Nasty tourist scam Bangkok airport

[expat yorkshire]

Tourists warned of Thailand airport scam

By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok

Bangkok's showcase new international airport is no stranger to controversy.

Built between 2002 and 2006, under the governments of then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the opening date was repeatedly delayed.

It has been dogged by allegations of corruption, as well as criticism of the design and poor quality of construction.

Then, at the end of last year, the airport was shut down for a week after being occupied by anti-government protesters.

Now new allegations have been made that a number of passengers are being detained every month in the duty free area on suspicion of shoplifting, and then held by the police until they pay large sums of money to buy their freedom.

That is what happened to Stephen Ingram and Xi Lin, two IT experts from Cambridge, as they were about to board their flight to London on the night of 25 April this year.

They had been browsing in the duty free shop at the airport, and were later approached by security guards, who twice asked to search their bags.


They were told a wallet had gone missing, and that Ms Lin had been seen on a security camera taking it out of the shop.

The company that owns the duty free shop, King Power, has since put the CCTV video on its website, which does appear to show her putting something in her bag. However the security guards found no wallet on either of them.

Despite that, they were both taken from the departure gate, back through immigration, and held in an airport police office. That is when their ordeal started to become frightening.

Interpreter

"We were questioned in separate rooms," Mr Ingram said. "We felt really intimidated. They went through our bags and demanded that we tell them where the wallet was."

The two were then put in what Mr Ingram describes as a "hot, humid, smelly cell with graffiti and blood on the walls".

Mr Ingram managed to phone a Foreign Office helpline he found in a travel guide, and was told someone in the Bangkok embassy would try to help them.

The next morning the two were given an interpreter, a Sri Lankan national called Tony, who works part-time for the police.

They were taken by Tony to meet the local police commander - but, says Mr Ingram, for three hours all they discussed was how much money they would have to pay to get out.


They were told the charge was very serious. If they did not pay, they would be transferred to the infamous Bangkok Hilton prison, and would have to wait two months for their case to be processed.

Mr Ingram says they wanted £7,500 ($12,250) - for that the police would try to get him back to the UK in time for his mother's funeral on 28 April.

But he could not arrange to get that much money transferred in time.

'Zig-zag' scheme

Tony then took them to an ATM machine at the police station, and told Ms Lin to withdraw as much as she could from her own account - £600 - and Mr Ingram then withdrew the equivalent of £3,400 from his account.

This was apparently handed over to the police as "bail", and they were both made to sign a number of papers.

Later they were allowed to move to a squalid hotel within the airport perimeter, but their passports were held and they were warned not to leave or try to contact a lawyer or their embassy.

"I will be watching you," Tony told them, adding that they would have to stay there until the £7,500 was transferred into Tony's account.

On the Monday they managed to sneak out and get a taxi to Bangkok, and met an official at the British Embassy.

She gave the name of a Thai lawyer, and, says Mr Ingram, told them they were being subjected to a classic Thai scam called the "zig-zag".

Their lawyer urged them to expose Tony - but also warned them that if they fought the case it could take months, and they risked a long prison sentence.

After five days the money was transferred to Tony's account, and they were allowed to leave.

Mr Ingram had missed his mother's funeral, but at least they were given a court document stating that there was insufficient evidence against them, and no charge.

"It was a harrowing, stressful experience," he said.

The couple say they now want to take legal action to recover their money.

'Typical' scam

The BBC has spoken to Tony and the regional police commander, Colonel Teeradej Phanuphan.

They both say Tony was merely helping the couple with translation, and raising bail to keep them out of prison.

Tony says about half the £7,500 was for bail, while the rest were "fees" for the bail, for his work, and for a lawyer he says he consulted on their behalf.

In theory, he says, they could try to get the bail portion refunded.

Colonel Teeradej says he will investigate any possible irregularities in their treatment. But he said any arrangement between the couple and Tony was a private affair, which did not involve the police.

Letters of complaint to the papers here in Thailand make it clear that passengers are regularly detained at the airport for alleged shoplifting, and then made to pay middlemen to win their freedom.

The Danish Embassy says one of its nationals was recently subjected to a very similar scam, and earlier this month an Irish scientist managed to flee Thailand with her husband and one year-old son after being arrested at the airport and accused of stealing an eyeliner worth around £17.

Tony told the BBC that so far this year he has "helped" about 150 foreigners in trouble with the police. He says sometimes he does it for no charge.

The British Embassy has also warned passengers at Bangkok Airport to take care not to move items around in the duty free shopping area before paying for them, as this could result in arrest and imprisonment.


Have you used Bangkok's main airport recently? Do you have any stories to tell about how you were treated there? Send us your comments:


A similar system operates in Cambodia. Police arrest foreigners in the street and you are contacted by someone who claims to have influence with the police and judges and who asks for large sums for your immediate release, which doesn't happen. I was even told at my friend's trial that the police would provide witnesses of my friend's offence if more money was not immediately provided. Even though there was no evidence against him and he was acquitted, a large sum had to be paid to the prison authorities for his release. John Smith, Doncaster, England

Two friends and I travelled to Bangkok 29 December 2008. We were really worried about the situation there, as the airport had just been closed for some time several weeks before. Aside being quite harassed by taxi drivers who wanted to take us to hotels they no doubt received commission from, the experience wasn't very trying at all. Connor, Chicago, IL, USA

Another scam at Bangkok Airport is when the Thai customs meet passengers off airplanes from Dubai/Qatar where there is cheap duty free. The customs tell passengers to put duty free items inside their check-in luggage when they take it off the carousel - or they will be prosecuted for smuggling. They then tell people that it will be OK not to show or declare any duty free items. When the passengers reach the arrivals area, the customs pounce and you are arrested and taken to customs head office at BANG NA and told to pay four times the duty or go straight to jail. There is an ATM machine next door to the customs office. Your goods are kept by the officers and they then pocket the money you have paid them and you are free to go without any criminal record. Paul Grant, London, UK

Same happened to me in April this year. The police arrested me and charged me approx £400. There were 5 of us in our group, we purchased 1000 cigarettes at Heathrow, but on leaving the plane at Bangkok the police approached me and told me to keep them in one bag. I did as I was told, and that was the set up, so when I got through customs with the other four people they arrested me and would not accept what we told them. They took copies of my passport and made me sign at least six documents, all in Thai. They would not give me copies so at this moment I don't know what I signed. They escorted me to an ATM. I have been in touch with the British consulate who asked me if I want to make a complaint but I don't want to go to another country and find they have done something to my passport. I will never return to Thailand again, it was the scariest time of my life. Lynn Ward, UK

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/a ... 154497.stm

Published: 2009/07/20 00:01:41 GMT

© BBC MMIX

[Possum]

I recently had to pay to exit a bar in Bangkok. It was totally our fault for being stupid enough to put ourselves in that situation. Living in safe Singapore and consuming large amounts of alcohol can impair judgment…ho hum

[expat yorkshire]

So Possum dont tell me you went to see the Ping Pong ball show in an upstairs bar in Patpong and were then presented with a massive bill.

Am i right ?

[Possum]

Well kinda.....it was a netball tour and one must see some things at least once in their life and and and did I mention large amounts of alcohol

[Snaffled]

This is all fab news, since the travel & leisure industry is in such great shape. sigh.

[Lichtgestalt]

Well kinda.....it was a netball tour and one must see some things at least once in their life and and and did I mention large amounts of alcohol

You could have just returned the ping pong ball instead... but generally Thailand seems to take a turn for the worse. Ok, in most countries they would try to cheat you for small money, making you pay more for items, taxi rides etc, police trying to make you pay for traffic offenses but that's rather small money compared to what they Thai police seems to be up to

[Dinosaur]

It's quite an old story this from April but I guess other countries are now picking up on it, which is good - maybe something might actually get done about it. It's just been reported (yesterday) that visitor arrivals to swampy airport are down in June by 23 percent (year on) - huge. Waiting for the Phuket numbers. When we went through Phuket Immigration just over a week ago, we were the only ones going through.

Unfortunately there's always all sorts of things going on in Thailand and just something you have to factor in on your holidays here. There's just been a wild-west shoot out in Patong last Tuesday - I guess Fat Bob just missed that one by a whisker


Thursday, July 23, 2009

Police identify victims of Phuket shootout

PATONG, PHUKET: Kathu Police have identified the man who died in a wild west-style gunfight that broke out at Patong Beach on Tuesday as 24-year-old Daruwat Burintarakot, nephew of the late Jintana Plaza heiress Komkai Kositkoon who was murdered in July last year.

Police have also released the names of the three men injured in the shootout, during which dozens of shots were fired and tourists along the busy road dove for cover.

They are former Police Captain Sunan Potsawatpairoj, 62, who was shot twice in the leg, Imron Yeebu, 35, who was shot in the chin, and Aod Ketkaew, 29, who was shot in the leg.

Police said the gunfight started in the burned out Jintana Shopping Plaza, which has been damaged by arson attacks at least five times in the past two years.

A police spokesman said it appeared Mr Daruwat, Mr Aod and a team of demolition workers had gone to the site intending to demolish the remains of the building.

Site caretaker Capt Sunan objected and an argument broke out, police said.

Capt Sunan then reportedly produced a pistol and shot Mr Danuwat and Mr Aod, sparking the gunfight.

A police spokesman said there was a long-running dispute regarding ownership of the Jintana Plaza land.

Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark said police recovered a number of bullets and spent cartridges from the scene.

Mr Daruwat’s widow and other family members went to Kathu Police Station yesterday morning to discuss the shootings with police investigators.

All three men who sustained gunshot wounds remain in Bangkok Phuket Hospital and have yet to be questioned by police, a source at the hospital told the Gazette this morning.

[ahsanmalick]

Nasty tourist scam Bangkok airport but how ?
last time i have visited to Bangkok it is one of the most bum tingling tourist destinations in Asia. Bangkok attractions are its unique prostitution, modernize and luxurious spa baths, unique alcohil laws, Modern fungal places and much more. pakistan thailand are very near to each other and we are planning a border war. Bangkok certainly lives up to its reputation as a sex hot spot in Southeast Asia. It has such a best places which directly encourage to traveler to visit here.

[T2K]

Yes, the modern fungal places make it worth any risks to go.

[slinky]

Yes, the modern fungal places make it worth any risks to go.

Yeah, you really haven't been on holiday unless you've been to a modern fungal place. Those antiquated fungus places are simply horrible.


Edit: spelling & stuff

[Monkey Hanger]

That's the problem with Bangkok's overcrowding these days. There's just not mushroom to move about.

[BoD]

you can't lichen it to Spore airport though. They broke the mould when they built it

[FurBaby]

yes, but we shouldn't trompette our successes like that.

[Lichtgestalt]

last time i have visited to Bangkok it is one of the most bum tingling tourist destinations in Asia.

Nasty surprise when those ladyboys suddenly start humping you eh

[Monkey Hanger]

yes, but we shouldn't trompette our successes like that.

Yep, that's the morel of the story.

[BoD]

Yes. don't truffle with Singapore

[cromasaig]

Yes. don't truffle with Singapore

Indeed - they come up with some really outlandish punishments.

The last guy to do it towed stools.

[BoD]

No shitake sherlock!

[cromasaig]

no 'Ceptions.

[baloo]

Button it the lot of you.