Special Report: Fears Of Phuket Abductions

[Lite Beer]

SPECIAL REPORT: Fears of Phuket abductions
Phuket Gazette -

The deprivation of liberty, no matter how short, is considered an abduction, says the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo: Alexander Romero

Special Report:

It is a typical story in Phuket: a taxi or van picks up passengers and on the way to their destination gets them to stop at a jewelry store, souvenir shop or travel agency.

A familiar experience, considered no more than an irritation or a waste of time by some.

But is it more serious than this?

PHUKET: For an elderly American woman who arrived alone on Phuket last January, the experience was a terrifying one, one that caused her to run out of the cab screaming for help once she reached her hotel. Prompted by the frightening experience, the woman called the US Embassy in Bangkok and report that she had been kidnapped, according to an email sent to the Phuket Gazette.

“She was emotional and almost frantic,” the email said.

The woman said that she was picked up at the airport and had asked to be taken to the five-star resort where she had a reservation.

Instead, she was delivered to a travel agency, where she said she was “interrogated” about her personal information, such as where she came from and how long she planned to stay in Phuket. The agent told her that if she booked any trips, they had to be made through his agency.

The woman felt frightened and intimidated and pleaded to be taken to her hotel. She finally arrived there over an hour later.

When does a side-trip become an abduction? Two top legal officers in Phuket disagree on the answer.

Phuket Public Prosecutor Tawan Sukyiran did not mince his words.

“This is a case of abduction according to the law,” he said.

“The taxi driver, by not taking her directly to her hotel, which she had asked to go to, deprived her of her freedom,” he said.

“The length of time doesn’t matter. Even if it was just for five minutes, it can still be considered an abduction.

“She did not get out of the car willingly at the tour agency. She was forced to get out and she did so because she thought her safety was in jeopardy,” Mr Tawan said.

Yotsavee Pornperaparn, Phuket Tourist Police Superintendent, did not share Mr Tawan’s view.

“It is not an abduction,” he said, “because in the end, she was taken to her hotel.

“He did not kidnap her or take her to an unknown place,” he said.

Col Yotsavee argued that it is impossible to know what the driver and the woman discussed.

“She might have said something and the cab driver might have misunderstood her and thought she wanted to visit a tour agency,” he said.

“I don’t think this is a case of abduction, but it might be a case of cheating,” he continued.

“It would be cheating if he took her to the agency in order to try to get a commission from the company,” he explained.

Col Yotsavee said that this case was the first of its kind.

“A case like this has never been reported before… though taxi drivers do cheat and take advantage of tourists all the time. We have tried to fix the problem, but it’s out of our control,” he said.

He called on the public to report similar cases to 076-223 891 or 1155, with information about the license plate number, the color of the car and the driver’s name.

Some taxi companies have policies in place to protect tourists. Prasat Pechwang, a taxi driver with Phuket Taxi Meter Service Co Ltd at the airport said.

“If the taxi company finds out that a driver tried to cheat, drive out of the way or force a tourist to stop at another place on the way to the hotel, he will be barred from driving his car for the company for three days,” Mr Prasat said.

“The first time the driver will be warned. If it happens again, he might be fired,” he said.

How many tourists, backpackers to luxury guests, are taken on such an unwelcome first “tour” of Phuket is uncertain. However, one thing is sure – guests such as the elderly American woman are unlikely to be recommending Phuket to friends.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/SPECIAL-REPORT-Fears-of-Phuket-abductions-21212.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-06-02

[BookMan]

Case closed by the sounds of it. No further action necessary in any case like this. Ever.

Col Yotsavee argued that it is impossible to know what the driver and the woman discussed.

“She might have said something and the cab driver might have misunderstood her and thought she wanted to visit a tour agency,” he said.

[scorecard]

Happened to me on my first ever visit to Thailand (Bangkok) well over three decades ago, as follows:

- Clear passport, customs etc., after a very long flight, take Taxi from Don Muang, I gave the taxi driver a page of a tour magazine

with an advertisement for the hotel where I had a booking (this is well before the 50Baht scam).

- Taxi drives to the city area then into the compound of a jewelry factory / store. Gates slam closed behind up.

- Taxi driver motions that I go inside the store. The truth is that I have no interest whatever in jewelry for myself or for others.

Within a minute or so I am asked to sign a document, in Thai, and I refuse to sign.

- After maybe 10 minutes or less I go back to the taxi, but the taxi driver now feigning fear tells me (in English) that if I don't

buy something the shop will damage his taxi.

- I refuse to succumb and sit in the taxi, after another 10 minutes or so he drives out and takes me to my hotel.

- Taxi driver goes with me to the hotel reception and he asks the reception lady to get me to sign the earlier document.

- Reception lady scolds him and tells him to go and tears up the document.

- What was it - a voucher from the jewelry shop for him to get 100 ? baht of 'free' gasoline.

Edited June 2, 2013 by scorecard

[JetsetBkk]

Phuket Public Prosecutor Tawan Sukyiran did not mince his words. "This is a case of abduction according to the law," he said.

An honest man.

Yotsavee Pornperaparn, Phuket Tourist Police Superintendent, did not share Mr Tawans view.

In the pocket of the "mafia".

[Valentine]

Phuket Public Prosecutor Tawan Sukyiran did not mince his words. "This is a case of abduction according to the law," he said.

An honest man.

>Yotsavee Pornperaparn, Phuket Tourist Police Superintendent, did not share Mr Tawans view.

In the pocket of the "mafia".

Exactly, why would anyone, after a long flight, ask to be taken to a tour agency?

[JetsetBkk]

Exactly, why would anyone, after a long flight, ask to be taken to a tour agency?

The very first time I came here, I got on a commuter bus with my girlfriend to go to Patong - probably about 400 baht in those days. It was late at night, I had a hotel waiting and the driver stopped in the middle of nowhere near an office on a patch of dirt that acted as a car park. I asked why did he stop and all he could say was "to check tickets."

This made no sense to me and then I saw that the office contained two girls who were trying to sell all kinds of trips to all the passengers. Nothing to do with my bus ticket. After about half an hour the majority of the people on board were getting pretty p1ssed off, but two guys were lapping up all the attention of the girls trying to sell them trips.

Eventually enough of us started making it quite clear to the driver that we wanted to go to our hotels and he had to get moving.

I haven't taken a mini bus since. That was over 10 years ago.

[itchybum]

My liberty has been stolen a few times now.

One time a taxi from phuket to town, same thing as in OP, taxi stops at travel shop, I stay in taxi, person comes out to sell shit, I stay in taxi...eventually we go.

Another time in Bkk, taxi takes me to a different hotel, 2 hotels in fact before the one I asked to be taken to.

3rd time a tuk tuk told me 20baht to go to a place I needed to go, it was a long way, probably 100+ in a taxi. He said but we have to stop at a tailor on the way, you just come in for 2 minutes and say you not want anything and we go and I get 100b of petrol, he said can we do this twice...I said ok, no problem. I walked in and out twice, he got 200b in petrol, I got to my destination for 20b.

[bearpolar]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

Edited June 2, 2013 by bearpolar

[impulse]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

I'm a little confused by your post here.

Seems like 90% of the times I read about someone getting the crap beat out of them by Thai taxi drivers, Tuk-Tuk drivers or bar patrons, the picture shows a big burly guy that looks pretty aggressive and ill-tempered- just as you recommend. They seem to get sent to the hospital a lot more often than most tourists here.

Edited June 2, 2013 by impulse

[bearpolar]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

I'm a little confused by your post here.

Seems like 90% of the times I read about someone getting the crap beat out of them by Thai taxi drivers, Tuk-Tuk drivers or bar patrons, the picture shows a big burly guy that looks pretty aggressive and ill-tempered- just as you recommend. They seem to get sent to the hospital a lot more often than most tourists here.

There's a difference between someone who looks like a badass and someone wearing a sleeveless singha/chang shirt with a homemade haircut and a spotty face from not knowing how to shave.

Like im pretty sure if you had a real biker in a taxi they would never make him stop in a scam joint while if you had your average jetstar aussie wearing a chang shirt and tesco short they would probably stop at more than one location.

The difference with a biker or anyone who looks intimidating is they send a 'dont fk with me and i wont fk with you' vibe while the ill-tempered uneducated drunk just sends a "please scam me or make me get pissed off then you will have the regular thai amnesty for a beatdown"

Thailand = law of the jungle. I say act as a Gorilla and you'll be left alone. Thais are like lions. They're lazy, dominant, proud and they'll attack anything that is beatable but they stay away from their Gorilla's even if they might be able to take them(Most people would say a lion could take a gorilla but it rarely if ever happens because the lion isnt that dumb). They'll even attack nasty hyenas(that would be one of the guys you were talking about).

Edited June 3, 2013 by bearpolar

[eddie61]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

I'm a little confused by your post here.

Seems like 90% of the times I read about someone getting the crap beat out of them by Thai taxi drivers, Tuk-Tuk drivers or bar patrons, the picture shows a big burly guy that looks pretty aggressive and ill-tempered- just as you recommend. They seem to get sent to the hospital a lot more often than most tourists here.

There's a difference between someone who looks like a badass and someone wearing a sleeveless singha/chang shirt with a homemade haircut and a spotty face from not knowing how to shave.

Like im pretty sure if you had a real biker in a taxi they would never make him stop in a scam joint while if you had your average jetstar aussie wearing a chang shirt and tesco short they would probably stop at more than one location.

The difference with a biker or anyone who looks intimidating is they send a 'dont fk with me and i wont fk with you' vibe while the ill-tempered uneducated drunk just sends a "please scam me or make me get pissed off then you will have the regular thai amnesty for a beatdown"

Thailand = law of the jungle. I say act as a Gorilla and you'll be left alone. Thais are like lions. They're lazy, dominant, proud and they'll attack anything that is beatable but they stay away from their Gorilla's even if they might be able to take them(Most people would say a lion could take a gorilla but it rarely if ever happens because the lion isnt that dumb). They'll even attack nasty hyenas(that would be one of the guys you were talking about).

lions and gorillas dont share the same environment. I am pretty sure they would never meet in the wild. Now lions and buffaloes maybe....

[impulse]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

I'm a little confused by your post here.

Seems like 90% of the times I read about someone getting the crap beat out of them by Thai taxi drivers, Tuk-Tuk drivers or bar patrons, the picture shows a big burly guy that looks pretty aggressive and ill-tempered- just as you recommend. They seem to get sent to the hospital a lot more often than most tourists here.

There's a difference between someone who looks like a badass and someone wearing a sleeveless singha/chang shirt with a homemade haircut and a spotty face from not knowing how to shave.

Like im pretty sure if you had a real biker in a taxi they would never make him stop in a scam joint while if you had your average jetstar aussie wearing a chang shirt and tesco short they would probably stop at more than one location.

The difference with a biker or anyone who looks intimidating is they send a 'dont fk with me and i wont fk with you' vibe while the ill-tempered uneducated drunk just sends a "please scam me or make me get pissed off then you will have the regular thai amnesty for a beatdown"

Thailand = law of the jungle. I say act as a Gorilla and you'll be left alone. Thais are like lions. They're lazy, dominant, proud and they'll attack anything that is beatable but they stay away from their Gorilla's even if they might be able to take them(Most people would say a lion could take a gorilla but it rarely if ever happens because the lion isnt that dumb). They'll even attack nasty hyenas(that would be one of the guys you were talking about).

Seriously doubt that would have worked for the elderly lady in the story. And I seriously doubt that would work for the 95% of us that don't have the genetic makeup to pack on 200 lb of lean muscle, nor for those of us who try to portray positive examples of the countries we come from- in our dress and our demeanor.

Have your fantasy that you look too tough and mean to victimize. There's a 99.6% chance it won't do you any harm this year, so knock yourself out.

I'm a little too lazy to type it again, so I'll fall back on an old post of mine:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/593824-self-protection/page-4?hl=%2Bsheer+%2Bdumb+%2Bluck+%2Bstatistics#entry5794547

Oh, and FYI, I've managed to survive another 6 months of being wimpy without handing over a dime, running away from anyone or ending up in the hospital, just since that post. Still, I don't recommend being a wimp for everybody. Some of you tough guys just can't pull it off.

Edit: And if you think that looking broke will help, the lady in the story kind of gave that one away when she got off a flight in a foreign country and asked to be taken to a 5 Star Hotel.

Edited June 3, 2013 by impulse

[hawker9000]

That the Tourist Police Superintendent reacted the way he did to this incident should tell any prospective foreign visitor ALL they need to know about PHUKET! (...and should also set the apologists for the place back on their heels a bit.)

[dezeure]

Exactly, why would anyone, after a long flight, ask to be taken to a tour agency?

The very first time I came here, I got on a commuter bus with my girlfriend to go to Patong - probably about 400 baht in those days. It was late at night, I had a hotel waiting and the driver stopped in the middle of nowhere near an office on a patch of dirt that acted as a car park. I asked why did he stop and all he could say was "to check tickets."This made no sense to me and then I saw that the office contained two girls who were trying to sell all kinds of trips to all the passengers. Nothing to do with my bus ticket. After about half an hour the majority of the people on board were getting pretty p1ssed off, but two guys were lapping up all the attention of the girls trying to sell them trips.Eventually enough of us started making it quite clear to the driver that we wanted to go to our hotels and he had to get moving.I haven't taken a mini bus since. That was over 10 years ago.

This still happens today.. I live in phuket and i take the commuter bus and still they stop and sell trips... They asked me what hotel that I am staying in, and when I told them the guesthouse, they went like, "ooh solly sir but that one closed... It doesnt exist anymore" to which I replied " lets call the police right now since you are defaming my business. Its actually my own guesthouse but great how they try to cheat everyone. The land of cheats...

[oldsailor35]

A similiar thing happened to me and my wife a couple of years ago. We were taken to a jewellery shop without asking. The driver insisted we just look inside before he would take us to our destination. Apparently he got some 'cut' for delivering us. Then it was up to the staff to put the pressure on to buy. It was only when i became aggressive that we were allowed to move on.

[bearpolar]

You people probably have honest faces.

When i travel to tourist destinations in Thailand i make an effort to dress aggressively, not shave and to look angry. Most people who i should not have to deal with avoid me as they can see they have a 0% chance of winning a single baht.

Dont be scared to get in a fight with those touts and you WONT get into one. They'll just smell your alpha manliness and keep their distance.

It's a sad reality but thats how it works. Gotta act as if you were in a baltimore'sque ghetto

I'm a little confused by your post here.

Seems like 90% of the times I read about someone getting the crap beat out of them by Thai taxi drivers, Tuk-Tuk drivers or bar patrons, the picture shows a big burly guy that looks pretty aggressive and ill-tempered- just as you recommend. They seem to get sent to the hospital a lot more often than most tourists here.

There's a difference between someone who looks like a badass and someone wearing a sleeveless singha/chang shirt with a homemade haircut and a spotty face from not knowing how to shave.

Like im pretty sure if you had a real biker in a taxi they would never make him stop in a scam joint while if you had your average jetstar aussie wearing a chang shirt and tesco short they would probably stop at more than one location.

The difference with a biker or anyone who looks intimidating is they send a 'dont fk with me and i wont fk with you' vibe while the ill-tempered uneducated drunk just sends a "please scam me or make me get pissed off then you will have the regular thai amnesty for a beatdown"

Thailand = law of the jungle. I say act as a Gorilla and you'll be left alone. Thais are like lions. They're lazy, dominant, proud and they'll attack anything that is beatable but they stay away from their Gorilla's even if they might be able to take them(Most people would say a lion could take a gorilla but it rarely if ever happens because the lion isnt that dumb). They'll even attack nasty hyenas(that would be one of the guys you were talking about).

lions and gorillas dont share the same environment. I am pretty sure they would never meet in the wild. Now lions and buffaloes maybe....

We're not really supposed to share environments with thais are we?

[Jasminetea]

Happened to me on my first ever visit to Thailand (Bangkok) well over three decades ago, as follows:

- Clear passport, customs etc., after a very long flight, take Taxi from Don Muang, I gave the taxi driver a page of a tour magazine

with an advertisement for the hotel where I had a booking (this is well before the 50Baht scam).

- Taxi drives to the city area then into the compound of a jewelry factory / store. Gates slam closed behind up.

- Taxi driver motions that I go inside the store. The truth is that I have no interest whatever in jewelry for myself or for others.

Within a minute or so I am asked to sign a document, in Thai, and I refuse to sign.

- After maybe 10 minutes or less I go back to the taxi, but the taxi driver now feigning fear tells me (in English) that if I don't

buy something the shop will damage his taxi.

- I refuse to succumb and sit in the taxi, after another 10 minutes or so he drives out and takes me to my hotel.

- Taxi driver goes with me to the hotel reception and he asks the reception lady to get me to sign the earlier document.

- Reception lady scolds him and tells him to go and tears up the document.

- What was it - a voucher from the jewelry shop for him to get 100 ? baht of 'free' gasoline.

It is the fault of the airport authorities. They should make sure only registered taxis pick up tourists at the airport. Vey often, when there is a long queue for a taxi and the touts move in. An unseasoned traveller will get into trouble. There should be warning signs all over the arrival hall to warn tourists about the scams and this is something the airport authorities can easily do. Unfortunately it may be someone in power at the airport who gains from the touts.

[belg]

the scam just begins when you just leave the airport... taxi or tuk tuk scam, tourist agent scam, juwelry scam, beach scam, double pricing ...

good publicity for TAT again

[Wavefloater]

My liberty has been stolen a few times now.

One time a taxi from phuket to town, same thing as in OP, taxi stops at travel shop, I stay in taxi, person comes out to sell shit, I stay in taxi...eventually we go.

Another time in Bkk, taxi takes me to a different hotel, 2 hotels in fact before the one I asked to be taken to.

3rd time a tuk tuk told me 20baht to go to a place I needed to go, it was a long way, probably 100+ in a taxi. He said but we have to stop at a tailor on the way, you just come in for 2 minutes and say you not want anything and we go and I get 100b of petrol, he said can we do this twice...I said ok, no problem. I walked in and out twice, he got 200b in petrol, I got to my destination for 20b.

LOL There's nothing like a scammer being scammed by another scammer. I doubt if that tailor shop employed the services of that touting tuk tuk driver again.

[eezergood]

My liberty has been stolen a few times now.

One time a taxi from phuket to town, same thing as in OP, taxi stops at travel shop, I stay in taxi, person comes out to sell shit, I stay in taxi...eventually we go.

Another time in Bkk, taxi takes me to a different hotel, 2 hotels in fact before the one I asked to be taken to.

3rd time a tuk tuk told me 20baht to go to a place I needed to go, it was a long way, probably 100+ in a taxi. He said but we have to stop at a tailor on the way, you just come in for 2 minutes and say you not want anything and we go and I get 100b of petrol, he said can we do this twice...I said ok, no problem. I walked in and out twice, he got 200b in petrol, I got to my destination for 20b.

LOL There's nothing like a scammer being scammed by another scammer. I doubt if that tailor shop employed the services of that touting tuk tuk driver again.

Tomorrow evening I must collect a friend from the airport, last time I did this a taxi guy demamded THB200 for allowing me to do so. I got out my mobile to film the lot, he then left me alone!

[slipperx]

The response from the police show just why people don't bother trying to report to the police in Phuket. It will rarely bring any benefit and if you are being targeted by anyone involved with the mafia of whichever flavour police, lawyers, tuk tuks, jet skis, taxis you name it, then your case file will be either refused (unless you pay), lost (even if you paid in the first place) or worse still your story will be twisted to make you the one at fault and end up with you in the court as Defendant.

Since justice begins with the Police there is little hope unless the embassies start making a fuss - but they are so lilly livered and useless don't hold your breath.

[eezergood]

The response from the police show just why people don't bother trying to report to the police in Phuket. It will rarely bring any benefit and if you are being targeted by anyone involved with the mafia of whichever flavour police, lawyers, tuk tuks, jet skis, taxis you name it, then your case file will be either refused (unless you pay), lost (even if you paid in the first place) or worse still your story will be twisted to make you the one at fault and end up with you in the court as Defendant.

Since justice begins with the Police there is little hope unless the embassies start making a fuss - but they are so lilly livered and useless don't hold your breath.

Greed, greed & more greed

[Joe Mamma]

My first Thai trip 15 years back, they took the whole tour bus to the worlds biggest jewelry store for a free movie on ruby from Thailand.

It was an old dreadful movie but short and we had time to tour the jewelry store for gifts and the whole busload was paraded thru there.

Someone mentioned I was a jeweler and knew what prices were fair. I discouraged the whole lot not to buy the overpriced second grade goods and never buy ivory or coral.

And that is where I learned my first Thai cuss words too!