Freedoms

[John Than]

I had written to my friend in Thailand to criticize the Thai people about something. Can he report me to the authorities and get me arrested when I am visiting Thailand? It was a constructive criticism not meant to insult the Thai people. The person I sent my criticism to happens to be an expatriate married to a Thai so when he did not reply to my email it was understandable. Can you please tell me what I should do, anybody? I did not wish to open a topic to get this question answered but I didn't know who to write to either. Might as well be a good topic for people to discuss freedoms in Thailand, if that's okay. Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

Only if it could be considered a lese-majeste offence could they make a complaint.

If it was defamatory or libelous against a certain person then that person would be the one that would have to file charges.

You seem to be overly concerned over nothing.

[Get Real]

Why would your friend, if it´s really a friend, report you? Did you criticize him too?
See how much you can read about criticism regarding everything in this forum, and everybody is still okey. Then you can measure your criticism with that and see where you stand first.
 

[John Than]

Thanks for your kindness, ubonjoe, no, actually it wasn't a criticism of one person in particular but to what a section of the Thai population ( not the general population) was currently doing, more like criticizing a policy. Let me give you an example: lets say the admittance to an art gallery was 100 dollars for Americans and 10 dollars for the locals and if I were to criticize that it was not fair that for American visitors only because they were American was ten times what it was for the locals. See? Criticism of this kind. I heard about a drunk white male picked up by the cops in Patpong and thrown into prison for criticizing - he was not doing his act loudly, his friend just quarrelled with him and instead of coming back to the bar or something with folks to beat him up came with cops!!! Therefore, I wonder. 

[John Than]

Just now, Get Real said:

Why would your friend, if it´s really a friend, report you? Did you criticize him too?
See how much you can read about criticism regarding everything in this forum, and everybody is still okey. Then you can measure your criticism with that and see where you stand first.
 

Not a friend anymore ;-(

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, John Than said:

Thanks for your kindness, ubonjoe, no, actually it wasn't a criticism of one person in particular, but to what a section of the Thai population was currently doing. Let me give you an example: lets say the admittance to an art gallery was 100 dollars for Americans and 10 dollars for the locals, and I criticize that it was not fair that the fee for the American visitors because they were American was ten times what it was for the locals. See? Criticism of this kind. I heard about a drunk white male picked by the cops in Patpong and thrown into prison for criticizing loudly. Therefore, I wonder. 

Double pricing is compained about all the time on Thai Visa. That kind of thing is really nothing.

It would depend upon what the drunk was complaining about. He was probably just charged for disturbing the peace or something like that.

[John Than]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Double pricing is compained about all the time on Thai Visa. That kind of thing is really nothing.

It would depend upon what the drunk was complaining about. He was probably just charged for disturbing the peace or something like that.

Lets say I question the price and I say  theThais are hungry for money or something. Can I be thrown in prison for saying that about the Thais? That is my question, I think. 

[Orac]

Thanks for your kindness, ubonjoe, no, actually it wasn't a criticism of one person in particular but to what a section of the Thai population ( not the general population) was currently doing, more like criticizing a policy. Let me give you an example: lets say the admittance to an art gallery was 100 dollars for Americans and 10 dollars for the locals and if I were to criticize that it was not fair that for American visitors only because they were American was ten times what it was for the locals. See? Criticism of this kind. I heard about a drunk white male picked up by the cops in Patpong and thrown into prison for criticizing - he was not doing his act loudly, his friend just quarrelled with him and instead of coming back to the bar or something with folks to beat him up came with cops!!! Therefore, I wonder. 

If criticising dual pricing here were a crime then there would only be a small handful of those expats who are truely at one with there 'thainess' left.

[Get Real]

7 minutes ago, John Than said:

Lets say I question the price and I say  theThais are hungry for money or something. Can I be thrown in prison for saying that about the Thais? That is my question, I think. 

No, it´s reality! And you see how easy I can agree without risking any problem. LOL

[zeichen]

since it was a private message and not a public one, you broke no laws. Really don't worry, but then again with this day and age, don't let the paper trail exist.  Personally, I don't know why you would criticize thai people to someone you aren't that close with in written correspondence.

 

Really, sounds like you are paranoid.

[John Than]

I do not believe in Visa on Arrival. But what I have heard from my friend is that the Thai immigration authorities have acquired a very highly enhanced database, much like what we have stateside to identity the bad elements, and with that they are able to see if visitors have any complaints registered against them in Thailand. Therefore, if my friend has reported me to the police, I could be arrested on arrival. 

[John Than]

59 minutes ago, zeichen said:

since it was a private message and not a public one, you broke no laws. Really don't worry, but then again with this day and age, don't let the paper trail exist.  Personally, I don't know why you would criticize thai people to someone you aren't that close with in written correspondence.

 

Really, sounds like you are paranoid.

I was corresponding with somebody from Michigan who is now permanently based in Thailand after marrying a local. Even though I am able to delete the emails from my Google account, he has a copy of my emails in his account, for sure. And he can produce that to the local police to lodge a complaint against me. 

[John Than]

Is criticizing a policy tantamount to shaming the Thais??? I thought explaining my criticism to a fellow American was OK. Nobody's perfect. So why should I be persecuted? I would go so far as to say it is NOT ON for his Thai wife to read his emails! 

I received an email from his wife saying I should no longer bother spamming him.

I shall be happy if my emails are regarded as spam. But what I am worried about is, if they would take the extra step of reporting me to the cops so that I do not get to visit Thailand whose policy I had criticized, thanks zeichen, in a "private communication." 

 

[stevenl]

Don't believe everything you hear.

sent using Tapatalk

[oldgent]

are you for real John ? i suggest you think before you speak next time.

[chrisinth]

13 hours ago, John Than said:

Is criticizing a policy tantamount to shaming the Thais??? I thought explaining my criticism to a fellow American was OK. Nobody's perfect. So why should I be persecuted?

 

John, IMO the only person  persecuting you is yourself in your own mind. If indeed it was a personal message in an email, forget about it, fly in and enjoy yourself. his wife has nothing to do with this.

 

If you can't get your head around this, then stay at home or go somewhere else for your holiday.

[Langsuan Man]

17 hours ago, John Than said:

But what I have heard from my friend is that the Thai immigration authorities have acquired a very highly enhanced database,

Well you have heard wrong,  The Thai Immigration authorities can't even handle a online 90 day report system so a very highly enhanced database is light years away from reality  

[John Than]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

Well you have heard wrong,  The Thai Immigration authorities can't even handle a online 90 day report system so a very highly enhanced database is light years away from reality  

You are not updated, pal.

[John Than]

13 hours ago, oldgent said:

are you for real John ? i suggest you think before you speak next time.

You girls went to the same school or what? She tells me to think before I land on Thai soil!

[Langsuan Man]

You are not updated, pal.

And you who are not in Thailand is updated [emoji13]

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[John Than]

I started this topic to know what freedoms visitors had in Thailand in light of my unhappy correspondence with a guy from Michigan who has settled down in Thailand with a Thai wife. I am also receiving correspondence from a contact in New York who has worked at the Thai consulate. I am surprised that Americans are visiting Thailand in their thousands but I dont think they behave like the diplomatic corps. With a shooting from the mouth President that we have in this country, I wonder if instances of Americans hauled into prison for engaging naturally in free speech is only going to increase. They dont tell you at the consulate the real dos and donts in Thailand, it is for you to figure that out yourself. My correspondent tells me that many 'free speaking' Americans have done unofficial time in prison on 'false charges' because they were too loud ( and I dont mean the lese majeste offences but offences concocted out of sheer malice by locals)  and they have had to buy their way to freedom, I mean thousands of dollars. I am not taking this at face value. I want to know the truth from people like Langsuan Man who are presumably in Thailand. 

[SaintLouisBlues]

2 minutes ago, John Than said:

I started this topic to know what freedoms visitors had in Thailand 

None

[John Than]

1 minute ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

None

Really? Then why is it touted as a tourist paradise? 

[SaintLouisBlues]

Just now, John Than said:

Really? Then why is it touted as a tourist paradise? 

You're reading Tourist Authority-sponsored propaganda

[John Than]

1 minute ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

You're reading Tourist Authority-sponsored propaganda

Go on, I wanna hear more.

[John Than]

I meant to visit Thailand and have a great time. I do not want to go there to offend the locals or other tourists. I was criticizing a policy in decent terms when the whole thing blew in my face and I am being threatened by the Thai wife of this guy to stay here and not visit Thailand. Mind you, I was writing to this guy not his wife. This is so crazy!

[SaintLouisBlues]

1 minute ago, John Than said:

Go on, I wanna hear more.

I'l let you into a secret that not many people know, and usually I charge big money for giving this advice. There's this new-fangled thing on the Interweb called a Search engine, and one of the most popular ones is called "Google". If you can find Google and you can type in "Is thailand a tourist paradise" to its search box thingy it will keep you entertained for hours with what are called its search results

 

Where can I send my invoice?

[John Than]

1 minute ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

I'l let you into a secret that not many people know, and usually I charge big money for giving this advice. There's this new-fangled thing on the Interweb called a Search engine, and one of the most popular ones is called "Google". If you can find Google and you can type in "Is thailand a tourist paradise" to its search box thingy it will keep you entertained for hours with what are called its search results

 

Where can I send my invoice?

Can I get a waiver on that? I thought it was a free trial. I would like to return your business with your invoice. Cheers, pal

[John Than]

I am paying good money on this trip to Bangkok, Pattaya, Samui, Chiang Mai...and I like to be generous while tipping. Awright, now get in line :-)

[Evilbaz]

JT this may give you a sense of how it is here.

Tourists (and others) need to learn when to shut up.

Thais are fiercely loyal to their country's superiority.

 

Lèse majesté- Thais hold the monarchy in the highest regard. Making a critical or defamatory comment about the royal family is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years per offense. As an example, purposely tearing Thai bank notes, which carry an image of the King, may be considered a lèse majesté offense.