Foreigners arrested in raid on Nana 'Ethiopian Restaurant'

[Kabula]

15 hours ago, Mudlover said:

15 were not carrying passports? So what?

You might be subject to arrest and that arrest record might make the difference if you get a future visa or extension!

 

 Noncooperation and attitude increases the chances of a arrest. Especially, if you say, "so what."

 

You are required now to carry a passport.

 

No one wants to be detained for hours, sometimes in a cage with undesirables.

 

Be thankful you are here in a country protecting their Sovereignty. 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Kabula
Word spelling correction

[assayer]

Why only arrest the foreign customers when the establishments owners/ managers had to have known there were drugs in the building?

[Graemej100]

2 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

We have been advised time after time on this forum that carrying passports is not necessary. May be sensible to have a copy with you.

 

Why is this issue continually being raised by the media, and presumably by the police/military?

 

I'd love to get a definitive answer on the 'carrying of passports' issue.

Does anyone have one or is it, like so much on these forums, 'I think', I presume', My neighbour told me' etc. etc. is there anything in writing?

[spidermike007]

Again, this ridiculous and foul expectation that foreigners are to carry their passports at all time. It is beyond inane. Who is going to take that kind of risk? A color copy is adequate. Carry a copy of your passport main page, plus the visa page. Top brass from immigration have stated publicly that is adequate. I would call out any police officer who did not accept that. NEVER, ever carry your original passport, unless you are traveling to the airport, cashing some travelers checks, or have specific reason to do so. 

[gdgbb]

14 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

6 storey entertainment establishment…..on soi 3…..hmmm…..it hjas been a while since I stomped through that area leaving a trail of destruction in my wake.

 

Pray, what building is this? Grace?

 

Read the report, the answer is there.

[gdgbb]

2 hours ago, Mickmouse1 said:

Soi Nana pays millions of bahts to local officials n police.Soi Nana brings billions of bahts to Thailand. Keep raiding n you will scare the other good tourists away.

Ethiopians are not sames Nigerians etc..

They look black but look at history. 

 

Why will the "good" tourists that have nothing to be worried about be scared away?  "Good" tourists were not arrested in this raid.

[gdgbb]

2 hours ago, JayBeeee said:

 

Advised by whom? TVF expert commenters?

 

 

No, advised via official police announcements.

[gdgbb]

2 hours ago, sahibji said:

ha ha ha . it has got to have some address or name.

 

It's in the report.

[The Deerhunter]

16 hours ago, Brer Fox said:

Their encroachment into Soi 4 is suredly driving away the western falang from the area and taking away revenue for the girls, bars and others who rely on this income including those who collect the monthly donation to the Policeman's Ball. These days wandering up Soi 4 is like walking up Burka Avenue.

There are two major businesses offering accommodation to particularly people of the Burka persuasion.  My view from the outside bar at Hanrahans is constantly being disturbed by the comings & goings of nearby residents who until just a few years ago would have been accommodated over on Soi3 3 or preferably much further away.

[The Deerhunter]

16 hours ago, Squeegee said:

 

 

 

You mean they put something funny in your food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look hard enough you can see Bungle and Zippy in the wallpaper....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny?  He was giggling for hours after his last kebab there.

[elgordo38]

17 hours ago, Mudlover said:

15 were not carrying passports? So what?

When your passing the hat even small irregularities count. wink wink

[gdgbb]

1 hour ago, assayer said:

Why only arrest the foreign customers when the establishments owners/ managers had to have known there were drugs in the building?

 

Didn't read the report fully, did you?

[Baerboxer]

14 hours ago, Wilsonandson said:

So the law in Thailand now is that you need to carry your passport around with you at all times or this will happen to you. (See photo of today's cafe raid).

Xenophobia is reaching new heights in Happy land.

 

You know very well that there has always been a requirement to have id with you. Don't try and pretend it's new.

[Rc2702]

Translator

[gandalf12]

19 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

I quite like Ethiopian restaurants.Their  coffee is usually kick ass. 

 

This place however would seem to have held other attractions.  

Ethiopia is of course the origin of coffee so it should be good

[Howitzer]

I visited this area just to look at the restaurant. 2 thai police officers were questioning me when i was walking around there.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Howitzer said:

I visited this area just to look at the restaurant. 2 thai police officers were questioning me when i was walking around there.

I'm not 100 percent sure I ate at the same place.

Is it the place where you enter an elevator directly from the street?

Anyway, if it was, I certainly wasn't carrying my passport when I was there.

Is going for a spicy bite without a passport a crime? 

[Howitzer]

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not 100 percent sure I ate at the same place.

Is it the place where you enter an elevator directly from the street?

Anyway, if it was, I certainly wasn't carrying my passport when I was there.

Is going for a spicy bite without a passport a crime? 

 

 

I didn't enter the restaurant.

 

I read that their food tastes pretty good?

[sahibji]

19 hours ago, Artisi said:

Maybe you now know why their coffee is the way it is ?

tradionally arabs  drink very strong coffee in a tiny cup. coffee is sipped to start off and then a piece of rock sugar put in the mouth. the contrasting flavour is the trick of the trade the sugar acting as a palette cleanser.

[Jools]

Nice of them to send conflicting messages. First they tell us we do not need to carry passports. Then they carry us to the police station because we aren't carrying passports. Do we need any further proof that they're just making it up as they go??

[sahibji]

19 hours ago, DeaconJohn said:

Keep on raiding their hangouts until they find another country to do their dirty work in.

These lowlifes spoil the scene for all of us.

 

no loss if such people move their trade elsewhere.

[Jingthing]

40 minutes ago, Howitzer said:

 

 

I didn't enter the restaurant.

 

I read that their food tastes pretty good?

It was the best Ethiopian food I've had in Thailand but it wasn't the best I've had, they didn't have most of what was on the menu, and they basically ignored my order and gave me what they had. But, yes, it did taste good! 

[sahibji]

2 minutes ago, Jools said:

Nice of them to send conflicting messages. First they tell us we do not need to carry passports. Then they carry us to the police station because we aren't carrying passports. Do we need any further proof that they're just making it up as they go??

such conflicting enforcement is bad for the image of the country  and people. unfortunately the impact of such indifference will take a long time  and by then it may too late to revive tourism.

[sahibji]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You know very well that there has always been a requirement to have id with you. Don't try and pretend it's new.

with all the uncertainties and threats of terrorism it is better to be safe than sorry. i would carry at least a photocopy of my ID.

[Jingthing]

Let's face it.

There are laws on the books that could be used to arrest pretty much every person in Thailand, foreigner or not, if the authorities wanted to. That's not much different than most countries. That doesn't mean that actually happens. Selective enforcement ... always a powerful tool. 

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, Roel said:

So they could not establish their identities nor whether they are in the country legally.

makes their job difficult. 

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, ketherin said:

If I have images of my passport and visa page etc also my Thai driving licence on my mobile phone would this be acceptable for the police? 

i think they should have police expert respond to some very sensible questions like your. TVF  should  publish their response which will be more accurate than the sometime conflicting experiences of the members.

[Howitzer]

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It was the best Ethiopian food I've had in Thailand but it wasn't the best I've had, they didn't have most of what was on the menu, and they basically ignored my order and gave me what they had. But, yes, it did taste good! 

 

I've read about this place in some other thread here and it mentions the area is well not very good. Also why were all the africans hiding out in this restaurant?

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Howitzer said:

 

I've read about this place in some other thread here and it mentions the area is well not very good. Also why were all the africans hiding out in this restaurant?

 

Well, if it was the same place. I didn't see any Africans HIDING in the restaurant. I saw a lot of Africans hanging out and having a good time ... but they weren't "hiding" any more than any people going to a restaurant or nightclub. There was a nightclub vibe about the place (I recall a big screen projector with African music and the people were rather loud and rowdy), yes, but I did manage to get a meal and I'd eat there again! 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Jingthing

[Howitzer]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

Well, if it was the same place. I didn't see any Africans HIDING in the restaurant. I saw a lot of Africans hanging out and having a good time ... but they weren't "hiding" any more than any people going to a restaurant or nightclub. There was a nightclub vibe about the place (I recall a big screen projector with African music and the people were rather loud and rowdy, yes, but I did manage to get a meal and I'd eat there again! 

 

 

Ok i read the news report again and found out it's an entertainment complex and that the restaurant is on the 3rd and 5th floor yet i saw the entrance on the ground floor. You can look it up on google map.

 

I guess this is what is confusing to me is i just recall seeing a resturant there i didn't know the higher floors were part of an entertainment complex.