Thailand becoming a hub of transnational criminals

[Lupatria]

Once again the notorious 'it's them- not us game'

[Tomtomtom69]

Ah, now the burglars and thieves from South America are in Thailand after three of their countrymen were arrested within a day or two after doing the same thing in Singapore (go to Youtube and watch the relevant episode of Crime Watch Singapore)? Haha, like their physical appearance won't get noticed so quickly that they'll be caught within a day or two after committing their crimes in Thailand. What a bunch of dumbasses, trying to rob moo baans full of Thai people in a homogeneous society where foreigners stand out so clearly. Clearly a case of "World's Dumbest Criminals".

[hgma]

I would like to see study data which gives an estimate of the 'shadow economy' created by thugs, crooks and swindlers of Thai origin.

[tigermoth]

Thailand, especially Bangkok is more of a holiday destination for criminal gangs and especially terrorists such a al quada and also ISIS who cannot get their relaxation anywhere else.

[Loles]

This is a very strong critic and would be said about almost every Asian country here.

[Thai at Heart]

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.

With a rosy view of how this crime is enabled. Surely not Thai corruption and incompetence?

No, its the thainess that accidentally allows it.

[Kabula]

I believe that any Alien, guest here better wake up and think about what you write regarding the Police, the Army, the King and Country!

And we wonder why visas are getting more restrictive?

Don't forget the Internet surveillance is incredibly sophisticated and if you think you can hide in your room behind your computer you're sadly mistaken.

Please don't wreck everything for the rest of us.

[Benmart]

The government has been reformed. Now is a good time to reform and decentralize the Royal Thai Police.

Provincial Governors and Mayors are powerless in any attempts to oversee the police as the police now answer to distant Bangkok. It appears there is little accountability to the local governments and the people they serve.

Criminals, both domestic and trans-national, will continue to take advantage of this centralized police organization.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Benmart

[Strangebrew]

ISIS got news for is alive and well in south of Thailand Coming to city near you soon. Been here a few years recruit from down there. take a look around you see any burkas? No then open your eyes.

[schweizer]

The obvious way to sort this problem of foreign criminal operating in LOS is to create a new work permit "Gangster" and make it Thai nationals only, this works in other vocations then the foreign criminals wouldn't dare operate without a proper work visa

[razer]

What study and who made the study? Can't take a ghost study as true.

And the Mahidol Uni Lecturer didn't mention the Al Queda video announcement of entering South Asia was covered by all the Western news media last week.

The Thai police have demonstrated their abilities in law enforcement and it is no secret among the Thai population and expats that they are underpaid, poorly trained, corrupt and lazy. The government has to 1) Change that culture in the police and 2. Spend the money to get good criminal investigation training for them.

In the meantime it would be incredibly good PR if the Thai government requested embassy assistance investigating crimes against foreigners.

From a FB post from a young man I know who just became a policeman. "Second day on job ... sleeping at my desk. I love this job."

[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.

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.

Point taken... you're quite right.

[outsider]

No surprises. Thailand is the hub of everything, isn't it.

[Thongkorn]

Maybe the International Criminals are paying the local Criminals ,

[IMA_FARANG]

me

[Ned]

Sondthi suggested a few years ago that Thailand needed a 5 year period of isolation to heal itself and that all foreigners should be expelled for that time. He had another momentous event in mind of course but you can understand why the Thais are getting sick and tired of scumbag foreigners coming here and committing crimes. It only takes one criminal incident to turn people off.

I can remember when the Viets started arriving in Sydney in the seventies after the American War and there were isolated cases of Viet youth being involved in robberies and home invasions etc. Didn't take long for the locals to get totally turned off and predicting crime mayhem ahead. Sure a lot of young Viets ended up behind bars over the years but the view of their community as no good crims died down and now they're a well respected segment of society.

[belg]

good to see that all crime problems in thailand are FARANG related

no thai murderers, rapists, robbers, scammers, ....

god forbid

[herb59]

do they have a work permit?

[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.

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!

Almost every day there is a news article about how foreigners are causing problems in Thailand.

I'm fed up of the reputation of "farangs" repeatedly being trashed in the media. Do you actually know what xenophobia means?

[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!

Almost every day there is a news article about how foreigners are causing problems in Thailand.

I'm fed up of the reputation of "farangs" repeatedly being trashed in the media. Do you actually know what xenophobia means?

Well I have no idea what constitutes a "crime problem". But it's apparent that there is some representation of foreign criminals in thailand. So factually the article is correct. As for thai media being xenophobic, I don't know how you could say that. If you look at any Thai language TV news program or newspaper, on any given day the crime reported is overwhelmingly involving thai criminals and rarely foreigners. English language media has a vested interest in focusing on things that it's audience wants to hear or read about. I doubt that this audience really cares to read about the 50th Thai person that gunned down this week in Narithiwas province. However, when they hear someone from their own country committing crime they pay attention. Unfortunately, people like you think you're being picked on. Disagree?

[ggt]

Thailand has been the hub of international crime organizations for centuries...the game has changed somewhat...to electronic crime...but the criminals...both internal and external...find a good clime to do business in Thailand...Thailand is number 1 in so many categories...

[nkg]

Well I have no idea what constitutes a "crime problem". But it's apparent that there is some representation of foreign criminals in thailand. So factually the article is correct. As for thai media being xenophobic, I don't know how you could say that. If you look at any Thai language TV news program or newspaper, on any given day the crime reported is overwhelmingly involving thai criminals and rarely foreigners. English language media has a vested interest in focusing on things that it's audience wants to hear or read about. I doubt that this audience really cares to read about the 50th Thai person that gunned down this week in Narithiwas province. However, when they hear someone from their own country committing crime they pay attention. Unfortunately, people like you think you're being picked on. Disagree?

Why would I think that I was being picked on? What a bizarre conclusion.

Thailand went through this routine a few months ago

1) Identify a "major problem" with foreign criminals

2) Crack down on various types of visa, including Tourist Visas and Ed Visas, supposedly in a bid to stop foreign criminals

End result - needless worry and disruption for tens of thousands of ex-pats living in Thailand. Now the same situation may be playing out again, or it may not. Why not let Thai police and politicians just get on with their jobs? Publicly goading them into an over-reaction would not be good news for any farangs living in Thailand.

[connda]

So next up: 30 day reporting for all non-O expats! We gotta keep you under our thumbs to make sure you're not a criminal (like a criminal is going to report in the first place).