Police harassing tourists on Koh Phangan: piss tests, dogs searching through things

[balo]

On 12/29/2016 at 5:24 PM, ethaniel said:

Don't do drugs myself, but people around me do smoke weed. I will have to pay a 60.000 baht bribe or go to jail if stopped at such a raid because obviously the weed will be in my system.

 

You're in Thailand , why would you want to smoke weed ? It's illegal and you could end up in prison and get deported. 

 

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.  Grammar police posts and replies have been removed as well. 

[Dipterocarp]

i know this is Thailand but in the US illegal substance in your system is not possession or a legal offense (unless you are 

in Prison under some conditions of parole/bailed from Jail and maybe for Military members who are subject to UCOMJ).

It is actually a metabolite in your system anyway.  Driving while impaired is illegal not just drinking. Checks at Sobriety checkpoints are an accurate indication of impairment
Further blood/breath tests can show you are above a set legal limit to drive.

Many problems with random testing of tourists. Chain of custody and accuracy issues. Somebody may have smoked Ganja legally in their 

home country weeks ago, not proof of busting any Thai law.  Why not just drug test every Long Hair hipster on flights from Amsterdam and bang them up.

That should be great for Tourism.

I have done drug testing  as a security/insurance requirement of certain jobs as a condition of employment.  Self-sealed split samples go into separate bottles

that must bear your signature. THEN the whole lot goes s into a FEDEX/DHL envelope signed sealed again and sent to a independent 3rd party Lab.

None of this drop your shorts by the side of Jungle road "Oh you purple! Bad Farang" A perfect opportunity for corruption and extortion.

[JimmyJ]

On 12/29/2016 at 4:50 AM, gdgbb said:

 

When you inhale secondhand drug smoke you are inhaling a very small amount, unless you're really trying hard, of course.  And if the atmosphere is so thick with it that your intoxicant level worries you all you have to do is leave to somewhere you can breathe normal air like the rest of us.

 

What you are ignoring is that going to jail doesn't depend on one street urine test.   How many  instances of innocent people going to jail for false tests can you point to?

 

" How many  instances of innocent people going to jail for false tests can you point to?"

 

 

It took me all of about 1.7 seconds to find this.

Couldn't you have done the same rather than spouting your unfounded opinions?:

 

 

 

How a $2 Roadside Drug Test Sends Innocent People to Jail

Widespread evidence shows that these tests routinely produce false positives. Why are police departments and prosecutors across the country still using them?

By RYAN GABRIELSON and TOPHER SANDERSJULY 7, 2016

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/magazine/how-a-2-roadside-drug-test-sends-innocent-people-to-jail.html?_r=0

 

 

[JimmyJ]

On 12/29/2016 at 4:33 AM, ethaniel said:

 

"When you inhale marijuana, even though it's not your's - it stays in your system.

Also, many prescription drugs can cause false positives in tests.

 

What I'm trying to say is - that the whole forced piss/blood test system is flawed. Even an innocent person can go to jail.'

 

 

jeab1980

 

" Sorry don't agree"

 

 

My comments above certainly apply to jeab1980 as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JimmyJ]

"Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say"

-Edward Snowden

 

He could have been speaking to several in this thread.

[samuijimmy]

OK guys lets cool it down a little...

 

I have spoken with several people either living or visiting KP recently, none report any police harassment on even seen a policeman... perhaps this only occurs in the heavy duty bar areas... ?

[gdgbb]

9 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

 

" How many  instances of innocent people going to jail for false tests can you point to?"

 

 

It took me all of about 1.7 seconds to find this.

Couldn't you have done the same rather than spouting your unfounded opinions?:

 

 

 

How a $2 Roadside Drug Test Sends Innocent People to Jail

Widespread evidence shows that these tests routinely produce false positives. Why are police departments and prosecutors across the country still using them?

By RYAN GABRIELSON and TOPHER SANDERSJULY 7, 2016

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/magazine/how-a-2-roadside-drug-test-sends-innocent-people-to-jail.html?_r=0

 

 

Yes, I could have done the same but I would have spent a little longer than 1.7 seconds, as you should have done, we are in Thailand, the thread is about Thailand and the article that you link to relates to the US, so it is irrelevant.  

 

So let's see, yes, my opinion seems to have been well based in the absence of any other evidence

[gdgbb]

9 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

"Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say"

-Edward Snowden

 

He could have been speaking to several in this thread.

That quote, if it is accurate, is just banal, and clearly wrong.

[Green Acres]

13 hours ago, samuijimmy said:

OK guys lets cool it down a little...

 

I have spoken with several people either living or visiting KP recently, none report any police harassment on even seen a policeman... perhaps this only occurs in the heavy duty bar areas... ?

You're absolutely right Jimmy. I have lived on KP full time for nearly 20 years and in all that time I have been stopped, very briefly, a total of 3 times. The cops did not hassle me at all and made only a cursory check of my bag.

I don't know why people in this forum try and make a problem where none exists. 

[The manic]

On 07/01/2017 at 2:52 AM, balo said:

 

You're in Thailand , why would you want to smoke weed ? It's illegal and you could end up in prison and get deported. 

 

We opened up this place over 40 years ago because we could get high here - before it was untouched by corrupt American Hypocritical Anti drug policy.  I believe in discretion and respect but piss tests are not just invasive, given the penal system here,  they intimidating and lead to cruelty and torture for both Thais and foreigners alike. Random piss  testing is a reflection of a barbaric police state under the control of immoral  police picking low hanging fruit to avoid dealing with real crime. This useless policing happens in the USA, the UK and Europe.  It's shameful. A waste of time money and resource.  Like it or not the freedom to get high is a freedom of the civilised world and until it's protected by law police,  anywhere in the world, who pursue people, criminalise them and prosecute them just because they can are ignorant hypocrites. 

[catinthehat]

On 12/29/2016 at 4:39 PM, Goingmad said:

I tuck mine into my sock, to keep it warm.

Is that after you fold in half. I couldn't resist.

[amjamj]

Keep cool ! Just wait that Donald's billionaire and millionaire friends tell him to legalize nationwide, then Thailand just like any other doggy country in the world will follow and dream to be able to sell their own weed to USA !

 

 

[milys]

It doesn't matter if I piss negative, I don't want to be stopped, frisked and have to do a piss test in the open in the middle of the street.

[yogavnture]

no secret kpy is the weed island. smoke weed and the thais will turn it into a money maker....whats the going rate for weed extortion these days?

[bberrythailand]

Where are the road blocks ? And how much do they want ? All cops driving Benz and BMW on KPG ?

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 4:39 PM, JimmyJ said:

On 12/29/2016 at 4:33 AM, ethaniel said:

 

"When you inhale marijuana, even though it's not your's - it stays in your system.

Also, many prescription drugs can cause false positives in tests.

 

What I'm trying to say is - that the whole forced piss/blood test system is flawed. Even an innocent person can go to jail.'

 

 

jeab1980

 

" Sorry don't agree"

 

 

My comments above certainly apply to jeab1980 as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given there are many ways for the innocent to fall foul of ....... in LOS, becoming positive from second hand smoke would be the least of my worries. However, in a country where I could go to jail for using it I wouldn't be hanging around people that do.

[bberrythailand]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given there are many ways for the innocent to fall foul of ....... in LOS, becoming positive from second hand smoke would be the least of my worries. However, in a country where I could go to jail for using it I wouldn't be hanging around people that do.

 

 

Stop the nonsense rumor ! Nobody goes to jail for having any drug in his system if he doesn't have any in his pockets !

 

 

[Here2008]

Just now, bberrythailand said:

 

 

Stop the nonsense rumor ! Nobody goes to jail for having any drug in his system if he doesn't have any in his pockets !

 

 

But such a person could be fined and deported +/- a Ban on re-entering the country. 

[bberrythailand]

5 hours ago, Here2008 said:

But such a person could be fined and deported +/- a Ban on re-entering the country. 

 

She would be very unlucky or not being able to find an ATM...

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 9:47 PM, bberrythailand said:

 

 

Stop the nonsense rumor ! Nobody goes to jail for having any drug in his system if he doesn't have any in his pockets !

 

 

The crime is "using" illegal drugs, not possession.

Thailand is different from wherever you come from, in case you hadn't noticed that yet.

[bleble]

They were doing it again last month, a friend was checked.

[ethaniel]

On 12/09/2017 at 8:49 PM, bleble said:

They were doing it again last month, a friend was checked.

Please submit a complaint through this form - https://www.tourismthailand.org/Send-Complaint - The Tourism board of Thailand takes complaints from tourists seriously and gets things solved (they solved one of my problems).

When filling out the form, send a link to this thread so they know that this is a major problem.

They might ask for a copy of your passport, don't worry.

[hobz]

5 minutes ago, ethaniel said:

Please submit a complaint through this form - https://www.tourismthailand.org/Send-Complaint - The Tourism board of Thailand takes complaints from tourists seriously and gets things solved (they solved one of my problems).

When filling out the form, send a link to this thread so they know that this is a major problem.

They might ask for a copy of your passport, don't worry.

The police on phangan paid serious money to get to be in tourist druggie heaven. They expect returns on their investment. I hope the TAT can expose them and trigger a police reform. But i seriously doubt it.

Its better to complain to mainstream media because that will be taken more seriously because it would hurt tourism. The TAT would probably want to keep the lid on.

[ethaniel]

7 hours ago, hobz said:

The police on phangan paid serious money to get to be in tourist druggie heaven. They expect returns on their investment. I hope the TAT can expose them and trigger a police reform. But i seriously doubt it.

Its better to complain to mainstream media because that will be taken more seriously because it would hurt tourism. The TAT would probably want to keep the lid on.

 

TAT is in Bangkok and has more power and resources than local police. And local police + government authorities are afraid of Bangkok.

If people will send 5-10 complaints, things will change.

 

But I agree, If anyone can make some photos of roadblocks and send them to mainstream media outlets abroad that already covered problems on Koh Phangan, this can turn out to be a good story.

[hobz]

2 hours ago, ethaniel said:

 

TAT is in Bangkok and has more power and resources than local police. And local police + government authorities are afraid of Bangkok.

If people will send 5-10 complaints, things will change.

 

But I agree, If anyone can make some photos of roadblocks and send them to mainstream media outlets abroad that already covered problems on Koh Phangan, this can turn out to be a good story.

Im sure they have a lot of power.. But what are they going to do? Fire the police chief on phangan? And then what? 

[ethaniel]

3 hours ago, hobz said:

Im sure they have a lot of power.. But what are they going to do? Fire the police chief on phangan? And then what? 

Who cares? If the new police chief is shit, we'll complain again. and again. and again. Until they figure out that it's better to stop <deleted> with tourists (at least here).

[hobz]

On 10/24/2017 at 12:27 PM, ethaniel said:

Who cares? If the new police chief is shit, we'll complain again. and again. and again. Until they figure out that it's better to stop <deleted> with tourists (at least here).

Or they will just ignore the complaints and the shit will go on forever like it has for many years already.

[steven100]

7 minutes ago, hobz said:

Or they will just ignore the complaints and the shit will go on forever like it has for many years already.

If you are not carrying drugs or any contraband then you have nothing to worry about.

[RickG16]

There have been bombs not a million miles away from here in the past year,  and so the full moon party in particular represents a pretty big security risk.  I'd rather get checked (just a quick pat down in my experience) than get blown to smithereens.