Foreign tourists wrongfully arrested for fraud in Phuket

Phuket Gazette 

 

  

The two were wrongfully accused of being involved in credit card fraud. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

 

PHUKET: -- Two Chinese tourists were arrested and subsequently released yesterday after officers in Phuket received a warning from officials in Bangkok about their alleged involvement in credit card fraud.

“Mr Jun Jie Ju and Ms Jia Xin Chen were arrested at a Cherng Talay hotel at about 3pm,” said Lt Col Tianchai Chompoo of Phuket Immigration Police.

The colonel said that the tourists had asked their friend in China to reserve a hotel for them via an agent, adding that the agent made the booking using travel website Agoda. 

 

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Foreign-tourists-wrongfully-arrested-faud-Phuket/66517?desktopversion 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2017-04-27

So, who issued the arrest warrant and on what basis? 

How about investigate first and then arrest, provided there is some proof? 

No word of appologies.

1 minute ago, StefanBBK said:

So, who issued the arrest warrant and on what basis? 

How about investigate first and then arrest, provided there is some proof? 

No word of appologies.

Thailands legal system is what is termed adversarial, so no investigations are conducted. Suspects are simply arrested and charged.

There is a move afoot to move to an inquisitorial system, such as we are used to abroad, where evidence, alibis etc are checked first and proper investigations ARE conducted. Then spurious cases can be identified at the outset, saving the courts time and the accused much aggravation. and cost.

These people are VERY lucky not to have been thrown in jail for a year awaiting a trial which may or may not have found them not guilty.

Quote

“We did not find a credit card in their possession or any other illegal items. We also did not detect anything suspicious in their WeChat [popular social media application in China] conversations with their friends either.

 

I delete all my chat records on LINE and Whatsapp almost daily. Not that I have much to hide except the odd comment on Thai politics. But I don't need some BIB exploring my phone.

 

I wish these companies would implement the same feature as Snapchat, so that the messages are automatically deleted after a user-specified time, say one hour after it is read.

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Thailands legal system is what is termed adversarial, so no investigations are conducted. Suspects are simply arrested and charged.

This is incorrect.  The United States uses an adversarial system (except for traffic tickets and a few other administrative issues), but the police conduct investigations and it's up to the relevant district attorneys (local, state, or federal) whether to empanel a grand jury to press charges.

 

So, an adversarial system does not imply that no investigations are conducted.

 

In Thailand, the investigatory process largely focuses on the contents of each party's wallets and bank accounts, which then determines which cases result in arrests and trials. 

 

Moving to an inquisitorial system simply means that the courts would often get first crack at investigating the contents of said wallets and bank accounts, rather than having to queue up behind the police.

5 hours ago, StefanBBK said:

So, who issued the arrest warrant and on what basis? 

How about investigate first and then arrest, provided there is some proof? 

No word of appologies.

Apologies here means a loss of face. When going for the little fish they cast a big net. 

1 hour ago, disambiguated said:

In Thailand, the investigatory process largely focuses on the contents of each party's wallets and bank accounts, which then determines which cases result in arrests and trials. 

It is also the measure of any payoff. 

1 hour ago, disambiguated said:

This is incorrect.  The United States uses an adversarial system (except for traffic tickets and a few other administrative issues), but the police conduct investigations and it's up to the relevant district attorneys (local, state, or federal) whether to empanel a grand jury to press charges.

 

So, an adversarial system does not imply that no investigations are conducted.

 

In Thailand, the investigatory process largely focuses on the contents of each party's wallets and bank accounts, which then determines which cases result in arrests and trials. 

 

Moving to an inquisitorial system simply means that the courts would often get first crack at investigating the contents of said wallets and bank accounts, rather than having to queue up behind the police.

Sounds like there could be a revolution to see who is first in line. 

1 hour ago, disambiguated said:

This is incorrect.  The United States uses an adversarial system (except for traffic tickets and a few other administrative issues), but the police conduct investigations and it's up to the relevant district attorneys (local, state, or federal) whether to empanel a grand jury to press charges.

 

So, an adversarial system does not imply that no investigations are conducted.

 

In Thailand, the investigatory process largely focuses on the contents of each party's wallets and bank accounts, which then determines which cases result in arrests and trials. 

 

Moving to an inquisitorial system simply means that the courts would often get first crack at investigating the contents of said wallets and bank accounts, rather than having to queue up behind the police.

This is true actually. However, once all investigations, usually having to be conducted by the complainant, and processed over a period of many years, have been concluded, if you are White and your opponent Thai/wealthier than you, you'll lose in Court anyway, rendering the whole process a complete and utter waste of time.

Thank Buddha they weren't playing contract bridge <whew!>  

Where is the compensation for these victims

and the heartfelt apology by police?

 

The victims of the Thai police should have their thumbs down on the foto