Mafia crackdown: Koh Samet gearing up for trouble as soldiers descend on holiday island today

[Mooner]

If its done properly it will be a good thing. 

I have witnessed the army on samet taking down Ban Ploy Samed's restaurant on the sea.

They came and took it down and dumped the wood on the beach.

Also the plastic cups and food boxes that the 100 plus army guys ate from everyday were discarded where they were eaten.

 

[MoonUnit]

7 minutes ago, Mooner said:

If its done properly it will be a good thing. 

I have witnessed the army on samet taking down Ban Ploy Samed's restaurant on the sea.

They came and took it down and dumped the wood on the beach.

Also the plastic cups and food boxes that the 100 plus army guys ate from everyday were discarded where they were eaten.

 

 

A small price to pay for cleaning up the filth.

[craigt3365]

10 minutes ago, Mooner said:

If its done properly it will be a good thing. 

I have witnessed the army on samet taking down Ban Ploy Samed's restaurant on the sea.

They came and took it down and dumped the wood on the beach.

Also the plastic cups and food boxes that the 100 plus army guys ate from everyday were discarded where they were eaten.

 

I saw them do the same thing on the beach near me.  It's in great shape now.  Give them some time and they'll clean it up.

 

My wife's cousin is there reporting on this for the Thai news.  I'll try to get some links from his reports and post here.

[mcfish]

I wonder if they will go after koh larn off pattaya which is also a national park. The noise pollution on the day tourist side from the 100 jet skis and the reving of boat engines all day makes it impossible to sit there. Lots and lots of low quality and I suspect illegal resorts all over that Island

Happy days :-):-):-)

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[MoonUnit]

3 minutes ago, mcfish said:

I wonder if they will go after koh larn off pattaya which is also a national park. The noise pollution on the day tourist side from the 100 jet skis and the reving of boat engines all day makes it impossible to sit there. Lots and lots of low quality and I suspect illegal resorts all over that Island

 

Rome wasn't built in a day.

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

my guess is this is a sort of distraction for the mess the rest of the country is in. give if a few years and samet will be back to how it is now or worse.  army is just putting on show.

Cynical chap, arn't you?   I do hope you are wrong, not for any personal reasons but Thailand deserves better than it has been getting for decades.  Really, these anti corruption moves are sending a very strong message to a lot of people who may well be reconsidering their investment strategies.

[sscsamui]

I wish they would come here to Koh Samui and get rid of ALL the Mafia Tugs here, Mainly the Taxi Mafia... It is Bad.

Also the Land office is as corrupt as can be...

Land encroachment,,, People taking over Beaches... But Nothing is done about it all

[louse1953]

Some of you farangs make me laugh.You complain about the "mafia"ect.,but you have all been there putting money in their pockets.Yes i have been there but a long time ago,pre mafia.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, dieseldave1951 said:

not move them on ? jail em can't wait for Kao Tao's turn 

Not sure about KT,it is a marine national park,not the actual island.

[zaZa9]

5 hours ago, brain150 said:

It's interesting:
So the local government is the mafia !

Instead of dealing with the problem you send in the army and all the Thai people

who try to make a living lose their businesses and jobs.

 

Because some people make the big money out of it it is all justified because you have to hit the "big guys".

Sadly the only ones suffering are the normal people who try to make a living.

 

Pretty hard to believe that anybody would support such action.

 

[farcanell]

6 hours ago, brain150 said:

It's interesting:
So the local government is the mafia !

Instead of dealing with the problem you send in the army and all the Thai people

who try to make a living lose their businesses and jobs.

 

Because some people make the big money out of it it is all justified because you have to hit the "big guys".

Sadly the only ones suffering are the normal people who try to make a living.

 

Pretty hard to believe that anybody would support such action.

 

Maybe the soon to be jobless locals could start to do the work that the Burmese do

[williamgeorgeallen]

53 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

Cynical chap, arn't you?   I do hope you are wrong, not for any personal reasons but Thailand deserves better than it has been getting for decades.  Really, these anti corruption moves are sending a very strong message to a lot of people who may well be reconsidering their investment strategies.

if you met me i am sure you would say i am a positive guy. i may be a relative newcomer to thailand as i am only in my 10th year but i have done a fair bit of business here and bought and sold several properties. thailand is fantastically corrupt but also functionally corrupt. i have had plenty of problems of course and it took me a while to accept how corrupt everything is. my home country is often quoted as the least corrupt in the world so it was a hard transition. my business now runs smoothly as we make all the necessary payments which we should have done from day one. even visas and work permits are fairly straight forward if you know who to pay. takes years to learn all this stuff and most business simply dont last that long.

getting back to the topic. i would be pretty much everything that there are some very delicate negotiations going on on samet now. the army has replaced the government officials with their own people. some buildings are going to have to be demolished of course but the majority will stay. i am sure you can guess how it will be determined who will get to stay. wonder if it will be a one off payment or if it will require an ongoing fee. probably both.

[mcfish]

if you met me i am sure you would say i am a positive guy. i may be a relative newcomer to thailand as i am only in my 10th year but i have done a fair bit of business here and bought and sold several properties. thailand is fantastically corrupt but also functionally corrupt. i have had plenty of problems of course and it took me a while to accept how corrupt everything is. my home country is often quoted as the least corrupt in the world so it was a hard transition. my business now runs smoothly as we make all the necessary payments which we should have done from day one. even visas and work permits are fairly straight forward if you know who to pay. takes years to learn all this stuff and most business simply dont last that long.
getting back to the topic. i would be pretty much everything that there are some very delicate negotiations going on on samet now. the army has replaced the government officials with their own people. some buildings are going to have to be demolished of course but the majority will stay. i am sure you can guess how it will be determined who will get to stay. wonder if it will be a one off payment or if it will require an ongoing fee. probably both.

My suggestion is if your business is relying on brown paper bags to stay afloat as you claim, that you should start looking for a new bissines and very soon. The decades of corruption which you are supporting are coming to an end... Sloooowly but surrrrleyy[emoji1]

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[MoonUnit]

6 minutes ago, mcfish said:

My suggestion is if your business is relying on brown paper bags to stay afloat as you claim, that you should start looking for a new bissines and very soon. The decades of corruption which you are supporting are coming to an end... Sloooowly but surrrrleyy

 

Good point as williamgeorgeallen has his fingers in many a pie, or so it seems.

 

 

[1sickpuppy]

5 hours ago, DSJPC said:

well, it's about time!!!...maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel???

 

5 hours ago, MorristheRunt said:

I am one of this regimes biggest critics, BUT on this I can only say OUSTANDING EFFORT, well done to all involved!

 

Long may it continue, and lets hope they go all out on the BAR STEWARDS on Koh Tao

 

5 hours ago, MorristheRunt said:

I am one of this regimes biggest critics, BUT on this I can only say OUSTANDING EFFORT, well done to all involved!

 

Long may it continue, and lets hope they go all out on the BAR STEWARDS on Koh Tao

There is light at the end of the tunnel & its a freight train coming your way. checkout time

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 minutes ago, mcfish said:

My suggestion is if your business is relying on brown paper bags to stay afloat as you claim, that you should start looking for a new bissines and very soon. The decades of corruption which you are supporting are coming to an end... Sloooowly but surrrrleyy

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have you had a business in thailand? i have for 9 years. almost every year it grows. you dont get to choose. you fit the system or you fail.  nothing is going to change. the system is so ingrained it wont change.

[MoonUnit]

Would you be so kind as to elaborate on my post, #74, williamgeorgeallen?  Would clear things up a little.

[brain150]

This all has nothing to do with anti-corruption !

It's about who receives the payment ... that's all it is !

 

It's a power demonstration at gun point against the own population.

All this could be done in a civilized and legal way and because it is not done in this way it is not sustainable !

 

You don't get people to follow the law at gun point !

People will follow the law only if it's implemented !!!

 

It's like a text-book-dictatorship ... don't use the law, use guns !

 

Never worked and never will.

[williamgeorgeallen]

3 hours ago, monkey4u said:

Yes I did read your post and many things can change in 3 months

15 years they have been trying to rip down the restaurants over the water in hua hin. they have the court orders and everything. army cold go there tomorrow and knock them down. but they dont. few buildings on samet will need to be knocked down for show but largely nothing will be done. odd thing here and there for show, thats all.

who was here for the 2006 coup?  the general cited corruption as one of the main reasons for the coup.  

wish we could fast forward 10 years to get a photo of samet. if i could bet on it i would say there will be more buildings there rather than less.

[regfrancis]

Wow, thats great news some one it trying to clean up the mess.

If left to go the way its going -there'll be no need to do anything---visitors who witness the crying shipreck of a beach filled with rubbish and sea filled with sewerage etc won't return --and the islands may someday return to their natural state as ''operators'' abandon the camps

[mcfish]

have you had a business in thailand? i have for 9 years. almost every year it grows. you dont get to choose. you fit the system or you fail.  nothing is going to change. the system is so ingrained it wont change.

Tell that to the hundreds of stall holder on Sukhumvit Bangkok and boat Mafia in Pattaya that were wiped out! Legitimate business has never needed bag money, it's just the illegals and tax dodgers that have no other choice

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[fruitman]

5 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

Ahh sorry...

Ive just been staying on the Suk , and for the first time in my 9 years in LOS , experienced what it was like to not have to walk sideways on its footpaths or dodge its vendors ... good job military !

 

I agree totally, but i was in central world and wanted a quick bottle of water/orange juice and there were no vendors left at the entrance at all....they can sell drinks there only i would think?

[Bendi]

I dont wreally understand this. I do understand the fight against corruption, but not everywhone on that island is corupt. what is it they want to do? Keep the Island off limit? Becorse it is a national park.? Do they still want people travelling there, but there is nothing to buy? Like, bring your own food and drink. How do you get there, by goverment boat? Is that the thing?

 

Sure, iff you put up condos illigally, you should be puniched. But did they? Really?

A lot of people will be suffiring, becourse they voted for the wrong people..way back once. 

 

The best thing to do is clean up in ranks. I meen local goverment ranks. 

Make a good programe with the lockals. Clean up the beaches. Clean up retsurants and bars, find the good old Thai smile, and do good.

[williamgeorgeallen]

4 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Tell that to the hundreds of stall holder on Sukhumvit Bangkok and boat Mafia in Pattaya that were wiped out! Legitimate business has never needed bag money, it's just the illegals and tax dodgers that have no other choice

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not wiped out. they have been temporarily moved. now i know you have never had a business in thailand. pretty much every business pays the cops a fee. i refused to pay to start when one of my thai staff said we should. i changed my mind after the problems started. also it is almost impossible to to go to the chonburi labor office to get a work permit.  you need to pay some one to arrange all the correct payments. you cant get around the corruption in this country. it is the country.

[williamgeorgeallen]

4 minutes ago, Bendi said:

I dont wreally understand this. I do understand the fight against corruption, but not everywhone on that island is corupt. what is it they want to do? Keep the Island off limit? Becorse it is a national park.? Do they still want people travelling there, but there is nothing to buy? Like, bring your own food and drink. How do you get there, by goverment boat? Is that the thing?

 

Sure, iff you put up condos illigally, you should be puniched. But did they? Really?

A lot of people will be suffiring, becourse they voted for the wrong people..way back once. 

 

The best thing to do is clean up in ranks. I meen local goverment ranks. 

Make a good programe with the lockals. Clean up the beaches. Clean up retsurants and bars, find the good old Thai smile, and do good.

there is some confusion. this is not about stopping corruption. it is an amazing opportunity to make money. westerners dont see the corruption that is ingrained into thailand. every property owner and business owner on that island is now in delicate talks with the army to stay. some will succeed if they can afford it and others will be made to go. nothing will really change.

[alfalfa19]

this could get quite interesting.   i wonder if the big tough mafia leaders, goons and cockroaches will suddenly become gigantic crybabies, per usual procedure. 

[mcfish]

not wiped out. they have been temporarily moved. now i know you have never had a business in thailand. pretty much every business pays the cops a fee. i refused to pay to start when one of my thai staff said we should. i changed my mind after the problems started. also it is almost impossible to to go to the chonburi labor office to get a work permit.  you need to pay some one to arrange all the correct payments. you cant get around the corruption in this country. it is the country.

Go buy a seven eleven and tell me how much bag money you pay? Run a dodgy bar pretending to not work and without a work permit, well you gotta cop that sweet. I know legit business men here for over 12 years, not one pays bagymoney but they have their affairs in order.

You really think the scum piraters on Sukhumvit have been moved to a better place? Lol

The writing was on the wall but they were greedy grubs and now paying the price, good riddance! You should be happy to but I suspect you're feeling threatened judging by your replys

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[pegman]

6 hours ago, lucky11 said:

 

 Yes!! So much for the mocking by those that keep on parroting "this government is all talk and does nothing to tackle corruption"!! Their opinions seem a little outdated now, making them look rather foolish and ignorant in the process. Keep it going Prayut, bit by bit, Island by Island, National park by National park - It doesn't matter who they are, if they are not supposed to be there then clear them out and move them on!!

Yes soon it will be sanitized and have Singapore prices. In the next few months they will be turning their attention on the illegal use of fake thai companies  for ownership of houses, thai proportion condos and foreign controled businesses. Thousands of foreigners will haver their  property and businesses seized and be charged with fraud. Sentences will start at 6 months in the BKK Hilton. Wonder how many of these posters cheering on Thais losing everything have a cell awaiting themselves?

[mcfish]

Yes soon it will be sanitized and have Singapore prices. In the next few months they will be turning their attention on the illegal use of fake thai companies  for ownership of houses, thai proportion condos and foreign controled businesses. Thousands of foreigners will haver their  property and businesses seized and be charged with fraud. Sentences will start at 6 months in the BKK Hilton. Wonder how many of these posters cheering on Thais losing everything have a cell awaiting themselves?

Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzz

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[williamgeorgeallen]

5 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Go buy a seven eleven and tell me how much bag money you pay? Run a dodgy bar pretending to not work and without a work permit, well you gotta cop that sweet. I know legit business men here for over 12 years, not one pays bagymoney but they have their affairs in order.

You really think the scum piraters on Sukhumvit have been moved to a better place? Lol

The writing was on the wall but they were greedy grubs and now paying the price, good riddance! You should be happy to but I suspect you're feeling threatened judging by your replys

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i dont know of anyone who gets their work permit for the government rate. there are always extra fees to pay. dont pay them the work permit wont get approved. how is there a way around this? if you want to have a real business in thailand. i am not talking about the dodgey ones that operate without work permits but the ones registered for VAT submitting their annual accounts then you will have to pay aditional 'fees'. there is no way around it. it is just the way thailand is and it is not going to change. try doing anything with property, same thing again and it is not going to change.

i have everything in order and have not had any problems for some years. at this stage i dont feel threatened. things can always go bad very quickly here of course but i have got my money back several times over what i have put into it so i could walk away without any bad feeling. i dont need the NON -B as i am now on an O visa as well so no visa fears to worry about either.