Alleged Aussie Perfume Thieves Out On Bail In Phuket

[fiercesnake]

Anything with King Power is a worry. Their reputation is highly questionable! Maybe the pair did commit an offence but with a group such as King Power there is room for doubt. Depends on the evidence which really we can not see on this thread, we can only speculate.

What I wonder is why so many responses are to the age of the 21 year old with a 16 year old? My gosh if half the guys here could remember just how sexed up they were at 21 and if a good looking 16 year old came along, wouldn't they have been into it?

Oh please, too many old farangs are already here with very young girls enjoying themselves. Suddenly the moralists come out of the woodwork. I wonder if we were to see into the personal lives of some of the posters here how pure they are in their own moral dealings with women? Hmm, I wonder???

[Colonel_Mustard]

Someting sounds a little fishy to me IMHO....and i am not talking about the BG's in Phuket.

I don't consider myself a cheap charlie but i have flown out BKK many times and have window

shopped alot of the stores and have never seen a 22k bottle of perfume. If i was looking for

a $700.oo US bottle of perfume it would not be at the airport.....maybe i been out of the market

to long ...LOL

The article states that they are alleged to have stolen 3 bottles of perfume.

[midasthailand]

Sometimes the mind boggles when I read some of the responses on these threads. What are you guys thinking?? There are hundreds of thousands of tourists that transit Phuket International airport without incident, do you think King Power suddenly decided to pick two Aussies and scam them? I think not ! There is no doubt that these two had three bottles of expensive perfume in their bags and left without paying. They should recieve our contempt rather than our sympathy. Every time I hear about "Farangs" breaking the law here I realize why foreigners are looked down on by law abiding Thai citizens. What idiot goes overseas to shoplift in a country where they do not know the language or the justice system? Sorry I have no sympathy for these two or any others that come here and tarnish the reputation of foreigners even further.

[neverdie]

Let's just hope that justice is served in this case.

If you don't mind, I might save my 'hope' for something a little more productive. I never like to second guess where things like this are going to end in Thailand.

[DegenFarang]

Odd that it is taking so long for such a relatively minor incident. I had a run-in with the Bangkok BIB a couple of years back, wasn't able to buy my way out of it and had to go to court. Between going to jail, court and immigration (twice), the whole process took just 19 hours.

[rheinwiese]

22k for 3 bottles of perfume???

Even for the high Thai perfume prices, highly unlikely.

Something strange about it.

[neverdie]

And I doubt this is a 'scam' in the sense that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht and no negotiation has been reported taking place.

How do you know that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht? were you there? As far as I know, they have not gone to trial yet, nor have they been found guilty!

FF

Come-on father, your not trying to suggest that the police go around arresting innocent people are you? Of course they are guilty.

Also, at the risk of splitting hairs, I don't think theres going to be a 'trial' in this case, its hardly grand larceny, I would think they are either going to get an opportunity to enter a 'plea' or there might be a 'hearing', but a 'trial' no.

Edited December 9, 2009 by neverdie

[needforspeed]

The laws that need to be followed are the laws of the country they are in. I don't know if Thailand views a 16 year old girl with a 21 year old man in the same manner.

No a 16 year is a minor and have different penalties for smal offences, bail was for her 30.000 and for him 100.000

[FatherF]

And I doubt this is a 'scam' in the sense that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht and no negotiation has been reported taking place.

How do you know that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht? were you there? As far as I know, they have not gone to trial yet, nor have they been found guilty!

FF

Come-on father, your not trying to suggest that the police go around arresting innocent people are you? Of course they are guilty.

Also, at the risk of splitting hairs, I don't think theres going to be a 'trial' in this case, its hardly grand larceny, I would think they are either going to get an opportunity to enter a 'plea' or there might be a 'hearing', but a 'trial' no.

Doh!

[needforspeed]

And I doubt this is a 'scam' in the sense that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht and no negotiation has been reported taking place.

How do you know that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht? were you there? As far as I know, they have not gone to trial yet, nor have they been found guilty!

FF

Come-on father, your not trying to suggest that the police go around arresting innocent people are you? Of course they are guilty.

Also, at the risk of splitting hairs, I don't think theres going to be a 'trial' in this case, its hardly grand larceny, I would think they are either going to get an opportunity to enter a 'plea' or there might be a 'hearing', but a 'trial' no.

Agree, a hearing they plea guilty and King Power drop the case(if possible under the Thai law), trhey cant effort to have a long running case for 22k against a 16 year old foreign girl .

[Colabamumbai]

The couple should be reading this forum and maybe they would have avoided The duty free shops. Why would any foreigner continue to shop at King Power as some using this forum do, knowing what the results could be. I refuse to shop at any airport duty shops in Thailand. I have done some time, but it is not going to be in Thai Jail.

[Brewsta]

The laws that need to be followed are the laws of the country they are in. I don't know if Thailand views a 16 year old girl with a 21 year old man in the same manner.

Do you really think the Thai government care about a pair of 'farangs' just because she's 16. She's legal in Oz so why would they care? She's not one of their precious own citizens who they bend over backwards to protect.

......more like should read " sometimes protect their own.....and sometimes bend them over...."

The moral of the story is not to go into Granny K's Power Boudouir.....no?

Take care All,

Brewsta in Whiffy CM

[sharecropper]

Wow

941 User(s) are reading this topic (672 Guests and 6 Anonymous Users)

It is really quiet in Thailand...

Don't do the crime if you can't spend the time!

941 User(s) are reading this topic (672 Guests and 6 Anonymous Users)

It is really quiet in Thailand...

I think it's more a reflection on the lack of entertaining or interesting threads on TV this year as many posters have simply upped sticks and left Thailand or lost interest in it.

Lots less wit and wisdom around these boards nowadays, sadly.

[jupiler]

I don't buy anything at King Power. For the simple reason that everything they sale, is way to expensive compare to other airports.

[Jirapa]

And I doubt this is a 'scam' in the sense that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht and no negotiation has been reported taking place.

How do you know that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht? were you there? As far as I know, they have not gone to trial yet, nor have they been found guilty!

FF

What are you saying? Whoops it fell into my bag! Oh and whoops it also fell into my boyfriends bag too. I used to pinch perfum when I was much younger as it's small and valuable and makes a nice pressie for mum so I'm sure this is more a guilty till proven innocent. The evidence or even lack of it points that way to me and shoplifting in the age of CCTV is a bit silly. You do your crime you do your time or pay your fine! Anyone who thinks King Power is framing a couple of Aussies over 22000B of perfum needs their head examined as it's not worth the hassle. Next time don't get caught!

[Jirapa]

I don't buy anything at King Power. For the simple reason that everything they sale, is way to expensive compare to other airports.

Maybe that justifies Aussies stealing stuff from King Power then? Maybe they should steal it in their own country where it's cheaper? What a silly comment!

[sangfroid]

I carefully avoid any business connected to King Power. They must be profitable, there seems to be hundreds of employees in white King power shirts with their ID tags around their necks coming and going. At certain times of the day there is a fleet of minibuses waiting at the entrance to number 3 car park to transport them back in to the city.

[FatherF]

What are you saying? Whoops it fell into my bag! Oh and whoops it also fell into my boyfriends bag too. I used to pinch perfum when I was much younger as it's small and valuable and makes a nice pressie for mum so I'm sure this is more a guilty till proven innocent. The evidence or even lack of it points that way to me and shoplifting in the age of CCTV is a bit silly. You do your crime you do your time or pay your fine! Anyone who thinks King Power is framing a couple of Aussies over 22000B of perfum needs their head examined as it's not worth the hassle. Next time don't get caught!

Well Jirapa, the fact that you admit to being a shoplifter only adds to your credulity regarding this post, you mention CCTV, is there any CCTV footage of either of them stealing? You also seem to be in the belief that "this is more a guilty till proven innocent", very noble of you, I am sure you have something with which to back this up?

Just on a side note, perfum is not something King Power sell (Unless i am much mistaken) they do however sell perfume!

FF

[capt_canada42]

Ah its the Thai old maids club who have nothing to do but complain !

[asiawatcher]

Wasn't there a scam with King Power before where Farangs were being falsely accused - dragged off to some remote hotels threaten etc etc unless they handed over considerable sums of money - sounds a lot like this again.

If a scam they would have been taken to some hotel - this time it was the Police who grabbed them so fair chance - they did it. Let the Justice system prevail. Let's see if the Aus Embassy gets involved. But if the guy who dobbed in Thaksins flight details to PAD got 7 years - this is worth life surely!

[Crossy]

Derogatory posts and the replies to them have been removed.

Let's keep it civil chaps

[crocodilexp]

Not really - the 'scam' (only referring to the case that was brought up previously here) was in-fact not a scam at all, as we could all see from the surveillance tapes. The 'scam' part would be how organized the system was to allow people to pay their way out of the trouble. So next time I am sure the couple is more than happy to go to jail instead. No?

I sure people who just got an "get out of Thai jail free" card (for a small fee) would not be eager to publicize the story. What happened was massive, widespread extortion, with several genuine cases of theft thrown in to muddle the issue. The King Power affair stinks to high heavens. It even prompted the PM to get involved and embassy warnings from some countries, and those are not issued lightly.

And I doubt this is a 'scam' in the sense that they did in-fact steal perfume valued 22k baht and no negotiation has been reported taking place.

Here, I get a sense this was an actual theft. Teenagers usually don't represent a great graft/extortion target, and have no sense of how grave consequences of their actions can be. Of course, this is general banter, every case must be considered individually.

[kevkev1888]

Scam must be the most over used word on TV.

The previous King Power "scam" was shown to be nothing of the sort, they released cctv clearly showing the theft take place, the Thives gladly paid their way out of going to Jail then cryed about it when they got home.

I don't think King Power make a habbit of falsely accusing people of shop liffting and no doubt as in previos cases there will be good evidence. (I guess this is the reason for the accused to have their day in court)

But still the TV sheeple will blindly shout SCAM.

[BOS2BKK]

The comment chain here has really offed me.

First why is it so hard to imagine a 16YO girl shoplifting perfume? Seems pretty standard to me. In fact in the US you never see high end perfume shelved in the open at decent stores for this very reason. Because she is Australian on holiday she is beyond reproach? Not buying that line for a second, sorry.

As for the 16/21 YO thing, there is legal, and there is moral, and there is right. Not nearly enough information is presented in this story to pass judgement on that. I think most "sane" people would raise an eyebrow at this arrangement, but it is definitely a gray area at best.

I shop at King Power every time I travel. I usually buy perfume. I have never had an issue, nor have I seen anyone have an issue. I don't doubt there may be alot more to the story about the British couple who supposedly wound up at the hotel. I don't deny that "special fines" are a way of life in the Thai police system. I am really given pause for thought when I see these extraordinary situations though. I have to wonder what obviously critical fact is being left out that turned the mundane into the extraordinary. I have gotten up to far worse drunken antics in Thailand than stealing a bar mat, and it has never cost me more than buying someone a beer. The one person I know who spent time in jail took a swing at a Thai cop after being bounced from Bossy Disco. (if you ask me he was lucky he didn't wind up hospitalized, I know alot of places in the States where swinging at a cop gets you a walk out back before being thrown in jail) Of course when he tells the story of how he was dragged out of a bar and "special fined" a hundred thousand Baht when he did absolutely nothing wrong, he manages to leave out the part about being stumbling drunk, getting bounced after starting a fight over some guy talking to his favorite hooker, then pissing on the steps of the front door and swinging at the cop who showed up. To listen to his story he was just happily drinking a beer and minding his own business when the evil little brown men stole his innocence. Whenever I see a story about some poor innocent being oppressed I remember this. There are 3 sides to every story, theirs, yours and the truth, which usually bears little resemblance to either.

Now the point I really wanted to make. It never ceases to amaze me how quick people on this board are to assume the worst about the Thais. They have a different culture than ours. Their values, goals and behaviors reflect these differences. Yes some of it is baffling. Some of it is frustrating. Some of it is outright enraging, but it only becomes an issue when you demand they conform to your value set. Even the most dyed in the wool long term Expat, is still a guest. To my knowledge everyone who resides her did so by choice.

[Rooo]

Several off topic posts deleted.

This is a topic about a shoplifting charge. It is not a discussion about prostitution or moral opinions about age of consent.

Age of consent in Australia is 16. All legal, let's leave it at that & back on topic please.

[Stumbo]

They have not even entered a plea yet, nor have they been charged!

FF

Yes-yes 'all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law' as the tv-series says...

You are welcome to put money down if you think they are innocent. Oh, that is right, that isn't legal to do here...

If you have access to information showing they are definitely guilty of theft then please enlighten the rest of us instead of the ongoing snide remarks.

Neither Thailand nor King Power have great reputations for honesty, I also doubt the couple could have missed the bar mat scandal in Australia. Maybe they did it and maybe they didn't, if the evidence is light weight the Aussie press will have a field day and hurt Australian tourism here yet again.

Agree the 16 yo fiance sounds a bit odd but should draw the rest of the foreign press because of it.

[torrenova]

Difficult to form an opinion on their guilt or innocence on the scant information provided but if guilty, then what should happen ? Arrest, statement, court and sentence with appropriate, unbiased, non corrupt, bilingual legal assistance from some source. What actually happens is that those with vested interests have their hand out and that makes even cases where there is no corruption subject to doubt. The fact that it is King Power makes it even more problematic for the wheels of justice to turn without the suspicion that there is, has been or will be some people connected with the case who have ulterior motives.

I don't think anyone can ask for foreign style sense here because it is Thailand and Thai rules apply. Or at least the rules should apply but they so often do not specifically because every case is viewed as a potential "earner" for those who are corrupt. It is probable that in the west, they would be fined if they were guilty and that would be it. Fines go to the government. In Thailand, too many have their hand out for a share of the "fine" and though I do not think King Power has a business model to make money out of such incidents, it is possible that prosecutions are followed through simply because money will change hands and justice is left far behind.

Does anyone actually know what the real law states in cases of shoplifting is ? and what the stipulated punishment range is ? That point seems always to be overlooked and the subject moves onto money and then suspicion of all those involved, doubly so when we know that many will benefit from a hefty "fine". I think we need to establish just what the correct punishment could be for someone guilty of shoplifting.

The issue of a 16 year old girl wanting to go out with a 21 year old boy will undoubtedly be familiar to many parents of teenage girls. I know that when I was 16, many girls wanted older boyfriends. I think 21 is an adult and 16 still a child and I would never have wanted a 16 year old girl when I was 21 but an old 16 and a young 21 narrows that. As a a parent, I would be wary of a 21 year old man's motives to go out with a 16 year old girl and I would certainly not let her get engaged or go on a holiday to a 3rd world country with such a boyfriend. However, it is my experience from over 25 years of observation that there are many such "relationships" though that same period of observation has shown me that the lower the social class of the people involved, the younger such relationships are tolerated by the parents and consequently, the more of these adult / child physical relationships exist. This one is not against the law, though it is perhaps not what we would choose for our daughters.

[infernalman7]

They have not even entered a plea yet, nor have they been charged!

FF

Yes-yes 'all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law' as the tv-series says...

You are welcome to put money down if you think they are innocent. Oh, that is right, that isn't legal to do here...

If you have access to information showing they are definitely guilty of theft then please enlighten the rest of us instead of the ongoing snide remarks.

Neither Thailand nor King Power have great reputations for honesty, I also doubt the couple could have missed the bar mat scandal in Australia. Maybe they did it and maybe they didn't, if the evidence is light weight the Aussie press will have a field day and hurt Australian tourism here yet again.

Agree the 16 yo fiance sounds a bit odd but should draw the rest of the foreign press because of it.

Oh.. the word honesty and Aussies don't go together so well either. It's very well-known in the Airlines Industry. They really love those little blankets and Airlines silverware. Oh wait, it's their culture.

[Godolphin]

I'm saddened that so many of you posters are so willing to stick the boot into these young people whether they are in the right or in the wrong. Where's your humanity?

I'm revolted that someone above suggested that the British academic couple got what they deserved and not totally outraged that the police extorted 8,000 pounds sterling out of them after holding them captive for several days.

I am even less impressed by comments that the Phuket bar mat woman was some sort of common tart (as rough as hessian underpants was it?) and therefore deserved time in the Thai nick.

I really like this forum but am aghast at so many moralising and quite vindictive comments by some posters. Just a reflection of themselves I suppose.

[hippyted]

21-year-old Nathan Robert Hinds and his 16-year-old fiancée,

They ought to put the girls parents in jail for allowing her to go overseas with an ADULT

Assuming that Australian law is the sa as UK law, there is nothing illegal in this. I believe I am right in saying that persons over the age of 16 can apply for a full adult passport. My research has me found nothing that suggests that those under the age of 18 need to get parental permission. Consensual sex with a person above the age of 16 is legal although that person has yet to reach the age of discretion.

The Government of Australia may of course have other ideas.

I agree with your sentiments but then, to my regret, I hear myself saying things I first heard uttered by my father. I guess the time has come for me to don his mantle and be a silly old b******

cosensual sex !!!!!!!! OFF TOPIC I THINK???