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Unwarranted Pee Test

banagan

By banagan
in Chiang Mai

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banagan Advanced Member

banagan

Posted
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I was just knocking about the Bangkok section and read a post about an expat chap who was stopped on the street by 2 cops, for no reason, and then made go to a nearby traffic booth, and pee in a cup, while they watched... <deleted>

Ok, and the weird thing was, the replies didn't even think it was that crazy.

First off, I'm not a lawyer, but this has to be illegal... I mean, I know we ain't in Kansas here, but we must have some sort of rights?

If this is true, which I'm not even sure if it is, does this sort of thing go on here in Chiang Mai.

About 2 years ago, a buddy of mine was in a club in Bangkok, and got a tip off that the cops were about to raid, taking piss samples... While I think this is outragous, it's not as bad as just grabbing someone randomly on the street... and I don't know the details, the original story could be bull$hit... who knows.

I do believe my buddy about the club though.

One helpful piece of advice from the Bangkok forum was to always carry a business card for a Thai lawyer.

This would probably have a kryptonyte effect on a lazy cop, who knows he's breaking the law.

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Tywais Star Member

Tywais

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Thai police occasionally raid discos, bars, or nightclubs looking for underage patrons and drug users. During the raids, they typically check the IDs of all customers in the establishment, and then make each person provide a urine sample to be checked for narcotics. Foreigners are not excused from these checks, and anyone whose urine tests positive for drugs is arrested and charged. Although someThai civil libertarians have questioned the constitutionality of these forced urine tests, the Embassy is unaware of any successful challenge to the practice, and customers can be jailed if they do not cooperate.

Source - Thaipulse

From 2012 - Immigration Conduct Random 'Surprise' Drug Tests Of Foreigners On Sukhumvit Soi 3

This from 2004 - Police burst into the dark nightclub after midnight, weave through the crowd and lock the doors, trapping nearly 400 bewildered customers inside. The lights flicker on and a voice over loudspeakers orders everyone to submit to urine tests for drugs. It’s part of a three-year-old “social order” campaign to curb drug abuse that has cast a damper over Saturday night partying in Bangkok.

nbcnews

And lots more reports like above around in the media.

Not heard of 'street testing' in Chiang Mai myself.

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northernjohn Ruby Member

northernjohn

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Thai police occasionally raid discos, bars, or nightclubs looking for underage patrons and drug users. During the raids, they typically check the IDs of all customers in the establishment, and then make each person provide a urine sample to be checked for narcotics. Foreigners are not excused from these checks, and anyone whose urine tests positive for drugs is arrested and charged. Although someThai civil libertarians have questioned the constitutionality of these forced urine tests, the Embassy is unaware of any successful challenge to the practice, and customers can be jailed if they do not cooperate.

Source - Thaipulse

From 2012 - Immigration Conduct Random 'Surprise' Drug Tests Of Foreigners On Sukhumvit Soi 3

This from 2004 - Police burst into the dark nightclub after midnight, weave through the crowd and lock the doors, trapping nearly 400 bewildered customers inside. The lights flicker on and a voice over loudspeakers orders everyone to submit to urine tests for drugs. It’s part of a three-year-old “social order” campaign to curb drug abuse that has cast a damper over Saturday night partying in Bangkok.

nbcnews

And lots more reports like above around in the media.

Not heard of 'street testing' in Chiang Mai myself.

2004 wasn't that when Thaksin was having a war on drugs?

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northernjohn Ruby Member

northernjohn

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That's the one. I go to the Bangkok forum as I'll be going there soon. Want to find a good place for live music... and this is what I find.

first time I ever heard of it.

You are best to stay here in Chiang Mai.

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banagan Advanced Member

banagan

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That's the one. I go to the Bangkok forum as I'll be going there soon. Want to find a good place for live music... and this is what I find.

first time I ever heard of it.

You are best to stay here in Chiang Mai.

I'm sure it's pretty isolated, and I don't do drugs anyway. I'm just a bit pi$$ed off and appaled that this goes on and is allowed to go on.

I've been to Bangkok a few times, and while I do prefer Chiang Mai, I still had a good time there.

Anyway, another thing to be mindful of.

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Tywais Star Member

Tywais

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Thai police occasionally raid discos, bars, or nightclubs looking for underage patrons and drug users. During the raids, they typically check the IDs of all customers in the establishment, and then make each person provide a urine sample to be checked for narcotics. Foreigners are not excused from these checks, and anyone whose urine tests positive for drugs is arrested and charged. Although someThai civil libertarians have questioned the constitutionality of these forced urine tests, the Embassy is unaware of any successful challenge to the practice, and customers can be jailed if they do not cooperate.

Source - Thaipulse

From 2012 - Immigration Conduct Random 'Surprise' Drug Tests Of Foreigners On Sukhumvit Soi 3

This from 2004 - Police burst into the dark nightclub after midnight, weave through the crowd and lock the doors, trapping nearly 400 bewildered customers inside. The lights flicker on and a voice over loudspeakers orders everyone to submit to urine tests for drugs. It’s part of a three-year-old “social order” campaign to curb drug abuse that has cast a damper over Saturday night partying in Bangkok.

nbcnews

And lots more reports like above around in the media.

Not heard of 'street testing' in Chiang Mai myself.

2004 wasn't that when Thaksin was having a war on drugs?

It started in 2001 and the article stated it was going on for 3 years thus the 2004 date.

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sabaijai Diamond Member

sabaijai

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In Bangkok before the coup the Thonglor police were notorious for pulling farangs from taxis, searching them, and on rare occasion, forcing them to take urine tests. I personally know at least three people that the latter has happened to in Bangkok.

As far as I know it never happens west of Asoke (which is where the Thonglor police jurisdiction ends) or east of whichever soi begins Phrakhanong. The worst spots appear to be along Asoke Rd south of Sukhumvit, along Sukhumvit Soi 23, and around the Ekamai Bus Station.

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Loaded Platinum Member

Loaded

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Happened to me in Bubbles back around 2001. People were allowed to pee in old plastic cups unsupervised in the toilets. I saw guys peeing in their mate's cup, I guess because the one peeing was clean. I also saw someone run water from a tap into his cup; he passed as well. My mate was carrying lots of weed and was very stoned when they arrived. He asked me what he should do, I said dump it, he did just at my feet. I managed to walk away and hid behind some ladyboys.

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NancyL Ruby Member

NancyL

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During the brief period that they allowed foreigners to enroll in the Thai gov't health insurance scheme, I went thru the process at Nakorn Ping hospital and was amazed at the lack of control with the pee tests there. I thought one purpose of the testing was to screen for illegal drugs. Not to much chance of the elderly foreigners applying for insurance failing that test, but the same procedures were being used for the migrant workers enrolling in the health insurance scheme, too.

We were given the pee cups and directed to a public toilet with a wave of the hand -- no escort. The toilet was quiet a distance away and there was no supervision, we definitely could have been substituting urine from a friend. Sounds like that was the norm for these random pee tests in the discos, especially for the ladies.

Not like the pee tests I've taken as part of pre-employment screening in the U.S. -- a matron stands outside the stall, you leave your handbag with her, you have the feeling she's watching thru the crack and definitely listening to what you're doing.

Edited by NancyL
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richard_smith237 Star Member

richard_smith237

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This has never happened to me, however, the stop and search has happened to friends.

As I understand it the Police have to have reasonable suspicion to pull you over and search you.

With regards peeing in a cup for a drugs test... I again assume they have to have a reasonable suspicion.. in this case it could be reports of a Westerner in a white T Shirt leaving a house known for drugs. The BiB then profile any Westerner wearing a white T-Shirt... Or, its just bored and greedy Cops on the make.

Regarding the Law: I'm sure there is some restriction on what they can and can't do. But I doubt very much whether the Police themselves know the law, they just pick up their behaviour from those other offices around them.

Drugs tests: Its probably much easier to simply comply and be on your way.

Depending on my mood I might object and ask for a reason, I'd be a little difficult, if I had to I'd 'call a friend'... if all of that failed I'd probably pee in the cup and be pissed off about it but know I'd be clean.

In the past my taxi has been stopped, but I refused to give ID and refused to get out - this was at 2am on a dark, quiet Sub-Soi near Ekammai... The BiB weren't sure what to do and just waved me along. Had they persisted I would have asked them to follow the taxi to the police station where I was prepared to comply (I wasn't comfortable getting out of the taxi on a quiet and dark soi).

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hanno Platinum Member

hanno

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Why do you assume you have legal rights?

because Thailand is a democracy... just joking

From what I understand "real": democracies like, say, the USA have a problem with randomly shooting innocent people or throwing a flash-bang in a crib. I'd rather take my chances with the BiB.

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DiamondKing Gold Member

DiamondKing

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That's the one. I go to the Bangkok forum as I'll be going there soon. Want to find a good place for live music... and this is what I find.

first time I ever heard of it.

You are best to stay here in Chiang Mai.

I remember it happening at Spicy one night the big Police truck arrived and went inside and picked out certain people to be tested

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northernjohn Ruby Member

northernjohn

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Posted

That's the one. I go to the Bangkok forum as I'll be going there soon. Want to find a good place for live music... and this is what I find.

first time I ever heard of it.

You are best to stay here in Chiang Mai.

I remember it happening at Spicy one night the big Police truck arrived and went inside and picked out certain people to be tested

Sounds like an inside job.

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