Police | Help up at Nana Intersection

[smileplur]

This incident took place last Friday night. I have been thinking about it since, so I thought I would ask the thoughts of the members of this forum regarding my experience.

I had been ill for the majority of the day. However, I was feeling better in the evening. I had a few bills to pay and no money in my pocket. I needed an ATM. Thanks to the fun that is True Visions, I haven’t been able to pay my bill by ATM this month despite many attempts. They told me they would email me a bill. It never happened. They told me to use new codes. They didn’t work. This went on and on.

Feeling better, I wanted a few tacos. So, I had a plan. I was going to go to an ATM machine to pay my bills and get some cash. I got the cash, but the ATM failed to allow me to pay. I set out on my motorbike to a second ATM (Krung Sri). That didn’t work. I kept driving beyond my destination of El Diablo’s on Soi 22 to try a different machine. I told myself I wouldn’t go beyond the expressway. I can loop back to Rama IV very easily on the road that is parallel to it.

I spotted one last Krung Sri ATM on my journey before I was to give up. It was at the intersection of Soi 3 and Sukhumvit. I was heading in the wrong direction, on the wrong side of the road. So, I parked at the gas station. I quickly realized that traffic was pretty heavy. I should use the crosswalk. So, I headed across Soi 4 to the Police Box. I crossed Sukhumvit. Then, I crossed Soi 3 to reach the ATM. I used it. I failed. I gave up. I had money in my pocket, so I was at least going to get my tacos!

I ran inside the building (the one with Carl’s Jr.) and asked the guard where the toilet was. I really had to pee. I made my way there and took care of business. I then trekked back to the entrance. Again, there was heavy traffic, so I decided to follow the crosswalks. I went down the stairs to cross Soi 3 again. At the bottom of the stairs were a few police officers. They said ‘hello’ to me and I returned a simple ‘hello’ before crossing the intersection. I had to wait a while for the light to change to cross Sukhumvit.

Eventually, I made it to the Police Box. I was there in front of it waiting for the light to change to cross when these same cops pulled up in front of me. Again, I was greeted with a ‘hello’ but it was pretty damn stern if you ask me. The light changed, and I tried to walk. I thought they were doing some police business that had to do with the box. In fact, it was me they were targeting.

Let me say that I have been stopped a few times before near the Asoke area, but in all of my years, I have never been stopped near Nana. Okay, I ask what they want. They said I looked ‘mao’. I interpreted that to mean drunk. Naturally, I laughed, as I hadn’t had a drop. Then, a new officer appeared behind me and stripped my hat off of my head. He proceeded to search the lining of it. Of course, I protested … He didn’t stop. The officer who said ‘hello’ demanded my passport. I don’t carry it with me. I carry my driving license. I have two, one for a motorcycle and one for a car. My keys have a motorbike key and car key on them. He inspected them carefully and instructed another guy to search me.

Again, I protested and physically pulled their hands out of my pockets. I agreed that I would produce the contents of my pockets, but they were not to put their hands in them again. I pulled everything out and handed it over. The 4 officers around me went through everything meticulously. I held my phone in my hand. The officer directly in front of me began his interrogation. It went something like this:

Officer: Where you go?

Me: I am going to eat.

Officer: Where you eat?

Me: Mexican restaurant

Officer: Arai?

Me: Farang food

Officer: Where your passport?

Me: In my car at home?

Officer: Where home?

Me: Sukhumvit

Officer: You know black man?

Me: Yes, I know a few

Officer: You help me and call black man

Me: Okay, but I think he is working now. Which one do you want me to call?

Officer: I speak fair you. Why you not fair me? You go hospital!

Me: I am not going to any hospital. I am going to eat and go home. Can I have my things please?

Officer: I fair you. You not fair me. I take you pee hospital.

Me: Oh, it is about drugs. I can’t help you with that. I am not going to any hospital. I can pee here. Thong Lor can do it on the street. You can too.

Officer: (cuffs in his hand) We go now.

Me: No, we don’t. I pee here or not pee.

At this time a middle-eastern man approached with a business card. He said he was lost and asked the police for directions to his hotel. They couldn’t help him. I gave him directions. For a while, he stood there and just watched the rest.

Officer: You live in Thailand

Me: Yes

Officer: You have Thai lady

Me: Yes … a baby as well

Officer: You call lady

I called my wife. She wasn’t happy to have to speak to the police. They handed me back the phone.

Officer: You no good. You no fair me. You no help me.

Me: I am sorry. I can’t help you.

At this point, they handed me back my belongings. They searched my hat one more time. They said I was free to go.

The wife maintains that they wanted payment. I have been hit up for money before, but not in front of the entire world like that. I was in front of the police box on Soi 4.

At the end, I had my tacos and went home.

What do you make of this?

[Kilgore Trout]

The fact that Im not surprised says a lot about the so called police here

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Psych01]

Falls in quite nicely with the 2 Italian tourists that were accused of having fake ATM cards, and held to ransom for 2 million Baht in Nana. It was on TV earlier. Lucky no to have gone with them.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Psych01

[rgs2001uk]

They said ‘hello’ to me and I returned a simple ‘hello’

Mistake #1,

Eventually, I made it to the Police Box. I was there in front of it waiting for the light to change to cross when these same cops pulled up in front of me. Again, I was greeted with a ‘hello’ but it was pretty dam_n stern if you ask me.

You need to be like Johnny Walker, keep walking.

I learned a long time ago in the cesspit that is lower Suk, acknowledge no one, tailors touts keep walking, masage men keep walking, hookers and ladyboys keep walking, hamsum man ladies and mr lucky man scammers, keep walking.

If you can speak a language other than English speak it, usually in that part of town I just say, niet tovarich and keep walking.

[jollyposty]

IMHO maybe some crime has been committed and all the numb nuts have been told look for a farang (maybe look like you) who is mao not sticking up for them just saying.. at least you had your tacos and not a bowl of left over rice..

mao

[tingtongfarang]

I think your wife was correct

[waza]

Sound like the RTP are getting more blatant with their rip off or more desperate.

[vtjforyou]

Thank you in the name of all of us who have to deal with monkeys to stand on your ground . Never accept their BS and show them that you are the law because you have money, not them and their ridiculous low life !

[ccarbaugh]

A similar situation happened to me at the police box in front of the Ekamai Bus Station. After not finding any way to extort money from me, they reluctantly let me be on my way.

[JaiLai]

If you're here legally and got nothing to hide there is no need to put up with any of this BS from these scumbags.

I'd have answered there first question with " none of your business"

[kblaze]

glad to hear you got off ok!

...theres a carls jr near nana? im confused...

[Choonpon]

They must be very hard up for money... nasty and dirty..

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Stradavarius37]

Same shit different day - move along, move along

[Somchai Mao]

If the police want to make trouble for you they can, no matter how despicable most of them are. I'd guess they suspected you of dealing based on their interest in your hat, insistence on going to the hospital for a pee. Maybe they had spotted you walking around seemingly in a random fashion. Respect to you for resisting their search attempts, not sure if I'd have had the bottle to go that far. Don't forget that Thai and western police are polar opposites in their motivations.

[Bung]

When asked if you knew any black men you said yes, a few.

Big mistake.

[HoudiniXLogic]

Respect to that. I would've done the same thing.

I remember walking down Sukhumvit (between soi 12 and 8) with a few friends of mine, and there was a cop check and they were checking everybody (including a couple hookers who they looked into handbags). When they checked me and my friends, thy just searched my pockets and cigarette packets. Good thing I had a couple of Thai friends with me, and even though they were searched also, they kept just spouting off random funny stuff, during the pad down the cop had his hand over my buddies crotch, and my buddy said "P' rawang na krub, deaw Phom arom keun." (P' be careful, I might get an erection). When they were done, I asked them if they wanted to search my shoes and sock, and their faces turned into disgust at the prospect of having to search the stinking and rancid shoes of 5 sweaty skateboarders. After they they just shoo'd us off.

Try making them search your shoe, not many will risk their face value for that.

[brewsterbudgen]

I suppose one could be charitable and say that they are doing their job in trying to reduce the drug problem in the Nana area, which undoubtedly is a problem. Sukhumvit soi 22 used to, and may still be, notorious for these types of stop & searches. I believe the New York police use similar tactics which are also very controversial.

Unfortunately in a poorly paid police force like Thailand's, corruption and rogue police officers are alway going to be a problem. I think the OP handled the situation very well.