Tourists are reporting a dramatic surge in harassment by Thai police

partington · January 21, 2015

Well done, Webfact, for posting old news.

The most recent date mentioned on this report was before Christmas last year and that involved a journalist who was in a bar that was raided where drugs were found. He was taken to a police station and legally tested for illegal drug use then released without charge when his tests were all clear. Isn't that what is supposed to happen?

References to fines being levied for dropping cigarette ends are references to people breaking the law and not liking the consequences. Don't drop cigarette ends or other litter is the answer and there will be no problems.

The other reference was to the stop-and-search operations in the Thonglor police area that were stopped weeks ago and have not been reported since unless, you know otherwise.

A similar old report was posted by one of your ThaiVisa cohorts a couple of days ago. Why do you lot keep dragging this stuff that won't affect law abiding locals or visitors?

If you have lived in Thailand for any length of time you will see that bad practices which "stop" because of "crackdowns" stop for about three or four weeks (if that) and then start again.

Just off the top of my head there was the crackdown on beach vendors in Pattaya (lasted about a week); the crackdown on kiddy porn sales from stalls in Sukhumvit Road after complaint by a passing UN official (lasted about three weeks); the compulsory purchase of insurance by Phuket jet ski owners (touted but never happened at all); the crackdown on illegally parked cars in Bangkok last year ( didn't last longer than a month) and so on...

(If you think this is just prejudice, here is a quote from a Thai paper ( The Nation) in a current editorial about scams quoted in another thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/793519-overpricing-shames-thailand-again/

"While they should be commended for a swift response, such exploitation could have been avoided altogether had the authorities ensured the law was being properly and continuously enforced in the first place. We have witnessed "war" declared time and again on some aspect of wrongdoing, only to watch the campaign fizzle out soon after.")

So it is useful to bring up information about bad police procedure, as experience tells you it has merely stopped temporarily, and forewarned is forearmed.

Disclaimer: I was stopped once on way to dentist (dressed almost extraordinarily formally in black trousers and blue oxford button down shirt - I won't wear shorts unless on a beach) by policeman asking grumpily for my passport, then visibly annoyed that I was able to produce it, asked if I " smoke drug", searched me very intrusively and then was let go. This happened in the mid-afternoon more than two years ago, before the Thong Lor Police had their income curtailed by the policies of the military government (no stalls allowed in the daytime any more, so no daytime protection money).

The Thong Lor income is still being curtailed, and as this was the catalyst for the increased number of stop and searches, the probability is that they will resume soon.

Edited January 21, 2015 by partington

Jim walker · January 21, 2015

The world is getting smaller by the day with the internet and many instances of daylight robbery in Thailand on the likes of you-tube now and I am sure many genuine tourists will be put off coming to Thailand when you are having a problem or in the process of being scammed/robbed and you can’t call for a policeman because it’s a policeman who is scamming you what’s the best option stay well away from Thailand plenty other safer countries in Asia to visit.

bigwhitewarrior · January 21, 2015

The latest news are.. if you are stopped by police..ask for their names...take their photograph..

They cannot conduct a search unless it is a well lit area...they may be fake police... and if they ask you for a urine sample..this can only be taken at a police station. .not in public.. also keep the following two names ...

Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri, assistant commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police, and Pol Col Apichat Suriboonya, director of the Royal Thai Police’s Foreign Affairs Division and head of Interpol’s...

phrisco17 · January 21, 2015

Lawless! always has been.

Always will be!

BestBitterPhuket · January 21, 2015

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...

..and they are speaking up because of the surge in harassment.

humqdpf · January 21, 2015

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.

So police harassment is "much hype over nothing," given your reasonably well travelled tourist/visitor is not going to know the difference between the real police and the cigarette police.? And if there is no place to place your cigarette butt except in the gutter (along with plenty other trash lying there), what can a tourist do? And to add to that, if you are like me, a non-smoker for over 20 years who has someone else's cig butt waved in my face by one of these cig police claiming that I dropped it, this stops being much hype over nothing.

Add to that the stated topic of this discussion, namely dramatic surge in harassment by Thai police, the trouble with Thai police is that once they stop someone who has been told that he has rights and who tries to exercise them, this can escalate as the police begin to lose face. There have been many many incidents where foreigners died in Thailand in suspicious circumstances and where there is strong belief that the Thai police had a hand in the death in some way. Someone who was not aware of the niceties of the Thai way of doing things and who tried to push for his rights - who knows where that would lead with the wrong set of cops and the wrong set of circumstances.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

Read the whole story and look at the dates, it's old news and not "more than that">

It's not old news until those responsible are held accountable.

The report is old news, but it benefits certain parties to have so many hits on the thread, that's the only reason it's keeps being dragged up.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

Forget that stupid cigarette. Have you read the full story. If this make global headlines...

About 15 minutes later, another police officer produced a bag of white powder, shook it near my face and accused me of buying it.

Eventually, a police officer took me outside where a Thai woman told me if I paid the equivalent of $15,200, I would be released.

During my detention, I identified myself as a journalist many times and asked for an explanation. None was given to me. After my release, I wrote to the official email address of the Thai police, but it bounced back.

I would really recomend every Expat who is living in the country to avoid any of these places. I made plenty of very bad experiences with Immigrations in the last 9 months. I was two times extorted (paying at least 1000THB more then officially) that I will only get 15 or 30 days instead of 60 days I should get officially...

But what you conveniently omitted to mention was that after a urine test proved negative the journalist was released without charge and without payment.

SiSePuede419 · January 21, 2015

"If you go to Sukhumvit Road..."

Seriously, Ian...have you ever considered getting off that barstool, getting out of that Red Light district and seeing the real Thailand, 555?

Edited January 21, 2015 by SiSePuede419

DM07 · January 21, 2015

Another reason added to the long long list of reasons not to visit Bangkok or live there, I still do not understand why people choose to live there when there is an entire wonderful country outside of the dirty, chaotic and Westernized mess that is called the city of angels. In a couple of decades it will be under water anyway because sea levels are rising (if you want to say we are at fault or not doesn't matter, they are rising is the important thing), and Bangkok is low lying land, and gets flooded annually as it is, so in the near future it will essentially be F#*!ed.

The Thai police need more $$$ or baht whatever due to the reform and scraping out some of the corruption thanks to the Junta, so these traffic cops and low ranking officers will resort to things such as random stop and searches on foreigners, I would even suggest that some may plant something if desperate enough for money for their double life, but that will be a rarity, however it has been done before and so it shall be done again.

Bangkok, I only ever see you when I need to go to the airport and that is too much for me. It is too big, too busy, too dirty, too expensive, too shabby and now the police are too hands on. Sounds like a great place to settle down, better invest in a boat though..

You still don't understand, why people choose to live in Bangkok?

Let me help you: 3 letters...people do it, so they have money to make a living...starts with a J...

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

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.

Hang on to it until you see a bin, easy.

selftaopath · January 21, 2015

It's a continued stain on Thailand and Thai people. They should be ashamed.

LOL some might say "they have NO shame."

I firmly believe when it comes to MONEY many/most here disregard everything/everybody, and go for the Baht.

GAZZPA · January 21, 2015

The word is slowly spreading around the world.

This will surely affect tourist numbers.

I agree, it eventually will. It will also be the worst kind of reputation to shake, that being one of steady erosion due to continual problems. (1 big disaster story is soon forgotten but constant complaints over a period of time stick forever)

Thailand will not see it though,, they know best,, such stupidity,, hey ho,,

monk213 · January 21, 2015

Another reason added to the long long list of reasons not to visit Bangkok or live there, I still do not understand why people choose to live there when there is an entire wonderful country outside of the dirty, chaotic and Westernized mess that is called the city of angels. In a couple of decades it will be under water anyway because sea levels are rising (if you want to say we are at fault or not doesn't matter, they are rising is the important thing), and Bangkok is low lying land, and gets flooded annually as it is, so in the near future it will essentially be F#*!ed.

The Thai police need more $$$ or baht whatever due to the reform and scraping out some of the corruption thanks to the Junta, so these traffic cops and low ranking officers will resort to things such as random stop and searches on foreigners, I would even suggest that some may plant something if desperate enough for money for their double life, but that will be a rarity, however it has been done before and so it shall be done again.

Bangkok, I only ever see you when I need to go to the airport and that is too much for me. It is too big, too busy, too dirty, too expensive, too shabby and now the police are too hands on. Sounds like a great place to settle down, better invest in a boat though..

You still don't understand, why people choose to live in Bangkok?

Let me help you: 3 letters...people do it, so they have money to make a living...starts with a J...

Well that goes for mainly Thais yes, around 1/4 of the entire Thai populous lives in Bangkok mainly for work. I was referring to (and should have mentioned) why do farang choose to live there... It is beyond my personal comprehension, there are a zillion better places to live in this country, Pattaya and Patong Beach are not on my list by the way.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

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

Why did she drop the cigarette, too lazy to find somewhere to dispose of it and thinks the laws don't apply to her? Glad she was fined.

sprq · January 21, 2015

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.

True, except they are BMA (Bangkok municipality) officials, not BTS.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

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...

No there hasn't, the reports are almost non-existent now as long as you exclude out of date historic articles such as the OP.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

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.

They are not BTS officials, they are BMA officials.

sprq · January 21, 2015

Another reason added to the long long list of reasons not to visit Bangkok or live there, I still do not understand why people choose to live there when there is an entire wonderful country outside of the dirty, chaotic and Westernized mess that is called the city of angels. In a couple of decades it will be under water anyway because sea levels are rising (if you want to say we are at fault or not doesn't matter, they are rising is the important thing), and Bangkok is low lying land, and gets flooded annually as it is, so in the near future it will essentially be F#*!ed.

The Thai police need more $$$ or baht whatever due to the reform and scraping out some of the corruption thanks to the Junta, so these traffic cops and low ranking officers will resort to things such as random stop and searches on foreigners, I would even suggest that some may plant something if desperate enough for money for their double life, but that will be a rarity, however it has been done before and so it shall be done again.

Bangkok, I only ever see you when I need to go to the airport and that is too much for me. It is too big, too busy, too dirty, too expensive, too shabby and now the police are too hands on. Sounds like a great place to settle down, better invest in a boat though..

You still don't understand, why people choose to live in Bangkok?

Let me help you: 3 letters...people do it, so they have money to make a living...starts with a J...

Well that goes for mainly Thais yes, around 1/4 of the entire Thai populous lives in Bangkok mainly for work. I was referring to (and should have mentioned) why do farang choose to live there... It is beyond my personal comprehension, there are a zillion better places to live in this country, Pattaya and Patong Beach are not on my list by the way.

Force of habit. Place of work. More artistically enriching. Plenty of reasons.

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

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

I think you mean the downmarket homo soi 4.

monk213 · January 21, 2015

Another reason added to the long long list of reasons not to visit Bangkok or live there, I still do not understand why people choose to live there when there is an entire wonderful country outside of the dirty, chaotic and Westernized mess that is called the city of angels. In a couple of decades it will be under water anyway because sea levels are rising (if you want to say we are at fault or not doesn't matter, they are rising is the important thing), and Bangkok is low lying land, and gets flooded annually as it is, so in the near future it will essentially be F#*!ed.

The Thai police need more $$$ or baht whatever due to the reform and scraping out some of the corruption thanks to the Junta, so these traffic cops and low ranking officers will resort to things such as random stop and searches on foreigners, I would even suggest that some may plant something if desperate enough for money for their double life, but that will be a rarity, however it has been done before and so it shall be done again.

Bangkok, I only ever see you when I need to go to the airport and that is too much for me. It is too big, too busy, too dirty, too expensive, too shabby and now the police are too hands on. Sounds like a great place to settle down, better invest in a boat though..

You still don't understand, why people choose to live in Bangkok?

Let me help you: 3 letters...people do it, so they have money to make a living...starts with a J...

Well that goes for mainly Thais yes, around 1/4 of the entire Thai populous lives in Bangkok mainly for work. I was referring to (and should have mentioned) why do farang choose to live there... It is beyond my personal comprehension, there are a zillion better places to live in this country, Pattaya and Patong Beach are not on my list by the way.

Force of habit. Place of work. More artistically enriching. Plenty of reasons.

As I stated it is a personal opinion, I hate the place. On the topic of being artistic there are many places outside of Bangkok hat have a great influence, BannSillipin in Hua Hin AKA the Artist Village for example, really quite notorious now and my gf works there. Anyway back to Bangkok, it will have major water problems in 2 decades

Edited January 21, 2015 by monk213

Sviss Geez · January 21, 2015

"LITTERING" Hmm, now there's a word. Yes people should not be irresponsible and throw cigarette buts on the floor, and yes there should be more extinguish bins around like in Singapore.

But, lets look at that magical word "LITTER" there is a huge difference, MASSIVE, between that and they rubbish and foods that are just thrown into piles on the side walks, and the plague of rats (which are not even afraid of humans any more), That scavenge on this from 10pm onwards. bY THE STREET VENDORS. Now that's what I call "LITTER" but, what is done about this?...............NOTHING.

Because of this, and not cigarette buts, Bangkok is a Cess pit, of Rubbish / Litter.

i REST MY CASE.

You mean the bagged up refuse the vendors leave at the edge of the pavement to be collected later by the BMA rubbish collectors by arrangement with BMA? Lousy case you made.

Old Man River · January 21, 2015

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.

BTS or BMA officials? I think city police.

brewsterbudgen · January 21, 2015

What a lot of hysteria. If you can't handle corrupt cops, scams and other issues that come with developing countries with many economically disadvantaged people, you really should just stay at home. Some of us manage to live and work here quite happily, despite the annoyances and occasional discomforts. Life here obviously isn't for everyone but it's beyond ridiculous to think the same problems don't exist in other countries, most of which don't have half the good things that Thailand has.

Rumblecat · January 21, 2015

Well done, Webfact, for posting old news.

The most recent date mentioned on this report was before Christmas last year and that involved a journalist who was in a bar that was raided where drugs were found. He was taken to a police station and legally tested for illegal drug use then released without charge when his tests were all clear. Isn't that what is supposed to happen?

Under a month old isn't old news. But that's splitting hairs I guess. And the fact that Time is publishing a story about it is, in itself, newsworthy.

What's a bit more disturbing is the belief that being detained over night in a police station on spurious grounds, having a large sum of money (if he's talking dollars in the article then it's millions of baht) demanded from you to make the charges disappear, and only finally released after demanding to speak to your embassy and having to sign a statement that you're no provided a translation of is somehow what is supposed to happen..? Seriously- that's how you think the police are meant to work- trying to extort huge sums of money when no crime has been committed..?

thailandusauk · January 21, 2015

Anyone has found the facebook group about sukhumvit police harassment ?

Time Traveller · January 21, 2015

Being in Thailand you have to accept the risk that you might become a victim of a set up with drugs in an attempt to extort money from you by corrupt police.. Lot's of visitors seem to think Thailand is somehow a nation under rule of law. Guess they never heard about Thailand before

CapeThai · January 21, 2015

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.

When me and my Thai lady is in Bkk for business we stay in the Pathumwan Princess and I walk her to the BTS every morning after breakfast walking past them having my after breakfast smoke and they never arrased me in any way..... They just stare but never so much as tried to confront me.

SGD · January 21, 2015

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.

Didn't they remove bins at the same time as introducing the new fines ?

Coincidence ?

nottocus · January 21, 2015

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

They must have been clean after that.

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