duty-free airport scam in Bangkok and other places
Jul 31st, 2009, 09:54 AM
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duty-free airport scam in Bangkok and other places
I'm posting this in the Asia forum because the BBC report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm
is specifically on Thailand, but the same scam has happened in other places like Cambodia.
Here's the article (minus the introduction):
Bangkok's showcase new international airport is no stranger to controversy.
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 £8,000 ( about $13,000) - 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 Ms Lin to an ATM machine and told her to withdraw as much as she could from her own account - £600. He then withdrew the equivalent of £3,400 from his own account.
According to Mr Ingram this was then handed over to the police, and they were both forced 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 £8,000 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 £8,000 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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm
is specifically on Thailand, but the same scam has happened in other places like Cambodia.
Here's the article (minus the introduction):
Bangkok's showcase new international airport is no stranger to controversy.
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 £8,000 ( about $13,000) - 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 Ms Lin to an ATM machine and told her to withdraw as much as she could from her own account - £600. He then withdrew the equivalent of £3,400 from his own account.
According to Mr Ingram this was then handed over to the police, and they were both forced 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 £8,000 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 £8,000 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.
Jul 31st, 2009, 10:23 AM
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Why has BBC not retracted the story ? or did I miss that again ? Even the British Embassy got in on it with a statement of warning. (from the news above)
Does anyone have a link to a news article disproving the original BBC news, not traveller's blogs and posts ? There is a discussion currently going on with friends on this topic. I'd like an authoritative source of info to send them.
Thanks.
Does anyone have a link to a news article disproving the original BBC news, not traveller's blogs and posts ? There is a discussion currently going on with friends on this topic. I'd like an authoritative source of info to send them.
Thanks.
Jul 31st, 2009, 12:41 PM
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If you can find the long thread about this, you'll find links to videos, official reports, etc.
I expect the BBC (and other news agencies) don't retract it because it makes such interesting press. An so far, anyway, no one has threatened to sue them.
I expect the BBC (and other news agencies) don't retract it because it makes such interesting press. An so far, anyway, no one has threatened to sue them.
Jul 31st, 2009, 12:46 PM
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Ok, I had a few minutes and decided to look for the threads. Here are the links
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...rport-scam.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ok-airport.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...rport-scam.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ok-airport.cfm
Aug 2nd, 2009, 05:02 PM
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Kathie, thanks for taking the time.
The BBC article keeps circulating and I've received it 5 times already since my first post from different people. The King Power video proved guilt, but the threads did not address other incidences and in other airports.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the Thais; in fact I enjoy every visit there and I find most Thais to be honest.
Scams and crimes can be found anywhere in the world.
Now, everyone I hear from says they'll no longer set foot in any duty-free shop in any airport. So too in other airport shops, as much as can be helped.
The BBC article keeps circulating and I've received it 5 times already since my first post from different people. The King Power video proved guilt, but the threads did not address other incidences and in other airports.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the Thais; in fact I enjoy every visit there and I find most Thais to be honest.
Scams and crimes can be found anywhere in the world.
Now, everyone I hear from says they'll no longer set foot in any duty-free shop in any airport. So too in other airport shops, as much as can be helped.
Aug 3rd, 2009, 07:11 AM
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Film
Belive it or not in the US the booze at DF shops (for us) is a good deal BUT most of the time we can't be arsed to carry it (last year in FL we got 2 *ltr bottle of Vodka for $30 they cost more than that each here.
Now in Europe it used to be VERY good (especially for UKers going to mainland europe as our taxes are so high)but now there are practically no savings so i dont bother to even step foot in them (unless i am REALLY bored) so totally agree with you, no deals to be had anymore. (and i have to say after all this press i will be giving them a wide berth at BKK just to be sure)
Belive it or not in the US the booze at DF shops (for us) is a good deal BUT most of the time we can't be arsed to carry it (last year in FL we got 2 *ltr bottle of Vodka for $30 they cost more than that each here.
Now in Europe it used to be VERY good (especially for UKers going to mainland europe as our taxes are so high)but now there are practically no savings so i dont bother to even step foot in them (unless i am REALLY bored) so totally agree with you, no deals to be had anymore. (and i have to say after all this press i will be giving them a wide berth at BKK just to be sure)
Aug 3rd, 2009, 08:52 AM
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I almost never go into Duty Free Shops. The prices are never worthwhile and the entire process has a creepy feel to it. On my first trip to Thailand, I did buy somethiong there with my remaining Baht. I assumed that I would not be returning. I learned that I was gladly mistaken.
Aug 3rd, 2009, 09:37 AM
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I used to purchase XO cognac in duty free shops. I can still get a much better price at duty free in Bangkok than I can locally. However, since I can no longer carry it on the plane, that has stopped my duty free shopping. I can't remember ever seeing anything else that was worth buying in duty free shops.
