Bangkok shakedown: Tourists report increased harassment by police

[hawker9000]

Rather than xenophobia, could this be that the cops are after easy overstay pickings, following all the recent crackdowns on visa runners?

When i was stopped I had my passport with me, but they didnt even take a look inside.

Actually the passport never even left my hand.

But I am just a single case, not sure about other's experiences.

The passport thing has been the subject of numerous other, lengthy, discussions (rightfully so). But just as what's going on around Asoke has nothing actually to do with drug enforcement, neither has it to do with carrying passports. Merely pretext in both cases. It's about the (ab)use of police powers to carry out extortion of innocent foreigners. So try & strategize all you want, the only real preventative measure is avoidance.

[brewsterbudgen]

Rather than xenophobia, could this be that the cops are after easy overstay pickings, following all the recent crackdowns on visa runners?

When i was stopped I had my passport with me, but they didnt even take a look inside.

Actually the passport never even left my hand.

But I am just a single case, not sure about other's experiences.

The passport thing has been the subject of numerous other, lengthy, discussions (rightfully so). But just as what's going on around Asoke has nothing actually to do with drug enforcement, neither has it to do with carrying passports. Merely pretext in both cases. It's about the (ab)use of police powers to carry out extortion of innocent foreigners. So try & strategize all you want, the only real preventative measure is avoidance.

Exactly how many cases of extortion have been verified? Many people I know have been stopped, have had valid IDs and have been courteously thanked and allowed to continue.

[Lex Talionis]

Thailand....Where is this place? Do tourists still really go there? A very strange place to go for a holiday, unless your idea of a holiday is death, disaster, accidents that just seem to happen, police that dont protect but harrass, scams that can rob you of your life, your life savings, or your loved ones. Parties that destroy kids who havent yet learnt to wipe their arse, destroys men who are in need and search of love, but dont know where to find it. Now thats my kind of holiday. To truly holiday in paradise and enjoy it, you need to expect the unexpected to happen, you need to be prepared for the worst to happen, and you need to be of the opinion that if i return home unscathed, it was a damn fine trecherous holiday that I was lucky to survive, and Im still alive to tell my friends. My happy snaps were number one hits on Pattaya one news, I smiled in handcuffs with some bibs because I was set up and refused to buy my ticket out, and my photo was rated second only to the two guys photos that graphically depicted their brains being spread all over the road in a high speed, alcohol induced motor bike ride down to the local 7-11 to get more beer. I had a ball. Thailand, when can i come back. It was a real blast.

Yep I can tell your views of Thailand derive from reading Thai English news and it's various media outlets. TVF news included. Concentrated poisons. For each and every victim of the calamities you mention above there are thousands who go about their day unharmed and royally enjoying themselves.

If and when you ever get here you'll find that out for yourself, of course.

[spidermike007]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

Good for you, but not the most sensible advice to give others, particularly tourists.

[Hanuman2547]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

How well does that work in your home country?

[spidermike007]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

How well does that work in your home country?

It does not work in the US. Police there are very militant. And they are not trying to shake me down for a few hundred baht! But, here in Thailand it has worked many times. I find most of the hooligan cops, who are not enforcing the law, and just trying to collect some cash, just want an easy mark. When confronted with a difficult situation, where there is effort involved, and where someone is really questioning their behavior, I have found many times they are willing to back down. You can always give in, in the end, if you decide that things are not going according to plan. But, giving them a hard time is alot of fun. And a hard time is what the corrupt freaks deserve.

[kaobang]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=765083650212955

[Si Thea01]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

[Si Thea01]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

How well does that work in your home country?

He wouldn't know, most tossers just rave on and boy is he having a go here.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

Harsh but fair!

[SoiBiker]

I walked right through the 'danger zone' this afternoon. Didn't see a single copper.

[Si Thea01]

I walked right through the 'danger zone' this afternoon. Didn't see a single copper.

Thanks for the up date. Its good to get it straight without any BS attached.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Si Thea01

[SiSePuede419]

"The fine is 2000 for dropping ciggy butts on the floor"

Just think of it as a tax on Stupid selfish slobs...

[BritTim]

I walked right through the 'danger zone' this afternoon. Didn't see a single copper.

I was in the Asoke Sukhumvit area yesterday afternoon and had the same experience. It is probably too soon to say the harassment is over, though.

[JonnyF]

I rode down Asoke and across Sukhumvit in both directions (heading towards Klong Toey at 10am and returning at 11:30am) on Saturday. Had a good look for this while stopped at the lights and couldn't see any cops anywhere. Hopefully someone's had a word...

[techboy]

I don't know why this is news. Been happening for years and years.

I cannot imagine anyone that knows anything about Thailand not resenting such a B.S. remark- It is likely that you have that massive number of posts entered because you spend life sitting on your arse indoors- because that is your major form of life activity. Just the opposite is historically true about police conduct with visitors. They generally do not harass tourists. This has been one of Thailand's major selling points in the travel industry. Best guess; You are just another know-nothing, no-where expat type and today your only form of gratification is the vicarious approval that you imagine that you are receiving from Thai bashers who could not care less about honesty as long as what you say is denigrating.

[SoiBiker]

I don't know why this is news. Been happening for years and years.

I cannot imagine anyone that knows anything about Thailand not resenting such a B.S. remark...

Anyone that knows anything about the area in question knows that the remark is accurate.

Police ID checks/searches have been a fact of life round those parts for many years. The recent hysteria around the issue has just brought it to more people's attention.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Does this sound like it's over to anyone?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783024-thonglor-police-foreigners-have-right-to-say-no-to-drug-test/page-6#entry8799257

(Happened Saturday (2 days ago), broad daylight)

[spidermike007]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

Harsh but fair!

Quite the opposite. I find that because I am a foreigner, the police are far more tolerant, and far less likely to cross the line. I can get away with the kinds of things a Thai would get arrested, locked up, or beaten up for. I do not push the line to the point of being obnoxious. Only enough pushback for them to get the idea I am not an ignorant patsy. It takes a bit of courage. I recommend you try it sometime. No sense in just making yourself a doormat for a corrupt policeman, who is breaking every oath he has taken by behaving poorly. I have also used this strategy in Cuba. Worked every time. The police seemed afraid to cross that line.

[SoiBiker]

Does this sound like it's over to anyone?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783024-thonglor-police-foreigners-have-right-to-say-no-to-drug-test/page-6#entry8799257

(Happened Saturday (2 days ago), broad daylight)

It's not 'over' - it never really started.

[paddyjenkins]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

Harsh but fair!

Quite the opposite. I find that because I am a foreigner, the police are far more tolerant, and far less likely to cross the line. I can get away with the kinds of things a Thai would get arrested, locked up, or beaten up for. I do not push the line to the point of being obnoxious. Only enough pushback for them to get the idea I am not an ignorant patsy. It takes a bit of courage. I recommend you try it sometime. No sense in just making yourself a doormat for a corrupt policeman, who is breaking every oath he has taken by behaving poorly. I have also used this strategy in Cuba. Worked every time. The police seemed afraid to cross that line.

Sounds like nonsense to me. So why don't you give some specific examples of things that you do that would get a thai arrested or beaten up?

[spidermike007]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

Harsh but fair!

Quite the opposite. I find that because I am a foreigner, the police are far more tolerant, and far less likely to cross the line. I can get away with the kinds of things a Thai would get arrested, locked up, or beaten up for. I do not push the line to the point of being obnoxious. Only enough pushback for them to get the idea I am not an ignorant patsy. It takes a bit of courage. I recommend you try it sometime. No sense in just making yourself a doormat for a corrupt policeman, who is breaking every oath he has taken by behaving poorly. I have also used this strategy in Cuba. Worked every time. The police seemed afraid to cross that line.

Sounds like nonsense to me. So why don't you give some specific examples of things that you do that would get a thai arrested or beaten up?

Refuse to pay a silly bribe. Take me to talk to your captain. I want to discuss this fine with him. It has worked on several occasions. They just waved me away. Too many other marks for them to waste their time with one that is difficult. They really get flustered when you show resistance. Try it. It is really fun.

Edited December 15, 2014 by spidermike007

[SoiBiker]

Here's my ID. Yes, as you can see I'm not carrying any drugs.

Worked pretty well for me in the past. A mild inconvenience that takes a few minutes of your time, and nobody gets upset.

[Hanuman2547]

I rode down Asoke and across Sukhumvit in both directions (heading towards Klong Toey at 10am and returning at 11:30am) on Saturday. Had a good look for this while stopped at the lights and couldn't see any cops anywhere. Hopefully someone's had a word...

I don't doubt that your experience happened. I just think that the BIB aren't out yet looking for people to make "donations". If you're looking for a better time to potentially find the BIB stopping people, I think anytime after 8:00pm would have a higher probability of this occurring.

[CarlTyson]

I rode down Asoke and across Sukhumvit in both directions (heading towards Klong Toey at 10am and returning at 11:30am) on Saturday. Had a good look for this while stopped at the lights and couldn't see any cops anywhere. Hopefully someone's had a word...

I don't doubt that your experience happened. I just think that the BIB aren't out yet looking for people to make "donations". If you're looking for a better time to potentially find the BIB stopping people, I think anytime after 8:00pm would have a higher probability of this occurring.

Probably too hot to be shaking down tourists before 8PM.

Funnily, I have watched the cigarette butt police positioned in the aircon lobby of Times Square stalking his prey in comfort thru the window.

He hangs out with the security guy there.

People walk outside to have their puff break but the trashcan was somehow hidden. Did the security guy move it?

CaChing! 2,000Bt please.

Next.

[impulse]

I rode down Asoke and across Sukhumvit in both directions (heading towards Klong Toey at 10am and returning at 11:30am) on Saturday. Had a good look for this while stopped at the lights and couldn't see any cops anywhere. Hopefully someone's had a word...

Sadly, probably simple physics.

They can't be everywhere at once. Many of the recent stories have occurred on small sois and sub sois, out of the limelight.

But I hope you're right...

[Si Thea01]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

So you're a visitor here and it's your obligation to get in the face of the police and give them a hard time. Your not a Thai so what gives you the right to do anything? Mate, your nothing but an A of the biggest kind and hopefully you will meet your match and very soon. Clowns like you come here and make it hard for the rest of us who are law abiding. Tell me, do you feel big and brave that you are acting like a bully of the highest order.

Go to Australia and find out how long you would last with an attitude such as yours. You would be in the slammer quicker then you feet would touch the ground. Try it in the States, Russia or England. No, you come here and pull you tosser on a forum hoping that like minded fools will agree with you. Are you even in Thailand or just playing with yourself from afar?

Honestly, if anyone took you advise then they two must have a couple of screws loose because your certainly do, and as we say back home, you are definitely not the full quid.

Harsh but fair!

Quite the opposite. I find that because I am a foreigner, the police are far more tolerant, and far less likely to cross the line. I can get away with the kinds of things a Thai would get arrested, locked up, or beaten up for. I do not push the line to the point of being obnoxious. Only enough pushback for them to get the idea I am not an ignorant patsy. It takes a bit of courage. I recommend you try it sometime. No sense in just making yourself a doormat for a corrupt policeman, who is breaking every oath he has taken by behaving poorly. I have also used this strategy in Cuba. Worked every time. The police seemed afraid to cross that line.

Tell me, why is it our obligation to get in the face of police and give them a hard time. So if I abide by the rules and show respect, do you think I would have similar problems. If you are a law abiding guest in this country, then why do you appear to draw the police to you. What do you get up to that draws the police to you. Your post shows me that you seem full of your own importance, just who the hell do you think you are? Next time you have an alleged rant, please film it and then post it to prove the veracity of your fairy tale. I don't think you will be able to and we will all see you are just full of hot air.

What rights do you think you have that enables you to carry on like a yobbo, calling the police names, swearing at them, telling them they can't do this or that, Despite your alleged rant, as posted, the police are so very tolerant toward you and did not cross the line. Forgive me if I find your scenario a little hard to swallow. Your a guest in this country, don't you think you should act like one, no, not you, you just want to paint yourself as a real bother boy, one who can stand over police, no matter what the situation. Even if this was a little bit true, watch out for the Karma.

Despite all you bravado you do not push the line to the point of being obnoxious. I would suggest you learn the meaning of the word because what you boast about is at least you being extremely unpleasant if not bordering on the belligerent. This word has another meaning. You do enough to show them that you are not an ignorant patsy? I can tell you that from what your original post tells us you, you are right, your not a patsy but you left out another adjective and if you don't understand you should have written, "I'll show them that I am ignorant and arrogant fool."

I have never read such garbage. A post in which you are inciting others to carry on in such a manner that could see themselves in some very serious trouble. Do you call this responsible reporting and posting. I think you should think very carefully about what you post in the future, as if someone takes you advise, which places them in jeopardy, then the foolishness you've posted could very well come back to bite you.

[PaPiPuPePo]

On Friday night I was stopped by two policemen on a bike on Asoke around 2AM. I am a white male and stood in traffic until the issue was resolved. I refused to go to the police station and was in the middle of the street because I knew they were trying to extort $$$. I yelled that I lived in the building nearby and they finally let me go. I tried to take video but they would not let me and if anyone has a copy please let me know. I was quite loud and disruptive and would suggest that all foreigners do the same and make a spectacle of themselves if placed in the same situation. Thai police are lazy and the more we make them work to get $$$ the less they will bother us. Try to get video of others getting harrased and this will stop temporarily.

Are you a tourist or an expat? Why did they stop you, did they ask for your passport or other ID? You're a white male, so what? What is your point with this little snippet of information. Are you just making sure that others of the same ilk know that police are allegedly picking on a farang? Stirring the pot a little more? So you yelled at them, stood in the middle of the road and refused to go to the Police station as you knew they were trying to extort money from you. How did you know they wanted you to go to the police station? How do you know they wanted to extort money from you? So they understood what you said? They spoke and understood English, did they? It appears from you post they must have or maybe you told them off in Thai

How was the issue resolved? So you come to a country as a guest, go on like a yobbo, and then look for others to help you, as you allege police prevented you from filming them. They allegedly let you go, without penalty, so why are you trying to get others to place themselves in a situation such as you highlight here, where they might find themselves worse off, fined and/or inside the Hilton for a few nights. Not very wise advise. You want others to make a spectacle of themselves because you did? Just keep up the good work, and if your storey is even half way true, then be very vary because the next time you might not meet policemen who are so forgiving. And for you sake, I hope it is sooner than later, and maybe you will learn how to act in a civilised manner and not like a feral, which you post indicates you did.

I don't know where you are from but it is evident you are another fine quality import, one which we could quite easily do without. I, for one, do not want to be tarred with the same brush. I wouldn't say loud and disruptive, the word you are looking for is actually, "belligerent." Look it up if you do not know the meaning. An attitude such as yours we can all do without and if you are so unhappy here then there are always other avenues you can explore.

A fairy tale I think. Nothing written that is factual. They let you go without any further action after you allegedly gave them a mouthful. So you are above the law or think you are and you want others to act similarly. Honestly,Hans Christian Anderson could not have written a better fairy tale than this. You may have found your true vocation without knowing it.

OK, we get it, you believe in absolute obedience to authority even if that power is being used corruptly. If the police really wanted to deal with the serious drug problem it wouldn't be by randomly violating visitors' human rights, and their own Thai laws to boot, by making them piss in a cup without cause (which in case you missed it is proven to give false positives, even provided the cup is clean and there's no funny business on the part of the cops, who have an incentive to get positives), it would be by going after the dealers and their higher-ups.

Lumping cannabis in with meth, cocaine and heroin is pretty silly, in fact it's ironic that such a proud country as Thailand--and I have no problem with that--is so harsh on its own, mild inebriant, used here and elsewhere in Asia (including Japan, another Asian country too beholden to certain US policies with similarly hysterical persecution of the plant) in moderation for centuries or millenia, but gives the foreign-born, and much more harmful inebriant, alcohol, free run so that it can damage countless lives (and livers, notice the linguistic connection btw).

I'll bet if people were being stopped on the street and arrested if they had any alcohol in their system you and the others defending this practice would be "outraged, I tell you, outraged!"

Edited December 15, 2014 by PaPiPuPePo

[Tomtomtom69]

Just say no. You are not going to shake me down. You are not going to search me. You are not going to give me a blood test, or a breath test. I am minding my own business, and hurting nobody. Do something positive for your people. Do some real police work. Find some real criminals. Leave me the <deleted>** alone. Get out of my face. I am not going to submit to your nonsense, nor allow you to collect money to purchase a new car, or a villa. Do some real police work, you fool.

We have an obligation to get in their faces. I try to give the police a very hard time, when they are being unreasonable. It is our obligation to do so.

How well does that work in your home country?

It does not work in the US. Police there are very militant. And they are not trying to shake me down for a few hundred baht! But, here in Thailand it has worked many times. I find most of the hooligan cops, who are not enforcing the law, and just trying to collect some cash, just want an easy mark. When confronted with a difficult situation, where there is effort involved, and where someone is really questioning their behavior, I have found many times they are willing to back down. You can always give in, in the end, if you decide that things are not going according to plan. But, giving them a hard time is alot of fun. And a hard time is what the corrupt freaks deserve.

Police here are very easy going by comparison to the USA. You can't negotiate with a police officer in the USA but you can in Thailand. Just like you will be arrested for doing 190km/h (120miles per hour) in the USA on an expressway but in Thailand you probably won't even be caught. Even if you were handed a fine you could either talk your way out of it or avoid paying it and nothing would happen to you. There's no incentive for change - many police here are corrupt and as long as they don't think you're worth hassling, they'll let you go. Speaking Thai often helps significantly even though some Thais think that speaking English will take them off your back but I disagree. Speaking Thai and knowing your rights will be far more likely to get them off your back because they know you know more than them hence they won't be able to extort anything from you. Some poor tourist who is here on a 2-week holiday, can't speak a lick of the language and may never be back again on the other hand, is fair game for police extortion as they don't know what's going on and don't know how the police operate here, hence they fall victim to these scams.