Doubts emerge over Time report on Thai police harassment

[webfact]

Doubts emerge over Time report on police harassment
By Todd Ruiz


Image: Screenshot from Time.com

BANGKOK: -- Questions have emerged about a widely read account of misconduct by Bangkok police published online by Time Magazine last week.

The harrowing, first-hand story written by Ian Lloyd Neubauer reports a damning account of police misconduct said to have happened at “a terrace bar in the Silom Road area” that is at odds with information and records provided by the police.

“It was Christmas Eve and I was at the upstairs area of a terrace bar in the Silom Road area having a late-night drink,” Neubauer wrote in Time’s article published Jan. 20. “At around 2 a.m. I called it a night and descended to the ground floor. There I saw half a dozen police officers searching the premises and interrogating the bartender, who was handcuffed on a chair.”

However inquiries with the police department responsible for that area insisted no such incident occurred Dec. 25 or around that date. Meanwhile, officers at a different police station in another neighborhood confirmed Neubauer was among five foreigners they said were detained on suspicion of drug use several kilometers away in the Sathon district at a restaurant known for selling drugs to its clients.

Far from random acts of abusive “tormentors” described, officers said they doing were doing good police work – acting on a tip which led them to seize a significant amount of drugs, and detaining people for which they had probable cause to do so.

“We did detain them and gave them a drug test for amphetamines,” said Police Lt. Somjit In-thilat, who that night was the watch commander at the Thung Maha Mek Police Station.

Numerous attempts over several days were made to reach Neubauer for comment. A reporter who sent messages via Facebook and Twitter found his account blocked soon thereafter. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/01/28/doubts-emerge-over-time-report-police-harassment


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-01-28

[Throatwobbler]

The police have raised the doubts. No surprise there then. All very convincing like all the police work here.

[sjjmmi]

[steve187]

always 2 sides to a story, if they differ, 1 must be incorrect, who to believe is the 6 million dollar question

[Diplomatico]

So one is disputing that it happened, just the location.

[Snig27]

Be fairly easy to prove then on the part of the cops - show the signature.

[static]

Too late, damage done. The story is already out there. Whether anyone (besides ThaiVisa Forum readers) are aware of it is another story.

[berybert]

A restaurant known to sell drugs. Good police work. So good the place is still open, and one would assume still selling drugs.

[Bluespunk]

I know who I'm believing.

Though the BIB aren't denying what happened just where it happened.

As if that's better.

[Snig27]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

So one is disputing that it happened, just the location. alt=thumbsup.gif>

And for most non-residents, Sathon is "the Silom Road area".

[Throatwobbler]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

A restaurant known to sell drugs. Good police work. So good the place is still open, and one would assume still selling drugs.

They will be supplying the drugs to the restaurant.

[Snig27]

Too late, damage done. The story is already out there. Whether anyone (besides ThaiVisa Forum readers) are aware of it is another story.

Time is a top 500 website in the world. I suspect a few others saw it. These sorts of stories get big traffic which is why they get printed.

It's also less than credible that if they found 300 (!!) grams of cocaine they didn't test these guys?

[ColdSingha]

always 2 sides to a story, if they differ, 1 must be incorrect, who to believe is the 6 million dollar question

yes, one side is renowned to play fast and loose with the truth to make sure the facts fit the "story"..

the other is a reporter

[uty6543]

​When I read the story i didn't know who to believe.

Credibility is so important.

BiB have a reputation for being a little dishonest.

A goggle search of Ian Lloyd Neubauer shows he has too much to lose to lie.

I know who to belive now.

[Sviss Geez]

The police have raised the doubts. No surprise there then. All very convincing like all the police work here.

And Neubauer's gone very quiet, that's surprising if he was genuine. All very convincing like all the local Thai bashers.

[Tatsujin]

Be fairly easy to prove then on the part of the cops - show the signature.

They did:

"When reporters visited the Thung Maha Mek station on Monday, it took some time for police to locate who was in charge the night of Dec. 24. On Somjit’s phone remained photos from the raid, showing the five suspects, including Neubauer. After some discussion he also showed a report from that night where Neubauer’s name was printed next to his signature. The signature Somjit showed did not include a message reading “This is not my signature” as Neubauer reported."

[zaphod reborn]

The cover up begins. When they lost tea money from vendors, they moved on to harass foreigners. There was a social media backlash. BIB has significantly curtailed the harassment in the last few weeks. I don't see them between Asok and Thong Lor anymore. There was one night in December, at approx. 6pm, that I saw 40 BIB in front of the Westin doing nothing but harassing foreigners. Glad it has ended, but this is the way the government manages to save face - a cover up. I don't know about the particular story reported in Time, but any resident in the Sukhumvit areas knows what foreigners were subjected to after BIB lost traditional sources of tea money.

[Snig27]

Be fairly easy to prove then on the part of the cops - show the signature.

They did:

"When reporters visited the Thung Maha Mek station on Monday, it took some time for police to locate who was in charge the night of Dec. 24. On Somjit’s phone remained photos from the raid, showing the five suspects, including Neubauer. After some discussion he also showed a report from that night where Neubauer’s name was printed next to his signature. The signature Somjit showed did not include a message reading “This is not my signature” as Neubauer reported."

No, I mean a properly verified signature, not just a bit of paper that the cops showed to reporters. There is a massive difference.

[Tatsujin]

Be fairly easy to prove then on the part of the cops - show the signature.

They did:

"When reporters visited the Thung Maha Mek station on Monday, it took some time for police to locate who was in charge the night of Dec. 24. On Somjit’s phone remained photos from the raid, showing the five suspects, including Neubauer. After some discussion he also showed a report from that night where Neubauer’s name was printed next to his signature. The signature Somjit showed did not include a message reading “This is not my signature” as Neubauer reported."

No, I mean a properly verified signature, not just a bit of paper that the cops showed to reporters. There is a massive difference.

Who should verify it? The Police? The reporters that it was shown to? Neubauer (who's disappeared and unavailable)?

[Loptr]

So it was a rogue operation and not an official bust... Why am I surprised the BiB deny the event?

[Snig27]

Be fairly easy to prove then on the part of the cops - show the signature.

They did:

"When reporters visited the Thung Maha Mek station on Monday, it took some time for police to locate who was in charge the night of Dec. 24. On Somjit’s phone remained photos from the raid, showing the five suspects, including Neubauer. After some discussion he also showed a report from that night where Neubauer’s name was printed next to his signature. The signature Somjit showed did not include a message reading “This is not my signature” as Neubauer reported."

No, I mean a properly verified signature, not just a bit of paper that the cops showed to reporters. There is a massive difference.

Who should verify it? The Police? The reporters that it was shown to? Neubauer (who's disappeared and unavailable)?

So we have an unseen piece of paper (apart from a few reporters who wouldn't know his signature), the police claiming it is something which it may or may not be and some sort of claim that he's disappeared? This is Time magazine which requires at least a reasonable burden of proof to print something like this - who to believe Time and a reporter who has more than a few substantive stories under his belt and also works for the likes of The Guardian and Al Jazeera, or the cops claiming to have an unverified signature. Why does he need to respond to "A reporter who sent messages via Facebook and Twitter"?

If it exists and it's real, show the public - and send it to Time. Not hard. Maybe he did exaggerate a little. We don't really know but the story stands unless it can be disproved and the evidence to date seems to be his word against theirs. Who is more credible? The Thai police or Time magazine? I guess we each have to decide that for ourselves.

[Diplomatico]

Who is more credible? The Thai police or Time magazine.

Okay, secret ballot on who is more credible, the Thai Police or Time magazine.

[givenall]

This like asking the wolf did you eat the lamb

This must be Thai style, ask the criminal about their crime

[WhizBang]

Hmmm, so who should I believe? The BiB (known for their absolute honesty) or Time magazine?

Given the BiB's abysmal track record, I think I will go with Time magazine.

Thais are sooooo predictable when they are caught out.

[LuckyLew]

and did anyone expect the RTP to just come out and say "yes it is all true and we are sorry it happened"?

just surprised it took so long to start countering the article

[Tatsujin]

No, I mean a properly verified signature, not just a bit of paper that the cops showed to reporters. There is a massive difference.

Who should verify it? The Police? The reporters that it was shown to? Neubauer (who's disappeared and unavailable)?

So we have an unseen piece of paper (apart from a few reporters who wouldn't know his signature), the police claiming it is something which it may or may not be and some sort of claim that he's disappeared? This is Time magazine which requires at least a reasonable burden of proof to print something like this - who to believe Time and a reporter who has more than a few substantive stories under his belt and also works for the likes of The Guardian and Al Jazeera, or the cops claiming to have an unverified signature. Why does he need to respond to "A reporter who sent messages via Facebook and Twitter"?

If it exists and it's real, show the public - and send it to Time. Not hard. Maybe he did exaggerate a little. We don't really know but the story stands unless it can be disproved and the evidence to date seems to be his word against theirs. Who is more credible? The Thai police or Time magazine? I guess we each have to decide that for ourselves.

Based on previous experiences, I'd take anyone's word over those of the Royal Thai Police any day of the week until proven wrong. On the whole, not the most honest bunch of people in the world.

Unusual though that it seems no one has been able to contact the reporter in question though to add to, verify or dispute what's been written. Maybe he's keeping his head down for some reason ...

[jaltsc]

"However inquiries with the police department responsible for that area insisted no such incident occurred..."

When was the last time, or any time since the beginning of time, has a Thai admitted guilt, apologized and made amends? That is when they weren't guilty of a heinous crime and could either apologize vs. go to prison for a long stretch or pay a hefty fine (If they came from a 'respectable" family)?

[FangFerang]

"The harrowing, first-hand story written by Ian Lloyd Neubauer reports a damning account of police misconduct said to have happened at “a terrace bar in the Silom Road area” that is at odds with information and records provided by the police."

Um, I thought everyone agreed the police were corrupt liars? Apparently all deception and corruption was suspended while the Nation report was wtritten, and resumed immediately after.

The whopper was "Neubauer was among five foreigners they said were detained on suspicion of drug use several kilometers away in the Sathon district at a restaurant known for selling drugs to its clients."

Um, no arrests of the bar owners, operators or workers...? Curiouser and curiouser said Alice (and everyone else).....

[inzman]

Who's fault is it that the BIB have lost all credibility. They don't realize what they do to their reputation when they act as they do. Even if they surprisingly tell the truth, would anybody believe them, think not.

[Bluespunk]

"The harrowing, first-hand story written by Ian Lloyd Neubauer reports a damning account of police misconduct said to have happened at “a terrace bar in the Silom Road area” that is at odds with information and records provided by the police."

Um, I thought everyone agreed the police were corrupt liars? Apparently all deception and corruption was suspended while the Nation report was wtritten, and resumed immediately after.

The whopper was "Neubauer was among five foreigners they said were detained on suspicion of drug use several kilometers away in the Sathon district at a restaurant known for selling drugs to its clients."

Um, no arrests of the bar owners, operators or workers...? Curiouser and curiouser said Alice (and everyone else).....

I thought the OP said the bar owner and a member of staff had been arrested?

Edit {from the rest of the coconuts article}

They arrested the Thai woman owner and a male Thai staff member who are now in jail awaiting trial on drug charges.