Bangkok Cops Caught On Camera Extorting Mall Vendor

[pdrhan]

If they have to remove all counterfeit goods from stalls within Mall´s all over BKK , they could close down the whole city.....

[AleG]

Except that she's not being "fleeced".

She is being told to come up with bail money to be released before having her day in trial, where she can try to convince the judge of her innocence.

This is standard criminal procedure everwhere.

Really? I thought the standard was for a court to grant (or deny) bail after a suspect is charged with an offense.

[oldsailor35]

Except that she's not being "fleeced".

She is being told to come up with bail money to be released before having her day in trial, where she can try to convince the judge of her innocence.

This is standard criminal procedure everwhere.

For Bail money read "TEA MONEY"

[alstaxi]

louis vitton showed up at the cop shop?????

[StefanBBK]

I just read the article on BP, as well the comments.

Does anyone ever match up any police officers income and life style. . . Their salaries are far to low to keep a decent standard of living. Therefore they need to add income from other sources, simple.

No way to change that.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[evanson]

I just read the article on BP, as well the comments.

Does anyone ever match up any police officers income and life style. . . Their salaries are far to low to keep a decent standard of living. Therefore they need to add income from other sources, simple.

No way to change that.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As was posted by someone on another thread, when setting up the police force they were told 'okay, we know we're paying you peanuts, but you have our permission to 'gin meuang' - steal from your countrymen. The police should take it up with them.

[MEL1]

It's about time that all guilty parties would be taking responsibility instead of shuffling around the blame. The seller in this case is not only a victim, but also a perpetrator by selling those fake goods in the first place (and being fully aware that they're fake), thus equally guilty as the police trying to extort "bail money". If you're selling fake goods you shouldn't be all too surprised that eventually "someone" is going to take that as a pretext for fleecing you one way or another - and it serves you right.

Is the software you use on your computer licensed? If are using fake goods and should be punished also. The fake goods would not exist, if there were not buyers My Microsoft 7 is licensed.

Software on my laptop is licensed. Everything I own is bought legitimately, and I've lived here 7 years.

What are you trying to imply? That everybody is corrupt?

Your rhetoric tells me that you have something under your sleeve.

Close the door, quietly, on your way out, please.

There's a good boy.

-mel.

[MEL1]

I just read the article on BP, as well the comments.

Does anyone ever match up any police officers income and life style. . . Their salaries are far to low to keep a decent standard of living. Therefore they need to add income from other sources, simple.

No way to change that.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As was posted by someone on another thread, when setting up the police force they were told 'okay, we know we're paying you peanuts, but you have our permission to 'gin meuang' - steal from your countrymen. The police should take it up with them.

We know we're? take it up with them?

Who or what is this mysterious agency you refer to?

-mel.

[lemoncake]

In all fairness if what she says is true, while no doubt cops were extorting, legally they did nothing wrong.

As per her accounts they demanded bail money, which I am sure legally they can do

[unanimosity]

If they have to remove all counterfeit goods from stalls within Mall´s all over BKK , they could close down the whole city.....

It would solve the traffic problem.

[Arkady]

Do Thai police have the power to set bail? They can detain a suspect for 48 hours before charging them. Then they have to take them to a court and the court then has the power to detain them or set bail during the pre-trial period. I am not sure if police can set bail themselves during that initial 48 hours. 50,000 sounds like a lot to release a lowly cashier for two days.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Do Thai police have the power to set bail? They can detain a suspect for 48 hours before charging them. Then they have to take them to a court and the court then has the power to detain them or set bail during the pre-trial period. I am not sure if police can set bail themselves during that initial 48 hours. 50,000 sounds like a lot to release a lowly cashier for two days.

The police set bail. There are guidelines for the amount based on the charge and the maximum penalty that it carries.

[harrry]

She would seem to be guilty asw she was involved in the sale of counterfeit goods. Of course her boss is the one that should face the rap.

[pattayadingo]

So her reaction is to blame the cop for extorting her when she was breaking the law herself, pretty bold

Both of them should be arrested

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

“The shopping mall was wrong to be selling fake products, but the cashier was definitely not at fault."

quote from the full article.

So why should she be persecuted and arrested?

[NewlyMintedThai]

It is not clear whether she was an employee of the mall, or if she was operating an independent shop in the mall. Either way, she can be charged.

Edited January 26, 2013 by NewlyMintedThai

[NewlyMintedThai]

"Stall where she was working in the mall" seems to indicate an independent stall within a shopping center. Of course she is going to claim to be "just the cashier". In that case, she can make a statement identifying the real owner once she's in court. Since almost no stalls are registered entities, there is not going to be any official documenting who the owner is. That is why the cops are going to charge whoever is on site and appears to be in charge.

Edited January 26, 2013 by NewlyMintedThai

[fullcave]

Yes I remember reading something just last week in TV about the govrnment "stepping up the war against piracy" so this does not surprise me. I feel for the girl but I don't see any real evidence of "extortion" on the video. Perhaps she's using the term as an aphorism or the translation is incorrect to promote readership.

[Whidbeyboy]

"“True love is like a good cop because you’ll never find one.”

LOL that's a good one!

Now, now. I have found true love many times in Pattaya. I mean, I was lovin it at the time.

But a good cop? Never.

[newermonkey]

The cops were asking for 50,000 baht bail... I guess that will be raised to 500,000 now?

[Bluespunk]

An off topic racist post has been removed.

thank you

[NewlyMintedThai]

The cops were asking for 50,000 baht bail... I guess that will be raised to 500,000 now?

Impossible.

The maximum fine for this type of offense is much less than that. As I said, there are guidelines...they can't just pull a number out of the air.

Anyway...it's bail, not a fine or pay-off. The accused gets it back when they appear in court. There is also bail insurance available, so that the accused only has to pony up 10% if the total bail money.

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts have been removed as well as replies to a previously deleted racist post.

[Hunter88]

She was wrong in selling counterfeit goods as are many vendors and department stores are in Thailand.

However the police should be beyond reproach, this video proves yet again that the BIB are indeed rotten to the core a cancerous scourge upon the landscape of Thailand.

No wonder so many of these creatures go into politics it is of course the natural course to take for these despicable creatures

THIS IS THE PERFECT COMMENT. NOW THE POLICE WILL BE REASSIGNED TO AN INACTIVE POST UNTIL IT'S FORGOTTEN.

[NewlyMintedThai]

She was wrong in selling counterfeit goods as are many vendors and department stores are in Thailand.

However the police should be beyond reproach, this video proves yet again that the BIB are indeed rotten to the core a cancerous scourge upon the landscape of Thailand.

No wonder so many of these creatures go into politics it is of course the natural course to take for these despicable creatures

THIS IS THE PERFECT COMMENT. NOW THE POLICE WILL BE REASSIGNED TO AN INACTIVE POST UNTIL IT'S FORGOTTEN.

Umm...the video shows the police DOING THEIR JOBS, by the books.

What do YOU think it shows, if you can even understand the Thai language in it?

[gemguy]

In all fairness if what she says is true, while no doubt cops were extorting, legally they did nothing wrong.

As per her accounts they demanded bail money, which I am sure legally they can do

I believe they can ...and it would be more convenient for many people who are arrested and charged as who knows how long you would have to wait for a court appearance while you languish in a Thai jail.

[khunken]

The cops were asking for 50,000 baht bail... I guess that will be raised to 500,000 now?

Impossible.

The maximum fine for this type of offense is much less than that. As I said, there are guidelines...they can't just pull a number out of the air.

Anyway...it's bail, not a fine or pay-off. The accused gets it back when they appear in court. There is also bail insurance available, so that the accused only has to pony up 10% if the total bail money.

Rubbish. The police do NOT set bail independently of a court. The police make a request to the court & the court sets bail, which may or may not be the same as what the police have requested.

This is pure extortion which the BIB thrive on.

[nikkoid66]

They don't know they are video taped. The lady who video tape is using her phone as if she was talking to someone.

It ask some guts to do it!

I wouldn't say this had anything to do with extortion because:

1. Like most people on here, I don't speak Thai.

2. Would the cops discuss a bribe when they know they are being videoed? Can't see that myself.

[nikkoid66]

She is not selling counterfeit good, she was just a vendor.

Anyway, if she was, she would not post this video which reveal her identity.

It shows that police don't care about doing their job. You can sell anything including child porn as soon as you pay the police.

So her reaction is to blame the cop for extorting her when she was breaking the law herself, pretty bold

Both of them should be arrested

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[metisdead]

A grammar/spelling police post has been removed, don't bother with these kind of posts as they are off topic to the discussion at hand.

[theajarn]

I think the real problem here, as mentioned several times -- though not explicit to some, is that the person being arrested is the employee of the shop and not the shop owner. Is this correct?