Koh Samui vendors protest police 'extortion'

[HerbalEd]

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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.

And how do you know what the vendors pay for illegal goods? Sounds suspicious to me. ;-)

[steelepulse]

Nice price increase by the Bibs. 50K is what is standard, but 190K, that's a nice Songkran bonus for the bibs.

[hawksway]

So the Vendors want to freely break the Law while the Police engage in money making activities to break it also!

Samui sounds like a lawless Island,.

[SOTIRIOS]

....arbitrary enforecement of the law....hmmm...where have I heard that before......

[prakhonchai nick]

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.

The woman WAS a criminal....she was selling counterfeit goods!

Take both the police AND the shopkeepers selling counterfeits to court!

[jackanapes]

we are back to the same old system of arrest seize fine release back to do the same again and so it goes on and on the vendors know what the score is pay up or we shut you down .

[Oziex1]

So 700 Police and Army abseiled from choppers the other day and didn't see a bloody thing.

1400 blind eye's turned.

[DaveinAsia]

It's time to clean that island up.

If we are to believe local prophecy the island will sink into the Gulf of Thailand anytime soon

[PoorSucker]

I am in Northern Chiang Mai on vacation, got my first no helmet ticket ever.

Had to go to the police station and pay 100 baht.

[prakhonchai nick]

I am in Northern Chiang Mai on vacation, got my first no helmet ticket ever.

Had to go to the police station and pay 100 baht.

100baht. !!!

You know the law. You should have been wearing a helmet, and the law needs to be changed providing a minimum fine of 5,000baht for every motoring offence.Then and only then can we expect the roads to be less dangerous.

OBEY OR PAY!

[thhMan]

I am in Northern Chiang Mai on vacation, got my first no helmet ticket ever.

Had to go to the police station and pay 100 baht.

100baht. !!!

You know the law. You should have been wearing a helmet, and the law needs to be changed providing a minimum fine of 5,000baht for every motoring offence.Then and only then can we expect the roads to be less dangerous.

OBEY OR PAY!

Thats easy to say when you cant even afford a helmet

[snowgard]

What I not understand is that they all the time arrest the staff and NOT the shopowner!!! They are the real criminals not the staff!!!

[off road pat]

Samui has some of the most corrupt cops in Thailand and that is something with all the competition for the place .....I remember A story told to me by a good friend.

In short : one of his friends was a resort owner and he's Thai manager was caught stealing and got fired,..he came back with friends and beat up the resort owner who was transported to hospital to attend he's wounds,....he had to stay there a few days. the Police came to take his statement. and one of the cops asked the guy if he wanted the manager to be killed ? and that he could do it....for a price......!!!!

Just telling you about the Koh Samui Police.......!! I have a few more story's like that about them , but this one says it all......

[razer]

About time ... power to the people.

[Freed1948]

Dear General follow this through to the end.

Then visit every cop shop in Thailand,

quote Section 44 and tell them to wise-up.

[Stray]

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.

WARNING!!! Off topic post.

Not happy to pay a bribe for getting pulled over at a police check-point. Not happy at all.

Valid driver's licence - check.

Valid international driver's permit - check.

Valid passport - check.

Valid visa - check.

Vehicle registered, insured etc. and original paperwork - check.

My 'crime'? Today, every falang pays 500B. If I don't pay? We impound your vehicle.

My options? Pay the 500B and be on my way. Don't pay the 500B, leave the vehicle in the hands of the police, find another way to get to the airport and possibly be late for my flight and work and explain to the international rental company why their car is sitting up in Northeastern Thailand.

I called the rental company, while sitting with the police and they told me to just pay the money to the police. Failure to do so would result in the car being impounded and me being hit with recovery fees (from the rental agency) and additional days rental until the vehicle was back in their lot.

So, no, not happy about paying a bribe. Not happy at all. In my case, it was an option of paying the lesser fee.

Back to topic . . .

[Roselinda97]

I just feel so sorry for my country. I am Thai and I have seen potential corruption in every walk of Thai life. Hope corruption can be driven away from Thai life maybe just dreaming.

[kovaltech]

interesting case ;-)

Imagine:

one copper wants you to pay bribe, if not you go to "jail", the moment you take your wallet and offer him the money, you'll get arrested by another one, for bribing an officer.....

Stop bribing...

Take their number and sent their bribe request to the big boss...

Do this without any hesitation...

Practical answer towards those who ask for "teamoney":

"Due to your formal request, for teamoney, i am obliged, by law, to file a complaint. Please bring me to your superior officer at once... "

Fun would be to have that on printing , in Thai language, to hand out to the asking officer....

[off road pat]

I am in Northern Chiang Mai on vacation, got my first no helmet ticket ever.

Had to go to the police station and pay 100 baht.

Very cheap , in fact far to cheap......In your country you would not drive without a helmet....the fines are more heavy.....!!! and still you would not think about your safety....!!!

I used to tell a couple of my friends to put on there helmets every time and they just laughed every time ...... just until the day one had a accident , not his fault, but who cares ??? he had extensive surgery to he's jaw and lost a few teeth......just what a helmet would have avoided.....!!!

On the other hand I am a strong supporter of the evolution Theory of Darwin...if some species can not adapt,....they disappear.....!

[kovaltech]

I am in Northern Chiang Mai on vacation, got my first no helmet ticket ever.

Had to go to the police station and pay 100 baht.

Very cheap , in fact far to cheap......In your country you would not drive without a helmet....the fines are more heavy.....!!! and still you would not think about your safety....!!!

I used to tell a couple of my friends to put on there helmets every time and they just laughed every time ...... just until the day one had a accident , not his fault, but who cares ??? he had extensive surgery to he's jaw and lost a few teeth......just what a helmet would have avoided.....!!!

On the other hand I am a strong supporter of the evolution Theory of Darwin...if some species can not adapt,....they disappear.....!

What i like most of this statement and about Thailand:

1: The darwin part

2: The adaption of Thai Law in Thai society, from my perspective, once you made an accident, its them who failed to obey the law thats paying...

In our society the rules are to milk the cashcow at any opportunity

[Sooo Upto Me]

As corrupt as each other. Let them get on with it.

[moojar]

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

Yes, my Thai friends in Bangkok think it is wonderful that they can pay a small bribe to the police to get out of a speeding fine. The same people think corruption is a very big problem in Thailand and needs to be cleaned up urgently.

Not sure if their "logic" is yellow logic (corruption only started with Thaksin) or just run of the mill Thai logic.

[flyingdoc]

Believe it or not, there are still parts of Samui that have not changed over the years! Try the West Coast, far, far away from Chaweng !!

[Yann55]

You have to love a country where people who are openly breaking the law end up complaining publicly that the local police force are even bigger gangsters because they try to blackmail them.

Yeee Haw ! way to go, General !

[PoorSucker]

Believe it or not, there are still parts of Samui that have not changed over the years! Try the West Coast, far, far away from Chaweng !!

People on this forum likes to go to Chaweng and Lamai so they can come here and rant about paradise lost, etc.

They would never go south of the ring road, they prefer Chaweng every year so they can have their annual rant.

[Mot Dang]

Don't get your knickers in a knot everyone, nothing will come of this. Never does !

The perps in power just keep doing what they do best - keeping the serfs under foot by extortion and belligerence. The rich will get richer and the poor will stay the same, particularly if this new constitution comes in. I could say "you have seen nothing yet baby !"

[Yann55]

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

Yes, my Thai friends in Bangkok think it is wonderful that they can pay a small bribe to the police to get out of a speeding fine. The same people think corruption is a very big problem in Thailand and needs to be cleaned up urgently.

Not sure if their "logic" is yellow logic (corruption only started with Thaksin) or just run of the mill Thai logic.

I suggest that their logic is ordinary human logic : 'whatever suits me is right, and what doesn't is wrong'. Which is why we often end up looking totally shizophrenic, but only in the other's eye, not ours.

Real education is supposed to counterbalance this principle, but then real education is a rare thing, and not only in Thailand.

[RigPig]

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.

I would be happy to pay the fine if it was ¨on the spot¨, having to find and go to the police station is ridiculous. Give the cops a ticket book and a receipt book, it´s not difficult. I would ask for the ticket rather than pay the cheaper bribe.

[tajtom]

Dear Mr Prayut,

How can you go on national television speaking about the great steps forward you have made and how happy the people are. You must understand you have changed absolutely 0. In fact these dirty police should be jailed as like any other civilization. This is a country right or are I wrong ?

How can you let these dirty uneduacted scum ruin a hard working shop keepers business. Personally I hate your police and would glady enter the ring with 4 at once. They are dirty underhanded vermon. They cruise the streets looking for sex allow drugs to be sold and numerous other things

Time to do what your good at and stamp these cockroaches. They are criminals with badges and if they can afford one, a gun

Delete this VIRUS. Give the people a clean start and a country a good reputation. If I was leader I would personally run there to see this scum face .to face !

Koh Samui

Pattaya

Phuket

TIME DO DISMANTLE

[Tchooptip]

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

Are you living in this noisy excrement filled hole ?

I do, but as fare as the noise is concerned yes the bird and the squirrels can be rather noisy especially in the early morning, also a car or sometimes a motorbike running on my soi every hour or so.

I do not need to buy bananas mangoes or lamut for I have plenty in the few rais of my owner for she lives in Bangkok so she told me I can help myself, even a few pineapples

I will not mentioned the excrement but If some are obtuse enough to believe Samui is limited to Shaweng beach road and know nothing but a few girl-bars OK . But everyone does not share this view and we are a few on this forum not unhappy in Samui