Foreigner caught posing as deaf person for 'donations' arrested by Phuket Tourist Police [VIDEO]

[webfact]

Foreigner caught posing as deaf person for 'donations' arrested by Phuket Tourist Police
Claire Connell

PHUKET:-- At least one foreigner was arrested tonight (February 16) after a Tourist Police raid at Central Festival after reports the foreigner was posing as a deaf person and soliciting “donations”.

It follows photo and video evidence of foreigners doing the same thing in Patong and Kata in December, after local expats snapped the footage and sent it to The Phuket News. One female foreigner was doing it at Swensens at Kata Beach, while a male foreigner was at a bar/restaurant on Patong Beach.

The Phuket News was sent video footage (view the video here) by a reader last night of a foreigner inside a restaurant at Central Festival, dropping small cards on the restaurant tables saying he was deaf and asking customers to buy Angry Birds keychains for B100 – or to make a donation. A few minutes later he walked back collecting the keychains, cards and any donations. Not long after, a Phuket News reporter saw the same man inside Pizza Company in the shopping mall, doing the same thing.

When alerted to the video footage, Pol Maj Urumporn Koondejsumrit, an inspector with the Tourist Police, told The Phuket News he planned to send a team down to Central Festival tonight to investigate.

During the raid, at least one foreigner was spotted and followed by a security guard, and was arrested by the Tourist Police officers outside Swensens at 6.30pm tonight. No other details were available.

Earlier today, Central Festival issued a statement quoting Vice President Property Management & General Manager, Wilaiporn Pitimanaaree.

“No one is allowed to distribute, offer for sale of products and services anywhere on the premises without prior notice and approval from Central Festival Phuket (CFP) management," Ms Wilaiporn said.

"The individuals concerned did not request permission and were not authorized by CFP to operate at the mall. We have taken steps to immediately stamp out any further incidents of this nature. We have tightened security and placed notices around the mall.

"All tenants are being advised on how to deal with anyone caught soliciting donations, and we will collect evidence of any offenders so details can be handed over to local police if necessary. We ask that anyone who encounters such a situation while visiting Central Festival Phuket inform security immediately.”

Thai law states that if the foreigners are collecting funds on behalf of a charity, the charity must be a licensed Thai foundation and the foreigner must have a work permit. If they are not with a registered Thai charity then they are begging, which is illegal.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/foreigner-caught-posing-as-deaf-person-for-donations-arrested-by-phuket-tourist-police-video-44638.php


-- Phuket News 2014-02-17

[MAJIC]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

[Red Snake]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

You should learn the immigration laws.

[petedk]

There is a foreigner on Ratchada doing exactly the same. He places a little toy on every table in the restaurants together with a note explaining that he is deaf and asksfor a donation.

I have seen him several timesand the staff in the restaurants never say anything to him.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Somtamnication]

1 down, 100 more to go..

[ezzra]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

Judging by the number of contributions you have made to this forum, by now, it should have

been crystal to you and to many of us that this is Thailand, and that what the Thais can do

or can get away with, we, as foreigners can't do, as Kipling said it best:

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

[AlphMichaels]

I'm always tempted to sneak up behind one of them and scream as loud as I possibly can. Merely to test their hearing, of course.

[FireMedic]

Doesn't necessarily say the one arrested was the one in the video......Usually there are a hundred photos with pointers.

[harrycallahan]

For completeness I would like to have read some detail about how his alleged disability was found to be faked.

[aveabeeror2]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

Stupidest comment sofar this year.

[aveabeeror2]

For completeness I would like to have read some detail about how his alleged disability was found to be faked.

Quite possiblly , not sure thought, when the cops spoke to him, he answered verbally. But then again, he may have used sign language.

[Kayahammer]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

Yes - it's their playground, they can do what they want.

[GeorgeO]

For completeness I would like to have read some detail about how his alleged disability was found to be faked.

... they asked him: "can you hear me?", to which he replied "no, not a word...!"

[belg]

i hated this when they did this in my home country, and now this crap is comming here

they even give to kids and off course they think it is free

why do restaurants & others allow these ?

where is a good thai mob when you need one ? beggers is a job for thai only !

5555

[Manbing]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

Judging by the number of contributions you have made to this forum, by now, it should have

been crystal to you and to many of us that this is Thailand, and that what the Thais can do

or can get away with, we, as foreigners can't do, as Kipling said it best:

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

I am amazed by all the 'I am Amazed' quotes that occur in these forums.

'OMG Thailand is so xenophobic'

'One rule for them another for us'

'Double charging standards'

'Thai's operate many scams'

'Unfair treatment of farang'

'BIB are after a bribe'

Can we assume this point has been made and move on?

[JohnC]

Funny had exactly the same scenario on Dongtan beach in Jomtien couple if weeks ago! Wonder if it's the same guy who moved on for richer pickings!

[chooka]

All that video proves is that Thais actually dine out.

[rickirs]

i hated this when they did this in my home country, and now this crap is comming here

they even give to kids and off course they think it is free

why do restaurants & others allow these ?

where is a good thai mob when you need one ? beggers is a job for thai only !

5555

Actually when an unsolicited item is placed on someone's table it is in effect "free." More so when the solicitor has no permission by the business owner to conduct business on the premise and given that begging is illegal in Thailand. I would like to see a solicitor complain when a patron leaves with the item without leaving a "donation."

[Blindside]

Everyone to a man was railing against this type of thing, now they have arrested someone.

Personally, I am very happy about it. All this uhmming an ahhing from some quarters is total <deleted>!

[robblok]

So what that Thais are treated different.. not always but sometimes sure.. The guy was a scammer he was caught.. that is one less of them. Same like corrupt politicians.. people are always saying its political start with the others first (ect ect).. I say no.. they are criminals and any one caught is one less and sends a message.

It beats the alternative from allowing it all.

[stoli]

For completeness I would like to have read some detail about how his alleged disability was found to be faked.

My thought also. Not that it matters, but they said they arrested him working without a work permit, which of course means he was violating the law, but they never did say he was not deaf. I would like to know if he was was really deaf or just scamming people, since that seemed to be a big part of the puzzle.

[Khon Thai Ben Khon Dee]

Scum.

Just like the fake Thai monks going around with their hand out for cash.

And just like the blind man I saw on Soi Rang Nam in Bangkok who led by his wife with his music box and micro phone, got to the end of the street, turn right and then walked to his tuk tuk where he got in, did a u-turn and was off.

I have since never given a Thai a donation. If asked I say that I am poor, but there are many rich Thais around so they should ask them for help because they are rich buddhist Thais with good hearts.

I think the term in my case is 'the straw that broke the camel's back'.

[hansgruber]

Beats selling drugs/timeshare to stay in Thailand.

[IrishIvan]

Beats selling drugs/timeshare to stay in Thailand.

Its actually probably more legal to act deaf in Thailand and beg for money, than to sell real estate too

Edited February 17, 2014 by IrishIvan

[kerrysum]

Never put eggs in one basket,

Or maybe you look like baby chick.....

That will never hatch....

How you get to Thailand on Visa?

Without big check in bank?

Or maybe wise proverb.....

Only in Phuket......

[RigPig]

He was just "begging" for a holiday in Phuket

[Qemal]

I was eating out in Phuket last week and this guy came past and left a key ring on my table. And a little card staying his deaf and we could buy the key ring for 100 as a small donation to help out. I just ignored him but a couple of tables bought it from him. He was in and out in 2 mins and made 200 baht. If his doing that in 10 restaurants an hour that's more then I get paid hourly!

I've got no time for foreigners begging outside of their home country!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[skorchio]

I think he should be given a beating until his hearing improves

[IrishIvan]

I was eating out in Phuket last week and this guy came past and left a key ring on my table. And a little card staying his deaf and we could buy the key ring for 100 as a small donation to help out. I just ignored him but a couple of tables bought it from him. He was in and out in 2 mins and made 200 baht. If his doing that in 10 restaurants an hour that's more then I get paid hourly!

I've got no time for foreigners begging outside of their home country!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

everyone knows that begging is a racket, but it is hard work and you would have to humiliate yourself day in and day out for that money. Plus risk media exposure and arrest. Not what I would call an easy buck

[DGIE]

Fair enough! one Foreigner has been caught cheating and got arrested. So when Thais do the same thing it's perfectly acceptable to cheat?

Double standards and double entrance fees,and now cheating is reserved for Thais only.?

Do you mean, if Thais can do, why don't we?

So, what that foreigner did is acceptable to you?

Edited February 17, 2014 by DGIE