Surge of reported police harassment suggests campaign targeting tourists, expats

[petedk]

I have lived here 15 years and go up and down Thong Lor and Asoke several times a day and at all times of day.

I have not once seen farangs being stopped by the police.

There are many reports but no proof.

Yes, I believe there are checks at night. I have been stopped when driving, but then again so were many Thais. Nothing happened... just a few simple questions about drinking, then a polite smile and on you go.

I've heard of pubs and nightclubs being raided but Thais were targetted just as much as farangs.

I was stopped by the "litter cops" but after a short friendly conversation was allowed to go. (Yes, I dropped a tiny piece of paper on the street when I took my mobile out of my pocket.)

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is more harassment from the cops, but I haven't witnessed it.

On a final note.... I have noticed more hatred towards foreigners (I mean hatred) from other groups of Thais, but that is a different thread.

[JOC]

I will start new business. Fake portable piss made from water and fish sauce, u carry it on u at all times if they ask u to pee u just pour it so if it comes

Positive u laugh at them and shkw them fake piss 55

Any orders?

Now I am convinced, the picture in your avatar is really you!!

[mataleo]

I have lived here 15 years and go up and down Thong Lor and Asoke several times a day and at all times of day.

I have not once seen farangs being stopped by the police.

There are many reports but no proof.

Yes, I believe there are checks at night. I have been stopped when driving, but then again so were many Thais. Nothing happened... just a few simple questions about drinking, then a polite smile and on you go.

I've heard of pubs and nightclubs being raided but Thais were targetted just as much as farangs.

I was stopped by the "litter cops" but after a short friendly conversation was allowed to go. (Yes, I dropped a tiny piece of paper on the street when I took my mobile out of my pocket.)

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is more harassment from the cops, but I haven't witnessed it.

On a final note.... I have noticed more hatred towards foreigners (I mean hatred) from other groups of Thais, but that is a different thread.

What about that video that is posted as a proof.

I saw it orginal on fb guy who posted it...

[EnigmaBurn]

Hey guys!

I am really not trying to troll or start a flame war, but as a long liner here (like many of you informed gents), I can't help but get a little sensitive and twitchy about stories like this that constantly go unchecked. I am a lurker here as I don't comment often, but I do read and yes - lurk in the shadows - and it frustrates me that we can't have more of a voice.

Remember a month ago when we were all giggling about Thai tourism expectations? How they would be on target but many of us groaned about dead tourists, crime and a certain type of establishment running the 'Land of Smiles' government..? Remember? Seriously, do you remember?

Now that the annual influx of tourists has began ('yay - money'), and we see what are the authorities doing? They are practicing their usual behavior that shows they believe the farang (sorry, "tourists"), are the problem rather than the greater system. And what are *we* doing? Sitting back on a forum - a fine forum that TV is - and just snickering, giggling, waxing political thoughts and allowing it to continue.

Thailand wants - REALLY wants - those tourists. And despite all indicators that make getting a visa or work permit [for us] like pulling teeth, they need farang too, (See 'FDI', etc..). Thailand NEEDS it, they need it all.

I am not trying to call any of you to task on this - because I am the same - we allow this to go on unchecked. What needs to happen is someone standing up for the farang - Stickman? G-Spot? Sparrow? - and creating a voice. A voice the Thai [institutions] have so long relied upon, but ignored.

"A lethargic man [person] who does not challenge his leaders deserves exactly what is handed him."

Okay that's it - flame on! Cheers mates!

[Squeegee]

For those that say they don't believe this happens or there is no proof WATCH THE VIDEO.

And consider why dozens and dozens of people would have nothing better to do than make up fairy stories.

[shaggy851]

So im almost ready to head out on the town. Showered dressed ten k in the pocket. Oh wait no hang on better take my passport oh no wait its raining cant take that out. Oh righto im gonna get held up by the bib against my will after some racial profiling and possible extortion.. Better can that idea but hey ive still got cash to pay next months rent money... Still wanna stay another month tho? Maybe il move to bali and go surfing every day

[stat088]

I don't profess to be a expert

I was told this by my thai wife

Who got it off her uncle

Who is a police chief

In a another district

Go to sleep.

Or was that a joke? I didn't read all the comments.

[ggt]

Aw shucks...all of the BS one has to endure to claim Thailand is the most wonderful place on earth and now this...

These tourist were ugly old white disgruntled foreigners who deserved to be harassed...we lifers want them all to leave Thailand to us lovers of Thais as soon as possible...

You expats over 40 years old need to be harassed also...because you are so old...and we do not want you here...

[EnigmaBurn]

Shaggy, buddy - I hear you.

I take a stiff upper lip approach and just say no. If they want it, 'follow me to the house', (if the house is too far or [usually] they are too lazy); 'okay! Police station! Yay! Let's meet your fellow officers!

That usually makes them back off, but if not, "YEE-HAW! Police station!" This almost definitely makes them back off.

I know, I know you ask about the officer still trying to cut his losses and get a 100 baht out of it, but once again, "YEE-HAW! Police station! I want receipt (bin)"!

At that point, they will almost always let your 'crazy-farang-ass' go.

Cheers!

[EnhancePlus]

Funny how normally you would feel safe when going into a neighborhood with many police around. As if no criminals around to assault, rape or rob you. Now you just feel unsafe when there's too many cops. I guess I misinterpret what Public safety means

[jpeg]

@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.

Not really the point, is it. Apart from the usual 'You pay' 'You have ploblem' my 18 years on Phuket, (massive corruption aside), I have never been stopped and searched and these accounts, although not affecting me personally, are utterly disgraceful not to mention truly alarming. What an earth has happened to this place? A couple of elderly tourists made to take a urine test when exiting a bloody shopping mall for Christ's sake? Another guy forced to drink liters of water and being 'pulled about' to make him urinate?! You okay with all of this? I really can't believe what I'm reading

[jpeg]

Warn visiting friends and relatives visiting about this action so they can protect themselves.

Good advice but my visiting friends have cancelled.

[tingtongfarang]

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.

First and only time i ever went to the thonglor police station was about 7 years back when i lived in soi 49, One morning i noticed my front number plate was missing,

After asking a thai friend i was told i had to go to thonglor police station and get a paper which would allow me to get a new plate at mochit,

On walking upto the desk i was confronted by a young guy with a laptop, as he opened it i noticed it was a pirate xp system and they had no idea how to disable the relative updates,

Took around 45 minutes all told but the guy demanded 400bht, as i pulled my wallet out i asked for a receipt ...he said mai dai, in the end i walked out without paying,

I have also had 2 negative instances with a certain officer from this station, 1 time at asok and another near thonglor in a money collection operation, this officer is unstable to the extreme and i believe the main culprit for the happenings in asok.

[jpeg]

Couple of thoughts. For a while it looked liked Prayut had the Thai police under

his thumb, essentially de-nutting them by attacking their top structure. Has some

change occurred with the police now going after tourist money with a vengeance?

Have they somehow regained the upper hand ?

Or if this is being done with the blessing of Prayut, then it appears he no

longer wants tourists. If so, then they should just say so with a public statement ,

and tourists can avoid the hassle of flying all the way to Thailand just to have to

pee in a cup by the side of the road....

It's not just the police. Immigration have stepped up their nastiness/harassment. Lovely welcome at Phuket airport the other day when some little sh1t trembling with anger ordered me to get in the VOA line even when I told him I already had a visa. The fact that a bunch of army guys had set up camp outside are possibly rattling them. They appear to be doing more harm than good. And don't get me started on their bloody office in town.

[SunsetT]

Strange that if this 'surge' is happening that this is the 1st report of it on thaivisa.com.

[Jip99]

So has anybody who is actually abiding by the law and carrying their real passport had a problem??

What law ?

[ttthailand]

Is it just me or have things in Thailand started getting a little strange. I have an uneasy feeling that I have not felt before.

[surangw]

go after the groups that can pay the most

[Jip99]

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

heir 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 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.

Are you kidding? If you had some drugs placed in your pocket in SE Asia by the police, do you honestly believe you'd have the slightest bit of luck making a fuss about legal references in another language, while they shout and intimidate you with everything they've got? You're joking.

So you can't back it up either ?

[SunsetT]

of little interest to the ignorant fools that have gone native and live in the booonies of nakon nowhere ...BUT lets not forget that many Genuine tourists transit thro bkk for a few days and they fear this kind of abuse by any law enforcement as this is the natorious far east and being forced to sign any bull that is made up on that day of a little pill slipped into your shirt pocket can DESTROY your life/////..but hey thailand is perfect isnt it fools

Nice attitude! Use a spell checker or, heaven forbid, you may get labeled as an urban 'ignorant fool'!

[Squeegee]

I might as well share my own fecal mafia, a.k.a. Bullies In Brown, story.....

Songkran before last a couple of Thai friends dragged me to Silom saying I had to experience it there at least the once, so off we went for 100thb cans of Leo and 10thb fill-ups of water amongst the masses. I had to make my own way back and there were only tuk tuks.

Along the way another tuk tuk pulled up alongside, overloaded with giggling female asian tourists. We were neck and neck, and although I don't think the drivers were racing it felt like a race until a police check point appeared up ahead and both drivers slowed down.

A soon as I saw the check point I predicted 100% what happened next: the tuk tuk overloaded with asian girls was waved on and the one with the falang was pulled over. As the main Bully In Brown approached I clearly rolled my eyes.

The little weasle driving the tuk tuk, without any encouragement, blurted out "Kao puut Thai dai, khrap!" rather like a 7 year old lovingly incriminating one of his classmates.

So there I was, sopping wet and head to foot in white mush from the festivities, with just a plastic waterproof bag around my neck for phone, money and cigarettes. "Passport!" said the inane Bully In Brown, as if taking the most important document I could possibly possess to a mass water fight was par for the course. Then, whilst rifling through my cigarette packet presumably looking for the drugs I surely would have already ingested for the party, he asked me in Thai where I worked, so I responded in English in a very tired manner, "I stay at Sukhumvit."

Then he let me go, knowing full well he was getting no money out of me.

I've also lived up north. The police there are pretty much just normal Thai people, the BKK variety feature a lot of fecal mafia in their ranks and I despise them.

I also got stopped near Asoke by the cigarette butt brigade once. I saw him coming so I immediately marched up to him and politely asked him if he knew where the nearest ATM was whilst waving my bank card under his nose to show him the brand of bank I was looking for. This established I had no ready cash on me and that he'd need to take a walk. Luckily he wasn't in the mood for that and after educating me that we must all keep Thailand clean or it's a 10,000thb fine, and that since it's my first offense I need only pay 2000thb, he let me go on the promise I came back from the ATM with the money. After finding the ATM I took the skytrain back past the fecal mafia and had a drink on them at my friend's bar.

Frack 'em.

[TomYumpoochai]

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.

Theyre gonna look at the carribean? <deleted> did they find on google that made them think the carribean was a better place to go?

And my best friend is jamacian so ive been told enough about there to not want to go there... ever.

[SunsetT]

ATTENTION:

We need to brainstorm and find a resolution to stop these harassment from the Thonglor Police! So, what can we do, any suggestions? Does anyone has a connection with CNN, Fox news or Huffpost? We should let the world know about the harassments involving tourists and expats in Bangkok from Thonglor Police Department!

You can email or phone any western media to alert them to what is going on. Try the Daily Mail in the UK.....blocked in Thailand for their outspoken reports on Thailand.

[Chris Lawrence]

“Foreigners should at least carry a photocopy of their passport. Not just the front page, but also the visa page,” she said, adding that photos on your smartphone are likely to be rejected.

In case police detain you or take you into the station, insist on calling your attorney – even if you don’t have one. You can also insist they contact your embassy.

“Don’t sign anything and tell them you want to call your lawyer,” she said. “At a minimum, call a friend and get them involved – preferably Thai.”

And no matter how righteously wronged one may feel, there’s nothing to be gained by showing anger. Stay polite and don’t raise your voice.

The above is some of the best advice in the original article.

Instead of travel insurance you may need to engage a solicitor that is available 24/7 before going to Thailand.

Social media is also a good form of letting everyone know what happens; plus recording it with your embassy. Name and shame the bar$(eds.

If it continues to happen, social media campaign is the best way to get it into mainstream media, which the Thai Travel Industry does not need at the moment.

Just my thoughts?

[jpeg]

What about calling the UN ,and making a complaint of infringement of Human rights . Aside from that let it be known as many already do ,the Lumpini ,and Thong lo stations are the most corrupt of all Police Stations in Bangkok .They are going too far and have to be stopped !

Yeah, they really give a cr4p about the UN

[Kimagure]

Wow, I thought it was just me.. My experience this week:

I got a motorbike taxi going down Suk Soi 36 on Tuesday, planning to meet my wife for lunch, and got pulled over immediately by a couple cops on a motorbike. They frisked me, checked my bag, frisked me, ran through my bag again, frisked me, took off my shoes, ran through my bag again.. Luckily, I had my actual passport with me as I was planning on opening a new bank account this week, but it went like this:

"You don't have passport!"

Here's my passport.

"You don't have visa"!

Just a minute...Ok, here's my Non-Immi visa.

"You overstay!"

Uhh...No, I'm good until next July. Here's the stamp..

"You.. You have drugs! Come here!"

And they ran through my bag again, and frisked me again. And ran through my passport again. And went through every thing in my bag again.

"What's this? This is drugs!"

Umm... Well, It's an unopened package of Halls mints...

At this point my wife drove by in her taxi, and stopped and came out and asked what was going on.

I said I was apparently under arrest, and put my hands in the air dramatically, and the police told me to put my hands down because my gesture was "Mai dee, mai dee", My better half pulled out her phone (to call her lawyer friend at her embassy), and the main (older) cop finally said, "Ok, you go, no drug, you go, you go, pai pai!"

I think they thought she was taking a photo for Facebook or something.. (Never underestimate the power of an annoyed Japanese woman or the threat of social media.)

Anyway, they spent about 10-15 minutes searching me by the side of the road, again and again and again.. I was honestly afraid (for the first time in my life in any country) that they would plant something on me, because they were so persistent, and just didn't stop when they couldn't find anything.

Sorry for the long rant..

[tingtongfarang]

Is it just me or have things in Thailand started getting a little strange. I have an uneasy feeling that I have not felt before.

+1

Feels like a ticking time bomb.

[jpeg]

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.

Nah. No mention of bar girls or booze restrictions in this one

[Benmart]

of little interest to the ignorant fools that have gone native and live in the booonies of nakon nowhere ...BUT lets not forget that many Genuine tourists transit thro bkk for a few days and they fear this kind of abuse by any law enforcement as this is the natorious far east and being forced to sign any bull that is made up on that day of a little pill slipped into your shirt pocket can DESTROY your life/////..but hey thailand is perfect isnt it fools

Name calling is the hallmark of ignorance.

[Squeegee]

Instead of travel insurance you may need to engage a solicitor that is available 24/7 before going to Thailand.

That's great!