Tuk-tuk, Taxi Drivers Held For Extortion

[george]

Tuk-tuk, taxi drivers held for extortion

BANGKOK: -- Police yesterday arrested a tuk-tuk driver and a taxi driver for allegedly extorting Bt25,000 from an American engineer.

Tommy Kennedy, 48, allegedly paid the men the money in exchange for his wallet, which he left in Paiboon Pakdeesi’s tuk-tuk.

Tourist Police commander Maj-General Panya Mamen said Paiboon, 42, and his friend, taxi driver Som-bat Thongprathoom, 35, were arrested yesterday morning outside the Federal Hotel on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 11 after they demanded an additional Bt20,000 from Kennedy.

Panya said Kennedy, who works for Kobo Industry Co Ltd, had hired Paiboon to drive him from Sukhumvit Soi 17 to Sukhumvit Soi 22 at 10am on Monday.

He said Kennedy was initially unaware that he had left his large-size wallet, which contained his passport and credit card, in the tuk-tuk.

A man, later identified as Sombat, came to the engineer’s hotel room at 9am on Tuesday and asked the engineer to follow him so that he could retrieve his wallet, he said.

Panya said the engineer followed Sombat to meet Paiboon, who was holding the wallet.

Paiboon demanded the engineer pay him Bt30,000 or else he would destroy the wallet and everything inside, he said.

The engineer had Bt25,000 in cash on him and gave the money to the two men and took the wallet back, he said.

Panya said Sombat had returned to Kennedy’s hotel at 9am yesterday and waved at him to come outside.

It was at that time that Kennedy alerted the Tourist Police, he added.

Tourist Police were on hand when Kennedy met the two men at 10.30am, and Sombat and Paiboon were arrested after they demanded the engineer pay them Bt20,000 more.

--The Nation 2005-05-06

[Humphrey Bear]

Had they kept anything from the wallet?

Had they anything to bargain with, or were they relying on the undoubted generosity of the American engineer?

[SBACM]

And Probably nothing will happen to the tuk tuk driver and his accomplice

Theyll say

What can i do?

I have a sick water buffallo that needs the money

The thai Government will completely understand and then say oh Ok!

Mai pen rai

TiT

Had they kept anything from the wallet?

Had they anything to bargain with, or were they relying on the undoubted generosity of the American engineer?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited May 6, 2005 by SBACM

[Popeyethesailorman]

I bet this isn't the first time these a-holes pulled this kind of crap. Probably got away with it before . At least he got his wallet back. In America, chances are pretty slim he wouldn't see it again.

[girlx]

same thing happened to me... i left my very expensive phone in a tuk tuk. my boyfriend called and the driver answered my phone, demanded money for it and asked us to meet him at a certain time. we called the police and went to meet him but i guess he was smart enough not to show up after all... never got my phone back though.

[hardy1943]

I bet this isn't the first time these a-holes pulled this kind of crap. Probably got away with it before . At least he got his wallet back. In America, chances are pretty slim he wouldn't see it again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are right, in America it would be gone in a minute.

I am an American and also an engineer,the guy is just to cheap to take a taxy,

a much safer way to travel in BKK.

[alstaxi]

I bet this isn't the first time these a-holes pulled this kind of crap. Probably got away with it before . At least he got his wallet back. In America, chances are pretty slim he wouldn't see it again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are right, in America it would be gone in a minute.

I am an American and also an engineer,the guy is just to cheap to take a taxy,

a much safer way to travel in BKK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Tornado]

Typical "Thai Mafia" If they had not been so greedy, they would of been 25k better off and no one would of known who they were.

children in mens clothes

[alstaxi]

I bet this isn't the first time these a-holes pulled this kind of crap. Probably got away with it before . At least he got his wallet back. In America, chances are pretty slim he wouldn't see it again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are right, in America it would be gone in a minute.

I am an American and also an engineer,the guy is just to cheap to take a taxy,

a much safer way to travel in BKK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took a tuk tuk ONCE, never again, driven by a mad man, and now, apparently they are thieves as well, figures.

[masterchief]

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN!!!!!!!!!I LEFT MY POUCH WITH PASSPORT ECT. IN A TUK-TUK IN ARAN AND THE DRIVER CAME TO THE HOUSE WITH ALL IN PLACE. NOT ALL DRIVERS ARE BAD........HAVE A GREAT THAI DAY

RETIRED USN ARAN.............

[shotover]

Sounds like one of the Tuk Tuk drivers who hang out at Robinsons on Sukhumvit Soi 17. It's probably cheaper, and as fast, to take a car taxi from there to Soi 22.

I would venture the reason they even bothered to return the wallet is the amount of cash and other value they could extract from it paled in comparison to the amount they assumed they could get from extorting the engineer. It's rare that drivers will return cell phones because they know they can easily convert them into more cash than an owner would be willing to pay for its return.

If a driver volunarily returned a lost wallet or passport to me, I would quickly reward him with a nice tip.

I'm personally glad they were caught and hope to hear their punishment, though I doubt we will.

If I lost a wallet

[falux]

One girl drugged me and stole my wallet, containing 42,000 Baht. It was not easy to explain that to my gf.

I still think that Thai people are nicer than Westerners.

Bad people making the exception don't make the rules.

[danintrang]

I think that in Thailand in general, most tuk-tuk and taxis driver are honnest (95%). But as farangs, we always attract the few unhonnest ones. Very annoying when the first person who welcome you in a nice city is a greedy taxi - tuk-tuk trying to rip you off. I had few experiences of "Scam" taxis" taken from Sukhumvit, but never from anywhere else in BKK.

[capt_canada42]

I lost my bag with all my ID and money and a boy picked it up off the street where it fell chased after me and returned it and refused money when offered to him, this was 26 years ago here in Phuket but I know there is good and bad every where.

[Boh Bpen Yang]

I had experience with a similar, yet not so drastic, mentality. A regular customer at my shop dropped his wallet on my front deck. The next door shop operator picked it up maybe 2 minutes after the customer left the shop. She looked inside and saw that it had about 15,000 THB. I said look at the ID. I immediately knew whose wallet it was.

I took the wallet and returned it to my customer the next day. He offered me a reward of 500 THB, but I said "I'm not gonna take money for not stealing your wallet". Next day, the next door lady asked how much reward would she get. I said there was no reward. She said "If I would have known that I would have kept the wallet".

Now OK I understand finders keepers and all of that tripe. But this was my customer and on my property. Gimme a G gimme an R gimme an E E D. It's rampant.

[timpatco]

Tuk-tuk, taxi drivers held for extortion

BANGKOK: -- Police yesterday arrested a tuk-tuk driver and a taxi driver for allegedly extorting Bt25,000 from an American engineer.

Tommy Kennedy, 48, allegedly paid the men the money in exchange for his wallet, which he left in Paiboon Pakdeesi’s tuk-tuk.

Tourist Police commander Maj-General Panya Mamen said Paiboon, 42, and his friend, taxi driver Som-bat Thongprathoom, 35, were arrested yesterday morning outside the Federal Hotel on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 11 after they demanded an additional Bt20,000 from Kennedy.

Panya said Kennedy, who works for Kobo Industry Co Ltd, had hired Paiboon to drive him from Sukhumvit Soi 17 to Sukhumvit Soi 22 at 10am on Monday.

He said Kennedy was initially unaware that he had left his large-size wallet, which contained his passport and credit card, in the tuk-tuk.

A man, later identified as Sombat, came to the engineer’s hotel room at 9am on Tuesday and asked the engineer to follow him so that he could retrieve his wallet, he said.

Panya said the engineer followed Sombat to meet Paiboon, who was holding the wallet.

Paiboon demanded the engineer pay him Bt30,000 or else he would destroy the wallet and everything inside, he said.

The engineer had Bt25,000 in cash on him and gave the money to the two men and took the wallet back, he said.

Panya said Sombat had returned to Kennedy’s hotel at 9am yesterday and waved at him to come outside.

It was at that time that Kennedy alerted the Tourist Police, he added.

Tourist Police were on hand when Kennedy met the two men at 10.30am, and Sombat and Paiboon were arrested after they demanded the engineer pay them Bt20,000 more.

--The Nation 2005-05-06

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[DaveYo]

Hmm, I disagree to a point concerning your wallets in America. If you don't have much money in it , and just a credit card or two, and little else besides the drivers license etc, the chances are you might get it back.

If you got a host of cards and perhaps coded information in your wallet, the chances are not good.

If you simply got cash in there, which in America it is rare to have more than a couple hundred bucks, because mostly Americans use checks or cards as the norm, you will never see your wallet back.

Thieves do not want checks in America, cause it can be traced to them, Thieves don't want your phones in America cause it can also be traced to them and their location, Thieves don't want to mess with credit cards cause now all ATMs, and even stores will catch you with it, and your on candid camera too.

So if there is no cash, chances are you will find it in the garbage can nearby.

Daveyo

[Scott]

It's good they were caught. I've actuallly had pretty good luck with tuk-tuk drivers (better luck than with taxi drivers), and overall good luck with both. It seems that the bad ones hang out in the tourist areas. The only places where I have ever had trouble are at/near the airport and on Silom or Sukumhvit.

Also nice to know the Tourist Police were quick and helpful.

[danintrang]

The best thing to avoid these kind of trouble is to take care of our valuable...

[Popeyethesailorman]

Hmm, I disagree to a point concerning your wallets in America.  If you don't have much money in it , and just a credit card or two, and little else besides the drivers license etc,  the chances are you might get it back.

If you got a host of cards and perhaps coded information in your wallet, the chances are not good.

If you simply got cash in there, which in America it is rare to have more than a couple hundred bucks, because mostly Americans use checks or cards as the norm, you will never see your wallet back.

Thieves do not want checks in America, cause it can be traced to them, Thieves don't want your phones in America cause it can also be traced to them and their location, Thieves don't want to mess with credit cards cause now all ATMs, and even stores will catch you with it, and your on candid camera too.

So if there is no cash, chances are you will find it in the garbage can nearby.

Daveyo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What???? Yeah, okay. So my wallet gets ripped off in Seattle and all I have to do is go looking through garbage cans and voila! there it is and I'm on my merry way? Maybe I could just go and talk to Sheriff Andy Taylor and his Deputy Baney Fife. Read the post! Passport? Candid Camera?

[falux]

Advise to everybody:

Never EVER climb into a Taxi when there is already a girl in. Even though at a start, you might think that's funny. They will be a criminal team robbing you, and yes, as posted before, happened on Sukhumvit.

[Popeyethesailorman]

Advise to everybody:

Never EVER climb into a Taxi when there is already a girl in. Even though at a start, you might think that's funny. They will be a criminal team robbing you, and yes, as posted before, happened on Sukhumvit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah and don't climb into a tuk tuk with a guy in a ninja outfit or a guy dressed as a clown, as this can seem very funny. These are sure signs that you will be robbed. My best friends girlfriends brothers sister did this and boy, is she sorry now!!! Woke up in a bathtub full of ice water and her kidneys and liver were gone.

[falux]

Advise to everybody:

Never EVER climb into a Taxi when there is already a girl in. Even though at a start, you might think that's funny. They will be a criminal team robbing you, and yes, as posted before, happened on Sukhumvit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah and don't climb into a tuk tuk with a guy in a ninja outfit or a guy dressed as a clown, as this can seem very funny. These are sure signs that you will be robbed. My best friends girlfriends brothers sister did this and boy, is she sorry now!!! Woke up in a bathtub full of ice water and her kidneys and liver were gone. :cheehey sy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You must be joking !!! That is a cruel story.

Anyway, if they take my liver, the surprise will be bad ;-(

[withnail]

Advise to everybody:

Never EVER climb into a Taxi when there is already a girl in. Even though at a start, you might think that's funny. They will be a criminal team robbing you, and yes, as posted before, happened on Sukhumvit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can I ask how they drugged/robbed you was it with this magic potion thats been going around.

See this thread

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=32593

[LotNoiKop]

How much did the moron have to pay the police to get his wallet back and how much of a cut did the tuK driver get????? What a joke....Hello!!!!

[misbah]

Agreed, but it's always best to have ones wits about in a foreign land. In the US he might have got shot for his wallet!

[Thetyim]

Hey, Lot Noi Kop, go get yourself another avatar that one is taken.

[Popeyethesailorman]

Hey, Lot Noi Kop, go get yourself another avatar that one is taken.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

agree totally

[Sunderland]

Advise to everybody:

Never EVER climb into a Taxi when there is already a girl in. Even though at a start, you might think that's funny. They will be a criminal team robbing you, and yes, as posted before, happened on Sukhumvit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah and don't climb into a tuk tuk with a guy in a ninja outfit or a guy dressed as a clown, as this can seem very funny. These are sure signs that you will be robbed. My best friends girlfriends brothers sister did this and boy, is she sorry now!!! Woke up in a bathtub full of ice water and her kidneys and liver were gone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good advice. And never ever climb onto an elephant ridden by a chimpanzee ... he will drug you, take you to a crazy ping pong show, sell you fake jewellery, trick you into playing cards and force you to marry his grandmother before removing your lungs with an MK toothpick. I have seen this scam many times on Sukhumwit Road. Be careful.

[chuckygobyebye]

I left my bag in a taxi once, had my passport inside, the guy dropped it into the office two days later.

On New Year's eve I left my phone in a taxi. Rang it and the guy had his wife drop it around to me.

On both occasions I gave them Bt500 for their troubles, which is a small price for stupidity.

It strikes me that Bt25,000 is a lot to pay for a wallet. Also, if he lost his wallet, what's he doing walking around with Bt25,000 in his pocket?