Tourists are reporting a dramatic surge in harassment by Thai police

[daveAustin]

They target Koreans who are usually heavy smokers and Arabs, too. I've seen these rent-a-cops fine unsuspecting tourists along a stretch of Sukhumvit. I'd hardly call this harassment, though. It's littering and it comes with a fine. I believe spitting, dropping cigarette butts, and littering are among the acts which can be legally fined along that small stretch. This is a crappy article. and should be ignored. Much hype over nothing.

Well done for lamest reply of the day so far. Truly imbecilic.

Did you even read the article? It's nothing to do with the ciggie butt officers but more to do with the fact that it seems police are acting like gangsters in order to extort money from tourists.

Now pop orf and read it again before replying....

Okay, so the rest of the article reveals a lot more than just the cigarette cops. Thanks for burying the real story in the flotsam of what's been going on in Sukhumvit forever. However, my hunch is that the bartender at the unnamed bar on Silom is not a tourist. The journalist is not a tourist. I'm going to go out on a limb and say these are expats, perhaps regulars at that bar who have been targeted by rogue police. It was 2AM at an after hours party when the bars are supposed to be closed. I hate the RTP as much as the next guy, and I won't blame the victims if they are truly victims in this case. The article mentions 4 Westerners. I'd like to hear their version of the story, too. 2am...possibly patpong...hate to say it, but you're asking for trouble in that area at that hour.

Genuine tourist couples are getting pulled just for minding their business at all times of the day.

[Anthony5]

Well dropping cigarettebutts on the street is a problem but why are there no bins? Is the fear of a bomb in a bin still that high? Then tourists should know about that.

Exactly. Thailand has a very strict littering law, but I've never seen a country with so few dust bins, so how is one supposed to dispose of his litter.

[Emster23]

If they look like police, if they act like police, they are police, in tourists perception. BTS or RTP doesn't matter: "Oh, it's okay honey, that was just a shakedown from transit cops, not real cops. Let's go enjoy some more Thainess".

[pedro01]

The litter police are well known and each time I go down Sukhumvit - someone is in the booth getting fined.

As for the "pee in a cup" police - I'm not sure I believe this at all. I think it's 100% media hype.

I've not seen them in action and I don't know a single person that has been stopped and I have plenty of friends living in the area. I think it's just a media story that people are jumping all over.

I'm not saying that people don't get stopped and searched - it's happened to me once in 16 years but I was completely sh*tfaced drunk and wandering down the road at 4am.

But to think that the police are stopping people all day long in in Sukhumvit and getting them to get their tackle out and pee in a cup - well - where is the evidence? One YouTube video?

[BudRight]

Well dropping cigarettebutts on the street is a problem but why are there no bins? Is the fear of a bomb in a bin still that high? Then tourists should know about that.

Exactly. Thailand has a very strict littering law, but I've never seen a country with so few dust bins, so how is one supposed to dispose of his litter.

One is supposed to throw it on the ground and be fined 2000 Baht. That is the whole point of the law, yet it was met with moronic cheers here on the TVF.

Regarding the article, it doesn't matter how many people read Time. There's many, many sites that just reprint whatever they can from other sources. Then it gets to TV news.

Still, I don't think most people will care. They'll see the the headline and think 'Yeah okay won't go there then' and that will be it.

Edit: Then TAT or someone will begin making statements denying the whole thing and invite the media. It will still go on, but under a reality distortion field.

Edited January 21, 2015 by BudRight

[Muggi1968]

My sister visit me here in TH last year.

She dropped a cigarette at Sukhumvith road. The police see it and wanted 10000 Bath

My Thai wife talked them down to 1000 Bath

[brewsterbudgen]

They target Koreans who are usually heavy smokers and Arabs, too. I've seen these rent-a-cops fine unsuspecting tourists along a stretch of Sukhumvit. I'd hardly call this harassment, though. It's littering and it comes with a fine. I believe spitting, dropping cigarette butts, and littering are among the acts which can be legally fined along that small stretch. This is a crappy article. and should be ignored. Much hype over nothing.

Well done for lamest reply of the day so far. Truly imbecilic.

Did you even read the article? It's nothing to do with the ciggie butt officers but more to do with the fact that it seems police are acting like gangsters in order to extort money from tourists.

Now pop orf and read it again before replying....

Okay, so the rest of the article reveals a lot more than just the cigarette cops. Thanks for burying the real story in the flotsam of what's been going on in Sukhumvit forever. However, my hunch is that the bartender at the unnamed bar on Silom is not a tourist. The journalist is not a tourist. I'm going to go out on a limb and say these are expats, perhaps regulars at that bar who have been targeted by rogue police. It was 2AM at an after hours party when the bars are supposed to be closed. I hate the RTP as much as the next guy, and I won't blame the victims if they are truly victims in this case. The article mentions 4 Westerners. I'd like to hear their version of the story, too. 2am...possibly patpong...hate to say it, but you're asking for trouble in that area at that hour.

Genuine tourist couples are getting pulled just for minding their business at all times of the day.

Nothing like ridiculous exaggeration to make a point!

[smurph]

Not a bad report from time, but not exactly news. Covers a lot of the same ground as this one from December... http://asiancorrespondent.com/128988/bangkok-shakedown-tourists-report-increased-harassment-by-police/

[SuwadeeS]

The point is, they do not charge Thais for littering. <deleted>.

[kuifje]

Don't believe a thing from this reporting.

They are trying to discredit the present government.

I only see improvement.

Some 'dark' powers are behind this to get 'negative' attention to Thailand.

[ggt]

There has not been a dramatic surge in harassment of tourists by Thai police...but there has been a dramatic surge in tourist speaking up and reporting police wrong doing...

[xtof2]

Great report from Time.

It will certainly help to restore tourists confidence in this wonderful and welcoming country !

All these scumbags cops losing face a bit more day after day... I love that !

[ToddinChonburi]

This is funny, why don't they close the shitty bars down then. No lets just harass the customers so they stop coming. makes no sense, the embassies seem to be ignoring the crap that goes on in this country.

Yes littering is illegal but detaining someone without cause is also illegal.

[Equalizer]

For one week i declare a national Thai Visa Chuwit Kamolvisit week. All those in favour go to Google images and type in Chuwit Kamolvisit pick a photo and upload it to your profile pic.

[jalansanitwong]

I got pulled up by cops on Sukhumvit rd back in 1989 on my first trip to Thailand. they manhandled me and tipped all my smokes out of the packet then got back on their bike and zoomed off.

Nothing changes in this country.,Foreigners are just kidding with them selves when they try to be apologists for that scum.

Dont wear a suit in Thailand. The cops will think youre Bill Gates.

[fishingforsquid]

I think the most interesting thing about this is the claim that because the current government is cracking down on street vendors that police are being forced to turn to a different form of graft, shaking down tourists. Not a good look.

[fishingforsquid]

I would really recomend every Expat who is living in the country to avoid any of these places.

I recommend avoiding the place altogether. Currently not worthy of spending money on.

Except for a stopover to Myanmar

[ColdSingha]

A 2:00am 'late drink' in Silom presumably means Patpong and in truth you kind of put yourself on offer hanging out there. Easy meat really for the RTP. Like other posters have said I think our man is making much more of this than it is worth.

a late night drink on a terrace bar in silom area is much more likely to be on the upmarkent young hiso soi. soi 4 i think

Edited January 21, 2015 by ColdSingha

[maidee]

i wonder what the price is for thais dropping a butt ... 10x less or free

[DM07]

Stay classy, guys!

"I would never go to have a drink on Sukhumvit (Silom, Nana, Patpong etc.)..."

That really helps with the core of the problem!

Really!

[ratcatcher]

Again, those are not Thai police but BTS officials and the 2000 Baht fine is a legal one and posted in many places regarding littering. There have been multiple articles over the last few years referring to it as a scam when it is in actuality legal enforcement. But if targeting only the foreigner, then certainly the Governor should step in (again) to do something about it, but no fingers crossed here that will happen.

I don't think Bangkok Transit System (BTS) security guards are responsible for the harassment of foreigners on Sukumvit Rd.

That can be attributed to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA), officers ( known in Thai as thetsakij) who have small booths located on the street where they watch for tourists and expats to drop litter or cigarette butts and then attempt to extort money. Criminal activity at its most basic level.

[SupermarineS6B]

hedonistic metropolis?

Aside from the minuscule Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Patpong, Bangkok's reputable as a hedonist's holiday spot is greatly overrated...

There is more sex for sale in any North / South American city than in all of Bangkok...

Just come back from Siem Reap in Cambodia, and i must say considering the last time i saw it twenty one years ago, it's now turned into a better night life situation than Bkk. Great hotels, great bars and discos, and great restaurants. Thailand really is slipping down the toilet, due to the fact that they've forgotten why many tourists come here....... Cheap.......And now it's not..........

[John1thru10]

They target Koreans who are usually heavy smokers and Arabs, too. I've seen these rent-a-cops fine unsuspecting tourists along a stretch of Sukhumvit. I'd hardly call this harassment, though. It's littering and it comes with a fine. I believe spitting, dropping cigarette butts, and littering are among the acts which can be legally fined along that small stretch. This is a crappy article. and should be ignored. Much hype over nothing.

You didn't read the article, genius - you read the first paragraph.

[IAMHERE]

A 2:00am 'late drink' in Silom presumably means Patpong and in truth you kind of put yourself on offer hanging out there. Easy meat really for the RTP. Like other posters have said I think our man is making much more of this than it is worth.

Being easy meat makes it OK ?

[ianf]

Again, those are not Thai police but BTS officials and the 2000 Baht fine is a legal one and posted in many places regarding littering. There have been multiple articles over the last few years referring to it as a scam when it is in actuality legal enforcement. But if targeting only the foreigner, then certainly the Governor should step in (again) to do something about it, but no fingers crossed here that will happen.

Cigarette butt? What a joke. Up here in Chiang Mai you cycle around the beautiful country roads and see what people throw into the side of the road. Hundreds of plastic bags (neatly tied up) full of dirty diapers, food remnants and so on. This is not just random but systematic. The other day I was cycling down the highway when some folk on the back of a pick up were hurling bin bags full of god-knows-what into waste land (and in one case a shop forecourt) as they were driving at 60kph. One of the worst aspects is that when the local authorities burn the leaves in the verges they are also burning the bags of plastic and other plastic containers, adding to the extraordinary pollution we get here. So no excuses about tiny cigarette butts - it's just a money making scam.

[thesetat2013]

So, this is what passes for journalism these days. A drunk copy boy gets busted. Maybe Thailand doesn't want sketchy people anymore. I wouldn't blame them.

And, it's in Time magazine (Time.com). When was the last timewa anybody here read that rag?

What utter nonsense you drivel on about! Time magazine is read across the world mostly by middle and upper class people. The very same people Thailand would think of as quality tourists. And this article is not aimed at Thai citizens? Where is your proof this was written by a drunk copy boy? Stupidity is a disease and you should seek medical help immediately.

[Fairynuff]

The litter police are well known and each time I go down Sukhumvit - someone is in the booth getting fined.

As for the "pee in a cup" police - I'm not sure I believe this at all. I think it's 100% media hype.

I've not seen them in action and I don't know a single person that has been stopped and I have plenty of friends living in the area. I think it's just a media story that people are jumping all over.

I'm not saying that people don't get stopped and searched - it's happened to me once in 16 years but I was completely sh*tfaced drunk and wandering down the road at 4am.

But to think that the police are stopping people all day long in in Sukhumvit and getting them to get their tackle out and pee in a cup - well - where is the evidence? One YouTube video?

I hope you don't get shoved into the real world with a bump. Personally I do believe the hype and sukhumvit is (still) a no go area for me

[ichibawa13]

The word is slowly spreading around the world.

This will surely affect tourist numbers.

I used to visit Thailand about 4 times a year, after my last visit which was few months ago I have decided not to visit Thailand anymore. I was treated rudely in various places, Kao San internet shop, airport, Sukumvit not forgetting the police harassment!!!!

I am now in Cambodia which is much much better than Thailand.............

[John1thru10]

So, this is what passes for journalism these days. A drunk copy boy gets busted. Maybe Thailand doesn't want sketchy people anymore. I wouldn't blame them.

And, it's in Time magazine (Time.com). When was the last timewa anybody here read that rag?

How many people read Time magazine compared to how many people would want to hear your opinions, you ask? Several million more, realistically.

And just for example - you say you don't blame corrupt police officers for planting drugs on people to extort them?

When you end up making statements like that, it's time to re-evaluate, friend.

Edited January 21, 2015 by John1thru10

[phetmike]

You say that it doesn't happen. Well, it does. I was stopped and "suggested" I pay a 500 baht fine. I refused and told them to take me to court and prove their case. They let me go.