Thailand's Irresistible Attraction For Fugitives

[chooka]

Another gutter press load of tripe, mr Fuller joined the long line of pricks who think they are cleaver dicks who actually read crap somewhere and try to make a story from it

whoo there princess, has someone found your hide out? Just kidding

Edited July 21, 2011 by chooka

[IAMSOBAD]

They spend so much time on honest farang ...who walk in the front door... with ALL their outdated silly rules like 90 day reporting...15 day visa runs etc. That ALL the dishonest farang walk in the backdoor completely unoticed.

Its like NO traffic rules enforced against blatant offenders while honest people take up all their time with B.S. traffic stops for tea money.

[assayer]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

Are you perhaps saying that only the USA has criminals that are going abroad?? Are you for real?

[jfchandler]

The article is hardly a revelation... But for a U.S. audience, it's good reading... and the basic point is true.... Thailand is a relative haven for a lot of criminals, and suspected criminals, from a lot of different countries...

My favorite excerpt was the following:

What was supposed to be a command center for tracking fugitives at a government building in Bangkok was dark, musty and empty on a recent visit, inactive because of a lack of funds, according to the staff.

When you read that, you know you're in Thailand... the hub of not catching foreign criminals on the run.

[wlcart]

The USA is not any better than Thailand in this regard. There is not enough space on the internet to talk about the unethical and criminal things that happen in the USA. I hate when journalist have nothing to write about and make up stupid stories like this. True or not, I can easily make up the same story about the United States.

Freedom of speech is over-rated.

Why do you feel so threatened by bad journalism? Who decides on what someone should or should not write about, you?

Under-rated or over-rated, freedom of speech is essential.

[cloudhopper]

Crystal clear waters?

Obviously another bit of creative journalism by an uninformed and clueless staff writer.

[Steely Dan]

If I were on the run, or a criminal type looking for a place to buy my way into society, Thailand would be at the top of my list. Lots of sunshine, easy access to chicks, easy access to government officials via payola and lots of other types just like me to associate with. Paradise!

TheWalkingMan

exactly, if I was on the run, I would be here. So easy to be an anonymous white guy, pay rent and live somewhere. If you want to keep a low profile, I think you can stay undetected for years, maybe indefinitely. And have fun at it too

I almost feel a tinge of reget not having arrived here as a fugitive with a caseload of filthy lucre to spend.

[PingManDan]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

You sound it is all a USA problem, matey it's a world wide problem, just to clue you in for a reality check.

[canes]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

say what! you make no sense whatsoever -

[tragickingdom]

A report from a typical redneck. Before pointing the finger to let's say, Thailand, Cambodia, Spain, Amsterdam or any other place where a lot of refugees can be found simply because they blend in, the Yank should question it's own country questionable status. How can a country like Thailand be held accountable when tens of millions of illegal foreigners are crossing the US border, working illegally and are embraced too by the employers?

132 America Criminals caught in Thailand, I suspect a whole lot more are living in Latin America, Europe, Venezuela or Middle America. Americans are pretty good in lecturing others while they simply fail themselves on all fronts.

[tragickingdom]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

Are you perhaps saying that only the USA has criminals that are going abroad?? Are you for real?

No he is saying that for Americans it is always someone else's fault. They never take a good look in the mirror. How many Latin American criminals cross the US on a daily basis? I have no figures but I will not be surprised if it is many many times the criminals leaving the US on a real passport but due to their own incompetence. And yes criminals from all countries go abroad, but they do not point their fingers to the host country. Thailand's borders are far less corrupt than those of the US.

[backtonormal]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

Too bad Thailand's #1 fugitive doesn't feel like he can come back. Kinda ironic.

He'll be back of that you can be sure. Dont be impatient

[pepi2005]

This other article, released on the same day, might give THE explanation for that, go figure:

[parallaxtech]

Foreign criminals in Thailand represent less than 1% of the criminals incarcerated in Thailand. Go to http://www.thaiprisonlife.com, which offers old statistics, but still gives one an idea as to who is committing the crimes here. Out of all the foreign criminals incarcerated in Thailand most are from Asia. So, why even talk about such a small group of people? Because it is by far more interesting to talk about someone who swindled millions out of people rather than Somchai who stuck a knife in Patpong during a poker game. Also, it is politically more favorable to point to the farang boogey man as the cause of all the problems here.

[scorpio]

Not a lot new in that article....Its more what people do while they are here which is more of a concern to me..Reason trip to Pattaya saw a forigner come into the bar red cap and laden with gold chains asked a girl who he was and was told he was bringing the Ya Baa in.He came in then went...Now come on I could see he was up to no good...Soi 6...

YOUR RIGHT !! i was sitting in soi 6 one day having a chat with a girl and some old guy pulled up on a motorbike went into the bar , the girl said to me " that farang come in to sell ya ba " <deleted> are these people crazy ? the thai cops i suspect will let these wan***rs run a little but they will eventually end up doing a 50 stretch in the hilton which i say is too fkn good for these wasters

wasters and losers like this that gets everyone a bad name, im no angel and ive a criminal record from when i was younger and i have changed my ways but there is not a hope in hell i would bring any trouble to thailand or mess with anything there.

[SICHONSTEVE]

"...it can be hard to distinguish between the felons and the investment bankers on vacation. (In some cases, presumably, they could be one and the same.)"

I love it!

"...Crystal waters?" -where????

Sichon in Nakhonsithammarat

[SICHONSTEVE]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

Too bad Thailand's #1 fugitive doesn't feel like he can come back. Kinda ironic.

He'll be back of that you can be sure. Dont be impatient

I wouldn't bet on it as he has stated that he is not prepared to do his time and cannot come back unless he does!!!

Edited July 21, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[crusader79]

One irony being that the U.S. (and Canada) are prime destinations for Chinese fugitives (where perhaps they all look alike?

[Thaimaishoe]

The USA is not any better than Thailand in this regard. There is not enough space on the internet to talk about the unethical and criminal things that happen in the USA. I hate when journalist have nothing to write about and make up stupid stories like this. True or not, I can easily make up the same story about the United States.

Freedom of speech is over-rated.

A few million Egyptians just went "Really!?! Oh shit, If we had only known!"

I realize you were trying for a sensationalist comment, but you should remember Stupidity <> Sensational.

[hawksway]

Things are changing these days. With the fall of communism and disruption in Japan, Thailand is receiving new and powerful groups of mobsters that even the best of Police are ill equipped to handle. These are serious threats to Thailand's Tourist Industry and even to Government with its submissive tendancy to corruption.

[Sparkles]

I wonder why? Although it used to be that if you married a Brazillian lady and had a child you could not be extradited but if they caught you before the lady gave birth you could. Lovely beaches and that Carnival thing. If i were a criminal that's where i'd go.

Your not Ronny Biggs son are you ???

[koheesti]

Pattaya is just full of russian mobsters probably on the run

Russian mobsters may have to run from the FBI and Interpol but they don't have to run from the authorities in Russia.

[thaiorchidsource]

Do you have any statistics to back up your statement that America is the source of the most criminals coming into Thailand? Where is your home country?

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

[thaikahuna]

Pattaya is just full of russian mobsters probably on the run

And ironically the BiB have no clue as to how to rid themselves of them....this will continue so long as they think with their little heads and not the one on their shoulders.

[thaikahuna]

Pattaya is just full of russian mobsters probably on the run

Russian mobsters may have to run from the FBI and Interpol but they don't have to run from the authorities in Russia.

That's probably because in Russia they ARE the authorities...

[TimTang]

Crystal clear waters?

Obviously another bit of creative journalism by an uninformed and clueless staff writer.

I'm surprised anyone still READS The New York Times much less quotes articles as a reliable source.

[BOS2BKK]

Then perhaps it is time for the USA to have a control when people board an airplane in the USA so their criminals stay there.

And England, and Germany, and France, and every other country who has had fugitives arrested in Thailand recently. But what fun is acknowledging that every country has criminals when you can bad mouth the country that the entire world depends on for prosperity?

[billbus12]

How do you live in Thailand as a fugitve dont you need a visa or get one renued every 3 monthes how do you not get cought?I want to live in Thailand but seemes hard need to much money and the visas.Bill

[anterian]

Leaving aside the white collar criminals and the paedophiles, most other criminals are from the lower working classes, a native English speaker can usually get a feel for these by their diction, vocabulary, and appearance. Thais lack English and find tattoos attractive, so are less aware of the nature of those they meet.

Yes, I know this is a very general and class conscious comment, but nonetheless I am sure the average farang is wary of another farang with cropped hair, tattoos and coarse accent until such time as they know him better and accept him as a decent guy.

[bkkjames]

Wonder if the paper in question is still holding a grudge against the place over that little interview incident of may, 2010?