Stiff penalties for Phuket slow loris touts in wake of Rihanna Instagram

[webfact]

Stiff penalties for Phuket slow loris touts in wake of Rihanna Instagram
Phuket Gazette


Passakorn Janpakdee after his arrest. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- The changing faces of touts in Phuket exploiting the slow loris – a vulnerable and protected species – is a sign that the penalty for the crime is stiff enough, said Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Pratuang Polmana.

Police action and determination to re-apply pressure to the issue of animal touts in Phuket follows global celebrity Rihanna posting photos on Instagram of herself posing with a loris in Patong’s Soi Bangla.

“I think the penalty is strong enough because the touts’ faces keep changing – it is not always the same person being arrested, which means many of them are too scared to do it again,” Lt Col Pratuang said.

Though the slow loris is considered by many tourists a common sight on Soi Bangla, the touts caught with them claimed to have travelled to Bangkok to make their purchase.

“Most of those we have arrested for being in possession of a slow loris said they bought them at the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok,” Col Pratuang said.

The day after Rihanna posted the photo of herself with a slow loris, a multi-agency raid swept Patong, catching two touts with the creatures, explained Kathu District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol.

Passakorn Janpakdee, 20, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and a 16-year-old youth from Bangkok were charged for the possession of a protected species without a permit.

“The charge carries a penalty of up to 40,000 baht or up to four years imprisonment, or both,” Col Pratuang said.

“We will continue this crackdown on loris touts until this disgraceful business is totally eliminated from Phuket,” Tawatchai Srimai of the Patong Police said after the arrest.

To do this, however, stronger suppression measures are necessary, said Col Pratuang.

“We have to conduct daily raids,” he said. “Once they learn that we are taking serious action, they will stop it – eventually. And this is what our officers doing right now.”

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Stiff-penalties-for-Phuket-slow-loris-touts-in-wake-of-Rihanna-Instagram-22327.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-09-25

[hanno]

Let's see how long the police keep it up. And why is Chatuchak market not being raided?

[Scott]

The touts keep changing, but is it the same Loris?

[EyesWideOpen]

My wife is friends with a slow loris tout here in Pattaya. The tout pays money to the police each month to not

be arrested. Am pretty sure it is the same setup in Phuket. So for the police there to suddenly make a big deal

with a new " crack down" there after the Rihanna photo is just another example of Thai hypocrisy......

This same tout on occasion has also sold slow lorises to the Russian tourists....

[arthurboy]

“I think the penalty is strong enough because the touts’ faces keep changing – it is not always the same person being arrested, which means many of them are too scared to do it again,” Lt Col Pratuang said.

Utter nonsense. The reports states that the offenders can face up to four years in prison. If true, it's hardly a surprise that the tout's faces keep changing, is it Sherlock?

Or did you mean that if the touts do pay off the police, we let them move on to a different scam?

Oh, and by the way, Lt. Col. Plod, where do they get the animals from, who are the traffickers and what are you doing about the Mr. Bigs?

Blah, blah, blah...

Edited September 25, 2013 by arthurboy

[Johnnie99]

Let's see how long the police keep it up. And why is Chatuchak market not being raided?

FAR too close to home!

[Johnnie99]

Horse, bolted, door, lock, stable ...

Re-arrange these words and complete a meaningful sentence.

[CiaranO]

As normal the Thainess shines out here - refuse to see what the actual problem is - the police and enforcement. - corrupt officials and a blind eye being turned. Of course if Rihanna didnt tweet a thing or have a picture taken nothing would be done.

[Steele404]

Can we get Rihanna to take instagram photos with things we need cracking down? I got a whole bunch of list for her...

[Lite Beer]

Phuket police arrest third loris tout on Bangla Rd after Rihanna photo
Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: A third loris tout was arrested around 1am today (September 25) after police caught him on Bangla Rd – the latest in a series of arrests made by Phuket police in response to singer Rihanna photographing herself with one of the endangered animals on Friday.

Pichet Pimrat, 27, was caught with a loris when Pol Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpirai, of Kathu Police walked down Bangla Rd while on duty.

“He might have not noticed I was coming. He had one loris with him so we seized it, and we will later send it back to Khao Phra Taew Forest Preserve [in Thalang],” Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpirai said.

Pichet’s arrest this morning follows two arrests by officials – a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old – on Saturday night, after officials raided Patong’s Bangla Rd. They leapt into action in response to the photo Rihanna posted on Instagram of herself posing with a loris.

When asked if this latest arrest was part of the raids by police ordered by Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut after Rihanna’s photo made global headlines, Lt Col Pongpichan said, “No. Actually the police go out and patrol the area everyday.”

“I have told my police team to keep a strict eye out for this, but the loris is a small animal. The touts keep the animal in their bag, and on Soi Bangla, there are hundreds of tourists who carry bags and cameras. It is quite hard for us to notice.”

Yesterday, International Animal Rescue Chief Executive Officer Alan Knight told The Phuket News that he was “upset that Rihanna doesn’t know better”.

“I would love to take her around our [slow loris rescue] centre in Indonesia and show her the pain these poor creatures are forced to endure for a few people’s so called pleasure,” he said.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-police-arrest-third-loris-tout-on-bangla-rd-after-rihanna-photo-42079.php

-- Phuket News 2013-09-25

[steelepulse]

What's funny is another news site ( can't link to here PW) in Phuket was also out last night and saw 7 loris and 8 iguana, so police aren't really doing much more than what we knew they would do, create window dressing while the heat is on them to do something.

[paulyd2k]

there`s an elderly guy who hangs around just up from central second road end, he got one and its covered up most of the time, cruel bastard,

[CiaranO]

The police dont give a sh*t - because they are corrupt and incompetent. The police are in these guys back pockets so why on earth would they arrest them - they are being paid to stay away. Also the ones that are arrested are clearly there for show and probably out with no fine within hours.

[dictater]

Is there ever any good news coming from either Phuket or Pattaya? Everyday its murders and people "falling from balconies" and lady boys chopping up middle easterns and feeding them to trained cockatoos. Where is the fun in these places? I have live in here for ten years and Phuket and pattaya are the only two places I haven't been and its mostly cause I read this forum and think why would I go there and get robbed and stabbed and assaulted by dim witted motorcycle gangs packs of viscous foreign hooligans. There must be something good about these places but what?

[Valentine]

As much as I feel for these beautiful creatures I am incredulous "the police leapt into action" & managed to arrest two young guys who are probably controlled by others. Until the police arrest & prosecute without fear or favour those higher up the food chain they will continue to be ridiculed & despised. Also why don't they leap into action & go arrest all those walking time bombs running around with home made or even proper guns amongst a multitude of other criminals like the deadly mini bus drivers who dangerously tailgate all day everyday but that deserves a whole new topic.

[Benmart]

As much as I feel for these beautiful creatures I am incredulous "the police leapt into action" & managed to arrest two young guys who are probably controlled by others. Until the police arrest & prosecute without fear or favour those higher up the food chain they will continue to be ridiculed & despised. Also why don't they leap into action & go arrest all those walking time bombs running around with home made or even proper guns amongst a multitude of other criminals like the deadly mini bus drivers who dangerously tailgate all day everyday but that deserves a whole new topic.

Most likely because these poor creatures (Slow Loris) have such pitiful looking eyes that just seem to beg for rescue. The larger and more urgent issues such as road safety, crime suppression, corruption, etc. doesn't have the same "look" if you will.

I believe that the only thing that will cause significant changes in how business is conducted in the LOS, is when tourism and foreign investment gets its fill and finds a friendlier, safer climate in nearby countries.

[mancub]

My wife is friends with a slow loris tout here in Pattaya. The tout pays money to the police each month to not

be arrested. Am pretty sure it is the same setup in Phuket. So for the police there to suddenly make a big deal

with a new " crack down" there after the Rihanna photo is just another example of Thai hypocrisy......

This same tout on occasion has also sold slow lorises to the Russian tourists....

Would that then make it a slow boris ?

Russian tourists actually buy them .....can they take them as hand luggage on Aeroflot .....!

[FDog]

If only she had caught a taxi to get to a tuk tuk to get to a jet ski.

[NomadJoe]

It looks like they may have finally stopped this practice. I have not seen a loris for a while now. Anyone seen them in Phuket lately?

[KarenBravo]

Apparently, they are only active during the day.

[Chainsaw]

Apparently, they are only active during the day.

Not true. I've seen the BiB out after dark occasionally.