Thailand exposed as crime hub over MH370 stolen passports

[webfact]

Thailand exposed as crime hub over MH370 stolen passports
by Amelie Bottollier-Depois

BANGKOK, March 11, 2014 (AFP) - Thailand's role as a hub for criminal networks using false documents is in the spotlight after two unknown passengers on vanished flight MH370 used passports stolen in the kingdom, sparking fears of a terror attack.

Two European names were on the passenger list for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, which disappeared in the early hours of Saturday en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

But neither Christian Kozel, an Austrian, nor Luigi Maraldi from Italy, ever boarded the plane -- instead two mystery passengers used their passports, which had been stolen from the men in separate incidents in Thailand.

The revelation has triggered a terror probe by Malaysian authorities, who are working with other intelligence agencies including the FBI.

"Thailand has been used by some international terrorist groups as a zone of operation, to raise funds or to plan attacks," said Rommel Banlaoi, an analyst on terrorism in South-East Asia.

In 2010, two Pakistanis and a Thai woman were arrested in Thailand on suspicion of making false passports for Al-Qaeda linked groups, as part of an international operation linked to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai and the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

But Banlaoi stressed that the false passports used on the Malaysia flight "could also be linked to other criminal activities, like illegal immigration".

"Thailand is a destination for international crime organisations who use it to secure travel documents, financial documents," a Thai intelligence source told AFP.

"It's not just linked to terrorism but to other crimes. It's a complex network, connected to other networks."

The intricate web includes Thais and foreigners, passport thieves, counterfeiters, intermediaries and clients, he said.

Thai police have announced an investigation into a possible passport racket on the resort island of Phuket -- Maraldi's passport was stolen there in 2013 and Kozel's on a flight from Phuket to Bangkok, according to authorities in Vienna.

Flight information seen by AFP shows that two tickets in Kozel and Maraldi's names were issued in Pattaya, a beach resort south of Bangkok, on March 6, 2014, and were paid for in Thai baht.

So far little has emerged about the passengers who used the stolen passports to board the vanished flight, who have been identified by Malaysian airport video surveillance.

At a press conference late Monday, a Malaysian aviation official said authorities had confirmed that two people who boarded the flight with stolen passports were not of Asian appearance, as Malaysia's home minister had earlier said.

"It is confirmed now that they are not Asian looking males... The team of investigators have looked at the video footage (from airport CCTV)," Civil Aviation Department chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said, declining to give any other details on the men's appearance.

He said that security measures had been complied with, adding that there was the possibility of a criminal ring in operation.
"I have hereby to confirm that all security protocols have been complied with. But on another angle there is a possibility of... a stolen passport syndicate," he said.

- Police turn blind eye -

Geographically well-placed and with a major international airport, Thailand is best known for being a hub for drug and wildlife trafficking, including elephant ivory from Africa.

But it also supplies documents to illegal immigrants moving within or passing through the region.

The route of the two unknown MH370 passengers -- from Kuala Lumpur via Beijing then on to Europe -- was "a typical path," for illegal immigrants one diplomatic source told AFP, adding that a large proportion of passports stolen from tourists in Thailand were then used for illegal immigration.

"They (the passports) are genuine, so they find someone who looks like the owner, or they falsify the first page," the source said.

The ease with which police officials can be paid off also helped the industry to thrive.

"The police can turn a blind eye if you have the money," he added.

Under Thai law, anyone caught selling or "owning in order to sell" an illegal passport can be sent to prison for up to 20 years.

But entering Western countries with a stolen Western passport "is not easy," said Ahmed Salah Hashim, Associate Professor at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

He gives credence to the theory that terrorists may have targeted MH370, particularly since the two stolen passports were under Interpol surveillance.

Thailand does not check passports against Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database -- which has more than 40 million entries -- a senior Thai immigration police officer told AFP.

The international police organisation has urged countries to screen all passports "for the sake of innocent passengers".

"I sincerely hope that governments and airlines worldwide will learn from the tragedy of missing flight MH 370 and begin to screen all passengers' passports prior to allowing them to board flights," said Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble.

"Doing so will indeed take us a step closer to ensuring safer travel."


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-03-11

[webfact]

In Thailand, watch your passport
BY TERRENCE MCCOY

WASHINGTON: -- While nearly every aspect of this weekend’s disappearance of a Malaysian jetliner is surprising, one element is not. At least two of its 239 passengers had been traveling with stolen passports — and those documents had been lost in Thailand, home to what’s become one of the most robust stolen passport trades in the world.

Both Luigi Maraldi, a short-haired Italian, and a 30-year-old Austrian named Christian Kozel had been traveling through a southern province in Thailand called Phuket when their passports were lost — or stolen.

In 2012, Kozel’s went missing in Phuket, which juts out of Thailand’s main coast like a snaggletooth. And on July 22 of last year, someone took Maraldi’s after the Italian submitted his passport as collateral on a rented motorbike, by far the most used means of transportation in Southeast Asia.

Message boards from Lonely Planet to Thai Visa are clogged with accounts of stolen passports or ruminations on whether to leave their own at a bike shop. New Zealand, which sends thousands of tourists to Southeast Asia every year, warns its travelers to never leave their passports with a motorcycle rent shop — because no one knows where they could wind up.

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/03/10/in-thailand-watch-your-passport-2/

-- The Washington Post 2014-03-11

[webfact]

MISSING MH
Spotlight on Thailand's trade in forged passports
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The mysterious disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines plane and reports that two passengers used passports that tourists had lost while in Thailand - an Italian and an Austrian - has put a spotlight on the country's status as a haven of near-authentic passport forgery.

Fake passports could be used for human trafficking, terrorism, and transnational crimes such as drug or weapons trading, but it came as no surprise because Thailand is open to tourists from many countries. Once a passport goes missing, the affected tourist can apply for a new one easily at his or her embassy, a national-security source said.

"Criminal activity involving passports is relentless and the authorities are trying to crack down on them. It's noticeable that those using passports for terrorism mostly use passports issued from countries that have no embassy in Thailand - like former Soviet republics or small African countries - because it is difficult for the authorities to check back if there is no embassy for the individual in question," the source said.

The illegal activity here appears to involve whole or partial passport forgeries, as well as broke tourists selling or renting passports for money - typically about US$1,000-$2,000 (Bt32,000-Bt64,000).

"It's hard to check because the passports are sold or rented voluntarily by the holders, who then report their passports missing or stolen and apply for a new one," he said, adding that this selling or renting of passports was reported in Khao San Road in Bangkok.

Fake identity cards are also sold openly on this tourist strip.

Meanwhile, a source at the Immigration Police revealed that passport-forgery gangs that use Thailand as a production base often changed photos and inserted fake pages into authentic passports stolen elsewhere and sent here for forging. Forged passports are reportedly sold for Bt10,000-Bt20,000.

The other popular method is forging a whole passport using a laser printer, with such fakes selling for Bt3,000-Bt4,000 each, the source said.

These were hard to detect and required expertise to sport, as passports from various countries have different features.

Middle Eastern gangs, mostly based in Pattaya, often forged an entire passport and used them for people who look similar to photos in passports they get.

The source said Thailand was a hub for the production of forged passports, which are smuggled to other countries, as the passport components such as stickers and books were said to be good-quality forgeries.


-- The Nation 2014-03-11

[webfact]

FORGERY
Probe into stolen passports used by pair on missing jet
The Nation


Pattaya police show a photocopy of a passport belonging to an Italian national which went missing, at a local tour agency branch which processed online ticket booking that was used by one of the two passengers on a Malaysian Airlines flight that has gone

Tickets for two "fake" passengers on Malaysian flight allegedly issued in Pattaya

BANGKOK: -- Thai police have launched an investigation into the suspicious use of passports by two passengers on board the Malaysian Airlines flight that has gone missing, a senior policeman said yesterday.

Two unidentified passengers used passports belonging to other people, who have since revealed they did not board the ill-fated MH370 flight, said Pol Col Sahaschai Lojaya,a deputy commander of the foreign affairs division.

The investigation committee is made up of immigration police and the foreign affairs division. It is headed by deputy police chief Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit.

The panel has contacted Malaysian police to establish closer work relations and to help find out why and how the two passengers used passports reported stolen in Thailand.

News reports said two Europeans - Christian Kozel, an Austrian, and Luigi Maraldi of Italy - were on the passenger list for flight MH370, but neither man boarded the plane, officials said.

Both had passports stolen in Thailand over the past two years.

According to news.com.au website, the tickets booked in Maraldi and Kozel's names were printed out on March 6 and issued in Pattaya. The e-ticket numbers for their flights were consecutive and both were paid for in Thai baht. Each ticket cost $690.

"Kozel'' was booked to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on MH370, then on to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. "Maraldi'' was booked on the same flight until Amsterdam, where he was to continue to Copenhagen.

Pattaya police chief Pol Colonel Suphachai Phuikaewkham said the bookings were made online, initially through Grand Horizon Travel, which contacted Six Stars Travel, which later purchased the air tickets. This meant it was impossible to identify the people who made the bookings, or where they did this, as requests for the bookings were made online, the officer said.

National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr said a theory that both passengers were terrorists using stolen passports to board the flight had not been confirmed. He said that part of the burden on Thailand would be lifted if owners of the passports had reported them missing or stolen and had applied for new ones.

Asked whether the incident would lead to Thailand having a bad image as a haven for passport forgery, or terrorist activities, he said the Royal Thai Police and the Foreign Ministry would issue statements to clarify the situation.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul proposed the setting up of a database on missing or stolen passports for use by immigration police to arrest people using them at gates to enter or leave the country. He said the latest incident would not affect Thailand's image although the passports were used suspiciously by two passengers on the MH370 flight. Their tickets were bought in Thailand using Thai currency.

A police commander based in Surat Thani vowed to crack down on passport forgery in seven provinces in the upper South under his jurisdiction. Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen said he had set up a task force to seek out forgery rings. He said Thai immigration police were capable of detecting forged passports. They were trying to determine whether the latest forgeries had something to do with terrorist activity and if it may have involved conspirators based in Thailand and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, three Royal Thai Navy vessels and a maritime patrol aircraft were on standby off Songkhla to help with the ongoing search for survivors or possible wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane on further request, a senior Navy commander said yesterday.

They are HTMSs Tapi, Songkhla and Sattahip, docked at Songkhla naval base. A plane was also on standby there, Rear Admiral Chumphol Wongwakin said.

HTMS Pattani had sailed to the Malacca Strait with a helicopter and a maritime patrol aircraft, he said. The Thai Navy has been assigned a search area from Langkawi Island to Pangkor Island off Perak State of Malaysia.

Immigration Police said 2,475 passports were reported missing or stolen in Thailand last year. Russians reported the most, at 384, and Canadian nationals the lowest at 120.

In 2012, 1,924 passports were listed as missing or stolen, with United Kingdom residents reporting the largest number at 369 and Canadian nationals the smallest at 96.


-- The Nation 2014-03-11

[webfact]

MYSTERIOUS MISSING
One suspect who used stolen passport identified
The Nation/The Star
Asia News Network



BANGKOK: -- One of the two suspects who used stolen passports to board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight has been identified.

Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the man had been identified based on CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"I can confirm that he is not a Malaysian, but cannot divulge which country he is from yet," he said at Kajang police headquarters yesterday.

When asked if both suspects had immigration records showing entry into Malaysia, Khalid said police were in the midst of investigating the case.

"The man is not from Xinjiang, China," he said in reference to the autonomous region that is home to the Uighur, an ethic Muslim minority waging a deadly battle with Beijing.

Most of 293 passengers on flight MH370 are Chinese. Nearly 20 Uighur were secretly deported to China from Malaysia in 2011 and 2012, said New York-based Human Right Watch.

Malaysian authorities are sceptical of the unheralded Chinese Martyrs' Brigade claim that it was responsible for the missing aircraft.

"We do not have verification of a Chinese militant group claiming responsibility for the missing plane," Khalid said, adding that his personnel were investigating the case from all angles.

He said they had yet to classify the missing plane as being linked to terrorism.

"Let us investigate the matter thoroughly," he said, urging the public not to speculate further on the matter.

Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also doubts the claim by the Chinese group.

"There is no sound or credible grounds to justify their claims," Hishammuddin told reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.


-- The Nation 2014-03-11

[Thai at Heart]

Oh well.

Thailand covering itself in glory again. The reputation slips just a little more.

[Thaddeus]

There's that word hub again, well deserved this time.

[T_Dog]

How is that photograph related to the article? Stock photo?

[webfact]

How is that photograph related to the article? Stock photo?

I suggest that you contact the original source

/Admin

[Heng]

Also the hub of "tourists" so skint that they are ready to sell their passports to live here for another couple of days/weeks. Those passports are by no means all 'stolen.'

[JoeThePoster]

Just showing photocopies of the stolen passports is not enough. Someone needs to point at them for a proper investigation.

[StealthEnergiser]

How is this TAT a new slogan for your next promotion " hub of crime " and it is all because of corruption get a decent a decent government that takes harsh action on corruption but it will still take a long time to stop.

"UNSAVOURY CHARACTERS"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more than 60,000 passports - both Thai and foreign - were reported missing or stolen in Thailand between January 2012 and June 2013.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/10/us-malaysia-airlines-thailand-passports-idUSBREA290KD20140310

[whoisyourdaddy]

Most certainly not the best angle to be shown and known around the world.

The fact that both had stolen passports and tickets from the sane agent does put more concern of terror attack, but still where is the plane ? Or something to give any clue.

[chooka]

MYSTERIOUS MISSING

One suspect who used stolen passport identified

The Nation/The Star

Asia News Network

BANGKOK: -- One of the two suspects who used stolen passports to board the missing Malaysian Airlines flight has been identified.

Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the man had been identified based on CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"I can confirm that he is not a Malaysian, but cannot divulge which country he is from yet," he said at Kajang police headquarters yesterday.

When asked if both suspects had immigration records showing entry into Malaysia, Khalid said police were in the midst of investigating the case.

"The man is not from Xinjiang, China," he said in reference to the autonomous region that is home to the Uighur, an ethic Muslim minority waging a deadly battle with Beijing.

Most of 293 passengers on flight MH370 are Chinese. Nearly 20 Uighur were secretly deported to China from Malaysia in 2011 and 2012, said New York-based Human Right Watch.

Malaysian authorities are sceptical of the unheralded Chinese Martyrs' Brigade claim that it was responsible for the missing aircraft.

"We do not have verification of a Chinese militant group claiming responsibility for the missing plane," Khalid said, adding that his personnel were investigating the case from all angles.

He said they had yet to classify the missing plane as being linked to terrorism.

"Let us investigate the matter thoroughly," he said, urging the public not to speculate further on the matter.

Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also doubts the claim by the Chinese group.

"There is no sound or credible grounds to justify their claims," Hishammuddin told reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

-- The Nation 2014-03-11

Kuala Lumpur officials are preparing to release security footage of two people who boarded the doomed Malaysian Airlines plane using stolen passports.

When asked by a reporter what the pair looked like, civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said: "Do you know of a footballer by the name of (Mario) Balotelli? He is an Italian. Do you know how he looks like?"

The reporter then asked, "Is he black?" and the aviation chief replied, "Yes".

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2014/03/11/05/38/five-passengers-failed-to-board-missing-malaysia-airline-s-jet

[toonsai]

"Thailand has been used by some international terrorist groups as a zone of operation, to raise funds or to plan attacks," said Rommel Banlaoi, an analyst on terrorism in South-East Asia.

Surprised? Not at all... What are the root causes? Exactly the same and for the road accidents, the scams and other major problems that have been increasing in Thailand for the last decade:

No standard + No control + No safety + No authority + No implementation or respect of laws and regulations + widespread corruption = Total laxism and anarchy!

it does not mean that Thailand directly supports or funds Terrorism. Of course not. But indirectly because of laxism and corruption, the country has become a major playground for all kind of mafias and terrorists. Remember a few weeks ago, this story about fruits and veggies sold containing formalin? One seller was saying that is only concern was to increase profit!!! Somehow this is the same root cause. Here in Thailand, money can buy absolutely everything. There is absolutely no (more) moral and common sense. So, of course, it reaches a point where a total failed State leads to all kind of abuses and extremes; from road fatalities (Thailand rank 2nd in the World), food full of pesticides and chemicals (No law, no control), widespread tourist scams and the latest, Terrorism activities.

Actually I am very surprised that a major terrorist attack has not happened yet in Thailand. This country is such a failed State managed by a bunch of clowns.

Most probably just a matter of time...

We want to say "WAKE UP THAILAND", but after saying this for 10 years, there is no more hope.

[selftaopath]

As some of the world watches, Thailand keeps digging.

[clockman]

Police,Thinking hard. Now who can we blame???????????

[jollyman]

why oh why do the Thai police love to get onto the camera? what a farce

[mrtoad]

A well deserved and real Hub.

We should wait for a moronic TAT announcement related to this.

As for the plane, maybe a job for Chalerm.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[chooka]

"Thailand has been used by some international terrorist groups as a zone of operation, to raise funds or to plan attacks," said Rommel Banlaoi, an analyst on terrorism in South-East Asia.

Surprised? Not at all... What are the root causes? Exactly the same and for the road accidents, the scams and other major problems that have been increasing in Thailand for the last decade:

No standard + No control + No safety + No authority + No implementation or respect of laws and regulations + widespread corruption = Total laxism and anarchy!

it does not mean that Thailand directly supports or funds Terrorism. Of course not. But indirectly because of laxism and corruption, the country has become a major playground for all kind of mafias and terrorists. Remember a few weeks ago, this story about fruits and veggies sold containing formalin? One seller was saying that is only concern was to increase profit!!! Somehow this is the same root cause. Here in Thailand, money can buy absolutely everything. There is absolutely no (more) moral and common sense. So, of course, it reaches a point where a total failed State leads to all kind of abuses and extremes; from road fatalities (Thailand rank 2nd in the World), food full of pesticides and chemicals (No law, no control), widespread tourist scams and the latest, Terrorism activities.

Actually I am very surprised that a major terrorist attack has not happened yet in Thailand. This country is such a failed State managed by a bunch of clowns.

Most probably just a matter of time...

We want to say "WAKE UP THAILAND", but after saying this for 10 years, there is no more hope.

Listening to an interview on Melbourne radio with a security/counter terrorism expert. He was saying that Thailand produces some of the best forged documents in the world and they are not in the business of terrorism. Their biggest customers appears to be Iranians who want these document and stolen passports to immigrate to Europe, Australia and the U.S

[tezzainoz]

"Thailand has been used by some international terrorist groups as a zone of operation, to raise funds or to plan attacks," said Rommel Banlaoi, an analyst on terrorism in South-East Asia.

Surprised? Not at all... What are the root causes? Exactly the same and for the road accidents, the scams and other major problems that have been increasing in Thailand for the last decade:

No standard + No control + No safety + No authority + No implementation or respect of laws and regulations + widespread corruption = Total laxism and anarchy!

it does not mean that Thailand directly supports or funds Terrorism. Of course not. But indirectly because of laxism and corruption, the country has become a major playground for all kind of mafias and terrorists. Remember a few weeks ago, this story about fruits and veggies sold containing formalin? One seller was saying that is only concern was to increase profit!!! Somehow this is the same root cause. Here in Thailand, money can buy absolutely everything. There is absolutely no (more) moral and common sense. So, of course, it reaches a point where a total failed State leads to all kind of abuses and extremes; from road fatalities (Thailand rank 2nd in the World), food full of pesticides and chemicals (No law, no control), widespread tourist scams and the latest, Terrorism activities.

Actually I am very surprised that a major terrorist attack has not happened yet in Thailand. This country is such a failed State managed by a bunch of clowns.

Most probably just a matter of time...

We want to say "WAKE UP THAILAND", but after saying this for 10 years, there is no more hope.

come on be fair

this is all part of Taksin Democracy

every one has a right to do what he wants

The only real crime in Thailand is being caught

then if you say sorry to Buddha and some money for the police for their time

Its back to business again

[Chang_paarp]

But entering Western countries with a stolen Western passport "is not easy," said Ahmed Salah Hashim, Associate Professor at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

He gives credence to the theory that terrorists may have targeted MH370, particularly since the two stolen passports were under Interpol surveillance.

Thailand does not check passports against Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database -- which has more than 40 million entries -- a senior Thai immigration police officer told AFP.

The international police organisation has urged countries to screen all passports "for the sake of innocent passengers".

So Thailand does not even check passports against the Interpol list, great security. It appears they don't even check their own data base.

[moe666]

We are out in full force with nonsense slagging Thailand post over a worldwide issue of stolen passports.

[JRSoul]

But entering Western countries with a stolen Western passport "is not easy," said Ahmed Salah Hashim, Associate Professor at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

He gives credence to the theory that terrorists may have targeted MH370, particularly since the two stolen passports were under Interpol surveillance.

Thailand does not check passports against Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database -- which has more than 40 million entries -- a senior Thai immigration police officer told AFP.

The international police organisation has urged countries to screen all passports "for the sake of innocent passengers".

So Thailand does not even check passports against the Interpol list, great security. It appears they don't even check their own data base.

Having had my passport stolen, I can assure you that they do check against their own database. I was delayed at every Thai border crossing for at least a year afterwards.

[noitom]

Why didn't the Thai travel agent enter passport numbers in Interpol database at time of booking and why didn't South China Air before authorizing tickets? The Thai racketeering and human trafficking looks very exposed on this. The Thai criminal network and corruption is massive.

This time there was a major airline crash and dues have to be paid, stories have to reconcile. We'll see the Thais placing blame on the Malaysian, the Italians. We'll see the Thais blustering and puffing, twisting, squealing, and squirming. This MH370 incident confirms a very big security breach in Thailand. Very high risk for tourists.

[craigt3365]

We are out in full force with nonsense slagging Thailand post over a worldwide issue of stolen passports.

Probably because there's a reason to be critical of how Thailand handles this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTwdVLQFHfQ#t=0

[mrtoad]

Does Surapong deliver these passports? He has previous.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ramrod711]

"The police can turn a blind eye if you have the money," he added.

Shocking, can this possibly be true?

[toonsai]

We are out in full force with nonsense slagging Thailand post over a worldwide issue of stolen passports.

This is indeed a worldwide problem and Interpol database should be systematically integrated in all immigration gateways, starting by all airports.

Having said that, the FACT is that the stolen passports come from THAILAND and the tickets were purchased in THAILAND. So please do not try to dilute the issues in a Worldwide case, usual Thai style to escape the problem. This happened here in THAILAND for some good reasons that I highlighted in my post above. We all love THAILAND, no question about this, but it is highly time to open your eyes and see the VERY DEEP problems affecting the country and society here. Corruption and laxism cause major flaws and loopholes which - long term - are very dangerous. Thailand has enjoyed a very comfortable growth and continues to attract the World. But the foundations are all rotten and we only start to see the limits: daily crash of buses, boats sinking every week, scams at every corner, fast increasing rate of cancer due to veggies and fruits grown with pesticides and chemicals, no standard in buildings constructions and now international terrorism and so on and so on. We have examples in front of our eyes every single day. So ask yourself honestly why all this happen? You will find out that all these problems have the same root causes. An accumulation of negligence, laxism and corruption. So yes, plenty of countries have similar problems, but if you do not want THAILAND to continue to increasingly be on the front pages, then it is time to LOOK and ADDRESS the problems. Sweep in front of your door, do not divert and accuse the whole World for your own misery.

[edwinchester]

Also the hub of "tourists" so skint that they are ready to sell their passports to live here for another couple of days/weeks. Those passports are by no means all 'stolen.'

Are you saying the Italian and Austrian sold and then reported their passports stolen?

If so hopefully they aren't too skint as to want to raise some cash with a defamation case.