Video: Have shakedowns on foreigners by Bangkok cops resumed?

[Vallon66]

First before anything .Imagine you're on vacation or just having a pleasant day .Walking down the street with your friend(s), wife, girlfriend ,son ,daughter,or just by yourself.Minding your own business . Doing nothing wrong . Then two cops come along and stop you. Refuse to give a reason as to why , Just start harassing you. Demanding I.D. Interrogating you, attempting to demean or intimidate you ,reaching into your pockets,,or ...whatever...

From what I've read here most of you condone it.! Which is pretty gutless.

These cops had no reason to detain him. If they REALLY had a legitimate reason they would not have backed down and become so complacent. English or no English.

Alot of posters here are also whining because the guy said he was from the United States..He did not ''announce'' it as some of you claim. He said it ONCE, and in fact that was only when ''mumbles the cop'' asked him directly ''where you from''?. He didn't repeat it .AND he didn't say it any louder or clearer than the way he had been speaking all along.

Others are complaining that he didn't give the poor cops a chance to speak..Are you kidding me??!! LOL! THEY came at him! With thier own agenda ,..... . And when he wanted to know what that agenda was, they shut down..fast. Seemed like all thier self righteousness turned into a,''uh-oh we screwed up this time'',, situation.

Again,If they actually had a real legitimate motive ,they would have stood thier ground and took control of the situation.Instead of becoming crumbling ,stumblimng, mumbling children.And by the way,, enough already with this ''lose face ''garbage.That 's always the go to excuse.Nonsense.

The fact is that alot of posters here are just boot lickers and cowards who don't have to the courage to do what this guy did. Who by the way are the SAME hypocrites that complain COSTANTLY ,HERE ,ON THIS FORUM ,week after week about being harassed and shaken down by cops all over Thailand for ''tea money''. Which THEY admit giving into willingly . LOL

Regardless of what country.Being stopped for no reason and interrogated without so much as a clear reason as to why is B.S. That's police state nazi third reich . But according to the brits , aussies, frenchies, etc. WHO cry constantly here on this forum and to anyone who will listen to thier sob story about how terrible the police are in the LOS and Americans being so mean and arrogant ..boo hoo ...Let me tell you something .This guy may or not be a jerk, and personally I don't care where he's from nor it should it make a difference ,but what he did here said alot more about his character and his actions than all you ''tough guys'' there sitting behind your computers crying about bib injustice week after week and about the ''tea money'' you're laying out. Then later self deluding yourselves by saying well it's ''Thai culture'' ,trying to make yourselves feel better and justify your own cowardice.. Most of you are hypocrites that are insulting him because you yourselves don't have the guts to stand up to being unnecessarily harassed and/or shaken down.(That coupled with the fact you have an intense hatred and jealousy toward Americans.) Which in on itself is racist ,demented and twisted.

THAT guy just did you all of us favor.Yeah it could've went bad for him. But he took the chance and let , at least these two cops know, that foreighners and tourists are fed up with harassment, shakedowns and corruption.

So Next time that YOU are just going along YOUR way minding your own business and a couple of Thai cops pass you, look ,then think twice and do nothing, it just might be becuse of this video .

[Rumblecat]

Ignorant, loud-mouthed septic, maybe he should try being a little more polite next time and he'd probably get an answer to his question. The Thai cops should have put him on the floor, handcuffed him and dragged him off kicking and screaming, to the local police station, as would have happened if he has been that obnoxious in the good old U S of A. The authorities should immediately rescind his press pass, cancel his visa and send him back home. People like him give the rest of us a bad name. Stikboy is spot on in his article.

Well, you can speak for yourself, but you don't speak 'for the rest of us'.

He got stopped by the usual attempted hit n' hope shakedown, he decided to stand up to it, the police backed off and gave up. Could he have been more polite? Sure. But did he his tactic work? Absolutely.

For you questioning authority means a person should be handcuffed, taken to the police station and kicked out the country. That's basically a government's wet dream of a citizen- not just one that won't step out of line but will also call out their fellow citizens if they step out of line themselves.

I'm glad there are people with a bit of backbone who are willing to stand up for themselves. I don't believe foreigners lose all rights when they enter somewhere that isn't their home country. But I'm also vaguely sympathetic to your stance because I know some people tend to lose backbone when confronted by a uniform and they can't really help it- which I guess it the whole point of a uniform anyway- to install authority over those without.

What about the video makes you think they were attempting a shakedown?

The police in that area occasionally stop pedestrians to check their ID and perform a basic search. It's happened to me before. If you're as calm and polite to them as they are with you, it's over in 30 seconds with smiles all round. Clearly if you're a dick about it like this guy they give up and tell you to go away. I don't see any evidence of a shakedown of any kind.

Some people need to relax and stop thinking that the locals are constantly out to get them somehow.

I don't think the locals are out to get me at all. Don't know where you got that from, maybe you're thinking of a different post.

But I do know the police around that area like to stop and ID check foreigners and search them in the hope of finding something incriminating- and the searches are nearly always performed without reasonable suspicion beyond 'it s a foreigner'. And I don't mean 'shakedown' by extortion, I'm using it in the 'thorough search of person or place' definition- although granted I could have probably chosen a better word. The hit n' hope routine then.

But some people don't mind being stopped and searched. I've grown less tolerant of it over the years. It's not something I lose sleep over, but it's a pain in the ass when you're just trying to go about your daily business- especially if it involves being taken out a taxi and all that nonsense. Now some people might think they're genuinely looking for crime in this manner. Cynics might suggest they're hoping to find something incriminating that can be forgotten about with a donation to the policemen retirement fund / dinner dance kitty...

edited for a paragraph break

Edited May 11, 2015 by Rumblecat

[Chao Lao Beach]

Why is the Cop video them video the cops. Busted shack down

[jspill]

the guy sent me this on twitter fwiw

[2fishin2]

Ignorant, loud-mouthed septic, maybe he should try being a little more polite next time and he'd probably get an answer to his question. The Thai cops should have put him on the floor, handcuffed him and dragged him off kicking and screaming, to the local police station, as would have happened if he has been that obnoxious in the good old U S of A. The authorities should immediately rescind his press pass, cancel his visa and send him back home. People like him give the rest of us a bad name. Stikboy is spot on in his article.

Well, you can speak for yourself, but you don't speak 'for the rest of us'.

He got stopped by the usual attempted hit n' hope shakedown, he decided to stand up to it, the police backed off and gave up. Could he have been more polite? Sure. But did he his tactic work? Absolutely.

For you questioning authority means a person should be handcuffed, taken to the police station and kicked out the country. That's basically a government's wet dream of a citizen- not just one that won't step out of line but will also call out their fellow citizens if they step out of line themselves.

I'm glad there are people with a bit of backbone who are willing to stand up for themselves. I don't believe foreigners lose all rights when they enter somewhere that isn't their home country. But I'm also vaguely sympathetic to your stance because I know some people tend to lose backbone when confronted by a uniform and they can't really help it- which I guess it the whole point of a uniform anyway- to install authority over those without.

And you dont speak for me. What he did was made an ass out of himself.

So in your world what when a person is stopped by the police he gets to say to the policeman "timeout" so he can get his recording device out and film the proceedings?

Some of you people are out there in lala land.

Next time please dont say you speak for me....you dont.

[Lee4Life]

One call and they will be reminded of their space in LOS, they just are brainless poor people who do this job because they are not smart enough and do not have enough contacts to do a better one, so yes, I always remind them who they are !

I always challenge these retarded and I always win ...

That's until you don't.

Don't underestimate these guys as they can turn as and when they so wish. You sound a little too overconfident on the back of your run of good luck.

Pride comes before a fall, literally. Followed by crack over the nut with the baton just so you're reminded of your place in LOS.

It's a jungle out there.

You had better pray you get the chance to make that call before you are reminded of who you are!

[SoiBiker]

Ignorant, loud-mouthed septic, maybe he should try being a little more polite next time and he'd probably get an answer to his question. The Thai cops should have put him on the floor, handcuffed him and dragged him off kicking and screaming, to the local police station, as would have happened if he has been that obnoxious in the good old U S of A. The authorities should immediately rescind his press pass, cancel his visa and send him back home. People like him give the rest of us a bad name. Stikboy is spot on in his article.

Well, you can speak for yourself, but you don't speak 'for the rest of us'.

He got stopped by the usual attempted hit n' hope shakedown, he decided to stand up to it, the police backed off and gave up. Could he have been more polite? Sure. But did he his tactic work? Absolutely.

For you questioning authority means a person should be handcuffed, taken to the police station and kicked out the country. That's basically a government's wet dream of a citizen- not just one that won't step out of line but will also call out their fellow citizens if they step out of line themselves.

I'm glad there are people with a bit of backbone who are willing to stand up for themselves. I don't believe foreigners lose all rights when they enter somewhere that isn't their home country. But I'm also vaguely sympathetic to your stance because I know some people tend to lose backbone when confronted by a uniform and they can't really help it- which I guess it the whole point of a uniform anyway- to install authority over those without.

What about the video makes you think they were attempting a shakedown?

The police in that area occasionally stop pedestrians to check their ID and perform a basic search. It's happened to me before. If you're as calm and polite to them as they are with you, it's over in 30 seconds with smiles all round. Clearly if you're a dick about it like this guy they give up and tell you to go away. I don't see any evidence of a shakedown of any kind.

Some people need to relax and stop thinking that the locals are constantly out to get them somehow.

I don't think the locals are out to get me at all. Don't know where you got that from, maybe you're thinking of a different post.

But I do know the police around that area like to stop and ID check foreigners and search them in the hope of finding something incriminating- and the searches are nearly always performed without reasonable suspicion beyond 'it s a foreigner'. And I don't mean 'shakedown' by extortion, I'm using it in the 'thorough search of person or place' definition- although granted I could have probably chosen a better word. The hit n' hope routine then.

But some people don't mind being stopped and searched. I've grown less tolerant of it over the years. It's not something I lose sleep over, but it's a pain in the ass when you're just trying to go about your daily business- especially if it involves being taken out a taxi and all that nonsense. Now some people might think they're genuinely looking for crime in this manner. Cynics might suggest they're hoping to find something incriminating that can be forgotten about with a donation to the policemen retirement fund / dinner dance kitty...

edited for a paragraph break

I don't find it a bother at all. Despite living in the area and walking the streets they cover pretty much every day, it's happened to me once in two years. I can live with that, especially as I don't carry anything incriminating.

[tingtongfarang]

Some posters seem to be of the opinion that if stopped they have no right to question why and no right to record crimes being committed by the police, these shake downs have been going on for years by officers from thonglor,

In my view steve herman handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

Edited May 11, 2015 by tingtongfarang

[SoiBiker]

In my view steve hermen handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

At what point in the video are their nefarious intentions made clear?

[tingtongfarang]

In my view steve hermen handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

At what point in the video are their nefarious intentions made clear?

Their intentions have been made clear since years, even reported kidnapping,

Myself i always record stops by police it just never happened when walking, i dont use the mobile phone and they dont see the camera but often at some point i do make them realise they are being recorded at which time they either ask me to leave or walk away.

[brewsterbudgen]

In my view steve hermen handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

At what point in the video are their nefarious intentions made clear?

Their intentions have been made clear since years, even reported kidnapping,

Myself i always record stops by police it just never happened when walking, i dont use the mobile phone and they dont see the camera but often at some point i do make them realise they are being recorded at which time they either ask me to leave or walk away.

Do you have something to hide?

[Rumblecat]

Ignorant, loud-mouthed septic, maybe he should try being a little more polite next time and he'd probably get an answer to his question. The Thai cops should have put him on the floor, handcuffed him and dragged him off kicking and screaming, to the local police station, as would have happened if he has been that obnoxious in the good old U S of A. The authorities should immediately rescind his press pass, cancel his visa and send him back home. People like him give the rest of us a bad name. Stikboy is spot on in his article.

Well, you can speak for yourself, but you don't speak 'for the rest of us'.

He got stopped by the usual attempted hit n' hope shakedown, he decided to stand up to it, the police backed off and gave up. Could he have been more polite? Sure. But did he his tactic work? Absolutely.

For you questioning authority means a person should be handcuffed, taken to the police station and kicked out the country. That's basically a government's wet dream of a citizen- not just one that won't step out of line but will also call out their fellow citizens if they step out of line themselves.

I'm glad there are people with a bit of backbone who are willing to stand up for themselves. I don't believe foreigners lose all rights when they enter somewhere that isn't their home country. But I'm also vaguely sympathetic to your stance because I know some people tend to lose backbone when confronted by a uniform and they can't really help it- which I guess it the whole point of a uniform anyway- to install authority over those without.

And you dont speak for me. What he did was made an ass out of himself.

So in your world what when a person is stopped by the police he gets to say to the policeman "timeout" so he can get his recording device out and film the proceedings?

Some of you people are out there in lala land.

Next time please dont say you speak for me....you dont.

...but the guy did get his recording device out and filmed the police. It's not in 'my' world, it happened.There's a video. It's at the start of the thread. There would't be a video without him getting out his 'recording device' and doing that. It's not in lala land, it's a real thing, it's not even a vaguely strange or weird concept, it's not like it's the first ever video recording of a stop and search

You have an issue with that, that's cool. I don't have an issue with people filming police stop and searches. I don't disagree that the guy made a bit of an ass out of himself and he could have been more polite, but I think he showed a bit of backbone. Again, other people think that's wrong, that you shouldn't question the police, you shouldn't make them accountable. Each to their own.

I was speaking for myself though, I wasn't speaking for you. I disagreed that he gave us all 'a bad name'. But like I said, I'm vaguely sympathetic to the guy for fighting his corner, even if he could have toned it down a bit. A lot of people here wouldn't have the guts to do that- I probably wouldn't.

[SoiBiker]

I guess some people live in fear, and some don't.

[Rumblecat]

I don't find it a bother at all. Despite living in the area and walking the streets they cover pretty much every day, it's happened to me once in two years. I can live with that, especially as I don't carry anything incriminating.

I guess it's happened to me maybe ten times over eight years or so, but I do go out a lot. But even if hadn't, I'd still think it was a wee bit of problem. Do you really think these stop and searches are about purely about uncovering crime with no profit motive attached? If you do, that's fine, we're not going to see eye to eye on this one and I don't want to waste either of our time going back and forth over it.

I suppose I just think people are right to kick up a fuss about it. Why shouldn't they? People don't lose all rights the moment they enter a foreign country. Am I going to march on city hall? Nope, I can live with it as well. But living with something doesn't mean you have to agree with it.

[SoiBiker]

What makes you think you have the right to not cooperate with the police?

[tingtongfarang]

In my view steve hermen handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

At what point in the video are their nefarious intentions made clear?

Their intentions have been made clear since years, even reported kidnapping,

Myself i always record stops by police it just never happened when walking, i dont use the mobile phone and they dont see the camera but often at some point i do make them realise they are being recorded at which time they either ask me to leave or walk away.

Do you have something to hide?

Absolutely nothing...just a distrust of thai police, i guess the same as a high % of the thai population.

[SoiBiker]

If I was so paranoid that every time a cop spoke to me I thought I was about to get kidnapped or something, I think I'd just stay in my apartment. And maybe seek help.

[Asheron]

In my view steve hermen handled the situation well...he knew exactly what their intentions were.

At what point in the video are their nefarious intentions made clear?

When they stopped, without good reason, two guys walking on the street?

[tingtongfarang]

If I was so paranoid that every time a cop spoke to me I thought I was about to get kidnapped or something, I think I'd just stay in my apartment. And maybe seek help.

Paranoia does,nt come into it, but i do travel an awful lot of kilometers in and around bkk most days and never handed money over to police ie tea money, although i have paid 2 official traffic fines in almost 10 years,

I dont have an apartment but a house, it has ip cams.

Edited May 11, 2015 by tingtongfarang

[Rumblecat]

What makes you think you have the right to not cooperate with the police?

Ah, okay. I see we're going to just disagree all the way on this one. Police still need probable cause for a stop and search. And we're not even talking about someone not cooperating, we're talking about someone wanting the police to state what that probable cause was.

Do you honestly think all these stop and searches are done with probable cause, and with the sole aim of uncovering crime..?

edit : damn autocorrect kept turning probable cause into 'probably cause'

Edited May 11, 2015 by Rumblecat

[Asheron]

What makes you think you have the right to not cooperate with the police?

In a normal society (not sure if Thailand is part of that) you do not have to talk with cops. Not even if you are arrested and taken to the police station.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Asheron

[berybert]

What makes you think you have the right to not cooperate with the police?

From the video it doesn't seem the American is not cooperating with the police. Seems he is merely asking them what they want him to do.

Do you really have a problem with that ?

The only time he didn't do exactly as asked was when the copper told him "you go home now"

[AlQaholic]

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These two foreigners are two morons in my book. Do you know what happens if you stay speaking Japanese to two cops in NYC who have stopped you to see your papers? They will tell you: speak English you ass&$;:/! These two are lucky the officers were too mild and polite!

For your info, English just happens to be the Language that is most recognized as the language that would be most understood in most civilized part of the world (except in Britain where they speak something nobody understands). The AEC actually has as an agenda that all participants should communicate in English, that is why the Thai government has this agenda to improve Engrish teaching in schools (and as usual nothing has happened but at least there was the mandatory announcement on the crack down on not teaching Engrish good enough in schools).

Now you come as a tourist to a country that has been a tourist destination for English speaking people for about 30 years or more, you walk down the street and come across two police officers who have just rudimentary understanding of any other Language but Thai????

What does that tell ya about the dumb <deleted> that control Thailand....????

"except in Britain where they speak something nobody understands"

​That tickled me actual and very true. I have a rather broad London accent but I can understand anyone with any accent from the UK , Scots , Irish (North and south) Welsh , Scousers ,Geordies ,Makums, Brummies , Carrot Crunchers even the Monkey Hangers and they can understand me, But go overseas and talk to People with English as a second language and its a whole different kettle of fish because they've been taught English properly. English with the letter H in it. Some even open their mouth when they speak and don't shorten every word and say Haven't instead of aint.

I see in these peoples faces they generally have no idea what i am prattling on about. Malaysia was the worst because you expect them to understand you and they don't. I've lost count the amount of times I've almost had a Rage Aneurysm when on the phone to Pizza Huts Home delivery receptionists "what is your first name" "Dave" "Dive?" 'yes my first name is Dive".and it get worse as it goes on . I'll learn to speak English properly one day hopefully

I did not mean to offend anyone by the statement, I would rather people read it with a bit of humor, I think the problem English as a second language speakers have in understanding Brits is mainly because of extensive use of British slang, idioms and allegories when Brits talk, especially among themselves, the Slang used here for example Scousers, Geordies, Brummies requires me google it. who on earth that is not from Britain would know that Brummies means Birmingham? Of course once you know it it is easy to remember as it comes naturally to say it that way. But that is what I mean, The British English is so rooted in Britain that it has become somewhat different from the English other people learn elsewhere.

Sorry for off topic but it's an interesting topic.

[jackanapes]

my advice to the American in this video is stop being a burk and go home or better still try and learn some thai .

[thailandforumaddict]

So shocking right ? Someone with balls is so hard to find among foreigners in this country...

If there was more guys like him all the whining little girls who melt in front on the MIB would be shocked also !

my advice to the American in this video is stop being a burk and go home or better still try and learn some thai .

[NoshowJones]

What makes you think you have the right to not cooperate with the police?

I have never been stopped by the police, if I ever am I will be polite to them as long as they are polite to me, anytime I have spoken to the police or

the police have spoken to me, they have always been polite, and on one occasion even shaking my hand.

However, there is one thing I won't be doing, and that is letting them handle my wallet, I will let them look inside it after I remove my money and anything else in it,

only I handle what is in my wallet.

[SoiBiker]

Worried they'll steal your lucky condom?

[berybert]

Worried they'll steal your lucky condom?

You should be. He might use it to reserve a seat at a food stall before you get to put your brolly on it.

[Fab5BKK]

my advice to the American in this video is stop being a burk and go home or better still try and learn some thai .

..."learn some Thai"...

1. In order to deal with this kind of situation you need to know much more than "some Thai', you need to be fluent in Thai...

2. How long would it take to become fluent in Thai?

3. Therefore, following your "advice" the only foreigners who should be allowed in Thailand would have to be fluent in Thai!

Interesting! lol

BTW, which Thai are you talking about? the official or the one from Isaan, or...

Just funny!

[NeverSure]

Have to agree with , if this was an American city, the guy would likely be cuffed face down on the pavement in no time flat for talking as aggressively and confrontationally to officers as he did.

That doesn't make it right, of course, but there's not any suggestion of a shakedown in the video.

In less visible and public circumstances I'd say the American, by challenging the authority of RTP officers, would have run the serious risk of having his phone smashed, being roughed up a little and spending a few days at the King's pleasure, with a large contribution to the RTP's welfare fund at the end of it.

He got lucky, IMO.

Do you really believe that? Here is a NYPD detective explaining why people don't have to and shouldn't talk to the police. Apparently there are a lot of mistaken impressions of Americans' rights vs the police. Most of them are nice guys just doing their job and the few that aren't don't scare me.

Additionally, here is a whole page full of YouTube vids showing how to exercise rights against the police.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+talk+to+the+police