Police Checks/shakedowns In Sukumvit

[bobjenssen]

A french friend of mine visiting Bangkok with his family was stopped on the corner of soi 22 yesterday by two plain clothes officers.

Their tone was less than polite and they asked to see his passport.

Before he answered he was informed that not having one on his person was an offense ( I never carry mine, too cumbersome) and then if he was carrying any drugs!

Now, get this, in his travel bag he had some male stimulant pills that he had just purchased in a pharmacy a minute away which one of the officers said was illegal!

Fortunate that he had his passport and I think our reaction to such a silly claim, we all just laughed made them decide to push it any further.

This did not seem to please the officers and they proceeded to carry out an on the spot quite thorough body check

in full view of several people and passers by.

My friend claims twice one officer handled his penis and even asked him to remove his shoe's.

I was not required to take part of this and totally ignored until I took out my phone and to take a photo!

Did this ever change things ! They then become super polite.

Needless to say they found nothing and although I do agree that there are some instances where this is necessary I have heard of this now happening to

other friends of mine and the whole action seemed far to over the top.

A passing by German gentleman offered to be of assistance and make a statement with us as he claimed this sort of stuff was on the rise and something needed to be done about it.

Since this I have told some friend's,lodged a complaint and been told that this is common place and what happens when less tourists visit Thailand as the police need to boast their revenue!

I was asked not to quote the person saying this.

Indeed about 8 years it happened to me when I went to visit a friend in a place called hightechtower near the klong in the thonglor area( I think they were from this area too)).

On this occasion I did have my passport but insisted that if any body check take place it should be at a police station with a witness present and I demanded to see some identification in English ( they flashed some identity like they do in films, but I made sure to ask that I actually be allowed to read and take note of it and keep the officers detail's)

And apx 2 years ago a dutch friend of mine was threatened with arrest for refusing to agree to a urine test during spot check in a hip Bangkok nightclub.

However, they were polite and declined to take the matter further.

I do not like such overt police actions which seem unjustified and think they should be used only for good reason. But before I close I am glad to say that on other occasions the local police have been very professional and helpful,

so hopefully this is an isolated case.

[imaneggspurt]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

[webfact]

I have some doubts....

[hughben]

There have been reports of stop and searches going on for years around this area.

I don't go near there, so I've yet to see it.

Just over 2 years ago I was frisked at a police check. I was in a taxi and told to exit and they checked my pockets.

[stevehaigh]

I was not required to take part of this and totally ignored until I took out my phone and to take a photo!

Did this ever change things ! They then become super polite.

interesting tip about the photo.

i actually got shaken down in Paris in a similar way once when i was 20ish. funny thing was, i had a bad cold and in my pocket was lots of used tissues. the police didn't know what they were at first until i mimed blowing my nose. the gendarme dropped the tissue pretty quick and send me on my way.

[mrtoad]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

Reminiscent of ET's alleged "sexual assaults" at Swampy be security.

[on-on]

By what method do these plainclothes guys identify themselves as officers when they approach you?

[onnut]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

Reminiscent of ET's alleged "sexual assaults" at Swampy be security.

where is Emperor Turd by the way? he has been very quite for a year or so! he was a moaning bastard and was convinced all Irish pubs in town had the IRA making bombs in the kitchens

[mrtoad]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

Reminiscent of ET's alleged "sexual assaults" at Swampy be security.

where is Emperor Turd by the way? he has been very quite for a year or so! he was a moaning bastard and was convinced all Irish pubs in town had the IRA making bombs in the kitchens

Thai Visa's very own Victor Meldrew (ET) seems to have been totally deleted from the site, along with a number of his classic threads and moans. Have to say he is sorely missed, always good for a laugh. I belive he may well be posting on another forum.

[bendejo]

On another travel board there was a fellow who claimed he was stopped on the street and searched in that same area. Twice. They even questioned the salt in a packet of peanuts he was carrying. I wondered why him? Now it seems this is the cops' turf, and this is a regular thing.

I never cared for that area, and last week was told of some apartments around there. I was considering taking a look, and this story was all the discouragement I needed.

I like Bangkok when I'm away from the tourist ghettos, and hate being in them.

[rgs2001uk]

I was not required to take part of this and totally ignored until I took out my phone and to take a photo!

Did this ever change things ! They then become super polite.

interesting tip about the photo.

i actually got shaken down in Paris in a similar way once when i was 20ish. funny thing was, i had a bad cold and in my pocket was lots of used tissues. the police didn't know what they were at first until i mimed blowing my nose. the gendarme dropped the tissue pretty quick and send me on my way.

Never mind the photo, put it on video mode, so you can actually record the actions and words.

Sgt Somchai will not want to put himself in such a position to be held accountable for his bs, usually works best for traffic cops and the bs they dream up, number plates too small springs to mind.

Was with a friend who offered to go to the police station and pay the fine for the so called infringement instead of the on the spot justice, Sgt Somchai waved him on.

[blubberboybob]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

yeah where is it......I want some too.

[edwinchester]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

I think you need a lesson in human anatomy.

[sanook2me]

I nearly read the whole post without nodding off and so maybe i missed the shakedown part?

Not carrying your passport or carrying illegal drugs is against the law..can someone explain to me what the shakedown part is I've just fell asleep again writing this.

I also never get the part when taking photos over powers the BiBs doing their job by keeping the law of the land. Am i missing kryptonite in my phone/camera?

I once had a Thai barber handle my penis twice! i was shocked and so took his photo and he gave me all his money but it didn't last long....what's the point again..

[Huey]

Fortunately I have never had any beef here with the cops in over 8 years. The cops in the States no comment.

The Thai cops I have come into contact with seemed manageable enough, 100 baht for not wearing my helmet or doing an illegal U turn or some dumb stuff. The same junk that would cost HUNDREDS of dollars in America. Never any shake downs though.

The best cops I saw where in Kuwait. Not only is the squad car a BMW 5 series, but they are soo laid back. One time I was illegally parked near a mall. The lines on the curb where not very clear, but clear enough to know you weren't supposed to park there. So I came out to my car and there he was writing a ticket.

I said "Hey whats that for?" To which he responded in decent English "You have a ticket. You cannot park here." So I knew he had me dead to rights and I just decided to push it anyway maybe I could get out of it so I moaned " Awww man, your kidding me right, look at this street how can anyone know you can't park here , you can hardly see the colors on the curb." He nodded and said "You don't want a ticket, say you don't want a ticket." This caught me off guard ( I was like 25 at the time and it was my first really long trip outside of the States) "Umm I don't want a ticket" I said cautiously. "Mu mushkala, halas, yala( no problem, finished be on your way) go from here" he said as he just tore the ticket up. I was dumbfounded.

[TAWP]

To counter the slant, my taxi and a few before was swiftly brought to the side of the road after an intersection in the downtown BKK area, the officer was very polite with the driver (wanted to see his permit and license) and sent us on the way, all smiles around.

[SpoliaOpima]

An acquaintance of mine whose father is in the higher echelon of the national police force says that the police are tacitly or explicitly acting more boorishly than usual, and soliciting more bribes than usual, following a chain of command that leads back to the self-exiled ex-PM, the objective being to make the current administration look bad. I've heard other people outside the police repeating this same information. Rumour or not, an interesting thought.

[beechguy]

After reading and hearing about some of these things, I've been a little concerned, but I've never had a problem with any of them. Had to show my drivers license and passport in a couple of traffic stops on the way back from up north, no money paid or anything. And about three months ago, was walking down Rama IV and had one smile and shake my hand as I walked by. He was making a call on his mobile so didn't say anything, but hardly seems to fit in the same category that others describe.

Edited October 13, 2009 by beechguy

[lordsux]

On the news today it was announced that the RTP will be handing out candy to sweeten their image among the general population - I wonder who owns the candy shop.

[dumball]

Strange_____-I lived on soi 22 for some 4 years and have since stayed in a guest house there also on several occassions , never had a problem with any body , police , locals , nobody . It could have been the 'T' shirt i usualy wore with "I am not the welfare office" emblazened front and rear . 555

[Ulysses G.]

Handled his penis

Any female officers? That doesn't sound too bad.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Johpa]

Back in the 1980s the police in Chiang Mai would do blanket sweeps of the guesthouses, Usually arriving early in the morning they would search each and every room. They had some German guy who would translate and who was rumored to receive a piece of any action they police would get from the hapless tourist if any drugs were found. Point is that this has been going on for a very long time.

[surangw]

"I also never get the part when taking photos over powers the BiBs doing their job by keeping the law of the land. Am i missing kryptonite in my phone/camera?"

in thailand its not kryptonite you have to worry about , its the craptonight that gets you in trouble

[smokie36]

where is Emperor Turd by the way? he has been very quite for a year or so! he was a moaning bastard and was convinced all Irish pubs in town had the IRA making bombs in the kitchens

Thai Visa's very own Victor Meldrew (ET) seems to have been totally deleted from the site, along with a number of his classic threads and moans. Have to say he is sorely missed, always good for a laugh. I belive he may well be posting on another forum.

He has joined his jambo friends in a waco style retreat waiting for the next 1986....

[bobjenssen]

I nearly read the whole post without nodding off and so maybe i missed the shakedown part?

Not carrying your passport or carrying illegal drugs is against the law..can someone explain to me what the shakedown part is I've just fell asleep again writing this.

I also never get the part when taking photos over powers the BiBs doing their job by keeping the law of the land. Am i missing kryptonite in my phone/camera?

I once had a Thai barber handle my penis twice! i was shocked and so took his photo and he gave me all his money but it didn't last long....what's the point again..

Well perhaps you ought to wake up!

it was so obviously a shakedown- put aside this nonsense about not having ones passport

that is the lame answer of a policeman who has not found what he wanted and so wants to justify his actions

or of someone trying to defend a miserably wanting police force so obvious commuting an act of corruption

they were not interested in the law, they were out to make a buck, pure and simple

my friend has a pony tail, it is the narrow minded thinking of a backward entity that thinks. Ponytail= drug dealer/addict.

I do not have one. I look sort of "official' I suppose in their eyes and so was left alone.

They approached on the street.

It was quite out of the blue. He had been shopping in emporium .

Everything changed when the camera came out.

I wonder why.

Do criminals like be caught red handed on camera? Need any help here? Are you awake? Now let me see,mmm, no they do not!

if they were doing a correct procedure why the complete change when the camera came out?

okay, gottit? you can go back to bed now!

When looking in his underpants my friend claim his penis was handled, I know this is bit off topic, and almost funny, but he has a very large member and we speculated that the officer may of been surprised

at this!

Indeed this we all laughed about it and at the time, and still are, he said in french something like " you've never seen one like this before have you" ?

You know, by and large the dealings I have had with the police here have been fine.

Once in particular a young officer was more than helpful, I wrote an official letter to his department thanking him. I do not just moan all the time!

But this was so obvioulsy nothing than what I claim and to try and justify this is just plain blindness.

[jackr]

Handled his penis !, where exactly was this please ,..

yeah where is it......I want some too.

<deleted>

I think you can get medication for that.

Not carrying your passport or carrying illegal drugs is against the law..can someone explain to me what the shakedown part is I've just fell asleep again writing this.

Why bother?

[sanook2me]

Well perhaps you ought to wake up!

it was so obviously a shakedown- put aside this nonsense about not having ones passport

that is the lame answer of a policeman who has not found what he wanted and so wants to justify his actions

or of someone trying to defend a miserably wanting police force so obvious commuting an act of corruption

they were not interested in the law, they were out to make a buck, pure and simple

my friend has a pony tail, it is the narrow minded thinking of a backward entity that thinks. Ponytail= drug dealer/addict.

I do not have one. I look sort of "official' I suppose in their eyes and so was left alone.

They approached on the street.

It was quite out of the blue. He had been shopping in emporium .

Everything changed when the camera came out.

I wonder why.

Do criminals like be caught red handed on camera? Need any help here? Are you awake? Now let me see,mmm, no they do not!

if they were doing a correct procedure why the complete change when the camera came out?

okay, gottit? you can go back to bed now!

When looking in his underpants my friend claim his penis was handled, I know this is bit off topic, and almost funny, but he has a very large member and we speculated that the officer may of been surprised

at this!

Indeed this we all laughed about it and at the time, and still are, he said in french something like " you've never seen one like this before have you" ?

You know, by and large the dealings I have had with the police here have been fine.

Once in particular a young officer was more than helpful, I wrote an official letter to his department thanking him. I do not just moan all the time!

But this was so obvioulsy nothing than what I claim and to try and justify this is just plain blindness.

As you state the nonsense about not having a passport with you as far as i know it has for a long time been the law in Thailand for Westerners to carry their passports. Photocopies may do most of the time but if you have no ID papers on you and are involved in a fatal accident how will they id you etc...

I could only find old links to the British Foreign Office site for Thailand to confirm this.

You cannot just be indifferent to the law because it does not suit you, that is what happens here and then people call it a scam when they get caught breaking the law as they are shocked that people are actually arrested here for breaking the it

Taking photos of policeman carrying out their duty is not really advisable in most countries especially here where there is less regulation for you to follow through with an official complaint.

Can you explain to me how this was a shakedown if no money was demanded from an innocent person?

How do you know the tone was unpolite was this from body language alone or them using poor English skills and your French friend having problems understanding them as neither can speak each others language?

You say the policemen came out of the blue? do you want them to telephone/text/email people before questioning people?

I understand about shakedowns but i just cannot see the point in your post as no money was demanded or paid so what is the exact problem?

[bkkjames]

If the guy was using male stimulant pills it probably would have been quite hard for the cops to go through his pockets without "handling his penis"...

and here all this time I thought people had to swallow them to be effective.

[tartempion]

I nearly read the whole post without nodding off and so maybe i missed the shakedown part?

Not carrying your passport or carrying illegal drugs is against the law..can someone explain to me what the shakedown part is I've just fell asleep again writing this.

I also never get the part when taking photos over powers the BiBs doing their job by keeping the law of the land. Am i missing kryptonite in my phone/camera?

Carrying your passport in your back pocket is not an easy thing to do, nice bonus for pick-pockets though.

However, I do carry my Thai drivers license all the time together with insurance card and some baht.

Asking to carry your passport on the streets is a stupid thing to do. Thailand has more stupid rules than any other country I lived in, take the you can't buy alcohol between 0.00 and 11.00 am. I like to go shopping early morning but can't stock some beers for my fridge until I waste that much of my morning hours, ridiculous

And carrying some Viagra or Kamagra in your pocket is a crime??? What a joke.

As for some cops, such as on road 304 around Wang Nam Kiaow, they just stop you to collect a bribe whether you're driving 30,50 or 100kmh. They are a disgrace to the kingdom.

[sanook2me]

Asking to carry your passport on the streets is a stupid thing to do. Thailand has more stupid rules than any other country I lived in, take the you can't buy alcohol between 0.00 and 11.00 am. I like to go shopping early morning but can't stock some beers for my fridge until I waste that much of my morning hours, ridiculous

I think in most cases a copy of your passport is suffice its only when hot headed farangs start dancing like ants in their pants and come out with the classic "wouldn't happen in my country!!" that i guess the local BiB change from docile to robocop and start demanding whatever....

Can you buy alcohol in the UK after 11pm or before 10.30am from supermarkets or shops?