Foreign Diplomats To Meet With Thai Tourism Minister To Find Solutions To Tourist Scams

[webfact]

Foreign diplomats to discuss solution to tourist swindles with Tourism Minister

BANGKOK, 21 February 2012 (NNT) – Foreign diplomats to the Kingdom of Thailand are scheduled to meet with the Tourism Minister to discuss countermeasures for tourist swindles.

Tourism and Sports Ministry Spokesperson Watchara Kannika announced that the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand and the ambassadors of 6 other countries, including Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and the Netherlands, are scheduled to meet with Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumpol Silpa-archa to brainstorm a solution to the increasing problem of tourist swindles in Phuket province.

Mr. Chumpol stated that the situation of tourism swindles in Phuket has become an international issue which calls for an immediate action. The most common rip-off schemes which tourists face include overpriced products and services, low-quality products, low-standard services, and exaggerated damage claims on broken items.

Meanwhile, the Tourism and Sports Ministry will be blacklisting jewelry shops which sell low-quality items at inflated prices. The names of those shops will be put on the website of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports as well as that of the Department of Tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also been instructed to inform its overseas offices regarding this issue.

-- NNT 2012-02-21

[rubl]

This sounds like the ideal job for Dept. PM Pol.Captain Chalerm and if he's too busy maybe one of his able sons can form a special police unit to sweep over Phuket. To clean it up, that is

[warfie]

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

[scorecard]

This sounds like the ideal job for Dept. PM Pol.Captain Chalerm and if he's too busy maybe one of his able sons can form a special police unit to sweep over Phuket. To clean it up, that is

Yes, well at least the toilets.

[catmac]

Not so easy to stop when it would appear that the scams are taking place with either the actual involvement, or at least a financially rewarding blind-eye from those who should be stopping them. The BIB and the local authority and politicians are all tarnished by this scandal, but then it is a Democrat area, so utter corruption is only to be expected, and it thrived under the Abhisit puppet regime's total lack of action.

Surprised that all those who have posted on TV over the last few years decrying the utter disgrace of Patong, nobody bothered to ask why the Government of the day was doing nothing about it. Did they all know that it was largely due to Abhisit's total incompetence that the scams grew out of control?

[airconsult]

Since we're talking Phuket...... automatic execution for tuktuk drivers who suddenly announce the fare was per-person?

Or how about next time they blockade a US warship in port...... let the marines deal with them.......

[Reasonableman]

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

Response: the one who can direct the most money to their superior gets the best performance report.

[Sharp]

Since we're talking Phuket...... automatic execution for tuktuk drivers who suddenly announce the fare was per-person?

Or how about next time they blockade a US warship in port...... let the marines deal with them.......

Spot on !!!

[whybother]

Not so easy to stop when it would appear that the scams are taking place with either the actual involvement, or at least a financially rewarding blind-eye from those who should be stopping them. The BIB and the local authority and politicians are all tarnished by this scandal, but then it is a Democrat area, so utter corruption is only to be expected, and it thrived under the Abhisit puppet regime's total lack of action.

Surprised that all those who have posted on TV over the last few years decrying the utter disgrace of Patong, nobody bothered to ask why the Government of the day was doing nothing about it. Did they all know that it was largely due to Abhisit's total incompetence that the scams grew out of control?

Yeah. You'd never see scams in Chiang Mai.

[EyesWideOpen]

Twenty years too late.......

[Reasonableman]

Not so easy to stop when it would appear that the scams are taking place with either the actual involvement, or at least a financially rewarding blind-eye from those who should be stopping them. The BIB and the local authority and politicians are all tarnished by this scandal, but then it is a Democrat area, so utter corruption is only to be expected, and it thrived under the Abhisit puppet regime's total lack of action.

Surprised that all those who have posted on TV over the last few years decrying the utter disgrace of Patong, nobody bothered to ask why the Government of the day was doing nothing about it. Did they all know that it was largely due to Abhisit's total incompetence that the scams grew out of control?

Yeah. You'd never see scams in Chiang Mai.

Too much real smoke?

[wolf5370]

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

That will make not a blind bit of difference - the whole thing is corrupt to the core, it needs to be dismantled from the inside - an independant and strong internal affairs and graft department that is not made from people from any of the forces or police (or ex-thereof) - straight from university with full powers to look at assets and banking details and who in turn are monitored by government. Instant sacking/loss of pension of bad cops - mandatory corruption prison sentances and laws to seize family assets and bank accounts. Replace all senior officers (retirement is a good way) and move all middle police ranks to different stations. Cops suspended with pay while being investigated. Make it illegal to drink while armed - if cops have to be tooled up while off duty, then they should be sober too - otherwise, leave it in the lockbox. Anonymous complaints proceedure.

Not going to hold my breath!

As to Phuket, not too difficult really, if they made a concerted effort. Re-license all public vehicles - expire old ones (with an allowence time so people can apply). Give licences centrally from the local Amphurs. Multiple complaints means loss of license. Random license checks. Plain clothes "mystery shoppers" to test for those breaking the rules. Mandatory price structure (tuktuks) and meters for taxis. No meter, no licenese - go off the price structure/turn off meter, license suspended/cancelled. Violence = loss of license. Commit a crime that carried a jail term (even if not sent to prison but found guilty) bye, bye license. Increse the penalty (and make the activity more criminally severe) for price fixing (make it extorsion).

Give the TAT an investigative branch that are not police that can suspend any trading licenses on complaints - and can prosecute activity deemed detrimental to tourism (at least at rock-face level). Move tourist police over to TAT and break from police (staged). Ability to use tourist police to clear unlicensed traders (jetskii, fake jewlery sellers/etc) - ability to immediately impound equipment thereof. Give a clear, easy complaint procedure for tourists to be able to make complaint - and log complaint and follow ups centrally.

Allow expansion of foreign civilian unpaid/unarmed police (aking to Police Specials in the UK perhaps) - put in provision for waver of work permit requirement (i.e. make so that such undertaking is free from Work Permit requirement as it benefits Thailand for free). With power of detention (should always be with true Thai police officer(s) who can formally arrest, but at times when they are not on duty, power of detention allows for holding whilst awaiting for police to arrive).

...and what will be the reality? Probably a new web site (that will work/be monitored for a month at most) where complaints can be logged (invisibly - so via a message - and ignored by the police anyway) ~ a phone line where the person on other end can understand practically nothing of what the foreigner tells them and then bins the complaint anyway ~ a lot of glossy pamphlets ~ and two days of clearing the beaches of scammers.

[whybother]

<snipped pipe dream stuff>

Enough said. Unfortunately.

[virtualtraveller]

exaggerated damage claims on broken items.

blacklisting jewelry shops which sell low-quality items at inflated prices.

Two very diplomatic ways of putting it.

Phuket is a gold mine for a land of dodgy officials, they're the ones making the money, the jetski boys and tuk tuks are merely subcontracted.

[Thailand]

Thinking of booking a holiday to Phuket for the end of this year now that it is going to be cleaned up so effectively!

[Ricardo]

Perhaps the fragrant & hot PM-Yingluck might make a study-tour, to draw attention to the problem, while Deputy-PM Super-Chalerm is tasked with solving it ? Or perhaps not ... ?

[metisdead]

A profanity post has been removed.

[thequietman]

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

That will make not a blind bit of difference - the whole thing is corrupt to the core, it needs to be dismantled from the inside - an independant and strong internal affairs and graft department that is not made from people from any of the forces or police (or ex-thereof) - straight from university with full powers to look at assets and banking details and who in turn are monitored by government. Instant sacking/loss of pension of bad cops - mandatory corruption prison sentances and laws to seize family assets and bank accounts. Replace all senior officers (retirement is a good way) and move all middle police ranks to different stations. Cops suspended with pay while being investigated. Make it illegal to drink while armed - if cops have to be tooled up while off duty, then they should be sober too - otherwise, leave it in the lockbox. Anonymous complaints proceedure.

Not going to hold my breath!

As to Phuket, not too difficult really, if they made a concerted effort. Re-license all public vehicles - expire old ones (with an allowence time so people can apply). Give licences centrally from the local Amphurs. Multiple complaints means loss of license. Random license checks. Plain clothes "mystery shoppers" to test for those breaking the rules. Mandatory price structure (tuktuks) and meters for taxis. No meter, no licenese - go off the price structure/turn off meter, license suspended/cancelled. Violence = loss of license. Commit a crime that carried a jail term (even if not sent to prison but found guilty) bye, bye license. Increse the penalty (and make the activity more criminally severe) for price fixing (make it extorsion).

Give the TAT an investigative branch that are not police that can suspend any trading licenses on complaints - and can prosecute activity deemed detrimental to tourism (at least at rock-face level). Move tourist police over to TAT and break from police (staged). Ability to use tourist police to clear unlicensed traders (jetskii, fake jewlery sellers/etc) - ability to immediately impound equipment thereof. Give a clear, easy complaint procedure for tourists to be able to make complaint - and log complaint and follow ups centrally.

Allow expansion of foreign civilian unpaid/unarmed police (aking to Police Specials in the UK perhaps) - put in provision for waver of work permit requirement (i.e. make so that such undertaking is free from Work Permit requirement as it benefits Thailand for free). With power of detention (should always be with true Thai police officer(s) who can formally arrest, but at times when they are not on duty, power of detention allows for holding whilst awaiting for police to arrive).

...and what will be the reality? Probably a new web site (that will work/be monitored for a month at most) where complaints can be logged (invisibly - so via a message - and ignored by the police anyway) ~ a phone line where the person on other end can understand practically nothing of what the foreigner tells them and then bins the complaint anyway ~ a lot of glossy pamphlets ~ and two days of clearing the beaches of scammers.

excellent response and realistic, practical and fairly easy to enforce. however TiT..............

[SgtPepper]

Everybody going elsewhere for their holiday would solve the problem.

[LuckyLew]

Easy enough to solve

Stop going to Phuket

Go elsewhere in Thailand or to Malaysia, Cambodia, Viet Nam or Indonesia

[jalansanitwong]

the only effective way to stop scams and rip-offs in Phuket is to ban tourists from travelling there.../.nuff said.

[Soupdragon]

The outcome of the meeting has been announced.

Phuket has been put on double secret probation.

That should sort it.

[exeter]

Its about time but.................. dont hold your breath that reality will be replaced by anything different, how about a new ROADSHOW to show that Thailand is the most perfect place , smile please!

[mrtoad]

Perhaps the fragrant & hot PM-Yingluck might make a study-tour, to draw attention to the problem, while Deputy-PM Super-Chalerm is tasked with solving it ? Or perhaps not ... ?

I would imagine that Chalerm has already solved it by this point, such is his genius.

[evadgib]

Disbanding the ministry of inactive posts would be a good start. I'm all for de-frocking, loss of pension & front page exposure in the press whenever a snout is found in the trough. I realise it'll never happen here.

[dundee48]

The only way this has any chance of being stopped is if the various embassies/consulates put proper warnings on their websites advising people not to travel to Phuket.Then and only then will the authorities get off their asses.

Edited February 21, 2012 by metisdead
Please do not post in bold font, it is bad netiquette.

[rubl]

The only way this has any chance of being stopped is if the various embassies/consulates put proper warnings on their websites advising people not to travel to Phuket.Then and only then will the authorities get off their asses.

While the authorities are pondering whether or not to get off their asses some in Phuket will decide that diminishing number of tourists clearly and obviously [sic] means that prices need to be raised.

[MESmith]

How about all TV members boycott Phuket? It's a start, & might spread virally over the www......

[pisico]

[quote name='warfie' timestamp='1329818044' post='5075402

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

Suggestion #1: Offer a decent wage to police who actually do their job properly...

The problem is not the "decent wage". The problem is the endemic corruption that comes from the top to street level. Policemen who do shake downs, charge for protection, on the take from the motorci drivers, the tuk-tuk gangs, beer bars, illigal casinos etc. collect and send up the ladder a chunck of the proceeds. That is common knowledge. Positions in the force are purchased as well as promotions. The money goes up the ladder. If you think that higher wagers will clean up their act, then you also believe in the Tooth Fairy.

[pauljones]

The scammers may be asked to slow it down a bit. (temporarily)

Everybody knows that law enforcement is a joke in Thailand.

Anybody you report it to is part of the problem.