Foreign Crime Gang Activity Increasing In Pattaya

[PattayaOneTeam]

Foreign crime gang activity increasing in Pattaya

By Staff Writers

Communications between the United States Embassy in Bangkok and the United States State Department, released by the whistleblower website Wikileaks and featured in the United Kingdom-based Guardian newspaper, highlight a disturbing growing trend of foreign gangs operating in and out of Pattaya.

The communication stated: “Thailand enjoys a rapid expansion of Russian tourists visiting Thailand but has to deal with an unwanted side effect - the presence of Russian organized crime networks around the popular beach destinations of Pattaya and Phuket.”

Whilst the cable highlighted the increasing presence of the Russian mafia in Pattaya, recent arrests of foreign criminal gangs have, surprisingly, been predominantly from South America.

Informed sources have also pointed to growing suspicions of a large Iranian drug network in the city, which Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers believe is the target of much of the recently seized drugs being muled in by Iranian tourists.

Pattaya One reviewed the available evidence of criminal gang activity in Pattaya during 2010, which backs up the disturbing claims that Pattaya is increasingly a foreign gang hideout.

The arrests of a South American gang of thieves operating in Pattaya made headline news late last year, when they were discovered in a house on a residential estate in East Pattaya with a large hoard of stolen jewellery, credit cards, laptops, cameras, gas bottles and blowtorch equipment.

Denying all knowledge of these items, the Peruvian and Argentine gang were arrested following the arrest of two more gang members in Bangkok.

The recovered items were claimed by victims from Bangkok and the surrounding area, and a Metropolitan Police 7 investigator believed the suspects were hiding in Pattaya, acting as tourists, renting vehicles and targeting luxury residences, before transferring money and valuables back to their home countries.

Readers may recall another arrest in 2010, of another South American gang of robbers, this time from Colombia, when one of their members escaped from police custody twice, once from a hospital, after being shot during his first escape attempt.

This five-man gang were thought to have links to another Bangkok gang, and they were believed to be responsible for at least 20 robberies in the Chonburi area. [more...]

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-- Pattaya One 2011-01-18

[sedeflonga]

I could have told you without Wikileaks. Seeing for many years Russkies running in shorts, loaded with diamond bracelets, necklaces -you only saw at TV or auctions. They are not afraid to show who they are.

[StasD]

I could have told you without Wikileaks. Seeing for many years Russkies running in shorts, loaded with diamond bracelets, necklaces -you only saw at TV or auctions. They are not afraid to show who they are.

envy?from Poland? pshek?

[Digicat]

Do note they also mentioned South Americans. I'm sure among the drunken wasted of life there you will also find quite a few British, Australian and a variety of European mafia operators or other sorts of low lifes.

What surprises me here is that the police actually caught the gang! I wonder if all the stolen items were returned to the owners.

[seadoo]

The BIB are just worried about another group cutting in on their action.

[TheGhostWithin]

No surprise, and no surprise of the countries which they predominantly eminate from. Though, sadly to Thais, if you have white skin, Latino, Russian, European or Australian, we are all the same.

I hope, that any steps taken to stop this activity (e.g. restrictions on maximum stays, reporting etc) will be evenly applied, meaning that only those of offending nations will be punished, perhaps encouraging those same nations to be a little more selective on who they let out of the country, and what information they provide to any country these people visit.

I know as a New Zealander, I have never met a Kiwi or Australian organised crime person, though Im sure they exist. Would hate to see our guys punished by further restrictions because of what some Russian or South Americans who do not even speak a common language to us did...

[adamjohn]

This article begins with US Embassy; as if they care or would do something!

They completely ignored me when I went to them to report 30+ ATM withdrawals that wiped out my savings- over $10,000 stolen. Not 1 investigation both US and Thailand authorities!

Totally worthless organization!

[markg]

I do believe a similar thing happened on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it took the Russian mafia about 6 months to take over the lucrative drug / club and other establishments which had traditionally been the preserve of the Spanish and English crime syndicates. They just made all their opponents disappear. These guys don't muck about. Thai mafia? Forget it ! History already, just looking on in awe.

[hardy1943]

I could have told you without Wikileaks. Seeing for many years Russkies running in shorts, loaded with diamond bracelets, necklaces -you only saw at TV or auctions. They are not afraid to show who they are.

Agree!!! I was there over three years ago and saw that the first 30 minutes and left the next day. I bet the monthly payment to the police to sweep most of it under the rug is

very substantial.Amazing Thailand

[ukfool]

Do note they also mentioned South Americans. I'm sure among the drunken wasted of life there you will also find quite a few British, Australian and a variety of European mafia operators or other sorts of low lifes.

What surprises me here is that the police actually caught the gang! I wonder if all the stolen items were returned to the owners.

You forgot the American and Canadian criminals of which there are many too ? I wonder are you possibly American ? lol

[Digicat]

Do note they also mentioned South Americans. I'm sure among the drunken wasted of life there you will also find quite a few British, Australian and a variety of European mafia operators or other sorts of low lifes.

What surprises me here is that the police actually caught the gang! I wonder if all the stolen items were returned to the owners.

You forgot the American and Canadian criminals of which there are many too ? I wonder are you possibly American ? lol

Russian American to be exact. In my eyes neither group can do anything wrong.

Although the biggest American gangs consist of either hood rats, or the government. The other organized groups are European based... Italians and Russian OR from well... SOUTH America.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Digicat

[bristolgeoff]

i agree with all the comments,saw it happening slowly in pattaya yrs ago.now it may have reached complete control now.you tell me how eastern european girls work in gogo bars in walking st.too get a work visa in thailand is never easy but they got one

[maxman71]

Fight fire with fire with these Russkie mafia bastards. Waste 'em. Period.

[yellow1red1]

credit checks on all international travellers would be a great way to filter out miscreants

[backfromouterspace]

A rehash of the original Asia Times article from early December of 2010. See: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LL10Ae01.html

[kiwiphil]

No surprise, and no surprise of the countries which they predominantly eminate from. Though, sadly to Thais, if you have white skin, Latino, Russian, European or Australian, we are all the same.

I hope, that any steps taken to stop this activity (e.g. restrictions on maximum stays, reporting etc) will be evenly applied, meaning that only those of offending nations will be punished, perhaps encouraging those same nations to be a little more selective on who they let out of the country, and what information they provide to any country these people visit.

I know as a New Zealander, I have never met a Kiwi or Australian organised crime person, though Im sure they exist. Would hate to see our guys punished by further restrictions because of what some Russian or South Americans who do not even speak a common language to us did...

hmmmm,,,,

1. $Bucks in the back pocket will always ' out perform' laws for the common people.

2. the bottom line is and always will be, ' if ya don't want to be conned,scammed,fipped orff,robbed etc., BE CAREFUL !!

3. AS LONG AS BACK HANDERS exist in the world of the BURRO-Crats, the crims will thrive.....

4. Vigilance at the point of Exit-point of Entry , in most non-western countries, is a Fantasy...understand that...

5. Be careful, be Vigilant, don't get plastered and then try to walk home at night in un-familiar areas thinking that you are

Superman.

6. ENJOY your Vacation here !!!

[mosquitobill]

I think it would be cheaper and more benificial to Pattaya if they kept the mafia and got rid of the corrupt Police and Officials who are killing this country

[atsiii]

To me, this seems completely predictable considering the pervasive corruption that is being and has been discussed with regards to other stories in this forum.

When the police themselves are little more than organized crime--with no moral high ground from which to fight or garner popular support--you can expect them (in time) to get muscled out (i.e. out spent, out gunned & out classed) by the "big (bad) boys"... ala Chicago in the days of prohibition. It's another reason why turning a blind eye to all the pervasive corruption is so short sighted and untenable. What does the Thai government need to see before it starts cleaning things up? All out gang warfare like Chicago saw in the 1920's? Or the need to send in the army for full scale urban firefights in order to retake entire towns... as has recently happened in South and Central America, and the Caribbean?

With corruption as pervasive as it is here, the intial intrusion of the "big (bad) boys" is met with only an open hand--extended with hopes of getting paid off--which it usually is. Then, once the intrusion is well established, they will muscle out the police just as they do any other competing criminal interest. It seems entirely predictable: corruption begets corruption, crime begets crime.

[scrabbleking]

Ah HELLO, credit checks are for car loans. How about an IQ test to allowing posting???

credit checks on all international travellers would be a great way to filter out miscreants

[Gers1873]

I think it would be cheaper and more benificial to Pattaya if they kept the mafia and got rid of the corrupt Police and Officials who are killing this country

Wouldn't you have to get rid of the corrupt politicians first or is that who you mean by 'officials'?

International gangsters are everywhere, nothing new. Why is Samui never mentioned when we talk about gangsters in Thailand. Report in the Observer had a higher ratio of 'bar girls' per head of pop. in Samui than in Pattaya (and more guns). A log of the dregs shifted from Phuket to Samui after the 'big wave' hit.

[61guitarman61]

Where is the reporting about the Thai players in all of this? Thai mafia is alive and well and more than willing to help out whenever they can especially when well funded and connected individuals and organizations are looking for partners to set up shop with. Corrupt police are right in the middle of this as well. Perhaps cleaning up their own house would help? As for Aussie/NZ mentioned in one of the posts with nose in the air statements stating that they are not involved in organized crime, this is probably true. They are rather the statistic of one of the highest casualty rates on walking streets etc due to their inability to drink with other Aussies, NZ's or other farang without getting into fights amongst themselves. I think the Thai's notice this anti social embarrassing behavior much more than the seedy underworld activities they cannot see. In fact, as long as they are not personally affected, they don't much care about the mafias, whether theirs or farang based as this is accepted as factual parts of life along with the corrupt police and government. They do however care about loud, obnoxious, intoxicated <deleted> acting like fools and leaving embarrassing stereotypical trails in their wake which the rest of us farang do NOT wish to be associated with. Thanks alot.

[dude007]

I think it would be cheaper and more benificial to Pattaya if they kept the mafia and got rid of the corrupt Police and Officials who are killing this country

Wouldn't you have to get rid of the corrupt politicians first or is that who you mean by 'officials'?

International gangsters are everywhere, nothing new. Why is Samui never mentioned when we talk about gangsters in Thailand. Report in the Observer had a higher ratio of 'bar girls' per head of pop. in Samui than in Pattaya (and more guns). A log of the dregs shifted from Phuket to Samui after the 'big wave' hit.

Is Samui really so bad? 20 years ago, there wasn't even a massage parlour on the island or a sigle go-go bar! Haven't been there for more than 10 years now! And Koh Tao? Koh Samet? Kog Chang (Taksin's VIP-tourism preference...)

Edited January 19, 2011 by dude007

[Deeral]

If we've learned anything form Wikileaks we've learned that the US know diddly about anything happening outside the States - but like most of the Wiki leaks we knew that anyway - didn't we?

[thaikahuna]

The BIB are just worried about another group cutting in on their action.

They dam_n well better be because the once you let them get a foothold the only way to get rid of them is to sever all diplomatic ties. Since that is not a realistic possibility, hold on to your wallets. You can also look for more Russian hookers on WS.

[ableguy]

The BIB are just worried about another group cutting in on their action.

The bib are being paid otherwise there would not be Russian white hookers openly working in walking street, saw a white Russian girl openly dancing in the window of a go go bar. It has been known to anyone with half a brain that the Russki mafia have been moving in for some time.

[bitterbatter]

What gets me is that information like this is why the US wants to extradite Assange and hang him until blue. Maybe they are just embarrassed because their intelligence reports often reflect how little they really know.

[Beetlejuice]

First things, re-vamp the whole of the Pattaya police force. Clear out the corrupt officers and replace them with new leaders and police from other parts of the country or vetted officers from the area.

Next, expel the foreign gangs and criminals from the Kingdom, and then create a no tolerance level on crime.

The longer this procedure is put off the more established and powerful these gangs will become, eventually becoming so severe that it will be beyond the control of regular law enforcements and possibly require the use of military to drive them out.

This could be the beginning and within the next few years spread to other cities in Thailand.

Thailand's easy access into the country, no questions asked policy is creating huge problems. Time for a clamp down on all Immigration, stricter rules and tougher procedures.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Beetlejuice

[61guitarman61]

Where is the reporting about the Thai players in all of this? Thai mafia is alive and well and more than willing to help out whenever they can especially when well funded and connected individuals and organizations are looking for partners to set up shop with. Corrupt police are right in the middle of this as well. Perhaps cleaning up their own house would help? As for Aussie/NZ mentioned in one of the posts with nose in the air statements stating that they are not involved in organized crime, this is probably true. They are rather the statistic of one of the highest casualty rates on walking streets etc due to their inability to drink with other Aussies, NZ's or other farang without getting into fights amongst themselves. I think the Thai's notice this anti social embarrassing behavior much more than the seedy underworld activities they cannot see. In fact, as long as they are not personally affected, they don't much care about the mafias, whether theirs or farang based as this is accepted as factual parts of life along with the corrupt police and government. They do however care about loud, obnoxious, intoxicated <deleted> acting like fools and leaving embarrassing stereotypical trails in their wake which the rest of us farang do NOT wish to be associated with. Thanks alot.

Came back - thought I was done but I have more to say...

The areas we are talking about are all the areas funded by the farang "retirees" and other farang "vacationers". I apologize in advance for painting with a broad brush but it seems to me that, although the LARGEST part of long term farang transplants here in Thailand are great , honest, moral and decent people, the most visible and also the worst examples of the farang that the Thai people use as a benchmark for ALL farang, congregate in Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and a dozen other popular locations for all manner of debaucherous activities. These same blights upon the reputations of ALL farang are the ones funding all the activities these mafias make their money from. The sex tourism is disgusting and, unfortunately, robust as ever. This particular food chain is the hub for all the other money making mafia/corrupt police venues. If this faction of western tourism were removed, the walking street gogos along with everything they entail, would no longer exist. The Thais don't frequent these places. We, the western outsider transplants, have allowed this situation to be created and have done the most damage as far as supplying the chum in the water for all manner of sharks to assemble and feed. We, all farang, should be ashamed of ourselves that we cannot be civillized and police our own. I, for one, will not: 1.Put myself in harms way by going to Lamai's or Chueng's or Phuket's slimy drink/drug/girl mills in the wee hours as one of the party animals. 2.Perpetuate the cycle already in play by supplying my money into this system. 3.Further embarrass myself by BEING one of the ugly westerners... you know the type - still up and drunk by 10am and drunk again when they wake up at 6pm, nose in the air <deleted> waving money to impress whoever might be looking, treating like meat these poor girls who come in from the provinces to get into this food chain WE have created to supplement if not completely support their families back home while they risk one of these "princes" going drunk crazy and raping/beating whatever or getting a veneral disease brought in BY one of these pieces of farang sh*t.

DO YOUR PART TO STOP THIS CYCLE!

Edited January 21, 2011 by Lite Beer
Font changed to default to make it readable.

[nicolas18]

61guitarman61: Thanks for making my eyes bleed.

[Randee]

what makes you think this load of unhappy moaning complaining almost suicidal load of gibberish deserves to be painted so ugly and loud?

did one of the drunks steal your wife or something?

bear in mind that the areas you are referring to fully encourage as much drinking as possible. it is their livelihoods and businesses. it's what they do.

they want the 24 hour hard drinking bender types.

i think it is you who needs to stay away from the areas you have mentioned. you are obviously so very unhappy.

why dont you change you location to the peruvian mountains? much more peaceful for you up there. and then when you feel like this again, you can JUMP!

Edited January 21, 2011 by cdnvic
removed excessive quoting