Bangkok Cops Caught On Camera Extorting Mall Vendor

[saroq]

I gotta laugh. No one on this board would use a pirated copy of Windows or watch a pirated movie or read a pirated ebook or possess porn or even download them in torrents, but let some minimum wage Thai cashier get nailed for selling it and watch the indignation, hahaha.

I do not use pirated software for the simple reason of security. The people that develop those awesome infestations usually have downloaded black market software.

I have never purchased a pirated movie. No need. The prices are cheap for the higher quality legit copies.

And your music, clothing, medicines etc.? If you've lived in Asia for any length of time you probably have purchased, used or participated in the use of pirated/fake product of some kind whether you know it or not. I'm not suggesting that you have not actively made the choice not to use pirated goods just that their existence is so widespread in this part of the world that it's difficult to avoid them.

[Thai at Heart]

Does this get out of, i am just an employee work with say heroine?

Actually, on the basis that the mall rents the space, they are partially responsible if they know the products are illegal. The cashier is partly responsible if she knows the products are illegal and then the owner is responsible.

Sorry mr judge, i had no idea along illegal goods was illegal. Good argument.

Isn't it sometimes the case that the mall provides employees to man these stalls if requested?

Edited January 27, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[chooka]

Does this get out of, i am just an employee work with say heroine?

Actually, on the basis that the mall rents the space, they are partially responsible if they know the products are illegal. The cashier is partly responsible if she knows the products are illegal and then the owner is responsible.

Sorry mr judge, i had no idea along illegal goods was illegal. Good argument.

Isn't it sometimes the case that the mall provides employees to man these stalls if requested?

ah but the onus of proof is on the prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that they knowingly and willingly participated in the ilegal activity. The accused does not have to prove thier innocence.

[wilcopops]

Does this get out of, i am just an employee work with say heroine?

Actually, on the basis that the mall rents the space, they are partially responsible if they know the products are illegal. The cashier is partly responsible if she knows the products are illegal and then the owner is responsible.

Sorry mr judge, i had no idea along illegal goods was illegal. Good argument.

Isn't it sometimes the case that the mall provides employees to man these stalls if requested?

I don't see the piont of this as no court case has occurred only what appears to be a request for money.

[jackr]

They could have at least done it in English.

I say hang them all; the vendor for hawking tat, the cops for being bent and the cameraman for not holding the thing steady.

[Thai at Heart]

Does this get out of, i am just an employee work with say heroine?

Actually, on the basis that the mall rents the space, they are partially responsible if they know the products are illegal. The cashier is partly responsible if she knows the products are illegal and then the owner is responsible.

Sorry mr judge, i had no idea along illegal goods was illegal. Good argument.

Isn't it sometimes the case that the mall provides employees to man these stalls if requested?

ah but the onus of proof is on the prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that they knowingly and willingly participated in the ilegal activity. The accused does not have to prove thier innocence.

In case, she can claim she was traficked into the job I suppose. Its a non story in reality, but I have always been curious where the law stands about renting a shop to someone carrying out illegal business. The mall owners can hardly claim ignorance.

It's not as though these businesses aren't hiding in plain sight.

[Tanlic]

Ok let's say someone is selling fake ****......The company lawyers of **** come along accompanied by the police who are their only to monitor the situation and make sure no laws are broken (so they claim). They have no desire for anyone to end up in jail which would defeat the purpose of the excersise so the police arrest/ take someone....usually member of staff........ who has not been arrested for the same offense before. The fines if you end up in court can be very high so they tell you that you have to pay, say, 150k and your backside falls and hits the ground....then the cops being so nice and wanting to help you get the lawyers to agree to a lesser amount say 50k.....you pay end of story. Even if you pay tee money the local cops you are paying can't help you because the Lawyers bring the police from where they are based not from where you are based.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Tanlic

[Tonykalniev]

Guys, you all got it wrong. cops are ok with people opening a business, whether the goods are fake or not. Every business needs to pay cops a certain amount of money per month. every business, even in shopping malls. so the lady must have decided that she is paying too much to them or she doesnt have enough money left over to live after paying them per month so she refused to pay them. thats when the cops do their job again and catch the illegalities.

not so hard to understand boys and girls

Where do you get your info? I have lived in worked in Thailand for more than 15 years. Owned several business and never had to pay an bribe or fee. My wife owns a shop in the mall selling clothing, same thing never had to pay any police. If you are operating an illegal business then yes, in most cases you do.

Well, its "in most cases". but yes bars (and not the gogo bars), are the ones where people have to pay off cops. in adition, I thought of a great business plan with the xbox kinect (its a game console in which every person can enjoy). I wished to setup 4 stations at a shopping mall called big C. Big C's management informed me that the local commissionaire (is that how you spell it) takes ... well... commission from the shops on top of the rent which totally ruined my accounting calculations and i gave up on the idea. Big C mentioned that anything involving technology has the cops involved! so imagine all the game shops (some which are legal), computers, cameras, photocopiers and so on.

another case my friend owns a guesthouse. the guesthouse has a bar. in order have it open just a few hours more per night, the cops extorted him of money per month.

there are many other cases, but of course as you said there are many other cases where no cops are involved. that is the lucky rabbit hole that they find...

[A Member]

I don't see anything unlawful going on here, other than the shopkeeper selling fake merchandise.

This pales into insignificance compared to the video, many years back, of goods vehicle drivers throwing money out their cab window at a Highway Police checkpoint rather than be stopped and waste time in negotiations. It caused "shock" etc within the establishment and suddenly died a death

[siampolee]

The fact of the matter is that the accused is but a dupe in the matter.The police at Samrong arrange bail for you at a fee of 20% per month on the bail fee, People who actually produce their own cash have to pay the service fee as well.

Yes I, or rather we the wife and I are well aware of the way things work due to our oldest boy being targeted along with his friends for supposedly indulging in motor cycle racing when they didn't even have motorcycles .

Nice little earner for the corrupt B.I.B. scum is it not ?

Furthermore there is no real need for those oh so sanctimonious oh pure types to accuse others of using pirated products, there's an enormous amount of open source material out there which I and I am sure many others too use.

Computers work fine until the windows open !!

As already stated the paragons of virtue who live here may well be wearing or using copied fashion wear, shoes, clothing, handbags wallets etc.

[metisdead]

A flame post has been removed.

[Kilgore Trout]

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

Both the store management and the copyright owner said that she was not involved in the selling of the product.

So the money counter in a cocaine selling operation won't get arrested in a bust because "he's not involved in the selling?"

Get a grip.

Everyone involved in the operation should be arrested, testimony from the little fish can be used to prosecute the big fish. This is how it works, but not here.

She's probably the only one not connected in some way, a scapegoat.

[wilcopops]

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

Both the store management and the copyright owner said that she was not involved in the selling of the product.

So the money counter in a cocaine selling operation won't get arrested in a bust because "he's not involved in the selling?"

Get a grip.

Everyone involved in the operation should be arrested, testimony from the little fish can be used to prosecute the big fish. This is how it works, but not here.

She's probably the only one not connected in some way, a scapegoat.

again you are over simplifying the argument - is this because you don't get the whole issue?

Is it a case of people being penalised because they are being exploited? Is the law actually being carried out correctly.

It seems you are making huge assumptions about law responsibility and prejudging guilt.

you are also drawing worthless comparisons that in reality have nothing to do with the core issues here, which are police corruption and the correct execution of the law.

[Kilgore Trout]

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

Both the store management and the copyright owner said that she was not involved in the selling of the product.

So the money counter in a cocaine selling operation won't get arrested in a bust because "he's not involved in the selling?"

Get a grip.

Everyone involved in the operation should be arrested, testimony from the little fish can be used to prosecute the big fish. This is how it works, but not here.

She's probably the only one not connected in some way, a scapegoat.

again you are over simplifying the argument - is this because you don't get the whole issue?

Is it a case of people being penalised because they are being exploited? Is the law actually being carried out correctly.

It seems you are making huge assumptions about law responsibility and prejudging guilt.

you are also drawing worthless comparisons that in reality have nothing to do with the core issues here, which are police corruption and the correct execution of the law.

I think you are missing the point which is....this is all a product of corruption. IF rule of law was followed this would not be an issue, however they are all breaking the law, yet pointing the finger at one another. If you don't see the irony in this I truly feel sorry for you......

[evanson]

For all those posters getting all uppity over selling fake sunglasses/clothing/videos etc, if you drink anything other than the local beer or gutrot, it's very likely fake. And you rarely hear/see this http://www2.mof.go.th/www2picture_news_detail.php?id=2006#maincontent do you?

Edited January 27, 2013 by evanson

[techboy]

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.

I do not agree with your "serves you right." Scratch a moral hardliner and you always find someone with much to hide.

[TechnikaIII]

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

Yes, and in China the vendor would do a stint behind bars, whilst the corrupt cop would get his fast-track bullet in the back of the neck.

Job done .. "Next?!"

[n00b]

She's guilty as sin for selling the fake crap - but this answers my amazement when I first got to Thailand as to how they get away with it day after day - and of course it's that the police just take a bribe so they get away with it. The only way this is going to stop is when the US threatens massive penalties so that the authorities finally do something about it.

Oh, what a horrible crime.

Personally I think most corporations who's products are being copied in whatever manner have enough money and I don't think it's such a big deal that someone is trying to make a living as long as it doesn't actually hurt anyone.

As for the police, we already know most of them are rotten so what do you expect.

[n00b]

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.

I can't believe someone can compare selling something other than drugs with police corruption.

[lizardtongue]

Apparently this has been posted all over face Book!

How difficult is it going to be for the anti corruption/graft unit to find the culprits?

I bet it would be a different story if someone was to post something that was anti monarchy, they would (quite rightly) be down on you like a ton of bricks!

[Kilgore Trout]

For all those posters getting all uppity over selling fake sunglasses/clothing/videos etc, if you drink anything other than the local beer or gutrot, it's very likely fake. And you rarely hear/see this http://www2.mof.go.th/www2picture_news_detail.php?id=2006#maincontent do you?

5555, there are plenty of legit imprts both with regard to beer and spirits:lol:

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

[chooka]

She's guilty as sin for selling the fake crap - but this answers my amazement when I first got to Thailand as to how they get away with it day after day - and of course it's that the police just take a bribe so they get away with it. The only way this is going to stop is when the US threatens massive penalties so that the authorities finally do something about it.

Oh, what a horrible crime.

Personally I think most corporations who's products are being copied in whatever manner have enough money and I don't think it's such a big deal that someone is trying to make a living as long as it doesn't actually hurt anyone.

As for the police, we already know most of them are rotten so what do you expect.

Actually I think the big corporations and thier major shareholders would be really pissed if someone was copying thier product and taking money away from them. They don't get to be big by being nice and charitable.

[Bella BKK]

Ah...Corrupt cop VS. Illegal vendor, that is pretty much the norm in BKK. ตำรวจหรือโจรเรียกค่าไถ่? It looks like โจรเรียกค่าไถ่ to me.

[PoodMaiDai]

Video removed.

Imagine that.

[dighambara]

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.

The option to impose one's will on another is an option that position alone wrongly affords all too many individuals. Indeed this option to impose on, rather than work with, this option to impose on without any regard whatsoever for due process, becomes, in the hands of most, a license to harm, if not destroy the careers and lives of others.

http://www.huffingto...-power-corrupts

I don't see anything unlawful going on here, other than the shopkeeper selling fake merchandise.

sure she was breaking he law.... but this is what the public do sometimes.....

you would expect this.......

but the cops being bent.... this is what you would hope wasn't happening......

Many vendors do not know for absolute certain that the goods are counterfeit. It is a 'don't ask, don't tell' situation.

I have found goods in the mall that I suspected were counterfeit, but then sometimes the counterfeit in the market are better quality than the original in the mall.

As for the BIB, they work in cahoots with the judges to collect what the market will bear. If anyone has a problem, always call the tourist police - at least they make the pretense of being fair.

[Mosha]

May I suggest merging this thread with?