17,000 Saudis visit Thailand despite ban

[webfact]

17,000 Saudis visit Thailand despite ban
Travel restriction imposed following heist, murders
By Habib Toumi Bureau Chief

MANAMA: -- Up to 17,000 Saudis broke a travel ban and visited Thailand last year, a Saudi diplomat in the Thai capital Bangkok said.

“Only 90 of the 17,000 Saudis who were in the country last year registered their names with the embassy,” Abdul Elah Al Shuaibi, the charge d’affaires, said. “They visited the country despite the ban related to the pending cases between the two countries,” he said, quoted by local Arabic daily Al Sharq.

Saudi Arabia imposed the ban following the “blue diamond” affair of 1989 when a Thai national broke into the palace of a Saudi prince and stole close to 100kg of jewellery, including a fabulous blue diamond.

Soon afterwards, three Saudi diplomats in Bangkok were shot execution-style in two different attacks on the same night, and two days later, a Saudi businessman was killed.

According to Thai media, 77,782 Saudis visited Thailand in the year before the ban in 1989.

Al Shuaibi attributed the reluctance of the thousands of tourists who did not register with the embassy to “unfounded concerns that the diplomatic mission would report their names to Riyadh for breaking the ban”.

Full story: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/17-000-saudis-visit-thailand-despite-ban-1.1226524

-- gulfnews 2013-09-03

[FarangTalk]

The Blue Diamond Affair.

Of course you are reluctant to allow your citizens to visit a country that has proven it's dishonesty by robbing you of prized assets, returning fakes then assuring the crime is covered up and those associated with fencing the goods are murdered, along with their families.

It doesn't help that your diplomats are gunned down in broad daylight in central Bangkok.

It also doesn't help when influential persons are spotted wearing the jewelry at social functions, seemingly with absolute disregard and contempt.

I await with baited breath the "it could happen anywhere" nonsense from the apologists.

[bigbamboo]

I wonder how many were women?

[CelticBhoy]

That made 17,000 soi 3 damsels happy then.

[jamhar]

"17,000 Saudis visit Thailand despite ban"

Maybe its "because of ban".

judging from my experience on their behavior in the US

[jamhar]

That made 17,000 soi 3 damsels happy then.

Make that 100,000

[robertthebruce]

Wonder why they came here ???

[NongKhaiKid]

Wonder why they came here ???

I think it may be to do with the fact that they can do things here that would result in a flogging, or worse, at home.

[Tatsujin]

The Blue Diamond Affair.

Of course you are reluctant to allow your citizens to visit a country that has proven it's dishonesty by robbing you of prized assets, returning fakes then assuring the crime is covered up and those associated with fencing the goods are murdered, along with their families.

It doesn't help that your diplomats are gunned down in broad daylight in central Bangkok.

It also doesn't help when influential persons are spotted wearing the jewelry at social functions, seemingly with absolute disregard and contempt.

I await with baited breath the "it could happen anywhere" nonsense from the apologists.

There's no "seemingly" about it. The upper echelons here treat everyone except themselves with complete and utter contempt. Am still very surprised more hasn't happened about this from the Saudi side.

[Yunla]

Apparently the nerve gas used on Syrian children also came from Saudi Arabia. Etc.etc.etc. theres a lot of heavy duty crime coming from that place and while I agree with the "blue diamond" post above, I think you will find there are places in SA where you could experience all those crimes that you listed happening in Bangkok, with a cherry ontop.

But obviously, countries with strict religious laws and taboos, be they sex or gambling, you will always see a mass-exodus towards countries where those taboos are rightly laughed at. Because fundamentally people accept many of the social norms out of duty (usually to their ancestors or direct family) but don't agree with them and find them difficult to live by. You can also chart globally nations where people are allowed to express themselves (in whatever way) and map them with nations that are generally happier and healthier and less violent. Is interesting.

[ratcatcher]

Saudis making 17,000 damsels in Soi Nana happy......are u crazy and this comment is simply outrageous. Shows you have no clue about Saudis. They actually made more than 100,000 local gay boys working in the gay bars and also the ladyboys happy.PLus there has been some unexplained shocking deaths of sheep in certain upcountry farms!

Good point AA, can we assume the upcountry sheep are known as "baa" girls?

[Yunla]

They are going to fleece you.

[PhoenixRising]

It's not a serious ban or more Saudis would end up paying the penalty (if there even is one) after they arrive back home with their passports stamped 'Thailand.'

A large number of Saudis go to Thailand for medical treatment. They generally go as a family group. If the males were just looking for prostitutues, they can always go to Bahrain where the bizness caters to their specific cultural requirements.

[geriatrickid]

I wonder how many were women?

Judging from the conga line of niqab wearing bodies in the airport yesterday, I would expect there are women. The Gulf state visitors often visit as family blocs including mother, wives, maids and brats.

[noitom]

We know why they came.

[tominbkk]

Where else can they fill their bellies with pork and booze and ravage pretty girls of the night? Thailand!

[Naam]

Wonder why they came here ???

wonder why people ask stupid questions?

[laurentbkk]

You can see them in the same area ...Bumrungrad hospital , soi nana and around ...

[sungod]

Despite the ban, Saudi Airlines will offer you a ticket between Riyadh and Bangkok on their website, albeit the 2nd leg is a code share with Malaysian out of KL. Strange........................

[smoochy]

Half of the 17,000 were in Bumrungrad last week.

[sunshine51]

Saudis making 17,000 damsels in Soi Nana happy......are u crazy and this comment is simply outrageous. Shows you have no clue about Saudis. They actually made more than 100,000 local gay boys working in the gay bars and also the ladyboys happy.PLus there has been some unexplained shocking deaths of sheep in certain upcountry farms!

Good point AA, can we assume the upcountry sheep are known as "baa" girls?

Good one...I'm outta likes.

[sunshine51]

Back in the early 80's I stopped going to Nana Plaza because the Saudi population

there was greater than where I worked in Jeddah. Humorous that they all would

say they were from Greece or Spain or Turkey at the time. The rag heads were

exceptionally cruel to the working girls & boys mind you and word spread like

a flash fire about this....then came the revenge killings that would make the

Blue Diamond Affair seem like a small quiet argument 'tween friends. Dog

turds & dead Saudis had a commonality back then...they were all over the

place.

[lujanit]

Before anyone makes any more comments perhaps they should do a little read up about the case. Firstly no Thai 'broke into the palace', he worked there. Then the wife and sibling of the 'mastermind' were executed in a small soi not far from their home. The home of the Thai 'mastermind' still sits empty after all these years. Ghost issues? I know because I live very close by.

Succinctly a Thai stole from the Saudi, Thais tried to return the stolen goods however many of the goods were fake, Thai made counterfeits, several murders ensued, both Thai and Saudi, all unsolved. And you wonder why Saudi/Thai relationships are still strained?

[Sayonarax]

I doubt the Saudis who come here for the lovely booze and nightlife care.. anything to escape the clutches of the ultra nanny state.

[Psych01]

It's not a serious ban or more Saudis would end up paying the penalty (if there even is one) after they arrive back home with their passports stamped 'Thailand.'

A large number of Saudis go to Thailand for medical treatment. They generally go as a family group. If the males were just looking for prostitutues, they can always go to Bahrain where the bizness caters to their specific cultural requirements.

Been to Bahrain and seen it with my own eyes, the drinking, eating bacon/pork and the womanising. All things I believe they are not allowed to do in Saudi, hence they probably fly to LOS just for a difference from Bahrain.

[kennedy]

Wonder why they came here ???

wonder why people ask stupid questions?

It's not a stupid question. It's a loaded question.

If you don't know the difference. I have no time to explain.

[lee b]

Wonder why they came here ???

To visit MBK to do a bit of shopping of course !

[PhoenixRising]

It's not a serious ban or more Saudis would end up paying the penalty (if there even is one) after they arrive back home with their passports stamped 'Thailand.'

A large number of Saudis go to Thailand for medical treatment. They generally go as a family group. If the males were just looking for prostitutues, they can always go to Bahrain where the bizness caters to their specific cultural requirements.

Been to Bahrain and seen it with my own eyes, the drinking, eating bacon/pork and the womanising. All things I believe they are not allowed to do in Saudi, hence they probably fly to LOS just for a difference from Bahrain.

Oh, I've also seen them in Bahrain (drunk, loud and looking for porn). Bahrain is known to cater to their lusts for female companionship and eye candy of the voluptuous variety they so crave. If they are looking for something different, they usually head straight to Malaysia or Indonesia where their needs can be met better than in Thailand. Thailand is typically an afterthought to their original plans OR a thought of as medical treatment destination. I think most of them claim that as a 'reason' for going to Thailand once they return. In fact, most of the Gulf states pay for their citizens to receive medical care in Thailand as it's superior to their own and much cheaper. Their governments always cover their medical expenses in full!

[ozzibitch]

Posted Today, 03:04

robertthebruce, on 03 Sept 2013 - 01:25, said:

Wonder why they came here ???

wonder why people ask stupid questions?

Because some people have a sense of humour

[Dararasmi]

They don't come here for the women, that's for sure. With the Arab dudes, it's all about the ladyboys.