Bangkok Airport Scam

Last year while at the Phuket airport, my husband was browsing in the duty free shop he tried on a pair of sunglasses. He dropped them and picked them up and put them back on the rack. A shop girl rushed over, accused him of damaging the sunglasses and said he'd have to pay for them. An armed cop came over and my husband had to pay $225 for the sunglasses that were not damaged. There was nothing wrong with them, but the cop threatened my husband if he didn't buy them.Never touch anything in a Thai duty free shop. In fact, don't step foot in one.

I too rarely buy in duty free but that has certainly put me off!!!

look but don't touch...my mother always told me that...

The only thing we ever bought in BKK duty free was Henessey XO cognac. Now that we can't carry it back, no more duty-free for us!

I don't believe this is the real story.

If you post bail in Thailand, you are free to go and do as you wish (besides leave the country). in my eyes, most of this story is factitious.

Unfortunately, it is true, and not the first time such a story has been reported. Similar scams have been reported in Malaysia as well.

The law may very well say differently, but foreign visitors won't know what the law is, which puts them at the mercy of unscrupulous people, which sadly includes some law enforcement officers.

My opinion is that the couple did commit a crime, misdemeanor shop lifting, and hence caused their detention. If no crime was committed it would be very hard for the police to detain them or their passport and if it was a false arrest I don't think the British embassy will stand by and do nothing. Perhaps they thought that their punishment, if caught, would only be a fine? This is just my opinion.

Did you read the article, Hanuman? The only thing they did wrong was pay the bribe because they wanted to leave. They "escaped" from the motel where they were held, went to the embassy where they were referred to a Thai lawyer. The lawyer advised staying and fighting.

The article also says:
The Foreign Office said consular officials had offered to raise the case with the Thai authorities at the time but had been asked by the couple not to intervene.

I suspect that it may have been more of a ransom than a bribe.

Hanuman, if you send me an e-mail at yahoo dot com then I will send you a photo that I took for you in Moscow.

Yes I did read the article mrwunrfl and I searched all the Thai newspapers and non of them reported on the story. IMO it's very hard for the police to detain tourists for a crime they did not commit especially the airport police. King Power is also a very responsible and reputable company and they would not tolerate it if their staff committed such an act as to falsely accuse someone of shoplifting and to help extort money form them. IMO for this scam to work the following will all have to collude in the crime: King Power, the airport police, immigration official if the shop is airside and who ever is guarding the cheap motel by the airport otherwise the couple could have just walk out or make a phone call for help.

Email sent!

Hanuman. Given the state of the Thai tourist industry at the moment, is it any wonder the Thai press did report it?

Also, reading the posts at the end of the article by Times readers, many of whom seemed to be expats resident in Thailand,there seems to be a great deal of negativity at the moment. Are things really as bad as they suggest?

crellston,

Yes I just read the comments and one of them was by.. "Wilko" I wonder who he is? I don't think the situation is bad here and definitely better than a lot of other countries. I guess that's why there are so many expats here.

Economy is bad all around the world I think but the non tourist industries or non export related industries are doing OK in Thailand. Our banks are sound because of the measures the country took after the 1997 crisis but the export and tourist industries does account for a big chunk of our wealth. Lots of movement and negotiations in luring more Chinese tourist to Thailand with non visa arrangement and several discounts aim at them.

To get back to this case, I believe there are some truth to the allegation of shoplifting and then the couple was taken advantage of by unscrupulous people. If this really happened there will be paper trails every where and it will be very easy to find out all of the people involved.

"I searched all the Thai newspapers and non of them reported on the story"

umm, err... I'm looking for the smiley but I don't see one...

Would you ever have expected them to... advertising, business connections, why would they? Anyone who has had anything to do with the Thai press would be aware of all the self-censorship that occurs. When was the last time you heard of a Thai journalist falling foul of the lese majeste laws

"King Power is also a very responsible and reputable company"

again, no smiley... surprised you missed the reporting of all the shennanigans involving King Power around the time the new airport opened, covered extensively at the time.

Hanuman, I can't believe you are genuinely surprised, really I can't. I've yet to see any comment from King Power on the matter either which you would expect from any reputable company but if you do please post a copy here so we have a balanced thread.

You don't work for King Power per chance? Similar stories have been doing the rounds for over a year, Google is your friend

For anyone thinking of buying duty free at the airport then I'd suggest if you're not after premium spirits then buy from one of the big supermarkets e.g. BigC, Tesco as if they have what you want it will almost certainly be cheaper than at the airport.

Zeer,

You've caught me! I do work for King Power and I'm just trying to cover up the company's sideline extortion business. You can find me by the Old Spice perfume rack near gate C1, I'm the one handing out the sample. Gosh I guess nobody here has been to Thailand before so they don't know the real truth! Over 10 million tourists per year and this "event" that allegedly happened to one British Couple has you rattled. If you knew that these sort of things happen here why have you not warned people before and why do you come to Thailand to put yourself in danger of extortion and imprisonment?

Hmm.. BBC no report on the story, CNN no report as well, AP no report. I guess they are all covering up for King Power yeah!

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2009/06/28/809/

Hanuman, that was YOU?!? I should've known better when I was doused with that horrific-smelling witch's potion as I ran to catch our plane back to LAX a few months back.

Had I known you were moonlighting as a duty free lady, I would've surely blackmailed you myself for some free booze on the way home.

Filmwill,

I have to wear a girdle, enough foundation to make me look presentable and shaved my legs when I'm on duty. Off duty I am the substitute goalkeeper/cheerleader extraordinaire for the King Power soccer team. For next time you're here wink three times so that I'll know it's you and I'll give you some free booze and a bottle of old spice!

don't laugh he wears old spice....its retro you know

I'll jot down the "secret code" for my next visit. Damn me for not knowing this information previously.

hanuman, surely you jest. just a girdle, foundation, and a shave, and you'll look like a cheerleader? it will take alooooot more than that. lol.

film, btw, whats wrong with old spice? thats my cologne of choice. i have it along side by aqua velva.

http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php/2009/06/30/thai-police-vs-foreign-tourists-aamp-dou?blog=8

The thing is , there HAS been several reports of this scam in the Thai newspapers this year already .

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/read.php?newsid=30101672

In all my trips to Thailand, I have NEVER bought anything in King Power. I've glanced a few times, but the prices are way out of line.

maybe they are just strict in there rules,.. One thing for that is just look not to touch... but you must have to fight for your right.. If your in the good side fight for it...

I couldn't tell you how many times I have purchased goods from King Power...but the number will be over thirty. I've never had any kind of problem with them. Maybe just lucky.
As for prices.....regrettably I am a smoker, and cigarette prices at K.P. , in my experience, are cheaper by a long way, than other sources in Thailand. Camel non-filter, around £5 for 200. Very good price.
And yes I know....smoking is unhealthy....and yes I know especially non-filter.
I suspect that there is more to this story and that probably, this couple didn't play completely by the rules.

Changfai, you state there have been several reports of this alleged scam in the Thai newspapers, can you provide any other examples?

The link that you provided seems to be a "letter to the editor" rather than a news report and the author claiming this injustice to an Indian National has a very Indian sounding name.

I find it hard to believe that a scam of this scale, with people involved at many levels, could go on unabated. There is much more to this story than meets the eye.

Leigh, give the gaspers the kick. Camel non filter of all things, you're taking 15 years and at least 10 trips to phi-phi off your life. I kicked it 10 years ago and it probably saves me $2500aus a year. It's not so bad after the first 30 days, especially after your taste buds return and you stop starting the day with a coughing fit.

The prices at King Power can be exceptionally good if you have the King Power gold card. 30% off all items including alcohol, cigarettes and cigars plus all the high end brand harm clothings. Very few gold cards given out.

I am starting to get very skeptical about this story. I have been following a similar thread on Thorntree that was started by a person who's only previous post was a thread they started about "box jelly fish sightings" in Thai waters.
I also note that one of the contributors here, Changfai, has only made a few posts and none of them have been complimentary towards Thailand.

I know that crellston, who first posted the report here does not fall in the same category but there seems to be a bit of a theme of negative comment forming on a few of the forums that I visit and most of these seem to be coming from new members.

When it comes to scams in Thailand , nothing surprises me , look how long the jewellery scam has been running. Its gone on decades with no action from the authorities .

I am not sure if board members here are aware of this website but its worth reading .

http://www.bangkokscams.com/

Changfai, this is another link that was posted on Thorntree recently by someone who was generally unkind about all things Thai.

Just to balance the ledger, here is a comment posted by a regular there about that website.....

"If you want to see how much farangs with a chip on their shoulder love making up stories about Thailand see www.bangkokscams.com. Uncountable number of silly reports and just as sad comments.
If you believe everything you read on Internet forums, then you too must be a very sad person.
I have been in Thailand for ten years (not a gossiping tourist like some of the old-timers here) and never been scammed.

Anyway, the watch thieves can count themselves lucky. Stealing a 7,000baht watch would usually land you in prison for two years.

Plus, bribing or trying to bribe the police is a serious offense everywhere. They wouldnt try that stunt in england. Like the Bar mat thief, this couple are just trying to reverse the blame."

There are 2 sides to every story.

Shanek - thanks for not putting me in the same category as the "new contributors"! I concur with your comment re the negative comments appear on a number of forums, you only have to see the comments posted at the end of the Times article to appreciate that and it is sad to see the negativity and animosity appearing on this particular forum.


Of course, I, in common with everyone else, have no way of verifying the facts of the story and therefore find it difficult to make the assertion that they were guilty as charged, particularly as teh Thai prosecutors saw no case to answer. It remains to be seen whether the people concerned follow through with their threat of legal action to recover their cost (fat chance of success!). I would however, point out that the Sunday Times is a "quality" paper (even if it is owned by Murdoch) and is not known for publishing stories without verificaton (although how extensive that verification could have been in this case is debatable.

There are undoubtedly a lot of scams going on in Thailand but I doubt that it is really a lot worse than many other countries. What does appear to be different is the willingness/ability of the relevant authorities to deal with them.

Hi crellston,

I am sure that the Times is in most cases a fair and reasonable publication, but just like the Australian press' handling of the "lady" who was accused of stealing a Bar mat from an Phuket bar, it would side with their own Nationals. The parochialism shown towards that thief was almost sickening. This artical does not quite go to that extent, but to label something an "extortion racket" without having evidence from both sides is not balanced reporting. The report insists that they were "falsely accused"..how can they possibly know that? Even the Australian press were a little more even handed claiming that the Mat was planted on the lady by her friend.

And do you think any publication will ever be given an opportunity to give the Thai side of these scams ?

Sorry , I dont believe so .

Just to address the label that seems to have been attached to me , I have lived and travelled around Thailand for the last 22 years , I am fluent in the Thai language , and I am fully aware of how the Country works .

I never knew going from Lurker to "New Contributer" , would ruffle feathers so much .

ChangFai,
There are plenty of opportunities to progress from lurking to contributor in a positive way. The forum needs people with your experience of Thailand but not if you only want to point out the negatives of Thai society.
I presume that you must have something nice to say about a country where you have spent 22 years, assuming that it has been by your own free will?

The story from the British couple is full of holes.
Bangkok has crumbled in nearly every respect, dirtier, more crowded, more scams, more corrupt
However, pick pockets, credit card frauds, gem, tailor, tuk tuk scams, even snake farm tour might

shanek, all due respect, but there is NO WAY for any of us to say what is true or untrue about this story. this whole argument is kind of getting off-track...discussing the journalistic integrity of various newspapers and such.

yes, we all love thailand. but let us not be blind: there are absolutely problems and corruption there, just as there are in most other countries.

all of us should be careful not to view our favorite places with rose-tinted glasses just because we love vacationing there.

Crellston,

I would appreciate it if you let me know if the Times print more article about this story or even if it print a retraction.

Filmwill,

A little birdy in uniform told me that the couple was indeed arrested for shoplifting and when they found out that it was a felony in Thailand they paid someone under the table to "settle" the case. All hearsay of course!

Hanuman, I read The Times most days so I will of course let you if anything further materialises. (although, I feel we will wait a very long time for any newspaper to print a retraction!!).

To be honest this probably would not have got such big coverage if it hadn't been such a quiet time for news now that the "scandal" of our much loved Members of Parliament claiming for houses for their ducks and having their moats cleaned etc.(I kid you not!) has blown over. Seems as though there are scams everywhere...

Thanks Crellston. I have to read the Times more since my moat need ducks!

How can moats and ducks compare with Gov. Sanford? Now, that's a scandal of note.

I don't believe the story.

King Power would not let that happen unless they were guilty.

Bill,
Where did I claim that I knew the truth about this issue?

Why can I not be critical of an artical that prints the claims of the accused couple and treats them as facts? Even the opening statement used by crellston shows how this report
is worded "Just read a report in the Sunday Times of an extortion racket at BKK. A British couple were falsely accused of stealing a Givenchy wallet from King Power "

I dont have Rose Tinted Glasses and find that suggestion mildly insulting. I just dont like the "all is corrupt, stop going to Thailand " type posts that have started to appear, moreso on other forums, particuarly by people that have never made a constructive post or attempted to anwser a question, but claim to have full knowledge of everything that happens in Thailand.

Geez. Relax, Shane, I'm not attacking you--and I have no idea why you felt that my comments were directed ONLY towards you.

You're certainly putting a lot of words in my mouth there...I never said that you SAID you knew the truth. I said let's not any of us claim to know what really happened here...folks are claiming they know the reality of a situation they have no first-hand knowledge of. Unless any of us were there at King Power that day with said couple in question, this is all just hearsay.

As far as those 'all is corrupt in Thailand' posts you talk about--you're right, it's certainly not on this forum, so I guess I don't understand why the need to vent about crap posts from other people on other forums...I don't think Fodor's is a haven for people who complain about Thailand's corruption.

And I do agree with you...I can also think of a few unsavory posters who don't post often and claim to know everything about Thailand.

Bill, as you have only named me in your comment I dont think it is unreasonable to assume that it was at least partially directed at me. If you read my response again, you will see that I have only replied to points that you have made, I cannot see what words that I have put in your mouth or your fingers for that matter.

I mentioned the posts on other forums as they were quoting similar articles and web-sites to what Changfai was trying to bring peoples attention to. I vented my thoughts directly at his posts and made reference to the fact that they shared certain similarities to posts made by a very recent member at Thorntree. The post that I quoted was another view of the "Bangkok Scams" website that Changfai felt fit to post a link to.

You dont hold back when you feel that someone is bringing an unwanted agenda here, why should I?

Many honest people in Thailand that rely on tourism are having their worst ever period due to many global and local factors. A lot of travellers come to these Forums to help them decide were to spend their hard earned travel dollar. If we dont question some of these posts and stories that paint Thailand as a country full of corruption, they may well decide to go elsewhere.

As you state,there are problems and corruption in most countries, people need to know this information but we all have the right to ask questions and seek the entire truth.

Shanek
Do you question the infamous BKK jewellery scam , or do you accept that one is true ?

who's asking you to hold back? I certainly would never ask you not to speak your mind about specific posters and/or their agendas...god knows I do.

but I guess I'm not following the part about your issue being with one specific poster on this board yet you made a blanket statement about a trend starting (indicating there is more than 1 person doing this)--and i just don't see that.

if we backtrack, my issue originally was with anyone (again, not you Shane) commenting on this news story as if they know the REAL truth when the fact is no one knows the reality of what happened...

...my intentions were pretty evident if you go back and read my original post. My original post had nothing to do with calling you to task on your opinions about chiangfai's beef or non-beef with Thailand--what I did have an 'issue' (if any) with was treading the line of calling into account the journalistic integrity of a very well-reputed publication when none of us knows anything about what happened in that airport (hence the 'all due respect, Shane' part.

anyway, it's late and time for bed.

ChangFai,
I realise there are scams and scammers in Thailand. I have been the victim of the "live show..no cover charge scam" in patpong about 15 years ago. I have also had people try one on me in Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri-Lanka. I have had taxi drivers take me for a very long detour in Sydney that cost me twice as much as the fare should cost. I have had my house broken into in Melbourne. I have approached in a shopping centre car park in Mildura and shown hifi speakers that were apparently an over delivery that have been offered to me at a quarter of the rrp of $1599 (they were probably worth about $250) This is a global problem and travellers need to be aware of it. There is a fool born every minute.

I think it is an all together different scale though to have staff at a large duty free retailer in cohoots with airport security, police and embassy officials. Once again, I am not saying it is not possible, but it is very naive to take the word of someone accussed of a crime as fact. There are many more "innocent" criminals than guilty ones.

Bill, this is what I said...

"I know that crellston, who first posted the report here does not fall in the same category but there seems to be a bit of a theme of negative comment forming on a few of the forums that I visit and most of these seem to be coming from new members."

I made no mention of a "trend" starting on Fodors, but commented about a theme of negativity on various forums.

I stand by my criticism of the Newspaper article, it is dealing in heresay and quoting it as fact. I really dont understand why you have an issue with my opinion on that.

shane
Bill already said he didnt so why not leave it now. I didnt read his post and think he was having a go at you, we are all trying to get along here (and we would if the trolls KW and CF would stop baiting people) of course you are entitled to your opinion, it's welcomed here...

Don't forget VB!

of course!!

Troll ?

:-0

Its all yours !

ChangFai,

It was not my intention to have you called a troll, I find that a very unkind label and having been called that once myself, completely unfairly, your response is justified.

I just want to know why do you want to fuel such negativity towards Thailand? We are all here because we want to learn from others and spread some of the knowledge that we have gained. We state our opinions as such, which of course may sometime differ with others. My opinion is that you should balance your posts if you continue to post here, which I hope you do, with some of your positive experiences. Surely there must be a few in 22 years? I dont want people to visit these pages and get the incorrect impression that they cannot enjoy a trip to Thailand without constantly looking over their shoulder. It is a place to go and relax, just keep your wits about you as you would if you are in a less familiar place in your own country.

"live show" scam? I enjoy theatre, is that something I need to worry about? And VB? is that something I need to keep away from? or something I should bring? I am so confused.

Hello from the Bangkok airport. I just talk the the manager for King Power here and they are aware of the problem. To sum up the couple involved was caught shoplifting and the procedure in such case goes like this:

1/. KP staff informed the airport police when they see someone shoplifting. Note KP staff do no touch(apprehend), search or even confront the thief.
2/. The airport police take the suspect into a holding room and search for the stolen item(s).
3/. The police then show the suspect the video or still from the CCTV as proof.
4/. The thief(s) are lock up temporarily at a cell in the airport while immigration is informed and then they are transfer to the police station.

FYI I try on several clothes which were much cheaper than the stores in Bangkok and I bought a CF memory card 16GB Sandisk Extreme 3 for 3,900 Baht. A saving of 600 Baht over the store in town. Also, for electronics the gold loyalty card from KP does not apply

Thanks for the update Hanuman.

Does that mean that airport police will not make an apprehension without video evidence? If that is the case, I presume that the video footage in this case was inconclusive or else this couple would not be making so much noise about it.

I have found the price of premium spirits to be cheaper in Bangkok then at the Duty free at Melbourne airport but new Australian regulations stops you from purchasing "liquids" there and you must make your liquor purchases in the Australian airport on arrival.

Shanek,

Yes I believe that's how the police does it - through the initial report and then the video evidence. There are a lot of CCTV all over the airport. The manager did say that they will press charges on all shoplifting cases.

In Oz you have the "wet tax" and every time I buy wine there I get a big refund, over 20%, reimburse to me a few weeks later.

http://www.kingpower.com/2009/popup/pop_case2.html#

Zeer,

Thanks for the link and finally KP has responded with the ultimate proof. Any appologies, retractions from the naysayers here?

Is it them in the video? On a small screen hard to tell beyond doubt after having seen only one photo of them.

I've seen plenty of security videos before and yes it could be them. The way the people in the video move certainly has the feel of watching something planned and quickly executed, however show that tape to most lawyers and I believe they would tell you they would get you off due to lack of evidence. The other stuff in the report is circumstantial/hearsay/opinion or at least can be portrayed as such.

"2/. The airport police take the suspect into a holding room and search for the stolen item(s).
3/. The police then show the suspect the video or still from the CCTV as proof."

Were they found with the stolen items on them?
If they were shown the CCTV tape by the police, with the police being able to compare them in the flesh to the CCTV and if it was them then it's surprising they would dispute it as going to court you would expect it to be examined carefully but this is Thailand as they say so no certainty there.

At the end of the day, guilty or not you still have to question the issue of "bail" and what happened after they were arrested. That alone would concern me enough to stay well clear of the airport duty free shops so as to avoid any possible "misunderstanding".

I wonder if the Thai police will have any comment? They are very fond of parading people with stolen goods all laid out neatly in front of them. Anyone who has spent time in Thailand will have formed their opinion of the Thai police and if not then ask most Thais how much they trust the police

Interesting to see if this ever goes any further. Guilty or not I would never set foot in Thailand again if it had happened to me and had gone public. Too great a possibility of getting charged on arrival with defamation so you'd be in for a long stay in Thailand as you can bet you would have to surrender your passport.

thanks for the facts, hanuman.

Does the "procedure in such cases" involve confining the perps in a motel?

Hanuman was commenting on the King Power Duty Free and Airport security policies and proceedures.

The later "alleged" events were at the control of the police.

If I had committed a crime in Thailand, I certainly would prefer being confined to a hotel ahead of a cell.

Even with such damming evidence of the CCTV footage being shown publicly there are still those who would just rather not believe it! It would be nice for those who claimed that the story is true, just read above for who they are, to retract their claims. IMO it would say a lot about their character if they did do that.

well CF if you are not a troll i apologies, but your "apparant" Thai bashing on what is obviously a Pro Thailand forum seems like baiting, since Fodors updated the forum we have had a lot of problems with people just wanting to cause trouble....

I hope this is not too late!! Please look at the clip again ... http://www.kingpower.com/2009/popup/pop_case2.html

She has clearly taken and put wallet in her handbag on her left shoulder before rush off.

I just saw the story on the BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm I then came across this thread and decided to join the discussion.

I truly love Thailand and I have the utmost respect for the Thai people, but I must say I don't think it's helpful to argue that this sort of thing doesn't happen. The reason that people believe his story is because it is consistent with their own, or their friends experience.

If this case were a one-off then that would be different, but so many people have been scammed or know someone who has been. Scams, and how to avoid getting scammed is one of the main topics of conversation among tourists in Thailand.

Read also how in the BBC story, the UK and Danish embassies said that this wasn't the first time. Read at the bottom of the BBC story, how readers joined in, recounting the times that they were scammed.

In the context of so many other known cases, guilt or innocence in this particular case is in one sense, irrelevant. Coupled with the airport problems last year, I'd say the Thai tourist industry is in trouble and I'm not the only person to think so http://www.orientexpat.com/thai-news/20091/tourism-decline

The good news is that it's not to late do something about it - provided one acknowledges the problem. However, with all respect, I do not believe that denials are the way forward. What's needed is for the problems to be acknowledged and tackled.

Denial = video of woman putting merchandise into her bag?

An expat forum? Joy. When I clicked on that link I thought it was moderately humorous that there was a giant ad for a site advertising the ability to meet a bunch of young Asian girls. Not to stereotype, but...of all the ads to accept on your site. HA!

Both Jane cnx and Martian have just joined the forum and they have each posted only once - to this thread. Jane pulled up this thread that had no responses for over two weeks. What benefit do these two get from raising this issue again? I'd suggest we all ignore them.

Seems like my fellow countryman just can't keep from seeing that he is in the wrong. Don't want to mention names as he is a very sensitive fellow who usually only accuses and forgets what has been said by himself

"Denial = video of woman putting merchandise into her bag?"

Yes I saw the video Filmwill. But my point stands whether she was innocent and had to bribe her way out of Thailand - or whether she was guilty and had to bribe her way out of Thailand.

What ever happened in that case there's an overwhelming amount of other evidence that various scams happen to other tourists in Thailand. And I'm saying that the Thai tourist industry is going to suffer further if this continues.

There is certainly scams in Thailand, that is not the argument here and never has been, but I dont believe that they are of any greater prevalence in the Land of Smiles as to anywhere else in the world.

I have been taken for a taxi ride in Sydney that cost me more than twice as much as the return journey, I have been convinced to donate to an Orphanage in Sri Lanka that I found out never exsisted, I have purchased a product from a street vendor in New Zealand who went to get change of my $100 note and never retuened. There are countless stories of people buying part ownership of the Brooklyn bridge as well as several other well known landmarks. There is a sucker born every minute and many of them travel to Thailand as well as many other parts of the world, and they get screwed. Does that excuse it? Of course not, but why should the Thailand tourist industry get slandered because of a few tourists who get caught shoplifting?

Maybe the Thai legal system treat these "victims" a bit harsher than they would be elsewhere? So what. Maybe a few law enforement officers have preyed on their situation through a less than honorable foreign translator? If so,it should be looked into but it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't taken the goods in the first place.

It should not be a blight on the tourism industry, just a warning to thiefs.

exactly, shane.

i would hardly say that thailand is any more or less corrupt than other societies. why single them out unless you have some sort of agenda?

What does "some sort of agenda" mean exactly?

I think it means that you must be from Mars and you have a hidden secret plan or "some sort of agenda" to invade earth!

Ha ha. Cheers Hanuman!

I have lived in thailand many years you can buy your self out of many things with the thai police,the tourist police, the imigration police, money talks here in thailand they are all corrupt beleive me
spiecher pattaya

i'm going to see if i can get gpanda arrested next weekend

Pandas have universal immunity. Neither the law nor reality intrudes on our lives.