Australian Fraudster's Phuket Vacation Cut Short

[gemini81]

A bit desperately retarded, not real thought-through.

[garyh]

What no bar towels?

[poida2]

It goes back a long way & seemed to be a way for backpackers to prolong their holiday. My first time in Bangkok back in 1979 I shared a room with an Aussie who was waiting on a replacement passport as his had been stolen (read - he sold it for extra cash). Others I met were involved in other things such as the traveller's cheques scam, smuggling gold to India, & even less savoury acts.

The convict stain runs deep in Australia.

(and yes, I am Australian)

[ukinbkk]

She'd only been in Phuket for a couple of days when she saw what the locals were up to and thought she'd have a go at making some money herself, poor sole. Looks like it backfired big time, if she was thai the police would have patted her on the back. Thais get away with murder, arson, robbery, mugging, assult, buggery, outright thievery, bringing Bangkok to a standstill and burning parts down and anything else you want to name.

Like some of the posts say on here insurance co's are fair game, they never pay out and make it impossible when you have a ligit cliam to recoup what you've lost/suffered.

This looks like a classic case of double standards in thailand (suprise, suprise), she should be shown how to do it properly by the locals because they've had years of practice...

Edited June 19, 2010 by ukinbkk

[TAWP]

ukinbkk>> Your post is so trite. No, locals don't get away with everything and no, not all locals scam like this. But are we allowed to guess what social class you belong to?

[kuffki]

i am little confused though. She tried to scam an Australian Insurance company, so why does she get arrested in Thailand?

Its hard to believe of 50 000 baht bail for filing false police report and still having to go to court and all the hassles when its 15 000 baht for locals to get out of illegal fire arm charge. or possession of drugs

[grahamhc]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

<<<<<<<

Biggest problem is that not so many Thai differentiate between Australians, Europeans, or Americans. Just another farlang who made something wrong.

The question who raises these kids anyway is a serious question. Too many foul apples around.

>>>>>>>

Sadly, it is not only Westerners (aka Farangs) who do not control their offspring. Just watch the TV in Pattaya and you often see reports of gangs of youths fighting. Most days there is either a death or hospitalisation due to Gang related shootings. These rarely get listed on the Internet news pages of those stations.

Luckily, it happens on the outskirts of town, well away from the Tourists or the Police.

[samuibeachcomber]

travel insurance fraud,sold passports,it has been this way since backpacking took off in the late sixties and early seventies,yes a way to extend your holiday,almost a rite of passage.Today the insurance co.'s are much wiser.

[chmiroau]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

Just following the Americans, after all Aussies don't need their common sense anymore!!!

[chmiroau]

As a recent Aussie import to Thailand, I am not surprised at news like this.

Sadly many Aussie children are now brought up to believe that they can do no wrong, it is always someone else's fault. Fall over and it is the owner of the footpath's fault, not yours. They have to put out caution floor wet signs at shopping centers when it is raining, not just to warn their patrons that rain is actually water, and that makes the floor wet when it falls, but to protect themselves from the litigious public.

People don't have crashes because their driving is not up to scratch, it is because the road is unsafe to drive on, hence Australis seems to have the fastest falling speed limits in the western world. Still these people see no problem with paying just $30.00 (1000 thb) per tire on their car. How much is their life worth????

It surprises me not that these Aussies come here and believe that they can run gunshot over the Thai people, I am always happy when the gunshot gets returned.

Expect it to get worse, we have a whole generation of these common sense deprived Aussies to come.

(Written by one sad Aussie who knows what common sense is, I have an old dictionary)

[harleyclarkey]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

And you probably believe that the Thais have respect for our culture? That they actually like the westerner? That the police will give the foreigner a fair break against a Thai? That the courts will actually come down on the side of a foreigner? That we will be believed over a Thai?

Sure ...the people of Thailand do really love us and respect us after, the muggings, murders, beatings, unsolved deaths, scams, frauds, police shake downs, etc, etc, etc, of foreigners shows this clearly. Foreigners have been cleaned out financially and emotionally for years in Thailand with not a whisper form any source of authority. The fact is they don't care.

It has nothing to do with discrimination towards Thailand. It has nothing to do with respect for or against the people of Thailand. This young girl was out to make a fast buck.....it could have been anywhere in the world. Thing is ...if it was a local he would have gone for a beer with the thugs in brown afterwards and dropped over the tea money.

[harleyclarkey]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

I must say your comment is truely well said. Cheers to you.

I think one or both these posts must be a wind-up.

Agreed Token....a load of rubbish

[ronz28]

Prosecute. Name and shame. Be sure the information is published in her home town newspaper so people she knows will really know what she did and others thinking about doing something like this will think twice about it.

[stoko42]

Seems some Westerners are learning quick what to do in the Land of Scams ...

You can hardly pin insurance fraud on the Thai people. Westerners have been doing this sort of thing long before Thailand had even heard of insurance.

Edited June 19, 2010 by stoko42

[Sabre]

Okay so this has no Thai relationship, but bear with me.

About 30 years ago an american friend (well a work acquintance anyhow) tried to scam the company he then worked for using the same "stolen traveler's checks" scam. He purchased $500 in traveler's checks for a business trip to Saudi Arabia on company business. On his way, at a stopover in Frankfurt, he claimed his traveler's checks were "stolen". He filed for compensation for the 'stolen' checks, and his money was refunded. On arriving in Saudi Arabia, he changed the so-called stolen traveller's checks with a Saudi moneychanger. He apparently thought nobody would notice. The Saudi moneychanger contacted the traveler's check company, and my friend (or acquaintance) was arrested. He was deported back to the U.S. where he was to be arrested for fraud for falsely claiming the traveler's checks were stolen. But to make it worse for him, before he was deported from Saudi, the Saudi officials sentenced him to a public flogging (Islamic law allows it)for trying to defraud the moneychanger. The flogging was filmed by a U.S. news crew, and shown on the nightly network news in the U.S. So when he arrived home he was not only arrested, but he lost his job, and had to reimburse the comapny he had worked for to cover their losses on his business trip.

So he wss publicly flogged, lost his job, arrested for fraud, and had the entire thing shown on U.S network news all at the same time.

Some crooks are just not too bright, are they.

By comparison to my friend that Aussie girl in Phuket was lucky.

You call him your friend, and yet you take great delight in his suffering ...

[Paul888]

Why confess to having lied? Was she interrogated by Scooby Doo?

[acranger]

Why confess to having lied? Was she interrogated by Scooby Doo?

LMAO I was just thinking the exact same thing! If you go into something like that you have to commit to it and stick to your story. There is virtually no way to prove she made it up if she just would have insisted. Typical woman, cracking under pressure ha ha.

Edited June 19, 2010 by acranger

[ozzieovaseas]

I hope this story gets some media coverage in Australia. It may deter people who are contemplating the same type of scam.

it may actually encourage it.

a lot of people wouldn't have thought of it before, and might think.. 'i could act, and hold on to my story, better than she did'.

Maybe they interrogated the BF seperately..afterwards, and pulled the old bluff routine..

"Your BF also in big trouble, he confess that you lied..you also in big trouble, you dont confess, then you stay prisoner for three months, you wait trial"

Aussie women are not know for their abiltiy to pull of a good scam..over all id actually question their street smarts, however im guessing a 20 y.o one would certainly buckle under such pressure..

silly silly silly..

som num na

[Sabre]

As a recent Aussie import to Thailand, I am not surprised at news like this.

Sadly many Aussie children are now brought up to believe that they can do no wrong, it is always someone else's fault. Fall over and it is the owner of the footpath's fault, not yours. They have to put out caution floor wet signs at shopping centers when it is raining, not just to warn their patrons that rain is actually water, and that makes the floor wet when it falls, but to protect themselves from the litigious public.

People don't have crashes because their driving is not up to scratch, it is because the road is unsafe to drive on, hence Australis seems to have the fastest falling speed limits in the western world. Still these people see no problem with paying just $30.00 (1000 thb) per tire on their car. How much is their life worth????

It surprises me not that these Aussies come here and believe that they can run gunshot over the Thai people, I am always happy when the gunshot gets returned.

Expect it to get worse, we have a whole generation of these common sense deprived Aussies to come.

(Written by one sad Aussie who knows what common sense is, I have an old dictionary)

Wow, you're really a 'glass is half empty' kind of guy aren't you?

[scooke]

From what I hear about corrupt police, is it possible their confession was obtained because they knew no robbery had taken place because no thief came by to give a portion? Or are the reports of corrupt police exaggerated?

[ozzieovaseas]

As a recent Aussie import to Thailand, I am not surprised at news like this.

Sadly many Aussie children are now brought up to believe that they can do no wrong, it is always someone else's fault. Fall over and it is the owner of the footpath's fault, not yours. They have to put out caution floor wet signs at shopping centers when it is raining, not just to warn their patrons that rain is actually water, and that makes the floor wet when it falls, but to protect themselves from the litigious public.

People don't have crashes because their driving is not up to scratch, it is because the road is unsafe to drive on, hence Australis seems to have the fastest falling speed limits in the western world. Still these people see no problem with paying just $30.00 (1000 thb) per tire on their car. How much is their life worth????

It surprises me not that these Aussies come here and believe that they can run gunshot over the Thai people, I am always happy when the gunshot gets returned.

Expect it to get worse, we have a whole generation of these common sense deprived Aussies to come.

(Written by one sad Aussie who knows what common sense is, I have an old dictionary)

Wow, you're really a 'glass is half empty' kind of guy aren't you?

IMO, he's pretty much hit the nail on the head,

Actually, i thinks he might be in possesion of a very proficient Makita nailgun

[Sabre]

As a recent Aussie import to Thailand, I am not surprised at news like this.

Sadly many Aussie children are now brought up to believe that they can do no wrong, it is always someone else's fault. Fall over and it is the owner of the footpath's fault, not yours. They have to put out caution floor wet signs at shopping centers when it is raining, not just to warn their patrons that rain is actually water, and that makes the floor wet when it falls, but to protect themselves from the litigious public.

People don't have crashes because their driving is not up to scratch, it is because the road is unsafe to drive on, hence Australis seems to have the fastest falling speed limits in the western world. Still these people see no problem with paying just $30.00 (1000 thb) per tire on their car. How much is their life worth????

It surprises me not that these Aussies come here and believe that they can run gunshot over the Thai people, I am always happy when the gunshot gets returned.

Expect it to get worse, we have a whole generation of these common sense deprived Aussies to come.

(Written by one sad Aussie who knows what common sense is, I have an old dictionary)

Wow, you're really a 'glass is half empty' kind of guy aren't you?

IMO, he's pretty much hit the nail on the head,

Actually, i thinks he might be in possesion of a very proficient Makita nailgun

Sure. I mean, I'll concede that it's possible this incident is a symptom of a civilisation in decline. A lethargic, feckless generation of young Australians who are planning a global crime spree just as a way of expressing their cultural imperialism and arrogant world view. A generation who delights in lowering speed limits because they cannot manage to perambulate across a footpath or through a shopping centre without having a major accident and unleashing a storm of litigation, just because they can. I'll admit that's certainly a possibility.

Then again, maybe it's just a case of youthful indiscretion?

Which way is your nail gun leaning?

[TechnikaIII]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

What goes on in Australia? Before pointing fingers at another nation, you do something about the fact that so many thousands of Americans are funding terrorism through their purchase of heroin, ... just for starters. So who raises YOUR kids? Hmm?

However, back to the stupid girl in question. Given that she is convicted, I would argue for a further sanction in the form public exposure and a travel ban when she returns home.

I am a British-Australian and as well have lived in Scandinavia for many years, mostly Norway. Insurance scams are a reality everywhere, and not confined to the younger generations. As far as punishment goes, what people fear most here in Norway atleast, is public embarrassment and will do anything to save face. Australians are more likely to come clean, accept responsibility, and apologize for a wrong.

[zigistar]

Its funny those things still are used....in the tsunami i lost all my stuff i did got assurance and i got nothing out of it,even my embassy and the special team of the ministery of foreign affairs of my country could or didnt want to do nothing or yes they did offer me help in repatriation(the 1 thing i didnt need because here is my home)

[Tokay]

They should give her Thai citizenship. She's fitting in just fine.

When in Rome...

[surangw]

Okay so this has no Thai relationship, but bear with me.

About 30 years ago an american friend (well a work acquintance anyhow) tried to scam the company he then worked for using the same "stolen traveler's checks" scam. He purchased $500 in traveler's checks for a business trip to Saudi Arabia on company business. On his way, at a stopover in Frankfurt, he claimed his traveler's checks were "stolen". He filed for compensation for the 'stolen' checks, and his money was refunded. On arriving in Saudi Arabia, he changed the so-called stolen traveller's checks with a Saudi moneychanger. He apparently thought nobody would notice. The Saudi moneychanger contacted the traveler's check company, and my friend (or acquaintance) was arrested. He was deported back to the U.S. where he was to be arrested for fraud for falsely claiming the traveler's checks were stolen. But to make it worse for him, before he was deported from Saudi, the Saudi officials sentenced him to a public flogging (Islamic law allows it)for trying to defraud the moneychanger. The flogging was filmed by a U.S. news crew, and shown on the nightly network news in the U.S. So when he arrived home he was not only arrested, but he lost his job, and had to reimburse the comapny he had worked for to cover their losses on his business trip.

So he wss publicly flogged, lost his job, arrested for fraud, and had the entire thing shown on U.S network news all at the same time.

Some crooks are just not too bright, are they.

By comparison to my friend that Aussie girl in Phuket was lucky.

flogging in thailand is common ( but you have to choose the correct venue, and pay extra)

You call him your friend, and yet you take great delight in his suffering ...

[jackr]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

Oh puleeease, where's the puke emoticon? Sounds like you've been here for all of 5 minutes with your harping on about respect, culture and discrimination of Thai people. As wrong as it may be, she has tried to defraud an insurance firm, it's got eff all to do with Thai people. Grow up.

[Jimi007]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

Just following the Americans, after all Aussies don't need their common sense anymore!!!

Why are you bashing Americans? Bash your own people as it wasn't an American, but an Aussie who was trying to defraud an insurance company, was it not? What's the topic of this thread? It has nothing to do with the US, now does it? So you are speaking common sense or pure nonsense?

[hkt83100]

just to get the records straight: The pic on the initial post shows Kathu police station, not Patong, as mentioned.

Well, just have a look at the police station in Patong, and you will see the picture is true. (Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu)

Thank you for your attention.

[MAJIC]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

Sorry Anyse, but you need to address a few delusions... Bear with me, it might be good for you.

Respect for the police of Thailand? Oh please... No, no, they aren't pushovers are they? Honest as the day is long - unless of course you slip them the correct bribe. Sorry, but the boys in brown are known around the world as being hopelessly corrupt - the Thai police force is an international joke.

So forgive this stupid girl for thinking that maybe she could join in and make a little dishonest money herself. (and it is not as if crimes like bag snatching are rare in Phuket - or tourist rape by locals, which oddly enough doesn't get reported nearly as often as it happens) Maybe she read about how last week the tuk tuk drivers in Phuket created a blockade against sailors from the US Navy and didn't get arrested for it and she figured the police here were slack.

And while we are on it, are you surprised after what happened last month if foreigners don't necessarily think of this country and its culture as being advanced, or even civilised? People acting like animals, expressing their political differences through mob violence... And any attempts at discussion just showed two sides unwilling to budge, like little children in a schoolyard.... You believe this behaviour is somehow worthy of respect?

Our humble apologies if the world isn't filled with admiration for Amazing Thailand at the moment, but respect is something you earn, not something you claim as a birthright.

It seems to me that every time Thailand needs to go through a reflection period, criticising themselves perhaps, that suddenly there are lots of stories of foreigners committing fairly minor crimes - suddenly these incidents get covered - in both English and Thai language press (I've spent years working at newspapers here and the choice of smaller stories can be very reactive to the front page events). It is a way for Thais to look outward at the bad in other people (foreigners) when they need to be looking inside themselves. And then they can tell themselves they aren't so bad after all.

Take for example this claim: Police Duty Officer Nitikorn Rawang said too many foreigners were committing insurance fraud in Thailand.

“There are probably around 50 cases [dealt with by Kathu Police] every week,” he said.

So he is saying there are 50 cases of fraud per week? Or does he mean 50 cases of suspected fraud. Okay, if it 50 cases of fraud, then this story isn't news, because they must be arresting and shipping foreigners out by the boatload.

If they aren't arresting them, then why not? If they know it is fraud, how do they know, and why don't they do anything about it? Why is this just coming to light now?

Or are they saying that 50 insurance claims are filed each week? Are there not 50 crimes per week directed at foreign "guests"? How do they know they aren't legitimate?

What the hel_l is this duty officer trying to say exactly? Or is he just talking - making up stats, making assumptions, and generally showing prejudice towards foreigners?

Have the police no respect for the culture or people of Farangland?

Of course if there was for the most part,50 genuine crimes against Tourists,then they would want letters for their Insurance Companies.

On top of that the BiB would need to apprehend at least some of the ones who committed the crimes.Far easier to blame scamming by the the Tourists,helps preserve the Countries Tourist industry as well,if thats possible after the Reds fiasco in Bangkok,this Police claim suggests a vested interest in MHO.

I dont know about other Countries but in the UK the media has been awash with negative stories about Thailand,for a very long time,guess the image is already suffering from over tarnishing.