Surge of reported police harassment suggests campaign targeting tourists, expats

[bangkok2013]

Sadly very true here in CHiang mai as well-I followed a Thai woman on a motorbike over a road and a policeman stepped out of the shadows and stopped us-he waved the Thai woman on and demanded 500 Baht from me-I wAS OUTRAGED AND WOULDNT comply so he pulled out his book and issued a ticket for Baht 500 and kept my Drivers license. I went down to the station to speak to the commander and said just the same-that what good will it ever do Thailand to target foreigners and tourists,it will only drive them away in the long run.Tourists should be forgiven very readily because we dont know all the laws or see the non-existent signs or we many times we follow the Thais,when in Rome do as the romans do, so it is terribly unfair to stop only the Farangs.Later on after my fine was forgiven I went back several times and watched their actions and indeed they were stopping only foreigners.When they saw me taking video they packed up and left,presumably for aNOTHER STREET CORNER.What are they thinking?????????????????

yeah Chiang Mai is a <deleted> up place too. They They have been harassing people for years . They don't just stick to street corners ,they rake the whole city.In Bangkok in the days when the teens rode around with those 2 stroke racing mufflers ,and if they went anywhere near the king's Palace they just used to shoot the bastards.

Thais with a little education all know too well what morons their own people are .And,Buddhist

patience flies right out the windows easy in this country. They even dress like the gestapo with their Black uniforms.

[John1thru10]

So, where is the Prime Minister on this? I am surprised not to hear anything, because I know he is against corruption.

[banglassie]

Thailand doesn't want too many foreigners - just look at the lengths they are going to to avoid ASEAN. Whiteys with money fair enough but certainly not Lao and Burmese and other Asians taking their jobs and being able to come here indiscriminately.

Perhaps. But the whole "Thailand don't want tourists" goes against the whole "I hate Thailand" Campaign by TAT, doesn't it?

And as for Burmese and Khmers, most Thais seems to want to have them around cause they do crappy jobs for dirt money. Which means the Thai owners can sit back and get rich.

Look at Koh Phangan, next to all workers are burmese

koh Chang? next to all hard workers = Khmer.

And the factories haven't even been mentioned.

I think this is more related to Police trying to get more "extra money". The fact that many of those who experienced this where cleared as soon as they said they wanted to go to the Police station and have their Lawyer present before they did anything else kind of shows that it's all about getting extra cash, at least it looks that way to me.

it also seems to be quite focused around Thong Lor as far as I have heard, although some say it's going on in many areas, Like Klong Toei, Asok, Thong Lor, Ekkamai and Lumpini. I would really like to hear more about the actuality of these claims, or if they where more normal random searches (the ones where police check you at night, give you back your stuff and thank you for your co-operation, the way it used to be... At least for me near special events like New Year etc).

It seems like a good idea to leave Bangkok and Thailand for until they get this sorted out, cause the last thing I want is to have some small yaba pill planted on me, or someone putting stuff in my pee-test making it come out positive...

(in fact, I don't want to pee beside the street at all, it's shameful and just too much... Phnom Penh is a real rat hole, but right now I kind of feel like going back and stay there for a few months...)

[Larry001]

Well we will now see if the new Military Govt is for real. Will they follow up and arrest these scumbag keystone cops. Or will they just shut their eyes.

My god this country is intent on starving the millions of Thais who rely on the tourist dollar. Time will tell. Absolute scumbags

[GinBoy2]

So, where is the Prime Minister on this? I am surprised not to hear anything, because I know he is against corruption.

Well if you believe the Wall Street Journal, not exactly some left wing, Thaksin loving rag; the junta (their words not mine) are behind this surge in anti foreigner harassment.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/thailand-unravels-1417572686

[Tanlic]

Lived in Udon 2 years..Never been stopped by police for anything..Stopped once in the car for a license check. Showed It, and that was that. Just had a week in Chiang Mai..Same. Is this only a Bangkok thing? Don't see any complaints from residents of Phuket, Pattaya, Issarn etc.

I was in Bang Dung the other day and was stopped for a licence check and like you quick look a smile and moved me on.

The very next night believe it or not I was driving into Ban Muang and got stopped again by a guy who had more medals than General Paton

Reaching for my licence another policeman recognized my girlfriend and said hello and I got a mai pai rai from the first policeman.

My girlfriend assure me they are different gravy than the police from Bangkok and never hassle anyone other than those up to know good which is refreshing.

As far as Bangkok goes in I lived near uni in the Tong Lor area for 15 years and was stopped 4 or 5 times, I reckon they were looking for drugs but they couldn't have been nicer.

However this latest spate is a bit worrying but considering the amount of members on here I would have thought it would be full of stories of guys being pulled up.????

Not sure we should take this article too seriously everytime I read something that comes from this Coconut site it's like they make a living from making mountains out of molehills

Edited December 4, 2014 by Tanlic

[Larry001]

chickenrunCM, on 04 Dec 2014 - 20:08, said:

Suriya4, on 04 Dec 2014 - 19:09, said:

I always carry original and valid id. I don't do drug, prostitute or alcohol. If police want pee test or ass search, I am happy to comply. After all, it is their duty to keep alien safe, and not be drug, rape or murdered like the 2 brits in Koh tao.

so your statement is that people who drink alcohol, use sometimes drugs even if it is leagal where they are or go to a prostitute and pay her the money both agree for service, this people are bad and you are the perfect one.

so why you not put a chip under your skin that they can track you wherever you are, why you not give them the passwords to your emailaccounts and

why you not put livecams in your house or appartments o everybody can watch you because you have nothing to hide,

why you not use your real name as alias in TV if for you it is so easy not to have privacy in life,

so when you make sport or swimming at the beach you always have your ID card with you?

I wait the moment you loose it and then you will tell your embassy that you lost it at beach

you will see their reaction and I hope they let you wait 6 month for a new passport

Suriya; I am surprised you are happy for them to do an ass test as you put it, being the angel you are. Exactly what the new Govt wants; quality tourist

[Johnsy]

2 more weeks, everything will be sold and I will be on my way out of Thailand, I've had enough. A friend who has been working and living here for 7 years has had enough, they left for Vietnam last week!

[WitawatWatawit]

now when i go for a happy ending I keep the used condoms in my pocket and it protects me from police searches, I used to dread being stopped but now I have a big smile and I am waiting for someone to sniff my used ones with delicate Nakorn Boobsandbum aromas, if they ask about it I will tell them I am an ecopat and I must wash wash and recycle everything at home after sniffing them coz sniffin cocaine is now illegal

You're a bad man.

Thanks for the tip.

[Fatty123]

Frakking genius. What a great way to help Thailand recover its reputation as a tourist destination. I have started to tell my fellow Ozis to go to the Phils, not Thailand, for their 4 weeks of annual freedom. Even with its problems (the occasional 'super' typhoon), it is looking better and better. Maybe time to relocate? But is there a Phil equivalent to thaivisa, where I can recursively bitch and moan with like minded cynics?

Back at uni in England and a couple I know were keen on going to LOS just after new year. They are both quite well off (unlike me ).

They had heard about the 'troubles' and asked me about them yesterday. Now, the Thai authorities would've been angry with my answer...but i don't care. These people are my my friends and I'm in the UK. So, I can and will tell the truth. So, I told them (among other things)

1) The military took over again

2) There is still martial law

3) Tourists are being attacked and murdered in some areas

4) The cops are making tourists pee in bottles based on the colour of their skin. There have been reports in the past of people having drugs shoved into their pockets/bags by cops to obtain large bribes.

5) The country is becoming even more nationalistic than it was...and it was already pretty nationalistic.

6. People havee been arrested and/or detained for reading 1984, giving the Hunger Game's salute or eating sandwiches in public. They had to google at this point after laughing and not believing me.

They said they are gonna look at the Caribbean instead. Unlike me, these were the 'top quality' tourists Thailand were after.

[amse]

All you need is a color copy of your passport and visa, and the police know it. Easy to get one at any Kodak shop and have it laminated. I've lived in Thailand since 2001 and have never been stopped by a police offiicer, and was actually helped by the Thaonglor police when a Hong Kong lady tried to steal my laptop.Times are getting tough for Thai police since the coup and all the crack downs by our new PM.

[Rumblecat]

To be fair it's been going on for years and years. And- anecdotal evidence ahoy- myself and everyone I know who's been stopped and searched has just had that- no demands for payments, or bribes. That said, it's a total invasion of privacy, they're clearly chucking as much mud against the wall and hoping something will stick, an escalation is worrying and saying "if you've done nothing wrong, you've nothing to fear" is missing the point.

[mataleo]

Sadly very true here in CHiang mai as well-I followed a Thai woman on a motorbike over a road and a policeman stepped out of the shadows and stopped us-he waved the Thai woman on and demanded 500 Baht from me-I wAS OUTRAGED AND WOULDNT comply so he pulled out his book and issued a ticket for Baht 500 and kept my Drivers license. I went down to the station to speak to the commander and said just the same-that what good will it ever do Thailand to target foreigners and tourists,it will only drive them away in the long run.Tourists should be forgiven very readily because we dont know all the laws or see the non-existent signs or we many times we follow the Thais,when in Rome do as the romans do, so it is terribly unfair to stop only the Farangs.Later on after my fine was forgiven I went back several times and watched their actions and indeed they were stopping only foreigners.When they saw me taking video they packed up and left,presumably for aNOTHER STREET CORNER.What are they thinking?????????????????

yeah Chiang Mai is a up place too. They They have been harassing people for years . They don't just stick to street corners ,they rake the whole city.In Bangkok in the days when the teens rode around with those 2 stroke racing mufflers ,and if they went anywhere near the king's Palace they just used to shoot the bastards.

Thais with a little education all know too well what morons their own people are .And,Buddhist

patience flies right out the windows easy in this country. They even dress like the gestapo with their Black uniforms.

Pattaya is not any better

Police stops 80% foreginers on bikes. They know wheres money...

Myself before when I bought Ninja I was stopped everyday sometimes twice!

That was going for few months.

I got thai licence so they were not wery satisfied.

Then they memorized my bike and let me through check points.

But reall everyday i was like bored of it at the time...

[anon467367354]

what if you live in Oregon or Colorado or just came from Amsterdam?

Does this mean you must refrain from your norml life for 30 days

before coming to Thailand for fear of testing positive for something legal?

[Tony Pepperoni]

The police are actually on my building's private property in the Phrakanong District scoping out all the foreigners in the food court in front of the art gallery. The police will destroy Thailand's tourism economy... millions of baht will be lost for Thailand just so one police man can take 2,000. baht from a tourist. What does the Thai government have to say about that? People are just sitting having dinner and you get a shakedown from the police... starting to feel like Latin America. I have to take my passport to refill the water jugs? I need a passport to put my clothes in the washing machine? or just to go to 7-11? I AM VERY ANGRY ! WHERE IS THE FREEDOM THAILAND ? I THOUGHT AMERICANS AND BRITISH ARE YOUR ALLIES THAILAND ? WHAT IS GOING ON ??? POLICE STATE THAILAND.

[lil fluffy clouds]

Look's like a mad dash for the finacial finish line...

[angsta]

I thought the Junta were the answer to all the white mans problems? Oh dear

[mataleo]

To be fair it's been going on for years and years. And- anecdotal evidence ahoy- myself and everyone I know who's been stopped and searched has just had that- no demands for payments, or bribes. That said, it's a total invasion of privacy, they're clearly chucking as much mud against the wall and hoping something will stick, an escalation is worrying and saying "if you've done nothing wrong, you've nothing to fear" is missing the point.

People who say Im happy to take pee test are deluded.

If that would be geniue test then no prob.

Thing is theres reports of them planting drugs or faking test results...

Anyway where else what country police test people specialy tourists on the streets.

Theres reports of 72 years old couple being tested, whats the point of that?

[StevenWayneSimpson]

All you need is a color copy of your passport and visa, and the police know it. Easy to get one at any Kodak shop and have it laminated. I've lived in Thailand since 2001 and have never been stopped by a police offiicer, and was actually helped by the Thaonglor police when a Hong Kong lady tried to steal my laptop.Times are getting tough for Thai police since the coup and all the crack downs by our new PM.

This depends on the police if they accept copies, in most cases they will. However, one of the people in the article was stopped and had copies, was chucked into a pickup and taken to the police station where they wanted to check his phone and wanted to make him do a piss test.

[mataleo]

Now its crazy bit.

I heard of guy faild pee test and he was on redbull energy drinks.

Happened in thailand

http://food-drink.blurtit.com/88621/can-energy-drinks-make-you-fail-a-drug-test

[lockman]

@TerryP whats your definition of an ignorant fool? I've lived in the "boonies" for almost 30yrs, never been harassed by the bib for any reason, I'd suggest that your the ignoramus here.

Same here. Went to Udon Tue, came back Wed, about 550 KM. Went through a number of checkpoints, each one waved us on except one, who just wanted to chat, as well as make the overloaded truck stop so they could fine them. Went to Khon Kaen a few weeks back, 6 checkpoints along the way, license please, only one asked about passport and when I reached for it head guy came over and waved us on. Now last I knew you are supposed to have your passport with you, so why bitch about that.

[Friendly Stranger]

Finally this has been acknowledged. I think this thread is going to be a long one.

[lil fluffy clouds]

So, where is the Prime Minister on this? I am surprised not to hear anything, because I know he is against corruption.

What's he going to do? Replace the RTP with his little pinky?

[Jip99]

Strangely enough, this summer, the Spanish were offering tourists an official - police copy of their passport so they can carry that and avoid having the real one stolen. I didn't check on the cost and don't know if the service is still available.

Perhaps it would be nice if the RTP could offer that?

Also make it about credit card size so it fits in the pocket easily?

It is law in many countries that visitors must carry their passport at all times.

If carrying your actual passport,wrap it in something waterproof because it only needs a little wetting to render the passport useless!

Then you are into the additional waste of time and extra cost of an emergency passport, a replacement once you get home etc.

A royal pain in the bum!

there is no law in any country that you have to carry your passport,

there is a law that you have to indentify yourselve, so you can use your ID card or Driver License, International Driver License

for foreigner living here Thai Driver license is enough because all data are on the DL,

only if you are supected to comitted a crime or your ID is not correct they can force you for passport.

even Thai bank accept DL for indentification, they give me a new VisaCard in Koh Samui even my branch is in Chiang Mai,

i had only DL with me and bankbook,

dont scare too much when meet police,

Wrong. Very dangerous mis-information.

A sweeping statement.

Can you back it up with any legal references.

In the absence of any such evidence I am inclined to go along with the statement from ChickenrunCM.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Jip99

[kurnell]

Pretending that you're disabled makes the cops feel very uncomfortable.

[AlQaholic]

How long can this thread go??? will it be a new record??

If one looks at the length of various TV threads it becomes obvious what makes what subjects are dear to most TV members.

[Ve37]

Since the "Tea Money" from the massage parlors are gone, they need another source of income - tourists/expats. But after it has been reported in the news, it will probably stop in a few days/weeks.

If "they" have had a drastic loss in income by way of Tea Money,...this won't go away.

[AlQaholic]

Oh wait, next time I am harassed by the cops, I will pull my D*** out and start peeing right there on the street right away. When the court asks why I did that I will refer to the forums and say everyone knows you should take a piss when the Thai Police stops you:)

[dluek]

Lived in Udon 2 years..Never been stopped by police for anything..Stopped once in the car for a license check. Showed It, and that was that. Just had a week in Chiang Mai..Same. Is this only a Bangkok thing? Don't see any complaints from residents of Phuket, Pattaya, Issarn etc.

More specifically, it looks like mainly a Sukhumvit thing -- in other words a one crooked police station thing. I've just posted my complaints on the TAT website and Facebook page, and there are many other complaints stacking up from concerned people on the same FB page. This is going viral and clearly hurting Thailand's image; I'd be surprised if it doesn't stop soon.

[tookwan cottage]

I am touching wood as I type (get your minds out of the gutter), but the Thai police have never caused me even the faintest discomfort. I have dealt with them in public, as well as in relation to a more serious matter, and they have led me to further exclaim Thailand as "The Kingdom."

I understand this doesn't help, but I rarely drink alcohol, live very simply, and try to behave like a guest, rather than someone who is entitled. Anyway, let's see what happens next ...