Just Hit By The Music Scammers- But For Them It Was A Flop

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Phuping police called this morning to thank all of us for the lead and that matters are now out of their hands and in process of law, so they reall have no follow up as they were only assisting arrest, apparently it was Muang station who led it, following Phuping's lead. I will try to find out more, but we are a small outfit with no real contacts, so not sure how deep we can get. At this point they are out on bail in accordance with the law. Don't konw about Pattaya case as they have skippd town so it is probably like most cases in Thailand where lack of jurasdiction, manpower and resources limits action.

[PoodMaiDai]

I still have not seen/heard as to the status of this group. Anyone have firm follow-up information??? Like how many were actually arrested and are they still in jail or have they been bailed out??

What about the status of the tag-a-long police officer involved, was he picked up also or was this just a guy that went to the rent-a-cop-uniform shop .

And some explanation how this violation of the law was permitted to go on for years.

And while we are at it , what is the disposition of the Pattaya arrest and bail out???

Be nice to be informed a bit more

The police officer was not in a rent-a-cop uniform. He is a senior police officer who is or was working at Hang Dong Police Station. We have spoken to him there on a previous occasion. He was very arrogant, wearing a sidearm, and tried to stop us (without success), videotaping him on phone camera. This has been or will be submitted to Phuping Police Station.

I'm really curious why you guys don't get someone from the military involved to outrank these guys? SOMEONE has a brother or an uncle who is in the military. They outrank the police and the police know this. Get a group of you together and hire him (and/or a buddy) off duty so when these thugs come around he can deal with them.

This is Thailand, there is a pecking order for everything here. Use that to your advantage and outrank the crooked police involved. I've seen this done in Pattaya with a go-go bar and it worked like a charm.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

I don't agree, the whole point is not to fight thugs with thugs. Surely.

[eyecatcher]

Phuping police called this morning to thank all of us for the lead and that matters are now out of their hands and in process of law, so they reall have no follow up as they were only assisting arrest, apparently it was Muang station who led it, following Phuping's lead. I will try to find out more, but we are a small outfit with no real contacts, so not sure how deep we can get. At this point they are out on bail in accordance with the law. Don't konw about Pattaya case as they have skippd town so it is probably like most cases in Thailand where lack of jurasdiction, manpower and resources limits action.

Phuping Police......its a very apt name for them.

not sure why they called the citylife to thank them for the lead, when the lead was presented in their face by an irate eyecatcher, followed by an even more irate mrs E, followed by 3 or4 others who submitted a report against this scum gang.

taking nothing away from citylife, it was their heavyweight pressure we are grateful for but It just shows that as individuals or even a small group, our credibility is zilch.

But then for Phuping to delegate this to district speaks volumes about their likely involvement or simply Phuping lacks credibility for anything other than knowing how to drink coffee and b/s everyone.

So the out on bail scenario seems to be par for the course, and they will likely try the next town until they come up against another Chiang mai.

I have to say I am certainly happy they are "not in our back yard" at the moment and I hope for us Chiang Mai will remain a very hot potato for them.

Sadly though others will no doubt suffer now until someone in authority with some balls puts a final end to it.

Lets not forget this though as they may return next year.....STAND HARD and SHOW THEM THE DOOR

[jackr]

I'm really curious why you guys don't get someone from the military involved to outrank these guys? SOMEONE has a brother or an uncle who is in the military. They outrank the police and the police know this. Get a group of you together and hire him (and/or a buddy) off duty so when these thugs come around he can deal with them.

This is Thailand, there is a pecking order for everything here. Use that to your advantage and outrank the crooked police involved. I've seen this done in Pattaya with a go-go bar and it worked like a charm.

I agree, in part, though also think that money is a big trump card. They're drawing in sackfuls of it.

[weary]

I wonder if they paid bail using the money they have extorted.

[Gonzo the Face]

I wonder if they paid bail using the money they have extorted.

I would guess that they have been so busy that they do not have any jobs of other source of income. So my vote would be yes...

[Sao Jiang Mai]

They didn't have anyone else's phone number!

Phuping police called this morning to thank all of us for the lead and that matters are now out of their hands and in process of law, so they reall have no follow up as they were only assisting arrest, apparently it was Muang station who led it, following Phuping's lead. I will try to find out more, but we are a small outfit with no real contacts, so not sure how deep we can get. At this point they are out on bail in accordance with the law. Don't konw about Pattaya case as they have skippd town so it is probably like most cases in Thailand where lack of jurasdiction, manpower and resources limits action.

Phuping Police......its a very apt name for them.

not sure why they called the citylife to thank them for the lead, when the lead was presented in their face by an irate eyecatcher, followed by an even more irate mrs E, followed by 3 or4 others who submitted a report against this scum gang.

taking nothing away from citylife, it was their heavyweight pressure we are grateful for but It just shows that as individuals or even a small group, our credibility is zilch.

But then for Phuping to delegate this to district speaks volumes about their likely involvement or simply Phuping lacks credibility for anything other than knowing how to drink coffee and b/s everyone.

So the out on bail scenario seems to be par for the course, and they will likely try the next town until they come up against another Chiang mai.

I have to say I am certainly happy they are "not in our back yard" at the moment and I hope for us Chiang Mai will remain a very hot potato for them.

Sadly though others will no doubt suffer now until someone in authority with some balls puts a final end to it.

Lets not forget this though as they may return next year.....STAND HARD and SHOW THEM THE DOOR

[piewarmer]

They do represent a Thai music co and I really really wanted a License, and deep down I'm a lazy SOB.

Yes Ironic...but now I have one and I didn't have to make any effort.

7 grand is not as much as one stop wanted.

your experience differs radically from those of other who have chased these people off, yet you claim they are the same crew.

i personally would love to see this license, would you be so kind as to post a picture of it (with your details blacked out)?

piewarmer, given that the some of the perpetrators have been arrested, and you have not been forthcoming with an example of this license you procured, are you still convinced your 7,000 was well spent?

here's the paper

[piewarmer]

I still have not seen/heard as to the status of this group. Anyone have firm follow-up information??? Like how many were actually arrested and are they still in jail or have they been bailed out??

What about the status of the tag-a-long police officer involved, was he picked up also or was this just a guy that went to the rent-a-cop-uniform shop .

And some explanation how this violation of the law was permitted to go on for years.

And while we are at it , what is the disposition of the Pattaya arrest and bail out???

Be nice to be informed a bit more

The police officer was not in a rent-a-cop uniform. He is a senior police officer who is or was working at Hang Dong Police Station. We have spoken to him there on a previous occasion. He was very arrogant, wearing a sidearm, and tried to stop us (without success), videotaping him on phone camera. This has been or will be submitted to Phuping Police Station.

I'm really curious why you guys don't get someone from the military involved to outrank these guys? SOMEONE has a brother or an uncle who is in the military. They outrank the police and the police know this. Get a group of you together and hire him (and/or a buddy) off duty so when these thugs come around he can deal with them.

This is Thailand, there is a pecking order for everything here. Use that to your advantage and outrank the crooked police involved. I've seen this done in Pattaya with a go-go bar and it worked like a charm.

Because they come late when most lawyers and government officials are either in bed on pissed.

top brass have had their friends/family released from the lockup before, but there was never any follow up

with the music officials, even then the bars lucky enough to know someone with power still had to come

up with 5-10K. . . and free drinks for uncle Somchai.

[PoodMaiDai]

I don't agree, the whole point is not to fight thugs with thugs. Surely.

I would agree with this 100% IF we were in our home countries. However, we are no longer in our home countries and live in a new country where violence (the threat of and/or actual violence) and money solves problems. Since the shop owners do not want to use money, the only other option is to out thug and out rank them, Thai style. This is simply how Thais operate if money can not solve the problem.

In a perfect world the Thai police would do their job and put an end to all of this today and it would never happen again. However, it is fair to assume all of you know that is not going to happen. At best there will be a very short term solution as there is now some media coverage over it. Long term, as the hype fades, these scum bags will return or simply move to another city after paying a small fine and admitting to the crime.

[MrSlatersParrot]

Just happened to the wife's family's spa in Silom

[Ulysses G.]

Is that in Bangkok or is there a Silom in Chiang Mai?

[MrSlatersParrot]

Is that in Bangkok or is there a Silom in Chiang Mai?

In Bangkok.

They came at 9 pm and arrested my 18 year old stepdaughter who was at the counter and took her to the police station in Suan Plu.

Apparently there is a law that you have to have a music licence.

Unless we paid 6000 baht she would be taken to the court but held at the police station and she would get a criminal record.

However the police statement posted here states the licence only necessary if the business concerned profits from it.

In a spa you have to have music in the background

I read through all the posts yesterday. They went to the bar, restaurants and spas here including the ladyboy spa and they (the ladyboys) were all taken to the police station which was quite a hoot apparently.

I am surprised the student bar had to pay because the boss is a poliiceman! They play dreadful thai pop music late into the night. They sing "Wonderwall" every night but still they don't know the words.

There's a new captain. The police came in before to the spa and asked for cucumber sandwich which is not on offer. I guess that was a shakedown.

We do know a good leutenant but he's away outside parliament dealing with the yellow shirt protestors there. Police are 50/50 good bad.

The police handwritten document states wrongly that this happened at 6:20 pm rather than 9 pm.

There should be video.

[Frank James]

...or just whack the first guy in the face with a pool cue.

Yeh ... right. You will be banged up in jail, after you get released from the hospital.

I received three pieces of advice upon original LOS arrival. from one of those well-meaning grizzled old expats one might chance to meet at Cheap Charlies' in BKK. To be followed in this order of importance, as you just not likely to come out ahead, beginning with this no-brainer.

1) Do not get into a physical altercation with a Thai

2) Do not buy a house to be registered in a a womans name.

3) Do not open a business.

Barry Sandal's excellent little book about Thai/farang relations, called "Foreign Relations" has this worthwhile mantra:

Always remember:

Who You Are

Where You're From

Where You are NOW.

Several bar/restaurant owning friends of mine have all had encounters with these dicks over the last several years. If you don't have a valid work permit you are automatically one down, obviously. The best advice I have distilled from these many excellent posts is:

Don't let them touch your equipment.

Hassle them back about the validity of their "authority." (buys time, apparently.)

Don't take any rides with them, anywhere!

Get some military cats in uniform to moonlight at your place, but don't let them start drinking!

It seems imperative that local business owners band together to fight this collectively.

I have questions: IS there such a thing as a license (American spelling, no flames, please.)? Where does one buy this document, and what does it cover? If you have one, will these punks still try to hassle you? And what does "Sony" have to do with anything, when all you're playing is dubbed-off stuff by artists who are mostly dead, from labels that died long ago? (That's what I'd be playing, but I'm old.)

It's easy for us to sit here at the keyboard and tell the hassled business people to hang tough and fight back, but it must be quite scary when this crap rolls into your place, at a late hour, with just you and some girls there. Best wishes to you all. THINK before you do something rash, please.

[MrSlatersParrot]

...or just whack the first guy in the face with a pool cue.

Yeh ... right. You will be banged up in jail, after you get released from the hospital.

I received three pieces of advice upon original LOS arrival. from one of those well-meaning grizzled old expats one might chance to meet at Cheap Charlies' in BKK. To be followed in this order of importance, as you just not likely to come out ahead, beginning with this no-brainer.

1) Do not get into a physical altercation with a Thai

2) Do not buy a house to be registered in a a womans name.

3) Do not open a business.

Barry Sandal's excellent little book about Thai/farang relations, called "Foreign Relations" has this worthwhile mantra:

Always remember:

Who You Are

Where You're From

Where You are NOW.

Several bar/restaurant owning friends of mine have all had encounters with these dicks over the last several years. If you don't have a valid work permit you are automatically one down, obviously. The best advice I have distilled from these many excellent posts is:

Don't let them touch your equipment.

Hassle them back about the validity of their "authority." (buys time, apparently.)

Don't take any rides with them, anywhere!

Get some military cats in uniform to moonlight at your place, but don't let them start drinking!

It seems imperative that local business owners band together to fight this collectively.

I have questions: IS there such a thing as a license (American spelling, no flames, please.)? Where does one buy this document, and what does it cover? If you have one, will these punks still try to hassle you? And what does "Sony" have to do with anything, when all you're playing is dubbed-off stuff by artists who are mostly dead, from labels that died long ago? (That's what I'd be playing, but I'm old.)

It's easy for us to sit here at the keyboard and tell the hassled business people to hang tough and fight back, but it must be quite scary when this crap rolls into your place, at a late hour, with just you and some girls there. Best wishes to you all. THINK before you do something rash, please.

Good advice.

I'm in the UK at the moment.

They came to the shop, opened a draw below the AV receiver and found one CD entitled Hip hop (party CD, not my taste) but they were told it was not played in the spa. Obviously.

The Spa CDs played are all originals not copies.

There is an entertainment licence available; an example has been posted above I believe which I've downloaded.

Do we need a licence to play spa CDs in a spa?

I would have thought not but as the laws go in thailand they are open to interpretation.

We will find out but the lawyer who came at 10 pm Saturday night told us we had to pay.

Is that displayed in the shops selling them?

We are told that a licence will be sent later this month.

I shall post that if and when it comes.

This is Sathorn, Lumpini park where all the banks are. Heart of the city and these have gone around all the shops hauling everyone to the police station.

Three came in and a group stood outside the shop at 9pm similar M.O to the Chiang Mai rackets.

They threatened my step daughter with police cell and that she would get a criminal record. She's not the manager, just minding the counter.

Plain clothes cops who never showed any ID came with these people from another precinct whatever.

[geordieman2]

Read the thread, all has been answered above!

Yes, a spa is a public place, you do need a license to play music.

A regular original CD/dvd only gives you the right to play it for personal/private home enjoyment.

[bristolgeoff]

they are still trying to get money out of the bar owners.i think by now they would have no chance with so much info in thai visa.

[beautifulthailand99]

Does no body pay "protection" money / tea money anymore? I'd be giving my local whiskey living bobbies a call to sort these buggers out.

That's the beauty of having ordered institutionalised corruption at least you know where you are and have only one set of mouths to feed. Sounds like in some areas order is breaking down leading to this sort of gangster anarchic behaviour. A lot of good advice on this thread though which should be heeded,

[MrSlatersParrot]

Does no body pay "protection" money / tea money anymore? I'd be giving my local whiskey living bobbies a call to sort these buggers out.

That's the beauty of having ordered institutionalised corruption at least you know where you are and have only one set of mouths to feed. Sounds like in some areas order is breaking down leading to this sort of gangster anarchic behaviour. A lot of good advice on this thread though which should be heeded,

Nobody is paying protection money to the police now.

New captain did away with the payments.

[beautifulthailand99]

Does no body pay "protection" money / tea money anymore? I'd be giving my local whiskey living bobbies a call to sort these buggers out.

That's the beauty of having ordered institutionalised corruption at least you know where you are and have only one set of mouths to feed. Sounds like in some areas order is breaking down leading to this sort of gangster anarchic behaviour. A lot of good advice on this thread though which should be heeded,

Nobody is paying protection money to the police now.

New captain did away with the payments.

Oh that could well explain it - nature abhors a vacuum. If this is the case then the Police should do what a decent force does in any civilised country - keep good order and enforce the law fairly and without prejudice. I will leave breath holding to Andaman pearl divers.

[beau thai]

Does no body pay "protection" money / tea money anymore? I'd be giving my local whiskey living bobbies a call to sort these buggers out.

That's the beauty of having ordered institutionalised corruption at least you know where you are and have only one set of mouths to feed. Sounds like in some areas order is breaking down leading to this sort of gangster anarchic behaviour. A lot of good advice on this thread though which should be heeded,

Nobody is paying protection money to the police now.

New captain did away with the payments.

Oh that could well explain it - nature abhors a vacuum. If this is the case then the Police should do what a decent force does in any civilised country - keep good order and enforce the law fairly and without prejudice. I will leave breath holding to Andaman pearl divers.

Very worthy objective but can you think of any country where the police all ' act fairly and without prejudice' - no corruption?. I am sorry to say I can not-its just that corruption differs in scale in different countries I think.

[beautifulthailand99]

Oh that could well explain it - nature abhors a vacuum. If this is the case then the Police should do what a decent force does in any civilised country - keep good order and enforce the law fairly and without prejudice. I will leave breath holding to Andaman pearl divers.

Very worthy objective but can you think of any country where the police all ' act fairly and without prejudice' - no corruption?. I am sorry to say I can not-its just that corruption differs in scale in different countries I think.

Very true UK is not looking too good at the moment if you look at the cases of Stephen Lawrtence, Hillsborough,Jimmy Savile and 'Plebsgate' - the difference is they don't harrass local businesses for dosh - that's the role of the local councils with planning,trading standards and the like !

[beau thai]

Oh that could well explain it - nature abhors a vacuum. If this is the case then the Police should do what a decent force does in any civilised country - keep good order and enforce the law fairly and without prejudice. I will leave breath holding to Andaman pearl divers.

Very worthy objective but can you think of any country where the police all ' act fairly and without prejudice' - no corruption?. I am sorry to say I can not-its just that corruption differs in scale in different countries I think.

Very true UK is not looking too good at the moment if you look at the cases of Stephen Lawrtence, Hillsborough,Jimmy Savile and 'Plebsgate' - the difference is they don't harrass local businesses for dosh - that's the role of the local councils with planning,trading standards and the like !

Not to forget the 'elf & Safety' muggers who want to stop you from starting up. More upfront and legal mugging I guess though

[mrtoad]

Well this grubby lot, the same crew have appeared in Koh Chang this week. They are scum