How did immigration ever end up being involved?

They were all taken to court in the morning, found guilty and fined a small amount (I think a few hundred baht each if I remember correctly). They were unlucky in the fact that the Immigration department decided afterward to make an example of these foreign gamblers and press the matter further. They were taken down to Immigration after court and held even longer while the chief (or whatever his high-ranking title was) decided what to do with them. He kept on saying to them that he wanted to deport them, and it is very possible he was making false threats just to scare them. Either way he sure went through a lot of time and trouble to do so...

Why were the contacts at the local police station not contacted in the first place?

The arrest happened late at night and they tried repeatedly to contact their police buddy (actually an acquaintance of mine as well) through the night and into the morning while being detained. During this time many of their girlfriends were allowed to come to the holding cell and give them food, drinks, etc. (my girlfriend even came to take care of my brother), in the meantime there was a few half-naked Cambodian guys in the holding cell next to theirs who were being degraded and forced to do silly things like jumping jacks at the amusement of the officers (that could be a topic for a whole new thread, if it would even be allowed here...) They finally got ahold of him later the next day after they had already been in court and then taken to immigration. Fortunately the policeman (a lieutenant) was able to help persuade the immigration chief to let them slide...

Suspect the person/persons who related this story to the op may have embellished the facts, probably after having knocked back a few changs.

As I already stated, one of the persons who related this story to me was my younger brother. The whole event happened while I was on a flight coming back to BKK from the US, otherwise I would have almost certainly been at the card game myself! About 90% of the other people arrested are either close friends or acquaintences of mine, many of whom retold the events to me on seperate occassions. I don't think they all got together and collaborated on some crazy, made-up story just to pull a prank on me. If they did then they are still continuing to try and convince me to this day, because most of them have stopped playing live card games in Thailand all together since then (before they got arrested most these guys were playing once a week or more)

... and we don't drink Chang

Have we ever met? I feel sure I would have remembered.

My reason for asking is you sound as if you know a lot about me.

I dont know what a "fake crier" is, perhaps you could explain.

Loser? well I am amazed you can form such an opinion or is it an accusation?

Actually if you care to look, I was asking questions, hence the reason for the question mark at the end of the question, certainly not an accusation as you care to call it.

Whether your brother was involved or not is of no consequence to me. Thats a statement by the way not a question or accusation.

I think you have just explained the reason for the misfortune, "There were several people playing cards, many of whom were too stubborn to agree to fork up bribe money for what they considered to be a very minor and harmless offense".

Yet more Thai law experts, yes may well be a very minor and harmless offense where you come from, but here in Thailand its not.

I feel sure thats the reason for it ending the way it did, people too stubborn to hand over bribe money.

I wouldnt have called it a bribe, more like a shakedown, but thats a moot point.

Glad to hear you have such high ranking and easily contactable buddies here in the LOS, should prevent any further mishaps.

[kolasaab]

I recently watched one of those Discovery Channel 'DEA' programs and they were up to the same kind of thing. Someone would get busted and they were given a choice, inform on those higher than them in the 'chain' or go to jail.

Lots of them then proceeded to setup their suppliers, etc. I wonder if they do this in England as well.

Yes they do it in england aswell as pretty much all countries, there called snitches

[teddy_bare]

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

Honour amongst thieves is old school but no myth, dont happen no more like it did years ago but most of those involved in criminality lived by a code, THOUGH SHALT NOT GRASS, but the old days have gone and people more and more grass people up to save their own skins, or go for a reduced sentence, maybe even become paid Police Informers..

that said, grasses have been about for years, ever heard the term/phrase SUPERGRASS.?.

Why is a snitch looked down upon , well lets just say that if your not involved with crimminals and criminality then it's up to you if you choose to give information to the police or not, most people do it in complete confidentiallity and even get rewards, in the UK anyway, but these people are looked down upon by some, especially those they have informed on.

A Grass is different to a snitch, a a Grass is someone who is usually involved in crimminal acts or has been but gives information to the police for money as a paid Police Informer or to get themselves out of trouble, a grass is a first class scum bag IMO, the lowest of the low and sometimes lives in fear of their lives if found out to be a grass / Police informer and get their just rewards from the people they grassed if caught up with.

As for the OP's post, yeah your probably right about the person who grassed up for the illegal card game, he probably got himself into some trouble and he is being used by the Thai Police as an informer, I cant see the police paying him though, they dont even pay the Volunteer Tourist Police, by the way, I've played cards for money for years in thailand and have never had a problem with the Police, who knows, maybe my time will come but it seems to me that the Police don't give a flying duck if no Thais are involved in the game, or maybe I have just been lucky..

Maybe I am reading your post incorrectly, but you make it sound like giving information that prevents crimes a bad thing. You suggest giving information to the police is a bad thing.

My prespective and experiences differs. I guess I walk along a different path.

Of course the criminal will look down on anyone who prevents the criminal from their goals, but their morality and thought processes are already warped and therefore (I believe) are less worthy (unless shown otherwise) than that of the law abiding community.

The mentality (of the criminal) you hightlight demonstrates their childish/selfish thinking patterns. They are really only looking out for themselves. The myth is exactly that. It's a unspoken and dark code of conduct that was used to prevent people snitching on other criminals thru fear. Nice code! I doubt it was adherred too as commonly and romantically as you allude to.

But of course you and I are allowed to disagree

[MB1]

Honour among theives is surely a myth.

Illegal activities will always end badly.

If the many reports about Thai prisons are a yardstick, I think most people will sing like a canery, or are you saying you'd go down with the ship?

Ulimately we all take care of ourselves until paid otherwise.

Why is a snitch looked down upon. If an informant provides information that say, stops another crime taking place, surely they deserve recognition. Sure they might only be doing it to save their own skin, but they are also providing a service to the greater community.

Although you were probalbly a victim of a shakedown. So, in future be careful who sees you commiting a crime, however trivial in your preception.

Honour amongst thieves is old school but no myth, dont happen no more like it did years ago but most of those involved in criminality lived by a code, THOUGH SHALT NOT GRASS, but the old days have gone and people more and more grass people up to save their own skins, or go for a reduced sentence, maybe even become paid Police Informers..

that said, grasses have been about for years, ever heard the term/phrase SUPERGRASS.?.

Why is a snitch looked down upon , well lets just say that if your not involved with crimminals and criminality then it's up to you if you choose to give information to the police or not, most people do it in complete confidentiallity and even get rewards, in the UK anyway, but these people are looked down upon by some, especially those they have informed on.

A Grass is different to a snitch, a a Grass is someone who is usually involved in crimminal acts or has been but gives information to the police for money as a paid Police Informer or to get themselves out of trouble, a grass is a first class scum bag IMO, the lowest of the low and sometimes lives in fear of their lives if found out to be a grass / Police informer and get their just rewards from the people they grassed if caught up with.

As for the OP's post, yeah your probably right about the person who grassed up for the illegal card game, he probably got himself into some trouble and he is being used by the Thai Police as an informer, I cant see the police paying him though, they dont even pay the Volunteer Tourist Police, by the way, I've played cards for money for years in thailand and have never had a problem with the Police, who knows, maybe my time will come but it seems to me that the Police don't give a flying duck if no Thais are involved in the game, or maybe I have just been lucky..

Maybe I am reading your post incorrectly, but you make it sound like giving information that prevents crimes a bad thing. You suggest giving information to the police is a bad thing.

My prespective and experiences differs. I guess I walk along a different path.

Of course the criminal will look down on anyone who prevents the criminal from their goals, but their morality and thought processes are already warped and therefore (I believe) are less worthy (unless shown otherwise) than that of the law abiding community.

The mentality (of the criminal) you hightlight demonstrates their childish/selfish thinking patterns. They are really only looking out for themselves. The myth is exactly that. It's a unspoken and dark code of conduct that was used to prevent people snitching on other criminals thru fear. Nice code! I doubt it was adherred too as commonly and romantically as you allude to.

But of course you and I are allowed to disagree

Yes you and I are allowed to disagree, no good if everyone agrees with each other is it?, world would be one hel_l of a boring place if we did.

And as for the path you walk, up to you which path you choose, I tend to follow the Yellow Brick road and the road to hel_l.

As for you reading my post inncorectly, well it's up to you how you read it, but what I was basically saying was that those who are involved in criminality who choose to inform to the police to save their own necks. are low life of the lowest form in my book, Pond Life.

For those who have no involvment with any form of criminal act then good for them and if they choose to inform to the police, well up to them if they choose to do so for the good of their community, but one of the reasons that people dont report things to the police is the fear being found out by those they have informed on so choose to turn a blind eye and not get involved, just the way of the world hey.

As for your ...

"I doubt it was adherred too as commonly and romantically as you allude to."

You'd be suprised at how often it has happened and still does to this day, not just in the UK, the world over, do you really think that if crimminals find out who grassed them up that they are just going to turn a blind eye.?.

Oh and please dont tar all crimminals with the same brush, they dont all have childish selfish thinking patterns but it's the life they chose or were brought up in and some think of it as a career, a very profitable one for some, yes they have different morals and standards to those who choose to be law abiding but they still have morals.

Edited September 15, 2009 by MB1