Loan Sharks ?

[cornishcarlos]

So I had noticed this at our house a few times, 2 guys cruise past on a CBR150...

Nothing special I thought.. Saw them most days !!

Now just did a 3000km trip through 20 provinces and have seen the same thing everywhere.

What makes it strange is that the 2 guys always wear full face helmets, making them stand out straight away. Generally on a CBR150 older style, nearly always black/blue color... Pillion always carrying a bag over the shoulder...

My wife reckons debt collectors for local loan sharks, I tend to agree but have no way to ever know unless I take out a loan

Anyone else see these 2 helmeted ghost riders ??

[johng]

Yes I've seen them around the Pattaya area, also been told they are loan sharks.

[mjj]

They are collectors, not the sharks. Apparently they are very polite before they hit you with their gun. :-)

[cm das]

Yep, I've seen them many times up north as well. Always 2 guys wearing identical dark trousers & jackets with full face helmets. I heard the same story too - debt collectors.

[Farma]

Yepp, wifey has pointed out a few around the Ubon area in the past few days. Must be that time of the month again.

[thaicbr]

Yepp, wifey has pointed out a few around the Ubon area in the past few days. Must be that time of the month again.

Some/ most go around every day or week.

[karlos]

I've seen them too

Exactly as you described; two up, black and grey older CBR150, full face helmets, heavily tinted visors, both wearing checked shirts, finger print concealing gloves and a bag to stash the cash / goods in.

Funny thing is i see the same two guys almost every week and they are sound as a pound, nice chaps, always want me to give the bike a rev and then they laugh at my pathetic horn as they blast their train horn!

[BSJ]

If I loaned you money and you didn't pay it back with interest I would be extremely annoyed. I would of thought the loan shark would be happy as the interest will still be accumulating at 5% a month.

[darhut]

The shop next to my house has two lots come every afternoon for payment always same time and within 30 minutes of each other, I know when the shop owner doesn't have the money as she walks down the street and borrows money from who ever she can to pay them. I have told my wife not to give money to her as once she starts she won't stop.

Anyway the other day I see the shop lady come in our yard and approach my wife, I see them talk and my wife gives her 500 baht . I go see my Mrs and she explains she is smart as she told her if money is not paid back in a week she will send me to the shop everyday to get beer until the loan is paid off.

I then inform my wife there is no beer in her fridge and hasn't been for weeks, infact there is nothing in her fridge anymore.

Now who is smart?

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

[macknife]

The shop next to my house has two lots come every afternoon for payment always same time and within 30 minutes of each other, I know when the shop owner doesn't have the money as she walks down the street and borrows money from who ever she can to pay them. I have told my wife not to give money to her as once she starts she won't stop.

Anyway the other day I see the shop lady come in our yard and approach my wife, I see them talk and my wife gives her 500 baht . I go see my Mrs and she explains she is smart as she told her if money is not paid back in a week she will send me to the shop everyday to get beer until the loan is paid off.

I then inform my wife there is no beer in her fridge and hasn't been for weeks, infact there is nothing in her fridge anymore.

Now who is smart?

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

At least she won't give anymore money.

My GFs cousin once asked for 2000B, I didn't want to but the GF wants to look good. I knew I would never see that money again and wasn't that bothered as I knew she would never ask again. True enough, the deadline for payback came and went, but never mind I didn't expect it anyway. Imagine my surprise when months later she pays us a visit and hands me 2000B, I couldn't believe it. I ended up just giving it to the GF.

[Dutchbike]

Same here in Buriram and surrounding provinces, it's looks almost if there is a sort of dress code for those money collectors, "yes, you can work for us but ........ " they all have the same look and bike although some have upgraded for the new cbr 150.

There riding style is also the same, remarkable fast, for 2 up and a 150cc

I think those guys are a "nightmare" for many Thais who took on loans.oh no..... there they are again.

Mayby that's why they drive so fast , avoiding to be run over by a Thai in a old pick up with bad experience with them.

[Khonwan]

A couple of people use them in my village too; the collectors come from outside our district. According to my wife, they charge 20% per DAY and their customers tend to be gamblers.

[eezergood]

Same story here in Patong! But some of the collectors are FARANG!

[cornishcarlos]

If I loaned you money and you didn't pay it back with interest I would be extremely annoyed. I would of thought the loan shark would be happy as the interest will still be accumulating at 5% a month.

Been doing more research, via the wife and the interest is 20% a day.

The collectors earn up to 60k a month !! Not bad..

Now I can't stop seeing them, not the same guys but different ones every day passing the house.

I guess the extent of this is far beyond what I could ever imagine, feel so sorry for those folk that need to go down this path.

Good advert for the CBR150 though, must be a winner

[bramds]

It all makes perfect sense if you want to go to the police when they beat you up.

Who did it?

Two guys with black helmets on a CBR.

They will never be found.

[johng]

Maybe a Fino or Scoopy would be more inconspicous.

[cornishcarlos]

My wife just told me that a woman came by the other day and asked if she was a loan shark !!

We don't have a CBR, what gave her that idea

[cbrer]

If I loaned you money and you didn't pay it back with interest I would be extremely annoyed. I would of thought the loan shark would be happy as the interest will still be accumulating at 5% a month.

It's when the payments dry up the CBR150 appears.

I see lots of them all over Viphawadee and Phahon Yothin.

As described, sometimes on a 150i or even a 250.

The old 150's are the best, the try to fly past then do suicidal moves at full throttle. If the road opens up you just pull back (on the CBR250) fly past them in 5th, flick into 6th and they're beyond your mirror's range in about 10 seconds as the putter along loudly.

[cbrer]

If I loaned you money and you didn't pay it back with interest I would be extremely annoyed. I would of thought the loan shark would be happy as the interest will still be accumulating at 5% a month.

Been doing more research, via the wife and the interest is 20% a day.

The collectors earn up to 60k a month !! Not bad..

Now I can't stop seeing them, not the same guys but different ones every day passing the house.

I guess the extent of this is far beyond what I could ever imagine, feel so sorry for those folk that need to go down this path.

Good advert for the CBR150 though, must be a winner

I agree with everything in this post.

btw they usually have the lil CBR fully modded with bigger carb, ECU, air filter and muffler mod.

[ClareQuilty]

Yes they're here in central Isaan - been seeing them for years. Very famous, known to all. However I have heard that they are only there to 'scare people', usually to humiliate them with rude treatment, shove them around, and only rarely to beat them up a little. My friends said 'if it comes to the point of really hurting - or even killing - someone, it isn't these visible guys who do it'.

[nikster]

Interesting.. just came back over the 120 from Payao, a superbike road if there is one in Thailand; I was doing pretty well I thought on a rented CRF250 but while I waited at the top two guys on a CBR250 passed by; I could not catch them on the way down even though they were two up - these guys were *fast*.

They also seemed very friendly just before when we were all at a stoplight in Payao. Clearly loan shark enforcers, then

[nikster]

Yes they're here in central Isaan - been seeing them for years. Very famous, known to all. However I have heard that they are only there to 'scare people', usually to humiliate them with rude treatment, shove them around, and only rarely to beat them up a little. My friends said 'if it comes to the point of really hurting - or even killing - someone, it isn't these visible guys who do it'.

That makes a lot of sense. For loan sharks, scaring is much more important than hurting, or killing. Dead people don't pay back loans. Scared people do.

I experienced the western version of this once, it was quite funny; I had paid too late for the gym class, and they had handed my "debt" - $70 - off to a professional money collector. Certainly too small a sum to send anyone, they sent me letters instead - once a week for two or three months, each one escalating the level of threat; it sounds idiotic but these letters did a good job of conveying that I'd get sued, go to jail, have my credit destroyed, have possessions seized, etc etc, Countless threats; I had long paid the money so I ignored them but these letters were pretty scary.

Edited February 4, 2013 by nikster

[Gary A]

It's a common sight here up country. The question is why you would want to concern yourself with things you have no control over?

[marstons]

seems to be common once saw similar thing whilst in Chantanaburi, I asked why full face darkened helmets and was told debt collection.

[ClareQuilty]

It's a common sight here up country. The question is why you would want to concern yourself with things you have no control over?

I don't think anyone is 'concerned' about it. I for one just find it an interesting aspect of life-in-Thailand, and I like to impress Thai friends and acquaintances by knowing little curious details like this.

[macknife]

I have a black CBR, wear a black jacket and a black full face helmet with a black visor. Now I know why every Thai smiles at me and gets out of my way.

[candypants]

i lost a perfeectly good khao man gai and noodle lady to those guys.

[jbrain]

I see them regulary in Pattaya and surroundings also, cbr 150, bag over the shouider.

I always thought they were English teachers.

[ClareQuilty]

I see them regulary in Pattaya and surroundings also, cbr 150, bag over the shouider.

I always thought they were English teachers.

You insult them, sir. They are much higher status than that!

[cornishcarlos]

It's a common sight here up country. The question is why you would want to concern yourself with things you have no control over?

I don't think anyone is 'concerned' about it. I for one just find it an interesting aspect of life-in-Thailand, and I like to impress Thai friends and acquaintances by knowing little curious details like this.

Exactly Clare... Why would you bother to learn anything about the country you live in or anything else for that matter.

My wife is so intrigued by it now, she had never known about them until I pointed it out.

So even people who have lived here all their lives are ignorant to some aspects of Thai life.

Glad I bought the subject up but Gary, you just bury your head in the sand again buddy, nothing to see here