Breaking Thailand's Crime Wave

[webfact]

Breaking the Crime Wave

Times of economic instability and financial hardship have created a breeding ground for crime amongst the nation's low income earners, already burdened by the many other social misfortunes placed upon them. Robberies and thieving are noticeably up, committed by both nationals and foreigners taking advantage of the Kingdom's disarray. Gold store heists seem to be in the news almost everyday, while the grapevine is abuzz with stories of break-ins and a slew of other crimes.

A recent and telling example was that of a single man taking to a gold store in the bustling Big C Ladprao, using a gun to make off with some 2.5 million baht worth of gold. The tenacity of this robbery is its most alarming characteristic. While most criminals, one would believe, carefully plan out their operations for the best means of escape and safety, indicating some underlying sinister cunning, this particular case took place amidst one of the city's densest department stores. The gold shop in question had its own security guards, while Big C also has security guards, not to mention all the other possible good Samaritans that may have intervened. The still-at-large criminal was either extremely courageous or driven to extremes.

Police were once hired by gold shops for security, but the practice was later criticized as a misuse of public authorities. Today, guards are a fixture of every gold retailer, but as criminals have shown, do not provide the same clout police once did due to their limited training and inability to carry arms.

It can be expected with some certainty that the upward trend in crime will continue for some time, especially if the factors creating criminals persist. The obvious answer to this situation is that the problem must be addressed at its cause, that is, economic failings must be remedied and society must take better care for the less fortunate.

In the interim however, may be it is time for police to assert their clout once again. In the context of Thailand, police have spent a long time building up a reputation for being less than reliable for help and yet amazingly efficient when moved to do so. Thailand at this time needs more of the latter than the former and the nation's police could use the positive press. If the tide of crime cannot be stemmed, then the Kingdom's authorities must in turn be ready to act.

Kom Chad Luek Editorial, August 24 2010

Translated and Rewritten by Itiporn Lakarnchua

Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-25

[Scott]

It has seemed to me that crime is on the up-swing, but it's difficult to know whether it is or whether there is just more information available out there. This seems to make it known. It would be nice to see some actual statistics.

[edwardandtubs]

What a pathetic excuse for journalism. Absolutely no facts at all to back up claims of a "crime wave" and laughably naive solutions put forward.

[Boater]

Private security guards in thailand are nothing but a joke , it is classed as a low end job with no training needed . The police need to be paid more so they concentrate on fighting / solving crimes , not just doing ' jobs ' that will make them money .

[way2muchcoffee]

Private security guards in thailand are nothing but a joke , it is classed as a low end job with no training needed . The police need to be paid more so they concentrate on fighting / solving crimes , not just doing ' jobs ' that will make them money .

That won't do any good when they can make more through extortion than the government could ever hope to pay them in salary.

[slapout]

As mentioned, the security guards are untrained, door openers. The police as security, is a joke, plus how many gold shops vs number of police available? On second thought, it may keep the police out of mischief if they are assigned to patrolling the gold shop area instead of the road ways.

I have seen remote control doors with noticeable cameras where the ID was requested to be shown, thus recorded prior to entry. This system seemed to work as much as any other non lethal deterrent. A guard armed with a shotgun always put me off of a store. Just envisioning the training, the damage the shotgun will do, etc, would curtail my infrequent visits further.

When a guilty plea can get a sentence reduction, even with everything recorded on tape, a stint in the monk hood can give relief. People blame the crime on poverty, mistreatment , malnourishment, etc, instead of holding the individual responsible. And it seems, if money is spread around, charges can be reduced or in some cases never filed. We need not go into the example being set by the so called authorities.

[coastalmatty]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

[yellow1red1]

What a pathetic excuse for journalism. Absolutely no facts at all to back up claims of a "crime wave" and laughably naive solutions put forward.

Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

It might have been a Letter to Editor? at least they never said 'crack down'!

[moe666]

But we like crack downs

[Colabamumbai]

Private security guards in thailand are nothing but a joke , it is classed as a low end job with no training needed . The police need to be paid more so they concentrate on fighting / solving crimes , not just doing ' jobs ' that will make them money .

Yes and so they may stop having to make everyone bribe them to get out of trouble, or pay them to act on ones behalf. They call it tea money, I have never seen a cop in Thailand drinking tea. Two cops come to my building and I watch them split the proceeds of the days take between them, sad commentary.

[cadjan]

I'm in Sri Lanka, and all the jewelery stores/banks have security with shot guns on hand. Admittedly, I saw one with such a long barrel he would be hard pressed to get out the door after a bandit, but the deterrent is there. I'm no gun expert, but there are a lot of short barrel shot guns around, and very few "jump the counter and grab the goods" related incidences that I have seen on the TV in Thailand

.

Of course arming the guards is another debate...

[Thules]

What a pathetic excuse for journalism. Absolutely no facts at all to back up claims of a "crime wave" and laughably naive solutions put forward.

+1 Couldn't agree more without substantiation, No breakdown of statistics by type of crime. No, nothing, except one newspaper's assertion of reality. And here propogated as a fact and here amplified as more drivel put out under the auspices of 'breaking news'. Has critical analytical thinking died a death here ? Is anything sensationally printed in the local news media, now presented as factual in TV ?

[Thai at Heart]

I'm in Sri Lanka, and all the jewelery stores/banks have security with shot guns on hand. Admittedly, I saw one with such a long barrel he would be hard pressed to get out the door after a bandit, but the deterrent is there. I'm no gun expert, but there are a lot of short barrel shot guns around, and very few "jump the counter and grab the goods" related incidences that I have seen on the TV in Thailand

.

Of course arming the guards is another debate...

Coming from the UK, having Sargent Somchai with a gun is more than dangerous enough. Fortunately, for all the fuss about the police being armed, the only time I have heard of them using them in the heat of the moment was a few years ago to shoot a kid who pulled U-turn at a bike helmet check. Unless the crime is within spitting distance of a copper over here, they never catch anyone in the act anyway.

Somsak the guard with a gun? Don't even think about it.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[Jogden]

55555. The police are paid plenty already, filling in time in gold shops and banks is the cream on top.

[asiawatcher]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

Certainly - and if they were paid more - starting salary for a street cop is under Baht 7,000 per month - they would not have to take backhanders - despite the fact the majority of those they scam it from are in fact law breakers albeit a minor infringement! Imagine if 30-50% were freed up to actually fight crime rather than participate in it?

[TheWhiteFella]

Private security guards in thailand are nothing but a joke , it is classed as a low end job with no training needed . The police need to be paid more so they concentrate on fighting / solving crimes , not just doing ' jobs ' that will make them money .

" may be it is time for police to assert their clout"

What colut?? Thai police do nothing, zero, zip, zilch for theft, A group of 3 houses in Phuket robbed 17 times., police will do nothing after 17 visits to Police station

[rotary]

I am sure crime is up but.......it would be good to see hard facts as to what % is,etc

[nullx8]

Thats just perfect news in order to gain new trust to the country...

Where this all will go? Civil War ?

[Jimi007]

I am sure crime is up but.......it would be good to see hard facts as to what % is,etc

Here"s some "hard facts" from the Phuket Police:

The largest number of criminal cases involving foreigners stemmed from excessive alcohol consumption, he said.

So far this year there have been 126 criminal cases in which a foreigner was the suspect. They include assaults, murders, sex crimes, thefts, drugs offenses, visa overstays, work permit violations, gambling and drunk driving, he said.

By contrast, there have been 24 cases in which foreigners were identified as victims. These include thefts, sex crimes, assaults and murders, he said.

The amount of crime involving foreigners appeared to be on the increase, Maj Gen Pekad noted.

More like hard to believe "facts." Provided by:

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-08-26

Edited August 26, 2010 by Jimi007

[rich54321]

Enough of all this nonesense - HOW CAN A POLICEMAN BE HIRED BY A GOLD SHOP TO SIT ON HIS ARSE THAT WILL GET FATTER AND STILL BE IN UNIFORM AND PAID BY WHO?????

[nullx8]

Enough of all this nonesense - HOW CAN A POLICEMAN BE HIRED BY A GOLD SHOP TO SIT ON HIS ARSE THAT WILL GET FATTER AND STILL BE IN UNIFORM AND PAID BY WHO?????

HAHA ... i guess you not getting out that much ... actually i have seen more Gold shops with cops inside than without.

[witsawakorn]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

Certainly - and if they were paid more - starting salary for a street cop is under Baht 7,000 per month - they would not have to take backhanders - despite the fact the majority of those they scam it from are in fact law breakers albeit a minor infringement! Imagine if 30-50% were freed up to actually fight crime rather than participate in it?

Right. And isn't it true to say that police corruption in UK for example at lower levels was largely eliminated by paying them a higher than average salary for the qualifications required together with strict enforcement? ( the prospect of being a jailed cop has got to be a good deterrent ) 7000 baht/month isn't that much more than the minimum wage. Uk police starting pay is almost UKP 2000/month in comparison

[Milo]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

Certainly - and if they were paid more - starting salary for a street cop is under Baht 7,000 per month - they would not have to take backhanders - despite the fact the majority of those they scam it from are in fact law breakers albeit a minor infringement! Imagine if 30-50% were freed up to actually fight crime rather than participate in it?

Right. And isn't it true to say that police corruption in UK for example at lower levels was largely eliminated by paying them a higher than average salary for the qualifications required together with strict enforcement? ( the prospect of being a jailed cop has got to be a good deterrent ) 7000 baht/month isn't that much more than the minimum wage. Uk police starting pay is almost UKP 2000/month in comparison

And some of the best paid here wouldn't DREAM of corruption? No matter how much a man has he'll always want more, be it money or power.

You could indeed increase wages, but without the deterrent, plus a fair & just enquiry, investigation & legal system you're not really going to get very far!!

Was it really worth drawing comparison? I say fair play to the general populace who appear to almost police and even govern themselves to a degree! In my estimation it says a great deal about the nation as a whole, mostly upstanding folk who without the western constraints & bindings of our respective 'Nanny States' tying them up in knots are largely afforded a far greater amount of freedom to go about their daily business. I might add probably with greater personal safety (from criminals) than back in the west too! I certainly know where I'd rather be, and I'll bet my last baht none of you 'corruption' whiners have ever accepted the 400b traffic ticket the BiB were about to write out before giving him a 200b back-hander?!?! Show me somebody who hasn't and I'll show you a liar

Pot, kettle, black? Matter of degrees that's all.

Personally I wouldn't have it any other way! Freedom has it's own price too and I'd say a very small charge considering this particular luxury we all enjoy? Not having your hands tied by bureaucrats at every twist and turn, forced into being PC and all that crap, everybody's full of great advice how to turn this place into 'just like home' aren't they?!?! I still remember perfectly well why I came here, no, not absconding in any fashion, just fed up of paying 40% income tax and for what at the end of the day?

If I may respectfully suggest that you guys got out a bit more and enjoyed what the place has to offer you'd spend less time concerned about its pitfalls? "Oh, it's my RIGHT to complain" the sheeple bleat! Just FYI, that was constructive criticism, not a complaint

:jap:

[keith7777]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

Certainly - and if they were paid more - starting salary for a street cop is under Baht 7,000 per month - they would not have to take backhanders - despite the fact the majority of those they scam it from are in fact law breakers albeit a minor infringement! Imagine if 30-50% were freed up to actually fight crime rather than participate in it?

Right. And isn't it true to say that police corruption in UK for example at lower levels was largely eliminated by paying them a higher than average salary for the qualifications required together with strict enforcement? ( the prospect of being a jailed cop has got to be a good deterrent ) 7000 baht/month isn't that much more than the minimum wage. Uk police starting pay is almost UKP 2000/month in comparison

And some of the best paid here wouldn't DREAM of corruption? No matter how much a man has he'll always want more, be it money or power.

You could indeed increase wages, but without the deterrent, plus a fair & just enquiry, investigation & legal system you're not really going to get very far!!

Was it really worth drawing comparison? I say fair play to the general populace who appear to almost police and even govern themselves to a degree! In my estimation it says a great deal about the nation as a whole, mostly upstanding folk who without the western constraints & bindings of our respective 'Nanny States' tying them up in knots are largely afforded a far greater amount of freedom to go about their daily business. I might add probably with greater personal safety (from criminals) than back in the west too! I certainly know where I'd rather be, and I'll bet my last baht none of you 'corruption' whiners have ever accepted the 400b traffic ticket the BiB were about to write out before giving him a 200b back-hander?!?! Show me somebody who hasn't and I'll show you a liar

Pot, kettle, black? Matter of degrees that's all.

Personally I wouldn't have it any other way! Freedom has it's own price too and I'd say a very small charge considering this particular luxury we all enjoy? Not having your hands tied by bureaucrats at every twist and turn, forced into being PC and all that crap, everybody's full of great advice how to turn this place into 'just like home' aren't they?!?! I still remember perfectly well why I came here, no, not absconding in any fashion, just fed up of paying 40% income tax and for what at the end of the day?

If I may respectfully suggest that you guys got out a bit more and enjoyed what the place has to offer you'd spend less time concerned about its pitfalls? "Oh, it's my RIGHT to complain" the sheeple bleat! Just FYI, that was constructive criticism, not a complaint

:jap:

Come on guys, some of you do go to extremes in reacting to what the crime wave reporter is saying. I do know that every day I see on TV criminals in the Thai police station here and it goes on and on and on. I don't think it is a crime wave just an every day occurance. I just hope that I am never envolved in one of these criminal activities as it is true that you can get hurt and I would not like to get hurt. As the saying goes, a person here will rob a place knowing that he will get caught and go to jail, but do it anyway. As the desire for money is very strong in the force here. I would not live any other place as I like it too much here crime and all.

[stunt]

yeah right, as if any shopper (myself included) is going to get shot in the stomach to prevent someone else's gold (which would be covered by insurance anyway) from being stolen. Think again.

[wildpuppet72]

Maybe if the police were not busy taking money of poor taxi drivers and people on motorcycles they would have more time to fight crime

Certainly - and if they were paid more - starting salary for a street cop is under Baht 7,000 per month - they would not have to take backhanders - despite the fact the majority of those they scam it from are in fact law breakers albeit a minor infringement! Imagine if 30-50% were freed up to actually fight crime rather than participate in it?

where do you get this info from a normal thai police man get from 10 to 30 thousand every month in esarn so what do you think they get in the city alot more sure dont write when you dont know if is fact you are saying im living with thai fammilies so i know what i talk about before i post it...... Wild