Thailand becoming a hub of transnational criminals

[webfact]

Crime networks 'running free'
PIYANUT TAMNUKASETCHAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A RECENT study shows that Thai people's general lenient attitude and the country's lax law-enforcement measures has led to the Kingdom becoming a hub of transnational criminals.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also voiced concerns about Thailand becoming a narcotics-manufacturing base.

Natee Jitsawang, deputy director of Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), told a seminar entitled "New Face of Crimes and how Thailand can Tackle them" yesterday that the institute's latest study had learned that some 22 transnational criminal gangs were running amok in Thailand.

They included electronic card-skimming gangs from Europe, four gangs of burglars and thieves from Latin America, car-stealing gangs from Cambodia and Laos and Vietnamese pickpockets. In addition, some African fraudsters dupe people by using banknotes dyed in black as bait, while Middle East gangs steal from hotels, he said.

"The study learned that these foreign criminals dared to commit crimes in Thailand because law-enforcement here is not severe and Thai people are generally kind. Hence, when criminals get caught, Thai police file charges without considering the fact that they are part of a transnational gang. Also, since many victims of the card-skimmers live outside Thailand, these fraudsters can get away with petty punishments. Also, suspects often jump bail during police investigation and flee the country only to return with a new, clean identity," he pointed out.

Natee added that TIJ would discuss this issue with justice officials and find a way to urgently solve the problem.

Jeremy Douglas, UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said his agency found that the level of drug trafficking, especially in terms of methamphetamine, was very worrisome. Citing a recent report of 3 tonnes of methamphetamine pills being seized in China, he said trade in narcotics had expanded to become an industry and that the production hub of methamphetamine and "ice" had reportedly moved to Thailand from the Philippines.

He also said the Kingdom reportedly served as a production centre for ivory products as well as a transition point.

Meanwhile, Mahidol University (MU) social studies lecturer Punchada Sirivunnabood said many countries were concerned about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)'s plan to expand its caliphates across the world, which could possible bring about a world war. She said ISIS was targeting three Asean countries, namely Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines, but there is no report of any ISIS activity in Thailand.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Crime-networks-running-free-30243451.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-17

[jonclark]

"..Thai people's general lenient attitude and the country's lax law-enforcement..." AKA - If it doesn't affect me, I don't care.

The amount of crime committed by these 'transnational gangs' is dwarfed by the crime committed by Thai gangs in Thailand. A far more efficient and effective policy would be to reduce the crime committed by Thai mafias.

Burglars, card skimmers, pickpockets and con artists are small fry in the great scheme of the Thai criminal underworld.

I guess even the Thai criminals don't like competition. They probably claim it's unfair (smell the irony)

[clockman]

And the fact that, anybody can be bought!

[Upset]

Khun Natee should do a research paper and report about the criminals in Thailand's Police Force, Army and also Government Servants.....I think that the figures and extensiveness of these criminals would be shocking!

Just look around, prostitution and human trafficking is illegal....yet look at the number of so called "massage joints" around especially the big ones at Ratchada, Thonglor etc. Prirated movies are illegal yet look at all the roadside vendors everywhere in thailand selling them.....the list goes on.....

Yes, there are foreign scum coming to thailand.....but i am sure most are in cahoots with the local police, officals etc.

[inzman]

Thailand, the hub of everything, haha

[Pib]

...Thai people's general lenient attitude and the country's lax law-enforcement measures....

BINGO!!!!

[dddave]

Gee...No Asian gangs...No Yakuza, No Chinese Tongs or Triads?

Maybe Khun Natee should take a walk on Soi Thania, Sala Deang.

[reiltin]

Foreigners can't live with em,can't live without em,and then two of them get themselves killed on a beach,let's investigate the Burmese gotta be other foreigners,had to let em go....

now the PMs said their own behavior is to blame...

For anybody visiting here criminal or otherwise just remember if your in a pickle here,you cant fight your way out (5 or more to a man)you can't think your way out(you don't understand thainess)you can't use the courts(again an inability to grasp the thainess of the judicial system)you may be able to buy your way out-if you choose this option do if sooner rather than later.

[Fiddlesticks]

And then there is the Rice Scheme which raked in millions upon millions of baht for those who leveraged its lack of control and accountability. Maybe the transnational crooks are coming here to be schooled in the finer points of crime!

[harrry]

Reserved Occupation?

[chainarong]

Another record that Thailand could do without , summing up, you know all about it now do something about it, I'd like to see that.

[silomplaya]

a thai pointing the finger at falang for the countrys bad..... well i never

[givenall]

The only successful hub in Thailand. All other so called hubs are there for show. May be they need to use these criminal to run the other hubs

[Minnehaha]

Remember the book published in the late '70's ? The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. Great read, as I recall back in the late '80s when I first came to LOS and was in the north for a long period. The book looks mostly at time leading up to and including Vietnam War as I recall. I think the military and police may like to start looking at books like this to get some context at least for the drugs trade.

[thesetat2013]

"The study learned that these foreign criminals dared to commit crimes in Thailand because law-enforcement here is not severe and Thai people are generally kind. Hence, when criminals get caught, Thai police file charges without considering the fact that they are part of a transnational gang. Also, since many victims of the card-skimmers live outside Thailand, these fraudsters can get away with petty punishments. Also, suspects often jump bail during police investigation and flee the country only to return with a new, clean identity," he pointed out.

They should be studying their own police forces allowing these gangs to operate by paying No one can blame the gangs for wanting to do business here. This article implies there is not a lot the police can do but anyone with brains and a low level of understanding how it really is in Thailand will tell you it must be put on the local and governmental level for the blame.

I just regret that in the writers studies and lack of looking at the real reasons that now all foreigners will face harsher rules to stay. It is getting problematic already with Immigration's crackdowns.

Gangs will always find ways to return to the places easiest to make money and not get caught. Or if caught they don't worry about facing punishment. Until this problem is fixed by controlling and regulating the police forces and make sure corruption is stopped with them then no one will be able to stop their working in Thailand to commit crimes.

It is sad that all foreigners who try to lie honestly will probably face some kind of criticism or harassment by the gov for their vain attempts at stopping gangs from infiltrating Thailand some more

[MediaWatcher]

Upset, on 17 Sept 2014 - 09:17, said:

Khun Natee should do a research paper and report about the criminals in Thailand's Police Force, Army and also Government Servants.....I think that the figures and extensiveness of these criminals would be shocking!

Just look around, prostitution and human trafficking is illegal....yet look at the number of so called "massage joints" around especially the big ones at Ratchada, Thonglor etc. Prirated movies are illegal yet look at all the roadside vendors everywhere in thailand selling them.....the list goes on.....

Yes, there are foreign scum coming to thailand.....but i am sure most are in cahoots with the local police, officals etc.

Investigating crime/corruption in Thailand will get you killed. An "Elliot Ness" does not exist here.

[balford]

"Remember the book published in the late '70's ? The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. Great read, as I recall back in the late '80s when I first came to LOS and was in the north for a long period. The book looks mostly at time leading up to and including Vietnam War as I recall. I think the military and police may like to start looking at books like this to get some context at least for the drugs trade."

Reading books? Interesting concept for Thais - but at least you qualified it in saying they may "...like to start looking at books..."

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

[catweazle]

Oh, how much I missed those hub articles... The result of all this will be the expats who try to do everything by the book (i.e. having a properly registered Thai Co.,Ltd. and all) will face the music while the true culprits go unpunished, because they never appear in any books and simply fall through the grid. Thailand always has been a bad judge when it came to sorting the wheat from the chaff, mainly because the bad guys (corrupt police and officials) were doing the sorting... And on and on it goes, because money talks and bulI$#it walks...

Edited September 17, 2014 by catweazle

[ToddinChonburi]

Sounds like just another day in Thailand. get home before dark. Good luck

[bushwacker]

Another example of poor english. Not "becoming", rather has been a hub for decades.

[nkg]

More xenophobic rubbish. Of course there are foreign criminals here. Here, and in almost every other country in the world.

I wonder how many foreign criminals are currently within the borders of the USA, or the UK.

[Calach]

Thailand, the hub of hubs.

[BSJ]

A hub that works....and is probably expanding!

[Nickymaster]

Is this the result of a failed democracy? I always wonder what those democratically elected politicians have been doing the last few decades.

[JingerBen]

Remember the book published in the late '70's ? The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. Great read, as I recall back in the late '80s when I first came to LOS and was in the north for a long period. The book looks mostly at time leading up to and including Vietnam War as I recall. I think the military and police may like to start looking at books like this to get some context at least for the drugs trade.

Alfred W.McCoy's book is a classic that documents CIA involvement in the heroin trade during the Vietnam War.

It's history now, and it doesn't really have much to do with the present situation.

[Minnehaha]

Remember the book published in the late '70's ? The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. Great read, as I recall back in the late '80s when I first came to LOS and was in the north for a long period. The book looks mostly at time leading up to and including Vietnam War as I recall. I think the military and police may like to start looking at books like this to get some context at least for the drugs trade.

Alfred W.McCoy's book is a classic that documents CIA involvement in the heroin trade during the Vietnam War.

It's history now, and it doesn't really have much to do with the present situation.

Yes, while it is true that the primary focus of the book was CIA involvement... but documenting the heroin trade in Southeast Asia also highlighted Thailand's central role as the conduit for product to be exported out to the world. My point was that the role of certain Thai military and police officials was documented very well. This has been further documented in other academic works since then, including the increased production of meth. When (if) military and police are complicit in crime, such as the war in the south, it is increasingly impossible to capture, indict and convict the bad guys.

[Time Traveller]

More xenophobic rubbish. Of course there are foreign criminals here. Here, and in almost every other country in the world.

I wonder how many foreign criminals are currently within the borders of the USA, or the UK.

Are you paranoid? how is this story xenophobic?

It just stated they believe many foreign organized crime groups are active in Thailand. There was no mention of any other country with similiar problems.

Of course other countries have foreign criminals as well. Because they didn't acknowledge that in an article, you call that xenophobic!

[Pundi6446]

Wow !!!! They are just now discovering this fact, there is every mafia from all sorts of countries here, I won't mention them per name, but we know who they are, just stay in Pattaya, Phukett, or Bangkok, for awhile, you'll hear, see, and maybe have a encounter with them.

The Immigration, changes are a start, but Thailand has to really start, finger print ID, full back ground checks, or just closer work from Interpol, FBI, for crimes, and the scumbags that enter this country .

These are just the tip of the iceberg here in Thailand.

Get smart Thailand!!!!

Edited September 17, 2014 by Pundi6446

[Don Aleman]

To late as Thailand has been a hub of criminal activity for at least 10 years but since the bad guys didn't buy billboards advertising their misdeeds, the police did not stir from their coma !

[Tomtomtom69]

"Car stealing gangs from Laos and Cambodia".

While I don't think there would be many from Laos (there might be some, but far, far less than from Cambodia), the proliferation of right-hand drive vehicles in Cambodia, particularly in the west of the country where in my estimation up to 1 in 3 vehicles has RHD clearly indicates to me that some of them may have been acquired illegally in Thailand. Because it's not easy to smuggle a vehicle out of Thailand (or for that matter, into a neighboring country) there must be some kind of co-operation from the customs authorities on the other side of the border. Or perhaps fake Cambodian registrations are placed on the vehicles before they are driven over or perhaps non-legal border crossing points are used to avoid scrutiny (most likely the latter).

In Laos, only 1-2% of all vehicles are RHD and this could again be a result of car stealing gangs stealing cars from Thailand (there is a law in Laos that prevents the permanent import of RHD vehicles to prevent smuggling), but overall there is very little problem with vehicle theft in Thailand. Given that most Thais drive more or less the same vehicles as each other (there isn't much variety of vehicles here) I can't see what kind of vehicles car stealing gangs would target other than perhaps older vehicles without engine mobilization systems. Actually, even in Cambodia there is a similar law but it has obviously not been very effective nor is it enforced, because as I already mentioned in Poipet, Sisophon and many other western towns 1 in 3 vehicles has RHD. Even in Phnom Penh about 1 in 20 has RHD (I've done a count on various occasions to come up with these estimates).

Edited September 17, 2014 by Tomtomtom69