everyone in pattaya knows the top man yes, they met them doing secret operations around thailand after they quit the sas or delta force

the wife's family have an unbroken stretch of 86 years service in the police force, none seem to have made a fortune from the "gum kee" (corrupt payments,even if they believe it is not corrupt), but no doubt some in the service are making fortunes,whores,drugs and standover,core elements of their business.

i have drank with groups of police many times,the pistol club,sports clubs and at the brother in laws house,a nest of vipers i think, never had to use a favour and i hope i never have to.

in my view socialise happily with them, but never owe them.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by macksview

Having a cop as friend is the best thing in life that can happen to you in Thailand.

They will always help you out, for a small donation of course, when their mate , who they have informed of course , will arrest you for any dreamed up offence.

One of my friends (for about 10-11 years) is a cop.

He has been a great help, without donations.

That is what friends do.

Not sure if he is corrupt, because i dont want to know, and it becomes an issue in our friendship.

He lives in a tiny studio apartment (after 15 years on the force).

what kind of help do you need. What possibly does a clean living responsible person need help from a thai copp for?

Having a cop as friend is the best thing in life that can happen to you in Thailand.

They will always help you out, for a small donation of course, when their mate , who they have informed of course , will arrest you for any dreamed up offence.

One of my friends (for about 10-11 years) is a cop.

He has been a great help, without donations.

That is what friends do.

Not sure if he is corrupt, because i dont want to know, and it becomes an issue in our friendship.

He lives in a tiny studio apartment (after 15 years on the force).

what kind of help do you need. What possibly does a clean living responsible person need help from a thai copp for?

Where,s the best Noodle,s are sold. Free security, Problem Solver. Living in the Bush the Cops are Locals ,and as long as your Family gets on together all is pretty fair. I wouldn,t get Pissed with them the same as I wouldn,t get pissed with a Gang of Thai Males, unless they were Family.

We have police in the family. One is a "Muat" down in Hat Yai. Also a friend near by of the same rank. Great drinking partners, and they always pay their share, and more.

Having a cop as friend is the best thing in life that can happen to you in Thailand.

They will always help you out, for a small donation of course, when their mate , who they have informed of course , will arrest you for any dreamed up offence.

One of my friends (for about 10-11 years) is a cop.

He has been a great help, without donations.

That is what friends do.

Not sure if he is corrupt, because i dont want to know, and it becomes an issue in our friendship.

He lives in a tiny studio apartment (after 15 years on the force).

what kind of help do you need. What possibly does a clean living responsible person need help from a thai copp for?

Where,s the best Noodle,s are sold. Free security, Problem Solver. Living in the Bush the Cops are Locals ,and as long as your Family gets on together all is pretty fair. I wouldn,t get Pissed with them the same as I wouldn,t get pissed with a Gang of Thai Males, unless they were Family.

Didnt your mother tell you nothing is FREE! especially in thailand.

My son and my wife`s nephew are both cops in Chiang Mai.

The wife`s nephew joined first, then he talked my son into joining up that I wasn`t happy about at first.

My Dad was a New York cop for a number of years after the war, so my son is only following an old family tradition.

Most of them that I have come to know in Chiang Mai are a decent crowd and one thing for sure, I am well protected here. In the event of any trouble, help is only a phone call away, which is good for me.

That doesn't make them friends, that makes you extended family

Most people rise or sink to the same level as those they associate with. When you use professions/titles as a guide for association (good or bad), I would not want to associate with you.

The old observation '10 percent of the people cause 90 percent of the problems', depending on what your looking for, this may favor association with doctors, preachers, volunteer social workers, etc vs police, poloticians, etc. as some think the latter groups change the observationm.to 90/ 90

Edited November 3, 201213 yr by slapout

Why would I or anyone of a decent background wish to associate with uneducated, unprofessional, poorly trained Thai police officers? The BiB are for all intents and purposes a criminal organization as long as police officers take bribes, purchase their ranks and extend "favours" to people? Thai cops are inherently lazy. Take a tip from the hiso families: They usually hire former career mlitary for their personal security needs.

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

My opinion, based on very little experience I admit.

If you have a natural context for meeting them socially or professionally, especially one in which you are seen as a legiitimate, relatively high-status (ie connected, well-off etc) farang then sure it would be useful.

If it's just a random encounter, and/or they perceive you as the typical sex-addict monger or here for other suspect reasons, then I would say it could lead to trouble more likely than be of benefit to you.

I have several police among the families of my teaching customers, and it's been helpful when one of them shows up at the door asking for baksheesh, resulted in two instances of the guy walking away empty-handed, and the other in my receiving a significant discount.

Personally I treat them as I would "made guys" back in NYC - very dangerous characters best left alone.

But my brother-in-law cop up-country seems like a very nice fellow, and everyone swears he doesn't participate in the corruption stuff - maybe that's why he's still a low-level plod after twenty years on the force.

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

Why did you come here?

Forgot to add,

As we know, the Police carry their weapons with them all the time.

He normally kept it in a "fanny pack".

I had to make him change that since people though we were a couple.

I recall an English tourist couple who befriended a local cop in Kanchanaburi.

As far as I'm aware it resulted in their death.

My son and my wife`s nephew are both cops in Chiang Mai.

The wife`s nephew joined first, then he talked my son into joining up that I wasn`t happy about at first.

My Dad was a New York cop for a number of years after the war, so my son is only following an old family tradition.

Most of them that I have come to know in Chiang Mai are a decent crowd and one thing for sure, I am well protected here. In the event of any trouble, help is only a phone call away, which is good for me.

"In the event of any trouble, help is only a phone call away"

I know what you mean. My wife is a childhood friend with one of the guys just below the "top brass" in CM.

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

Why did you come here?

Not to spend my time socializing with Thai males.

Is that why you came here?

I personally find that my Westernized wife, Western colleagues and their partners, and Western ex-colleagues and their partners is a good enough social circle for me. Most Thais are too different to me and I've no real like or desire to socialize with them. I find that most of them have severe emotional repression and inferiority issues.

Should I feel guilty or leave the country or something?

Edited November 3, 201213 yr by cbrer

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

Why did you come here?

Not to spend my time socializing with Thai males.

Is that why you came here?

I personally find that my Westernized wife, Western colleagues and their partners, and Western ex-colleagues and their partners is a good enough social circle for me. Most Thais are too different to me and I've no real like or desire to socialize with them. I find that most of them have severe emotional repression and inferiority issues.

Should I feel guilty or leave the country or something?

No, of course not. I was just thinking that if one had relocated to the other side of the planet, it would be natural to "socialize" with the locals.

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

Why did you come here?

Not to spend my time socializing with Thai males.

Is that why you came here?

I personally find that my Westernized wife, Western colleagues and their partners, and Western ex-colleagues and their partners is a good enough social circle for me. Most Thais are too different to me and I've no real like or desire to socialize with them. I find that most of them have severe emotional repression and inferiority issues.

Should I feel guilty or leave the country or something?

No, of course not. I was just thinking that if one had relocated to the other side of the planet, it would be natural to "socialize" with the locals.

But not with all of them!

Some of you guys obviously only know Thailand via web Forums.

Or maybe a trip to a Go Go bar once in a while.

First time I needed help from my friend:

My taxi was stopped in a regular Police check point.

The ones of you living here, know what check points I talk about.

Turned out the driver did not have a license, plus he was a foreigner.

I called my friend, and he arranged for the taxi to deliver me, with an escort.

The escort to deal with the driver's license after I was delivered.

Again, I will keep you guys posted if my friend wants something from me.

If the OP met those policemen when they were having a party and he was staying in that hotel, I guess the OP does not live in whatever place in Isaan that was, so hardly a real friendship can arise from it (or real trouble). It was a social occasion, probably the OP added an "exotic" touch to the party and the policemen were genuinely enjoying their party and in a good mood to include him. This happens all over the world, certainly in Thailand, be it Thais or foreigners.

Have you never been out an evening met a few people, had some talk, some laughs, "have a good night, take care" never to see them again. Social parties where you go in not knowing anyone, etc.

Having police friends, as having friends in any other job, is good by definition (of "friends"). Fake friends that will go after something can be policemen or any other things as well. A policeman can be your real friend and help you for nothing and at the same time be screwing someone else he has befriended.

What is sure is that if you have contact with them, you want to be in friendly/polite terms.

Use that so uncommon thing: common sense.

I recall an English tourist couple who befriended a local cop in Kanchanaburi.

As far as I'm aware it resulted in their death.

Was that the story where the girl had been in Thailand and had become the cops girlfriend during her holiday. She went home. A year later she came on holiday to Thailand again with her Farang boyfriend. They went into the bar that was owned by the cop to say hello. The Farang boyfriend ended up dead.

Regarding the OP

If you befriend a cop just because he is a cop, then you are going to end up in trouble. If he is a friend who just happens to be a cop, then it should be ok.

I generally avoid Thai males anyway.

I don't really like them and have no desire to socialize with them.

Especially if they're in a uniform.

Why did you come here?

Not to spend my time socializing with Thai males.

Is that why you came here?

I personally find that my Westernized wife, Western colleagues and their partners, and Western ex-colleagues and their partners is a good enough social circle for me. Most Thais are too different to me and I've no real like or desire to socialize with them. I find that most of them have severe emotional repression and inferiority issues.

Should I feel guilty or leave the country or something?

No, of course not. I was just thinking that if one had relocated to the other side of the planet, it would be natural to "socialize" with the locals.

Sure.

And when I realized that most of them suffer from severely repressed emotions, extreme Napoleon-Syndrome, and have a poor education outside their conditioning of their place in the World, I found I had very little in common with them and did not enjoy their company.

I don't go out of my way to make friends, if it happens it happens, it just so happens that I generally don't enjoy the company of Thai men, so let them live their own lives without me being involved in them.

So sorry if that somehow offends people.

As for people going out of their way to 'befriend' certain people as it might be to their advantage in the future.

I find that disgusting.

As for people going out of their way to 'befriend' certain people as it might be to their advantage in the future.

I find that disgusting.

Who exactly do that?

Tell us.

Dont just throw it out there.

Please tell us who.

And when I realized that most of them suffer from severely repressed emotions, extreme Napoleon-Syndrome, and have a poor education outside their conditioning of their place in the World, I found I had very little in common with them and did not enjoy their company.

Was this the reason you left your home country?

I recall an English tourist couple who befriended a local cop in Kanchanaburi.

As far as I'm aware it resulted in their death.

Was that the story where the girl had been in Thailand and had become the cops girlfriend during her holiday. She went home. A year later she came on holiday to Thailand again with her Farang boyfriend. They went into the bar that was owned by the cop to say hello. The Farang boyfriend ended up dead.

Regarding the OP

If you befriend a cop just because he is a cop, then you are going to end up in trouble. If he is a friend who just happens to be a cop, then it should be ok.

The thai cop hit on the girlfriend. She didn't like it. The boyfriend intervened. Cop shot the boyfriend. Girlfriend ran away. Cop chased after her in his car. Ran her down but didn't kill her outright. Shot her dead whilst she lay in the road.

I think that most coppers would genuinely like to practice their English skills with a foreign friend.

Get real slap needed be-friend a thai copper for what???? Duh game over...

Do not trust anyone in this world except perhaps mum and dad.

Do not trust anyone in this world except perhaps mum and dad.

I hope you don't mean your Thai Girlfriends Mum and Dad !