Bangkok Airport Scam
 

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 duty free. Thai prosecutors eventually issued a release order but not until they had been kept in a seedy motel for several days and paid bribes totalling 8000 pounds to a Mr Fixit. not the first time it has happened apparently. Scary stuff!! Puts me off shoping in duty free! (not that I do anyway!)

Link to article:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6590584.ece

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:
<i>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>

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!

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!