Koh Samui Vendors Protest Police 'Extortion'
By Khaosod English


Vendors gathering outside of Bo Phut Police Station on Koh Samui, 2 April 2015.

SURAT THANI — More than 50 vendors on the southern island of Koh Samui gathered in front of a police station last night to protest rampant bribery among police officers on the island.

The rally was sparked by the arrest of 42-year-old woman who sold counterfeit purses near Chaweng beach yesterday evening.

According to the owner of the shop, police arrested her employee several hours after they demanded 50,000 baht to overlook the store’s violation of copyright laws.

The owner, Patcharee Chimthaprasert, 49, said she initially agreed to pay the bribe, but that officers later raised the price 190,000 baht, which she was unable to afford.

Four officers returned several hours later and arrested her employee, Nampueng Moongraiklang, and confiscated 28 bags as evidence, she said. Nampueng was charged with selling counterfeit copyrighted material.

After news of the arrest spread, around 50 vendors from 20 shops near Chaweng beach closed down their stores and staged a rally in front Bo Phut Police Station. The group filed a complaint that the four police officers extorted bribes from Nampueng and other vendors in the area.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1428050093


-- Khaosod English 2015-04-03

Well, this should be interesting.

It'll be forgotten about this time next week.

It's time to clean that island up.

It'll be forgotten about this time next week.

Very sadly... you're probably correct.

Basically: 1 criminal is complaining about the other one. To bribe the police is ok as long as its not too much. The irony.

I've seen many members on here who think it's a benefit to bribe the police. Get stopped while driving, pay a couple of hundred baht, and continue on. Seriously. It might partially explain why so few obey traffic laws.

A problem is that the corruption runs much deeper and is more ominous. A crook is a crook and should go to jail which includes most of the BiB.

It'll be forgotten about this time next week.

Of course, then everything will be maipenraied to safe face and all vendors are allowed to sell their counterfeit crap again.

Crooked as Lombard St. I'm not talking about the purse lady.

Basically: 1 criminal is complaining about the other one. To bribe the police is ok as long as its not too much. The irony.

Pretty much what I thought. Sounds like "pot calling kettle..."

How these naive vendors could think that the police close their shops without taking money?

It'll be forgotten about this time next week.

They will be made an offer that they can't refuse

New 20,000 baht fee for filing a Corruption complaint.

...

The Link to the orginal article does not bring it up and I have not found it on their website... Would like to know if there is any additional information other than what is above...

Pianoman

good on the vendors.....................copies of original items are sold all over asia,so the police are short of tea money once again.I think vendors should be allowed to sell copies.Get army back here ..and close down all the police stations...they are a bloody waste of time anyway.

I've seen many members on here who think it's a benefit to bribe the police. Get stopped while driving, pay a couple of hundred baht, and continue on. Seriously. It might partially explain why so few obey traffic laws.

A problem is that the corruption runs much deeper and is more ominous. A crook is a crook and should go to jail which includes most of the BiB.

Corruption runs at every level of society. Every level. People who run small bars in Chiang Mai - not girlie bars and quite legit - have to pay every week. The poice just come around and collect.

Shops that sell wooden items in Chiang Mai's Baan Tawaii area pay Forestry Commission 500 baht per week per shop - that's 250,000 per week, a million per month,

The Thai Cycling Association, run by an army general, is as corrupt as the day is long.

Shall we continue?

Goodness Gentlemen (and Ladies). Don't be too harsh on the BIB. Just think of all the "Inactive Posts" that have to be filled in Koh Samui.

Koh Samui - an island that was once paradise,.. now turned into a noisy, 'excrement filled' hole.

Vendors have been paying for years but now the price has risen . Oh thailand you all deserve each other!

It'll be forgotten about this time next week.

Correct, after they drop the charges, then the greedy cops will get a telling off for trying to screw up for all concerned then and moved away to another district for a while then business back to normal.

Mind you if they enforced fines on all copy cat vendors they would have to bust the whole of Thailand -- Ouch!

I dont consider the woman a criminal. She didnt offer to bribe, the bribe was demanded.

Hope dear general invokes his special powers and removes all police from the island.

So a criminal being fleeced by criminals. Where's the story? This is standard practice under Thainess. They deserve each other.

It's a gene in the brain to extort any vulnerable asset.

I bought a huge charcoal chicken grill for a friend a few years ago.

One by one, each motorbike idiot came by for his share......20-40k for 1 month.

It was about 5 or 6 Thai men, she refused and they said they would be back with some muscle. (Have you ever met a Thai male to fight 1 0n 1?)

Little did they know, she knew a few Pataya police officers, and they came and were in plain clothes and did a shakedown of these guys and took their bikes away because they were stolen. That was the end of that.

I've seen many members on here who think it's a benefit to bribe the police. Get stopped while driving, pay a couple of hundred baht, and continue on. Seriously. It might partially explain why so few obey traffic laws.

A problem is that the corruption runs much deeper and is more ominous. A crook is a crook and should go to jail which includes most of the BiB.

Corruption runs at every level of society. Every level. People who run small bars in Chiang Mai - not girlie bars and quite legit - have to pay every week. The poice just come around and collect.

Shops that sell wooden items in Chiang Mai's Baan Tawaii area pay Forestry Commission 500 baht per week per shop - that's 250,000 per week, a million per month,

The Thai Cycling Association, run by an army general, is as corrupt as the day is long.

Shall we continue?

It's not that bad, bribes are smaller than all the real costs they supposed to pay.

When Thailand reaches western world level,they cry and miss the good old days like Greeks do.

Koh Samui - an island that was once paradise,.. now turned into a noisy, 'excrement filled' hole.

not far off the truth!

I've seen many members on here who think it's a benefit to bribe the police. Get stopped while driving, pay a couple of hundred baht, and continue on. Seriously. It might partially explain why so few obey traffic laws.

A problem is that the corruption runs much deeper and is more ominous. A crook is a crook and should go to jail which includes most of the BiB.

Corruption runs at every level of society. Every level. People who run small bars in Chiang Mai - not girlie bars and quite legit - have to pay every week. The poice just come around and collect.

Shops that sell wooden items in Chiang Mai's Baan Tawaii area pay Forestry Commission 500 baht per week per shop - that's 250,000 per week, a million per month,

The Thai Cycling Association, run by an army general, is as corrupt as the day is long.

Shall we continue?

It's not that bad, bribes are smaller than all the real costs they supposed to pay.

When Thailand reaches western world level,they cry and miss the good old days like Greeks do.

yes,nothing like having to pay a good bribe,i'm sure the thais love it to death

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So a criminal being fleeced by criminals. Where's the story? This is standard practice under Thainess. They deserve each other.

The woman is no criminal trying to make a living selling at a small profit items she bought and paid for. The police are the criminals extorting money at the wrong end of the deal. Arrest the illegal copy makers and the police and get the country civilized.

Oh, on second thought arrest the illegal occupants of offices belonging to elected officials. What a concept.

Ok so they sell counterfeit goods ILLEGAL & they pay bribes Illegal they get extorted illegal.

Still can't get my head around that one.

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So a criminal being fleeced by criminals. Where's the story? This is standard practice under Thainess. They deserve each other.

The woman is no criminal trying to make a living selling at a small profit items she bought and paid for. The police are the criminals extorting money at the wrong end of the deal. Arrest the illegal copy makers and the police and get the country civilized.

Oh, on second thought arrest the illegal occupants of offices belonging to elected officials. What a concept.

A small profit? They buy these bags in Bangkok for around 100-200 baht, and sell them on Samui for around 1000 baht to tourists. Hardly a small profit. There is a reason she can afford the initial 50k bribe.

And yes, by defininition you are a criminal if you buy and sell illegal items. It does not matter if it is illegal handbags or drugs.

I've seen many members on here who think it's a benefit to bribe the police. Get stopped while driving, pay a couple of hundred baht, and continue on. Seriously. It might partially explain why so few obey traffic laws.

A problem is that the corruption runs much deeper and is more ominous. A crook is a crook and should go to jail which includes most of the BiB.

Indeed. So many falangs get all indignant about the corruption in Thailand and yet there's very happy to pay a bride to get out of a speeding ticket or to pay tea money to get their permits approved. So much for conviction of one's creed.